Are pit bull terriors too dangerous as pets?

Question

It seems that just about every dog attack that we read or hear about was caused by pit bulls (and their negligent owners). Should this breed of dog be outlawed as a pet? Why don't we hear about German shepherd or Doberman attacks. There are probably just as many negligent owners of these dogs as well.

Answer 1

It is irresponsible owners, blame the owners, not the dog

doesn't matter what kind of breed it is.

if it isn't the owners then its the breeder, all breeders should breed for temperament

Answer 2

I have a wonderful Pit Bull. I also have a 3 year old daughter and I trust them together completely. The people who witness the attack are the ones who give the statement about what breed of dog it is. Sadly alot of people can't tell the difference between the breed the dog actually is and a pitbull. On all the lists of most aggressive dog breeds that I pulled up the pitbull wasn't even on it. The top two were usually the German Shepherd and the Chow Chow. I think there is also a larger amount of dog bite complaints against pitbulls because they are extremely over-populated. Of course if you have 10,000 pitbulls versus 1,000 of another breed there are going to be more instances of "alleged" pitbull attacks. The fact is any dog has the ability to attack or bite if it's provoked. When I was younger my neighbor had to have numerous stitches on her face and STILL has scars and severe damage to her right eye from an attack by a Dachsund ...but of course that went unreported. The dog was allowed to return home and subsequently bit several more neighborhood children. If that HAD been a pitbull, german shepherd, doberman, or rottweiler the dog would have been put to sleep immediately. Especially since everyone in the community would have rallied behind the childs parents to have the animal euthanized. The fact that it was a cute and seemingly harmless Dachsund apparently meant nothing even though the child was obviously injured very badly by the dog. If everybody actually took the time to educate themselves about the "bad breeds" they would find out that the majority of these dogs are bigger lap dogs and are far more affectionate than the majority of the little dogs that people seem to associate with "harmless". I would much rather my daughter be with our pit as opposed to most of the smaller dogs people are so in love with these days. I've owned Dobermans and Rottweilers as well and found them to be extremely good natured animals. It all just depends on how they're raised as far as I'm concerned.

Answer 3

I raise Dobermans and have received several(Given up) to me because basically they didn't know how to raise them. I have a 1 year old female I can't take out of the yard, one that was surrendered to me. On the other hand, my male I can take anywhere. Any one that tells you Dobes are not mean dogs are not telling you the whole truth. Under the right conditions, they can be very aggressive. When socialized, they are a sweet and fun dog. Pits are no different. The problem is, pits have had a nasty inbreeding problem, not different from dobes in the late 70s, early 80s. The fact is, in a twenty year span to 93, Rots lead America in deaths. My thought? Popularity for specific breeds rolls over every twenty years or so. You hear about pits now because there are a lot of pits now. And when not socialized young, like dobes, can and will become aggressive. Any one that tells you different is lying. Stay away from overly large pits. That is not a normal American pit and has been generation bred for size. Mix the dog with humans and dogs young, and often. Look, its a responsibility, and you must realize even if you do everything right, dont expect people to love your dog. People loved my male until he became 95 pounds and thick with long teeth. I agree, pits get bad reps, but remember what you have. They were specifically bred for a purpose. Its the owners job to train his behavior away from that.

Answer 4

If you are going to ban pits, then you need to ban just about any breed larger than a poodle. I know a person that had rotties and they attacked a little boy and he has had 6 surgeries to put him back together. It is the breeders and owners that allow any dog to be a bad dog. I worked at a vet clinic that had a pit as a blood donor, she saved many other dogs lives over the years and was a gentle as a kitten. My sister was mauled by a beagle when she was 3 years old,. so there you go. You have to remember one thing, if they have teeth "THEY CAN BITE" I have worked in a vet clinics for 20 years and I would rather work with a pit before I do a poodle or a chihuahua, they will bite faster than a large dog. I have owned German Shepherds for over 30 years and I love the breed, but I have seen a lot of bad ones over the years in my line of work. I am more afraid of a rottie than I am a pit.

Answer 5

The news media found a story in Pit Bulls and they use it because it gets people interest. Everyday there are hundreds of dog bites/attacks and it usully only the Pit Bull breed that gets on the news. A couple weeks ago a poodle bit a kid in the face down the street, it did not make the news, a couple of months ago a little Boston Terrier bit a kid, it did not make the news. But that is not a story for them. Our family Pit Bull is the sweetest dog you will ever meet he would never hurt anything or anyone. He was raised in the proper manner and was socialized. we work with him everyday as well as my Lab. A dog of any breed is only as good as its breeding and its owner. Pit Bulls can be great dogs but NOT everyone should have them. I do not think BSL(Breed Specific Legislation) is right, it does not solve the problem. People are the problem. Certain breeds Pits included are not for everyone, if anyhting there should be strict standards that ensure proper ownership of certain breeds. If they did ban PIts people would only find another breed to exploit and make aggressive.

Answer 6

No they are not. It's all about how you breed and raise the dog.
Stupid and abusive dog owners should be outlawed.
German shepherds are the number one biting dog.
Of course they are used for police work which probably ups those numbers.
Pit bulls are the most controversial so they make news more.
Nobody wants to read about a chihuahua turning on a child and biting it.
I work in dog grooming, and the biggest biters are the little dogs. I have seen aggressive maltese, shih tzus, chihuahuas, etc.
Small dogs mean smaller teeth, less damage. Small dogs are often the quickest to bite. But again they don't create much of a news story.

