Dangerous Pit Bulls

[Fast Gunn]

It seems that every few days you hear about yet another gruesome attack by vicious pit bulls on children.

This attack on a 6 year old girl is especially vicious as the 2 dogs not only mauled her face, but ripped out her tongue.

. . . I know that some dogs of this type are not dangerous, but the attack mode seems to be hardwired into their heads that it makes one wonder why even keep these dangerous dogs around the house? It's like having a powder keg in the house just waiting for someone to light the fuse!

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pit-bull...gue-in-attack/

[Kalani Kai]

Fast Gunn,

Wow, that's a horrible thing, there! Especially the attack on an innocent child. Unconscionable!

I've heard alot of controversy on PitBulls and other potentially dangerous breeds. I do believe that they have that mean streak "hard wired in" regardless of how the dog is raised and trained. However, there are many dogs of these breeds, that are the sweetest in the world and are often known to save lives. My feeling is that each breed (and we know which ones they are) like this, should have manditory training as a puppy and ongoing annual visits with a special trainer to ensure the dog is safe and remains so. I've read that this is really what is necessary to keep them from evil attacks like this. So, it needs to be mandatory at the State level, at least. Why won't they act though, instead of trying to get rid of the breeds altogether? That's not fair either.

Just my 2 cents.

God bless the child in the photo.

[FoulRon]

My in-laws had a pit for years, met it as a puppy and it was great. It got meaner as it got older. Thing was, when we stayed over, I could get up before everyone else and sit down to watch TV whatever, and the dog was fine, would even sit with its head in my lap. However, the minute one of them came around the corner, it would jump down and bark and growl at me. Couldn't even give them hugs when the dog was in the room. Unpredictability is definitely a breed trait.

[Iaintliein]

Tragic beyond words what happened to that poor kid. A PB attacked and killed my small dog without provocation so I did quiet a bit of googling about them.

It amazes me how many people think it's only a matter of training. . . as though a pointer can be taught not to point, a beagle not to sniff or a collie not to herd. When someone gets shot many blame the gun instead of the owner, when someone gets mauled many blame the owner instead of the dog.

[satexasguy]

Originally Posted by Iaintliein

A PB attacked and killed my small dog without provocation so I did quiet a bit of googling about them.

I know of several different breeds to dogs that will attack another smaller dog out of the blue. Should we kill those breeds too? Dogs by nature are animals. ALL animals (including humans) have a few bad apples that do not represent all.

If you read the article, the owner of the dogs is a drug dealer. I'm sure he trained his dogs to be vicious.

I have a female mutt that I found on the street. She is sweet but sometimes gets a wild hair up her ass and will go after one of my smaller dogs. I have trained her since and she has stopped the aggressive behavior.

[Iaintliein]

Originally Posted by satexasguy

I know of several different breeds to dogs that will attack another smaller dog out of the blue. Should we kill those breeds too? Dogs by nature are animals. ALL animals (including humans) have a few bad apples that do not represent all.

If you read the article, the owner of the dogs is a drug dealer. I'm sure he trained his dogs to be vicious.

I have a female mutt that I found on the street. She is sweet but sometimes gets a wild hair up her ass and will go after one of my smaller dogs. I have trained her since and she has stopped the aggressive behavior.

Did you read anything I actually wrote, or are you just content to respond to what you wanted me to write?

[Fast Gunn]

Well, sorry about your dog, but the parties responsible for this mindless tragedy need to be brought to account and atone for their misconduct.

A just society has standards of conduct and laws to enforce them in order to keep society safe as a whole from savage attacks of man or beast.

. . . The dog has already paid with his life and now the owners need to atone for their own misconduct that lead to this tragic end.

Originally Posted by Iaintliein

Tragic beyond words what happened to that poor kid. A PB attacked and killed my small dog without provocation so I did quiet a bit of googling about them.

It amazes me how many people think it's only a matter of training. . . as though a pointer can be taught not to point, a beagle not to sniff or a collie not to herd. When someone gets shot many blame the gun instead of the owner, when someone gets mauled many blame the owner instead of the dog.

[GiveMeLibertyOrGiveMeHead]

First and foremost, my heart goes out to that poor little girl.

As far as the breed goes, I have owned many breeds of dogs and have never experienced any as violent as the Pit Bull I owned. I even had two Siberian Huskies that were 20% wolf and while they had to be separated while feeding, (or they would attack each other) they never had an issue with other animals or people.

The Pit in question was bought from a breeder as a puppy and raised with a Rottweiler. Both grew up with the same training and love. My Pit started killing other animals at around a year and I finally had to put him down when he attacked a woman and killed her small dog. I am not sure what I could have done different since I raised him the same as I raised many other dogs I have owned and none of them turned out violent.

I know that you can't judge a whole species on the actions of a few, but this is not just a few. There is a surprising amount of Pit Bull attacks and they are extremely violent. All I can say is that I will never own another Pit Bull and I am very careful when I am around one. Just my experience though.

