Pit Bull bans...WTF?

I personally wouldn't own a pit because no one can convince me that certain dogs don't in general have the possibility of being aggressive. For example, my best friend has an akita and I will not allow my six year old to play wrestle with my friend's son in the back yard for fear that the dog will think that my kid is hurting her kid. Certain dogs have been turned into aggressive dogs by people but it's still a fact that aggression can be bred into a dog. However , what is being done is appalling and it is wrong. Why can't we just euthanize the bad owners. But seriously, as long as people continue to fight pitbulls, which let's admit nobody fights labradors, responsible pit owners are unfortunately going to get screwed, which sucks.P.S. The dog I have could be aggressive(chi,pompom cross) but let's be realistic guys, there's no way in h*** that he could kill my kids an upset pit bull could. I would never take that risk personally.
 
Wow, this has been a really hard subject for me to read. One of my best friend lost a Stafordshire recently to a brain tumor. They had to have the dog put to sleep because the tumor was causing the dog to become aggressive to her kids and others. The scary thing about it is that (as I understand) a pitt bull clamps down when they bite and they have extremely strong jaws. Other dogs mentioned that bite (mostly) do not have the power or determination. Don't they just bite and run? It's the difference between getting in a fight with someone who will pull your hair and run, and someone who beats you to death. I know these dogs mean a lot to us as valuable lives, and I don't think putting them down is the answer. Maybe it should just be illegal to breed more unless they have a registered home to go to before they are bred. I guess you don't know how many to expect in a litter - maybe the breeder could be required to keep the animals until aregistered owner is found? There's gotta be a better answer. :confused:
 
On numerous occassions, daschunds, pomeranians, and JRTs have killed babies...

Some breeds are inherently more protective, aggressive, what have you... BUT, that's what training and responsible owners are for.

BTW, my family had an akita growing up (she's in my avatar), and I would rough house with other kids and she was fine. I'm not saying that your friends akita will be, I don't know the dog, but generalizations don't help anyone. I know this sounds confrontational, it's not meant to be :), I'm sorry about that...

I also want to say that I consider labs and goldens more dangerous these days because BYB and puppy mills breed poor temperment dogs... people expect labs and retrievers to be friendly, so they let their gaurd down, and when their not, those people are in deep doo doo... IMO, that's more dangerous.

Another link ya'll might find interesting
http://www.i-dog.com/board/messages/165/145653.html?1121265321

Fly, responsible breeders keep the puppy if it has no good home to go to, and take the dog back for any reason.
 
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Larissa said:
I personally wouldn't own a pit because no one can convince me that certain dogs don't in general have the possibility of being aggressive. For example, my best friend has an akita and I will not allow my six year old to play wrestle with my friend's son in the back yard for fear that the dog will think that my kid is hurting her kid. Certain dogs have been turned into aggressive dogs by people but it's still a fact that aggression can be bred into a dog. However , what is being done is appalling and it is wrong. Why can't we just euthanize the bad owners. But seriously, as long as people continue to fight pitbulls, which let's admit nobody fights labradors, responsible pit owners are unfortunately going to get screwed, which sucks.P.S. The dog I have could be aggressive(chi,pompom cross) but let's be realistic guys, there's no way in h*** that he could kill my kids an upset pit bull could. I would never take that risk personally.
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Larissa I completely respect and understand your opinion. And I am glad you can share it in a proper mature manner. However I do have an issue with your statement about your pom. Just cause it doesnt have the ability to kill your kid does that really make it any different. An aggressive dog is an aggressive dog no matter what breed or size it is. And an aggressive dog should be dealt with the same way no matter what breed it is. I will give an example of what I mean in a minute it has to do with a Pomerainian.

Now on to the rest:

Yes dogs can be bred to be aggressive, It is true. BUT Pit Bulls have been bred to be loyal to their owners. They have however been bred to be aggressive towards animals and especially towards other dogs.

