I'm sorry, pit bulls are just wrong

[LynneSin]

I know there are pit bull owners out there, but it takes a special person to raise these dogs and I truly believe that most people have no idea what they are getting into when they adopt these dogs.

My best friend is an animal lover and voluteers at the local humane society as a dog walker. She and her daughter owned one dog (who was adopted years ago from the humane shelter - a lab/daschound mix) and since the dog was getting pretty old they thought they would adopt a second dog for the family (a basset hound mix). However, from her volunteer job, she got close to one of the pit bulls at the shelter and decided to give the dog a chance in her home (with the 2 other dogs, 2 cats and some hermit crabs). We all warned her about owning the pit bull, but over the past month on her volunteer job, she was friendly with the pitbull she was going to adopt and felt that she would be able to provide a loving home for the pit.

I had even met the pit bull once about 6 months ago. I was sitting on the floor petting all the dogs and the pitbull immediately curled up in my lap and fell asleep. Maybe, I thought, my friend was right about the dog.

Well, after a week vacation with her daughter, my friend has just come home to a pet nightmare. She usually kennels her dogs when on vacation and the one previous time she kennelled the dogs she kept the pit bull in her own cage and the other 2 dogs together. But six months of blissful living together with the 3 dogs (she felt these dogs would be ok in the same cage (which was a long running cage). Sometime during the middle of her vacation the pit bull lost control and mangled the older dog (the lab/dashound mix) to the brink of death. The vets tried to save the older dog (my friend, for some reason, didn't leave any number to reach her on emergency), but eventually her oldest and longest pet Misty died. She had no idea when she returned what had happened until she checked the mail and their was a sympathy card from her vet on the loss of her dog (no name specified and she hadn't checked her phone messages as of yet).

I'm so sad to see Misty go, she was a friendly dog who looked like a greying mini lab (small in size because of the daschound mix in her) and always had bad breath no matter what my friend did to fix the problem. But you had to love the dog. Obviously the pit bull cannot be trusted, what if she raged on one of my friends nieces or nephews and so that dog will be put to sleep too. The basset hound mix is doing find and was not harmed; he's a strong dog whereas Misty was older and weaker and had cataracts to boot.

I'm still stunned by this, I know many people who have had great luck with pit bulls, but I still can't figure out why these dogs can rage like they do. Misty was a wonderful family pet who did not deserve a horrible death and my friend is just devestated because she feels she let poor Misty down by bringing this dog into their home.

It's just been a sad 2 weeks, two of my favorite pets have died and my stepfathers aging hamster Lucky just passed away.

[HEyHEY]

1. aww vcome on

How could you say this is the face of a killer?

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=2326656&uid=1227578
Granted she does have lab in her

[AnnabelLee]

2. How terrible

absolutely horrible what happened.

My husband & I used to rescue abused/abandoned pit bulls. We fostered them in our house with our other dogs, placed between 25-30 pits in good homes, & never had one attack another dog or any other animal. IMO, pit bulls are not inherently more likely to attack (unless they have been trained that way), but when they do, they have that huge, strong jaw with which to do it. And they are terriers, so they are tenacious.

I'm very sorry about what happened.

[LynneSin]

4. We think it was the kennel that brought out the worst in the pitbull

I mean, for six months all 3 of those dogs lived happily together (although the basset hound mix, a fixed boy, kept dryhumping and sniffing the butts of the other 2, fixed girls) and she really felt they would be fine in the same running cage at the kennel. We're thinking that the pit bull felt unconfortable and that caused her to go on attack. It must have happened early in the vacation because there was enough time for the doctors to send the sympathy card and it to arrive before my friend got back from vacation (they were returning late and getting the dogs the next day).

[AnnabelLee]

6. If that happened to my dogs,

I would be devastated.

[bunk76]

10. A dog in a cage.....

for any length of time is a recipe for disaster. These animals are territorial,and the less space they have to roam and mark off will eventually lead to a power struggle.I believe the owner made a fatal mistake in trusting these dogs would"get along" caged in.I know many "pit "owners that have never had any problems,the problem in most cases,lies with the owners.I am sorry that another dog had to suffer,but a mistake was made.This could have been any breed of dog,
I think it just happened to be a "pit" in this case.

