Pit bull apologists, wake up

[Holden McGroin]

My guide dog was killed when we were attacked by a pack of Yorkies.

Afterwards, I walked into traffic and was hit by a bus.

Damn Yorkies are a menace.

[RTStuka]

Originally posted by Curval
Pits were bred specifically for fighting.  They aren't "naturally" more agressive...it has been purposley bred into them.

The breed should be outlawed and gradually left to die off once the existing animals alive now die.

Modas...take that dog to a park where it can interact with unfamiliar dogs and you will notice a change in its behavior.

Yeah and the same should apply to the idiots of this world who post things on the BB that is ignorant and usless to anyone who wants to have a decent conversation.

[Curval]

lol...I suggest you go back and read the past threads on this topic before you accuse me of being ignorant.

I'm not typing my own personal experiences out all over again.  Do a search and then come back and we can talk.

[lazs2]

I am 100 times more worried that my little grand daughter will be hurt by a dog than by a firearm.

lazs

[Flyboy]

move to israel.

after a pitbull attacked a child last week, all attack dogs are now ilegal.

ofcourse there are other things to worry about

[Mickey1992]

Originally posted by Yeager
Pits are one of the reasons I carry a pistol with me when I take walks in the neighborhood.  I am not going to get into fistfight with a pitbull.

I carry a police baton with me if I walk my dog for the same reason.  But after reading Midnight's story, I may stop wearing beach shoes on my walks and go with sneakers.  No sense in tearing up my toes while kicking a dog away.

[Wolf14]

I'm a Rottie guy as well. Cant stand pits. I do admire their physical structure/ muscle tone, but something in the head that controls it all is just not right. Waste of a good dog.

I plan on owning Rotts for the rest of my life.

[Sandman]

Originally posted by Modas
That herein lies the problem.  The OWNERS get the dog because of the reputation it has NOT because of the love of the breed.  It boils down to the responsibility of the owner to train, handle and ultimately control the dog.  If the owner cannot or is unwilling to invest the time in the dog (and a LOT of time is required) the dog will ultimately get out of control and will end up hurting someone.

My sister trains with her Pit EVERY day (or nearly so) using the commands that the rescue shelter trained the dog with.  And as a result, she has a dog that is very well under control.

With owning a dog like this comes enormous responsibility, and unfortunately most owners don't take this seriously.   And those that don't, if their dog does hurt someone, they need to have the book thrown at them, and unfortunately, the dog will need to be destroyed because at that point it will be to far gone to be "fixed"

I think the risk probably far outweighs the benefit.

According to a study by the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, covering the years between 1979 and 1994, pit bulls were involved in 57 fatal attacks -- well over twice the number for the next breed on the list...

If they won't legislate the breed into extinction, maybe the next best thing is to require another level of licensing (complete with additional training and mandatory liability insurance) before a pitbull can be owned.

[Modas]

Originally posted by Curval
Pits were bred specifically for fighting.  They aren't "naturally" more agressive...it has been purposley bred into them.

The breed should be outlawed and gradually left to die off once the existing animals alive now die.

Modas...take that dog to a park where it can interact with unfamiliar dogs and you will notice a change in its behavior.

She has.   90% of the time the Pit stays right next to her, and the other 10% of the time if she gets a silly spell will wrestle with my sisters other dog (mutt).  Other than that, her Pit ignores everyone else's dog.



Sandman -

You are correct, there are risks associated with owning a pitbull.  But it boils down to owner responsibility.

 

You quote 57 fatalities from pitbulls.  How many children died from owners not properly locking up their firearms?  How many people are killed every year from people using guns?  

Notice I said from PEOPLE using guns, not from guns themselves.  
I'm not anti-gun btw as I own several myself.

However, with everything comes a certain level of responsibilty.  If you aren't up to the challenge handling  Pits/guns or whatever, you've got no business having them in the first place.

Originally posted by Sandman
If they won't legislate the breed into extinction, maybe the next best thing is to require another level of licensing (complete with additional training and mandatory liability insurance) before a pitbull can be owned.

I've got NO problem with that whatsoever.

[Sandman]

Originally posted by Modas


You quote 57 fatalities from pitbulls.  How many children died from owners not properly locking up their firearms?  How many people are killed every year from people using guns?  

