[MissCriss]

Originally Posted by BornToRide

You can believe what ever you wish there hunny. People all believe pit bulls are so dangerous because its all the media want to tell everyone.. notice all the registered breeds are not spoke about?

No, it is not the media that makes people believe this. It is SCIENCE. It is in their BREEDING. Their BRAIN. It isn't just what the media tells us, it is what science tells us. It is what the breeders tell us. The dog experts and historians tell us.
And, there are STATISTICS on it.

Actually, if a Lab attacked somebody, that would make BIGGER news than if a Pitt did it.

It's not about the media. It's about what these dogs were bred to do. They can be total sweethearts, but all it takes is a certain trigger.

Just because your dog is sweet, doesn't mean she doesn't have that instinct. She can still have a bond with you, but she still may not be able to control her instincts, since instincts are very hard to control. It may just be that the right trigger hasn't come along yet, in which case, you are very lucky.

At this point the pitbulls gene pool has been polluted by a single bad trait. That trait is so prominent its sometimes hard to find ones without it to create genetic diversity in the breed. Since you cannot go outside the breed to expand the gene pool you are stuck just slowly letting this single gene take over the entire breed.. unless you start inbreeding the dogs who are lacking the strong attack instinct in which case then you get health problems

That makes a lot of sense. If you know anything about biology/genetics, it makes a lot of sense.

[lilrider]

A little info... I high lighted something important when comparing number of bites per breed...

Despite all the studies on dog bites, the American Veterinary Medical Association has found that no single breed is more dangerous than another. Rather, studies show the most popular breeds at any given time tend to top the list because, of course, there are more of those dogs in the general population. It may seem to the general public, who is constantly bombarded with disturbing reports on Pit Bull attacks, that this is the only breed that harms humans with any great regularity. However, the fact remains that Pit Bulls are hot news items. Dogs of all breeds and mixes bite and attack people all the time, but it is mainly the Pit Bull bites that get sensationalized.

If the breed of dog was the primary determining factor in all dog attacks, it would stand to reason that since there are literally hundreds of thousands of pit bulls in the United States alone, there would be countless more statistics on pit bull bites. The truth is, there simply are not. Any dog, regardless of its breed, is only as dangerous as his/her owner allows it to be.

Further, in the case of Tellings v. City of Toledo (2004), the Court found that there is no statistical evidence which indicates that the pit bull bites more frequently than some other breeds of dogs.

[Serendipity Zip]

Couldn't the reason they are on the news more be because of the severity of the attacks? Since Pit Bulls are built physically to fight.

[MissCriss]

Originally Posted by lilrider

A little info... I high lighted something important when comparing number of bites per breed...


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That doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me....so no dog is more dangerous than another? A chihuahua is just as dangerous as a pitts?

I really don't agree with that paragraph. Because there are statistics, and there are more labs and retrievers and shepherds than there are pitts...

Yes, it is mainly the owner's fault. BUT, it is the owner's fault for not understanding their dog. You can be more lenient with certain breeds of dogs than you can with others. If you are careful, then yes, pitts can be wonderful dogs. I think people that are avid pitt lovers avoid outbursts because they know their dog and their breed. They take the necessary precautions and training that make attacks less likely.

But, if you got a Pitt angry, you can bet anything that the likelihood of them attacking aggressively is much higher than that of a Lab, whose instinct is to retrieve and not hurt.

Instinct is a major factor, that that paragraph did not mention at all, so I find it very strange. Vets are good at what they do, but a lot of times I question their knowledge on certain subjects. Example, a lot of vets still feed their horses corn, which is something I would never do.

If you argue that instinct isn't a factor, then you are kind of in denial, in my opinion. My border collie mix will herd/chase ANYTHING that moves, and boy, when he sets his eyes on something, there isn't much you can do to control it. He just can't help it. His instinct drives him above anything else once it's triggered. Border collies, like pitts, have instincts that play a stronger factor in their behavior than dogs like chihuahuas.

Yes, you can control these instincts, but only so far, and if you know how to do it. Example, border collies...yeah, you'll find one that is very mellow and not really chase-driven. But MOST have such a strong herding instinct, that if in the wrong hands, they will not make good pets. I've heard lots of stories of destructive BCs because the owners just didn't provide enough exercise for the dog.

Same thing with pitts. They CAN make great pets. IF you give them lots of exercise, keep them happy, form a good bond with them, keep them away from anything that might anger them or make them feel endangered, and keep them away from small children that might trigger their prey instinct, as small animals signal the dog's response to food. And, most importantly, keep them in a yard with high, sturdy walls and always have them on a leash outside of the house. And, when in the house, make sure to have something with you to reprimand the dog if he gets too excited and begins to show aggressive behavior. Training is very important with these dogs. As puppies, you have to get them accustomed to everything you can so that later in life they won't be as easily alarmed or annoyed. Also, training these dogs to be responsive to very specific cues is important, and it's important to find something they really like to do so that it keeps their mind off of fighting.

