Though that might be true But labs and retrievers are significantly more groomed to be friendlier, though that isn't always the case I agree. Over breeding is a problem in both pit Bulls and now even golden retrievers and labs. When people disregard breeding for not only looks but temper it turns into a dog that is stereotyped. Yes, little dogs can be vicious, but a chihuahua biting your arm and a German Shepherd has a few differences. Working at where I do I see dogs come in ALL the time, we usually have around 150 dogs a day. I've worked with Staffies, pitbulls, and bullies a like and I can tell you they aren't something that you should fear to leave with your kids, but they can be dangerous like any dog. And some dogs are just born with agression, too shy and scared. We train dogs at my work and I can also say that not everything can be fix, it can be moved around, but some things can never change. I can also say that if a poodle mauled anyone my work would immediately advise euthanization, the same if a staffie did it, a chihuahua, anything.FireHeartWindy wrote: 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.
All dogs can have pack instincts, but you cannot use it as an excuse for possibly biting a child in the house if they were hitting another or being hit. Dogs know better, and that is something that can be trained away.
All in all because of their record and because of people carelessly breeding pitbulls have earned a bad title but it doesn't go without saying that in some cases it isn't wrong to give that to an animal that us people have completely neglected in helping sculpt a function, fair temperament for. The worst part is that Staffordshire Terriers are one of the most commonly bred dog in home, but also at the number one spot with labs for most commonly seen in shelters. The dogs didn't do this to themselves, we did it to the dogs.