A debate over pit bulls

Hundreds of readers let L.A. Unleashed know how they felt about PetSmart excluding pit bulls from doggie day care: Here are some examples:

"Wow. So many false statements (pit bulls that snap? please ... the only fatalities from pit bulls in the last two years have been from intact, breeding cycle dogs and/or chained dogs and some Darwin-award winning children ... anyone who knows dogs would have seen any of those attacks coming) Some people just aren't worth arguing with though. I will say that I'm the guardian of three gorgeous, rescued pit bulls. They hold Canine Good Citizen certificates from the AKC and are loved by all of our neighbors and friends. We (the humans) hold advanced degrees from top universities, have great careers, own a home, and are politically active. One of the best things about having pit bulls is that they serve as a great filter; people who are scared of them or don't like them are people we don't want around us anyway. So, you losers who hate our dogs, stay on the other side of the park with your scaredy-cat face on. Pit bulls are the most popular breed in the United States. There's more of us than there are of you! And yes, for a long time most pit bull owners were lowlifes who didn't have a lot of clout, but that is quickly changing. Proposed pit bull bans are getting shut down all over the place. Even Rachel Ray has pit bulls ... don't you Fox news, fear-mongering people love her?"  -- Tufflove

"It isn't about individual dogs. Some dogs have a predisposition to kill or approach people and other animals in a threatening manner. It is, to a degree, an inbred genetic attitude. Do the people who feel they have to own dogs who could rip your face off while you sleep think the general public owes them special doggie days or something? Get a collie or a lab and get over yourselves. Keep your killer poochies at home and quit bellyaching. No one forced you to buy a toxic pet."  -- JDP

"I own 2 APBT(American Pit Bull Terriers) and they are the best dogs I have EVER owned, one of them is a registered therapy dog and the other one won an obiedence compition and is excelling in weight pulling! They are great dogs, they get along with every other dog they meet, they love kids and other people and I have never seen them show a tooth! The APBT is just a dog, yet its like no other! If only PetSmart knew what wonderful breed they are missing out on!"  -- PitLover

"Please, no more letters from pit bull lovers. The victims should have their say, not the perps who keep these biting machine breeds alive. I'm sure Pooky is just perfect, like others who have bitten people and shocked their owners who said, "I just can't believe my loving poochy did that." If you are an experienced dog owner you should know you can never trust 100% any dog, that the dog won't get demented and start attacking at some point because of his inner delusions, or that the dog won't get loose, start running with others and be overcome by pack mentality when they see a small child running and attack it without stopping to think, "What is the responsible thing to do, follow the other loving poochies and have fun or stop and just watch, or tell my owner?" We don't deserve to have our children and loved ones attacked by these dogs. We don't need their genes in the gene pools of neighborhood dogs."  -- Daphni

-- Alice Short

Photo: Carlos Chavez/Los Angeles Times

Comments

[E. C. Camarena]

There was a comment about Golden Retrievers not biting children, not true! Besides if you tie up, beat, and starve any breed of dog, I assure you they will be aggressive and dangerous. If you look at the real statistics of how pits are treated and over bred you will understand why they are getting a bad rap. Dogs are made vicious, not born. I know plenty of folks with sweet loving pits who's children have been pulling and sitting on them for years.

[Emile]

I've encountered plenty of pit bulls and other terriers that are sweethearts on a one-on-one basis, but the fact of the matter is, the breed in general (terriers, that is) were originally bred as attack animals. It's in their dna. If you simply leave your pit bull at a doggie daycare center, it will try to dominate the other dogs. It's just natural. A pit bull that rolls over and submits is the exception to the rule. The same with some other breeds like dalmatians, Australian cattle dogs and fox hounds. You just don't hear about that many attacks by other breeds because A) they are not as prevalent and B) they're not as newsworthy. "Child bitten by dalmatian" doesn't quite have the same ring as "Toddler mauled by pit bull". If the authorities could completely shut down dog fighting, maybe things could change, but as things stand now, we have to realize that the current breed of pit bulls is, for the most part, extremely dangerous.

[Jean]

I wonder why there are so many letters from pitbull lovers? Maybe because the majority of us know that pitbulls are wonderful lovable animals. Pitbulls are not biting machines. Pitbulls don't have inner delusions. People should do the research and educate themselves before repeating such lies.

