If Pit Bulls are so mean , why are they......?

Question

used so often in movies like Cheaper By The Dozen and Homeward Bound and in commercials like the Old Navy one... just to name a few...

FYI----- I own 2

Answer 1

Being around Pitt's and owing one of my own, I can honestly say that the reputation they have is far from the accurate description of the breed. They are an exploited breed of dog and the media puts the blame on the dog and not the bastards who use them in horrid ways.

Hopefully, the Vick case will shed some light on just how they are exploited and restore some of the qualities back on the breed.

After all, Petey from the little rascals was a Pitt and he didn't eat any of those kids.

Oh and for those who say they were bred to fight, it's also worth noting that they were also known as "Child's Nursemaid" due to their loyalty and protective nature with children.

Also, according to the ASPCA, the most common dogs to attack are Golden Retrievers. Something to think about.

And those MORONS who say, "I don't care what anyone says", I say this...How will you ever learn anything if you don't listen to what people say? You are a closed minded fool who will forever be in a fog of ignorance and stupidity.

Answer 2

Do you think if they were mean they would let them off chain around movie stars and such? Really. Everyone in hollywood is looking to make a quick buck no matter how. You'll get sued for looking at someone wrong. They wouldn't let an American Pitbull Terrier on the set if it were a liabillity now would they. Don't believe everything you hear. I own an American Pitbull Terrier/ Rotwiller mix. She is the sweetist thing. Rotwillers are supposed to be mean too. Nope. I own a full blooded Rottwiller too. Those mean dogs you hear about are made to be that way. Either by not socilizing them, bad breeding, (everyone wants a pit not enough dogs so they are imbread) or by the owner teaching them to be mean. Don't beleave the rumors. And the turning on the owner thing. 90 percent of those dogs are fighting dogs. They are dropped off at the shelter because they are not aggresive enough to actually fight and win. Someone else buys the dog not knowing it has been trained to rip peoples and animals heads off. Sad thing really. Not everything you read is true. Oh there is no such thing as a lock jaw. Stupid people. They are called AMERICAN PITBULL TERRIERS not pits or bulldogs or whatever.

Answer 3

Its completely how you raise them. All dogs, no matter the breed, have different personalities. Yes, its sad to say that you will come across a few bad seeds (just like people), but its not because of the breed. I have two Pit Bulls that we've had since young pups. They are very well socialized, trained, and are perfect family pets. However, not all breeds are for everyone. Just like with any dog, you need to know the breed and its history (and some, even experience) before jumping in and thinking all dogs are going to grow up the same. For example...When my brother's girlfriend had to put her Border Collie down due to old age, she decided she wanted to get a Pit Bull. She had no experience with the breed (since the only two dogs she ever had were Border Collies) except for the contact she had with ours. She was so impressed with our family's relationship with our dogs and how good they were that she was convinced that was the dog for her, an "easy" breed. She didn't see all the hard work and dedication we put into our dogs to make them the wonderful, family pets they are today. Needless to say, she didn't do her homework, didn't listen to ANY of our advice, and now has a very aggressive Pit on her hands. Its very sad. That's the reason why Pits (and other breeds) get a very bad name....inexperienced owners that get a breed they have no idea about.

Answer 4

i don't mean to sound well... mean but this is another fine example that people do NOT know what an actual American pit bull terrier looks like. while if never seen cheaper by the dozen or the commercial, i do know for a fact that the dog on homeward bound is an American bull dog. these are too totally different breeds of dogs. an apbt was used in the classic kids show "our gang" which later became known as "the little rascals"

Answer 5

Both the movies you mentioned used American Bulldogs not American Pit Bull Terriers......the dog on "The little rascals" was a Pit Bull......they are not mean and if you check history you will find the first dog to be awarded a medal in WW2 was a Pit Bull named "Stubby".....this breed gets a bad rep because of a few poorly bred,mistreated dogs that the media uses to get a story!!! the number 1 dog on the bite list is the poodle,#2 the cocker ...that just doesnt sell papers!!!

Answer 6

they aren't mean.
The homeward bound dog is an American Bulldog not an American Pit Bull Terrier, the Old Navy ads use a blue pit bull puppy.
Before schmucks started ruining the dogs and breeding indiscriminately, the pit bull was one of the best dogs with families and children and was never people mean or it would have been destroyed, the dog fighters would get in the ring with their dogs in the old days, if the dogs were so indiscriminate and vicious, they would have been bitten, they were not , the dogs had stable loving temperments with people and most pets, other than the gameness they posessed for ring sports. I think ring sports are terrible (the old pit fighting ring, not modern "ring" sport, which is totally different). Anyway, the dogs were never meant to be mean, they were the all American dog, Time Life had them on the covers way back showcasing their abilites to be a friend to humans and a hero to some (ww1). The dog in Little Rascals was a pit bull, but registered with the AKC as the first Am. Staff....
The media fosters ignorance of the breed, idiots let their dogs maul other peoples dogs and train the dogs to bite people. Some pit bulls seriously need to be put down if they are vicious or have bitten, along with the owners who let them run loose....., others are wonderful trustworthy companions. Unfortunately, we cannot get the wonderful companion thinking thru to the idiots and they are the ones who continue to fight the dogs and make them mean, fearful and unsteady companions. Those are the ones you see on TV, not the hero types.


They can not lock their jaws that is a myth.

Answer 7

Pit Bulls are not mean at all! It is a reputation undeserving of the breed. Many people think pit bulls are dangerous dogs, but they are only acting the way they are train and have the attributes they are bred to. The responsibility of the personality of each dog is the owner's.
Pit Bulls are a breed that is very popular on the "street". They are easily trained and loyal to the point of being dangerous to themselves and others. They also have a lockjaw. Once a Pit Bulls bites down and locks its jaw they are impossible to pry open. Very few dog breeds have this capability. Irresponsible people who don't neuter their Pit Bulls are breeding them to be fighting dogs or to just sell for fast cash. These inbred dogs can be unpredictable when fully grown, especially if they are not treated well as puppies.
I have 2 Pit Bulls that I rescued from a high-kill shelter and they are both wonderful dogs that I trust to play with my toddler.

Answer 8

Pit bulls are naturally not mean dogs, it is most often the people that own them abuse them & raise them to be ferocious fighters! Sadly, the reason that they have been used in dog fighting is because they have been bred thru the years to have a lock jaw grip that doesn't let go like other dogs & they are pretty much immune to pain. In a nutshell, any dog can bite, pit bulls just don't let go.

Answer 9

They have to be trained to be mean. You can train a toy poodle to be mean, it just happens that pit bulls are popular right now with people who want to train mean dogs.

Before them, it was Dobermans, Rottweilers, annd even English Bulldogs.

In Victorian England, pit bulls were called "the Nanny Dog." Because they were so gentle, protective, and good with children that people felt safe leaving their kids in the care of a pit bull.

You forgot one famous one. Petey, the dog from The Little Rascals, was also a pit.

Answer 10

Pit Bulls aren't naturally mean, they are naturally dogs. A lot of what makes a dogs' temperment is its socialization, environment, etc. Pit Bull among other breeds are hard headed and need to be worked (they are a working breed) and when not taken care of properly can be dangerous, just as any other breed.