It's not the pet, it's the irresponsible pet owner

[noviapriani]

I would not order all existing, living pits to be put down...but why not a ban on breeding them?  If it could be enforced, that is, which I'm just not sure of.

[Rigon]

I would not order all existing, living pits to be put down...but why not a ban on breeding them?  If it could be enforced, that is, which I'm just not sure of.

Half the dogs involved in attacks that are labled "pitbull"  are actually NOT pitbulls.

This is a great topic.  Because if you are capable of believing that being a "pitbull" is reason for sterilization, or euthanization, or banning,  then you are no damn different from the Germans who threw those Jews into the gassing chambers,  or the Muzlims in Iraq who hang all homosexuals from construction cranes-----------  don't you get it?   ANY dog can be "bad",  just like any person.

[Remember remember the 5th of November]

It sure as hell is the breed. Quite often in my country I hear similar stories about pitbulls. It's their trait.

[noviapriani]

I would not order all existing, living pits to be put down...but why not a ban on breeding them?  If it could be enforced, that is, which I'm just not sure of.

Half the dogs involved in attacks that are labled "pitbull"  are actually NOT pitbulls.

This is a great topic.  Because if you are capable of believing that being a "pitbull" is reason for sterilization, or euthanization, or banning,  then you are no damn different from the Germans who threw those Jews into the gassing chambers,  or the Muzlims in Iraq who hang all homosexuals from construction cranes-----------  don't you get it?   ANY dog can be "bad",  just like any person.

I understand where you are coming from. I do.  But dogs are not people, and it is a fact that some breeds are aggressive.  When you pair aggressive breeding with that kind of power and tenacity, it can be very dangerous.  I see no problem with banning future breeding of pits, especially since in order to give every existing dog a home, each American would have to adopt 7. 

[zolace]

So, is it okay with you for breeders to then breed an even more dangerous breed? No limit?
Dogs are man's creation. They were created by our favoring certain traits and assisting them in surviving, and thus breeding. The wolves also initially helped in this by having the wolves with a greater willingness to be close to humans hang around and get the food scraps. Eventually, humans began to physically control the breeding, and created hundreds of breeds over time with the traits the breeders wanted.

Tell me, what traits do you think the breeders of pit bulls were aiming for when they created the pit bull?

[sana8410]

So, is it okay with you for breeders to then breed an even more dangerous breed? No limit?
Dogs are man's creation. They were created by our favoring certain traits and assisting them in surviving, and thus breeding. The wolves also initially helped in this by having the wolves with a greater willingness to be close to humans hang around and get the food scraps. Eventually, humans began to physically control the breeding, and created hundreds of breeds over time with the traits the breeders wanted.

Tell me, what traits do you think the breeders of pit bulls were aiming for when they created the pit bull?

Ever heard of a mutt?  Dogs interbreed all the time, the reason they bred a bulldog with a terrier...... no idea. For all I know it was just a mix that resulted in good characteristics. Spin it all you like, dogs interbreed with each other all the time. They're not picky, the will bone any dog that fits. 

Bottom line, they are dogs. All dogs have their own personality but with love and proper training 99% of dogs are nothing more than wonderful companions and members of the family. 

As the thread title says...........

Saying that pitbulls have this weird mental disposition to attack is more or less the same as some racist saying blacks are mentally predisposed to gun violence. Asinine and revolting ignorance

[Dogtanian]

It sure as hell is the breed. Quite often in my country I hear similar stories about pitbulls. It's their trait.

It is in their genes, but it's also the owner who usually encourages such behaviour. You can have tame or well-behaved pitbulls (or other such dogs). You could encourage many dogs to be vicious if you mistreat it or encourage such behaviour so that's why it's down to the owner too. I think causing a dog breed to go extinct just because a small percentage of them are unruly or attack people isn't right.

[zolace]

So, is it okay with you for breeders to then breed an even more dangerous breed? No limit?
Dogs are man's creation. They were created by our favoring certain traits and assisting them in surviving, and thus breeding. The wolves also initially helped in this by having the wolves with a greater willingness to be close to humans hang around and get the food scraps. Eventually, humans began to physically control the breeding, and created hundreds of breeds over time with the traits the breeders wanted.

Tell me, what traits do you think the breeders of pit bulls were aiming for when they created the pit bull?

Ever heard of a mutt?  Dogs interbreed all the time, the reason they bred a bulldog with a terrier...... no idea. For all I know it was just a mix that resulted in good characteristics. Spin it all you like, dogs interbreed with each other all the time. They're not picky, the will bone any dog that fits. 

Bottom line, they are dogs. All dogs have their own personality but with love and proper training 99% of dogs are nothing more than wonderful companions and members of the family. 

