Safety of American Pit Bull Terriers and other powerful dogs?

Question

I live in the UK where American Pit Bull terriers are illegal. Lately in the UK there have been a lot of highlighted cases about several pit bulls attacking children and killing them.

As I have a 3 year old son I have argued that no dog can ever be 100% trusted especially pit bulls as it is in their nature to attack. My boyfriend has said if you treat one nicely and rear it properly from a pup this will not happen. I have stated I will never allow us to keep a dog like that.

I have even gone as far as contacting the police as someone in my area kept allowing their staffordshire bull terrier off the lead and feel I should be able to walk my three year old without fear of an attack.

I would like any opinions of people who have kept these dogs and also what you think. I feel like a total paranoid freak but all these stories really scare me. Let me know as I have no experience with these dogs.

Answer 1

no breed of dog,large or small should be allowed in public off lead.
i don't blame you for being afraid for your 3yr.old.
a staffie is a powerful dog and the injuries they inflict are horrific when they attack.
now,that being said,i have 2 staffies.there is no better breed around a child than a staffie if the dog has been properly socialized. none any worse if they have not.
mine have been.if you ever consider getting a staffie or even a mix you should get it when it is very young and be sure it is spayed/neutered.
a pack leader needs to be established right off to give the pup some sense of security because just like a child,they crave limits and boundaries.this lets them know where they stand within the family.
a "spoiled" child is not really a happy child and neither is a "spoiled" dog.if you really want to learn more about the breed you can go on line and type in American Stafforshire Terrier and it will take you to a number of sites .
also a good site for all breeds is http:/www.nextdaypets.comdirectory/breeds
please don't condemnn the breed condem irresponsible owners.
FYI,staffies used to be called "nanny dogs" because they are so good with children.
if you can stand one more piece of advice.cesar milan has some excellent books on dog psychology.if you get the chance pick one up.it will help you in future with any breed you chose to get.
long answer i know,i hope it helps you .

Answer 2

I own a Japanese Akita dog and some people believe that my not liking pit bulls is wrong due to the breed I own. They do not realise however that an Akita is no more dangerous these days than most breeds. They have not been bred for fighting in a long, long time and very rarely have attacked humans. Of course a very few have but even in England they are number ten on the most dangerous dog list behind such breeds as Great Danes and St Bernards. The pit bull however is number on in the U.S.A. and even England where they are banned. This is becuase and this is the reason I don't like the breed - they are still today used for pit fighting and this is a very dangerous trait. Akita's like most dogs are no longer prone to attack or be dog aggressive in the same way as a pit bull. The reason for this is simple Pit Bulls are trained today ( not many many years ago ) to attack without provocation and to Kill and not submit there prey. Pitbulls are trigger happy they have killed more humans than any breed on the planet they are owned mainly by criminals. This have been proven to me by the amount of abuse I have taken over pit bulls. Some people on this web site have become aggressive and swore at me on a number of occassions leading to state that pit bull owners are morons. ( not all ) but some. These people should not own a pitbull.

Answer 3

I work at a rescue and see many dogs including bull breeds. The media is there to give people something to talk about, whether its entertaining or scary or whether it is trying to destroy a person.

It is a true fact that any dog can be agressive, and any dog can be gentle. If a dog is brought up properly, it will not be vicious.

The only way it would be is if it got a brain tumour and that would pose a problem. A few years back i knew a english bully who was the nicest dog ever. He was very sweet, loving and loyal. However, he started attacking people for no reason. He was taken to the vet who did a brain scan, and there was a tumour on his brain. The vet couldn't operate, so sadly the dog had to be put to sleep.

the worst thing is that you get all these macho people, who want to look hard, so they geta bull breed dog. This would actually show weakness, as true hard people wouldn't need anything to make them look hard. They train the dog to act in an agressive way, and sadly, bull breeds have the power to do damage.

Answer 4

As a proud pit bull owner, I would not say that they are bad dogs. It is all in how they are raised and loved. Kinda like a child. If you raise your child to kill, then they will, it's all they know. I was really funny about pit bulls until I found my baby, and he is by far the best dog I have ever owned. Media make pits look bad, because you never hear the good stuff, just the bad. There is a website called pitbulllovers.com, and it has several stories on how good pits are if raised correctly. My pit loves everyone and everything. We bring him into public places all the time, and have never had a problem. I own a cat, and she and my pit are best friends. We also have stray cats/dogs in my neighborhood, and my pit is always friendly with them. Please don't listen to the Media.

Answer 5

My APBT is my service dog. He is out in the public almost every day. People do not know that APBT and related breeds were the only ones bred specifically aginst human aggersion. The black and tan fore runner of all bully breds was used by butchers to subdoe the steer while the human cut its throat. With all that blood they had to be sure they had a good even temperment so if any dog showed human aggersion they were put down and most offten so were any litters coming from them. Breed standard states very good with childern. The ATTS rates the APBT higher than most "family" dogs. APBT are used as SAR, detection,therpy,police and service dogs. #1 drug dog in the US is a pit bull named popscile, named that because the drug dealler that owned him left him to die in a freezer. Also many so called pit attacks are really other breed mistaken for pits. A test given to animal control officers showed that 90% could not ID a Pit Bull. People have come up to me and say what a lovly lab I have and my neice as had people say what a beautiful pit she owns. She owns the lab mine is a pure APBT. But no you are not a freak you just want to protect your child. FAct is any breed can kill. A six pound pom killed a baby last year. House cats have been known to attack and do alot of damage. Bottom line is if you own a pet its a aminal abd should never be left alone with a child.