"

[Eric]

Most people don't know that Pit Bulls were used as babysitters in the 1800's, here in the United States. There is nothing about the breed that is inherently dangerous to humans, except that they are a powerful breed, originally bred to protect farmers from being gored by bulls they were bringing to market. In fact, the reason they protected the farmers and the children so well is that they are very loving and loyal. It takes purposeful training to make a pit bull vicious. The law should hold the owner completely responsible for the dog's behavior, and the dog should have a one-strike-and-you're-out penalty for vicious behavior. But penalizing caring and responsible dog owners and their dogs for the misbehavior and criminal negligence of others is neither fair nor based on any rational argument.

[will]

its so sad these people who talk trash about something they dont even know. they should get there facts straight before opening there mouth no wonder why pitbulls have such a bad rep. i own an american red nose pitbull and he is awesome yes i know he his a dog and anything can happen but dont you single him out its us humans who have givin them this rep and we need to fix it.

[matthew porter]

I have a pit bul puppy and he has to be the nicest dog that I have ever owned....I had a golden retriever before and he was the meanest dog that I have ever raised.......so for all you people out there that are scared of pits go educate your selves...any dog can bite someone.....so if your gona have a dog why not have a loyal pit bull.......My pit plays with two of my friends kids and he would never hurt them...he loves them he even sleeps with me and my girlfriend in our bed..so for all you wusses go move to an island and leave all of us normal people alone.....

[Jacqueline]

Pit Bulls are some of the best dogs out there. I have had so many people tell me how great my dog is. He's 75 pounds of undivided love. For people to judge these gorgeous creatures is wrong. People claim Pit Bulls are vicious, and they can't be trained otherwise, but really, Pit Bulls have been bred by man over the years to be the most human friendly dog out there. I have been doing research on Pit Bulls for over a year now, and I bet most people don't even know how Pit Bulls came to be. Back in the 1800's, bull baiting was a sport where Pit Bulls (although not yet considered Pit Bulls, their breeding was still being perfected) would attack bulls because it was believed it would tenderize the bull meat. More often than not, both animals were harmed in this sport, so in 1835 it was outlawed by Parliament. Dog fighting came about that same century, as it was a sport loved by all classes. Pit Bulls fit this sport perfectly because they had been bred with Terrier and Bull Dog to be agile, conditioned, and would fight to the death. However, whenever a dog would get the slightest bit vicious towards a human, it was exterminated, leaving the breed to be completely human friendly because all human aggression had been exterminated. While it is true Pit Bulls can be dog aggressive, so can any breed. My dog was attacked by a maltese and just sat there. It's all in how you raise a dog, not what it is. So quit complaining about Pit Bull lovers, there are billions of us out here with enough information to talk for weeks about this gorgeous breed. In the end, you all know we're right, you're just afraid to look stupid when you give these amazing dogs a chance.

[Heather]

The biggest frustration I experience as a pit bull owner is that NOT ENOUGH is done when someone's dog attacks someone. If your dog gets loose and nearly kills someone you should go to jail, pay a huge fine or have to do community service AND NEVER BE ALLOWED TO OWN ANOTHER DOG---EVER!!! Everytime I read these horrific stories I shudder when I hear that the dog may be put down and nothing happens to the owner. A dog like that most certainly should be put down, but the owner shouldn't get off scott-free. The reason responsible dog owners like me are always under threat of losing our dogs for their breed or size is b/c victims and the community don't feel safe or that justice is served. Dog laws should be breed-neutral but STRICT and that means ENFORCEMENT!!! Makes me sick people think it is just ok to let thier dog go out and harrass people or injure them!! I walk my dogs every day in my community and they don't approach anyone unless someone wants them to. We are complimented and smiled at all the time, b/c our dogs aren't anyone else's problem. They shouldn't be. They are our dogs, we love them. They are the only "chlldren" we have and we would never let them out of our sight. If you care for your dogs you DON'T let them run all over!!!

[tufflove]

Just wanted to say that I totally agree with Heather. I don't think anyone should let their dog offleash in public no matter what the breed is! With pits we have to be extra careful because there is always someone looking to condemn our dogs.

I watched a pit bull owned by a lowlife attack my mom and my lab puppy almost twenty years ago. It was wrong and a horrible thing to see, but I don't blame the dog, I blame the people who owned him and treated him so horribly and were so irresponsible to let him wander the sidewalk. We should have very stiff penalties for anyone whose dogs hurts another human being or animal. I see dogs wandering all the time and can't walk the most popular trails becuase of all the loose dogs. When my dogs are provoked by loose dogs, we always get the blame becuase they are pit bulls even though a) they are on a leash and observing the law and b) no one has ever been hurt.

