Thoughts about pitbulls/pit chat!

[cornspurrd.]

Ahhh, I LOVE my pitties!
I have 3 they LOVE each other, We had Kennedy first then we got 2 more as puppies at the same time and Kennedy basically raised them. ( she would be a great surrogate mother! ) But she HATES older dogs, Of they are a year or older she will attack them for some reason? Maybe she feels threatened? Or just doesn't like them... Anyway does anybody have any suggestions on how to fix this problem?

[cornspurrd.]

My mom sent me this article and you guys need to read it. It takes both views into consideration, is very well written, and really shows a lot about the pit bull breed. Definitely give it a go.

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BOTTOM LINE:  if this pit bull mix would have been a beagle or I could name 300 dog breeds, this innocent person would be alive today. Choice Matters for keeping our community safe.

Pit bulls have been bred for violent blood sports with a deadly bite. They are not safe or appropriate pets and should never be considered as such.

Most dog breeds don't have the genetic makeup to execute a dog bite level 5 or 6.

Most breeds bite and release. Pit bulls bite and do not let go until their victims are dead. This is part of their genetic code called their 'gameness' trait.

"The dog is extremely dangerous and mutilates. The dog is simply not safe around people. I recommend euthanasia because the quality of life is so poor for dogs that have to live out their lives in solitary confinement" BITE CHART:  http://www.dogtalk.com/BiteAssessmentScalesDunbarDTMRoss.pdf

Most pit bull advocates lack the basic understanding of dog breeding 101 where breeders are purposely trying to produce a 'stereotype' for retrieving, herding, pointing, scenting, racing, guarding and fighting.

Most normal breeds have a highly developed canine  etiquette, with a language that allows them to resolve conflict without  killing. In contrast, pit bulls have had this etiquette systematically  bred out of them, for success in the killing pit. A normal dog will  signal, bluff, air bite nip, and only as a last resort will he really  bite, and will bite and release. A pit bull skips all the signals and  preliminary posturing and gets right down to killing, and once they  start in on a victim they will not stop. Many a distraught parent has  found out the hard way when the so-called family pit bull goes after  their toddler and is oblivious to kicks, punches, baseball bats etc.

New Warning from Pediatricians: A University of Arkansas for Medical Science’s largest dog bite study to date at a Georgia hospital in July 2016 came to this conclusion: “The study corroborates the largely negative interactions between pit bulls and children of any age.”

From the abstract: "Pit bull bites were implicated in half of all surgeries performed and over 2.5 times as likely to bite in multiple anatomic locations as compared to other breeds." https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... nstitution

Medical peer-reviewed: Level 1 trauma center dog bite studies from all geographical regions in the U.S. are reporting a higher prevalence of pit bull type dogs injuries than all other breeds of dogs. In many cases, the studies (2009 to 2016) also report that pit bull injuries have a higher severity of injury and require a greater number of operative interventions. http://blog.dogsbite.org/2016/10/report ... lence.html

Correct there are nice pit bulls. The problem is that you can't tell them apart from the pit bulls that decide to kill. Would you deliberately choose a crib, car, or helmet with the highest record of fatalities and the worst safety rating? Pit-bull type dogs are responsible for 95% of severe attacks (dog bite level 4-6) on people, pets and livestock in breed neutral zones. Please follow for one month. You will be shocked at all the people and pets that are severely maimed or killed by pit bulls.
http://www.nationalpitbullvictimawareness.org/

Please spend some time witnessing to the victims of pit bull attacks. Most attacking pit bulls are not due to bad owners but naïve owners who do not understand the dangerous pit bull breed traits. From 2005-2017, 259 people killed by pit bull type dogs. http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statis ... lities.php

I agree all dogs can bite. The issue with pit bulls is the degree of damage they inflict, and their attacks being more likely to result in fatality. Appellate courts across the United States have recognized the dangers of the pit bull breed for over 25-years. We've listed excerpts from court decisions that demonstrate this.  http://www.dogsbite.org/legislating-dangerous-dogs-appellate-court-decisions.php

Pit-bulls are dangerous because they have the capability of inflicting life-threatening injuries in a split second. Pit bulls are zero-mistake dogs.

Two words to prove pit bull type dogs are inherently dangerous: "BREAK STICK".

