Who thinks pitbull dogs should be outlawed?

Question

I adore animals but Im not sure about this breed.They scare the hell out of me.

Answer 1

I am an owner of 4 pits. We've had the lads since birth of our past sweet pit.

Though pits may have the propensity to fight each other, as in alpha struggles, it is their upbringing that ultimately decides what sort of pet they will or will not become.

I rather think the owners are the culprit here, as well as bad press. And, of course, there is the underground barbarity of fighting and inbreeding with this breed. Such a pity.

Between 1980 and 1997, there were 122 human deaths attributable to dog attacks. Now, make this comparison:

Every year, there are just as many dog bite incidents that send people to a doctor for treatment as there are human to human bite incidents that send people to a doctor for treatment. In fact, you are more likely to get a serious, life threatening infection from a human bite than from a dog bite.

100 people a year are struck and killed by lightning in the U.S.

About 100 children a year are killed or permanently brain-injured by shopping carts that have tipped over with the child in the cart seat.

In comparison, between 1990 and 1997, more than 100 infants and children have accidentally died by strangling in looped window cords. (Consumer Digest, July/August, 1997, p. 29)

Even though every dog bite case is serious, the public reaction to dog bite incidents is overblown compared to their proportion. In response to dog biting incidents, laws are being passed to ban certain breeds of dog. Insurance companies are not writing policies for owners of certain breeds of dog. Radio and TV talk show hosts sensationalize dog bite incidents and pressure prosecutors to put every such dog owner in jail, assuming that it must be the fault of either the dog or the owner. But, we don’t see bans on mini-blinds or shopping carts in the works, or government regulations requiring a lightning rod on every tree and building in the country.

On a more rational side, I would be interested in a scientific study showing what the precipitating causes are for most dog biting incidents. It can’t be that all of these cases were because the dog was crazy or just made mean, or because of negligence on the part of the owners. How many of these cases were justified bites, when the dog was provoked to the point where it felt it had to fight back? How many were the result of negligence on the part of the person that was bitten? How many were accidents, where the dog escaped an enclosure that a reasonable person should have expected to be escape proof?

After World War II, the "demon dog" was the German Shepherd. Then it was the Doberman Pinscher. Then it was the Great Dane and Chow Chow. Then it was the Shar Pei. Then it was the Pit Bull Terrier. Now it’s the Rottweiler. New breeds being added to the list are Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, Akitas, German Shepherds (again), and Saint Bernards. Are any breeds safe from being banned? The fact is that when one breed gets too much notice for biting, people just switch to owning other breeds. Any breed can be wrecked. In any breed, there will be individuals that are vicious... that is just the way genetics works. That's why you should hold owners responsible for their dogs, and focus on dealing with dangerous dogs of any breed (by the way, mixed bred dogs also bite, and sometimes kill, people) instead of banning breeds. (Punish the deed, not the breed).

The most puzzling dogs on the list are the Huskies, Malamutes, and Pit Bull Terriers. Each of these dogs is genetically a people-friendly dog. You’d have to make these dogs either fearful of people, or cornered on their own territory, or in the case of the Pit Bull Terriers, see people as vermin, for these dogs to bite and seriously hurt people. The reason Pit Bull Terriers aren’t widely used in real man work (protection work), is because they are people friendly dogs that were designed to work as butcher’s dogs. I remember a story I heard of an American Bulldog (similar to a Pit Bull Terrier crossed with a Bullmastiff). The dog was sent on a building search for a suspect. When the dog located the suspect, the dog was grabbed by the suspect and was being strangled. The dog didn’t fight back until the police officer instructed the dog to bite the man, which he did on command. I also knew a man in Seattle that bred Pit Bull Terriers, and some drug guys broke into his house and stole some of his adult dogs. Why weren’t these people mauled by the dogs? He even caught one of them in his house with the dog present, and the dog didn’t attack the guy. Similarly, I had a customer whose Dogo Argentino (like a Pit Bull Terrier crossed with a pointer) that was attacked by a shepherd mix. His dog fought off the other dog, but the owner was able to reach in and pry his dog off the attacking dog without being bitten by his Dogo. The Dogo is not a man working dog. They aren’t competitive in the Schutzhund sport, and they aren’t used as police dogs, because they can’t do the work. The only dogs you see doing man work are Airedales, Boxers, Belgian Shepherd breeds, German Shepherds, Giant Schnauzers, Dobermans, and Rottweilers.

There is going to be a terrible price to pay if we don’t start speaking out about responsible dog ownership, and educating the public why breed bans are not the way to deal with the problem.. I do it all the time. Imagine what we are going to have to do if the German Shepherd, for example, is banned like the Pit Bull Terrier? Impossible, you say? Well, some of the big insurance companies are refusing homeowner’s insurance to owners of German Shepherds. The mayor of New York, Rudolph Guiliani proposed a government ordinance that required a certain amount of insurance if you owned a "dangerous" breed of dog. I don’t know if the German Shepherd will be listed as one of those breeds, but we are well on our way to just such a result. The fact is, THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE that any breed has a higher proportion of vicious dogs than any other breed. Vicious is different than aggressive. A vicious dog is one that can't be trained and can't control its dangerous tendencies. All dogs are aggressive, to one degree or another. Aggression isn't abnormal. Aggression plays a major role in all aspects of behavior, in humans, wolves, dogs, horses, fish, etc. If the law requires the insurance, but the insurers refuse to issue the insurance, then it’s a breed ban all the same.

