Is It The Dog Breed Or The Owner?

[ChipWrecked]

I have known enough pit bull owners to hold the opinion that the owner wants the breed. So, I say both as well.

[thecincykiddo]

Most of the responses in this thread are bull [censored], katy.

Pit bulls have been used in dog fighting and have learned the bad habits they are associated with from the sort of mistreatment that fighters inflict upon them to get them to fight. The images used in rap music aren't coincidental: Andre from Outkast fights pitbulls, as do a lot of celebrities who see it as an entertaining social privelege. The guy's cousin breeds them illegally, for Christ's sake.

It's all a part of the macho image to have a mean dog on a leash to put on your album cover, but all it really does is support the image of a pit bull as a mean dog when it is not. I've worked in and around a lot of kennels and recently shot a documentary in conjunction with the Animal Rescue League and have known a lot of pit bulls.

Don't buy into the hype. It's pretty disgusting.

[Mat Sklansky]

It seems that most of the responses suggest that pitbulls tend to be great dogs, but require effort to get them there.

Are you saying that the need for such effort is a myth?

[thecincykiddo]

[ QUOTE ]
It seems that most of the responses suggest that pitbulls tend to be great dogs, but require effort to get them there.

Are you saying that the need for such effort is a myth?

[/ QUOTE ]

Very perceptive.

Unless you're dealing with a dog that has been mistreated, you shouldn't have any problems. No more than you would have with any other dog.

[Mat Sklansky]

While I agree that the hype about pitbulls is unfortunate, i find it difficult to believe that a site called pitbulllover.com would include this: http://www.pitbulllovers.com/america...ier-myths.html in their myth section if pitbulls were not inherently dangerous to other dogs.


[ QUOTE ]
MYTH: If a Pit Bull was never trained to fight, it will be safe with other dogs.


[/ QUOTE ]

[Fishwhenican]

Look here's the bottom line.

IF a full grown Pit Bull decides it is going to get into a fight someone or something is going to have a bad day! Doesn't really matter if it is a kid, an adult, another dog, whatever the pit bull is going to inflict a lot of damage.

I am sure there is a lot of credence to how a dog is raised but I can tell you that dogs sometimes snap. I mean I just saw my old fat wiener dog try and take a neighbors leg off last weekend when he came over to retrieve his beagle. This is a very friendly dog who normally is only concerned about two things, Dinner time and lap space.

I love dogs and am not in the least bit scared of dogs but there is no way in hell I would have a pit bull around ESPECIALLY since I have kids. It is just simply not worth the risk that someone might get hurt and hurt badly. My wiener dog bites a kid and there are a couple of little puncture wounds, a pitbull attacks a kid and, if they live through it, their life is altered!

Wanting to "rescue" a dog is fine, admirable even, but for god sake not an abused pit bull. That is just like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off!

I will also throw this out. Any guy who has to have a pit bull is just using it as a penis extension. I mean come on! There are SO many other kinds of dogs out there and SO many other dogs who need to be rescued. For gosh sake, if you have to have a dog, go to the pound and rescue a nice mutt. You have a far better chance of having a well behaved gentle dog that way than getting a pit bull!! Better yet, come on out by me and we'll go over to the Reservation and rescue one of the thousands of "Rez Mutts" who live on their own with no owner and no home.

[thecincykiddo]

Mostly for the benefit of the original poster of this thread whose concern seemed to be more focused on dog-human relations, here's a small section of the research paper we drew from to shoot the short doc, which was really more of an in-house informational video for the Humane Society:

[ QUOTE ]
Sadly, the breed’s reputation has been tainted by its association with illegal dogfighting and the urban crime scene. Urban street fighting involves often spontaneous matches in playgrounds and back alleys. This is a way for local gangs to compete with each other. Pit bulls are often used for this, as are German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, and Rottweilers. This connects the pit bull with the hip hop and gangster subculture. A popular rap artist even calls himself “Pitbull.” Therefore, many young males wanting a “tough” dog acquire pit bulls. Dogs of any breed used for this purpose often end up inadequately trained and in poor health.

Consequently, media exploits the pit bull’s dog fighting lineage and connection with crime. This creates negative generalizations about the breed’s demeanor. Often, the breed is said to be inherently vicious toward humans. The media uses this misconception to generate interest for news stories and sometimes a dog of any breed that bites a human is called a pit bull.

A reporter from the New York Post wrote a story about a man who was severely bitten on the leg by a dog not of the pit bull breed. Since local media did not find this exciting enough to report, he falsely told the same story three days later, only stating the dog was a pit bull. The story was then picked up by three television news stations and four newspapers.

