Pit Bull's: misunderstood

[marine2541]

"The pitbull is the epitome of the American spirit, and we are more like them then we realize."

Yes, this WAS true, but today those who should be defending our reputation abroad the most are cowering like someone's lap dog.

 

[Righttime]

I have owned and raised many types of dogs, from a st. bernard to a whippet. I raised two pits together and found them to be among the best. They are loyal, smart and very hardy, not one sickness ever. I sold them at 2 years to someone who had a lot of land and visited them for a while. The buyer was in love with both of them and is a good owner.

 

[Larrymcc1]

These are two of my best friends, they are the most gentle and friendly dogs I have ever been around. Neighbors, friends and Pet's Mart workers call them by name and love to play with them.

 

[Andy Taylor]

I have only had one Pit, a stray puppy that found it's way to my door, litterally. I was watching TV and heard what I thought was a knock on the door. When I answered the door, a saw nothing at first then I looked down and saw the cutest Pit puppy. His tail wagging was the knock that I had heard. I took care of him until I found him a good home with a good owner. I just didn't have time for a puppy, but I wasn't just going to turn him loose, or dump him in the pound either.
A good friend has a pair, Grunt is the male, Harlet, is the female. Together they are called "The Love Monsters". the name fits.

 

[7.62foryou]

http://www.mlive.com/news/gran...ull_stops_abduc.html

Good Boy!!!!

 

[dsoza2003]

I didnt read all the posts but to say that Pit Bulls are not aggresive is foolish. yes, in many cases they grow to be great, loving animals but pick up any dog breeder book and look at the characteristics. Pit Bulls are one of the breeds that are very prone to snapping. Someone mentioned a cocker Spaniel does the same.. Very true cocker spaniels will bite but they cant bite down hundreds of pounds of force like a pit bull. I have a 135 Johnson American Bulldog that has no aggression at all towards people..Only other dogs...But would I tell a stranger to let his 1 year old ride on his back...No way...Even if its just one snap, one quick bite that baby is a dead baby...Its up to the owner.. ANY big dog should be kept in the backyard and not be allowed to roam around freely in the front yard without being leashed. Some may say that is torture or cruel but its the responsibility of the owner. When my dogs in the front he is on a 15 foot leash....I love him, hes sweet but I know how strong he is and the true cruelty would be to let him run free, bite someone and then have to be put to sleep becuase he had a irresponsible owner.....Bottom line, you can love and trust your dog but he is still an Animal and unless you can magically read his mind you dont know when or where he will decide todays the day he is going to be aggressive and bite someone...its our job to treat are animals as if they could bite someone...You may be wrong but who can afford to take that chance.

 

[stilettosixshooter]

Against my better judgment, I thought I'd throw my opinion into the fray...

Pit-owners, please know that I understand your love and affection for your four-legged family members! As with any breed, responsible ownership prevents 99% of problems - my only concern is for the 1% freak incidents that can occur.

Two full-grown pits teamed up on a lady runner in my neighborhood a few months ago. The dogs were well taken care of and enclosed in a back yard, but managed to escape and attack her for some unapparent reason. She was unable to stop the dogs, and they bit her around her thighs, trying to take her down - had she been a child or an older lady, she could have been killed (she ended up in the hospital for almost a week). It took a neighbor with a baseball bat for her to escape, and police were barely able to subdue the dogs afterward with pepper spray.

Even if the breed is not classified as inordinately aggressive, many dogs of this breed-type are simply built to maximize destruction. All dogs are still animals, well-trained or not: if one snaps based on some previously subdued instinct, I'd rather it be a cocker spaniel than one of these (especially if they are in a pair - I am assuming either of the two dogs might have backed off, had the other not been there).

My wariness is not pit-specific - I feel the same way about other similar dogs breeds and do not want them in my family around small kids or loose in my neighborhood!

However you slice it, dogs are not guns. Guns depend on the direct action of people to be dangerous - dogs are animals that, even when they are our favorite pets, sometimes do things that we can neither control nor explain.

 

[normanvin]

Here is a story about a young girl that was mauled by the family pet.

http://www.wnep.com/

The girl is ten years old. The dog is a bull mastiff. The girl was out walking the dog when the dog became aggressive over another dog behind a fence. She was mauled badly and life flighted to the hospital.

If any one knows anything about bull mastiffs the know they are a big, strong animal.

About now you are asking what does this have to do with pit bulls?

Here is an example of some one getting a dog. Was it properly trained? I don't know. Would I leave my ten year old kid take this dog out by themselves? Probably not.

Does this make this breed bad? No But I do know this dog will end up being put to sleep.

 

[cusingeorge]

"prone to snapping"

Snapping? What, like a person who has had enough and goes postal on someone? That is utterly ridiculous. Dogs of any kind do not "snap", they warn you if you are getting on their nerves by growling or by getting away from you.



"Very true cocker spaniels will bite but they cant bite down hundreds of pounds of force like a pit bull".

Pit's have a lower psi bite than German Shepherds.

