MagiStream

1.) Do you own a pit bull or a pit bull-type of dog?
No, but I know many and have trained many.

3.) How do you feel about certain breeds being banned?
Unfortunately it seems to be necessary, I'm for it. Especially if it bans a breed that has a death toll in the hundreds. Including lots of kids!

4.) Do you think pit bulls are dangerous breeds?
YES, and most people won't agree with me. HOWEVER, I'm also very sick of owners of Pit dogs that do NOT acknowledge the history of these dogs.
Pitbulls were bred to hunt down and kill large animals like bears. Later other dogs. To me, it's not surprising that a dog bred for aggression and fighting would be unpredictable, aggressive and powerful, especially when some of their owners want them to be that way. It's no more surprising than a retriever who's obsessed with a tennis ball and wants to play fetch all day. Or a Border Collie who has to drive any flock of animals it encounters.
Could they have a genetic predisposition for uninhibited aggression? Yes, potentially partly (see below) but…
… What proportion of, say, Staffies, carry and express these traits to a problematic level? We don’t know. It could be 1% or 99%. Towards humans, they have a tendency for extreme friendliness. Towards other dogs, some studies report 20% of (even responsibly raised) Staffies to have a serious dog-dog aggression problem.

As long as the Bull type dog lovers do NOT acknowledge the problems the breed has, bad breeders (breeding for aggression which yes still happens) are stopped or regulated, I see only a large rise in "bad dogs".

And although I do love the breeds loving nature, I don't love the extreme damage they can do. People are being mauled. CHILDREN are being mauled. No other breed has that much deaths. Seriously, I'd rather ban a breed, and save a few kids lives than see more deaths.
But that's just my 2 cents

5.) Why do you think someone might disagree with you?
Because people don't know all the facts, and feel the love of the dogs is more important, even though lives are at stake here.

6.) Have you ever been attacked by a dog or know someone who has?
Yes. Most were pit related.

7.) Anything else?
The notion that it's ALWAYS the owners fault, is inherently inaccurate! Sometimes genetics, breeding etc. is also a large factor.
We should not adopt out pitbulls/pit mixes that have not been thoroughly tested, and not to houses with kids.
Animals that have bitten humans should be immediately euthanized as the risk is too big.
Breeding needs to change, temperaments of these dogs need to be tested before breeding, so the breed can evolve from fight dogs, to family dogs!
Owners who have aggressive dogs need to be more responsible, and if the dog gets out and kills somebody, they should be charged with murder.
People need to realize that although the breed is lovely, the damage they CAN do is not. Any dog can do damage, but the amount of damage a pit can do outclasses them all. Death toll is high, people are scarred for life.
We need to act, we need to stop arguing about this and take steps to protect people.

There is no such thing as dangerous breed or animal.
All animals, no matter species, has a reason for attacking others. Maybe it's for self-defense, maybe it's because they don't trust the person. Perhaps the reason is because they're carnivores who are just plain hungry.

What I'm saying is, if a pitbull is "dangerous" then there's a reason behind that. People taught it to be aggressive, which has resulted in an angry animal that has no trust in humans. It's not their fault, but ours.

1.) Do you own a pit bull or a pit bull-type of dog?

I don't own any doggos.

2.) If yes, then did you train them from a puppy?

N/A

3.) How do you feel about certain breeds being banned?

I just feel that it is kinda dumb, like instead of banning breeds, maybe have more education for would-be dog owners? So then people are more aware of the training and effort required for owning a dog...

4.) Do you think pit bulls are dangerous breeds?

Only in the wrong hands, but the same could be said for any dog breed. My Aunt had a Staffie named Riggs and he was a big, chubby ball of love and affection, he was the sweetest doggo

5.) Why do you think someone might disagree with you?

The news really like reporting on "dangerous dog" stories and pitbull-type doggos are often demonised by many.

6.) Have you ever been attacked by a dog or know someone who has?

I got bit by a German Shepherd once, but I was like seven and I forgot that you had to stand still. So I ran bc I was scared and the dog chased me down because that's what his instincts were.

7.) Anything else?

People should never, never, never ever leave their small child alone with even the most well-trained and gentle pooch, because a small child doesn't understand that a dog should not be messed with or teased, and the dog will defend itself because it doesn't know that the child meant no harm.