Does this sound like a normal and safe dog breed to have live in our neighborhoods? Pit Bull Rescue Central recommends ALL pit bull owners to have a "break stick", a wedge-shaped piece of wood used to pry open a pit bull’s jaw during an attack. "Since pit bulls have a strong fighting background, we recommend that pet owners also have a breaking stick as a precaution, even if they don't plan to use it in an illegal context. However, please be discreet. Breaking sticks are not something to brag about and the general public might have the wrong impression if you walk around with a stick in your hand. Breaking sticks are not illegal, but they are considered dog fighting paraphernalia in certain states and/or with certain law enforcement agents."
http://blog.dogsbite.org/2008/09/break- ... n-pit.html

This person demonstrates how to use a break stick on a pit-bull: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfMVH4wY5Pg

Just because you would like the American Temperament Test Standard to be a temperament test for a balanced pet, it is not. It was developed by Alfons Ertelt in 1977 as a screening test for potential Schutzhund candidates - ie dogs that do bite work like police dogs. He was not an animal behaviorist, he was a schutzhund fan. He wanted a quick way to screen dogs to see if they were bold and aggressive enough to do police work. As much as you wish otherwise, it is not in any way an indicator of a safe pet. The test itself only takes 15 minutes and as a screening test, was designed only to weed out the most unlikely candidates for attack dog training. A dog that panics when it hears a gunshot will fail this test. A dog that balks when asked to walk on wire fencing will fail this test. No part of this test looks at how the dog reacts in a home or with children or with other animals. These are things that are immediately obvious to anyone who takes even a cursory glance at the test. Why would you be attempting to prove pit bulls make great pets based on this test?

[removed link due to gore]

So you think this lady trained her dog to kill her?

I'm growing very tired of people like you, who make that claim without backing it up with FACTS. Prove it.

If you really believe it's the owner, then cite specifically cases where a pit bull was 'raised wrong’ or 'abused' and severely mauled or killed a person. In most cases, where a pit bull has severely attacked or killed a victim, the owner is not held accountable with criminal charges because the law could not prove the owner was negligent and the dog was not aggressive before the incident.

I'm in a support group with some of these families. All these families were blind-sided by a horrific pit bull attack. All these killer pit bulls were house dogs and considered members of the family. None of these dogs were trained to fight. Pit type dogs are hardwired to maul and kill without warning, it is a part of the genetic code like border collies herd, labs swim, goldens retrieve, pointers point, and bloodhounds track.

So are you saying these families raised their pit bulls to kill their children, family members, friends or themselves?

Here are a few examples:

*WV family thought they had a safe pit bull but then it killed their child right in front of them: [removed for gore]

* Never allow your children to visit a home with a pit bull. It simply is not worth the risk. You can't trust pit bull owners because they all think their dog would not hurt a fly. This 9-year-old was killed by his friend's pit bull.: [removed for gore]

*This mother was a fan of Pit bulls & Parolees. Her daughter died on her 4th birthday. She was killed by her beloved pit bulls. She even picked them when they were puppies. They pulled her out of the grandmother's arms mauled and killed her. If the parents would have picked a safer pet like a beagle or I could name 300 dog breeds, she would be alive today. [removed for gore]

*Dear parents. Do not ever allow your child to visit the home of a pit bull owner. THE END. Jordan Ryan killed by a friend's pit bull. [removed for gore]

*I will keep saying this until I am blue in the face. Never, ever trust a pit bull owner. Another person is dead because of her friend's pit bulls attacked her. [removed]

* Social Justice Warrior killed by his pit bull. ‏ It is insane to have a type of dog that can easily kill you. More of the tragedy: [removed]

*Sister's pit bulls killed her brother: [removed]

*Mother of two daughters killed by rescued pit-mixed: [removed]

*This misguided family fell for the pit bull propaganda that pit bulls make safe family pets and now their infant is dead. [removed]

*Child killed by babysitter's 3 pit bulls:[removed]

*Pet sitter killed by 3 pit bulls in front of dog owners: [removed]

*Pit bull “raised from a puppy, kills animal expert: [removed]

*Rescued Pit Bull Kills Owner, 87, As He Takes Down Christmas Tree, Dog Euthanized
Read more at http: [removed]

* Pit bull advocate's child was killed by her pit bulls on [removed]

*Little girl killed by family pit bull: [removed]

*There are many people who thought they had a safe, well-socialized, loving pit bull that killed a loved-one: This mother whose 2-year old son was killed by the family pit bull of 8 years named “Kissy Face”. She fell for the pit bull propaganda that pit bulls are nanny dogs that I see pit bull advocates say all the time. She thought she had a safe pit bull. She was in shock she was not able to stop the attack. She saw her son be ripped into pieces. If this mother would have picked a safer family dog like a collie, her son would be alive today. Kissy face was raised around the older daughter without any incident. [removed]

More victims accounts of family pit bulls turning on family members:http://www.daxtonsfriends.com/victims-stories/

Family pit bull attacks:http://www.dogsbite.org/staying-safe-family-dog-attacks.php

Pit bull-type dogs make up 5% of the U.S. dog population but are responsible for 95% of the severe attacks on people, pets and livestock every year in the U.S. By taking time to read these tragedies, you’ll discover most of the killing pit bulls came from loving homes. No other dog breeds even come close to the carnage pit bulls cause.

