Well, if I absolutely had to choose, I would prefer to be around trained pits as opposed to untrained pits. I would like to know the split of unprovoked dog attacks from trained dogs as opposed to untrained, not just pits but all dogs. I would like to see if trained or untrained pits attack more, and how serious the attack is, compared to other dogs. I think it seems to be reasonable to require training for dog breeds trained to fight and attack.
Also, I think there is a certainty that breeding affects a dog’s behavior. For instance, I wouldn’t like to be suddenly shrunk down to mouse-size in front of the most well-trained Jack Russel terrier. I don’t know if that would apply to large dogs bred to fight or attack large animals, but it is certainly within the realm of plausibility.
I don’t know if what some have alleged about the ‘snapping and mauling’ that pits supposedly do is true, or if it only happens with untrained animals, or if this has happened with well trained animals. The most I have seen is that the owner usually says something like the dog has never done this before, it was so sweet. I haven’t heard an owner of one of these dogs that suddenly attacks say the dog was trained at all.
Freegards
I agree some training is important but far more important is for the dog to feel like part of the family and treated with respect and affection. A neglected dog is also abused dog. I have a rescue terrier like that. With time, affection, respect, and the freedom to just be herself she blossomed into a really good family dog I’d trust with even the smallest of children.
You may be mixing up training with discipline although the two generally go hand in hand.
You can have a disciplined dog who listens to you when you give him/her basic commands like ‘stay’, ‘get in the yard’, or to come when you call to them. That’s a bit different than, say, teaching them to do dog tricks like ‘sit’, ‘lay down’, or ‘fetch’. Then you have the working breeds who crave working and need the guidance to know what to do like when Border Collies herd sheep.
There are certain breeds of dogs I simply don’t feel comfortable leaving alone with small children simply because kids can and will do the dumbest things like pulling on a dogs ears or tail or hair not knowing the dog hates that.
I’ve seen my Pit get into a fight with another of my dogs without hurting the other dog at all but she gets some cuts on her face. She is teaching the other dog boundaries the only way she knows how. You know what? It works. The other dog doesn’t make the mistake of getting too close to the Pit’s food again or whatever the basic lesson is all about. Sometimes it’s about establishing a pecking order. Pack members need to know their position in the pack with the human as the leader.
In human terms this would be considered a spat between siblings but because dogs sound like they tearing each other apart when they do that (even though they aren’t); people mistake it for something it isn’t. Unfortunately if a dog, especially a medium to large strong dog, does this to a soft human; the damage to the human will likely be worse.
I have no children living at home and if I anticipated any; I would not have gotten certain breeds. People need to do their homework to decide on what breeds they should allow in their homes under the conditions they have. We humans are supposed to be the smart ones but sometimes I really wonder about that being true.