Most attacks are not unprovoked, even if it seems that way to human eyes. So many dogs (many beloved pets) have been euthanized because they didn't realise a child meant no harm and defended themselves, just as any animal would.

(I think the only unprovoked attacks are caused if the dog is sick (like with rabies), but I'm not 100% sure bc I'm a Brit and UK are classed as rabies-free zone so I've never had any experiences with rabid animals)

1.) Do you own a pit bull or a pit bull-type of dog?
I have in the past, yes. Her name was Mocha.

2.) If yes, then did you train them from a puppy?
Yes.

3.) How do you feel about certain breeds being banned?
I think anyone with records of abuse should't be allowed to own dogs.
4.) Do you think pit bulls are dangerous breeds?
Not at all! Any breed can kill. When I was small, a chiwawa tried to eat my toe. It hurt like heck. On the contrary, Mocha was a total sweetheart.
5.) Why do you think someone might disagree with you?
Because they're heartless, naiive idiots that belived everything they hear.
6.) Have you ever been attacked by a dog or know someone who has?
Yes, by a chiwawa.
7.) Anything else?[/center]
Nope.
[/quote]

Pit bulls are not at all dangerous. I had a beautiful pit named mocha. She was just the sweetest dog. She would let my daughter dress her up, watched her when she was swimming, always had to sleep under a blanket. She was sweet as candy. My pinkie toe is more dangerous. Mocha is unfortunately no longer with us, but I would get another itt in a heartbeat.

1.) Do you own a pit bull or a pit bull-type of dog?

Yes. I own an APBT from a responsible breeder. She is not my first apbt but she is my first from a good breeder. My previous experiences were with rescued dogs of unknown lineage.

2.) If yes, then did you train them from a puppy?

My current apbt was held back by her breeder to see how she developed and when she didn't possess the drive and charisma they were looking for in their breeding program, placed her as a juvenile with me.

3.) How do you feel about certain breeds being banned?


I think it's a useless measure that solves nothing.

4.) Do you think pit bulls are dangerous breeds?

I think that they require a specialized ownership that not everyone can provide, and like any powerful breed, can be dangerous in the wrong hands.

5.) Why do you think someone might disagree with you?

Because some people have the inherent desire to "fix" things or excuse things. Not every dangerous dog can be saved and not every dog is a Golden Retriever that loves everyone/everything. Apbt were bred for bloodsport, period, and people want to gloss over their history as if love can trump genetics. My apbt is an AMAZING animal but her genetics are stronger than her desire to please me or the love/bond we share. She will absolutely fight another animal given the chance, and she will enjoy it. There is no malice there, just the desire to fight. Obviously, it is my responsibility to make sure she does not get these opportunities to the best of my abilities. I cannot change her genetics, but I can manage her responsibly.

6.) Have you ever been attacked by a dog or know someone who has?

Yes. I've worked with dogs for decades, it's part of the job description lol. I've had varying degrees of injury from nips, bites to outright attacks but have only feared for my life twice. Ironically, I've never been injured by a single bull breed, aside from rough play.

7.) Anything else?

Probably, but I'll edit to add later when I have a bit more time to elaborate.

Warning: I wrote this over an extended period of time, and I can sometimes tend to be somewhat scattered, so there maybe weird wording or grammar. Also, if you wish to discuss anything mentioned herein, I am happy to do so. If I am wrong about something, please tell me.

1.) Do you own a pit bull or a pit bull-type of dog?
Yes, but I have friends and family members who do

2.) If yes, then did you train them from a puppy?
N/A

3.) How do you feel about certain breeds being banned?
In my opinion, it's an overreaction that doesn't get to the root of the problem, in it's current implementation.

