Pit Bulls and Pit Mixes (Page 2)

I think the issue with pit bulls (and some other breeds) is that they have tendencies that have to be trained out.  My MIL got a pit bull a couple of years ago, and on her way to purchase the animal I told her that on no uncertain terms would my children even be allowed in her house without me if the dog is on the premises.  I knew my MIL would not spend the amount of time required to effectively train the dog.  Owning a pit bull is bigger responsibility than say a lab.  Good owners of pit bulls do just fine, the issue is more than likely the owner will be lazy or at worst abusive.

What tendencies?

The mauling tendency seems to jump out.  If not trained correctly, it's pretty obvious that pits have issues with this.  Combine this with their strength and these animals can be very dangerous. 

Lot's of misinformation on this thread!!!

Please just don't say something because you heard it somewhere... educate yourself before you speak up.

Here's one of the best unbiased articles I've found, that actually cites its sources. The sources are some good reading, too:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2863/are-pit-bulls-really-all-that-dangerous

Most sources on the web are crazy fanatical either way. Always check for reliable sources of information. 

I completely understand where you are coming from and would feel the same way.
I think, in general, pit bull owners have to take more responsibility and be more aware and cautious than some other breeds. 

I was mauled by a German Shepard and before anybody on here starts blaming the victim it was a dog I knew very well, had played, rolled around with on many occasions and at the time of the attack I was sitting in childs pose petting the dog.  We have no idea why the dog attacked me.  The owner was about 6 feet away and had to kick the dog off me.  A concussion, a few pints of blood, 9 hours of surgery and 250ish stitches later you can understand I am a bit weary of large dogs in general.

I do agree that pit bulls get bad press I think because there are so many and on occasion kill their victims.  In these parts they seem to be a status symbol.  I live in a gated middle class community and there are 3 in my immediate neighborhood.  Just a few weeks ago I was on a short jog when a pitt bull came running at me from his yard barking.  As you can imagine I was terrified.  I yelled STOP which he did but he stood very close to me still barking.  I kept screaming stop and then started screaming HELP ME!  I would take a few steps and he would chase me down.  He never bit me but I could feel his breath on the backs of my legs.  I got home and emotionally broke down.  My husband drove to their house and the husband was very defensive and not apologetic in the least.  Fortunately his wife was there, apologized and said they would make sure it didn't happen again.

I've only been chased on my bike twice (one ride) and all the dogs were pit bulls.

Now I cannot run in my own neighborhood and drive my car a few miles away to another neighborhood.

I don't feel all pit bulls or other breeds should be put down.  However, I feel they should not be bred by people who have no idea what they are doing.  Here people sell pit bulls on the side of the road.  I think breeding should be regulated.


Edited by KeriKadi 2011-01-24 12:48 PM

Where did you get the information that this is a tendency of this breed? If it's just you saying what you think, then I think you should keep your thoughts to yourself without some supporting evidence.

Yeah, they really are vicious dogs





Attachments
----------------
10_21_07.jpg (68KB - 11 downloads)

Pennsylvania being the puppy-mill state that it is, I whole-heartedly agree with this.

Wow and here I thought this was a bulletin board of people sharing their thoughts and experiences.
The poster used words like CAN not ARE.  There are great dogs on this thread and great owners but that does not mean all dogs in this breed are so loving.

Here is some supporting evidence for you:  http://www.free-online-veterinarian-advice.com/10dogbreedsmostlikelytobite.html

That evidence cited in that article is from a journal report that studied bites from 1979-1998, just FYI: http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/images/dogbreeds-a.pdf not "over the last 20 years"

And....?  I read that, saw the charts, seems to me pit bull and pit bull mixes are pretty darn dangerous.
The link I posted had them #1 your link and others may ONLY have them in the top 5 though I am not sure what that proves.

jmcconne posted that Pit Bulls have a tendency for mauling. That is a pretty bold statement to make without any supporting evidence. You could have said it and offered evidence and I wouldn't have said anything. Obviously I feel strongly that Pit Bulls are misrepresented in the media and I'm not going to let people perpetuate a negative stereotype without backing it up.



