Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I really don't believe anyone is taking DNA samples and saying, "Well, it has 60% pit, 30% rotty and 10% lab; therefore, we shall refer to it as a potterab."
Should we categorize every dog without papers and a pure bloodline as a mutt?
This is why I generally refer to it as the 'type' and not the breed.
BTW, I was able to pick out the pit.
I'm also guessing the mother of the dead girl, who owned the dog, new it wasn't a Bichon.
A pit bull is not going to be anywhere NEAR that size. You can dance around this all that you want, that dog that attacked that girl is NOT a pit bull.
A pit bull is not going to be anywhere NEAR that size. You can dance around this all that you want, that dog that attacked that girl is NOT a pit bull.
You obviously have no experience with the size of pits being bred around these parts as hog catchers. Most easily break 100lbs.
There is a difference between breed standards and real world breeding. Take labs for example. I think the breed standard is about 80lbs or so max. Damned hard to find many male labs that meet this standard. I know because I struggled to find pups that didnt have a huge sire to minimize bone issues when they got older. That doesnt mean they arent labs or even not registered as labs, the breeders just arent concerned about showing them. I suspect the same is true for Pits.
So saying a dog can't possibly be a pit because of some reg standard is disingenuous at best.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erratikmind
Then you and the pit bull breeder are in disagreement.
Looking up 'World's Largest Pit Bull' (157lbs?), I ran across this excellent resource: 17 Barks: Dog attack report by breed - June 2013 Many pages of information on the breed. Don't read it while you're eating, though. Some of the pictures...
Proud owner of an APBT, but we really had to do some research to confirm it. We got our "bundle of joy" through a rescue shelter, and I have to admit.....I was wary about this dog at first.....and ignorant.
So.....here's the deal:
1. All pit bulls are bad.
This statement is wrong on so many levels that I don't know where to start. Dogs don't have a conscience, they can't be "bad." These dogs react to their world based on their breeding & training. But I gotta tell ya, you can't breed a dog to fight other dogs for 200 years and expect a miracle.
It is what it is.
2. All pit bulls are good.
See #1.
Dogs act without conscience and their behavior is based on their breeding & training. It's completely wrong to try to sell the public that they're fluffy bundles of joy that would NEVER bite ANYTHING. By the same token, no dog should be marketed as such. An incredible disservice to dog lovers & dogs.
3. Pits are aggressive to humans.
OK. Let's get back to the breeding part. If you're training a dog to fight another dog, the last thing you'd want is to get the dog all riled up in a frenzy....ready to take your arm off. When a pit bull attacks a person, there are factors involved, such as protection of food. ANY dog can attack if provoked.
These dogs were bred to NOT attack people.
I'll get back to Y'all later, as I have other stuff to do.
And keep the dialogue friendly and polite...please. We can easily make this discussion an informative one for everybody.
My career involves working with animals. In the past 20 years of working with animals, I have only encountered ONE aggressive pit bull. I have been bitten by German shepherds, Chihuahuas, Lhasas, Chows, Akitas, and Sharpeis more times than I can count. People always pull up some sensational media pit bull attack to prove their point of how dangerous pit bulls are, but I'm willing to bet that just as many people have been mauled by many other breeds...just that their story doesn't garner the attention and outrage that a pit bull attack does.
If someone is injured by a dog and they later find out it was a PB, does it matter then? If they knew beforehand, they might be more cautious and thus save themselves some pain.
Some of you obviously know what is and what isn't a pit bull, but that is only because you have more than a passing interest in the subject.
For me, and my family, as people who have no interest in "theoretically" or "actually" aggressive dogs, i prefer that my family just stay away from them all together. So, not being able to identify a pb is not a bad thing to me.
Does it matter if it was a shepherd (highest bite psi for ANY purebred), poodle (historically temperamental), or house cat (more germs than a hospital)?.........
Again, aggressiveness has to do with breeding & training. I'm not about to tell you what your family needs or wants.....you guys have to be comfortable about which critters you want in your house and what you're comfortable around.
I don't want to be around (or my loved ones) ANY dog that has a propensity to attack.
It's a little like an airplane crash. Much safer than driving, but who has any second thoughts about driving a car, and yet phobias to flying are fairly comon place.