[Robb]

30. Not at all true

These animals are territorial...

Actually, it's interesting that several breeds are completely non-territorial -- to the extent that their behavior is confusing to dogs who are. Siberian Huskies are a great example of this; they have no sense of "my yard" or "my truck" (or, often more seriously, "their yard" or "their truck"). Their "home turf" is wherever the rest of their pack is at the time -- and, since it's defined by the presence of the pack, there's no need to defend it in their absense.

But you're dead-on that it could have been any kind of dog. Pits get a lot of bad press, simply because they're capable of inflicting serious damage when they try to. But, unfortunately, you're also right that tragically, the responsibility for the episode has to be laid at the feet of the owners.

Could an owner have seen this coming? I'm not convinced every time. BUT, as they say, a dog is a dog, and counting on them not to be is always an error. As you said, many pit owners have no problems lifelong -- and an abused basset hound will bite hard.

[RememberJohn]

3. I use to believe there were no bad dogs only bad owners, but...

... it does seem pits have a mean streak bred into them...

Here is my pit bull story - rather humorous.

I used to raise wolf hybrids (cross breeds of wolves and huskies.)

About 7 years ago I went to purchase a female hybrid from a breeder who was keeping a male pit bull for a neighbor.

When we got there the mother of the pups had a bandaged leg. When I questioned as to why the breeder said: 'Oh, the pit I was keeping tried to attack the pups and (the mom) got involved.

I asked, "Where's the pit now?"

"Still at the vet and chewed up pretty good."

Imagine the pit's surprise at being whipped by an skinny 80 pound female!

[OrdinaryTa]

22. Wolf Hybrids Are Illegal, Aren't They?

I don't know the purpose of cross breeding wolves with domestic animals. The wildness of the wolf remains in an animal that is not afraid of humans. Most of these unfortunate animals are euthanized, I'm told.

[AlienGirl]

25. Wolf mixes

Many wolf mixes are euthanized because of bad owners--people who thought it'd be "cool" to have a wolf mix, and had no idea of their space requirements or social needs.

The "wildness" of the wolf lies mostly in their shyness--many wolfdogs are somewhat frightened by new people, and some will become fear-biters if not properly socialized--and the need to have a strong alpha figure. Wolfdogs who are not raised with a human as a strong alpha will either feel insecure (if their natural tendency is to lower rank) or will challenge for the alpha position (if they have an alpha personality).

The idea that wild animals "naturally" fear humans is a myth. There's no instinctive fear of humans, as many naturalists who've visited non-human-inhabited places can attest. Any animal raised by humans will imprint on humans, and either think of itself as a human or think of humans as versions of its species.

My own experiences with wolfdogs and coy-dogs (coyote-dog mixes) owned by experienced, responsible people have all been positive.

Tucker (pack rank gamma, same as her wolfdog pal's rank)

[Robb]

32. To my experience

Wolfdogs who are not raised with a human as a strong alpha will either feel insecure (if their natural tendency is to lower rank) or will challenge for the alpha position (if they have an alpha personality).

To my experience, this is true of every dog.

My own experiences with wolfdogs and coy-dogs (coyote-dog mixes) owned by experienced, responsible people have all been positive.

See above. :) Just curious, we're sledders, what's the appeal of wolf and coyote mixes? An old-timer told me he had owned some awhile back, but that they "Cain't pull fer shet".... :)

[AlienGirl]

43. The appeal of wolf mixes

I love their intelligence. That's the main thing. Their vocal range is great, too--they'll make all kinds of little sounds to communicate, and hold "conversations" with you. They also will howl with you.

Tucker

[RememberJohn]

45. I get mine howling in the evening....

... to make the neighbor kids laugh.

Yeah, the intelligence is uncanny. Most people think they have smart dogs until they meet these.

[AlienGirl]

46. My best Tobhar story

This was when Tobhar was about three years old. I was walking him and he managed to slip off the leash and run ahead. I tried calling him back, but no luck--as I said, I don't outrank him.

Then I had an idea. I put as much anxiety as I could into my voice and yelled, "Tobhar, help me!" as if I were being attacked.

Like a furry brown torpedo he was there at my side, ready to help and defend me. He was very confused when there was nothing there to protect me from, but I assured him he'd done an excellent job.