Edited by graceful_dave 2011-01-24 1:35 PM

I'm rubber your glue. Figured if you want to interact at that level, we can.

Sure your anecdotal evidence trumps mine.  If there was an unknown border collie and an unknown pit bull, which would you choose to be close to your kid? Could be the dog, could be the incredible amount of incompetent dog owners who choose this type of dog. (Not saying all owners are incompetent, but it's pretty easy to figure out there are a large number of bad pit bull owners.)


Edited by jmcconne 2011-01-24 1:32 PM

I didn't make a personal comment about you. I said that you made a statement without backing it up. Obviously that statement was offensive to me, but I didn't call you names or belittle you. I said you should not make statements without supporting evidence.

It doesn't prove anything, just that the data is old, and that current, reliable data is hard to find. 

I'd not let my child go near either dog. One of the problems with having such a mellow dog is that my daughter has no fear about running up to any dog and we are working with her to teach her that it is not okay to approach any dog without first asking permission, even then I would assess the behavior of the dog before allowing my child near.

Had a few minutes, and I found supporting evidence.  Others can find reports that likely state the exact opposite, but this appears to be useful information at face value.

http://www.dogbitelaw.com/Dog%20Attacks%201982%20to%202006%20Clifton.pdf

Compiled by the editor of Animal People from press accounts from 1982-2006.  Shows 264 deaths caused by dogs, of those Pit Bull Terriers were the cause of 104. Maimings were total of 1,323 with 608 from Pit Bull Terriers.

I thought this thread was for Pit owners to spread some love, not for all of this hate.

In my opinion, it still comes down to responsible ownership, and I've got faith that BTers are good owners.

There you go. Had you posted this information to start with, I wouldn't have said anything.

I agree on both points.

I'm going to go play with my dog now.

Interesting information, not necessarily useful.

Information compiled from press accounts means it's information that the various publications figured would sell copy.

This may or may not have any relationship to totals gathered from other sources, such as law enforcement and animal control, medical sources, surveys of dog owners, of dog bite victims/family, etc.

Frustrating because I can't find a link to the actual study (probably because it's an academic source) ... the breeds most likely to bite (by percentage, not discrete numbers). By the way, the researchers looked at 6000 cases from over several years, not just 2008 (when the study was published).

http://indigorescue.org/?page_id=83

1. Dachshunds
2. Chihuahuas
3. Beagles
4. Jack Russell Terriers
5. Australian Cattle Dogs

Actually, even if you do look at the discrete numbers, American Pit Bull Terriers would still be half the number of attacks as Dachshunds.

There is absolutely no doubt that, while the bully and other perceived 'dangerous' breeds tend to score average and below, the problem is that their bites tend to inflict a hell of a lot more damage.

So now, is my information any more useful than press reports? I don't know. I have an awful lot of personal anecdotal evidence, having been a dog trainer for a number of years, and links and knowledge of some pretty good statistics and studies, but what it MEANS is another thing, and what SHOULD be done is another one altogether as well.

Duke's best Pit Bull face:

 

And his best guilty face when I caught him watching The Golden Girls
 

Having a dog is a lot like having a kid.  It's a lot of work at the front end to get them to turn out well.  (Of course, a dog is more likely to continue to listen even in adolescence; and tuition for schooling is a lot less).  I think the problem for a lot of pits is that they aren't getting the training and socialization that all dogs really need.  There is plenty of blame to go around, from puppy mill breeders, to lazy or poorly informed owners. And there are also issues of individual temperment. 

Be honest, it wasn't Golden Girls..it was the Chihuahua from the Taco Bell ads on a replay loop...

I couldn't agree more.

I am not surprised that small dogs are more likely to bit via TriAya's post.  However, I can pick up a small dog and throw it if it bites me or my children.  The way some dogs are built if they got you, you are screwed.