Pit Bulls

I can't believe I just saw this thread...

Pit Bulls are my favorite dogs
I'd have a few if I didn't live in an apartment. When we do buy a house I'll be adopting a pit bull as soon as I can.

Out of all of the dogs that have come in and out of my life while volunteering in shelters I still prefer pits over any other dog. I've never been bit by a pit. I can't say the same for labs, poodles, toy breeds, designer mutts. ect.

Unless you've actually owned a pit bull or personally been around them for extended periods of time I don't think you can really have an opinion or make judgements on the breed. Reading news articles that are usually biased or misidentifying the breed doesn't count as being educated on the subject.

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Originally Posted by joyful girl

I can't believe I just saw this thread...

Pit Bulls are my favorite dogs
I'd have a few if I didn't live in an apartment. When we do buy a house I'll be adopting a pit bull as soon as I can.

Out of all of the dogs that have come in and out of my life while volunteering in shelters I still prefer pits over any other dog. I've never been bit by a pit. I can't say the same for labs, poodles, toy breeds, designer mutts. ect.

Unless you've actually owned a pit bull or personally been around them for extended periods of time I don't think you can really have an opinion or make judgements on the breed. Reading news articles that are usually biased or misidentifying the breed doesn't count as being educated on the subject.

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That is so true! The pit I have now is the first one I have ever owned and is the greastest dog I have ever had! He was a rescue and is now the smartest, best behaved lover of a dog I have ever known.
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w.../BabyHarry.jpg Everyone that meets him is instantly afraid because of what they hear, but after a few minutes they forget he is a pit because he is sooo sweet and friendly. He just wants love like any other dog and understands so many words and phrases. Remember the Little Rascals show, Petey was a pit.

I don't have a lot of experience with pits but my aunt has one and she is very pleasant to be around. In fact, if you don't tell her enough is enough, she would lay in your lap all day long. She doesn't seem any meaner than any other breeds. During christmas when I went home the dog hadn't seen me for a while and was a little weary of me but thats to be expected I suppose. Im pretty sure that lasted all of 3 minutes and as soon as I pet her it was over and she was in love.

She is kind of a weird dog though. Not behavior-wise but shes just really short. Like I said though, not really familiar with Pits but this one strikes me as unusually short and Im pretty positive she isn't mixed.

Anyone know about the average height of a pit to the top of their backs?

We haven't really made any judgements or made any opinions here. We've also agreed with a lot of what has been said about the owners having a lot to do with the dogs' behavior. We've also said that the statistics could be biased and incorrect. But nobody has argued with me on the fact that they would have to be so skewed to show that pits are as safe as other breeds, that it is virtually impossible to ever reasonable come to that conclusion. Nobody here ever said that they think pits should be banned, or anything to that nature, nor did anyone say that all pits are bad dogs. You keep saying the same things to defend pits, and that YOUR'S are great dogs, while ignoring the very real points that we have brought up. So far you raised a pit or two that hasn't attacked anyone. I get it and I'm very happy for you. Again, people who breed snakes, or cresties, or corns, or anything for that matter, refering to most of the people on this site, know very well what the outcome of line breeding for specific traits is, as do you all now know the traits pits were bred for. I agree, just about every pit can be raised in a way that makes it a good pet. That was never my point, and I don't see why it's taken so many pages for everyone to repeat the same simple things.

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Originally Posted by PythonWallace

I appologize if I came off nasty. I never meant to and I have agreed with a lot of things the pit bull defenders have said. I think way more so than any of you admit to the truths of what the other side have brought up. And again, I'm not anti-pit, I like them and will probably own one or two when I have the proper environment and time. I would just like to hear more of you admit that pit bulls are a much greater risk to safety than the average breed of dog. That's all.

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PythonWallace, I never said they were not. What I did say is that owning a pit bull is unlike owning any other dog. I agree pit bulls can, and will be dangerous dogs in the wrong hands, but in all honesty, in the wrong hands and not training, any dog can bite or injure someone.

However any dog, any animal, can bite, and usually do. How many of us here can say they have never been tagged by one of their snakes? Not me. It is just that pit bulls make news for some reason. I know of a woman who has a pit bull as a service dog, do you ever hear about things like that?

They can be good, they can be bad. Fifteen years ago German shepards were the nasty media villians, now its pit bulls. I wonder what breed they will target next?

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Originally Posted by Mina

PythonWallace, I never said they were not. What I did say is that owning a pit bull is unlike owning any other dog. I agree pit bulls can, and will be dangerous dogs in the wrong hands, but in all honesty, in the wrong hands and not training, any dog can bite or injure someone.

However any dog, any animal, can bite, and usually do. How many of us here can say they have never been tagged by one of their snakes? Not me. It is just that pit bulls make news for some reason. I know of a woman who has a pit bull as a service dog, do you ever hear about things like that?

They can be good, they can be bad. Fifteen years ago German shepards were the nasty media villians, now its pit bulls. I wonder what breed they will target next?