Tucker

[RememberJohn]

47. I've pulled that trick before...

... it also works if I turn around and walk the opposite way... if her or she sees I'm not chasing them, they decide to chase me.

[RememberJohn]

34. Illegal? Depends on where you are...

States have different laws. Completely legal in some. Completely illegal in others. Legal to a certain percentage of content in others.

Most wolf hybrids don't have any wolf parents, The MAY have a grand parent or two that were wolves.

Most are bred with other wolf hybrids - a 50% with a 25% yeilds a certain average of percentage but the pup will not have a parent who is a wolf.

The first German Shepherds were wolf hybrids approx. 100 years ago - until the blood lines were established, the were cross-bred with wolves.

[AlienGirl]

37. Also, even if they're illegal

There is no sure way to distinguish a wolfdog from a German shepherd/husky mix. It may be illegal to advertise a litter of puppies as "wolf hybrids," but enforcement of the ban depends on whether or not the owner tells people the animal is a wolf mix.

I'm still waiting to see the bans challenged on the basis that all domestic dogs have been reclassified as Canis lupus, making all domestic dogs technically wolves!

The wolfdog I'm most acquainted with had a 98% wolf mother and G-shep father. He's the most intelligent canine I've ever met--and the best with children!

Tucker

[RememberJohn]

39. A female I had when I was younger

...was 93% Tundra wolf. She was the sweetest 100 pound lap dog I've ever had (rest her soul.)

[AlienGirl]

40. Awww

My wolfdog friend weighs about the same as I do (roughly a hundred pounds). When he was younger we used to wrestle and get into physical play. He quickly learned he was stronger than me, and was accordingly careful (and protective). These days, he's an old fellow and I'm older too, so we do more talking and less jumping around!

Tucker

[RememberJohn]

41. My male is 13 now...

a touch of arthritis and just starting to get cateracts (sp?)

Otherwise, he still acts like a pup. We STILL have down and dirty (and sloppy and slimy) wrestling matches.

[AlienGirl]

42. Nice!

My buddy is overweight (his owner is too disabled to walk him as much as he needs) and arthritic at age 10. I've known him since he was 2. We'll occasionally do the wrestling thing, but more slowly these days.

I always find the mouthiness of wolfdogs amusing, in a "Hey, a wolf's chewing on my arm!" sort of way. (Non wolfdog-acquainted readers: the chewing is not enough to break the flesh, it's just the way they grab onto you. But it's a fun visual!)

Tucker

[RememberJohn]

44. Oh, yeah...

...both of mine latch on to my arms and lead me to various points of the yard to show me things - usually big sticks they've been chewing on and are proud off. Sometimes possums, though.

[SOteric]

5. You and your friend have my heartfelt condolences.

Losing a beloved pet is such a hard thing.

I understand your grief.

Pit bulls and Rottweilers can be very dangerous animals, it's true, in the hands of those who aren't aware of their disposition and how to handle them appropriately. But in defence of the breed, I've known a family that had a well-trained, loving and loyal pit bull as companion for over 20 years. He was a marvelous dog, whose owners in no way deluded themselves about his nature. Their dog never hurt any people or pets (though he did a job on some furnishings and a pair of slippers). Your pain and grief is understandable, but please don't paint the entire breed bad over this horrific incident.

[Dookus]

8. Sorry...

I'm not saying that all pit bulls or rotties are bad. Far from it.

But they DO seem to have a higher incidence of rage, and more importantly, when they DO rage, they're unstoppable.

You can find horror story after horror story of a family rottweiler, pitbull (or chows, or others) that were "great" dogs right up until they maul a child.

I was standing next to my 9 year old neice when their chow, for no reason whatsoever, jumped up and bit her on the face. Luckily, the chow had been previously injured, and was unable to attack more fiercely. It was (rightly) put down that evening.

[shanti]

12. i'm sorry to hear your daughter's story

as i also had a dog/kid encounter before, once me (cocker spaniel) and once my son, who was 4 at the time. my ex boyfriend's plotthound (bear hunting dog) leaped up and took a chunk out of my son's upper lip. luckily, we found the piece of flesh (the dog dropped it in the couch) and they were able to successfully reattach it, but of course, the lip will never be the same. because of the location, plastic surgery wasn't an option, according to the physician. it's a very unpleasant memory...

