pit bulls??

Question

what are your thoughts on pit bulls. and please no ignorrant answers. only well thought out answers. i am a fan of the breed but i am looking for your thoughts.

this is taken from the AKC website it was written about the Staffordshire Terrier, also known as the Pit Bull.
Temperament
From the past history of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the modern dog draws its character of indomitable courage, high intelligence, and tenacity. This, coupled with its affection for its friends, and children in particular, its off-duty quietness and trustworthy stability, makes it a foremost all-purpose dog.

Answer 1

AS a concerned and deeply committed and responsible dog owner and a loyal believer in constitutional law and a widely patriotic citizen of the USA: I am baffled to see this madness raging through out the land, as if mass extermination and sterilization of pet dogs will be the cure all to end dog attacks.

For every pit bull who attacks there are hundreds of thousand that do not.
The bond between people and dogs is older than civilization. So how in the 21st century, suddenly our oldest domestic animal has become the worst enemy civilization as ever known.

In the 32 year period from 1965-2001 pit bulls have been blamed for an average of 2.48 fatalities per year. Every year there is approximately 350 people drowned in their bath tubs, that makes it 150 times more likely to be killed in your bath tub than by a pit bulls. !50 are killed be falling coconuts which make it 60 times more likely to be killed by a palm tree than by a pit bull. 40 children are drowned in a 5 gallon pail every year, that is 15 times greater than being killed by a pit bull. There are over 5 million pit bulls in the US, in the 50s and 60s they were the most popular family dog out numbering even golden retevers. 1.25 million pit bulls were killed in shelters last year. That makes it half million times more likely that a human will kill a pit bull.

I often wonder, if the law knows that the illegal drug business being transacted by gangs are the single biggest source of dangerous dogs, though they at this time prefer pit bulls. They turn these wonderful family dog into monster for security. They train and fight these poor dogs in order to make them “ tough”. Why don’t we focus on this underlying problem instead of passing laws that will be impossible to enforce and cost more money.




Banning Pit Bulls would be like banning cars because people get killed in car accidents! Who's responsible, the car or the driver/manufacturer? Any car can be deadly in the wrong hands or if built with defective parts. Same thing with dogs... Any dog. Pit Bulls are no more responsible for the way they are bred, raised and trained, than cars are responsible for the way they are designed, built and driven.
Simply put, the best argument against breed bans is that they are costly and ineffective. Breed bans are often a knee-jerk reaction from politicians who want to say they are "doing something", after a highly publicized dog attack (of any breed). This is a useless exercise.
Criminals habitually break laws, so having an "illegal breed" may indeed be attractive to them and might make them want to breed and sell more "illegal dogs". If their dog is confiscated and killed, they really don't care. They will just get another one because breed bans punish the dog, not the owner.

If a pit bull could talk what would they say? If someone finds me please remember, my owner is an idiot and please do not kill me for their mistakes. I”m just a dog. I depend on humans to keep me safe, to train me to be a good dog, to keep me up so I am not running loose. To show me love and warm. I’m just a dog, please help me be the best dog I can be.

As a last thought I believe they would have a prayer that would sound something like this :

Prayer of a Pit bull
Spirit in the sky, who watches over all animals:
It is my prayer and my request that you grant greater understanding,
and acceptance to humans;
those who love us, and those who hate us.
That they will know how loyal we are, how brave we are,
and how loving we are. Help them to accept us as a breed in whole, and not let the few tragedies shine brighter than the many great traits that we have. And those who would kill me,
let them know, I forgive them, even though I don't understand their hatred. And those who would beat me, let them know I still love them, even though it is not the honorable way.
Thank you for all the strong traits that you have given to me,
and my breed. Help those to know that I stand for
courage, strength, loyalty, and bravery.
And as my master already knows, let those who would come against my family know that I would surely die defending them.
And just one last thing that I would ask:
Let my master know, that if you should call me away,
that I will wait patiently at those pearly gates until the one who chose me,
comes home.
Amen.

Answer 2

I think they are a wonderful breed in the right hands. If nutured in the right home with resposible owners who know about the breed, the pit bull is a loving family dog and allaround great animal, great around children and sometimes(not always) other animals.
Its the people that teach the dog to fight and be human-aggressive that gives the pit a horrible rep. Properly trained pit bulls have a 95% temperment rating, which is higher than most large breed dogs.
The media has blown the pitbull's bad rep out of control and now everyone is scared to death of coming near one, afraid they might attack them. Its sad because many of those people dont know the true breed for its loving aspects, but only what they hear on the news.
I remember my boyfriend's old neighbor moved out, and a new one moved in. He had a huge pit bull, big mean bark. But when I came into his yard one day, all he did was run up to me with this deflated ball in his mouth. All he wanted to do with me was play fetch! He was such a sweetheart and loved to play.
I've honestly heard more bites from the stupid little dogs than the big "aggressive" dogs. My friend was bit by a Jack Russell and a Pameranian(sp?), and my other friend's little mixed breed has gone after people before. Ive owned 5 rots and not one has bitten someone in or out of the Vet.
If I didn't have cats, I would have a pit by now. =D

Answer 3

I don't like them. Many of them come from rough genealogies and I've seen 2 or 3 news stories in the past few years about them attacking children.

