Posted on 02/18/2009 11:45:26 AM PST by Chet 99
We all know there are two sides to every story. The pit bull’s story is no exception. Some say “Don’t blame the breed, blame the owner.” Some say a news story about dog maulings always includes a pit. So what’s the real deal behind the threat of a pit bull attack?
You may have heard that a dog’s behavior reflects upon the owner. This is true, to a degree. Much like children, an unruly dog usually indicates a spoiling owner or an owner weak on disciplinary skills. If an owner mishandles, teases, and tortures a dog, he will usually be viewed as vicious. Environment also plays a role in a dog’s behavior. Medicines, food, the air they breath, exercise or lack there of, all affect a dog’s behavior. But it is in fact fact, that there are standard behaviors that are typical of each breed. Some breeds can be more hyper, like my mom’s Boston Terrier, Sofie. This is typical Boston Terrier behavior. Some dogs can be very sweet and loving to all they encounter. A Labrador Retriever is a great example. Some dogs are genetically predisposed to be malicious. A pit bull, though not the only breed, is one example of such an animal.
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
People are malicious, dogs are incapable of being malicious.
Why are you posting this crap, Chet?
Malicious intent on your part, I'd say.
The article isn’t based on established facts, and relies heavily on what the mainstream media selectively decides is ‘news’.
There is no such thing as a vicious breed of dog, folks. Ask your vet.
And I have a personal experience to share related to this. A year ago this May, we had to put our black Lab ‘Lucy’ down because she had whats described among vets as ‘red rage’.
Sweet, loving, cuddly Lucy...all 80 pounds of her, would ‘go off’ like a rocket. We never knew when, or what, would set her off.
Three times she tried to kill our Rott/Shepard mix over the five years we had her from a pup. I’m 6’2” 195 and in pretty good shape, and I couldn’t stop her.
I’ve never owned a pit bull. I’ve known many who have however. And NOT ONE incident of a bite - let alone a ‘grab and hold and thrash’ type attack.
They are extremely loving animals. EXTREMELY LOVING.
But, while not classified as a ‘giant dog’ for AKC ratings, they do have genetically unusual jaws. And yep, 1600 pounds plus of pressure ‘can’ be applied by a pit bull.
That said, they are not among the top ten catagory of ‘most likely to bite’.
The problem is...when they do, it can be devastating.
Its up to the owner, folks. Always has been, always will be. Some were absolutely terrified of my Rott, Roxie, when she was in her ‘prime’, but thats hollywood generated nonsense. She never grabbed anyone, and was easily the most controllable dog I’ve ever had - I measure by the fact I can ‘call her off’ a cornered raccoon, or snake, or other dog (Lucy and her the first two times Lucy went at her).
The problem isn’t the breed, folks.
Its the stupid humans. JMHO.
Exactly.
I don’t want to live next to people who own chimps, snakes, pit bulls, akitas, rotties or large cats. And people shouldn’t be allowed to own such animals in apartments, condos..etc...any close living quarters to other captive people....and anyone with kids under 10.
New people behind me got a Pit Bull puppy a few months back. Pretty gray one.
So I’m repairing my side of the wood slat fence to a solid one. Trust everybody but cut the cards.
The Dogs like to huff at each other through the fence.
The jaws of a Pit are just the same as other dogs and the only thing they are predisposed to attack is another dog. My collie that I grew up with killed 2 neighbor dogs that came on the farm and no one tried to ban him.
We have a pit puppy and our daughter has a 110lb rescue pit. They are both wonderful, smart, loving well trained dogs. The meanest nastiest dogs I’ve ever known was a cocker spaniel (sp?) and a taco bell dog (I can’t spell the breed...Chihuahua?).
You are right. I have known pits to be the sweetest babies, yet my old cocker was pure evil.
My favorite breed now is the Greyhound. I have two.
All animals need to be under control of their owners be they dogs, cats or cows. They also need to live in an environment suitable to their use/needs.
Any animal I can't kill with my bare hands way before it tears or bites my head off.