[shanti]

11. may i ask you something?

would you say the same thing about the presa canario breed? i had an online discussion about this breed and were actually talking about crossbreeding it to a pitt! the presa strikes fear in me, it is a huge dog.

[LynneSin]

13. The Presa Canario's are beautiful dogs....

But I've heard horrible things about the breed.

Once, while working late at work, I fancied upon a co-worker's magazine about dog breeds and perused it on a break. In the back was a listing of all the various breeders out there available for the various breeds. Ironically it was the breeders of such dogs like the pit bull and canario that far outnumbered your everyday average family pet breeders. It seems that supply & demand have given us need for more agressive dogs than cute family pets!

[AlienGirl]

26. Presas do OK as a working breed

From what I've read, though, they mostly feel a *need* to have a task to do (the same way Jack Russells do) or they become neurotic.

Also, as with pits, the human expectation that they are aggressive causes many unscrupulous people to acquire and train them for "protection"--which usually means they're beaten and taught to be aggressive.

Tucker

[Mal]

7. How old was the pit bull?

If it was more than a pup when she got it, who knows what baggage it may have been carrying?
If that can't provide some answers, I would be forced to speculate that perhaps the dog didn't fit the situation. You don't get smart, active working dogs for a small apartment where they are left alone for eight hours a day; and a tough, aggressive, dominant dog like a pit-bull may not have been suited to being around a soft dog, with no strong 'Alpha' presence to keep command when your friend left on holiday. The dog took charge, and mauled the other dog to prove the point.
In short, I would think that a strong, dominant dog like a pit-bull would need a strong, dominant boss, one the dog respects and wouldn't cross.

[alaine]

9. This makes me really sad. I'm so sorry.

Everyone has their own opinion about it and I have mine, and I will not back down from stating They Are Different. I had a lab mix for eleven years (part pit) and I loved her like no other but there were kinks in her personality I had never experienced with another dog and haven't since. They used to be bred to take on bulls for crying out loud. Once they begin to attack they are hard to stop, they seem to get super hyped super fast. I had to insist everytime I kenneled my two that they not be put together under any circumstances. I have heard SO MANY stories like this, either the pit attacks an animal it has lived with for years, or a person it has known for years. They are extremely intelligent, but I really don't quite understand how people want to believe it is just propaganda.

[jobycom]

14. I don't believe the breed causes any meanness

The meanest dog I've ever owned was a French Poodle. Not kidding. It would go off at the slightest surprise, growling and snapping fiercely. Of course, it was small enough that it was only funny. If it had been a pit or presa or rotweiler it could have been lethal.

It turns out for the poodle that he was allergic to fleas, which we had a lot of in south Mississippi. So he was constantly miserable. Might have played a role in his personality.

We had another dog that was mixed, but had long hair and Rottweiler markings. We found him as a stray. One of his eyes was scratched and blinded, his tale had been broken twice and healed crookedly, and he had a patch of hair missing from his back, and it never grew back. Actually, he was a beautiful dog even with the defects. We slowly pieced together things about him. He was terrified of cats, so we think the eye was destroyed by a cat. He was afraid of sticks, even to play fetch, so we thought he'd been beaten. And once we threw a pot of water out our door (yes, we were red necks), and even though it was not near him, he went crazy with fear. We guessed that someone had thrown hot water or grease on his back (not uncommon where we lived). Finally, every time we tried to chain him up, he became very obedient, but would go insane at anyone who approached him (except me). We think he was trained to be a fighter or a guard dog by an abusive owner.

Anyway, he's still the favorite dog I've ever known. He was sweet, loyal, very smart. But he scared a lot of my friends, and he attacked neighbors' dogs who came in the yard because it was his yard, and we think he was trained to gaurd his yard.

That's a big problem with rescued dogs-- you don't know what someone did to them. Because pits have their reputation, they are favored by abusive trainers of the gaurd dog/fight dog variety, and shunned by many normal owners. So many of them that are abandoned are done so by abusive owners who have ruined them and are moving on to their next victim.

Sorry to hear about your friend's tragedies, and yours. I wonder if the pit felt he was guarding something from the other dog? Never know, I guess. I don't think there is anything wrong with the breed, aside from its immense strength, but you are probably right to warn people away from a found pit bull.