I've raised and trained all kinds of breeds of dogs since I was a kid and APBTs and staffies, purebreds and mixes, are the smartest, easiest to train, and most loyal dogs I've ever met. I have no interest in ever having any other breed of dog, especially with children around. Pits have a high pain tolerance are less likely to snap at children than tiny breeds or cocker spaniels. Pits are great babysitters (as they were for children at the turn of the century and the Little Rascals gang) and would do anything to keep their people from harm.

[Lorrie]

For the record, responsible pit bull owners do not take their dogs to "doggie daycare". We know any dog, not just pit bulls, can be dog aggressive. However, they are not human aggressive, and if they display actions that they might be human aggressive, a responsible pit bull owner, will have that dog put down. No dog, no matter what the breed, should ever be left unattended. ANY dog should always be on a leash when outside, IT IS THE LAW!! This is not a law that is targeted towards pit bull owners, but a law in general. Any dog that is mistreated and not properly socialized, has the ability to bite. The majority of RESPONSIBLE pit bull owners do not own this breed so it will "rip your face off", we own this breed because it is a wonderful breed and exibits more love and personality than some breeds. I love my dog enough that I would never take it to doggie day care, you never put a bunch of dogs that do not know each other together, no matter what the breed. My pit bull however, gets along fine with my other 3 mixed breeds.... she does not have to be isolated from the rest, just strangers.... somehow, that should go without saying.... to people who know.

[MiGuel]

To those of you who have little to no educated on the APBT breed. Let me teach you something. Temperament tests DO NOT LIE. In a recent study, where 122 breeds were tested, done by the American Temperament Testing Society, Pit Bulls achieved a passing rate of 83.9%. Beagles passing rate is 78.2% and your lovely family dog, the Golden Retriever was still below the Pit Bull at 83.2%. Can't argue with facts, can you? Don't believe me. I post my source. Where are your sources? Need some more schooling? The Pit Bull (APBT) was bred for DOG aggression, not HUMAN aggression. The attacks on humans are the fault of irresponsible owners. The fact of the matter is in the past 20 years we have seen some sad examples of poorly bred and badly treated dogs that are byproducts of irresponsible breeders and cruel and abusive homes. These improperly raised and poorley socialized creatures can show temperments far removed from that of the authentic Pit Bull. Do not believe that all dogs attack? They do. Any dog can attack and they will. This misconseption that some of you have can be dangerous and even deadly. Did you know that a child in the United States is over 100 times more likely to be killed by his or her parent or caretaker than by a dog? Even more surprising is that approximately 50 infants die each year from broken baby cribs, and 250 newborns die at the hands of their parents or guardians. In comparison, two infants, on average, die a year from dog attacks.
Another Fact is there are a lot of ignorant people when it comes to dogs. Many of these People don't even know how a true APBT looks like therefore when a dog attacks. they say it was a Pitbull just because the dog was big, scary and had big teeth. How many different breeds fit that description. Do u think a normal person would know all of them. NO. But they go by what they hear in the media. So they automatically think it was a Pit Bull.
Attack Factors include inherited and learned behaviors, genetics, breeding, temperament, surgical sterilization, environmental stresses, owner responsibility, victim behavior, size and age, timing, and the physical condition and the size of dog.

[Line-O]

I have two dogs, and they would react very differently to attacks from another dog. If a chihuahua attacked my corgi mix, the chihuahua would be dogmeat in less than a minute. If that same aggressive chihuahua attacked my APBT mix, the chihuahua would be rolled on to its back and dominated, but not killed. You would never guess it from the way they appear, but that is how they behave with other dogs. Every dog has a different personality due to different upbringing. My corgi mix might be a little over-defensive, but he was a stray and lived in the shelter until we adopted him at age 2. Even though his mannerisms could also use some improvement, we are working on his training because we believe he deserves a chance at life. The APBT was adopted at 6 months and has been well trained and socialized; she is a sweetheart and loves to snuggle. I don't think she should be subjected to euthanization just because of fear of breed.

[katherine]

well i used to have an enormous fear of dogs.horrible.but the first dog i lost my fear with was a pitbull.i was horrified because of all ive heard.but playign with these dogs..i notice they are the most friendly.im actually considering buying my own

[Gwen Lebec]

