Pit Bulls

[Midorikawa]

1.) Do you own a pit bull or a pit bull-type of dog?


No but I used to.

2.) If yes, then did you train them from a puppy?

Um I don't know if we did.

3.) How do you feel about certain breeds being banned?

I find it dumb and ridiculous.

4.) Do you think pit bulls are dangerous breeds?

No.

5.) Why do you think someone might disagree with you?

They haven't experienced the truth, or have only had bad experiences.

6.) Have you ever been attacked by a dog or know someone who has?

Um...maybe...not sure....

7.) Anything else?

Yes. I used to own a pitbull and he was the sweetest dog ever. He would go right up to you and just start licking you. He didn't like other dogs, but neither does my chihuahua yet he and her both just get used to them when you tell them to. How a dog acts is based on the owner not the dog. No breed is dangerous, just those that train them and thus give them bad names as a result. It's sad to think that these dogs are forced into looking bad when they can be the best friends of anyone, especially children.

[PurpleMagi]

1.) Do you own a pit bull or a pit bull-type of dog?
No
2.) If yes, then did you train them from a puppy?
N/A
3.) How do you feel about certain breeds being banned?
I think its B.S. Honestly the dogs are not bad it's the people who train and raise them.
4.) Do you think pit bulls are dangerous breeds?
No!
5.) Why do you think someone might diagree with you?
Because they have had a reputation of being mean, I will not deny that but that was when they were bred for put fights and bait, any dog could be like that, they were raised in certain ways and people need to understand their nature. It is humans fault there are mean dogs out there I mean someone made them like that. All in all there is no bad dogs just trained dogs.
6.) Have you ever been attacked by a dog or know someone who has?
No I haven't been but I know a little girl who was attacked by a border collie, the smartest dog on earth. It was because the owner trained it to have bad habits.
7.) Anything else?
Not really but I am not allowed a pit bull because my dad is against them but I know so many people with amazing pit bulls that are the friendliest and most protective creatures on earth. They are willing to fight to the death for their owners and shouldn't be in the dangerous section more like in the most loyal section of dogs.

[TNHawke]

I got bitten by a Labrador at work today. Let's ban them! *eye roll*

[BBkat]

I got bitten by a Labrador at work today. Let's ban them! *eye roll*

I got snarled at by a Golden Retriever once, and to be honest, it freaked me out. He'd been relaxing quietly while I was petting him, then he just, started growing at me.
And these are supposed to be dogs that are super friendly and shit. Not this one, he was a cranky dog(more so when he got older).

[Shepherd917]

Do you own a pit bull or a pit bull-type of dog?
No, but I know and have known several. I also anticipate owning pits/pit mixes in the future.

If yes, then did you train them from a puppy?
N/A

How do you feel about certain breeds being banned?
Quite frankly, I think it's an absurdity. Not only is it not founded in fact, it also doesn't work. It's like Puppy Prohibition. All it does is affect law-abiding citizens and good dog owners, because many bad dog owners (like dog fighters, among others) won't abide by such a law anyway. A county I may end up living in after I graduate has a pit bull ban, and writing to officials there might end up being my "pet" project *ba dum tish*

Do you think pit bulls are dangerous breeds?
Individual dogs of any breed can be dangerous. American Pit Bull Terriers and the other "pit bull-type" breeds are not inherently more human-aggressive than any other breed. In fact, it is my understanding that they were once known as "nanny dogs" because of their gentle disposition with children -- they were bred specifically to not attack humans so that handlers could interfere during fights without being bitten. In all honesty, I've encountered far more aggressive small breed dogs than pit bulls (though that is of course not an excuse to ban small dogs).

Why do you think someone might disagree with you?
Negative media coverage of pit bull breeds certainly doesn't help the dog's image. I wrote a research paper about this once. They may also have run into a pit bull owned by a malignant or at the very least incompetent owner.

Have you ever been attacked by a dog or know someone who has?
I've been nipped by an Old English Sheepdog before, but it wasn't intended as an attack -- those are big dogs, and if it was really meant to be an "attack," I wouldn't have come away with just a little nip, haha. My friend (who adores pit bulls, by the way) used to volunteer at a shelter and has been bitten by plenty of dogs in her time.

Anything else?
I love those floppy little pittie ears

[TNHawke]

In fact, it is my understanding that they were once known as "nanny dogs" because of their gentle disposition with children -- they were bred specifically to not attack humans so that handlers could interfere during fights without being bitten.