[Dookus]

15. No...

there's no direct correlation, but there ARE breeds that have increased levels of aggression. Which is perfectly understandable - different breeds were bred for many centuries for different purposes, and aggression has been built-in to some breeds.

As with the larger, more aggressive breeds like pits, rotties and presa canarios.... well, when they DO attack, you can't pull 'em off. Their jaws do tremendous damage, and they latch on like vises.

If a poodle attacks, he'll probably bite you once and run. If a pitbull attacks, god help you.

[jobycom]

16. That stupid little poodle

would bite and bite and bite until you locked him in another room. Crazy dog. My older brothers made it worse, teasing the poor thing, holding it's mouth shut while it growled and tried to bite them... If it had been a presa, I'd be digested.

[Dookus]

18. heheh...

well I dont' know your poodle, so I'll withhold judgment ;)

but if a poodle attacked me, I could probably fight it off. If a pit bull did, I'd be fucked.

I want to make clear to everybody here that I've known a LOT of really sweet pit bulls. And really sweet rottweilers. I really DO like them.

But I wouldn't own one. There's an unpredictability about them, that combined with their strength, makes them unacceptable as pets for anybody other than SERIOUS dog owners.

[Gore1FL]

17. I have a pit beagle

or a beagle Bull -- anyways, he is the sweetest dog I have known. He is excitable -- though much less now than as a puppy.

I don't think the breed is the main cause -- the inherent exctability may have contributed to an attack, but not knowing what the dog went trhough prior to, and for that matter during, its sehelter experience, it is hard to do anything but speculate on the cause.

[cleofus1]

19. dogs...

Poodles are mean ass dogs. I have been attacked by them several times. I usually can kick them like a football. Fortunately I was wearing boots everytime I was attacked. I was once attacked by a springer spaniel. I had to punch it in the side of the head. I actually knocked it out. The owner was furious with me. I think she wanted to kill me...so I ran away.
I used to raise pits (my family did anyways)...They are loving and gentle when raised correctly. As pups they used to sleep with us. This type of behavior allowed us to bond in a very familial way. I was never afraid of being attacked.
Nevertheless Pit bulls historically are war dogs. They have a thick skulls and jaws that lock. Their teeth are razor sharp and they are very strong. One person can not fight off a determined pit. They are engines of destruction that should probobly be regulated like guns or drugs.

[Dookus]

20. I agree...

it's a difficult issue, because I know that there are GREAT pits.

But I think they should be regulated, if not outlawed. You'll read LOTS of stories of people being bitten by dogs, but when they use the word "maul", it's always a pit bull or a rottie. Or, more rarely, a Presa, like the ones that killed Dianne Whipple in San Francisco.

[MisterP]

23. media self-reinforcement

outlawed?
:crazy:

[molly]

29. Here in Delaware, a minor cannot license a Pit Bull

within the city of Wilmington limits, they are REGULATED! If out, they must be leashed, all shots up to date, and licensed.

I do not walk Des - we have 12 feet of fencing in the back yard.

[molly]

21. Desma is the sweetest, smartest dog I have ever owned

she loves the cats and the cats love her back - mostly. Patchie got upset with her last week and attacked her in the family room. Des just cowered on the floor until Patch was done with her attack. I took Des into the bathroom - she looked heartbroken - and pulled 1 claw out of her cheek - her face was bleeding. The ONLY times I have ever thought she might attack is when I felt threatened. She hates my older son because he was mean to her - she barks the entire time he is here, but she has never attacked.

I believe that 3 dogs in 1 kennel would be a bit much. First of all, she left them - they felt abandoned. And, dogs are territorial - no matter what breed.

I'm sorry about what happened.

[AlienGirl]

27. The kennel

My take on this is that it probably started as a contest for alpha position when the owner--percieved as alpha, mother, *and* safety-object--was gone. The dogs were probably all insecure and felt the need to replace the alpha. Chances are the older dog and the pit bull were both trying to become alpha, and it got out of hand. Pits, like other terriers, have a hard time inhibiting aggression once they've become involved in a fight, and their relative jaw-strength makes them highly likely to injure an opponent.