Statistics about the stability of pits can tell many tales. I agree that overall the breed is less likely to bite people. The problem is that when they do, the damage is not like any other breed. Comparing a pit bull attack and a Springer Spaniel attack (more likely to bite) is ridiculous. That's is why you don't read tons of news stories about all these other bites - because the harm is not as SERIOUS. I have a wonderful pit mix and she is not my first. They can be great dogs but require especially wise and responsible owners. As they are now the most common dog in many areas, they suffer the problems of many horrible owners and many unwise owners. However, it is easier and more practicable to look at a dog and estimate its breed type than to look at a human and estimate their knowledge and responsibility. The inconvenience to every single pit owner in the world of having limits on these dogs does not remotely compare with the death of one single child (or adult), or a child whose skull has been punctured and brain penetrated by a pit bite, or a child who lost an arm and can tell you what it is like to be eaten alive. Not even one. Nor does the inconvenience compare with the fact that these dogs are victims of torture, abandonment and death at higher rates than any other breed or type - by far. If you, like me, rescue one - then hooray. If you deliberately set out to acquire one - unless you are prepared to meet their special needs of training, socialization, supervision, etc. and still deal with the public's fears - you shouldn't. Either way, everyone that has one should be working to reduce their numbers, their suffering, and the danger to public safety that comes with there being far more of these dogs than there are wise and responsible owners for them.

[BruteTuff]

I'd trust a dog over a human any day.. at least if/when a dog attacks you can you can shoot them and say it was "self defense" but if it were a human your ass is grass! I now have two pits a rottie and collie mix and my collie is more vicious then my other 3. People need to quit thinking anything/ everything is out to get them! Which is why our country is they way it is! Yes I do agree that a lot of pits are vicous, this is b/c people who own don't know how to take care of them or give them the excerise or meet up to there quality. Like owning horses, not just anyone can have one.. That's the problem with these "poochies."

[rose]

hi, my name is rose
i'm soo sick and tired of people putting thier two cents in on a subject they know nothing about, half the people who oppose pitbulls have never owned one and spend all thier time watching news listening to horrible stories which could have been avoided some how, why is it that soo many people point out pits, why not chihuahuas grant it thier smaller but they are very tempermental or what about great danes i'm positive that if you do the correct research you will discover that there are many other dogs that attack,, but because the public make these dogs (pitbulls) out to be soo mean people get in over thier heads and make things worse then it is, my best friend is Buddy i love him to death!!! yes i rescuded him, he was battered and had been in fights, but not once has he been ill mannered, why argue on something you do not know anything about, it sounds like to me that most people need to open their eyes and stop being so one sided and closed minded and welcome to reality, help out dont just cast something good away just because you heard a couple bad stories, it sounds childish and one sided, dogs are trained to be how they are, if you keep something locked up or abuse it all its life what do you expect pit or not? instead of finding negative stories on these breeds why not look up positve things, or wake up and make something thats soo looked down on something good, lots of people own sherman shepards but you dont hear as bad publicity as for the pits..... makes me wonder i think most people dont have personal experience but follow others.... how weak...

[emily]

pit bulls are like any other dog they are what u make them. if u teach them to be agresive then they will be agresive, but there is a difference between being agresive and being protective.

my friend has a pit pull and it is addorable it is very gental and is kind to its owners 6 week old baby.

pit bulls have a bad rep because of owners who dont teach them right from wrong. like pit bulls other dogs have gotten bad reps like rotties and shepards and many other dogs.

it just so happens that i hav 2 dogs and they are both mutts (for those of you who dont know what that is it is a mixed breed between more then one type of dog) one of my dogs is a mix between a rottie and a shepard and a black lab. sure he is big has big teeth and scares some people but he is really a big softy.

[Karysta]

I have a PitBull and she is very kind and lovable to all humans and animals. I dont get why every one is so worried about Pits, when there are other visous dogs out there. I have lived with pits all my life and NEVER once have i seen or heard about a pit bull attacking anyone or anything! I personally Love all animals and think its unfair to blaim it all on the dog, when in all reality its the way the animals is raised that makes mean or kind!

[roman]

hi pitbulls are nice!!!!!

[Valerie]

Hi everyone! :) I have been a professional dog groomer for five years, and I handle all breeds of dogs on a daily basis. i have also lived with dogs since I was born. I love dogs in general, and have gotten to know the breeds and their quirks quite well. In my five years grooming dogs, I have been snapped at and/or bitten by Collies, Labs, Golden Retrievers, Chows, Cocker Spaniels, most of the toy breeds and all of the other breeds most people might think of as "safe." But I have never been bitten by a Pitbull. Now I'm not saying that they're incapable of biting someone, every breed of dog is capable of biting! But *IN MY EXPERIENCE* they have some of the most amiable, willing-to-please personalities in the dog world!
We are demonizing a creature that has an average IQ of about 25. LOL. Come on, people! Use some common sense! Instead of pointing the blame at an animal that can't reason, blame the people who abuse them and train them to be something they were never meant to be!