We were discussing the "nanny dog" thing a page or two back. Near as we've been able to come up with, that idea isn't even 50 years old, and the breed is quite a bit older than that. However, the extreme desire to please and lack of human directed aggression are foundations of the breed for just that reason.

[Shepherd917]

In fact, it is my understanding that they were once known as "nanny dogs" because of their gentle disposition with children -- they were bred specifically to not attack humans so that handlers could interfere during fights without being bitten.

We were discussing the "nanny dog" thing a page or two back. Near as we've been able to come up with, that idea isn't even 50 years old, and the breed is quite a bit older than that. However, the extreme desire to please and lack of human directed aggression are foundations of the breed for just that reason.

My bad, thanks for letting me know! I always thought the "nanny dog" moniker came from the early 20th century. You learn something new everyday, I guess, heh I'll have to go back and read the discussion in full when I have the time.

[Whibbletime]

1.) Do you own a pit bull or a pit bull-type of dog?
I own a Staffie, and live in an area full of dogs which could be identified as being of the pit bull type, with some actively calling their dogs pit bulls despite knowing what could happen to their dogs.

2.) If yes, then did you train them from a puppy?
Yes, I did. However she does have issues with her mental wiring which existed as a very young pup due to a series of unfortunate events which befell her and her litter in the 10 weeks prior to her coming to my home. She is excellent with the family, but unless strangers respect the fact she isn't wired like the bouncing love everyone type they expect all dogs to be she is not safe to be around them. Her wiring is not down to her breed, but the traumatic events which happened to her and her litter mates which left several respected dog behaviourists scratching their heads over why they couldn't get her to stop being odd. She can't be looked after by dog walkers, left in kennels, nor can I entirely trust her with dogs which have not been taught that correct doggy manners does not mean bounce straight over and begin playing without the appropriate sniffing/greeting phase.

3.) How do you feel about certain breeds being banned?
I think breed specific legislation does very little to curb the actual issue, which is individuals obtaining dogs and then either encouraging them to act in an aggressive manner or completely forgetting the fact that dogs are not babysitters, nor can you rely entirely on a dog (or any animal) to be 100% tolerant when children/adults/any human expects all dogs to love all humans regardless of what they're doing. What it does is place a teeny, tiny sticking plaster over a huge gaping wound in order to placate people who are adamant those scary looking dogs are all that is wrong with the world, rather than the owners who remain far too ignorant on canine psychology to truly appreciate the series of events which led up to the unprovoked and vicious attack everyone described. There are some dogs which are truly unpredictable, and yes they are truly dangerous due to their unpredictable nature, but for many of them you only have to look at the humans who have handled it, the way it has been raised, and how they've manipulated the traits which have been bred into them for generations, to see why. That is, of course, far more time consuming than simply banning certain breeds and does little to placate the "these dogs are dangerous and should be banned" brigade, most of whom are very, very vocal.

4.) Do you think pit bulls are dangerous breeds?
I think the majority of dogs which meet the criteria for being recognised as pit bulls are not dangerous. I think the impounding process they undergo, and people who encourage them to act in aggressive ways because "it's funny" or they're doing the stereotypical macho man thing (sadly far too common) creates a dangerous dog, but given that I've seen people do this to a variety of breeds I think it's absolute nonsense to try and pigeon hole particular breeds/types as being dangerous.

5.) Why do you think someone might disagree with you?
Because people have different opinions on the subject, different reactions, and completely different expectations. I do not expect all dogs to like all people in the same way, I do not blame a social but still territorial species for reacting in a completely understandable manner, I do not blame a dog for acting like a dog even if that aspect of dogginess is one we, as humans, like to pretend does not exist.

6.) Have you ever been attacked by a dog or know someone who has?
I've been attacked by a Golden Retriever, and bitten (which is not quite the same as attacked) by a variety of dogs in my time on earth. Given that I work with dogs on a daily basis, some of whom are not exactly thrilled about the idea of being poked, prodded and spiked with needles by a complete stranger who smells of disinfectant and other animals it's to be expected. Chihuahuas, German Shepherds, Springer Spaniels, Poodles, Labradors, Heinz 57s and Bitzas ... at the end of the day whatever they look like, however people perceive them, the blame for their behaviour lies in the humans behind them rather than the dogs themselves. Not always their owners, I hasten to add, but individuals who have bred without consideration of how their behaviour/attitudes impact upon the dogs.