Answer 6

Yes and no. I have heard of them being instinctively protective of their owner's PERSON. The general consensus of breed enthusiasts is that they are NOT well-suited for guarding property, though. The average APBT is too friendly to try to stop a thief, and in fact is likely to get stolen itself. There are exceptions, but you have no guarantees if you're getting a pup. I would be cautious of a territorial APBT anyway--being territorial is very unusual for them. If you want a guard dog, get a German shepherd or a Rottweiler. These breeds have long been bred as guardians, whereas the APBT has not. As an aside, there is no reason not to adopt an adult APBT from a shelter or rescue. These dogs "may have been through it all," true, but they have been temperament tested with humans and often other dogs and animals as well. The shelter or rescue will know if the dog is aggressive with other dogs or animals. If it is aggressive to humans, they won't adopt it out, period. Adopted pit bulls usually adapt well to new homes. The big advantage of adopting is that you know the personality ahead of time, rather than buying a pup whose true temperament you won't know until it's 2-3 years old.

Answer 7

First of all, any dog can be raised to be mean and attack people. I have a pit bull and she is the biggest baby around. She was raised correctly and socialized from any early age and she loves all people,kids,dogs and even cats. I also have a cat and they both stay inside together and sleep in the bed with me together. They are buddies and get along very well. When I got my pit, I raised her to know that I am her pack leader--what I say goes. I also took around all kinds of different people/kids and environements so she would not be skittish in strange situations. She is so good with kids. I don't have kids but, my neighbor has 2 ages 8 and 6 and they come over and ask me if my dog can come out and play with them. They absolutely love her to death. In fact she has never met a stranger and I have to be careful because she is so friendly that she will jump in the car with anyone to go for a ride. There are ignorant people out there who want this kind of dog so they appear tough and they don't breed them correctly or raise and socialize them correctly. Socialization is very important with a bully breed.

Answer 8

There are plenty of Pitbulls which are well bred for temperment and raised to be great dogs in the home. Sadly there are a lot of others who want them to be aggressive and treat them in a way to make it so.

I've seen plenty of loving Pitts around. I take this breed on a case by case basis, rather than judge the breed as a whole. I do this with any breed really. Any dog has the potential to be a dangerous animal, just some can cause more damage than others.

Answer 9

I have two American Pit Bull Terriers and one Staffie/APBT Mix. I have very strong convictions when it comes to all bully breeds.

These dogs are NOT for novice dog owners. Someone who has never raised a dog before is not remotely prepared to handle a bully. These dogs are eager to please their owners, but can be very stubborn and difficult to train. They are also incredably strong, which can make them difficult to handle for an inexperienced owner.

To correct you, Pit Bulls and other bully type dogs do not attack by nature. In fact, although bred to be somewhat animal agressive, they were mercilessly culled to eliminate any sort of human agression. Animal agression and human agression are two completely different things. Pit Bulls live to please their owners and are known especially for their love of children. In the 1800's and 1900's in the US, these dogs were referred to as 'Nanny Bulls", as people left their children under the watchful eyes of the dog for extended periods of time. I assure you, they are not people attackers by nature.

That being said, there are huge problems with inbreeding, overbreeding and irresponsible ownership of these dogs in particular. Any dog, Pit Bull or otherwise, whose breed-specific needs are not being met WILL BE unbalanced. It goes without saying that an unbalanced Pit Bull will do more damage than an unbalanced Chihuahua. And, yes, there are people who starve and beat their pit bulls to make them mean. Pits are the MOST abused of all breeds. My dogs get proper exercize, attend obedience training regularly, preform in agility trials, get proper vet care, and get tons of love...they are the most balanced dogs I've ever had.


The solution to the pit bull problem is not banning the breed. That is nothing more than a quick fix for a much bigger problem. There needs to be regulations as to who can own these dogs....potential owners should be screened carefully. In addition, there should be a ban on all breeders selling puppies over the internet, stricter leash laws, harsher punishments for animal cruelty and a crack down on dog fighting and back yard breeding. See how much easier it is to just ban the breed???

I don't blame you for wanting to feel safe. Here are some websites that may interest you. As a pit bull owner and advocate for the breed, I feel it is my job to educate.

www.understand-a-bull.com

Answer 10

It is not related with the dog's breed it is related with the training issues. Every dog should be well trained when they are owned. You may be attacked by a Labrador or a St.Bernard if they are not well trained.
You can never trust an animal 100%. But it does not mean that they are waiting for you to come out from your house so they can attack on you.
Try to have some friends who own dogs (including your neighbour with staffie) and try to know their dogs.

Good luck