I used to help train dogs for Search and Rescue but I am no expert. But in talking to people in the trade, they almost all believe that Pit Bulls have been taking a bad rap thanks to inner city thugs and nere do wells who train these dogs to attack.
If you take the best dog, beat the hell out of it, abuse it and treat it poorly, then that dog, regardless of the breed or bloodline, will turn out to be a bloodthirsty beast.
I think Labs have more dog bites than anyother breeds.
Of course you are right - you can make any dog into a vicious one by bad treatment on purpose.
What the problem is, is that in the large majority of these stories, these pit bulls have NOT undergone that kind of abuse and maltreatment. They are family dogs, people are ‘shocked’ that they did it, they never thought thier dog would do this, etc.
So with respect to this particular breed of dog, it appears they do not have to be abused and beaten up in order for this kind of unpredictable dangerous behavior to occur.
I agree that Pit Bulls get something of a bad rap, because of idiot, thug owners. A well trained, well socialized, well bred, well cared for pit bull is a great dog.
However, they are just so incredibly powerful and tenacious, that when they do attack the outcomes are too often horrific.
Also, I don’t think comparing the number of bites by Labs is all that relevant. Labs are a very popular breed, so the bite numbers will be higher. More importatnly, the damage done by the average Lab bite, compared to the average pit bull attack is likely much smaller.
We really need statistics on maulings, as opposed to bites. Bites are painful, but rarely cause permanent damage, much less death. Maulings are a much more serious matter.
Exactly right!