Answer 2

NO............. Just because there has been many cases of pits attacking does not mean they need to be outlawed. If the dog is raised right they are good dogs. There use to be the same problem with rotts, and dobermans and shephards but now the media only concentrates on the pits. A big number of the incidents that have occurred are a mix and not a pit. People are scared of these dogs because of the media. People hear the word pit and they run. Any dog can sense fear and some dogs consider it a threat.

Answer 3

Absolutely not! If you're worried because of the stories in the media...well...think back to the shark attacks that are hot every summer. Do I think there are sharks swarming all over the place looking to kill me? Nope.

"Pit bulls" are reported on because they're the villainous dog of the day. As a previous poster said, it has been German Shepards, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Shar Pei, etc. in the past. Now it's pit bulls. Because a few thugs choose to own them and think they look tough with them on a chain doesn't make the dog a bad dog.

Sargeant Stubby of World War II was none other that a real life PIT BULL who saved the lives of dozens of American soldiers. Petey on Our Gang? A PIT BULL!

In fact the favored family and farm dog of the early 1900's was the American Pit Bull Terrier. Ask older people - the ones that know what a APBT looks like will tell you that "so and so down the road" owned one when they were growing up.

Answer 4

I'd like for you to understand that I've never owned a pitbull and I never will.I'm old and I'm smart enough to realize that I cannot keep up with one.But I have had the pleasure of being close to several owners of them.
If you'd put some effort into researching the breed as a whole and going out of your way to speak with trainers and owners of these dogs you would find you really have little to fear evan from one who runs headlong at you snapping and snarling on the street if you know how to handle the situation properly.

It's a lack of knowledge and understanding as well as sheer ignorance that these beautiful animals have been given such a bad reputation.

Pitbulls require ALOT of exercise daily.They also need mental stimulation to keep them from becoming bored.No one should buy this breed or any other large dog without first understanding that and making the commitment to provide these things.A tired dog sleeps.It does'nt get into mischief or bite anyone unless it's defending itself.

People get them so they'll look cool walking them down the street.When that wears off they stay chained in the yard to go insane from boredom and resentment.

People keep them cooped up indoors and leave them unattended with small children who hurt the dog and then say the dog just went crazy and went for the child.They don't know why.Ignorance it seems releases the owners of the liability of negligent parenting.The dog gets put down,the insurance pays the bills and child protective agencies don't get involved.PROBLEM SOLVED.

I could write you a book on this subject but will stop here.I just want you to realize that there are always 2 sides to every story.And without getting the dogs version of the facts it's hard to decide who's really in the wrong.If you're unsure of something get the facts!All of them!You might just find that the only thing you have to fear is fear itself.

Answer 5

I have a cousin who lost a finger after his own pit bull bit him, but that was the doctor's fault, not the dog's, and I'm not ready to outlaw doctors (yet). The problem is the owners more than the dogs. If they were properly supervised, I think they'd be OK. Part of the problem is either that many of the owners are the kind that like the idea of a mean dog, so they want to make them mean.

Answer 6

No, the dogs are fine, some owners teach them to behave badly. But to outlaw a breed is the first step towards a Holocaust. After we decide to outlaw Pit Bull Dogs, then we would just have to exterminate the illegals.
Soon they would gone, then we would find another breed that we do not all approve of, exterminate them, eventually we will have a Reiche that will last 1000 years!

Answer 7

No, Firstly it's not the dog it's how you handle them. Perhaps irresponsible owners should be banned. Secondly, it's practically impossible to tell a pitbull from a staff, they are more or less identical, and staff's are wonderful little dogs. Instead the law should be tightened up as regards control and care of all dogs.

Answer 8

PIT BULLS are missunderstood, darling. A cog turns out however you raise them. That is another stereotype hun. You see, I have hung out with ppl that had pitbulls as playful and sweet as kittens, then I know ppl who have trained theirs to attack ppl and other animals, who usually end up getting killed. Dogs should not be raised to fight like that. Pit bulls make great gaurd dogs and do not have to be vicious at all.
If you havent ever noticed, some ppl have mutts that will attack something in a heartbeat as well, it all depends on how they are raised. Dont be scared of pit bulls, not all of them are bad. Just make sure you dont walk up on a growling one or one that doesn't have it's owner around to confirm its temperament.

Answer 9

Honestly, who in the hell gave humans the right to set forth rules upon a planet that doesn't even belong to them, to make rules and govern peoples and animals rights based on what they think is right. Give me a break, not one person is better than the other. Yes they may be scary, but so are politicians!

I do think this crackhead of a scammer needs to outlawed (plis) last night he had three different names, I guess he's not going to stop.

Answer 10

I love animals too but even veterinarians are debating about the future of this breed of dog. My neighbor has one and the whole time she's telling me what a sweet dog it is, the thing is straining to get off the lease and snarling at me.

Answer 11

Who thinks pitbulls should be outlawed?

Well, if I had to guess, I'd say mostly the ignorant and uneducated who have all of their pit bull "experience" from the media. (Which, btw, many of the dogs reported as "pit bulls" in the media are not.)