As the thread title says...........

Saying that pitbulls have this weird mental disposition to attack is more or less the same as some racist saying blacks are mentally predisposed to gun violence. Asinine and revolting ignorance

You say you have "no idea" as to why people created pit bulls via breeding, but then you call me ignorant. Come on! If you want to write as an expert on pit bull behavior, you should research how they came to be.

[Rigon]

I would not order all existing, living pits to be put down...but why not a ban on breeding them?  If it could be enforced, that is, which I'm just not sure of.

Half the dogs involved in attacks that are labled "pitbull"  are actually NOT pitbulls.

This is a great topic.  Because if you are capable of believing that being a "pitbull" is reason for sterilization, or euthanization, or banning,  then you are no damn different from the Germans who threw those Jews into the gassing chambers,  or the Muzlims in Iraq who hang all homosexuals from construction cranes-----------  don't you get it?   ANY dog can be "bad",  just like any person.

I understand where you are coming from. I do.  But dogs are not people, and it is a fact that some breeds are aggressive.  When you pair aggressive breeding with that kind of power and tenacity, it can be very dangerous.  I see no problem with banning future breeding of pits, especially since in order to give every existing dog a home, each American would have to adopt 7. 

There's always something going wrong somewhere at any given moment....... so what? You're afraid of dogs and you want to kill some of them because of it. Or what ever is your motivation, as far as I'm concerned you are wrong.

[zolace]

I would not order all existing, living pits to be put down...but why not a ban on breeding them?  If it could be enforced, that is, which I'm just not sure of.

Half the dogs involved in attacks that are labled "pitbull"  are actually NOT pitbulls.

This is a great topic.  Because if you are capable of believing that being a "pitbull" is reason for sterilization, or euthanization, or banning,  then you are no damn different from the Germans who threw those Jews into the gassing chambers,  or the Muzlims in Iraq who hang all homosexuals from construction cranes-----------  don't you get it?   ANY dog can be "bad",  just like any person.

I understand where you are coming from. I do.  But dogs are not people, and it is a fact that some breeds are aggressive.  When you pair aggressive breeding with that kind of power and tenacity, it can be very dangerous.  I see no problem with banning future breeding of pits, especially since in order to give every existing dog a home, each American would have to adopt 7. 

There's always something going wrong somewhere at any given moment....... so what? You're afraid of dogs and you want to kill some of them because of it. Or what ever is your motivation, as far as I'm concerned you are wrong.

Well, kill the ones that have attacked people, yes. That is currently being done a great deal. As to the others, I am not saying to kill them, just not allow them to breed. Let the breed die out.

[noviapriani]

So, is it okay with you for breeders to then breed an even more dangerous breed? No limit?
Dogs are man's creation. They were created by our favoring certain traits and assisting them in surviving, and thus breeding. The wolves also initially helped in this by having the wolves with a greater willingness to be close to humans hang around and get the food scraps. Eventually, humans began to physically control the breeding, and created hundreds of breeds over time with the traits the breeders wanted.

Tell me, what traits do you think the breeders of pit bulls were aiming for when they created the pit bull?

Ever heard of a mutt?  Dogs interbreed all the time, the reason they bred a bulldog with a terrier...... no idea. For all I know it was just a mix that resulted in good characteristics. Spin it all you like, dogs interbreed with each other all the time. They're not picky, the will bone any dog that fits. 

Bottom line, they are dogs. All dogs have their own personality but with love and proper training 99% of dogs are nothing more than wonderful companions and members of the family. 

As the thread title says...........

Saying that pitbulls have this weird mental disposition to attack is more or less the same as some racist saying blacks are mentally predisposed to gun violence. Asinine and revolting ignorance

Well, no.  Firstly, although I love them, animals are not humans.  Dogs are not the same as people, and you're talking to a girl who is constantly rescuing animals and whose dog has an orthopedic memory foam mattress for goodness sakes.  Secondly, pitts were originally used (and many still are) for bloodsport, and as a result the most tenacious fighters were bred for that purpose.  It's not the dog's fault, and not all pits are aggressive of course,  but it is what it is.  And because of their power and tenacity, it's a much more dangerous situation than what you might have with an aggressive chihuahua or cocker spaniel. 

It's awful that we as humans created and used this dog for bloodsport since we created them.  We are ultimately responsible for the breed and what they are.  I am not saying we kill pit bulls, but maybe it is time to consider not creating any more of them.

[Rigon]

Last year, over 3/4ths of the dog bite fatalities came via pit bulls or pit mixes-- yet they comprise only 6% of the dog population.