The bottom line is if these pit bulls would have been a beagle or I could name 300 dog breeds, all these people would be alive today. Breed Choice Matters for keeping our children safe.

How is speaking on the behalf of all the people, pets and livestock that have been severely mauled and/or killed mostly by pit bulls being hateful? That is your choice if you do not want to learn from other people's tragedies. But I will keep speaking up for all the people and pets that have been severely mauled and for the families who have lost a loved one or a beloved pet to a pit bull attack.

I don't hate pit bulls at all. It's not the dogs fault that they were selectively bred for certain traits that aren't remotely necessary or wanted now. That they continue to be bred by fools and thugs and continue to be pushed as family dogs by the ignorant and gullible. I hope for mandatory spaying and neutering and letting the breed be phased out so the poor animals no longer fill shelters and landfills.

I don't hate lions and bears either, but like pits, they are not suitable pets.
Pit-bull type dogs are responsible for 95% of severe attacks on people, pets and livestock: http://www.nationalpitbullvictimawareness.org/

"Not all pit bulls are bad"

If anything, the fact ‘They aren’t all bad’ is what makes the situation even more dangerous than if they were 'All BAD". It is this unpredictability, the inability to tell a dangerous from a non-dangerous pit bull that sees pit bulls as an unsuitable breed for society. If they were simply 'all bad’, society would simply take strong measures to protect themselves from the breed. Nobody is arguing that all pit bulls are bad, the argument is based on the fact that more than enough pit bulls regularly maim, maul and kill to result in an unacceptable actuarial risk, just like drunk driving. Just like all drunk drivers won’t cause harm or kill anybody, doesn’t mean they aren’t participating in high risk behavior.

People aren’t seeking legislative protection based on the belief all pit bulls are bad, but based on the reality they carry far more risk to innocent people than non fighting breeds of dog. Just as the average person doesn’t want to take the risk of being killed by a drunk driver, the average person also doesn’t want to risk being maimed, mauled or killed by a fighting breed of dog. If they are incapable of understanding such basic self preservation, then there is little hope for them. It must be noted that these people are either risk takers or poor assessors of risk, and quite often have no idea they are putting themselves and others in harms way. It is a battle against stupidity as much as it is dangerous breeds of dog.

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So I agree with this person a lot. It's not the dog's fault, it's really not, it's the fact that they were bred to kill. They are wild. The breed was ruined by thugs and dog fighters and people keeping them alive is just doing more damage because there are so many unwanted dogs and so many people dying. Of course there are nice pit bulls, that's a proven fact. Some of them are sweethearts who wouldn't hurt a thing, but the sad truth is that's the minority. I'm not saying a single thing here to be mean or rude or offensive, I'm just trying to help spread the word.

It's the people's fault, not the dog's, but not for the reason so many people say. It goes back much farther than the owner, because rarely is it a crappy owner that causes the dog to attack. It's the crappy people from 500 years ago who destroyed the breed and turned them into killers.

UMMM, Not true! Pitbulls are great family dogs! And will show you loyality and love til the very end.

[cornspurrd.]

