Why people would even want to own one of these things is beyond reason.
They're making a statement. A dachsund isn't badass and in-your-face enough.
Watch out, Eagle. The apologists on this forum for these vermin are zealots and can get pretty nasty. One of them compared me to a laxative, he did. Not sure that I got the meaning of that, but it didn’t seem very nice. You may yet get flamed, so don appropriate gear!
They are trying to compensate for something they themselves lack. Sort of like "instant tough guy" in a can. As another freeper pointed out, it's "Hey everybody, look at me! I'm at badass!"
The same reason people have lions, tigers, bears, gators, humongous snakes, power, and the ability to intimidate and put real fear in others. These people hate people many times even their own family members whom they daily put in danger because of the loving and playful________ (insert the name of a wild animal here).
Here in the southwest, having a pit bull is a status symbol for a certain group of the population. They (and Chihuahuas) are the most common breed of dog that end up at the shelter due to being turned in, abandonment or escape from the owner.