Go here and learn something:

www.animalfarmfoundation.org

Please, really, please, get some facts from reliable sources before posting on a subject as sensitive as this. Do not rely on what Rolling Stone published back in 1988 or what any other media outlet is trying to push on you. All they care about is getting readers and ratings.

 

[pharmer]

Pits are great dogs, I have friends that have them, we get along well. Flipside, I shoot any pit that is not on a leash and comes at me. Joe

 

[dlstewart01]

Pit bulls kill cats, I have cats. I don't have pit bulls. I do have a Teddy Roosevelt rat Terrier. She thinks shes a cat. All is well.

 

[7.62foryou]

Originally posted by cusingeorge:
"prone to snapping"

Snapping? What, like a person who has had enough and goes postal on someone? That is utterly ridiculous. Dogs of any kind do not "snap", they warn you if you are getting on their nerves by growling or by getting away from you.



"Very true cocker spaniels will bite but they cant bite down hundreds of pounds of force like a pit bull".

Pit's have a lower psi bite than German Shepherds.

Go here and learn something:

www.animalfarmfoundation.org

Please, really, please, get some facts from reliable sources before posting on a subject as sensitive as this. Do not rely on what Rolling Stone published back in 1988 or what any other media outlet is trying to push on you. All they care about is getting readers and ratings.

Forget it cursingeorge. Some of the people here are very knowledgeable about guns and freedom but can't transfer that understanding to dogs pitbulls in particular. They've bought the media bs on pit bulls the same way some in the general public have bought into the media bs on firearms. They think freedom is only for things they agree with, on pit bulls they blame the dog the same way the gun is blamed and not the owner/abuser.

 

[guntownuncle]

Mike Tyson is just misunderstood, too. He'd be a great babysitter for your kids.

On a serious note, we live on a country road and all kinds of dogs are dumped in the neighborhood. In fact, I've never bought a dog. Some of my best dogs got delivered to our house for free. Not pitbulls though. Folks should save me the trouble and shoot them themselves.

 

[Jeb Stonewall]

This is the same old story only differant dog.
I've seen the killer dog tag go from the German Shepard to the Doberman,and now to Rotts and Pitbulls.
Any dog can bite and may even kill.
I grew up with dogs and always had a dog most my life.
One thing I learned is you have to be careful with kids around ANY animal!
Right now the pit has a bad rep. from the media.

Sorta like saturdaynight specials! and now assult weapons!

Pitts are no more dangerous than any other breed dog.
Just like one gun is no more dangerous than any other gun.
Unless you believe the media hype!

 

[dlstewart01]

I think once upon a time you were right and may still be concerning some blood lines But.... around here there are too many breeders who breed the bad in and the good out. This has been going on for a while. The dogs from some of these breeders can't be trusted. Is it the dogs fault? No but it is what it is. Untill someone puts a stop to breeding these bad fighting agressive blood lines, All the dogs will have this reputation.

The way I see it.

 

[guntownuncle]

Pitts are no more dangerous than any other breed dog.

Right, the media is just covering up all the deaths caused by labs and poodles.

.

 

[Guest]

Pitts are no more dangerous than any other breed dog.

Pitbulls were breed for the specific purpose of being placed in a Ring where they fight and that was originally a fight to the death. I don't believe that that trait has been completely bred out of the breed. I've had to shoot two of these over the Years and one of them had to have his jaws pried open with a crowbar before it would let go! Yes, most any other dog can be trained to be vicious but with the Bitbull the training many times doesn't require very much "actual" training.

 

[MK]

Originally posted by Jeb Stonewall:
This is the same old story only differant dog.
I've seen the killer dog tag go from the German Shepard to the Doberman,and now to Rotts and Pitbulls.
Any dog can bite and may even kill.

I know some Dobermans can get a bit feisty,
but most that live with families are fairly
calm I think.
It's the trained guard dogs that you don't
want to mess with.

As far as German Shepard's, I had one of those
at a shop that I lived/worked at quite a few
years ago. It was a fairly old dog, and very
smart. Totally calm around people unless he
sensed a problem.
We would have all kinds of people in and out
through the day, and never a problem.
He'd lay there and sleep most of the time.
But one night I had someone banging on the
front door, which was a steel door.
The dog was paying attention. When I opened
the door, the guy started to enter the office
and that dog claim close to eating him right on
the spot. But once he saw it was ok, he backed
off.
Like I say, a very smart dog. He knew the
difference between "normal" people, and ones
that might be a threat. I think he could smell
them even through the door, and knew it wasn't
anyone that had been there before.
So I really don't consider a Shepard to really
be aggressive unless you are a problem to them.
I think they are quite calm and level headed
around all family members compared to say a
Chow.

 

[Jeb Stonewall]

Originally posted by guntownuncle:

Pitts are no more dangerous than any other breed dog.

Right, the media is just covering up all the deaths caused by labs and poodles.

.

Well if they do happen to bite anyone you can be sure it wont be headline news like it is when a pit bites anyone.

 

[7.62foryou]

guntownuncle
dlstewart01

See what I mean? Heads clearly stuck where the sun don't shine.