Pit bulls have a bad rap (rant)

fattykitty

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Messages
227
Purraise
2
Location
With the fuzzbutts
And it really, really bothers me. I was looking at pictures of happy, loving pitbulls on dogster and my sister came up to me and went, "Ohmygod. They're so mean!"
I wish people would get that pitbulls pass personality tests even more than common "family dog" breeds! Pitties are one of the most loyal, loving breeds-it just so happens they're strong and therefore without proper guidance they can do harm.

(END RANT)
 

catloverin_ks

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 13, 2006
Messages
10,177
Purraise
1
Location
Podunk, Kansas
Yup yup!!
I am a proud pitty owner! I trust her more than I do my chihuahua....
She is such a awesome dog!!
 

Asteria

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
Messages
1,944
Purraise
16
It makes me angry and sad, too. They are goofy and loving and loyal. It's so important that people know exactly what they are getting into when getting a dog. They need a lot of training and conditioning around other dogs, but they are WONDERFUL animals, and extremely gentle with children.
I plan on having an APBT sometime in my life.
 

mbjerkness

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 18, 2007
Messages
7,583
Purraise
18
Location
In the middle of BC
I think they are beautiful too. The problem is not the dog. It is people who get them and don't take the time to train and exercise them.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

fattykitty

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Messages
227
Purraise
2
Location
With the fuzzbutts
Originally Posted by catloverin_ks

Yup yup!!
I am a proud pitty owner! I trust her more than I do my chihuahua....
She is such a awesome dog!!
LOL. My friend got stitches from a toy yorkie puppy and spent the whole day in the hospital. And her pitbull-well, he sends her to the hospital, but as a therapy dog!
 

kittyl0ve4

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Sep 16, 2007
Messages
903
Purraise
2
Location
KiTTYDELPHiA, CATSYLVANiA
It really bothers me when people say they are bad dogs.


I like to watch Animal Cops, and in Detroit, if they seize any pits, adult or pups, they get put down because they are "aggressive". I think that is just plain wrong, period. Why should the breed suffer because of stupid idiot people? Just because someone trains their dog to be aggressive doesn't mean all of them will be. They just need the right environment and training. I know pits can be very loving dogs, if raised properly. Also, ANY breed of dog can be trained and bred to fight, I can only hope that one day EVERYONE will realize this..
 

plebayo

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Sep 24, 2005
Messages
1,089
Purraise
4
Location
Oregon
Just because someone trains their dog to be aggressive doesn't mean all of them will be.
I have to point out that is a bit of a myth. The American Pit Bull TERRIER is just that, a TERRIER. Whether you raise them properly or not when they reach a certain age, between 2-3 they sometimes decide they do not like other dogs. It isn't bad breeding, bad training, anything, it is that they are terriers. Terriers are bossy, some just more than others. It's more common in terriers but really any dog, once they hit 2-3 years if the dog is going to become dog aggressive it will regardless of breed, breeding, training, etc.

I understand people don't like them because they are large enough to take down a person. I have never heard of a chihuahua killing anyone. However look at the caliber of people owning the dogs that attack people. Most of the time they are people that shouldn't own ANY breed of dog, no less a powerful pit bull. They are people who own them for the "status" of owning one. The pit bulls that are pets and family members turn out to be great dogs, however if you join a pit bull forum you'll hear a lot of tales of people who own multiple bullies and have to crate & rotate to keep the house sane.

I have a terrier mix who liked other dogs until she was 2 years old, after that she got picky. She's never been super aggressive but she will put a dog in its place if it jumps all over her. My friend has a pit/lab [knew the parents] she loved other dogs until she was 3 years old, now she is VERY selective of who she hangs out with and will get aggressive if the dog she is meeting doesn't behave how she wants it to. I also think it's a female thing, I think males tend to be more chill.

In any case, I LOVE Pit Bulls and Am Staffs, I also love Bull Terriers. This always happens with popular breeds, it was German Shepherds in the 70's, Rottweilers in the 90's, and now it's Pits. I can tell you from working in a clinic 98% of the German Shepherds we see are neurotic and horrible and would take your face off no problem. 99% of Pit Bulls we see are friendly and easy to work with. The Pit Bulls we have labeled as 'caution' dogs are dogs that you know are owned by drug dealer type people, or people who own them for "status" and they only come in once every 3 years for rabies. The problem with these dogs is the wrong people own them and don't know how to properly control them. They don't know how to help a dog aggressive dog react better, they don't know how to socialize a dog properly, and honestly a lot of people just don't care. They are high energy dogs, again, they are terriers!
 

