Why own a Pit Bull - I just don't get it.

[cantdrv55]

I've heard the breed is naturally sweet and loving. Yet, whenever you hear of a mauling in the news, a Pit Bull is usually involved. You want a sweet dog? Own a Golden Retriever. You want a sweet yet obedient, intelligent and courageous dog? Own a Boxer. Every time I see an owner walking his Pit Bull, it's usually the dog walking the owner. I've never seen a Pit behave properly on leash. Are these breeds capable of dog obedience training? What freaking good are they besides scaring your neighbors?

Saw an owner walking his two Pits today. The fella was wearing a wife beater shirt, sagging pants and tatoos. Hate to say it, but he looked like the typical Pit owner to me.

Yeah, I know, don't hate. Can't help it though. To me, a Pit Bull is a walking time bomb.

[CamB]

I'd never own one, but can't deny they look badass.

[unclebilly]

My neighbors had one when I was growing up. What a sweet dog. Very friendly and loving - dogs (and people) behave according to the way they are raised. My current dog is a cross between a Rottweiller and a Husky - she's a very friendly dog, would never hurt anyone. It's funny, we get all sorts of compliments on her, then people ask what kind of dog she is. As soon as I mention the R word, they shy away.

[cantdrv55]

Originally posted by unclebilly
My neighbors had one when I was growing up. What a sweet dog. Very friendly and loving - dogs (and people) behave according to the way they are raised.

But since Pits were originally bred to fight, won't they still have that dangerous instinct no matter how they are raised?

[randywebb]

It can be bred out of them. But genetics and development (How they are raised) always interact - if you breed it 'out' of them and maltreat them ---> you get a fearful 'bad' dog. If you only breed most of 'it' out of them but not all, and rsie them well ---> no problem.

I've known 2 (woman owned) pit bulls - very loving dogs. My problem is that you never know when they are going to flip & attack. Also, they are loving to other pack members, that may not include you.

I agree - why get one. Some cities have banned them. People who get them are either doing a pound rescue, like the pug face, or have some serious psychological issues of their own...

I am a Golden Retriever person...

[ed martin]

Originally posted by cantdrv55
But since Pits were originally bred to fight, won't they still have that dangerous instinct no matter how they are raised?

Oh, oh. I sense an impending debate of genetics vs. environmental influence.

[cantdrv55]

I posted this question on another board. Someone responded with pics of a woman attacked by her own Pit. Warning - graphic, grotesque pics coming.

http://www.ogrish.com/archives/woman_attacked_by_own_pitbull_Sep_30_2005.html

[ed martin]

OMG. Are those pictures for real? That looks more like a collision accident rather than a dog attack.

Pit bulls were bred by the British as cattle dogs in slaughter houses. They were selectively bred to be short and stout and with jaws that could grip and control cattle by the snout. A pretty violent and grisly purpose.

[bryanthompson]

I don't care what kind of dog a person has, the owner should be 100% responsible for its actions. If the dog attacks and kills, and I don't care if it's a Pit Bull, Rottweiler, Labradoodle, or Palmeranean, the owner should be charged with murder. If it attacks at all, treat it as if the owner attacked the victim with a weapon.

[rrpjr]

The Staffordshire can be a loving pet but has been corrupted in many corners by bad "street" breeding and training, which exploits the dog's incredible jaw strength and tenacity of fight. I work with K9s and am especially cautious around the Pits that occasionally train with our shepherds and Malinois. Any Pits I see on the street when I'm walking my shepherd, I avoid. (It's my experience anyway that 90% of people walking big dogs with aggressive potential have no real control over them.) My buddy, an LAPD K9 trainer, was attacked on the street by a pit while walking his Malinois. He managed to kick the dog into submission. It was the only way. You don't want them to get their bite "set." He warned the owner several times to get the dog under control, but the man had no clue.

[ed martin]

If someones' Pomeranian attacks you I think he/she should only be held 2% accountable.

[obrut]

This was in yesterday's paper downunder:

"When David Willis heard screams - "like a man howling" - echoing across his property, his instincts pushed him towards a neighbour's backyard to peer over the high metal fence.