10 REASONS WHY PITBULLS RULE!

10.Pit Bulls are relatively healthy. It is true that any breed of dog (including mixed breed dogs) can inherit genetic issues. I have rescued thousands of Pit Bulls and the genetic issues that I have personally seen most often in Pit Bulls — demodectic mange, hip dysplasia, and patellar luxation — are not usually fatal. Note: These genetic issues are not seen in all — or even many — Pit Bulls.
9.Pit Bulls don’t require much grooming. Their short coat is very low maintenance and they can be bathed in very little time — not that they need to be bathed often. They do not need to be brushed (though most enjoy it) or get doggie haircuts, and their fur is not naturally odiferous.
8.Pit Bulls are very eager to please people. A Pit Bull will do almost anything his favorite people ask of him, just to hear their praise. These dogs crave our attention and approval, and are very social with humans. This devotion to people has contributed heavily to the bad reputation of Pit Bulls, because a bad person can use a Pit Bull’s eagerness to please to train the dog for nefarious or criminal purposes.
7.Pit Bulls are often very athletic. A Pit Bull will definitely motivate you to get daily exercise, whether you only want to walk around the block or train for a marathon. Pit Bulls also tend to excel at dog sports like agility. However, Pit Bulls are not obsessive about exercise, like some breeds.
6.Pit Bulls are super loyal. When you adopt a Pit Bull, you have a friend for life, through thick and thin. While Pit Bulls are not good guard dogs because they just love people so much, they may intercede if someone threatens “their” humans.
5.Pit Bulls are great with children. Pit Bulls are a loyal, people-oriented breed that thrive as part of the family. They are affectionate with both adults and children. Note: All children should be taught how to interact with animals and should be supervised when playing with any animal.
4.Pit Bulls are hilarious. Just like people, all dogs are distinct individuals, but Pit Bulls are usually bursting with personality and they love to make us laugh by clowning around. They are fun and playful, even as they get older.
3.Pit Bulls love, love, love people. And Pit Bulls do not discriminate against humans for any reason. Even if a Pit Bull does not like other dogs, they typically love humans and are happiest when they are with us. They remind us of this by wiggling happily and kissing us often!
2.Pit Bulls love to cuddle. Even the most athletic Pit Bull will also have a sedentary side and crave being hugged and petted. Adopt a Pit Bull and you will have a constant companion keeping you warm in bed, on the couch, on your lap in your favorite chair. Did I mention that many Pit Bulls don’t realize they are too big to be lap dogs? For this reason and because they are so trainable, Pit Bulls can be excellent therapy dogs!
And the #1 reason why Pit Bulls rule? The Pit Bull smile. Pit Bulls are great for your mental health. If you are having a bad day, one look at your Pit Bull’s huge smile and lolling tongue will surely make you smile and their zest for life is infectious. Truly, happiness is a Pit Bull smile!

[Winstalgia]

Pitbull smiles are adorable!
And they do clown around often! I remember all those moments with Pinky (Cotta not so much except for gnawing our toes at night)
THEY LOVE TO CUDDLE and are super loyal! Pinky did however run away often but we always found him in the neighbor swimming pool. Imagine the look on his face when he saw this large pitbull swimming in his pool!

Anywho... I <3 animals and agree with Rattielover

[bertholdt]

they scare me because I was attacked by one once, the end.

[Winstalgia]

Yea, I had a friend (2) Who were attacked by one. I can't imagine how that must of felt.
I <3 your avatar!

[Wolf Smoothie]

*MY OLD POST ON THIS THREAD WAS REMOVED; THIS IS MY NEW POST.*

Well...

I proudly own and love a Pit Bull. Her name is Diamond, and she will turn 4 months old tomorrow.

Before I adopted Diamond, I had a 5 year old Labrador Retriever named Crystal. Sadly, Crystal had to be euthanized at just 5 years old due to the increasing suffering that she was experiencing from lymphoma.

I have had good experiences with 99.98% of Pit Bulls I have ever met. The remaining 0.02% would be these 2 Pit Bulls that I met on 2 separate Saturdays at the same local animal shelter.

You see, every Sunday, and sometimes, but rarely, Saturday, for about 2 years, my mother and I would go visit a local animal shelter just to look at all the cute animals they had there. I'll call this shelter, Shelter #1. We visited Shelter #1 the most often. I'll call another shelter, the one I met the 2 stressed Pit Bulls at, Shelter #2. We rarely visited Shelter #2, and if we did, it was only on a Saturday, because Shelter #2 is closed on Sundays.

The first stressed Pit Bull that my mother and I met at Shelter #2 showed behavioral signs of possibly being horribly abused in the past, but this Pit Bull could most likely still be rehabilitated from this. Why do I say this? Because while the Pit Bull was snarling, barking, and lunging in his kennel at my mother, obviously wanting to rip her to shreds, the Pit Bull was extremely friendly and even perhaps somewhat submissive towards me. Then, when my mother and I walked away from that Pit Bull to go meet the friendlier Pit Bulls and other friendlier dogs, other people came in the dog area, walked past that same stressed Pit Bull, and the Pit Bull didn't react aggressively to them at all. If those people would've approached the dog (which I can't remember whether or not some other people did), the Pit Bull probably wouldn't have had the reaction that he had towards my mom, because when my mom just simply went to walk towards his kennel and looked at him, he was going crazy. In fact, I bet that he would've had the same reaction to them as he had towards me--friendly. So, I think that this behavior could be rehabilitated, but probably not at the kill shelter (Shelter #2) my mother and I were visiting. Kill shelters just don't usually have the tools. This stressed Pit Bull could've been rehabilitated by slowly showing him that people like my mother and others that look like her won't hurt him.