[r.i.p Skeet]

i bought a pitbull from a friend , had to take the dog earlier than planned (at 4 weeks) cause the mother stoped feeding them. at first he 'SKEET SKEET" WAS THE GREATEST. played with everyone, loved to swim,run, and play ball,.. then slowly i noticed that he didn't like certain people,maybe it's them,i brought him to training classes, they kicked him out for tring to bite. a year later he didn't like anybody, nobody could come in my yard except for me and my wife, we had a baby boy six months ago, and my dog turned on my wife now i was the only one that could handle him,he is a loaded gun ready and waiting..... i had to put him down cause the only thing i could thing of is him biting a child or even killing. i loved him so much...r.i.p skeet.

[bianca]

i own 4 pitbulls and a stafforshire bull terrier.. my dogs get along great with everyone except people who beat up on other people then they are protective and ive had a few complaints about my dogs being protective but i simply told them that is the dogs job to proect things while im away.. my dogs are my life and 2 of my dogs jade and pretty. are from the micheal vick case. i adopted them. and people say they are bad dogs i chose these dogs because they came right up to me...

[H.S.]

I have known several very sweet pitbulls over the years, and at the moment one of my closest friends owns a pitbull. They are very sweet animals, and as with any dog, its all in the way the are raised. Up until quite recently for all you "we want family dogs", the Cocker Spaniel, a big "family" dog was the breed with the HIGHEST bite ratio in America. I believe that any doggie day care has the right to refuse to watch any dog because of its behavior, but they should not discriminate against an entire breed because of a few bad apples. In my experience, I've had more issues with small dogs biting and being aggressive even towards their owners than I have ever had with any "fighting" breed, or other larger breed.

[N.F.]

alright people of the internet.... those of you who love pit bulls, good for you. all the rest of you should not talk about what you dont know. think about this: people want to 'ban' pit bulls, or put the all down, but think about humans. people kill people all the time. its not pretty, but it happens. since there are some isolated incidents where people kill people, should we 'ban' humans?? it is the same with pit bulls. just because a guy goes crazy and kills someone, you dont fear people you see on the street every day. why blame a whole breed for something an INDIVIDUAL did. its just not right. and by the way, if you were treated the way most pit bulls were treated, you would lash out too.

[shelly]

I have had many different experinces with dogs. through out my life i have been surrounded by them. with my experiece i have found that a pit bull is the most well mannered dog i have ever been around. to tell the truth the meanest and most aggressive dog i have ever been around would have to be a wiener dog. no offense to those who are against pits, but you really need to get your facts straight. with a little resaerch you will be able to find how pit bulls are highly misunderstood. it has been proven that pit bulls are loving and caring dogs that pass the aggression test with higher scores than most "toy" dogs. people just need to see that in just listening to the news and judging this breed is killing them. do some research and get your facts right.

[mandella]

I really dont care what you people say about bulldogs, my family and i used to have 2 Pitbulls, and they both died of old age. they was one of the best dogs. dont get me wrong there are good dogs, and there are bad dogs.

[J-Maloney]

If any of the anti pitbull people are still scrolling through these posts, let me add my vote in favor of the american pit bull terrier. This breed is part of American heritage and history. It was bred for fighting. America was born fighting and has grown and expanded through military domination ever since the Revolution. Whether you like it or admit it or not, the pitbull is a valuable piece of American culture, representing loyalty, courage, and tenacity. No risk, no reward.

[Anika]

Pitbulls are non-human aggressive animals. They are not only beautiful animals, but loving and caring.

If you ever come across a mean Pitty, then don't judge the dog, judge it's owner. It's all about how you raise them.

[Tiffany]

It’s not the breed, it is how they are raised. Pit bulls were originally cow dogs and hunting dogs. They were and still are used to help keep a bull in line and used to hunt wild boar. But stupid people came up with the stupid idea of using their unusual power of locking their jaw for fighting. Which gave the whole breed a bad name for life.

If you want to talk about killing, well more people kill than any dog attacks. So do you just want to kill us off then too? I mean if the whole breed is bad then does that mean all humans are bad? There are some really sick people out there that do worse things than any dog could ever do. But we have jails, we don’t just start killing people off. But you want to murder all pit bulls just because some had irresponsible owners. Do you want to kill off all the people that have done horrible things plus their families because it might run in the family?

Any dog can be mean, I once had a bloodhound that only liked a few people. Does that make all bloodhounds mean? My German Shepherd and my neighbor’s Great Dane hated each other and tried to fight all the time for no reason. So should they be put down? Even though both of them are loving/caring family dogs. They never did fight because we kept them under control, but that’s just what a responsible owner does.