4.) Do you think pit bulls are dangerous breeds?
While yes, I do acknowledge that behavior is partially genetic, genetics are not necessarily deterministic. From my rudimentary understanding of epigenetics, animals (such as dogs and even humans) can have a genetic predisposition towards certain behaviors, but in general the expression of these behaviors is the result of something in the environment. So while yes, pit bulls may have a genetic predisposition towards aggressive behavior, and part of this may be expressed regardless of environmental factors, the environment can have an effect on the expression of any genes responsible. I also recognize that pit bulls have been bred to fight, and that genetics are not able to be altered except across generations, but also that any individual dog may be more or less aggressive, that as time goes on, and these so-called "dangerous breeds" are bred to be more friendly, it is likely that any tendencies towards aggression will fade as well.
Furthermore, while Pit Bull attacks do cause more damage, studies have shown that it tends to be smaller breeds that are actually responsible for more attacks, one example being chihuahuas. Some of these studies have even shown pit bulls to be one of the more tolerant breeds. This may be due in part to many pit bull owners putting in more effort to train their dogs as a result of the widespread fear of the breed, and simply because they are larger dogs that are capable of doing considerable damage should they exhibit aggressive behavior, so even a dog that is simply jumpy and excited because they are happy to meet someone can cause harm, whereas small dogs cannot do much damage should they be aggressive, simply as a result of their size.
Lastly, if one wishes to discuss the history of pit bulls and use that to exemplify why they are dangerous, one must also look back further into the time when they were literally called nanny dogs, due to being extremely good with children. These dogs were initially bred to be friendly, and this would imply that it would be possible, over time, to return them to this state.
To conclude, I recognize that there are factors that may cause a pit bull to be more aggressive than other dogs, I think that if people are simply responsible owners, that many of these problems can be worked around or rectified

5.) Why do you think someone might disagree with you?
There are many sources of information that one can find regarding pit bulls, as with anything, and depending on what information you are given and how you interpret it, one can have a wildly different viewpoint. I simply hope that people are willing to look at multiple sides of an issue

6.) Have you ever been attacked by a dog or know someone who has?
Yes, and the main dogs I have been attacked by have been a chihuahua and a toy Pomeranian, and I have been around and often play with a pit bull mix and a german shepherd, both of which are large dogs. I haven't been intentionally harmed by either of them, and in the case where the shepherd did accidentally hurt me, it was as a result of her simply being a puppy still who got overexcited while playing and who was still going through training, so she was still learning how to behave.

7.) Anything else?
Nothing I can think of at the moment.

1.) Do you own a pit bull or a pit bull-type of dog?

Nope, so I may not have the most qualified opinion.

2.) How do you feel about certain breeds being banned?

No breed should be outright banned, breeders for baiting/fighting breeds should be heavily monitored/regulated.

3.) Do you think pit bulls are dangerous breeds?

As dangerous as they are trained to be.

4.) Why do you think someone might disagree with you?

Because they were bred to fight and maim. It was designed into their physicality, which makes some people believe it was inbuilt into their psyche as well.

5.) Have you ever been attacked by a dog or know someone who has?

Nope, never. I have 2 dogs of my own, and are very sweet.

Sanne wrote:1.) Do you own a pit bull or a pit bull-type of dog?
No, but I know many and have trained many.

3.) How do you feel about certain breeds being banned?
Unfortunately it seems to be necessary, I'm for it. Especially if it bans a breed that has a death toll in the hundreds. Including lots of kids!

4.) Do you think pit bulls are dangerous breeds?
YES, and most people won't agree with me. HOWEVER, I'm also very sick of owners of Pit dogs that do NOT acknowledge the history of these dogs.
Pitbulls were bred to hunt down and kill large animals like bears. Later other dogs. To me, it's not surprising that a dog bred for aggression and fighting would be unpredictable, aggressive and powerful, especially when some of their owners want them to be that way. It's no more surprising than a retriever who's obsessed with a tennis ball and wants to play fetch all day. Or a Border Collie who has to drive any flock of animals it encounters.
Could they have a genetic predisposition for uninhibited aggression? Yes, potentially partly (see below) but…
… What proportion of, say, Staffies, carry and express these traits to a problematic level? We don’t know. It could be 1% or 99%. Towards humans, they have a tendency for extreme friendliness. Towards other dogs, some studies report 20% of (even responsibly raised) Staffies to have a serious dog-dog aggression problem.

As long as the Bull type dog lovers do NOT acknowledge the problems the breed has, bad breeders (breeding for aggression which yes still happens) are stopped or regulated, I see only a large rise in "bad dogs".