Tucker

[ProudGerman]

24. I disagree with you

And my beautiful Pit/Lab Suzie(she's a mix yes, but only the black fur and bushy tail are what depicts the lab, otherwise she's a picture perfect pit) would too. She's sweet (to those she knows), and the most obedient dog I have ever met. She's not even trained, I can't figure it out, but she won't move unless I tell her when we're out of the house. A very large friend of mine once came bursting in the house and moved towards me in a threatening manner (jokingly), she growled like crazy, and her hackles were straight up. But she did not make a move towards him, but kept an eye on me waiting for a command or something.

But I do admit freely that Pits, especially pure breds, are agressive SOB's. While I will never say this makes the whole breed bad, I do agree that something should be done. Throughout the centuries, all breeds have been overbred, I don't know of any purebreds that don't have a high rate of health problems because of this. I do think it would be a great idea to breed the pitbull with something a little more docile, the same with all breeds that were bred for fighting, or war in the case of some dog breeds.

I know what I have, and she's never left unattended with other people, and she's kept on a lead around kids. But she is not automatically a bad dog because of her breed. It's people's fault.

[Loonman]

28. Breeding

Maybe there could be way to breed the aggressiveness out of pit bulls the way it was bred in.

Pit bulls were engineered to be as mean as they are.

Either that or stop breeding them and that gene line will eventually die out.

[Cheswick2.0]

31. pitt bulls are bred for one thing

They are bred to kill comparable sized animals. Look at their jaws. This is just their nature. When a Pitt does what instinct tells it, we say that it was a bad one, it was mistreated as a pup or trained to kill.. NO, NO, NO they don't have to be trained to kill, it comes naturally.

When people tell me their Pitt is the sweetest dog, I believe them. They do have the sweetest dog. After it rips some toddlers face off it will go right back to being sweet.

This dog didn't rage Lynn, it simply did what years of breeding told it to do. When are people going to smarten up?

PS, I am very sorry for your loss and that of your friend.

[Robb]

33. I'm sorry

But I feel pretty passionately about this: "Look at their jaws. This is just their nature" is absurd.

The dogs in this photo put out more pressure per square inch than every other major breed -- except the Mastiff -- more than 1600 PSI. And I can count annual Husky maulings on one hand. Without using my thumb. And when was the last time your heard about a Mastiff mauling?!?



...It's people. Period. NOT nature.

[underpants]

35. Sorry but you are WRONG!

My best friend has a pit bull and she is the single sweetest dog in the world.

[LynneSin]

49. Did they own the pit bull from birth or adopt from a humane society

A few friends have mentioned that adopting a pit bull from a humane shelter could have been the problem. Not with the humane shelter, but the fact that many times these pitbulls were left abandoned at the shelter and there is little history to what kind of treatment the pit bull had before it was re-adopted.

I am in no way advocating that we should wipe out all pit bulls, obviously my original post was written when I was very sad about the loss of a long time beloved pet (the lab/daschound mix) to their relatively new pet - the pit bull.

But I do think there should be regulation of the animal. Personally I think all pit bulls should be fixed except those who are licensed pit bull breeders who can help breed pitbulls that maybe are a little less agressive. I know Molly talked about the pit bull laws in Wilmington and yet I see these dogs everywhere, there is a big demand for these dogs because of their agressive behavior (along with dogs like the presa canario, but the pit bull is much cheaper to get).

It's funny the comments about the rottweiler, all the rottis I've seen have been the most adorable and loving dogs I've ever met and yet I suppose rotti's have a reputation too.

BTW, I was bit once by a dog - a giant standard poodle. They can't do much damage with their bite, but damn if those dogs just aren't nasty.

[underpants]

50. It was/is from a breeder

Sorry I was in a really bad mood this morning, I didn't mean to be so vitriolic.

He then bred it and his brother kept one. That dog is just like it's owner, not too bright.