Answer 7

it is not the dog - it is how you raise the dog. Any dog can be an attack dog and certainly all dogs will bite when provoked. I have a 8yr old pit named Trouble and he is the sweetest pet that I have ever had. My landlord was totally against him being here, but I asked him to give me a chance to show him that he is not reckless. The landlord came over one day to fix something and Trouble licked all over his hands and then sat in front of him to be petted ( He likes that). When my landlord comes to collect rent, he now asks where is Trouble and he likes to pet him often now. He sees now that it is how you train your dog and not the dog itself. Pits are great dogs but if you train them to be killers and aggressive then that is what you will get. German Shepherds and dobermans have attacked many, many people but it has been a "society" thing to label only pits as dangerous. And you are right, there are may negligent owners of Germans, Dobermans, schnauzers, etc.

Answer 8

Pit bulls are one of the best dogs to own in my opinion. Working at a dog rescue you see so many pit bulls starved and abused, but still they show so much affection towards anyone willing to give them the time of day. Pit bulls have gotten a bad rap.. and I suppose it's a media sensation to have a story about the dangerous pit bulls.. no one wants to hear of a really popular breed attacking someone. Also, a lot of attacks aren't reported, if it's a family dog, the owners will do anything to keep it quiet to save their dog. Pit bulls appeal to people who are just looking for a vicious dog to protect their property because they look mean and can be very aggressive if trained to be so. As long as you're good to a pitty you'll be loved forever by him or her. Truely a great dog, never come across a bad one, just mistreated.

Answer 9

it's all BS that pit bulls are vicious! I've had Staffordshire bull terrier for almost 6 years already and he is as sweet as a kitten. Dog's behavior depends only on owners, nothing else. My brother's friend has a Doberman and that dog bites everybody who gets into the house. Only owners are to blame...

Answer 10

Tom -- Absolutely not!!! Pitts make AWESOME companions.

I'm a 5 time Doberman owner and I can attest there are people who dislike my breed of choice just as much as yours. I've actually been asked to leave public places with mine -- simply because another adult with a child felt it inappropriate to have a Doberman there because their snot-nosed brat was in tow. PAHLEEZE!!!

FYI -- the Doberman was viewed back in the late 60's - early 70's just as your breed is currently being viewed. The Dobermans were purposely bred for a sharp temperment during that period and the outcome was disasterous for the breed. It has taken years to turn that around, and still rumors persist about Dobermans turning on their owners, having brains too large for their skulls etc.

PittBulls are just the latest in a long long long line of breeds to be marked as undesirable by MAN. Unfortunately MAN created the situation by over-breeding them and treating them unkindly -- purposely creating fighing machines. MAN talks about how dangerous a PittBull or a variety of other breeds can be in legislation crafted under the header of BSL -- Breed Specific Legislation. I believe MAN is the most dangerous of all breeds -- yet we continue to blame everything under the sun for certain outcomes rather than looking at ourselves closely in the mirror. We need to make more examples out of people like Michael Vick, who is getting off FAR TOO EASILY, IMHO.

I say, "Ban The Deed, Not The Breed."

Answer 11

Well I just asked a question similar to this before reading yours. I believe they are too unpredictable to be pets for families with small children.
Here is some info I found to help reaffirm your suspicions:


Attacks by pit bulls accounted for about a third of the 238 fatal dog attacks in the United States during a 20-year study, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pit bulls were blamed for killing 76 people, or 32 percent, during a study of dog attacks from 1979-1998, the study showed. Rottweilers were the second most deadly animal, reportedly killing 44 people, or 18.5 percent, during the same period.

About 4.7 million people are bitten every year by dogs, resulting in about 12 fatalities a year, according to the federal statistics. About 500,000 to 800,000 dog bites require medical treatment annually.

Children, according to the 2000 federal study, are the most vulnerable victims in dog attacks. Those under the age of 14 account for 42 percent of dog bite injuries. The highest rate of injuries was to children between the ages of 5 and 9.

Of the 27 people who died in from dog bites, 19 were children under the age of 15. The animal responsible for 3 out of 4 injuries involving youth under the age of 14 is the family dog.

Janis Bradley, an instructor in the academy for dog trainers at San Francisco's Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said the number of dog bites pales in comparison to other health threats like car accidents, which claim about 38,000 lives a year. When attacks occur, she said, people rush to criticize some dogs as threats to family safety.

"Prudent measures can be taken to decrease the levels of attacks we do have, but there are many other injuries that present a more important threat to public health," Bradley said. "Almost anything you can think of."

Carl Friedman, director of San Francisco's Animal Care and Control, said that although he does not want to condemn an entire breed, local and national statistics support taking steps to regulate pit bulls, such as mandatory neutering.

"When you have a mauling where a 12-year-old child is killed and when 50 to 60 percent of our hearings for vicious and dangerous animals are for pit bulls, you don't have to be a brain surgeon to see we have a problem with pit bulls," Friedman said.

E-mail Ryan Kim at [e-mail].

This article appeared on page A - 12 of the San Francisco Chronicle