Let me preface this post by saying that I like the bully breeds a lot. I've never personally met one that was aggressive to humans. I think they are lovely, goofy, sweet dogs ... the ones I've met anyway.
I have, however, met quite a few that were extremely aggressive to other dogs. And, of course to cats and small animals, but that is just a "dog thing" to some degree. We had to turn many away from our humane society, because they were so dog-aggresive.
However, I do agree with Micki76's post:
Originally posted by micki76
Actually KayAnn, I don't think I've ever heard a story on the news about a pitbull "bite". It's usually a mauling that you hear about, unfortunately. You don't hear about a lab mauling a person because
A. They haven't been taught to do so by a LOSER who should be FED to LIONS himself (not that lions should eat junk food, but...)
B. Labs just don't have the body type to do the extreme damage that pits can do.
You know how much I LOVE pits, but the true fact is that they do more damage than a lab in most cases.
Pit bulls are used for illegal dog fighting because they have the skeletal, muscular and jaw/head strength to be extremely powerful and lethal fighting machines. Yes, you can make any dog aggresive and mean by how you raise it and treat it. But, no matter how you raise a border collie, a golden retriever or a lab, it is never going to have the physical characteristics that make pit bulls so deadly to other dogs in a fighting ring.
You could look at a hundred pit bulls, a hundred labs and a hundred pugs ... and perhaps you would find the same percentage of aggressive dogs in each breed. However, honestly ... if you had to be locked in a room with an aggresive pit bull or an aggresive lab or an aggressive pug ... any one with any sense is going to choose the dog with the least potential ability to do real damage. People may get bitten by cocker spaniels, labs and chihuahuas every day. This doesn't make the news. What makes the news are maulings and death. And, frankly, cocker spaniels, labs and chihuahuas don't kill people.
I do remember hearing about pit bulls mauling and killing people. I also remember hearing (on here, I think) about Great Danes killing a child. When I lived in Colorado, a malamute killed a child. And of course, who can forget the Dogo's killing that poor woman in San Fransico. So, I don't think it is necesarily that the media single out pit bulls. I think the media reports on maulings and deaths, and sadly, pit bulls account for a lot of this. Yes, I agree 100% that it is due to poor breeding and training, and fighting, that causes them to do this. But, nonetheless, far more responsibility is required of someone who chooses to own a dog that is capable of literally killing a human being, than from someone who chooses to own a four pound yorkie.
I currently have a pit bull mix living in my boarding kennel. He was rescued from animal control, probably used as a bait dog by the charming local dog fighting ring here. He was a mess. After I fixed him up - took six months - I took him to the humane society to find a home. He was very dog aggressive, and they couldn't control his very strong desire to bite every four legged thing in sight. I brought him to my kennel. I have been desperately trying to find this dog a home for three years now. I cannot. Between the "scary" looks, the dog aggression, and the reputation ... no one is adopting this dog. I am going to have to euthanize him, because he can't live in a kennel forever. I LOVE this dog, but what can I do? This is the sad side of the pit bull story ... the dogs pay the price.
"We give dogs the time we can spare, the space we can spare and the love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made" - M. Facklam
"We are raised to honor all the wrong explorers and discoverers - thieves planting flags, murderers carrying crosses. Let us at last praise the colonizers of dreams."- P.S. Beagle
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king." - J.R.R. Tolkien
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