Pitt Bull Survey

[bigfatfurrytexan]

Originally Posted by Midlander

I go with Slapshot on this. I wouldn't have one as a pet.
I would view one running lose without a collar in the same light (as he said) as I would a grizzly bear loose in the woods. I could shoot first and look for the owner later.

I've had 3 run ins with pit bulls before, which thankfully turned out alright in the end, but scared me chitless later thinking about it. True stories:

1. My beloved big 135 pound lab/golden retriever mix was laying peacefully in his own front yard with us outside nearby, when two pit bulls running lose jumped him and just nearly killed him. My husband at the time had a wood plank and broke it over the head of one of them, which didn't even phase it. He grabbed the water hose and sprayed them off - it took many stitches but my Charlie was ok and was lucky to survive. Another neighbor down the street told us their Chow was attacked by the same two and who they belonged to. I got the police out there the next morning and the dogs were confiscated. We all had small kids at the time that played outside. For the Grace of God that could have been my son instead of my dog.

2. I pulled up at a friend's house one time when my son was about 6 yrs old. They weren't home, so after ringing the bell I was about to turn around and leave. When I did a neighbor's loose pit bull was standing about 2 feet from my son (who was eye to eye level with him) and making a low growl sound glaring at him like he was going to pounce. My mama bear instinct went into overdrive and I flew at that dog with death in my eyes and growled for him back off. He looked directly in my eyes and then backed down and left. I would have killed that dog with my bare hands if he'd have moved an inch towards my son. And I can definitely say that if I could have gotten to the gun in my car I'd have shot him on the spot. My friend who wasn't home - told her neighbor about it. Natually the neighbor scoffed and said I probably just was scared of dogs...etc...etc. Not long after that the dog turned on his owner and bit him. It was never seen again; served the jerk right.

3. I used to work as a county appraiser. I was out with another appraiser one time measuring a house - we were a little leery to beging with as it looked like a drug house - though no one was home. Something caught our attention - looked up and there were 3 pit bulls. They were walking slowly towards us in formation like a pack going for the kill. We backed up very slowly towards the car. They started running at us just as we got in and drove away.

So I am with Slapshot on this. In my opinion, keeping a pit bull as a pet is about the same as keeping a tiger or bear as a pet. They can be sweet, loving and perfectly behaved 95 % of the time --- but that 5 % is not worth the chance.

I would do the same as you.

However, i would remind you that (as a forumer on MOF has often pointed out) people misidentify pit bulls quite often. Staffordshire's, bull terriers, even an occassional lab (yeah, i know).

Any large dog on the loose is something that can be scary. I would be just as leery of my uncles yellow lab were she running loose (she is HUGE). The thing about pits is that they tend to be owned by jerks (drug dealers, quite often), and jerks generally make their dogs mean and don't tend to them properly. That is a case of poor ownership.

[howdy ya'll]

Originally Posted by bigfatfurrytexan

I would do the same as you.

However, i would remind you that (as a forumer on MOF has often pointed out) people misidentify pit bulls quite often. Staffordshire's, bull terriers, even an occassional lab (yeah, i know).

Any large dog on the loose is something that can be scary. I would be just as leery of my uncles yellow lab were she running loose (she is HUGE). The thing about pits is that they tend to be owned by jerks (drug dealers, quite often), and jerks generally make their dogs mean and don't tend to them properly. That is a case of poor ownership.

I dont know about that......if I saw a big yellow lab running up to me, I would pet it cause they are in nature gentle, but if I saw a big pitt running up to me, I would be quite scared. Poor ownership or not, a pitt is much more intimidating than a lab of any color.

[bigfatfurrytexan]

Lets throw some data and expert opinion into this mix:

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/aggress...ion/page1.aspx

# Each year, 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs. (There are 58 million dogs in the United States.)

# Children are three times more likely to be bitten than adults.

# Over 500,000 people per year receive medical attention for dog bites.

# There are about 10 dog bite fatalities per year.

# Dog bites have reached epidemic proportions.


# Big, handsome, hardy, high-spirited, and good-natured, the German shepherd has been a favorite since the 1890s when it first became a registered breed... Chow Chows are more likely to be involved in biting incidents than other breeds.

