What is the deal with pitbull owners?

Question

Are pitbull owners fanatics?
Today on cnn.com yet another story this time a 5 year old getting mauled by a pitbull. And before there are cries of "there are only bad owners, not bad dogs", a within two months ago there was another, more gruesome story of an infant having its toes gnawed off by a >>puppy<< pitbull, and there are people wanting to adopt the puppy (which i think is sick). Did the owner abuse the puppy while in its womb or something? "But pitbulls are loyal, cute, cuddly good family dogs." So are hundreds of other dog breeds, and I never hear them in the news regardless of good or bad owner. In fact, I hear more about pitbulls than Doberman, German Shepherd, and Rottweilers combined. So what is this attraction to pitbulls? status?

one amendment- havent heard about the 'frerret' part, but neither did the people who wanted to adopt the pitbull either at that time when I read the story

Answer 1

I don't know about fanatics, but if you have a dog of a breed that is KNOWN to kill and you don't control it...I call that criminal negligence.

If I leave my loaded handgun on a table and a kid picks it up and shoots herself, I'm facing charges.

If your pitbull gets loose and kills a kindergartener, you should face charges too. Not just civil, but criminal.

Control your dog. Period.

And to the girl below me...no, don't hand me that "it's every breed" crock. Tell me the last time a poodle or a collie or a pug ripped a baby's face off. Pits are designed to kill. Control them or pay.

Answer 2

Why you hear more about pitbulls biting people is because of their "fierce" reputation as fighters and their bite wounds are more horendous. Unfortunately few people know that German Shepards and Dobermans have ranked higher on the list of dog bites.

The sad things is that pitbulls by nature are not people aggressive. Owners either don't know what they are getting into with a highly active dog or do know and abuse the situation for their own purposes. Any dog with an aggressive nature can be handled and trained properly to keep the aggression in check, but there are those who are ignorant and just want a tough dog and nuture that side of their persona. Not necessarily to even fight.

As an owner of an ex fighting staffie bull, she was a rescue, they do have a loving side to them. I have been around plenty of pits who were properly trained to fight (no I do not condone fighting) and those who were tarined to fight and be aggressive by abusing them. So I can truly say the owner is at fault.

I do feel bad for those who are victims of their bites, they are so damaging, but you cannot blame the dog 100% of the time. Full blame should be on the owners, and it should be the owners who should own up to the consequences not the dog.

Answer 3

A dog's breed does not determine whether it is destined to attack a human being. Certain conditions have to be present for the dog to become that aggressive. If the animal is abused, neglected, used in fighting, or aggesive behavior is incouraged, then yes, the dog is more likely to attack. Many pitbull owners live in unfavorable conditions, so often the dogs do not get the proper care they need. I own a pitbull mix and he is about the sweetest thing ever! I take good care of him and am careful when socializing him with other dogs or people. He won't even growl when a stranger comes into the house. I know you don't believe in "there are only bad owners, not bad dogs," but it is true.
As an added note, have you read anything on the woman from France who recently got a face transplant? The dog that ate her original face was NOT a pitbull. Dogs are animals and are capable of attacking no matter the breed.

Answer 4

Yes,they like to think they are,but why do they have to hide behind a dog if they are aggressive?It's the dog that people fear, not the person who the dog is taking for a walk.Pit bulls have been bred to be violent and aggressive,not as a pet.The problem is highlighted on pit bulls, because they are still being trained for dog fighting.This act is only for sick people to get enjoyment from.To be placed in a pit,and trained to attack and kill another dog is not the sort of breed you want for a pet.It is only through man treating them in this barbaric way that has given them such bad publicity. As regards to the owners of pit bulls,they need to think of the dog as a pet,not a trophy.They have no feelings for the animals suffering.The only feelings they have is for them selves.No true pet lover will see their pet suffer! They are not fit to own an animal.As regards to Dobermans, they have been bred as aggressive guard dogs. German Shepherd,breed of working dog,are also used as guard dogs by the military.

