Why are People so Afraid of one breed of dog?

Question

Pit bull's, most of the friends and family memebers i've spoken to who have been "visciously attacked" by a dog, including myself, none have been pits, i admit there are attacks by pits but the problem is they never give up. Raised right and not given the chance to get lose and attack most pits live a good, non-agressive life. To ban certsain breeds of dogs for their history is insane, it's a dog not a convicted murderer. Raise your dogs better, and keep an eye on the kids, shouldn't it then be okay?

Answer 1

Unfortunately some dogs carry huge risks. Rottweilers for example can amputate limbs on the young and cause horrific injuries to adults because of the huge power in their jaws.

Pit bulls are much the same.

I too had a pit bull for years and he was a very sharp obedient dog but I was always aware of the danger and that was only fair to the dog.

I have seen several dog owners who have said their dogs were entirely safe only to see them have the dog put down after biting someone.

Even the most placid, most well behaved human being is capable of snapping and having a go. The same goes for dogs. Responsible owners recognise this and always keep it in mind for their dogs sake.

Answer 2

Because the media picks out & vilifies one breed based on the small percentage owned by 'punks' for fighting. Then people panic & city councils ban that breed...and the punks move on to the next breed. Examples: Doberman Pinschers to Pit Bulls to Rottweilers to (now it seems) Presa Canarios. It will never end until councils quit passing breed bans and deal with the real problem: the punks!

p.s. For all those perpetuating the myth of Pit Bulls & Rottweilers strong bites: the Scottish Terrier's is stronger, FYI. But not likely to look 'tough enough' for the street punks to be interested in.

Answer 3

People are afraid of pits becuase of their strength and that so many are raised to fight. I have two of them and they are the nicest dogs ever to people. One doesn't really like other dogs but it isn't a vicious dog by any means. But one problem about pits is that they have a long line of violence in their blood. For some reason some pits will just snap and not knowing it they will attack things. You have to be really careful how you raise them. They love to fight and rough play but they are so strong and don't really know better and will hurt people.

Answer 4

Simple, media. The media is notorious when it comes to scaring the crap out of people. It's true that a pit bull can be very dangerous...but so can other larger dogs. The fact that pit bulls get a bad rap is because they're primarily used in dog fights and therefore trained to kill, and sometimes they kill people or attack them because that's what they've been taught or they're feral. Genetics play a part too, but pit bulls can actually be very good dogs, if you handle them properly.

Answer 5

I totally agree. I have a pit and he is a wonderful dog its the chihuahua you have to worry about :) If people would spend the time to properly socialize and train their dogs they wouldnt be as many attacks. People who are afraid of a certain breed or hate a certain breed b/c of media attention in my opionion are uneducated. It is the OWNER who makes a dog mean and vicious not the animal itself. Pet owners should also realize that a dog is a 10-20 year commitment and should take it seriously instead of choosing a puppy because it is cute or because someone they know has one. A dog breed that is right for one person maynot be right for another. Do your research if you are looking at extending your family to a dog its worth it. Sorry didnt mean to go on and on. :) You should never leave a child alone with a dog PERIOD.

Answer 6

I know lots of friendly pits. I have a rottweiler and he loves people. Some people are scared when they see him but he just looks at them. He likes people who are in uniform. Like the gardener he loved him. The UPS guy. He was whining cause he wanted him to pet him. It's funny. Yes it does depend upon how the dogs are raised they need to be socialized. Anybody can have a well mannered pittbull or rottie as long as it's socialized and worked with.

Answer 7

Yes. But that would be the hard way of doing things. Making an owner be responsible for the dogs actions. As for keeping an eye on the kids, yeah right, most "PARENTS", if you want to call them that, would rather be the child's friend then be a parent. Most all dogs are taught to be mean, by training, or how they are treated. You might get one once in a while that is brain damaged, but that's thanks to backyard breeders who don't care, that turns out to be mean all on it's own.

Answer 8

They focus on breeds like pit bulls rather than chihuahua's (or any smaller breed) because a pit bull can kill you. I live in a community where a woman was mauled to death by 'pit bulls' and it scared the community terribly. People react to the horror of it.

Answer 9

Pitts have a bad rap because they have a very strong bite. More pounds per pressure point than any breed that I know of. But you are right I have never heard of one attacking for no reason and I have seen them put to sleep because no one wants to adopt them. One here in wisconsin did bite a child. It was the family pet and when it bit the child they put it to sleep. It had never bit anyone before. It was sad all the way around.

Answer 10

When dogs get in packs they can get aggressive. A lady near me was killed by a Pitbull pack. They were the neighbors dogs and were very friendly normally. The owner said they were not aggressive and his grandkids played with the dogs all the time. The dogs killed this women while she was in her front yard doing yard work.