Asteria

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
Messages
1,944
Purraise
16
Absolutely a lot of the "pit bull" type breeds can be very aggressive with other dogs. What people need to realize is that a APBT with dog aggression will NOTnecessarily be human aggressive. They are very different things. Sure thet can go together, but pit bulls do not have it in their genes to be aggressive with people. They have been singled out unjustly. Many dog breeds have historically been bred for fighting; Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino, Shar Pei, Bull Terrier, Tosa Inu, just to name a few. Yet pit bulls are in the spotlight just like other breeds like rottweilers have faded in and out of.
But yes, many people train their pit bulls to be attack dogs. They are muscular dogs who give the impression of being larger than they are, their reputation makes people cross the street when they see an owner walking their lovely, well behaved APBT down the street. And most of all, though they do not attack nearly as much as labs or cocker spaniels, they can inflict an appalling amount of damage with their powerful jaws. Which comes right back around to the RIGHT people having them. As that doesn't happen, they are exploited in the worst ways possible and made out to be something they aren't; human aggressive, from training and mistreatment.
I don't understand how anyone can look at the case of Michael Vick and say his dogs were monsters because some of them were human aggressive, that it wasn't HIS fault. I watched a show about the rehabiliation of some of those dogs and no wonder they were aggressive to people. People hurt them, people starved them, people let them get life-threatening injuries with no care, people hit them, tied them up and isolated them, and they were scared to death.
Some of those dogs loved people still. I saw a clip of one of those dogs, scarred beyond recognition, ears unevenly cropped, bred over and over every heat by the time she was 5 months old, lick a stranger's face and nuzzle her chest. THAT is the true heart of a pit bull.
 

cjh27

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Mar 6, 2009
Messages
499
Purraise
15
Location
Hamburg, Germany
Originally Posted by Plebayo

I can tell you from working in a clinic 98% of the German Shepherds we see are neurotic and horrible and would take your face off no problem.
Hi,

it seem kind of sad that while defending pit bulls other breeds are pulled down like this. If the above statement had been made about pit bulls I think you guys would have been quite upset.

So what now- declare the German Shepherds dangerous dogs and have them put down instead? If I owned a German Shepherd I think I'd be a bit offended right now.

regards,

christine
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

fattykitty

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Messages
227
Purraise
2
Location
With the fuzzbutts
Originally Posted by Plebayo

I have to point out that is a bit of a myth. The American Pit Bull TERRIER is just that, a TERRIER. Whether you raise them properly or not when they reach a certain age, between 2-3 they sometimes decide they do not like other dogs. It isn't bad breeding, bad training, anything, it is that they are terriers. Terriers are bossy, some just more than others. It's more common in terriers but really any dog, once they hit 2-3 years if the dog is going to become dog aggressive it will regardless of breed, breeding, training, etc.

I understand people don't like them because they are large enough to take down a person. I have never heard of a chihuahua killing anyone. However look at the caliber of people owning the dogs that attack people. Most of the time they are people that shouldn't own ANY breed of dog, no less a powerful pit bull. They are people who own them for the "status" of owning one. The pit bulls that are pets and family members turn out to be great dogs, however if you join a pit bull forum you'll hear a lot of tales of people who own multiple bullies and have to crate & rotate to keep the house sane.

I have a terrier mix who liked other dogs until she was 2 years old, after that she got picky. She's never been super aggressive but she will put a dog in its place if it jumps all over her. My friend has a pit/lab [knew the parents] she loved other dogs until she was 3 years old, now she is VERY selective of who she hangs out with and will get aggressive if the dog she is meeting doesn't behave how she wants it to. I also think it's a female thing, I think males tend to be more chill.