The second stressed Pit Bull that my mother and I met at Shelter #2 was barking nervously in the center of her kennel. It didn't matter who you were, what you looked like, etc. However, due to the fact that she wasn't lunging at the kennel like the other Pit Bull was, I think that this was just a display of nervousness. I know that many shelter dogs are stressed out in their kennels, but once they're taken outside, they're all of a sudden a completely different dog in terms of temperament. My mother tried to stick her hand in this Pit Bull's kennel. At first, the Pit Bull made no attempt to bite, and was continuing to bark nervously in the center of her kennel. Then, my mother stuck her hand in a little closer towards the dog and tried to coax the increasingly nervous Pit Bull over to her hand so that she could pet the Pit Bull. So then, the Pit Bull snapped at her hand; it was a warning snap. If that Pit Bull meant to bite, trust me, she would've. My mother's reflexes are pretty slow (sorry Mom, but it's true ).

So, I guess the only truly aggressive dog that I've ever met in a shelter was a black Labrador Retriever. This Lab was advertised on Shelter #1's website as being sweet and friendly, but once my mother and I arrived to Shelter #1, it was obvious that this Lab was anything but sweet and friendly. To this dog, it didn't even matter if you were looking at him or not, or if you were even close to his kennel. If you entered the dog area, that dog immediately smelled you and was already snarling, barking, and lunging at his kennel. That is one of the few dogs that I have ever been very afraid of (and I LOVE dogs). This dog was big, powerful, and wanted to kill everyone. Thankfully, he was behind a kennel. My mom tried to get the Lab to calm down (back then, I think she thought that all Labs are friendly), while I stayed several feet away, closely watching her and the Lab. Well, her trying to calm the Lab didn't work out for her. In fact, I think it just made the Lab even angrier, so my mother and I eventually walked away from him.

I definitely don't blame all Labs, though, just because my mother and I had a bad experience with ONE.

Okay, lastly, I hate it when fellow Pit Bull advocates say, "Chihuahuas/Poodles/Golden Retrievers/etc are way more aggressive than Pit Bulls!" Because it's simply not true. Look, I get that Pit Bull advocates are just simply sticking up for their misunderstood dogs, but it's still not fair to the other dogs who aren't misunderstood. Do you really think that putting a bad rap on other dog breeds just because of some bad owners and bad dogs is a good way of advocating for your breed? Because it's really not. Hollister, CA, already has a form of BSL (mandatory spay and neuter) for Chihuahuas and Pit Bulls. Now, I know that Hollister was just trying to decrease the number of dogs that are most often surrendered to their shelters and euthanized by those shelters, but that's not the way to do it. Mandatory spay and neuter laws have been shown to be ineffective in most cities and towns.

There are even cities that have banned dogs with a mostly good reputation, like Boxers and Dalmatians.

[uηsρεcifiεd ¢ryҏtiɗ]

Hey, I know of a pit bull who could really use some help. My mom's friend owns her, and sadly, she had been getting into fights with the other female dogs that the friend owns. All the fights involve her in one way or another, and she must be kept separate from all the other female dogs, but it's really hard. She is a sweetie towards humans, but doesn't do well with other female dogs at all. It would be really hard to find her a new home, seeing as she's a pit bull, but it would be really dangerous to keep her, because she could possibly seriously injure another dog, and it has stressed out her owners to the point of collapsing. My family already has a female dog, so we sadly can't take her. Any advice on what the friend should do would be very appreciated! ^w^

[spectacular.]

I'm an advocate for the correct representation of American Pitbull Terriers. These are amazing dogs, I have researched my fair share about the breed. Being bred to be fighters they are not dog-friendly and will often lead to attacks on other dogs. These dogs are not for everyone, they require lengthy obedience training and can often never be taken to dog parks or around other dogs off leash. Contrary to popular belief pit bulls are not the dogs that attack people. Most dog attacks are not done by true pit bull terriers, they are done my mixes, mutts or whatever you want to call them. Pitbull is not a term many people understand these dogs were used in early times to bait bulls. The true breed are very good family dogs, although people need to take into account their gameness they will attack small animals but that makes them amazing rat hunters and rabbit hunters. Orginal Pitbulls were nanny dogs due to their protective yet loving nature. Many people don't know but the APBT normally does not exceed sizes of 60 - 65 pounds in weight and almost never pass the height of an average person knees. Nowadays according to backyard breeders, everything resembling a pit is a pit. There is one true Pitbull, the American Pitbull Terrier everything else is a sham.

[maninkari]

Some neat old pictures. I left out the ones that mentioned fighting, but I'll gladly send links if anyone wants (no pictures of actual fighting).