And anyone who tells you dogs cannot be bred for aggressiveness (or passivity) is an idiot who has never been around dog breeders-- if you look at all the different types of dogs there are, and where they came from, you realize how much genetics factors into it... including temperament. I am so tired of people who get more dog than they know how to control or have the ability to control. It's like they have something to prove or something. Well, don't go trying to prove it at others' expense...

[zolace]

So, is it okay with you for breeders to then breed an even more dangerous breed? No limit?
Dogs are man's creation. They were created by our favoring certain traits and assisting them in surviving, and thus breeding. The wolves also initially helped in this by having the wolves with a greater willingness to be close to humans hang around and get the food scraps. Eventually, humans began to physically control the breeding, and created hundreds of breeds over time with the traits the breeders wanted.

Tell me, what traits do you think the breeders of pit bulls were aiming for when they created the pit bull?

Ever heard of a mutt?  Dogs interbreed all the time, the reason they bred a bulldog with a terrier...... no idea. For all I know it was just a mix that resulted in good characteristics. Spin it all you like, dogs interbreed with each other all the time. They're not picky, the will bone any dog that fits. 

Bottom line, they are dogs. All dogs have their own personality but with love and proper training 99% of dogs are nothing more than wonderful companions and members of the family. 

As the thread title says...........

Saying that pitbulls have this weird mental disposition to attack is more or less the same as some racist saying blacks are mentally predisposed to gun violence. Asinine and revolting ignorance

Well, no.  Firstly, although I love them, animals are not humans.  Dogs are not the same as people, and you're talking to a girl who is constantly rescuing animals and whose dog has an orthopedic memory foam mattress for goodness sakes.  Secondly, pitts were originally used (and many still are) for bloodsport, and as a result the most tenacious fighters were bred for that purpose.  It's not the dog's fault, and not all pits are aggressive of course,  but it is what it is.  And because of their power and tenacity, it's a much more dangerous situation than what you might have with an aggressive chihuahua or cocker spaniel. 

It's awful that we as humans created and used this dog for bloodsport since we created them.  We are ultimately responsible for the breed and what they are.  I am not saying we kill pit bulls, but maybe it is time to consider not creating any more of them.

Pit bulls are a terrier.  Terriers have a tendency to be aggressive.  Of the seven groups terriers are by far the most aggressive.  The good part is that they are also very protective.  But the pit bull has been breed to be the most aggressive of the terriers. For some reason in this breed they can be loving and a wonderful pet for several years then turn around and attack you. While I do love dogs I would not have a pit bull anywhere near one of my grandchildren.

[nickenburg]

It sure as hell is the breed. Quite often in my country I hear similar stories about pitbulls. It's their trait.

It is in their genes, but it's also the owner who usually encourages such behaviour. You can have tame or well-behaved pitbulls (or other such dogs). You could encourage many dogs to be vicious if you mistreat it or encourage such behaviour so that's why it's down to the owner too. I think causing a dog breed to go extinct just because a small percentage of them are unruly or attack people isn't right.

Yeh its obviously Pitbulls and some other breeds have a higher aggresion in there genes then other breeds.
But I still think it mostly the owner's fault if those aggressive treats come back.
Because my neighbours have a American pittbull/stafford, but you can see it got alot of love and it's a really nice dog now.
He can even play with the just 1 year old child and will protect it to, people need to watch Cesar milan! 

[CIYAM]

This thread is becoming a mess of *opinions* with very little facts.

The fact is that various breeds were in fact bred for no other reason than to "fight" (this is why the term "pit" - they were bred for fighting in a "pit" not for digging them).

As I already stated I owned such a pet (a Staffordshire) and they are wonderful pets but they "don't respect territory" (this is why they are useful for "fighting in pits").

Generally such dogs are not so dangerous to people (they are usually most dangerous to other dogs) but to think that the breeding *has nothing to do with it* is simply wrong.

[CIYAM]

You guys might also be interested in reading up upon the experiment done in Russia about breeding foxes (for one trait - "friendliness" - it actually explains quite well how *wolves* became *dogs*).

[commandrix]

It is interesting that whenever the OWNER is a bad one that doesn't train the dog and make sure it can't roam all over the place, it's usually the DOG that gets put down when something bad happens. Gee whiz, in most U.S. states you need a license to own something like a mountain lion if it's even at all legal, but there's usually very few checks on who can get a vicious breed of dog like a pit bull. To the OP, I hope your daughter gets a settlement that compensates her for getting bitten and for the medical and vet bills (plus the price of a chihuahua) and I hope the owner of this dog sees his insurance premiums go through the roof for as long as he chooses to own a dangerous breed of dog. Like I so often say when somebody does something completely irresponsible, the only way to draw them up short is to hit them in the wallet.

[ShibaWow]

I think most people in this thread are racist

If pit bulls are aggressive because of their origin
Then black people are slaves