[UB9IB6]

Ignorant owners . Ignorant guardians . Innocent kid. Neglected and ill trained ANIMAL.

any wild dog or feral cat will attack a human if running is not an option.

same with an untrained domestic dog..Of ANY SIZE OR BREED.

Ive done pit rescue and trained them as a serious hooby for over 20 yrs... I have a clue of what im talking about.

[Fast Gunn]

Well, you seem to have your finger on the pulse of the matter.

The question is, what is your solution?

. . . The obvious one may not fly politically unless it is marketed very cleverly, but it would be 100% effective.

Originally Posted by UB9IB6

Ignorant owners . Ignorant guardians . Innocent kid. Neglected and ill trained ANIMAL.

any wild dog or feral cat will attack a human if running is not an option.

same with an untrained domestic dog..Of ANY SIZE OR BREED.

Ive done pit rescue and trained them as a serious hooby for over 20 yrs... I have a clue of what im talking about.

[Angel Eyes Lacey]

I hate to see this it hurts me every time. But its not just "pits" they're other breeds that have been reported. Theyre not known as well bc of the history. But what one doesn't think of is they're not born aggressive, they're raised that way. Inbred has been the worst, of course if you get a dog inbred they're known for violence. Most dog fights you her about are "pits", bc their owners train and raise them yo be violent. I'm not standing up for anyone or anything bc at the end of the day its a tragic event that one cannot forget. I have a dog similar to the pits and all he's going to do I'd lick you to death. You must always be careful, no doubt

[UB9IB6]

Nothing needs to be done for responsible owners... our dogs generally do not cause problems due to proper husbandry of our animals.

Owners of animals who perpetrate acts against humans are generally of a certain demographic....IGNORANT or lazy. Combinations are known to exist.

There are 2 cures for that condition. A book or a bullet.

[UB9IB6]

I am also the first to condoln euthanizing animals with a history of violence against humans. Unless said dog is a service animal trained to guard. In that case thet get rewarded.

The animals I rescue go through 4-10 weeks of conditioning where they are taught basic "manners" and are acclimated to other dogs . During this time, I evaluate their temperment and prey drive. These are important factors to consider when placing the animals. I usually take on between 2-4 rescues per year.
I have placed dozens upon dozens of these animals with their "forever families" without 1 single incident afterwards.


This breed is both companion and tool.. Remember though... every tool is a weapon if held right.

[Guest062114-5]

Originally Posted by Angel Eyes Lacey

I hate to see this it hurts me every time. But its not just "pits" they're other breeds that have been reported. Theyre not known as well bc of the history. But what one doesn't think of is they're not born aggressive, they're raised that way. Inbred has been the worst, of course if you get a dog inbred they're known for violence. Most dog fights you her about are "pits", bc their owners train and raise them yo be violent. I'm not standing up for anyone or anything bc at the end of the day its a tragic event that one cannot forget. I have a dog similar to the pits and all he's going to do I'd lick you to death. You must always be careful, no doubt

Actually, though I think we largely agree, you are incorrect when you say they are not born aggressive. Pit bulls have been bred to be aggressive, especially toward other dogs and animals. For generations upon generations, pit bulls who exhibited aggressiveness toward their handlers were put down, while ones who were aggressive toward other dogs were rewarded and bred. It is instinct and that instinct has been strengthen in the breed over the years. On purpose, not just by careless inbreeding.

Likewise, they have been bred to be territorial and fiercely protective of their owners, that's what confuses people. They see how sweet their dog is to them and can't see that it will be aggressive toward some other people.

All of this is aggravated by the fact that when a pit bull is provoked and reacts in the same as another dog (let's say a pug or a poodle), the shear strength of their bite makes it near impossible to break the grip absent a break stick (some thing every pit owner should carry).

That said, how can we fault a dog for doing what comes as instinct? We shouldn't anymore than we fault a Sheepdog from herding or a pug from snuggling.

However, what happens, is that some pit bull owners are utterly ignorant about the breed. They kid themselves that it's about how the dog is raised. Curiously enough, these same people raise and train their dogs properly anyway.

Pit bull owners need to understand their breed and it's special needs and requirements. They can be great and loyal pets under certain circumstances and in the proper environment.

The best advice I can give is this...expect your pit bull to get into a fight, and when he does expect him to fight to the death. Don't leave them unattended with other pets or children who may unintentionally provoke (or simply surprise) them. It's the owner's responsibility to protect the pit bull by not putting it into a losing situation.

Off my soap box now...

Pit Bull friendly sources.
http://www.pitbulllovers.com/pitbull...ggression.html
http://www.realpitbull.com/history2.html
http://www.realpitbull.com/breakstick.html

[Fast Gunn]

Most dogs like most pets generally serve a useful purpose to responsible owners.

With proper training some dogs can be trained to help blind people navigate busy streets, but then some dogs seem to be trained only to fight and do it as savagely as possible.

. . . Personally, I do not see any useful purpose for pit bulls other than to entertain people motivated by primitive urges. I would propose a federal law to sterilize all pit bulls so that the entire race is gradually eliminated. Who would miss these savage and unpredictable animals and what legitimate purpose do they really serve to society?