Pit Bulls were never intended to be aggressive towards people but after years of mistreatment and abuse and such they become aggressive dogs.
95% of Pit Bull attacks are either on a stranger entering the dogs property, which is what guard dogs are trained to do. OR its on an abusive owner. All other Pit Bull attacks are either by first time Pit Bull owners dogs or by owners that have history of bringing up aggressive dogs.

I personally trust my Female to leave her alone with any kid. Does it mean I do leave her alone with kids? NO. Its just common sence and responsibility. But I wouldnt leave any kid alone with any type of dog. Thats just the way it is. There was a Pomeranian that killed a 2 month old babay cause its owner thought it was okay to leave it alone in the bedroom with her kid. She came back to find her Pom tearing away at the babies face and the baby died of its injuries. The catch is that this dog had nipped at people plenty of times before. This is just irresponsible ownership and parenting. And this is what gives dogs a bad rep.

Aggressive dogs dont come from the breed itself, it comes from poor breeders who dont breed responsibly. And from owners who dont train their dog properly or abuse the dogs.
I have sold over 200 pups and only 1 has ever bit somebody.
My friend has sold over 100 Black Labs and 15 have attacked or bit somebody
Does this make either breed more dangerous or risky than the other? No it doesnt as I know that all these animals are properly bred and it just goes to show that any dog can be aggressive and dangerous if not trained properly.

In a test of 100 species of dog the Pit bull is only the 94th most likely to bite somebody. That seems like a pretty safe dog breed to me.
 
Flying fish- I undertsand what you mean but look at it this way. Any breed can get brain tumours can they not? Thus meaning any dog can do the same as that dog did.

Pit Bulls have the third hardest bite of all Mammals. 3600lbs per square inch.
They also have Lock Jaw, which is caused by the jaw muscles tensing up too much too fast and they wont release. The only way to release them is for their mouth to close almost fully or it needs to be pried open which adds to why a Pit Bull attack looks so vicious. It looks like the dog wont let go, but infact it CAN`T let go. so it starts to squirm and struggle to let go which looks alot like when they shake and tear toys apart. So it really looks like the dog is trying to do dammage when in fact its just trying to let go.

This is not always the case. But it does happen.
 
pumaward and labont, I'm sure y'all have great dogs and it would be a shame for anything to happen to them because of ignorance on someone else's part. no one is ever gonna win this arguement i think. as to my pom, it would never be left alone with a baby, and he's not aggressive, I'm just saying that he has that potential because of his breed. i don't know if there were aggressive dogs in his lineage but there could be. but really guys, if I caught my dog attacking someone, he weighs like 5lbs. yes, they might need stitches but i can't see him causing a death unless it was maybe an infant or someone caught an infection after injury. on the other hand, i knew this guy with a really scary st. bernard. if he went after my kids, there's not much I could do about it really. Size, strength, and breeding like I said, I believe will always be a factor. If a pitbull or any other dog attacks someone because of a misunderstanding like the air conditioning guy's in the backyard and you forgot to lock the doggie door, the dog thinks he's an intruder and is protecting you, rips the guy's face off. no, he's not a bad dog, he thought he was protecting his family however, the situation is still not right. I bet the ac guy's family is gonna be pretty devestated. but anyway, like I said we will always have differing opinions but I still think that the ban is wrong.
 
No your very right about hat situation it is a bad situation and not eithers fault ,but the AC guy shouldnt enter the yard without me knowing he is coming in the first place and then coming to my door and knocking when he gets there. Especially when they see a dog in the yard. It isnt hard to see a 80 lb. Pit Bull running around in a yard and its pretty obvious what breed it is so why enter the yard if the owner isnt outside with the dog? You know what I mean?
 
I Live here in the Denver metro area, and I can see why there is a "hysteria" here about Pit Bulls. There have been several pit bull attacks and some people killed here by them just recently. My husband and I knew (casually) the last woman that was killed by 3 pits while she fed her horses. We weren't her best friends, but she was a lovely, kind woman and didn't deserve to die that way. Quite frankly, from what I see and hear around here, everyone wants them banned except the people that own them!