It is important to remember that pit bulls were bred to fight other animals, and any dog that attacked a human in the fighting pit was not bred. Dog on dog aggression is common with today’s pit bull, but human aggression is not. Pit bulls actually score higher than average on national temperament tests, consistently matching the score of the Golden Retriever. The pit bulls seen in news stories about dogs attacking humans are most likely trained to be aggressive toward humans, poorly bred, or inadequately socialized.

There are other myths surrounding pit bulls. It is not true that pit bulls have a “locking-jaw.” There is no special anatomy that allows a pit bull to create such a grip. In fact, in a recent study by Dr. Brady Barr of National Geographic, the pit bull terrier had the least amount of jaw pressure of the pit bull, German Shepherd Dog, and the Rottweiler. Another myth is the idea that pit bulls make good guard dogs. As discussed, pit bulls are bred to show aggression toward animals, not people. Most well-cared-for pit bulls would lick a stranger. A third myth is pit bulls will “turn” on their owners. While this is false, the base for this is that fact that most dogs begin to challenge for their social positions at age two, says Dr. James Ha, an animal behavior professor at the University of Washington. He continues that if these behavior changes are anticipated and dealt with at the beginning, the dog quickly figures out his or her place in the pack and settles down.

[/ QUOTE ]

When the original breeders crossed the Fox Terrier with the Bull Dog, their motives were obvious, and the pit bull can undoubtedly be a very competitive little guy with other dogs. I don't know how much weight I'd want to lend in determining whether or not that makes a pit bull "unsafe" to be with other dogs, though. It's something to be aware of, but since dogs are supposed to be leashed it rarely comes up as a real problem.

[Mrs. Utah]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It seems that most of the responses suggest that pitbulls tend to be great dogs, but require effort to get them there.

Are you saying that the need for such effort is a myth?

[/ QUOTE ]

Very perceptive.

Unless you're dealing with a dog that has been mistreated, you shouldn't have any problems. No more than you would have with any other dog.

[/ QUOTE ]

Katy's question stems from the fact that someone she is close to is considering adopting a pitbull that may have been mistreated.

Regardless of the breed that should give anyone pause, but certainly a breed that has a more aggressive temperment.

VR also brings up a good point as to the appropriateness of the breed to the situation. When we got our dog I looked for a dog that is bred for temperment because I have kids. We went through a breeder and did a lot of research. The breeder we went with would not consider an owner with kids under 5 years not because of temperment issues, but because of the dog's size. Dogs are a long term commitment, and like VR, I do not consider them to be disposable.


All dogs have the potential to bite and be aggressive. Training, care, and placement with in the right situation(with the right people) can prevent most of it, imo. I also believe that some breeds are more prone to aggressive behavior.

[FatBottomedGirls]

[ QUOTE ]
it's both.

[/ QUOTE ]

Definitely. The dogs have been bred for only one thing, to kill, and it's in their genetic make up.

Same with other dogs. Pointers aren't taught to point, they do it naturally. Retrievers aren't taught to retrieve. They do it naturally. Cattle dogs aren't taught to herd. They do it naturally. Of course people nurture those instincts in a way that is useful to them, but they're breed-specific insticts just the same. You might be able to teach those dogs to suppress their instincts, btu that doesn't mean they're gone. I think it's the same with a pitbull.

As for the owners, it just comes down to who likes pitbulls? Usually its guys who think it's cool to have a dog that's really tough or something. I guess it's an image thing. And I think those people who are interested in that image sometimes aren't the best at nurturing an animal to be gentle.

[thecincykiddo]

[ QUOTE ]
Katy's question stems from the fact that someone she is close to is considering adopting a pitbull that may have been mistreated.

[/ QUOTE ]

Katy's question also only seemed interested in human safety...but whatever.

My main concern here is that if the person adopting isn't going to see the care of the animal through, then please don't adopt. It happens all the time: someone sees a puppy and thinks it really cute and then it turns out to be a lot of work caring for the animal and then they end up dumping the dog somewhere -- whether that be giving the animal to someone equally inept or in a housing situation not right for the dog or just abandoning the animal altogether.

[ QUOTE ]
Cattle dogs aren't taught to herd. They do it naturally.

[/ QUOTE ]

Really? The Blue Merle is a very exceptionally smart kind of Australian Shepherd dog, and I've known several of them. We sent them all off to be trained, and then trained them more specifically again when they came back to the farm. They pick up pretty quick, but it's not like they're born herding, you know...