Pit bulls-Enemies or Loving Friends? - Comments

This is true about any dog or animal in general. If taught to fight for their life, then they most definately are going to fight for their life. Bears fight other bears that become a threat because that's what they were taught by their parents just like some people act like they're better than others because that's how they were raised. Every dog, no matter the breed, has an instinct to fight. It's all in the fault of the person raising the dog. Everything you said is entirely correct and even with my view, I cring when I see a pit bull. Not because of their reputation but because of the memories of my friend's dog that was killed by four pits. They're great dogs if they're taught to be great.

It's true that pittbulls are some of the sweetest dogs you can find when raised properly, and it is true that people need to be made aware of the fact that they generally only become dangerous when raised to fight of when improperly aggravated. I have volunteered in a shelter, and have seen abused pits placed in loved, attentive homes and never have an issue despite absolutely horrible former lives.
And yet to compare their plight to the holocaust? That is absolutely rediculous and insesitive. Humanely putting the animals to sleep is NOTHING compared to conditions faced by those victim to a genocide, especially the holocaust. I urge you to think for even a second before making such an analogy again, and I'm sure you will agree that to do so is not only downplaying the horror that victims lived through but also downplaying the respect owed to them. Please think before making such comparisons.

I agree a hundred percent. Just because a few bad pups attack, they all are hated.My cousin and her parents have gotten numerous pit-bulls, now they arn't always angels, but they never attack. They meerly get excited and jump on people. Well, their dogs. They are very loving, and they protect their owners. Yes, they are a very fierce dog when it comes to it but that doesn't mean you should hate them. I'm glad someone is making a statement and asking to love them.

I agree with what you say, but I have heard nothing of this bill. Where could I find out more? I have always loved pit bulls. I have a Boston Terrier, which is a miniature pit bull, and one of the most beloved breeds in America, and he is gentle. My aunt adopted Britty from the pound, I pit bull who was stolen from her home TWICE and put in dogfights, and then throne out of a moving car to die! She is one of the sweetest dogs you will ever meet!

That's stupid. Are people really this closed minded?
I own a pit bull and she is a sweetheart, despite the fact that her past owner abused her. People shouldn't stereotype a dog breed. That's just unfair.

Thank you for posting this article up.

I totally agree with you as well. The dogs are abused so of course they would have aggressive streak towards humans! The things that abused pitbulls go through are horrible. I even have read cases where the owner will chain the females up and let the males practically rape them. That is sickening in my book.

Pit bulls have a bad rep and they don't desearve it. From what I hear from my friends who own pit bulls and other commenters, these dogs are just mis-understood and the media shouldn't jump to conclusions about things. Maybe a closer look to the owner of these dogs that attack people would be a better explanation.

I SO agree with this...
Especially because my dog's half pit bull.

i have three pit bulls.
one of which came from an abusive home. we got him after he was nearly beaten to death by my dad's friend. since then, we've had him for 14 years. he's never once bitten us, or even turned on us.

another of ours has always been with us since she was born. granted, she's only 1 year old but she's yet to show signs of agressiveness.

our last one was beaten, much like the first one, but he was almost put down. i heard about him and wanted him immediately. he was a beautiful dog, regardless of his bad temper. at first he was agressive, but once he realised we weren't going to hurt him and we were nice owners, he calmed. we had him for 12 years, then had to put him down due to arthritis and old age.

never once have any of these dogs bitten us or even turned on us.

so i think that around 99% of the attacks are blamed on the way the pit is treated. the other attacks could be blamed on chemical imbalances in the brain.

CH-YES!

Finally. Now I know there is someone out there that thinks the same thing that I do. Its [i]how[/i] you train the breeds and treat it. It just doesn't go up to you and attack. Half the fighters use that breed cause it has a rep. I have a bit bull and she is such a freaking diva. Her name is CHAOS.

She's sweet because thats how my sister treats her. It depends on how you treat the animals. Neglect, abuse, train them to fight and attack, thats all on the person.

The dogs could snap. Don't treat them bad.

Jeez.... that felt good to get off of my chest.

-Gabbie

I don't think it matters what breed of dog it is. If the dog is not given proper attention, tied up and people don't love on it and it is trained to be mean, then it will. However, if you treat your dog the right way, I'm sure it'd never hurt anyone unless you trained it to.

My aunt had a pit bull that thought he was a lap dog. He never hurt anyone.
My uncle also had one and he had trained it ONLY to attack someone if someone was breaking into the house.

Any dog can be trained properly. And any dog can snap.

Something you cannot deny is the fact that most pit bull attacks happen on a complete accident. I had a friend who raised pit bulls, not as fighting dogs but as loving family pets. One day, out of the blue, her pit bull attacked her little brother and almost ripped his head off. Is that the owner's fault?

Another thing to think about is Pit Bulls were bred as fighting dogs. They were bred to kill. The Pit Bulls that go crazy and kill people are Pit Bulls that suffer from a defect in the brain caused by the inbreeding that took place when they created the breed.