But if you are considering one, I'd look for one with a good family history. I would guess that they are better with a person/couple without children (just from the news reports, etc.).

I know that pit bulls (like other dogs) are meant to be one owner dogs as well. So I'd seriously think about it and be ready to commit when you get a puppy.

And please don't let it run wild (like my neighbors' pit bull). Researching the dog, adopting early, giving it lots of love, keeping it contained in the house, and using common sense should keep owners from potential danger.

I hope my answers don't offend. But certain breeds can be prone to danger because of the way they have been raised for years, which is why I recommend checking out the background. As long as owners are responsible, there should be no problems with the dogs.

Answer 4

Most of their ancestors were bred to help bring in bulls for culling and castration so they had to be strong and determined dogs. The pit bull became popular in towns as a guard dog and family companion to help protect children as they were playing from the stray dogs that were prevalent in towns at the time. When they became popular fighting dogs they had to be easily handled by the trainer and the judge so any dog that attacked a person was culled. As a result, pit bulls need careful socialisation with other dogs but any aggression toward people was bred out. This makes them a perfect family pet contrary to popular belief. IMO dogs that attack people are probably mixes that look like pittys and therefore no one can judge the breed. I personally dont think any breed is dangerous, its individual dogs and their owners.

Answer 5

Although I've never owned a full one (my dog is a tiny bit of pit), I think that it's wrong when their is so many dog attacks in the US each year but they make so much of a bigger deal about Pit Bulls. Yes they are a bit more "aggressive" then other dogs but that was because of bad up bringing by past owners who made them aggressive, when you put two aggressive dogs together it makes the next generation more aggressive. But I'm sure that what the other two people have said is true that they are sweet and gentle. I really want a pit bull, but right can't get another dog since Toby(the pit mix) is aggressive to other dogs :(.

Answer 6

I have one Pit Bull/Rottweiler cross, a purebred American Pit Bull Terrier and a purebred American Staffordshire Terrier.

I think that, with proper training of course, they are a tremendous breed of dogs. People who give them bad reputations honestly know nothing. They have to realise that ANY breed of dog is capable of attacking somebody, some are stronger then others but that makes no difference.

I don't really care what other people think though, I will always be a fan of Pit Bulls, no matter what anybody says. =)

Answer 7

Hello! i am a fan of the breed as well! alot of people think of pitbulls as being mindless, agressive, dumb dogs and those thoughts could not be more wrong. I currently have two sharpeis and a shepherd mix but i had a pitbull when i was younger and it is one of the best breeds i have come across. Although u need to be a strong leader for this breed, they are loving and loyal and smart! You need to be prepared when u bring a pit home, lots of chews and lots of time to train... it doesnt take much time for them to realize what you want them to do. It is not the breed, its the people. Now, NO DOG IS 100% PREDICTABLE and that goes from poodles to pitbulls, get to know ur pit and u will find a companion for the rest of your life.

Answer 8

I see alot of pit bulls where I live. I am a vet tech assistant, so I see them pretty much on a daily basis at work. They are great pets if you raise them right. Very loving and giving. They train very well, and they are only out to please their owners. Being a breed that is most often bred to fight, they will always have that in their genes, but if you get him/her as a pup and introduce them to more people and more animals early on, then they will take to new animals and people better later on in life. Just like any other bulldog breed, they are a protector, so they will always have a tendency to protect their owner when other people or animals are around. Just treat them good, work with them all you can training them, and keep introducing him to other pets and people and you will find that they make one amazing pet!

Answer 9

I have been a pest control tech for 6+ years now. I have had to go into houses and yards with every breed of dog known to man. Many times, the animals were unattended. During this time, I have been bit several times, once to the point I had to go to the hospital. However, none of these times, was I bit by a Rottie, Shepherd, Dobie, Pitt, or any other "dangerous" breed!

I think one of my favorite customer's dogs would have been a Pitt. She would sneak up behind me, and stick her snout into my pocket. (I always kept treats in that pocket.)

So, to answer your question, I liked every Pitbull that I have met!

Answer 10

they are good dogs, but some people make them bad, and by doing that they ruin the pit bull name. I know if a dog is bad, it's the owner's fault, but some narrow-minded people don't, so they label all pit bull bad. So, yes I am a fan.