Answer 5

People who own "high-risk" dogs such as pit bulls are more likely to have past criminal convictions than other dog owners, says a new study.
http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/story.html?id=b168b895-aa9a-4660-9082-3e9ea49b37d6&k=5834

This is most certainly the case in my area, and surprisingly enough many people that rescue these and other types of dogs have also been incarcerated. Many of these folks cite that they more easily relate to dogs than people.

I have personally seen many pitbull BYBs churn out tons of puppies and think they are cool and get rich. Many of these people deal drugs too and suffer from undiagnosed mental disorders and have folks related to them that have been hospitalized or been under treatment for mental disorders.

1/600 of pitbulls surrendered in the US finds a new home.
Many intentionally bred puppies from BYBs are often turned into rescue when no homes can be found. They are also offered free in papers which allows any person the ability to pick one up, including whack jobs who neither know or care how to handle this breed.

The ones being bred around here in NC are not being bred correctly either, many are turning up with mental issues and snapping at 2. Some are turning up with brain tumors because there is no REAL breeding program just BYBs churning out tons of puppies to look cool.

People aren't responsible enough to handle this breed. They should be euthanized en masse and only folks with exotics licenses who've invested in the breed should be allowed to continue to preserve it. Owners should be required to have exotic animal permits and there should be madatory jail time if the animal even escapes let alone bites anyone.

I know this sounds harsh, but it's really not the dogs that are the problem, it's people, and I'm sorry we just can't allow even one more death to occur. I know poodles are more likely to bite but usually poodles don't kill 5yr old children when they do bite.

Answer 6

Once again, it is crap breeding and crap environment that causes the problems that pits are having now days. They were bred to fight other ANIMALS, not people. And just so we are clear on this. Pits that fight other dogs, that have been trained to do it, have absolutely no interest in a human. They LOVE to fight other dogs and will look for a fight, if allowed. Yes, they have "power full jaws" yes they will not give in as easily as other breed will, but that is what they were bred for. If you were in a fight with an animal, (bull) that weighted 2000 pounds more then you, you want want to let go either, if you had a good grip on one. That is what they were prized for, their "game".The fact is that since they became popular, every *** wipe out there has got to have one, with no idea how to raise it properly and train it. Some lines do carry a defective gene, as all lines do. That is why we see some shepherds or Dobies or whatever, have nerve problems and stability issues. There are other breeds out there as tenacious as pits and with as many problems, but, they are not popular (thank God) so the *** wipes of the world leave them alone. When the pit popularity passes, as it must, we will have left over some screwed up specimens and it will take forever to fix the problem, if ever.

Answer 7

Since acceptance into the AKC, the American Staffordshire Terrier breed of dog has been bred separately from the UKC's American Pit Bull Terrier. This has resulted in two separate breeds. The AKC does not recognize the American Pit Bull terrier as a pure bred dog. The only bull terrier breeds recognized by the AKC are the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Staffordshire Terrier. On the other hand, the UKC does recognize the AKC's American Staffordshire Terrier as an American Pit Bull Terrier and allows them to be registered with the UKC.

Ok so with that being said. There are two different breeds of pit bulls. But both are just as deadly. Why anyone would breed them I don't know. Oh and a fun and interesting fact.. Did you know the Staffordshire Terriers from the Uk are about 1/2 the size of ours here in the US!?

And its not just here in the US that we have problems with the dog. Its all over the world. There are numerous stories about them. I mean There was a little girl killed by one in Hamburg, Germany while she was playing at school on the playground. I mean come on. Its time to end the breeding of this dog.


Oh and here there was a little girl who was about 4 years old who was killed by a pit bull. She got out of the house about 5 am. Got tangled up in the dogs chain. And the dog proceeded to kill her. So now where I'm at pit bulls are illegal. And if you get caught with one, its one heafty fine, and your dog gets put down on the spot. No transporting it alive. It gets shot in the head by a cop. It happened to one of my friends.

