PIT BULLS: A notorious breed (NOT!)

Niagara Gazette ^ | 7/26/08 | By April Amadon/amadona@gnnewspaper.com

[brytlea]

If what you posted were true, then we would be awash with humans being eaten by the breeds that the general public calls *pit bulls*. And, the fact is that the majority of these dogs are family pets and have never attacked anyone. Oops...there goes your theory.
susie

[Ditter]

Good boy! As Rush has taught us....... words mean things.

Now if cat lovers would just learn that ‘feral’ and ‘homeless stray’ are not the same thing, my work here would be done.

;9)

[SIDENET]

And, the fact is that the majority of these dogs are family pets and have never attacked anyone. Oops...there goes your theory.

Well, there you go bringing facts and logic into this debate. The level of hysteria involved reminds me of Global Warming believers.

;-)

[brytlea]

I think that the media has caused hysteria over the breed, as they did with sharks, and global warming and, well the list goes on. And of course, there is just enough truth to it that it’s impossible to ever convince much of the public otherwise.
Sadly, pit bull type dogs can do massive damage. And sadly a very unfortunate segment of society has decided having one makes them manly and all that. This debate will never go away. I usually stay away from it, I don’t have a dog in this fight. Except, of course that stupid dog laws have a way of coming around and biting us all in the butt (can I say that here?)
susie

[PleaseNoMore]

What a load of misinformed "bull".

The pit bull was NOT bred to kill. In the mastiff category of dogs, it was bred to assist farmers with bringing bulls in during breeding, herding and for slaughter. The dogs, known generally as bulldogs, protected the farmer by subduing the bull if it attempted to gore him. MYTH 1 busted. Bulldogs were bred to have powerful, muscular bodies and the resolve to hold onto a violently struggling bull despite injury.

The ancestors of modern pit bulls come from the bulldogs and terriers of England. At one time every county in England had its own breed of terrier. Many of these still exist; however, some have evolved into new ones. Such is the case for the English White and the Black and Tan terriers, whose descendants include the bull-and-terriers, the Fox Terrier, and the Manchester Terrier.

They certainly were NOT bred to kill or attack and maim humans. Part of the standard for organized dog-fighting required that the match referee who is unacquainted with the dog be able to enter the ring, pick up a dog while it was engaged in a fight, and get the respective owner to carry it out of the ring without being bitten. Dogs that bit the referee were culled.

Although friendliness and tolerance towards humans are traits of the breed, there are, as in any breed, those that are dangerous toward humans. It is the owner's responsibility to be in total control of his dog(s), and it is the owner who, through intentional mistreatment or neglect, is frequently responsible for pit bull bites.

Many attacks by other dog breeds are misclassified as "pit bulls" by media reports.

Regardless of who he is, any owner of a pit bull must train the dog well. Lack of proper socialization and strong training can result in a dog with aggressive tendencies. Under the care of an overly-permissive or uneducated owner, pit bulls (or any other large breed) can become very dangerous dogs.

Most people who own these breeds direct their dogs' plentiful energy toward nonviolent athletic tasks. Some people train their pit bulls for dog agility. Others involve their pit bulls in weight pulling competitions, obedience competitions or schutzhund. The pit bull often excels at these sports. Out of the 25 dogs who have earned UKC "superdog" status (by gaining championship titles in conformation, obedience, agility, and weightpull), fourteen have been pit bulls. Bandog Dread, a pit bull, with titles in conformation, competition obedience, Schutzhund, weightpull and herding, making him the most titled dog of any breed ever.

[PleaseNoMore]

My boy would rather help work in our yard than attack the neighborhood children playing nearby. Also, because he loves to drag our adult sized rake along the ground, I had locate & buy him a child's rake today. The long handle on the adult sized rake kept popping him on his head and I was afraid the metal on the rake would injure him.

Taken yesterday.

Hammer watching my husband hand saw some stray branches:

Hammer pulling the limbs down as they fall while his older sister (also a regular weekly visitor at our local nursing home...she hasn't eaten any of the elderly there) sniffs out wasps found in the rarely used pressure washer in the background:

Hammer smiling because mommy's told him he's getting his doggie ice cream & playing ball afterwards for being such a good helper:

My boy and girl with their human daddy after a long day of playing and working.

[SmoothTalker]

They are just as safe as black labs. :)

[SmoothTalker]

“Dog Warden Chille said people should be careful around any breed of dog, not only those perceived as dangerous.”

Of course what he fails to mention is that a black lab or beagle gone bad can’t kill an adult human.

[SmoothTalker]

“I’ve never seen any dog but a pit bull assault a parked car.”

One bit a hole in my uncles bumper up in the mountains years ago.

[mamelukesabre]

I once had a boston terrier that would give it a real good try, but I doubt her teeth would’ve been up to it.