American Pitt Bull Terriers?

Question

I would appreciate if you would give me a reveiw on APBT (american pitt bull terriers) and tell me what you think, if you are in england, of the behaviour of the dogs that have recently attacked people.
Much Appreciated...

I am NOT wanting to own one, I know they are dangerous, I am wanting to know what others think, and if you think that it's maily because of the owners, then please tell me. I used to own a Pitt Bull called Bruiser, and he was as soft as clarts, so they aren't naturaly killers, are they?

People think they should be destroyed, it isn't their fault they havent been firmly trained, and that they've been left to their own devices. The dog that killed the little girl was out by itself. NO responsible owner would let a dog out by itself. These people shouldn't even have a dog, nevermind one they can't flaming handle!

I am a ******* do expert, i don't want people telling me what they are, and that it is illegal to own one because i'm not a dimwitt, i would appreciate it if someone would just tell me what they think of the dogs, and their owners...
If one of you own one, that would be great to hear from you...

Answer 1

It is the owners im afraid,of course it was a tradegy what happened with the recent attack on the little girl but if you read carefully what the owner did with the dog you'll agree,he played rough with it outside his house which makes any more dog more agitated and defencisive,he let it attack other dogs and he generally encouraged the dog to be aggresive,and what in the right mind really was the nan of the little girl letting the dog around the child when they had already been warned of the dogs behaviour.Irresponsible owners who buy dogs to try and be macho face this risk all the while as they dont know nothing about the dogs personality.Pit bulls can and are good loyall friendly dogs in the right hands it's just a tradegy that the poor little girl lost her life to one,through the carelessness of the dogs owner.

Answer 2

I have never owned one and never will however i used to know someone that did and he was so lovely and placid you do hear about the story's from these dogs that attack people but how come you never hear of an attack when its a different breed.

I had my face ripped apart by a jack Russel when i was 4 years old and all i was going was sat on a patch of grass.

It boils down to the way the dog is bought up these dogs have a bad reputation as they were bred to kill other animals.... the Pitt bull that i knew of never attacked anyone in its life and never showed any sign of aggression either and the dog was loved dearly by its owner. The dog passed away last year and no the owner didn't replace him he got a cat instead.

I think it completely depends on the love that is shown for the dog and the way the owner treats it.

Answer 3

In the US basically certain localitys in certain states have banned Pit Bulls, because they are tied to Drug dealers, Dog fighting and completely oblivious owners. My Boy/F had a pit and she was a great dog, she just showed aggression towards other animals, and this aggression was natural, not taught or by being trained. My step faters' mom had a huge pit bull here name was Cleo, and she was about as big around as a pig and she never in her 19 years on the plant showed any aggression towards any thing or any one. I think that there are several factors in which ANY DOG will ATTACK someone or another animal. Just because they are believed to be domesticated, they still have wildness left in them. If you take a cat raise it from a kitten and then when it is like 3 years ond turn it loose in the wild, it will survive. Animals have a natural instinct, just like we do, animals can not express themselves other then through barking, growling, wagging the tail, hair standing up and so on. This means that a pet owner needs to be responsible, know thier pet and how it reacts in different situations. A dog is like a child if it is socialized then it will know how to interact with other animals. If you own a pit bull and you have it around other animals from a 8 week old pup, then it is more likely to accept other animals. Pit bulls are one owner dogs, they dont' like having too many people telling them what to do, and when they do they get confussed. For the better half of it I feel that the Pit Bulls alone are not dangerous, it is the combination of pet owner and breed.

Answer 4

Loyal, obedient, intelligent, trustworthy, these dogs get bad press.

You don't see people wanting German Shepard's banned, they attack more people than Pit Bulls.

The dog that killed the little girl was a Pit Bull type dog not a Pure Bred Pit Bull. True Pure bred Pit Bulls are not generally aggressive towards humans as this trait is not allowed to be bred, the dog was usually destroyed as it was to dangerous to handle a fighting dog that could turn on the handler.

It is the banning of these dogs that has led then to be desirable to shady characters.

A note to perseus above, if you look at the dogs with highest score in Police dog training (Schutzen), it is the Pit Bull that is the only dog that has received a perfect 100 score

Answer 5

I have never owned a pit bull and for some reason it is the only breed of dog I do no trust. Irrational, I know.

Rotties, staffies, shepherds and Jack Russell Terriers which I have owned also have had bad reputations at times, but I have always been able to weigh these up individually, as a dog to trust or not.

I have a young German Shepherd that was abused previously and she takes a firm, but not aggressive hand to control her. She does not like men and sometimes her fear comes out aggressivley.

All too often people get pets that they cannot control without any intention of working with them. I believe Pitt Bulls are aggresive, but that with a good handler this can be controlled. However like many working dogs, they are not pets. Too many people think owning a dog involves only feeding it and maybe taking it to the shops with them.

Answer 6

The law is only enforced on a complaints basis, it seems. That means the dog is executed.

However, pure breed Dogos are still kept. Pit Bulls are different because the there is a defence that it is not a Pit Bull but a similar breed.

People with these dogs are ostracized, not because they are illegal, but because the dogs are darn dangerous. The people are ostracized because they maintain their dogs are not dangerous and it defies common sense.