Answer 8

Here is a story- my neighbors, have a set of identical twin girls, 5 years old, and a daughter 3. They have 4 rotts. One day, one of the rotts got a hold of one of the twins by the throat. Barely missed her jugular. They are no longer identical twins because she has a permanent paralysis on the left side of her face. So, they were forced to put the rot down by law, and they then went and bought a pittbull. Here is my opinion. Pittbulls, Rotts, and Dobermans have a known reputation for even turning on their owner. Why would anybody get a known vicious breed of dog when raising little kids? Granted, one of their rotts was cool. Friendly, but the other ones were down right mean.

Answer 9

Thats the hard thing about dogs in general. They are all different, and you have to understand the breed if you are going to have them. Pits can be the sweetest things from a puppy to about 2 years old. At that time, they go through the doggy version of puberty & change dramatically. Sometimes, they calm down and are wonderful animals & protectors of your family. Other times, they become vicious and unruly. The dogs in the news are usually owned by people who just breed the dogs for money, or to fight. Or they are owned by single mothers who thought they were adoreable as puppies & didn't research the breed properly. I think that a pit, or any large dog for that matter, should be treated like a gun. You should have to apply for it & go through training so that you know how to take care of it & keep it from getting you into trouble.
As for the baby whose toes were chewed off, the parents of that baby must have been neglecting both the dog AND the child! If a dog is hungry & left in a room with ANY living thing, it will do what we humans can't understand. It isn't a person with a conscience. Its a DOG! It had nothing to do with the breed of the animal. It had everything to do with the bad behaviour of the owners/parents.
I have worked with dogs my whole life. My mother runs an animal rescue. There are as many black labs who viciously attack kids as there are pit bulls! Pits are just the "evil breed" of the day. Dogs are dogs, not humans! They rely on us for their upbringing and care. When we neglect that, bad things happen. Period.

Answer 10

the attraction is that pit bulls are dangerous, and used as a form of intimidation by many who own them. they were originally bred to have poor temperment and fight in the pit, and todays breeding certainly hasn't improved their disposition. the owners should be charged just as if the dog was a deadly weapon. these poor animals should never have been bred and born into this terrible existence. the law is slowly working to end the "vicious" circle, prosecuting owners and calling for banning or at least licensing on the dogs.
to those who say pit bulls are not "mean" dogs- you don't know what you're talking about- that is the essence of the breed- that is solely what they were bred for-period.
some of the folks responding apparently don't realize the urban explosion of pit bulls in the last couple of years- these are "pets" in the slightest sense of the word. they are acquired for the intention of intimidation by the owners and used in attacks on others as if they were a weapon or bodyguard- some of these dogs look like the devil himself when they become agitated. a pit bull will mercilessly kill a much larger dog or other animal- they will literally fight to the death. the head and jaw is shaped where it will not unlock, and can bite with crushing strength.they aren't even like dogs the way they act. maybe all of them aren't to this extreme, but its in their blood to be.
Sure, other breeds will attack and unfortunately kill also- I've seen instances where Great Danes did, and Rottweilers. Dobermans and some other breeds can be vicious, whether trained to or not (thats a fact I've owned a Doberman like that) BUT these breeds of dog are not corrupted to the point the pit bull has been, and are much more diserable animals to own- the urge and will to continue fighting in these breeds isn't as keen as it is in the pit bull- its not even close generally speaking. I suppose Rottweilers for example could be bred down to be as badly dispositioned, but thats what we're talking about- the pit bull HAS been bred down to this nightmarish product already.

Answer 11

ask yourself - what sort of an idiot leaves an infant unattended with a dog - any dog - let alone a puppy.

Puppies TEETHE, all puppies do, not just PBs - they have sharp little teeth growing in and they want to chew on stuff.

Pitbulls can make wonderful family pets - however there are too many idiots out there who are looking for a tough dog.. or in the case you mentioned simply aren't responsible enough to care for a dog - let alone a human child.

In the case of those types of people, I would say YES - status.

But for many others - its just because they really are great dogs. The dog from "Our Gang", Buster Brown, the RCA Victor (His Master's Voice) dogs were ALL Pitbulls.. before idiot goofs started pumping them full of steriods, hanging them off tire swings by their teeth and breeding bigger, badder meaner dogs to show off - PBs were considered the archetypal "man's best friend" in the US