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Akitas are getting a lot more attention now as well. I think they are beautiful dogs, others think they are baby eaters... :p

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Originally Posted by Mina

PythonWallace, I never said they were not. What I did say is that owning a pit bull is unlike owning any other dog. I agree pit bulls can, and will be dangerous dogs in the wrong hands, but in all honesty, in the wrong hands and not training, any dog can bite or injure someone.

However any dog, any animal, can bite, and usually do. How many of us here can say they have never been tagged by one of their snakes? Not me. It is just that pit bulls make news for some reason. I know of a woman who has a pit bull as a service dog, do you ever hear about things like that?

I saw a lady with a pit service dog on the news.

They can be good, they can be bad. Fifteen years ago German shepards were the nasty media villians, now its pit bulls. I wonder what breed they will target next?

Probably a dog that shows a tendancy to be way more of a danger to public safety than most breeds. Possibally Akitas or Rottweilers?

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I haven't read through every page of this post, but I have to say that thinking like this gets me riled. We had German Shepherds and Rottweilers growing up, and I have owned 2 'pits' since becoming an adult myself. When I was growing up, it was more the Shepherds that were thought of as vicious dogs that I remember, because pit bulls and Rottweilers weren't as popular. Anyways, to the point. I personally have been attacked not by Rotts or pits, but by Chows twice. Once was by a Chow that I had known for 2 or 3 years, my friends dog. I walked over to her house one day, he was sitting under the porch steps and tore my left leg to the bone before I even knew what was going on. The second time, I was walking one of our Rottie pups, when two chows came running up. Luckily my friend's father saw what was going on and came out with a pipe to drive them off. I volunteered at two different vet clinics growing up and only ever had a problem with the Chows. That being said, do I hate Chows, no. I do realize that backyard-bred dogs many times to have behavioral (sp) issues. I think the main reason for Pit Bulls being one of the top dogs to attack people are because of the people raising and breeding them. Responsible breeders breed for correct temperament and type. Backyard breeders breed whatever is lying around, and with pit bulls, the dogs that are the most agressive. It just so happens that most people that want pits and Rotts are stupid people that want a mean, scary-looking dog and a lot of the time, they do their best to provoke aggressive behavior. My two pit bulls were extremely sweet dogs. Shasta was an American Staffordshire Terrier that we came across at a shelter. She was all of 3 months old and they were going to put her down because she chewed on people's fingers. Come on, people! She was a puppy and I broke her of that within the first two days, but because of her breed and the fact that she 'bit' people, she was going to be put down. Our second dog is a pit mix. She was from a shelter as well, and was obviously abused before we got her. The only time she has ever shown any aggression is when her buddy (a neighbor's Sheltie) was attacked by our other neighbor's Lab-mix. Even though she was actively fighting with the other dog, when that dog was removed, she calmed down to her usual self. She allows our children to climb all over her, feed her kibble one morsel at a time, etc. She is a very sweet dog. I do feel that ownership of large dogs should be regulated because of the damage they can do in the wrong hands, but I don't think any breed of dog should be banned. Whew, sorry for the long post!

Oops, forgot something...I know, I know crazy-long post to have forgotten something, but...

I hope this doesn't come across as offensive, but here it is. I think it's kind of crazy that people who deal with antagonism towards our own animals (herps) is mirroring those feelings towards another species/type of animal. This is the same type of thinking that is making it possible to ban herp keeping/breeding, is it not?

*goes to check her flame-retardant suit*

I've noticed Rotties being brought up an awful lot in the thread so I'll share the story of my husbands Rott, Ronin. We purchased Ronin as a pup in 2003. German bred, not american and every bit a cuddler. During his puppy years if you had to correct him for something and gave him the 'evil look' and 'PSSSSH' sound he'd act as though you were ripping his fur off, yelp and come groveling over. This response just because of a non physical reprimand.
As he got older he picked up his training well, loved other dogs, LOVED people and loved loved loved to go 'bye bye'.
He and Rayne were housemates, we took them everywhere including work. More people were afraid of Rayne for her pit appearance but after a few moments gave in and made over her like the perfect creature she knew (and still knows mind you) that she is. Ronin's only fault was that he was more of a wetmouth and 'shower you with kisses' takes on a whole new meaning for the owner of a wetmouth dog.
I took them both to my obedience classes where they would calmly sit in the corner while my clients and their dogs worked towards the middle. Many brought their children which would run over and sit on both dogs who babysat just fine till their ears started getting pulled then they'd stand up and come lay behind me.
In many of my classes were other breeds such as dobes, rotts, german shepherds (lots of GS's) and of course pit types. Not once did a fight break out, not once did my 'dangerous agressive' dogs even begin to start an issue.
The only time Ronin would show a protective streak was in his own home. If someone he did not know walked through the door without one of us he wouldn't let him any farther in then the rug. He'd body block him and give him nasty looks, not attack, not maim, not kill. Just body block him.
People make bad dogs, dogs just have no choice but to go with it.