Once there, he was faced with the shocking scene of three massive dogs biting into their owner, who lay prone next to an old Hills hoist in the yard of his home at Ellalong, in the Hunter Valley.

"They weren't attacking him, mate - they were eating him," Mr Willis said.

The attack on Tony Spence, 49, by his three pure-bred Johnson American bulldogs on Tuesday night was ferocious and sickening.

The dogs, weighing between 45 and 60 kilograms, ripped off their master's ears and bit him all over his face and body.

Yesterday the State Government restated its pledge to introduce curbs on American pit bulls and other dog breeds designated as dangerous.

But the changes would not extend to American Johnson bulldogs, which are not on the list of dogs to be banned.

Mr Spence was released from hospital yesterday. He has deep lacerations to his face, arms, legs and stomach. His ears have not been found.

Advertisement
AdvertisementCessnock City Council rangers and police say they have not ruled out action, including criminal charges, against Mr Spence under the legislation relating to the owning of dangerous dogs.

Police shot the dogs on Tuesday when Mr Spence gave permission while he was being stabilised by ambulance officers in his front yard.

Senior Constable John Dawson said it was unclear why the dogs had turned on their owner.

Investigators said that if Mr Willis and another man had not arrived, Mr Spence would almost certainly have been killed.

The rescuers threw bottles, bricks and rocks at the dogs, successfully distracting two of them to run at the fence.

"We were just yelling at him: 'Come on, mate, get to your feet and get out of there.' " Mr Spence got to his feet and, still with one dog attached to his arm, went to the back door.

He was able to wrestle free and get inside to safety, with the dogs "running around mad with all this blood over them".

The dogs had been registered and microchipped.

Standards Australia issued a statement last night saying it would investigate changes to dog-muzzling regulations.

The Minister for Local Government, Kerry Hickey, said the dangerous dog legislation was being finalised.

The restricted breeds will be pit bull terriers, American pit bull terriers, Japanese tosas, Argentinian fighting dogs and Brazilian fighting dogs."


Can't see our Boxer doing this...

[stuartj]

Same reason you might own a gun? Its your damn right.

[operationcougar]

why would you own a crotch rocket? or "why would you own a gun?" how about even why would you drive something as unreliable as that? or why would you pay those outrages maitenance costs? even "why would you sleep with that woman?"

we are people and i believe "we do what we want"

[TerryBPP]

This debat comes up once a month, lol.

The reason Pitbulls have a bad rap is due to the medias portrail of them. You know why you never hear about a Golden Retriever biting someone? Because its not news worthy.

Also a pitbull bite is usually much more violent due to there strength (60lbs w/ 200lbs of muscle).

The reason I bought one was for home protection. More people die from self inflicted gun shot wounds every year than pitbull bites. So which is more "insane" to keep around the house. A gun or a pitbull (I have a gun, but for arguments sake). And I guarantee no one is comming in once they see that white bastard.

[billwagnon]

You know, our Jack Russell won't fetch worth a darn. Our late golden retriever couldn't STOP fetching.

Don't tell me it's because the jack wasn't raised fetching. The retriever was bred for fetching and doesn't need to be trained to do so.

[skipdup]

We have a American Staffordshire Terrier (aka pittbull). Sweetest dog I have ever known. In five years, she has NEVER shown any kind of aggression - NONE. Even when another dog (lab mix) tried to rip her ears off. She loves EVERYONE. Her tail wags constantly. She has never destroyed/chewed anything other than her toys. If you sit down, she sits next to you with her head in your lap.

Don't believe everything you see on the news. Don't judge by the breed by what you local drug pusher has.

I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want a well bread pitt. As far as I'm concerned, best dog you could ever have.

[widebody911]

Originally posted by stuartj
Same reason you might own a gun? Its your damn right.

So the pit bull/rottweiler/etc are legal weapons, or is there a "right to bear fighting dogs" amendment I missed?

"My glock is normally sweet and loving, I don't know why it shot the mailman, it must have thought it was trying to protect me."

[deathpunk dan]

I never understood it either. *Most* pitbull/rottweiller owners just want to seem badass, in that lameass iron cross-logo'd harley riding way.

LAME.

We own two border collies, now those are great dogs.

[masraum]

I've known a few of those, pit bulls, big guns, big trucks, etc...