Regarding Pit bulls?

Question

Are Pit Bulls really more dangerous than other breeds of dogs? I've heard that they are quicker to attack than most other breeds. I have a friend that is going to court next week for shooting and killing a neighbor's Pit Bull that mauled his 7 year old daughter. Is this the fault of the owner, or is this breed of dog just predisposed to this kind of behavior?

Here is, to the best of my knowledge, what happened.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtkVr9.6chRyAQ5ZPnJs5R_sy6IX?qid=20060702104230AAxuNAN

Answer 1

Pit Bulls are rarely aggressive toward humans - their instincts are to kill other animals. The sub-humans who fight these dogs can actually step into the ring while two of them are killing each other and pull them apart without getting bitten. Try that with your OWN dog when he's in a fight!! (You are far more likely to be bitten by a Chihuahua!!)

The problem is that they do more than average damage when they DO attack. Attacks on humans (usually kids) are brought on when the dog is constantly teased by the neighbors' kids or when the idiot who owns it tries to attack train it and make it vicious. Irresponsible owners should be held accountable for their pet's actions!!

Answer 2

No pit bulls are no more dangerous than any other dog but when people like the one who let his pit run loose makes all pits look bad. Pits are stroger than any other dog when people refuse to train thier dogs and keep them up things like what happened to the little girl happens. The owner of the dog should be fined and put in jail. All dogs can be dangerous, there should be laws that address dangerous dogs no matter the breed. I own a pit he is well trained and is always under control but so was the toy poodle I owned that is beinng a responable owner. In every major case of pit bull attack it was due to how the owner trained, as for fighting, or treated, abuse. The 4% of attackes that was not link to bad owners over 1/2 was due to something wrong with the dog. Hope your friend gets off, I love dogs and I would do the same thing. The dog is better off and now so are you and your friends

Answer 3

This is definetley the fault of the owner. If it was an agressive dog he should have never allowed it around anyone. or even allowed it out. I don't believe in the breed being bad. I had a pit and it was a big baby. I have know several people having this breed and not having one bit of trouble. In fact I trained my pit, The fact that the pit had a reputation i really didn't want any children around it but my niece let her baby play with it and it was biting the dog. The dog just layed there he knew better. i don't think it is the breed or the bloodline of the dog it is how they are raised. I would have done the same thing though if a dog attacked my child. But it is in fact the owners fault. If you can't control your dog, then you do not need a dog. If you have an agressive dog keep it away so noone else will have problems. It's not the pits fault.

Answer 4

NO! Pit bulls are NOT more dangerous than any other dog of comparable size! All terriers are quick to jump on things when untrained... (esp. the little terriers!) If the dog wasn't in the middle of the attack, I'm afraid your friend will be in trouble... If it was he'll probably get off. The attack is the owners fault though! Any dog is capable of it too, not just pits! If you check the web you'll find many examples... Pit bulls were known as "old family dogs" in Ireland years ago for their devotion to the family... So sorry for your friend and his daughter!!! The owner should be punished for letting an untrustworthy dog loose! Hope she heals well and that your friend is alright...

Answer 5

Pit bulls have a very strong prey instinct (as do some other breeds). They are also a dominant breed (as are some other breeds). This combination makes them harder for the average dog owner to train properly. This is not the breed that is recommended for 1st time dog owners.

So, generally speaking, it is a combination of factors.

Children running and squealing are behaving as prey.

People don't know how to train dogs. 90% of the dogs I meet are poorly trained or not trained at all. People abuse/neglect dogs, especially "bad dogs" like Pit Bulls and Rottweilers because they think it is cool to have a vicious dog.

I know many, many Pit Bulls that are family dogs. Very well mannered and social. But I know just as many that are sick, abused, neglected and potentially dangerous. It takes a lot of work to turn those dogs around. I am working with 2 currently that were very poorly treated.

People don't teach their children how to behave around dogs. People get dogs for the wrong reasons. Unfortunately, you are seeing the result.

And I don't blame your friend for shooting the dog. I would have done the same thing in this situation and I am a huge dog lover and especially like Pit Bulls. But this could have occured with any breed of dog.

ps - Biological research has proven that Pit Bulls are not constructed differently than other dog breeds. They do not have more jaw muscles, their jaws don't "lock", their jaws are not capable of more pounds per square inch of force vs a similiar sized dog. This is all part of the current Pit Bull hysteria.