# Male dogs are six times more likely to bite than females.

# Sexually intact dogs are 2.6 times more likely to bite than neutered dogs.

# Rottweiler and pitbull breeds account for 67 percent of human fatalities.

# The top 10 breeds involved in lethal dog bite attacks, accounting for four or more human deaths each over the last 20 years, are: pitbull-type (66), Rottweiler (39), German shepherd(17), husky-type (15), malamute (12), Doberman(9), chow chow (8), Saint Bernard (7), Great Dane (7) and Akita(4).

# Twenty-five breeds have been involved in 238 dog bite fatalities over the past 20 years.

# About 82 percent of deaths involved unrestrained dogs either on (58%) or off (24%) the owners' property

The bold part is important. This relates to the responsibility of owners. Something that your average pit bull owner (young, thuggish) does not have.

http://www.goodpooch.com/MediaBriefs/GPpitbulls.htm

Citing the breed's history as a dog fighter, some people believe there is some kind of magic "dog fighting" gene or brain chemistry that is passed along from sire and dam to puppy. The truth is, there is no such thing. r. Gary Goeree, DVM, regarding the theory that 'pit bulls' have some kind of unique brain chemistry.

....snip....

To better understand the situation, we must look at statistical data about dogs who bite other dogs. In the real world, virtually every breed of dog has been attributed with bites to other dogs. Yet, only a handful of breeds, including 'pit bulls', were bred for fighting. If the reason a tiny percentage of 'pit bulls' bite other dogs is in their genes, why is only such a small percentage of them involved in biting incidents? (Wouldn't MOST of them be aggressive towards other dogs, if the breed is, in fact, genetically programmed to attack other dogs?) And why are breeds that were not bred for fighting involved in MORE dog-on-dog biting incidents than 'pit bulls'?



The answer is, aggression towards other dogs is a learned behaviour. As Cyndi Frendo of K9 Concepts aptly put it, "Aggression is a behaviour, not a temperament."

I just clipped out some of the pertinent parts, but that page is a great read.

Now, a quiz:

Is this a pit bull?



or this one?



much of the "feeling" people have about this breed deals more with their notoriety, not personal experience. If someone says "a pit bull attacked a child" few will ask themselves "was that really a pit bull?"

As a child, i was barely aware of the breed. What i WAS aware of was the German Sheppard, Doberman, and Chihuahua's that had frequently tried to bite me on dozens of occassions.

Are there lots of pits that are poorly behaved? Certainly. But, look at the demographic that is a typical owner. Then ask yourself if their children behave any better. The answer is likely "no", at least in my experience.

[howdy ya'll]

This is from kbtx.com.......today

A 2-year-old Cameron boy has suffered very serious injuries and undergone emergency surgery since being attacked by a Rottweiler on Monday morning.

Around 8 a.m., Cameron Police responded to a call that a male Rottweiler had attacked a young boy and his aunt. The toddler was being watched by his aunt when the woman's dog attacked him. The dog bit the boy's aunt when she tried to stop the attack.

The boy was rushed to Scott and White Hospital in Temple with very serious injuries. He underwent emergency surgery on Monday.

The Rottweiler was still acting aggressive when officers arrived, forcing them to use a Taser to subdue and catch it. A female dog from the house was also confiscated.

[Texas Streak]

In answer to your question BFFT, that is NOT a pit. That happens to be a Presa Canario of which I am the proud owner of one.

[bigfatfurrytexan]

Originally Posted by Texas Streak

In answer to your question BFFT, that is NOT a pit. That happens to be a Presa Canario of which I am the proud owner of one.

You are correct (on the first photo). They are often mistaken for pits, yet are much larger.

That is a dog that has been banned in several countries due to its reputation. The real issue is protectiveness (which most dogs are bred to enhance) and its size. Violent? Not normally....but even my sweet doxy is vicious when he feels threatened.

The second is a mix Rhodesian Ridgeback/Labrador. Another dog often confused with pit bulls.