In any case, I LOVE Pit Bulls and Am Staffs, I also love Bull Terriers. This always happens with popular breeds, it was German Shepherds in the 70's, Rottweilers in the 90's, and now it's Pits. I can tell you from working in a clinic 98% of the German Shepherds we see are neurotic and horrible and would take your face off no problem. 99% of Pit Bulls we see are friendly and easy to work with. The Pit Bulls we have labeled as 'caution' dogs are dogs that you know are owned by drug dealer type people, or people who own them for "status" and they only come in once every 3 years for rabies. The problem with these dogs is the wrong people own them and don't know how to properly control them. They don't know how to help a dog aggressive dog react better, they don't know how to socialize a dog properly, and honestly a lot of people just don't care. They are high energy dogs, again, they are terriers!
I completely get your point. They ARE not known to be dog-friendly. However, the majority of BSL is caused by people aggression, not dog agression. It is very important for responsible pit owners to train their dogs to be as well socialized as possible. They are not macho manly status symbols, nor are they crazy aggressive terrorist. At the same time, not all pits are perfectly well behaved even (though the majority are). They are a DOG, and it is every owner's responsibility to improve the breed's status by giving them same attention they would give to any other dog, if not more.
 

lmunsie

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
1,326
Purraise
2
Location
Leafs Nation
Originally Posted by cjh27

Hi,

it seem kind of sad that while defending pit bulls other breeds are pulled down like this. If the above statement had been made about pit bulls I think you guys would have been quite upset.

So what now- declare the German Shepherds dangerous dogs and have them put down instead? If I owned a German Shepherd I think I'd be a bit offended right now.

regards,

christine
First of all, I agree witht he above comment, I don't think 98% of german shepherds are neurotic and mean, I've only ever come across really nice german shepherds as I have only come across nice pitbulls........... so I don't think ANY of them are just 'mean' dogs. However I live in Ontario and we have the pitbull ban and I hate to say that it doesn't bother me that much, because I have seen what pitbulls have the ability to do. And not to sterotype but a lot of people, especially in my area, who want pitbulls, are those types of people who shouldn't own ANY dog, so now atleast it is a lot harder for them to get pitbulls, and if they aren't owning their pitbulls properly (ie. walking them with a muzzle) they have grounds to take these dogs away, but yes, I do worry what is going to happen to rotties....dobes... etc. however so far no talk of that so we'll keep our fingers crossed
 

mbjerkness

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 18, 2007
Messages
7,583
Purraise
18
Location
In the middle of BC
I have been bitten by two dogs. both were chihuahuas. I think the problem is inexperienced owners . That can be a problem with any breed.
 

skippymjp

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
8,049
Purraise
33
Location
Mammoth Cave, KY - USA
Years ago when I was Deputy Sheriff, we raided a dog fighting operation, and made several arrests. During the course of taking the guys to trial, sitting with them outside their holding cells, etc, one of them did a lot of talking. Not about his case, but just in general.

I found out from him that Pit Bulls are not favored as fighting dogs for their aggression, but because they are built stoutly enough to take a lot of punishment. They win because they can stay on their feet through more abuse than other dogs and simply outlast them.


(By the way, the guy got 2 years in Eddyville for his part
)

I've only been slightly injured by a Pit Bull. He head butted me under the chin while he was happily licking my entire face.
 

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,886
Purraise
28,287
Location
South Dakota
Originally Posted by lmunsie

However I live in Ontario and we have the pitbull ban and I hate to say that it doesn't bother me that much
ALL pet owners MUST oppose breed bans, because once the government gets away with banning one breed, they'll move on to other breeds, and eventually banning all keeping of domestic animals at all. It's a slippery slope......
 

wellingtoncats

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 17, 2003
Messages
36,207
Purraise
24
Location
Wellington City, NZ
I second whoever said Terriers are bossy. I've got a English Staffordshire Bull Terrier and she's so bossy. My German Shepard was the opposite - very benign.

My Staffy is addicted to Chocolate (Yes I know it's poisonous to dogs) and so am I. She will nibble at my chin & lips after I've eaten chocolate. She weighs 20kg and she's about 30cm tall. She can push me down on the ground, she is very strong. I assume pitties are very similar.