Answer 6

The mauling is almost certainly the fault of the owner. Pit bulls aren't naturally more aggressive than any other kind of dog. The aggression comes when an owner expects and cultivates that kind of behavior from his/her animal. If you were to subject a golden retirever to the kinds of things that some of these owners do their pits bulls, they would get snappy too. In fact, they do, I've seen it.

There may be more bulldog bites on record than other breeds, but this is simply because the population is larger. The only reason you hear about it more often is because is makes sensational news.

Answer 7

Definitely the fault of the owner. Pit bulls are great dogs, but they are one heck of an intense breed to own. So many people who have them are complete idiots, and do not understand what kind of animal they posses. They are fast, tenacious, and freakishly strong- NOT the breed that any old shmoe can own. They require intensive training from day 1, and the ideal pit bull owner is conscientious and responsible enough to understand how to effectively restrain their dog and never, ever put it in a situation where it will put itself or others at risk.
ANY dog who ever exhibits signs of aggression towards humans or other animals, whether it's a pit bull or a golden retriever, should always be properly leashed and muzzled when in public. Or, better yet, proper behavior services should be sought. Here in the Bay Area, people who own pit bulls can take special classes and seminars to teach them how to raise their "special: dogs.

Answer 8

Pit Bulls can be dangerous in the wrong hands. They must be taught from an early age that they are not the boss. I have 5 dogs. One of them is a Pit Bull. I have had her since she was abandoned at a vet clinic when she was 3 weeks old. She is 9 years old now, and has never been the dominant dog in my home. I will not allow it. My nephew learned to walk by using her to pull up on and support himself. She has never raised a lip to a human being, and I don't believe she ever would. I am always very careful about strange dogs being around her, she is protective of her territory. I have a 5 foot fence around my backyard that is wired to the ground, and both of my gates are padlocked at all times, to keep neighborhood children out. You have to be extremely responsible to own one of these dogs and have it live a long, normal life with no incidences of violent behavior from the dog. If any dog, regardless of breed, attacked one of my children, I would not hesitate to kill it. It is legal to do this where I live.

Answer 9

it is the fault of the owner, and possibly bad breeding. when people breed two dogs together because they are the same breed with out regard to wether the dogs should procreate causes I think alot more problems then even bad ownership does.
Possibly I think the reason there are so many laws being enacted against Pitbulls. I own one so I am on top of these laws. There is also something that alot of people miss. there are ALOT of other breeds out there that were bred for fighting. Akitas, Chows, Tosas, to name a few. contrary to popular opinion, Pits more or less became known for their fighting ability quite by accident. They simply have a high pain tolerance and once set on something it is almost impossible to get them to stop. This is something that is a great characteristic but not when you are talking about a dog fighting. They were initially bred for their work around farms and most were mixed breed dogs that were later specially breed by old time dog fighters because they were so good. I know there will be alot of disagreement about this but history supports it as well as old time documentation and books.
I hope your friends little girl is ok.

Answer 10

You're going to get differing opinions about this. Here are a couple:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_bull
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2002810189_pitbull19.html?syndication=rss

Things I know personally:
1. Pit breeds have the potential to cause extreme harm to adults and children as well as other pets.
2. Many people train them for aggressive purposes
3. There are more of them in the animal shclter than any other breeds.
4. My sister in law and brother in law had a sweet one that they raised like a household pet. They got it as a puppy when their first child was a year old. When the child was about 2, he hugged the dog and the dog grabbed his face from the eyebrow bone to the lower cheek and bit. My nephew had to have many stitches and has scarring now as an adult.
5. My sister and her husband had one that they got as a puppy. She was raised as a family pet, very sweet. My sister also had a pomeranian, and the two dogs played all the time for about a year. One day while playing, the pit grabbed up the pom and shook her like a rag, opening up her entire torso along one side. The pit only dropped the pom when my sister's husband said 'drop it'. The pom almost died.
6. My daughter's mama cat and her kittens were all killed by our neighbor's pitbull..the kittens were mostly consumed.
7. I have yet to meet someone who kept their pit into old age, although I'm sure they're out there.

So there you have my information. Good luck if you decide to get one.

Answer 11

It's the fault of the owner, your friend was justified and will get off IF he killed the dog in self defense, as the crime was happening. If not, he might be in trouble.
Dogs are what they are taught, BUT Pitt Bulls, and ANY Terrier dog breed are more prone to attacking, they are aggressive. If any dog mauled my 7 yr old, I'd kill it -- good for your neighbor. The dog's owners should get prison time.
GOOGLE PIT BULLS and you will find several articles to help you. Good Luck!