As for me, I don't know that an all out city wide ban is the right option, however, I'm with Larissa. I won't let my children play at people's houses that own pit bulls or any other bulls for that matter. I don't know anyone right now that owns a Pit, but my sister and her husband own two 100+ pound American Bulldogs. My sister swears up and down that they're just big, huge babies, and I was starting to believe her, until one day, I bent down to pet "Tank", the larger male, on the head. He all out lunged at me and growled. He was only stopped because of his leash, which was tied to the chair that her 220 pound husband was sitting in.... and he moved him a good 6 inches across the ground. I have been around this animal numerous times and have talked to him and petted him before. My sister says "He was having a bad day..." Uuhhh, ok Sis! Just so you know! My children will never be in the presence of your animals ever again! And they haven't since that day. She locks them in a bedroom when we visit her house or I won't let my kids see their Aunt. Period.

I know her and her husband have never done a thing to train those dogs to fight or be aggressive or anything else. They are their babies. They sleep in their bed... etc. However, "having a bad day" does not qualify as an excuse in my book for him to lunge and growl when I went to pet him as I'd done a million times before. Nope. Don't think so.

And Labont, while I respect you and your opinion as I hope you'll respect mine, by your own admission, when these dogs bite, they "can't" let go even when they are trying to.... Good enough reason for me to keep my children well clear of them.

It's my opinion and my right. I never signed anything in support of this law, nor would I. I would be mortified if they tried to ban ACD's here too. It's not my place to tell other people what pets they can and can't own. But it is my place to decide that I don't want my children around a pit bull, any other bulldog, Akitas, Chows, and any other type of dog that I've known to exhibit aggressive behavour in my life.

Just my 2 cents! Like I said, I didn't petition for the law, but you won't catch me out on the steps of the capitol building holding up a protest sign either!
 
labont865 said:
No your very right about hat situation it is a bad situation and not eithers fault ,but the AC guy shouldnt enter the yard without me knowing he is coming in the first place and then coming to my door and knocking when he gets there. Especially when they see a dog in the yard. It isnt hard to see a 80 lb. Pit Bull running around in a yard and its pretty obvious what breed it is so why enter the yard if the owner isnt outside with the dog? You know what I mean?
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So what happens if an emergency worker has to go into your yard? Like someone fixing power lines or a fire fighter?
 
Here in my city we have a bylaw for pitbulls and resticted dogs

Edmonton has a Restricted Dog' by-law. 'Restricted dog' breeds include only those dogs that a veterinarian licensed to practice in the province of Alberta has determined to be primarily either Staffordshire Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier, but ONLY those that are ineligible for registration with the Canadian Kennel Club. 'Restricted dogs' must be muzzled when in public; enclosed or muzzled on private property; license fees and fines for these dogs are higher; and owners must have a minimum of $1,000,000 liability insurance covering their dogs.
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I think its a good idea but think the restricted list should include a couple other breeds also. A couple years ago there was a bunch of attacks from Akitas in my city. I know banning dogs isn't really the answer because these types of bylaws don't stop unresponsible owners from keeping these animals, it only hurts the registered dogs that usually have good owners.

I have only ever seen 1 pitbull and it was at the dog park. The pitbull was playing fetch with its owner(considered breaking the law as it wasn't muzzled and leashed) and it was teh best trained dog i'd ever seen. I talked with the guy and met his dog, both were very nice. LAter during that same trip to teh dog park my dog was attacked by a small dog(some brown mutt thing). I was walking my dog(on a leash) and this dog came running from across the fleid and started wrestling and growling with my dog. I had to drag my dog away and pick him up before the little dog would go away. The dogs owner saw what was happening and didn't do anything. MY dog has also been attacked by another small dog at a petstore. we were walking by and the dog jsut lunged and bit my dog. Again the owner didn't do anyhting.

I think yes there are dogs that are bred to be aggressive in certain circumstances(bred for guarding) but if the owners were responsible and trained them its usually not a problem. I have found more small dogs and are agressive then larger ones. Thankfully dog fighting isn't a problem here as it seem to be in the states.
 
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