More smaller dogs bite people then larger dogs. Just a larger dog can do more damage, and a pit bull can do even more. That is why you hear about them more often. It’s not the dogs fault that these things happen. It’s the owners fault for not being more responsible.

[Blue]

I personally say, if you don't personally know the breed of Pitbulls and are only going off of what you have heard via the media or scared folks,
then keep your mouth shut and take time to learn about the breed.
Experience them!
They are THE MOST loving, caring, affectionate dogs ever. Its all in how you raise them, just like ANY DOG.
Any dog can attack...I was attacked by an Australian Shepherd when I was a little girl. Meanest dog in the neighborhood.
Its not the breed in general, its abusive owners who don't know how to tend and care for a pet and shouldn't be a pet owner in the 1st place.
Do you know how hard it is to find a place to live that allows Pits?
All b/c of a stereotype!
I'll never own another breed other than a pit for the rest of my life, and I am only 23. I own 2 now and love them unconditionally. I treat them like my children and they love me just the same.

[josh]

anyone who is against an entire breed just because they've heard rumors about attacks is just ignorant. any dog can bite. usually when u find a bad dog there's a bad owner not teaching the dog how to behave. pits are an incredibly loyal breed. they only do as their owners tell them.

[Ashley B]

Oh my God!!! It is so good and so refreshing to hear people that understand pit's. I know I am not in the "neighborhood" of CA but I just can't stand the prejudice that these sweet dogs get and I appreciate the good word that you are putting out for them. Like many of you have said- it is all in how you raise them. They are beautiful and loving and any dog that you treat like crap will treat people like crap. Thanks for the posting...Ashley

[ban the ban]

i agree heavily with pitbul lovers. i have had my own personal pitbull (apbt) and out of the two years and seven months she's only went on my say so to do anything.so until you've had one dont judge.dont blame the pit, blame the owner. and this just relates back to racism and gender bias....

[Trey]

first of all. Tufflove up at the top. The two dogs you mentioned about people needing to have over the pitbull are not as good as you think...according to the American Tempermant test society test. So before you go saying stupid things do your research. The pitbull scored an 84.3%...look it up..your popular border collie scored an 80.3%. Your lab only scored about 7% higher..

[Schuyler]

Those statements are so not true! All dogs can be vicious, and just because one dog attacks does not mean the breed has gone bad.

[carol partain]

ITS MAKES ME MAD THAT PEOPLE DEFEND AN AWFUL BREED AS THE PITBULL. HOW DARE PEOPLE DO THIS. I WAS ALMOST KILLED BY 2 PITBULLS 6 YEARS AGO. MY LIFE WILL NEVER BE RIGHT AGAIN. THESE DOGS SHOULD ALL BE KILLED AND DISTROYED. PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT THESE DOGS ARE MISUNDERSTOOD ARE THE ONES WHO NEED TO BE EDUCATED. THIS BREED IS SO OVERBREED THAT THERE IS A CHEMICAL IMBLANCE IN THEIR BRAINS. DO YOUR HOMEWORK;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; . THEY WILL TURN ON THEIR OWNERS. PITBULLS ARE A USELESS BREED. YOU PEOPLE WHO OWN PITBULLS HAVE NO RIGHT TO TELL THOSE OF US WHO HAVE SURVIVED AWFUL PITBULLS ATTACKS HOW OR WHAT TO THINK OR FEEL. ALSO KEEP THOSE DAMN PITBULLS AWAY FROM YOUR CHILDREN AND TEAR OUT THEIR TEETH IF YOU CONTINUE TO DEFEND THEM.

[Giovanna]

To the person before me: honestly you say you were attacked and while that is horrible at any rate, you fail to mention why. people that think they can go up to strange dogs and put their face in theirs are asking for it. And as for them turning on their owners, you speak pure ignorance. my dog is a pitt bull, yes thats right, and she is the sweetest and mild tempered dog that gets along with grandparents, small children, rodents, cats, and all dogs. She has passed the AKC Canine Good Citizen Certification and is loved by all. So before you open your mouth about killing these innocent dogs, consider that one bad seed does not mean that all are bad. It is up to the owner to determine how the dog behaves. DO THE WORK....show all the ignorant people the truth about these wonderful dogs.

[Shanno]

I , too, had owned a pit bull. Growing up I was scared of all big dogs. So, for years my boyfriend had begged me for a dog. Not any peticular dog.... just a dog. Anyway, long story short I agreed upon the pit bull. It was a cute puppy and he convinced me it was the owners who make dogs mean. Up until our sweet, loving family pet attacked the 6 year old little boy who just moved in across the stree, I believed it was the owners. The little boy is the same age as ours. I would always tell everyone that came over - that dog is such a wuss. He would even hug us. Until the day the dog launched at the gate so hard he opened it and attacked this little boy who had done nothing NOTHING to the dog.
My boyfriend knows now IT IS NOT THE OWNER IT IS THE DOG.