[molly]

52. I forgot another DE law - they must be fixed

if you remember the story about Des, I was down at the shore on a contract and got an email from my younger son telling me he wanted to adopt a 1 yr old Pit Bull. I hit the roof. He begged and pleaded and asked if she could come for a "trial" - she had never been around cats. She had been the dog of a friend's sister. I envisioned me coming home to a bloody house - my cats all dead and my old lab mix chewed to pieces. I said "NO" - came home that weekend - went up to his room to be greated by barks defending his lazy butt still in bed. I was petrified of her. She didn't bother my old dog and looked at the cats with her head cocked in curiosity. When my contract ended, my older son came down to help me move home. He got here before I did and about the 495 exit, my beeper went off - WTF? I got home and they met me at my car - telling me to unpack it quickly that Des had been hit by a car - this was before the fence. I went into the house and she had tried to get on my bed - there was blood everywhere. We loaded her in the car and drove her to Conchester Animal Hospital. Her back leg had been shredded and they could not do stitches. When she was released, they had wrapped it in bandages that needed monitored and changed daily. You could see the bones and it made my son sick, so it was my duty. That's when Des and I bonded. I've been trying to post her picture with no luck.

[Loonman]

36. Maybe it is people's fault for breeding them that way

That's a given.

However, explain that to the next person who's two year old is mauled while just minding their own business.

Don't get me wrong, I love and respect all animals, but aggressive breeds are a human action and require a human solution. Action that can be eliminated by breeding with docile dogs to dilute the violent strain, if not breed it out entirely.

Humans are violent by nature; why we have to pass this trait on to other species makes no sense.

[catpower2000]

38. It totally depends on the dog...

A generalization about every member of a particular breed is bound to be untrue for many, many members of that breed. It's so sad what happened to your friend's dog, but saying that an entire breed of dogs is bad is generalizing too much, I think.

Pit bulls have unfortunately been bred to bring out their more aggressive traits, but so have other breeds like german shepherds. A properly trained pit bull is no more dangerous than any other dog.

I just think it's wrong to paint all members of the breed with the same brush.

Cat

[mvd]

48. First of all, very sorry to hear your story

I wouldn't own a pitbull or a wolfdog. That said, it seems like wolfdogs are no more dangerous than Rottweilers. In fact, they may be less dangerous as wolves tend to be shy with people.

[supernova]

51. I think more aggressive breeds should be regulated

These dogs need much more dominant handling than your average lab.

I've only ever heard of pit bulls mauling young children and small adults. What owners don't seem to realize about their "sweet pet" is what that dog is like when the owner isn't around. Then, it's a different story.

And yes, you could explain it away, (oh the dog is territorial the victim got in their yard, etc.) still doesn't make up for the injuries and or death that ensues.

Aggressive dogs don't belong in places where they will have to deal with a constant barage of strangers.

[geniph]

53. The problem is not just with their nature, but their capabilities

The trouble is that if a pit or a rottie snaps, it does SERIOUS damage before it can be stopped - and they can go nasty without warning. I'm particularly fond of the super-giant breeds myself - the mastiffs, the newfies, the Berners and the Saints - and none of those breeds are known for attacking, because they've been selectively, carefully bred for centuries for peaceful temperaments. I still wouldn't stress one and still hope to remain in one piece - a 200-lb. dog is a formidable creature. But the "arena dogs" are a breed apart. Besides having been carefully bred for strong jaws and territoriality, they were also bred for fast attack reflexes. When something sets them off, they don't just snap and growl - they go for a kill bite. Most dogs will try to do a warning bite first, or will growl first to warn you. Pits go straight to the kill bite, and they're very capable of doing really major damage (your best defense if attacked by a serious dog, is to go for the eyes - most dogs will let go if their eyes are threatened).

I've known, and loved, many pits and rotties. But you never can completely trust them the way you'd trust, say, a Newfoundland, because you won't get any warning if things are suddenly too much for them. That being said, I've been bitten fairly seriously several times, and most of the bites were from wonderful breeds like Labs and German Shepherds. ALL dogs can, and will bite. It's the difference in HOW they bite that creates the problem.

I love pits, but without many years of careful breeding to remove some of the kill-bite instincts, you can't put a pit in a situation where they aren't monitored around weaker creatures. The vast majority of pits will never bite. But that 1 in 500 will kill something. If it's your kid or your pet that is that one, then your opinion of the suitability of historical fighting dogs as pets is probably going to change.

The bulldog was originally an arena dog too, and the extreme aggressiveness has been carefully bred out of them. Very few bulldogs are dangerous now, but there was a time when they were worse than pit bulls. Pitbull breeding needs to be very carefully controlled and monitored if they are to become household pets.