There are lots of breeds of big dogs that are tolerated because attacks are rare or not recorded. These dogs are dangerous and are not trainable for companions. The dog owners have said this to me, and they do not think they should be sold to people without private enclosed grounds as they are not suitable for public spaces. These are the larger sheep protection dogs. OK if you want to protect your sheep against packs of Wolves, but not any good for romps in the park with children.

Answer 7

I own, train, and work with shelter APBT's, and have found that for the most part they are excellent dogs.

Of course, there are some that should be humanely euthanized due to human aggression or severe behavioral issues that can not be worked with.

Some are born with less than acceptable temperments, but this is due to the irresponsible and over breeding that is done with these type dogs.

The dogs that have attacked people are most likely not "quality" dogs, but back yard bred dogs that should never have been born.

They have also not been properly trained, socialized, or supervised.

All of these problems are directly related to the people who breed and own them...not the dog itself.

We need to stop pointing fingers at the dogs, and start placing the blame where it really belongs...at the people who are ignorant and greedy, breeding quantity for money and not caring about the temperments, quality, or even the future of these puppies and dogs.

Any breed can be a wonderful companion. And, on the flip side, any breed can be dangerous. We need more people to be educated and less people breeding these dogs. We need more mandatory spay and neuter, more mandatory temperment testing, and less puppies being taken from the litter at such young ages.

We need less people hitting, beating, abusing these animals and more people socializing, training, and supervising them diligently and consistantly.

Pit bulls are not meant to be human aggressive, and should not be. Human aggressive pit bulls should be humanely euthanized, and again, never bred.

In my experience, pit bulls are devoted, eager to please, and quick to learn. I have, sadly, had to make the decision to humanely euthanize a foster pit bull due to human aggression. While it was hard to let him go, it was an easy decision becasue it was in his best interest, as well as the best decision for public safety.

I hope my review has helped you. This is based on personal experience.

http://www.libertydogtraining.com

Answer 8

All dogs originally come from wolves, so, yes, they all have killer instinct in them. That being said, not all dogs are killers! I do not now, nor will I ever believe that there is any breed that is any more dangerous than the owner allows it to be.

People make dogs more dangerous by doing stupid things! First, chaining a dog up will cause it to become more aggressive! Look at our prison system! Animal, just like people, do not like constantly being contained and trapped.

Improper feeding of animals is a biggy. OK, common sense here. If you are not feeding a dog properly, (let's feed a big dog Ol' Roy) then the dog is going to be food aggressive at the very least, because it will always be ill and hungry!

Hitting a dog when it does wrong! Well there is a "No-Brainer" for you. Of you are treating a dog with aggression, it will respond with aggression. HELLO THERE!

I owned Rotties for years! However, when I went back to school full time and still worked full time; I had to give them up. Large dogs need more supervision then I was able to give them. And I wasn't going to rely on my children to monitor them. Any parent should not allow children under 13 to be alone with their large dogs. I am not saying that small dogs aren't as aggressive! They just don't have the capacity to do as much damage.

I have worked in the pest control industry for the past 8 years. Now I own my own company. I have dealt with every different type of dog there is. I have been bitten 4 times in the past 8 years. Once by a Weimeraner (its owner was ill, and he felt he was protecting her), once by a poodle (my dog was in heat and he reacted to the smell), once by a wiener dog (he was just a mean, evil little thing that bit everyone he could sink him little teeth into) and once by a terrier mix (I was in his yard and didn't know he was there). The smaller dogs attacked me more than larger dogs.

I think the biggest babies I dealt with were the "dangerous dogs". I had a Pitt on my route that would sneak up behind me and stick his nose in my pocket looking for dog treats. (Which I always carried!) I had a Rottie that would come running up to me, lick me, the go barreling off the other way, thinking it was the greatest game in the world! I even had a Dobbie that would follow me, stopping where I would stop, looking at what I would look at, and then continue on with me when I would do inspections, as if she were my assistant!

It is not the breed; it is the treatment and training of the dog. Don't ever doubt that!

Answer 9

I am not from England, but the United States. I have owned a pit bull before so I don't think the pits are different in different countries.

I found my pit, his was a baby, abandoned, alone, and hungry (almost starving). I spent about a grand to get him up to date on shots and have him healthy. This Beautiful Pitt Bull was my family pet. My children loved him, played with him, and enjoyed him. I have known several people who have owned lovable pitt bulls as well.

Unfortuently, pitt bulls are a bully breed. There are many others in that group such as shepards, rottys, and so forth. Think about it. A few years ago it was nothing but rottys that were "randomly" attacking people and killing them. All bully breed has a bad reputation for being vicious, but you know, mutts attack too. You just don't hear about them. Mutts attack and kill people too.

Answer 10

15 to 20 people per year die of dog bites in the US. In no specific breed. We only hear about the 3 or 4 Pit Bull attacks. 3 or 4 animals raised by scumbag morons who abuse them and starve them and beat them.And they now have a bad name. A Golden Retriever would do the same. I've come across a number of mean Golden's in my life. And I have known many wonderful Pit Bulls including mine. I love my Bully. I have a two year old that he is so gentle with and he is a loving dog. But we raised him that way.
4500 people died on motorcycles in 2005 in the US. Which is more of a threat? There isn't legislation banning them.