Do think pitbulls are mean??

Question

I've had 2 pitbulls now, an neither of them had a mean bone in their body...why do people think thier such mean dogs? did you ever notice the people that hate them are the ones that have never owned one or met a good trained one?

Answer 1

i think it depends on how the owner raises them, any dog can be mean

Answer 2

I was attacked by a pitbull when I was 9 years old. He was chained up in the backyard at a house where I was playing with some children that lived there. We didn't mess with him or anything. He broke through the chain, climbed the fence and just 'chose' me to attack. I got 30 stitches. I was lucky.

I've been overly cautious of dogs since then, but especially breeds that have a reputation such as pitbulls, rotweilers, or doberman pinchers.

Having said this, I have met a couple of very will trained and very nice and gentle behaving pitbulls since then. So, I don't think all pitbulls are mean. They do have the genetic disposition...the strong jaws and strength to do some serious damage.

I think stupid people that train and abuse dogs for ill purposes have a lot to do with giving these dogs the reputations that they have. You really can't blame people for fearing these dogs though. There have been many more people killed by pitbulls than by beagles, for instance.

I'm an adult with kids and I try to avoid certain breeds from having contact with my kids..pitbulls are one of those breeds. I think that there are far fewer responsible pit bull owners than there are irresponsible pit bull owners. That breed seems to attract people that aren't the brightest and most responsible people.

So, I don't think all pitbulls are mean, but I'm not willing to gamble my life or my kids life.

Answer 3

Unfortunately this is just another case of the bad people ruining it for the good.
Pitbulls, by nature, are very in tune with their surroundings and very sensitive to it.
I understand that there are great pitbull owners out there, however, when you see some ignorant guy with his pants hanging off his a s s walking a pitbull you can almost guarantee that that dog is agressive and usually unneutered.
Frankly it makes me sick because I've met a few pitbulls in the past, and they were trained right and very sweet.
I would NEVER have ANY pitbull around my child. WE have black labs and think pitbulls should be illegal...no offense to the GOOD owners.

Answer 4

Any kind of dog can be trained to be mean or nice. Dogs like Pitbulls (and Rottweilers too) have a genetic thing going where one tiny, seemingly harmless things can set them off and then they become extremely dangerous. I'm sure your two dogs were trained to be nice, and so they were. People might think Pitbulls are mean because many of the attacks they hear about on TV are caused by Pitbulls...like I said, they can have a "mean streak" in them. Personally, Pitbulls aren't my favorite dogs (and no, I haven't owned one!!) but that's just me.

Answer 5

I have met trained ones and I still don't trust them. Even if another animal walks past them you can see the predatory instinct the way they stare at the other animals. Pitbulls were originally bred to chase bulls. You can erase a dog's instinct simply because it's trained. One day another animal will get too close or a person will and then they get mauled to death. There are many cities and towns that ban pitbulls for this reason.

Answer 6

Yes, I think they are mean, volatile
Why? it is due to having read dozens of times how a pit will leave the confines of their backyard or home and ATTACK a child. In at least 2 cases the child later died.

I do not know why anyone would want to own one of those ugly mean dogs. They seem to have a hair trigger temper
A couple of cities have outlawed them and others have considered (passed?) legislation for the owners to carry additional home owners insurance.

I am considering carrying a tazer gun when I walk my own dog..just in case a pit gets loose from it's backyard

Answer 7

Read the newspapers.
Headlines never say, "Infant mauled by poodle" or "Boy killed by a chihuahua".It is always a pit bull or a rottweiler.
The parents are always shocked because "Butch" was always such a sweet dog. "We never thought he would do such a thing."
These dogs were bred originally to be fighting dogs. It is in there DNA. You can suppress their aggressive nature, but it is always lurking ready to surprise an innocent vicitim.
Good luck with yours.

Answer 8

yeah, pit bulls have never ever been mean ever. i wonder why people think they are mean.
i do have one, and according to the old saying "with much power comes much responsibility"
My dog is a well balanced any any other dog i have lived with, but i also understand his instincts and drives are different than a golden retriever. he adores time with his human family and we have a great time together. he rides to work with me and sits around the jobsite. i understand that i am responsible for his actions and that i must stay alert to his posture and body language. they are not "sweet", they are well bred, well muscled machines that require responsible owners who can read their emotions and respond/prevent situations that could cause harm to another dog or human and lastly they, like any dog breed should spend most of their public time on a leash. its just good dog ownership.

Answer 9

Ive known some great pit bulls. My grandma had one who took a rattle snake bite 3 times trying to protect my grandma! She wouldn't let my grandma into the bedroom where the snake was. Any dog has the potential of being mean if treated poorly.

Answer 10

maybe due to the things that have happened to people and other animals.in the past!.i had a neighbours pitbull maul my poor innocent kitten.....the thing is you make think you have a lovely gentle dog...until one day out of the blue something kicks in and it goes crazy....like having a child for instance..the dog may just snap one day and get jealous ect....do be careful...everyone thinks there dog hasnt gone a bad bone in its body b4 its to late.....never leave a dog alone with a child...expecially that breed.....

Answer 11

No, I love Pitbulls, but alot of people dont like them because some people train them to be very vicious and use them to be fighting dogs, I use to have a red nose pit and her name was Sassy... German Rottweilers and Pitbulls are my favorite dogs