Originally Posted by Serendipity Zip

Couldn't the reason they are on the news more be because of the severity of the attacks? Since Pit Bulls are built physically to fight.

I think that's a good point to mention, and it's true. They attack more because it's just in their brain.

People are saying that if a Lab or some kind of retriever attacked somebody, it wouldn't make the news....but I think it would, because they are SO unlikely to attack (because their instincts aren't bred to be that way) and their teeth are softer and jaws weaker.

[BornToRide]

but most of this is because its peoples curiosity to see vicious pit bull attacks on innocent victims that fuels the media to report on it. the media gets better rating when the public believes there is something to fear pit bulls have become the target in creating that fear

[lilrider]

Originally Posted by Serendipity Zip

Couldn't the reason they are on the news more be because of the severity of the attacks? Since Pit Bulls are built physically to fight.

Yes, when a pittie attacks its going to do more damage than a Pomeranian per say. But I have always personally found that little dogs are more vicious, they just aren't strong enough to do as much damage.

This situation is why our neighbors get one warning if their dogs are out chasing our horses. Next time the dog gets caught and taken to animal control. Happens again, dog gets shot. Period. Its legal here, and my grandpa doesn't kill them, uses a BB gun usually.

Owners need to learn. Irresponsible people should NOT own dogs. Period. No matter what the breed.

[BornToRide]

Originally Posted by lilrider

Yes, when a pittie attacks its going to do more damage than a Pomeranian per say. But I have always personally found that little dogs are more vicious, they just aren't strong enough to do as much damage.

This situation is why our neighbors get one warning if their dogs are out chasing our horses. Next time the dog gets caught and taken to animal control. Happens again, dog gets shot. Period. Its legal here, and my grandpa doesn't kill them, uses a BB gun usually.

Owners need to learn. Irresponsible people should NOT own dogs. Period. No matter what the breed.

i think the severity of there attacks comes from there locking jaws.. mostly.. but any dog will attack..doesnt matter what the breed

[Zypheir's Ring]

You know what I found is that people record pit-bull attacks, more than any other dog. Because if a pit-bull attacks its a big deal, if a lab attacks it was 'out of character' and gets ignored most of the time. I found an article proving that other breeds of dogs attack more than pitbulls...I'll try to find it.

I've met sweet pit-bulls, I've met aggressive pit-bulls.
I've met sweet labs, I've met aggressive labs.
I've met sweet Shepard, I've met aggressive ones.

I'm a firm believer that it is the individual dog and how it is raised/handled...not the breed.

That would be like trying to limit biting/bucking/rearing to one breed. Then again that does happen in the EQ world...Look at how some people pick on mustangs.

[lilrider]

Originally Posted by MissCriss

That doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me....so no dog is more dangerous than another? A chihuahua is just as dangerous as a pitts?

I really don't agree with that paragraph. Because there are statistics, and there are more labs and retrievers and shepherds than there are pitts...

Yes, it is mainly the owner's fault. BUT, it is the owner's fault for not understanding their dog. You can be more lenient with certain breeds of dogs than you can with others. If you are careful, then yes, pitts can be wonderful dogs. I think people that are avid pitt lovers avoid outbursts because they know their dog and their breed. They take the necessary precautions and training that make attacks less likely.

But, if you got a Pitt angry, you can bet anything that the likelihood of them attacking aggressively is much higher than that of a Lab, whose instinct is to retrieve and not hurt.

Instinct is a major factor, that that paragraph did not mention at all, so I find it very strange. Vets are good at what they do, but a lot of times I question their knowledge on certain subjects. Example, a lot of vets still feed their horses corn, which is something I would never do.

If you argue that instinct isn't a factor, then you are kind of in denial, in my opinion. My border collie mix will herd/chase ANYTHING that moves, and boy, when he sets his eyes on something, there isn't much you can do to control it. He just can't help it. His instinct drives him above anything else once it's triggered. Border collies, like pitts, have instincts that play a stronger factor in their behavior than dogs like chihuahuas.

I have met herding dogs who don't herd, birder who don't bird. Instincts don't always work that way especially if they have been breeding it out of the dogs.

Vets are not nutritionists unless they specialize in it. But personally I have yet to meet an equine vet who feeds their horses corn. I would most likely not use a vet who does such a thing as its foolish and most knowledgeable horse people know better.

How can you possibly make the claim that there are more labs out there? Do you really know? Shepherds and Labs may be more popular going by REGISTRATION. But how many pitties or pit types are out there that are not registered?

The only other way would to do surveys... but how many irresponsible owners would fill that out? How many big fighting dog breeders would do it? Exactly.

[lilrider]

Originally Posted by BornToRide

i think the severity of there attacks comes from there locking jaws.. mostly.. but any dog will attack..doesnt matter what the breed

Locking jaws is a myth