Maybe if there was a Constitutionally protected right to own a pitbull, we could compare the two.

[Modas]

Originally posted by Sandman

Maybe if there was a Constitutionally protected right to own a pitbull, we could compare the two.

Agreed.  However, I was simply using my can of worms to illustrate a point.

Its not the gun that kills the person, it  is the irresponsibility of its owner (in the case of accidental fatalities with children).

Same thing with Pits.

I'm curious...  Are there any documented cases where the Pitbull turned on its owner?  I tried searching earlier, but haven't found anything yet.

[storch]

Originally posted by Yeager
Pits are one of the reasons I carry a pistol with me when I take walks in the neighborhood.  I am not going to get into fistfight with a pitbull.

You would do well to continue that precaution.  When my eldest daughter was a toddler I was taking her to the tot lot across the street from our home to play with her friends.  A neighbor's pit was loose and from across the street he ran straight for my daughter.  I lept into action like superman as she was a few paces in front of me.  I tackled the pit in stride about a meter before he could pounce on my daughter.  He managed to bite into my forearm and was starting to shake me so I lifted him into the air.  As I got him about at my eye level a neighbor came to my rescue with a .22, he fired of one to the animals head at point blank and it was all over but the twitching and flopping.  I never walk without a pistol any more.

Pits are dangerous indeed.

[Sandman]

Still not a good comparison. As much as I'm not on the same side of the gun control argument as Lazs, I must admit that guns don't just change behavior and hurt/maim/kill someone. They do one thing... discharge, either by intention or accident.

If I walk past Lazs house, I'm fairly certain that his gun won't leap out of the closet and shoot me for no apparent reason. A gun is completely predictable. A dog, any dog is not.

[Udie]

Easter Sunday 1994 I was at my roommates grand parents house for dinner.  Some of you may remember my roommate from back then he was "dies" in WB.  Anyway his grandad was about 75 at the time and they had this cute little french poodle. The puppy was about a year old.  We left their house and went home.  

 The next morning the phone rings and it's his grandmother and she's irate and freaking out on the phone.  His grandad had let the poodle out in the back yard to do her business at about 5 am.  immediately he heard a ruckus and went outside.   There were 2 pit bulls in his back yard and they had his poodle.  He started beating them off of the dog and one of the pits latched onto his arm.  At this point the other pit started attacking him too and the only thing he could do to save HIS life was to let them have the poodle.  They ripped that poor little poodle into 3 peices before he got back out there with his gun.  Unfortunately he missed when he shot at the dogs but it scared them away.

 Turned out they had eaten their way through 2 wood fences to get to that dog.  The owner did the right thing and had his 2 pits put down, saved his bellybutton from a big lawsuit!   I'm with Curval, that whole bread of dog needs to go away.

[Curval]

Sandman is right, so why pick on pitbulls?  My answer is stated above.  This breed was "invented" to fight.  Pure and simple.

About ten days ago my sister's husband's brother (um...yea, got that right.  Does that make him my brother-in-law?  Don't think so, but could be wrong) came across a German Shepard strolling around the neighborhood with a leach dragging along the ground.  He knew who the owner was, but didn't know the guy personally and had never been to his house before.  Anyway, my sister's...ummm....my brother-in-law decides to take the dog home.  He walks it up onto the owner's porch and knocks on the door and the dog attacked him.  Really badly.  He is all cut up and stiched, on his arms, his legs and on his back.

Crazy story, but it shows that Shepards are bred with a guard instinct and serve that purpose incredibly well.  Too well, in fact.  I've ALWAYS owned Shepards or Shepard mixes in the past.  Now, with 3 little kids I'm not going to risk one of their friends getting mauled because the dog perceived a threat.  It can happen with Shepard...love them, my last one died after 12 years of being my best friend, but can't own one now.

Pits have been bred to fight.  I've known lots of them and a couple of good friends own one now.  They can be great pets and very loyal and obediant.  But they can snap for no reason and lord help the animal or human that is on the receiving end of a pitbull attack.  As Udie's story highlights, when there is more than one involved in an attack something's gonna die.

I don't advocate a nazi approach at all.  Let the existing pitbulls live out their lives.  Just don't breed them anymore.  What is the point?  They were bred for a ridiculous purpose that is now univserally condemned.