It is not the breed but the breeders that are the problem
The wonderful pet dogs that we all love are all vicious animals, wolves, in reality.
Centuries of breeding has taken the wild animal and turned it in to a loving companion.
Unethical breeders have reversed that process with the some pit bulls to breed aggressiveness back in to the breed for pit fighting.
As with any pet you intend to purchase always perform a background check on the reputation of the breeder. Any reputable breeder will take back a dog that does not work out with your family. If you take a puppy home and the dog turn mean the breeder should take the dog back with no more that a simple explanation from you as to the behavior problem. (If it nothing more than the puppy pees on the rug don’t expect an all right then bring him back)
There are plenty of breeders out there breeding pit bulls that are not overly aggressive and have plenty of history of producing fine family pets.
But with any breed an occasional bad pup will get through to an owner that has problems. My sister-in-law got a Great Pyrenees pup that was simply psychotic. The dog would be playful and cheerful one moment and be growling and snapping the next. The family tried for weeks to rehabilitate the dog but finally had to tearfully take the dog back to the breeder who put the dog down.
I agree. Look up the history of the pit bull terrier some time. They were initially bred to be hunter-killers. They still are.
Really? I've owned 9 dogs and none have been vicious.
Yep.
I spent hours with my dogs before deciding they were the right one.
I’m just glad they’re not katz.
Otherwise I would be working for them.
Still feels like I constantly do stuff for them. Not sure if I’m just amusing myself or they really like all the goofy things I do.
I think the dogbite website Is a very interesting resource for those who are actually rational about dogs. In reality pit bull owners probably aren't any more irrational about their dogs than any other group of vicious animal owners, but just about every one of the irrational posts defending the breed I've seen on these threads is shot down on the web site. Interesting read.
Myth #1: It's the owner not the breed The outdated debate, "It's the owner, not the breed," has caused the pit bull problem to grow into a 30-year old problem.1 Designed to protect pit bull breeders and owners, the slogan ignores the genetic history of the breed and blames these horrific maulings -- inflicted by the pit bull's genetic "hold and shake" bite style -- on environmental factors. While environment plays a role in a pit bull's behavior, it is genetics that leaves pit bull victims with permanent and disfiguring injuries.The pit bull's genetic traits are not in dispute. Many appellate courts agree that pit bulls pose a significant danger to society and can be regulated accordingly. Some of the genetic traits courts have identified include: unpredictability of aggression, tenacity ("gameness" the refusal to give up a fight), high pain tolerance and the pit bull's "hold and shake" bite style.2 According to forensic medical studies, similar injuries have only been found elsewhere on victims of shark attacks.
Perpetuators of this myth also cannot account for the many instances in which pit bull owners and family members are victimized by their pet dogs. From 2005 to 2012, pit bulls killed 151 Americans, about one citizen every 19 days. Of these deaths, 52% involved a family member and a household pit bull.4 Notably, in the first 8 months of 2011, nearly half of those killed by a pit bull was its owner. One victim was an "avid supporter" of Bad Rap, a recipient of Michael Vick's dogs
Sadly, even dog shows harm breeds. After Westminster, many people run out and buy "copies" of the winner. Doesn't work. Litter lot sales. Inexperienced breeders. Pressure to breed more and more of a certain breed. And the result is a bunch of roach-backed, dysplasia- prone mutts. The faults of a particular dog or breed are only accentuated by inexperienced breeders....