[George]

Thought I'd explain a little genetics to the readers.. Genes do not directly cause behavior, as Steven Pinker described in "How the Mind Works", for example. If they did, there would be no such thing as responsibility in humans, and environmental variation wouldn't account for certain outcomes, such as better education in certain school environments. Genes provide a predisposition for certain behaviors. A 7 foot tall person has a greater genetic predisposition for becoming a good basketball player than a 4 foot tall person, but neither will become a ball player without training. Some people are more likely than others to become good auto mechanics, but they will not without learning to work on cars.
Likewise, American Pitbull Terriers will not attack people, animals, or any other target without some sort of environmental reinforcement. This could include positive or negative reinforcement, and also positive or negative punishment. There are many inadvertent ways to condition a dog to be aggressive. Hence people must be informed dog owners. While pits may be more likely to be better fight dogs than goldens, both could be trained to do this, and both could "rip someone's face off". We should require that dog owners be educated, so that they may make effective choices, rather than limit their choices. Removing choice removes freedom.

[George]

Thought I'd add.....In explaining a dogs behavior, building on what I wrote above, reduction to genes or environment will not do. Both are at play at the same time. To understand a dogs genes, talk to your vet. To understand the way the environment you have created in your home affects your dog, ask your vet. The individual opinions of people who have owned dogs, related to any breed, mean very little. There is scientific research which gives us an objective picture of animal behavior. I have a friend who believes she is wonderful with dogs. She would be completely surprised if her dogs attacked anyone. Having a degree in psychology, I would not, however.

[stacey diehn]

people who have never had a pitbull do have the right to say they are mean and nasty and attack. i use to say and think the same way but rest a sure i am a mommy with 2 beauitful little boys who have a pitbull named daytona the sweetest dog ever they play with him all the time .WE FOUND HIM CHRISTMAS MORNING IN THE SNOW I WANTED TO LEAVE HIM THERE BECAUSE HE WAS A PIT BUT MY KIDS BEGGED ME TO KEEP HIM I SAID ONLY UNTIL WE FOUND HIM A HOME. 2 YEARS LATER STILL HAVE HIM AND LOVE HIM SO MUCH THE ONLY TIME HE WOULD ATTACK IF SOMEONE WAS ATTACKING SOMONE HE LOVED .BEST SECURITY SYSTEM EVER THE ONLY THING NASTY ABOUT HIM IS HIS FART.

[Leialy]

Everyone who loves pits, that's all well and good but the statistics don't lie. In a study of dog attacks in Canada and the United States between 1986 and 2006, pit bulls had about 1100 attacks compared to about 5 for other dogs like retrievers. For the proportion of how many pits there are compared to other breeds in population, their attack counts were off the charts. Beyond that, in more than 2/3 of the cases, it was the first time the pit bull had ever showed any kind of aggression. So all the owners on here saying their dogs are so sweet, they may be, but that doesn't mean they may not ever turn or randomly attack. It has happened before and it will happen again. Owning pit bulls is a risk not only to the owners but to people around them.
You also must consider that although other dogs can attack and bite, they are not as likely to kill or maim as a pit bull is. When all is said and done, I'm sure there are great pit bull pets, but they are risky and can be unpredictable and for the people, children and other dogs who have been attacked by seemingly "sweet" pit bulls, these dogs were not worth having around.

[Kristal Jones]

I own three pitbulls that I have rescued from terrible situations. I also work at an animal hospital. I can tell you from personal experience that I have NEVER met a mean pitbull. We have a lot of them that come in to work and they are always very nice and never get one bad word said about them. To you ignorant people who think that pitbull owners should just get a lab or retriever, I was attacked by a golden retriever at work. After I tore him off of my arm, he tried to then attack my coworker. So, I don't want to hear this crap about us getting a "friendly" breed instead of our wonderful pitbulls. It is all how they are raised. I feel so sorry for those of you that will never own or know a pitbulls love.

[Ashley Lump]

People label pits as such a bad breed of dogs when in truth they aren't. i have had 3 pits and none of them were vicious os agressive. If they are raised right they will not be an agressive dog. They are the best dog to have, in reality, they are protective but if raised RIGHT they wont be vicious. Most people base there accusations off of a couple people that raise these dogs to be aggressive and in dog fights. To begin with dog fighting is wrong and cruel to the animals. Think of it this way, how would you like to be put in a ring and have to attack another dog just because your owner has raised you to be that way and is making you. The dogs dont really get a say in what they want to do or how they are treated. The bottom line is pits are a loving caring breed of dog that i would recommend to anyone, as long as they know to treat them right. Any dog (a lab) can turn on you faster than a pit if raised the right way and in the right environment. So these accusations need to leave people's heads.

