Why do people asume that pit bulls are dangerous????

Question

Pit bulls are not dangerous they just take care of there family and if they attack you then that means that you havent loved them enough or you left them alone thats wht pit bulls are so mean

Answer 1

Ive ben a pit lover all my life and new to american bulldogs -

just click the link to see why they say its pitbulls all the time - - - -
http://www.coldsteelpits.com/coldsteelfindthepitbull.htm

they assume this because pits are deadly, i wont lie. What people fail to realize real pit bulls have been trained for over 100 years to be aggressive towards other dogs, not people, not children. There are so many dogs that people assume are pits and arent even pits. A person gets bit and yells it was a pit bull and the news media runs with it for coverage. Not only that all male dogs become aggressive with other males when they get older, well most do. im not gonna preach cause i could write all day about this. I will say this every other breed of dog has at one time or another attacked a human and i feel bad for any one that has been mauled by a dog, but u cant punish a whole breed because of what some dogs ( that arent usually pits ) do. If thats the case we need to wipe out all breeds of dogs and all people of all races because at least one person from everyrace has been charged with and commited murder at one time or other-


A story i would like to share is how a lady was being attacked by a dog in her own yard and her neighbor had two pit bulls that she wasnt fond of because of their reputation, well those two pitbulls jumped the fence and attacked and killed the dog that was attacking the lady and didnt even mess with her while she was on the ground in blood. Funny these kind of TRUE storys never make the front page or the 5 o'clock news.

Answer 2

The media portrays only the bad side of pit bulls and other bully breeds. They are wonderful dogs, and for every 1 pit bull attack on a human there are 1,000 attacks on a pit bull BY humans. Aslo, Pit Bulls were NOT bred to attack people, rather the opposite...they were bred to fight bulls and eventually fight other dogs. These dogs had to be good with their owners and be very gentle, so when the owner takes hs dog off another dog the pit bull would never bite or attack the human. The myth that pit bulls were bred to attack humans is very untrue. Their nature if raised correctly is to be wonderful with children and people. Pit Bulls attack when they have been raised to do this. In a recent study Pit Bulls ranked along side of Golden Retrievers and Labradors, on temperment tests. They recieved an overall score of about 87%. Goldens even recieved lower, a 83% I think it was. I have volunteered in many shelters, and have still have never met a vicous Pit Bull or any Bull breed. I have seem them come in in horrible shape, and very abused, and even tortured. Yet, they still always wag their tail. This breed is a wonderful breed, and if only irresponsible people did not have them, people would begin seeing how great they are. They are family dogs which do not do good chained up or left outside.

Answer 3

It's because the media screws up when breaking news about dog attacks, Its beeb suggested that the average person who claims to have seen a pit bull attack, cannot correctly identify a pit bull. People confuse many breeds with pit bulls. Pit bulls were never bred to be people aggressive,and animal aggression has been bred out by responsible pit breeders. I had a pit bull, and he was the sweetest. He hung out with cats, birds, op possums squires and children, and other dogs. The golden retriever I have now is by far more disobedient. Check out the link, it will clear up alot.
“One of the most popular and baseless urban myths about pit bulls is that "pit bulls" often ‘turn’ on their owners without provocation. However, no sane dog performs behaviors for no reason. When aggression becomes a problem the reasons can often be traced to such things as improper handling, lack of socialization or training, a misreading of dog behavior by the owner, lack of discipline, or even disease. When an owner is startled by a sudden, aggressive outburst, it is generally because they have been unaware of problems that were brewing.”

Answer 4

In recent years, pit bulls have gained more than just a foothold in the public awareness. Unscrupulous breeding and negative media attention have resulted in many apartment complexes, neighborhoods and even counties imposing bans on the breed, citing them as "inherently dangerous" to the public.
But did you know that pit bulls, despite the fact that they were originally bred to fight with each other, were also bred to be trustworthy and friendly to people? These dogs actually earned the nickname "nursemaid's dog," because they were so reliable with young children.

Today, however, the breed often attracts the worst kind of dog owners--those who are only interested in them for fighting or protection. It's a shame what has happened to this loyal and affectionate breed-but as the pit bull population has increased so rapidly, shelters are now struggling to deal with an overflow of image-plagued, hard-to-place dogs. And despite its illegality, people are still training and breeding pit bulls to participate in dog fights in cities and towns across the country.

A little insight for readers!

Answer 5

Actually, it's not that pits are mean.
Think about it this way, all of the breeds of dogs we have today were "created" through a series of purposeful breedings for desired physical and temperament traits.
For example, terriers were bred to be small, energetic, with a high prey drive so they could be ued as ratters. Greyhounds and other sighthounds? Bred to be tall, long-legged, barrel chested, with a high prey drive and keen sense of sight so they could be used as coursers and to take things down like gazelles in some parts of the world. So now look at the pit bull.
Here is a dog who was created to fight. Large head, powerful jaw, muscular tight compact body, small ears, and a terrific guard/protection instinct built in.
Now take any of these dogs, superb at the job they were bred to do, and put them in a home, a family environment, where we want them simply to be "good pets". Well, the job they were bred for is still ingrained in their genetic code. Terriers still have that prey drive, herding dogs still want to herd, sighthounds want to run, and dogs bred for fighting and guarding...well...

The reason pits can be so dangerous is that what you have in the hands of what is usually a person with minimal dog behavior and training experience, is a very powerful tool designed for a specific purpose. Without the proper guidance and training, these inherent tendencies can come forth, and a pit bull is strong enough and powerful enough to take down a human. So therein lies the danger. Chihuahuas probably bite way more people annually than pits do, but what's going to make the evening news and land someone in the ER? A little nibble or a disfiguring or even fatal dog bite...