I'm NOT in favour of a ban!
 

sweet72947

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
Messages
373
Purraise
1
Location
Northern VA
Originally Posted by Skippymjp

I found out from him that Pit Bulls are not favored as fighting dogs for their aggression, but because they are built stoutly enough to take a lot of punishment. They win because they can stay on their feet through more abuse than other dogs and simply outlast them.
This is true. On another forum a person told a story about a pit bull getting out and running over to play with a horse. He got kicked multiple times by this horse, and it didn't even phase him! He just trotted happily back over to his person, not a mark on him!

And the paper here ran an article about a pit bull who protected his family from an intruder. The intruder broke into the house wielding a gun, and the dog charged at him. He shot the dog twice in the head and once in the leg and he kept coming! The intruder then fled the scene. The dog did make a full recovery by the way. This happened somewhere in Oklahoma.

To Wellington cats, you are correct, pit bulls aren't supposed to be large dogs, they are supposed to be medium sized to small dogs. The huge ones we see a lot today are BYB dogs, or mixed with mastiff and called "Bandogges".
 

rockstarkitties

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
Messages
142
Purraise
1
Location
VA
I LOVE pits, they are also hubby's favorite dogs. Now we have to pay the price and not have one due to home owner insurance issues. Pits, Rotties, Akitas, Mastiffs, even German Sheppards are now on the "dangerous dogs" list.
It drives me crazy and makes me so sad. One day we hope to have one again...
 

artgecko

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Feb 28, 2007
Messages
768
Purraise
3
Location
Georgia
I too am a fan of pitts... That said, I am not sure if I will ever own one.

I think their behavior can be contributed (as with all dogs) to both genetics and their environment (owner). Because of having a history of being bred to be dog agressive (not, note, agressive to people) they can become agressive towards other dogs and small animals even when raised properly... Think about the collies, corgies, etc. who come from show homes or bybs without any livestock and will still show herding instincts. This behavior can usually be controlled by good training (i.e. they won't attack other dogs because they know their owner won't allow it), but can't be completely eliminated.

Because I have always loved their looks and people-friendly attitude, I considered them when deciding on which breed to own. When I was doing my research, I found that several pitt rescues would not adopt a pitt to a home with other dogs and would not adopt them to homes with other furry animals. Of the rescues that would adopt them to multiple dog homes, they would only do so if they were never left alone together (had to be supervised or seperated at all times).

One of the rescues (I wish I could remember the name) also referenced how the level of dog agression is very much genetic...how you could raise 2 the same way, in good homes, with good owners, and each could have different levels of dog tolerence due to genetics that would start to kick in as the dog entered adulthood. Another good point that the rescue article made, was that pitts have had the normal dog instincts of self-preservation and fight avoidance bred out of them...i.e. that's why their fights escelate so fast and can become so dangerous, why they won't stop even when hurt badly, and why fights start over very, very small things when pitts are involved... basically, as people have bred pitts for fighting, they have taken out all of the natural "safeties" built into a dogs personality to prevent it from causing itself unnecessary harm.

I'm hoping that as pitts and the other fighting breeds are bred more for show and good temperments (and breeders select for low levels of dog agression in their lines) that these issues can be resolved...because pitts really do have very good qualities... but I'm sure that will take a very long time, as the negative traits have been bred for for so long.

As to the person who commented about the crazy german shepherds... again it comes down to genetics...and the sources of the dogs. In my area, pretty much 99% of "purebred" dogs are from bybs that just put two dogs together... I was warned by my aunt, who breeds / shows dogs to avoid any rottweilers from my area because most of them were poorly bred and very agressive / nervy dogs. It's not that all rotties are that way, but poorly bred ones are common here. I have heard the same with some of the show lines of german shepherds in the US, that they have poor nerves (can be fearful).

The same could be true for ANY breed and the fact that so many people say that they are most commonly bitten by small dogs (toys) goes to show that either their owners don't bother to train them, or their breeders didn't focus on good temperment when breeding.... Dogs are so maleable, we have to be very careful in what we breed for and be good stewards / owners of the dogs that we do have.

I totally agree about BSL....it is a bad thing... I found an avatar once that said something like.. "first they came for the pitts and you didn't say anything because you didn't own one...then they came for the german shepherds and you didn't complain, then they came for the boxers... etc... then the ending said "will anyone say something when they come for your dog?".

kudos to those of you who do own pits and other large breeds and do so respondibly... They can be awesome dogs, but for the right owner.
 
Top