I'm bitten out of fear, out of territoriality, out of pain, and out of my own stupidity. More often than not I'm bitten because my concentration has lapsed, someone is jabbing something sharp into their leg to draw blood, and they're lashing out at the person whose grip has loosened just enough for them to bite them. I say this as if I'm bitten every day of the week, I'm not. In 8 years I've been bitten 6 times, but more frequently I've noticed the warning signs and changed my behaviour to avoid being bitten. I've never become fearful of dogs, perhaps because growing up I was always told that a dog is a dog, you cannot hold them to the same standard as humans when it comes to their behaviour. If they bite, they bite. If they attack, they attack. There's a reason for it, and you should always think about that reason before launching into "it was completely unexpected, a vicious attack by a vicious dog who deserves to die" tirades.

7.) Anything else?[/center]
It's too easy to blame a specific type of dog, and it's too easy for certain dogs with a certain look to be automatically labelled as unpredictable and aggressive due to scaremongering. Even at the vets we have educated individuals expressing their opinion that they wouldn't trust certain breeds of dog as far as they can throw them, and that upsets me. Have your opinions, think what you like, but when it affects your professional judgement and leads to off the cuff remarks about dogs which are clearly just lacking in consistent training, owned by people who have no idea the effort it takes to get dogs not pre-disposed to being the friend of everyone to be okay with strangers invading their personal space (and I include a number of traditional guarding breeds in this category), then we're always going to blame the breed rather than the people behind them who have seen no need for socialisation, training, or even simply recognising that their dog is not wired in a way which is safe for them to be in a public space off the lead and out of control.

My dog is muzzled because her wiring does not make it safe for her to be out and about when there are people who allow their children to rush up to any old dog and start poking their faces, or adults who think all dogs should sit for everyone and allow them to pat them roughly. It's not safe for her because people, as a whole, are not dog savvy, and it's not safe for them because they're not dog savvy enough to react appropriately when a dogs behaviour subtly changes. They want huge warning signs, great big shows of "I'll bite you if you keep this up", they're not prepared for the very delicate behavioural indications of unhappiness or in some cases flat out ignore the obvious ones.

Ramble ramble ramble. Basically I'm a huge supporter of deed not breed campaigns.

[missshadedlove]

1.) Do you own a pit bull or a pit bull-type of dog? Sadly no

2.) If yes, then did you train them from a puppy? no.

3.) How do you feel about certain breeds being banned? I find it retarded. All dogs can be dangerous. If I read it right though..I think German Shepards bite more people than any other breed out there.

4.) Do you think pit bulls are dangerous breeds? No..not at all..It is all how the dog is raised.

5.) Why do you think someone might diagree with you? Narrow minded and just go with what society believes.

6.) Have you ever been attacked by a dog or know someone who has? Yes but the dog thought that my friend's BF at the time was attacking her when he wasn't. So he was protecting her.

7.) Anything else? Nope.

[Arcaii]

1.) I've owned pitbulls and lived with them before, but I don't currently own one. (Unfortunately, I don't have the time to properly train one up.)

2.) We only had one as a puppy, and at that time we couldn't handle taking care of her due to our large amount of pets that also needed to be cared for or absolutely hated her and our own inexperience.

3.) I believe there should be regulations, not necessarily bannings. The regulations would strictly be on the owners - they would have to be well practiced and ready to handle a dog that will take a lot more work than, say, a pomeranian or labrador.

4.) They're dangerous in the wrong hands. The issue with pitbulls is that everything depends on them being trained when they're little, and most people who just think pitbull puppies are cute don't register that. My brother has a very well trained, if excitable, pitbull that he spend ages training firmly and giving clear rules to her, but my dad's friend has two pitbulls that are not trained and are aggressive towards anyone but their owners and their baby. It all depends on raising.

5.) Most likely because of hype and fear-mongering, or from personal experience. I wouldn't blame them in the least; it's like a cat disliking tall men because one abused her in her past. Pitbulls are wonderful dogs, but they can turn out wrong with the help of a bad trainer.

6.) The only dog that's ever bitten me in aggression was my grandma's old Rottweiler (by the name of Chopper; how cliche is that?). Other than that, there's been no history around me of dog attacks.

7.) I know it doesn't sound like it, but I do adore pitbulls. They're in my top 5 of dogs (second only to the basset hound, god bless those loafers). I'm a little wary around stranger ones, but the majority of the ones I've interacted with are sweet or friendly.