People who choose to live with pits, rotts, or dobes just need to be responsible and understand the animal they have brought home. Proper trianing, spay/neutering, and responsible dog ownership could eliminate Pits from that "most hated dog list" quite easily.

Answer 6

Yeah...you sound real educated about the whole thing.
I have seen pit bulls attack other dogs on three occasions, and attack a person at least once. All allowed to run at large and were in hyper prey drive. THAT is when and why they are dangerous. People can't or won't control them and that is where the problems start. Other breeds will chase down and attack in similar situations, but pit bulls get so hyper stimulated they are hard to get out of that state and the have a greater bite force, so the damage is greater.
Love has nothing to do with it!!!! One that I saw was a very well loved family pet, but it just turned "on" and attacked a big Lab walking down the street,grabbed it by the throat and killed it. The pit was a PET in a normal family!!!!!!! Never abused,never fought, lived there since it was a pup. It just snapped.
THAT is what makes them so dangerous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

I cant believe all the ignorant people whove answered this question. Pit Bulls as a breed do not attack for no reason. If you keep any breed of dog tethered on a chain, or don't spend alot of time with them, they will get aggressive. I work as a veterinary technician, and I've been bitten several times. Never by a Pit Bull. As a Pit Bull owner I've never worried about my dog biting anyone. The worst thing she would ever do is leave alot of slobber on someones face. So for all you ignorant people, educate yourself about Pit Bulls.

Answer 8

i hope you don't have one. pit bulls have the strongest bite grip that is what makes them dangerous. you say if they bite maybe they didn't enough love??what planet do you live on. a dog that bites is not trained. pit bulls makes a great pet but you have to train them. my son's pit is so loving, she wouldn't bite anyone. and any breed of dog will protect their family.peolpe who sell drugs get pit's and then make them mean by being cruel to them, they get pit's because they are known for their strength. but any tpye dog will react the same. people shouldn't own any pet if they won't take the time to spend with them. i hate when a pet is treated fine at first, then person gets bored with it or some other reason, and the dog is tied up and forgotten about.

Answer 9

I want to comment first on something...pitbulls jaws DO NOT lock...they are the same as any other dog just stronger...this breed is loyal even to the death to the human they love...if they feel that their human is in danger or the energy given off by their owner is aggressive then they act off that....we need to learn to punish the deed not the breed and have strict laws for people that dont obey leash laws and keep their dogs (no matter the breed )confined to their own property

Answer 10

Because the media only reports dog attacks by Pits, or other "bully" breeds. They pass along their propaganda that these dogs are more aggressive, and there is nothing that can be done about it. All of that is BS! It is irresponsible owners, not the dogs that cause bites.
Pit bites only account for approximately 5% of ALL dog bites in this country, only 1-2% of these are serious. Which just goes to show you how wrong everyone is, like the user above who stated that last she heard is was 60%. It is not now, nor has it ever been that high! And the above user who said that they have "locking jaws". This is another out and out lie!
Below are just a few FACTS about Pits that most people do not know. Ignorance is the reason that this breed is being persecuted!

Numbers Don't Lie

There are approximately 52 million dogs in the United States, and as many as 4.8 million are some form of pit bull. Toledo v. Tellings (March 2006).

As such, common sense would dictate that if breed of dog was the primary determining factor in all dog attacks, it would stand to reason that the statistics on pit bull bites would be astronomically high. They simply are not

~ Myth ~

Pit bulls have locking jaws and/or massive jaw strength that can be measured in terms of pounds per square inch (PSI).

Dr. I. Lerh Brisbin, Ph.D as well as other experts, testified that pit bulls do not have locking jaws. Based on actual dog dissections and measurements of their skulls, the evidence demonstrated that pit bull jaw muscles and bone structure are the same as other similarly sized dogs.

No evidence was presented to demonstrate that a pit bull’s bite is any stronger than other dogs of its size and build.

Dr. Brisbin testified that contrary to information relied upon and perpetuated by earlier case law and law review articles, assertions that a pit bull can bite with a “force of 2,000 pounds per square inch” have absolutely no basis in fact or scientific proof. The testing of dog bite strength has never been done and would be difficult, if not impossible, to perform. Toledo v. Tellings, 2006 WL 513946 (Ohio App. 6 Dist), March 2006

(Dr. I. Lerh Brisbin, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist with Savanna River Ecology Laboratory and University of South Carolina professor; Expert in behavior, training and handling of pit bull terriers and their anatomy)


~ Myth ~

Pit bulls have a stronger bite than other large dog breeds.

There is no scientific evidence showing pit bulls to have a stronger bite than other large dog breeds. In fact, when Dr. Brady Barr of National Geographic (Dangerous Encounters: Bite Force, 8/18/2005) measured the bite forces of three dog breeds (Rottweiler, German Shepherd Dog and American Pit Bull Terrier) using a computerized bite sleeve, the American Pit Bull Terrier generated the least amount of pressure out of the 3 dogs tested.

Identification Issues
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Among the many problems associated with breed specific legislation and its enforcement against pit bulls are the issues associated with identification. "Pit bull" is not a breed, but rather a generic term used to describe the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. However, the physical traits and characteristics shared by "pit bulls" are also shared by approximately twenty-five (25) other breeds that are not typically classified as bully breed dogs. Obviously, this causes great difficulty in identification and allows for discriminatory and subjective actions by animal control officers.

http://pitbullsthetruth.tripod.com/

The following link is to a "game" where you choose which dog is the Pitbull out of a bunch of pictures. This is further proof that most people cannot properly identify a true Pit. Other breeds are commonly mistaken as Pits.
http://www.pbrc.net/poppysplace/games/AdultFindabull/findpitbull_v4.html