Had one for ten years, he was a great friend and companion. That being said he could not control himself when he saw another animal, if he couldn’t mate with it he tore it apart. Wouldn’t hurt a human though, my nephew once dropped a rather large rock on his head, boy was only three at the time, and the only reaction from Fishhead was to graon and push the kid over with his paw. When he was only six months old he tore a newfoundland a new one over a beaver pelt that the newfy wouldn’t share.
I don’t want to pass judgement on any breed of dog. Different breeds have different needs and their owners are responsible for meeting these needs as well as being responsible for their dog’s actions.
That said, 20-years ago, I watched and struggled with a “wonderful, smart, loving well-trained” pit bull, while it killed a 3-year-old child. This family’s kids played with this dog, it was a member of the family. One minute they were in the yard playing with it, the next minute the child was dead. I watched the attack occur and it was like night and day. I’ll spare you the gory details.
Again, I’m not passing judgement on the dog or the owners, just relating my experience, so please spare me the bad dog/bad owner arguements. This specific dog looked to me like it snapped.
—I don’t want to live next to people who own chimps, snakes, pit bulls, akitas, rotties or large cats. And people shouldn’t be allowed to own such animals in apartments, condos..etc...any close living quarters to other captive people....and anyone with kids under 10—
Most snakes commonly kept as pets (this excludes venomous snakes obviously) are entirely harmless. There have been a few unfortunate accidents involving very large pythons as a result of poor feeding practices or poorly secured enclosures. A snake must be at least eight feet long before it begins to present a physical threat to a person. As for the small (4 foot) mouse-eating corn snakes, king snakes and milk snakes, they are a threat to no one (unless you are a small rodent).
—pit bulls, akitas, rotties —
It’s mostly upbringing. You can make any large dog vicious by poor treatment. And I don’t see the problem with akitas(at least they’re attractive).
—large cats—
If by that you mean “big cats” like lions, leopards etc. then yes, no one but a licensed zoo should own them.
—chimps—
agree 100 percent there. These may be the most dangerous of all, and have been known to inflict fearful injuries. IMO they also present sanitary issues and can carry human diseases. See my response regarding big cats.
Reminds me of that chimp that went berserk in Connecticut a few days ago.
The family raised it like a baby; living with it for 20 or so years, it used to dress itself and was treated like a child of the family.
So what happens?
One day it snaps FOR NO REASON, tears the face right off a neighbor, bites off the neighbors hands, tears pieces off the neighbor and starts eating the neighbor alive.
One of many reasons I suspect any animal owner who thinks their pet wouldn't hurt a fly, is an irresponsible owner.
That’s a horrible story. I will say that the breeder we bought our Pit from told us to establish dominance over the pup right away. I guess I’m the Alpha Male (I’m actually the Mom of the family) because he obeys me well. He is going to puppy class in a few weeks and he’s getting neutered as well. I am used to dealing with big and bad animals having lived on a farm (meanest pigs that ever ended up on a plate).
http://www.dogsbite.org/pdf/dog-attacks-merritt-clifton-2007.pdf
This is a statistical compilation of dog bite injuries and fatalities from 1982 to 2007. Pit bulls by far are the dogs involved in the most bodily injuries (1194 of 2363) and deaths (116/293).
Lots of breeds bite, but pit bulls are far more dangerous when they do. Rottweilers, wolf hybrids, chows, german shepherds and Akitas also make it up fairly high in the listings, but far below the pit bulls.
—The problem isn’t the breed, folks.
Its the stupid humans. JMHO.—
I agree. The only caveat with pitbulls is that there are two different “lines.” One line is the pet/show line, and these guys/gals are perfectly sweet dogs. The other line is the “fighting” line, bred for combat. These animals, like fighting cocks, are bred for agressiveness, and, IIRC, when a dog fighting establishment is raided, even the puppies are destroyed. Otherwise, a cute pitbull puppy from fighting stock can “switch on” (a fighting term) and become combative, maybe years later—this makes them a bad risk. Then again it’s stupid, cruel humans who perpetuate the fighting lines in the first place.
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