And although I do love the breeds loving nature, I don't love the extreme damage they can do. People are being mauled. CHILDREN are being mauled. No other breed has that much deaths. Seriously, I'd rather ban a breed, and save a few kids lives than see more deaths.
But that's just my 2 cents

5.) Why do you think someone might disagree with you?
Because people don't know all the facts, and feel the love of the dogs is more important, even though lives are at stake here.

6.) Have you ever been attacked by a dog or know someone who has?
Yes. Most were pit related.

7.) Anything else?
The notion that it's ALWAYS the owners fault, is inherently inaccurate! Sometimes genetics, breeding etc. is also a large factor.
We should not adopt out pitbulls/pit mixes that have not been thoroughly tested, and not to houses with kids.
Animals that have bitten humans should be immediately euthanized as the risk is too big.
Breeding needs to change, temperaments of these dogs need to be tested before breeding, so the breed can evolve from fight dogs, to family dogs!
Owners who have aggressive dogs need to be more responsible, and if the dog gets out and kills somebody, they should be charged with murder.
People need to realize that although the breed is lovely, the damage they CAN do is not. Any dog can do damage, but the amount of damage a pit can do outclasses them all. Death toll is high, people are scarred for life.
We need to act, we need to stop arguing about this and take steps to protect people.

Actually, most dog attacks come from smaller dogs. In fact, these guys were in truth bred to help hunters keep their children safe from bear or bull attacks. Every dog, with the right training, is a good dog. I agree though, that any dog that actually kills someone should be destroyed and the owner be charged with murder. Did you know that labs and retrievers have higher bite force? When a pit so much as nibbles someone, it gets hot, but when the poodle mauls a child, no one blinks an eye. Staffies are third on the tier. THIRD. T H I R D. let that sink in. Pit Bulls are dogs; Dogs learn from repetition. If these dogs were abused, the natural instinct is to make the "Pack leader" proud or become aggressive. If the owner wants them to fight, they'll fight. A true dog's nature is to please the leader dog, as they see their owners. Now, Staffordshire Terriers have been strong dogs from the beginning, so they're natural candidates for dog fights. The owner of course would want to make them fight better, so they modify and selective breed. Now, the natural instinct is to fight when commanded or their "pack" is threatened. If an older kid beats up a younger one, the staffie on the older child's side would join in, like hunting with the pack, while if the staffie was with the younger child, he would defend. It's just instinct. ANY dog can kill- even the small ones.

1.) Do you own a pit bull or a pit bull-type of dog?
Yes, I grew up around bullies being owned by family and friends. I also see a lot when I work.

2.) If yes, then did you train them from a puppy?
they were raised from puppies.

3.) How do you feel about certain breeds being banned?
Justification can be loose, but I don't think certain breeds should be banned, I think vaccinations should be mandatory to fight against canine parvovirus. I understand where people are coming from.

4.) Do you think pit bulls are dangerous breeds?
I think any breed of dog can be dangerous, pitbulls are dangerous but not because of their breed but because of their size. any large dog can have the potential to be dangerous.

5.) Why do you think someone might disagree with you?
Because they have their own opinion or life experience.

6.) Have you ever been attacked by a dog or know someone who has?
My uncle's pitbull once bit a kid in the face and tore a piece off because he was taunting it from the otherside of a fence. I've been bit by dogs before and it's never fun.

7.) Anything else?
temperament and aggression comes down to parents and the way the puppy is raised. Puppies can inherit temperament from their parents like timidity, friendliness, or aggression. Pitbull dogs, or Staffordshire Terriers, were originally bred to be nanny dogs and watch over small children. Recently pitbulls have been over bred and even at times bred for aggression when people use them in fighting or as a statement dog to make them look more macho. Because many people focused on breeding for those characteristics they can show in future generations and create dogs that are aggressive not because of training, but because of their chemical brain structure. Pitbulls can be loving dogs, don't get me wrong, I've known plenty of them and even one used for PTSD with people afraid of pitbulls. In closing dogs of any kind can be "aggressive" because anything with teeth and possibility for a temperament can be dubbed "scary" or "dangerous", it isn't the breeds fault they have these titles, it's the breeders.