[luis]

i have four pitbulls and they are very friendly even towards strangers until you owe one dont talk negative about them

[quintin dove]

what kind of pitbull is on the cover page?

[Sarah]

Pit bulls scored higher on the American Temperment Society Test than, among others, border collies, golden retreivers, and bichon frises. Many irresponsible people own pit bulls for various reasons which leads to more bites by these dogs. If pit bulls go away, these irresponsible people will choose another breed to treat poorly and then that breed will become "the most dangerous". Yes, pit bulls have dog aggresion in their breeding history. No, pit bulls were never bred for human aggresion, in fact they were selectively bred not to be human aggresive. Please educate yourself before making blanket statements that could affect those around you. Labs among many other dog breeds are sited in several dog-killing and people-mauling cases. I have nothing against labs but you must think a bit before spewing judgements. It is much easier to judge than to learn.

[jeff]

I'm not gonna defend pit bulls but what I will say is that every single dog has the potential to bite someone or another animal. It doesn't matter how the dog was raised, it could be in a loving home and the dog was well trained or it could be one raised to fight. Heck, I have been bit 3 times by three different dogs, 2 of them were white little fluffy things, the other was around a 40lb dog. I made a mistake with the bigger dog but the little white fluffy things bit for no reason, yes, I was sitting there petting the two fluff balls.

Oh and for you small dog owners, just because your dog is small, doesn't mean that it is innocent when fights with large dogs break out at the dog park. I watched a small terrier go after a mastiff twice the other week at the dog park. After the second time, the young mastiff defended himself. Oh the little terrier parents were were pissed and said the mastiff attacked their dog. Sorry for my rant there, people are idiots, not the dogs. Oh and please get your animal fixed too. That is often a cause of dog fights at parks.

[Breanne]

I'm so sick of reading theses stupid stero types about pitbulls. I own 4 dogs 2 of them are pitbulls, my other 2 are chihuahuas. And guess what?? My chihuahua is the one who shows his teeth and growls. My pitbulls have never done that, to no one or any other pet. I think you people who think PITBULLS ARE BAD, should open up a book and read about them. People are the reason they have bad names. And just in case you thick headed people didn't know, pitbulls are put into shelters because of the stero types that arent even true. In order for these dogs to be adopted they HAVE to PASS a test. 80% of PITBULLS PASS!! Chihuahuas for example; only 71% pass and labs are about 78%. So you tell me who is the better breed (not talking bad about any of the breeds, just trying to prove a point) Pitbulls DO NOT have "lock jaw" They have very strong jaws but it doesnt lock into place, if that was the case how would they unlock it? Press a button and WALLLLAHH its unlocked!!???? NOT! So before you all talk I suggest you read and know your facts and get them right!
Pitbulls make wonderful pets and I would recoomend them to anyone.

[C Gibson]

I was attacked as a child a child by a pit that my uncles used as a fighting dog. I grew up with an overwhelming fear of all dogs, even small dogs. At 25 years old, I adopted 2 pitbulls from a school friend who had owned them his whole life. He told me many times to face my fear. 7 years later, I still have my pits. They are the most amazing dogs EVER!!!! They truly are mans best friend. I have friends who have been terrified of them because of the breed and now love them. They sleep in my bed with me. The follow me everywhere I go. They will always be there to protect me. I am a responsible owner. I do not let them loose in the neighborhood. They are very protective, yet they are so gentle and loving. They are intimidating, but I don't believe they would ever hurt anyone, especially me. They are very smart and loyal. All breeds have potential to be dangerous. It really is the learned behaviors. Like I said, they are protective of me and their home. They are a great security system. I feel sorry for anyone who gets in my house and comes in my room in the middle of the night. There is gonna be 1 pit waiting on the pillows and 1 under the blankets. I know they would give their life for me. As far as a daycare or extended stay for my dogs...... wouldn't happen. I don't need a bunch of strangers helping care for my dogs and keeping them in cages. They have never been in cages and never will be. They are my babies, part of my family. They roam freely through the house as they please...... (actually follow me like shadows)...... Anytime I need help caring for them if I have to go out of town. ALL my friends love them and beg to be the ones to get to stay with them. They are amazing. I will always love Akasha and Sergio for helping me overcome any fears I had of the breed.