[Mr. Silverback]

Here's one spot (not the only one) where I got my information: Bad Rap. Looking around this site is something everyone who talks about this issue should do. Also, thought there's a link at Bad Rap for it, here's the American Temperament Testing Society (ATTS) statistics on dog temperament. I was wrong, BTW, pits only beat Beagles by 5%. In other words, the media tells us that pit bulls are child killing engines of destruction, while an organization that actually tests breeds using a scientifically structured tests tells us that they have about the same aggression level as a golden retriever.

No offense to your brother (I feel terrible for his loss and glad that he was man enough to take care of business when he saw another pit running loose) but the thing is that any dog improperly handled can get ramped up aggression. If a ghetto poser fights his dog or trains it to be aggressive, it will be. If he gets a dog that needs two hours of exercise a day and frequent human interaction and leaves it alone chained in the yard seven days a week, it will get aggressive. That's what's happening with most, if not all, the Pits we're reading about in the news, and none of it is inherent to the breed.

Solosmoke has posted interesting stuff about how in the early part of the last century the media was campaigning to get rid of German Shepherds for the same reasons Pits are now in the news, So I'm going to ping him in.

Solo, can you provide your pdf link to Outlaw Woman? She has an open mind.

[Outlaw Woman]

I appreciate you providing further information and I will dig into it and I fully agree that the owners and their method of raising these animals directly affects them. However, my brother’s pits were raised from puppy and although seemingly docile, did exhibit aggression at times; i.e. growling and approaching. My brother is a gentle man when it comes to K9’s but it seems that wasn’t enough to offset whatever instinct they seem to have. There was never an ‘incident’ though. The publicity that these dogs garner is the result of the true damage they can do when they aren’t controlled.

It’s true the media is playing a huge part in shaping public opinion toward these dogs (sort of the way they did with the marxist in the WH) however, the incidents reported did happen and they are devastating because there have been deaths and maimings.

Either way though....I don’t have a dog in this fight (pun intended). I’m a cat person :) (probably will end up like the crazy lady in the story LOL....not) and if I did get a dog it would be a collie or Tervurian (sp) as I have experience there.

Thanks for the additional info Silverback. I’m sure if you have a pit bull it is extremely well behaved and you are most likely very responsible regarding its handling so it isn’t a threat.