Also, as you said, other kinds of dogs can go crazy and kill. German Shepards, Blood Hounds, and Labs are a few. All of these were bred to kill. German Shepards are Police dogs for a reason, same with Blood Hounds. Laps are Bird dogs, bred to Hunt with it's master. My brother was attacked by a Lab, I have been attacked by a Pom, intent on ripping my arms off.

Chihuahuas also have been known to kill. No one ever talks about the little Mexican dog that, if placed in a group of other chihuahuas, is more likely to attack a human than any other dog.

I am sorry, this is wrong. I have owned two dogs in my life. A Pit Bull and a Labrador Retriever. My Pit is a big lap dog who would never hurt a fly. She has never hurt anyone in the six years she has been alive. Neither of my dogs did.

I don't car what people say, we showed our dogs nothing but love and gave them proper training and they never hurt anyone and I know they never will hurt anyone.

It is horrible that people get attacked, but it is not only Pit Bulls who do the attacking, yet you miraculously never hear about those attacks. Besides, if you ban one breed you are eventually going to ban them all. Don't punish some amazing dogs for something a few did and even then, it was usually the human at fault.

i got bitten by a pit bull...
but that doesn't mean i have a hatred for pit bulls...
i love them...my cousin has a few, and one of them, the one who bit me, died a few months ago....he bit me because he wanted the basketball and i didn't give it to him, and he bit me on my hand...he loved to play with balls...

RIP Spikey...T_T

all my life my Aunt and Uncle had were pits. They were so sweet and nice. The first 3 (who are dead now) came from good owners and were just so loveable.

My newest, Dazy, she didn't come from such a good place. she lived in the back of a bar, but they treated her fairly. She isn't used to human contact and gets agressive easily. When animals are not used to humans, they get afraid. Dazy wouldn't really hurt someone, she's just only used to my family.

I love my dogs and i hope that they realize that pits are not to blame....

"Studies indicate that pit bull-type dogs were involved in approximately a third of human DBRF (i.e., dog bite related fatalities) reported during the 12-year period from 1981 through1992, and Rottweilers were responsible for about half of human DBRF reported during the 4 years from 1993 through 1996....[T]he data indicate that Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67% of human DBRF in the United States between 1997 and 1998. It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities." (Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R. Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. JAVMA 2000;217:836-840.)

[i]According to the Clifton study, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks that were included in the study, 68% of the attacks upon children, 82% of the attacks upon adults, 65% of the deaths, and 68% of the maimings.[/i] That tells you something. I firmly believe there should be regulations. I do not care if you say, those dogs were not rasied properly and your dogs were. Most owners of pitbulls do not expect the attack and believed that thier dogs were friendly and were raised properly. My sisters boyfriend was mauled by a neighborhood pitbull when he was two. It just randomly came up and started mauling his face. That dog was raised "properly" like you say too.

[i]"Pit bulls and Rottweilers are accordingly dogs who not only must be handled with special precautions, but also must be regulated with special requirements appropriate to the risk they may pose to the public and other animals, if they are to be kept at all."[/i]~From the Clifton study. I believe that.

[i]The vast majority of biting dogs (77%) belong to the victim's family or a friend.[/i](Clifton Study) Friendly dogs right? And the mass majority of those were raised by people like you.

this is wrong. It's like saying Dobermans and Rottweilers are bad dogs, they aren't if bred properly. Honestly, why blame the dogs? It's not their fault that their owners don't know how to raise a dog properly. I've never had or known anyone with a pitbull, but from what I've read from comments, they aren't bad dogs if bred and raised properly. How could anyone do this? It's not right and should be stopped from happening

okay my parents got a pit when i was six months old we had her until she died when i was thirteen. she never hurt anmy of us. there were 6 kids in that house we all wrestled and abused that dog but she wasnt viscious she was the sweetest dog on the planet. She only bit one person and thats because he walked his dog past and when Hersh ran to get the other dog and when they were fighting he stuck his hand in the middle they dont know which dog bit him. she hated other dogs cept the neighbors cause they had a fense and they would run it together. She was anything but viscious.
We got two english bull dogs to replace our pit and thy are monsters. my brother "FOUND" a pit last spring and she was a sweetie too she cuddled and loved us but faught with the bullies so we had to get rid of her.
Pits aint bad dogs when in good homes. they are one of my favorite breeds. I miss my tubby and babezylla.

I had a half pitbull half something else and it was a REALLY good dog. He was sweet and nice. The only way he would attack someone was if my family were in danger. I swear, people are so ignorant blaming the breed =[

I hate how they want to pass that bill. I have had two pits ythey both died though but they where the best dogs ever.
My cousin has two and when I think of Tia or little ghostface hurting some one I just can't because they never would.
Pit's are some of the nicest dogs you will ever have if you treat them right. and my sisters boyfriend has a pitbull and a goose the pit protects us from the damn goose because he bites. (and it don't feel good)
I think these dogs should be able to live they are so nice and gental if you treat them right.