The point? It is highly unlikely that reason will prevail in such an emotional charged scenario/story.
I feel bad for the kid and the kids family. No one should be torn up by a dog (of any breed), but thank heavens it is an extremely, extremely rare event!
the new american malady the misprogramming of millions to believe that if you are kind and respect predators they will treat you well and pose no threat nor danger.
Proud owner of an APBT, but we really had to do some research to confirm it. We got our "bundle of joy" through a rescue shelter, and I have to admit.....I was wary about this dog at first.....and ignorant.
So.....here's the deal:
1. All pit bulls are bad.
This statement is wrong on so many levels that I don't know where to start. Dogs don't have a conscience, they can't be "bad." These dogs react to their world based on their breeding & training. But I gotta tell ya, you can't breed a dog to fight other dogs for 200 years and expect a miracle.
It is what it is.
2. All pit bulls are good.
See #1.
Dogs act without conscience and their behavior is based on their breeding & training. It's completely wrong to try to sell the public that they're fluffy bundles of joy that would NEVER bite ANYTHING. By the same token, no dog should be marketed as such. An incredible disservice to dog lovers & dogs.
3. Pits are aggressive to humans.
OK. Let's get back to the breeding part. If you're training a dog to fight another dog, the last thing you'd want is to get the dog all riled up in a frenzy....ready to take your arm off. When a pit bull attacks a person, there are factors involved, such as protection of food. ANY dog can attack if provoked.
These dogs were bred to NOT attack people.
I'll get back to Y'all later, as I have other stuff to do.
And keep the dialogue friendly and polite...please. We can easily make this discussion an informative one for everybody.
4. Pits can cause more damage than other dogs.
Sorry, pit lovers, 'tis true. They're incredibly strong and are bred to kill other dogs. They just won't stop either, because historically they were trained to fight to the death. Their tenacity and brute strength are a recipe for some serious problems. But.....this is the good part.....they obey VERY well. Another trait that they remarkably have kept that makes them good companions in CERTAIN households. Oh, and BTW......pit bulls jaws don't "lock." It's physically impossible.
5. Aggressive pits can't be rehabilitated.
Far from the truth. 50 dogs were confiscated from Michael Vick's property and 49 of 'em were successfully re-habbed and living in loving homes today. Extensive testing of these critters was done and I can provide proof later if anyone is interested.
How many of us have taken in strays (dogs, cats, et al), and can provide proof that WE successfully acclimated them?
I'm willing to bet a lot on THAT one....
6. Anyone can own a pit bull.
No way. I speak from experience that it was painfully obvious that our APBT was abused. A whole story-blog on how we got to this point with our pooch. (Maybe I should start one).... These dogs need a LOT of attention. Exercise, love, proper diet, etc.
Don't everyone freak out at once, but we also have a Pomeranian. He's an old crotchety fella that doesn't take a lot of crap. Ask the pit bull...... They never have to be separated and no......we don't worry about coming home to a gut pile on the kitchen floor.
Keep in mind that we have a decent sized yard, a swimming pool, and we go for "walkies" every day. Obviously, the pom can't go as far or as long as the pit.
And.....BOTH dogs have to work for their treats. It's a control thing that us dog lovers live every day. Make 'em know who's boss.
7. Pit Bulls will always fight other dogs.
Another "No way." But, some pits (like other dogs) should be the only dog in the house. Our Pomeranian was that type of dog. Imagine training a crotchety old mutt at the same time as our abused pit. It was hard but worth it.
8. Pit Bulls are lovers and not fighters.
Well, ours is. She thinks she's a lap dog. She has her place on the couch and has to be constrained with her "kisses." Always willing to please and that's where the loyalty comes in. Incredibly loyal. And incredibly loveable.... can a child yank on her tail and bother her all day? Yep. But I won't let that happen. Not with the Pomeranian either.
How many of us have to train our guests with our pets?
Too much of a hassle?
Put them in the other room so we can enjoy our human company. Not a big deal. Especially when we're having a dinner party.
That's all I can think of tonight; hope this helps.
Look, I can't sway anyone of their pre-conceived notions; I realize that. I'm just trying to relate my experiences with our APBT so maybe Y'all can understand better.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
They're incredibly strong and are bred to kill other dogs. They just won't stop either, because historically they were trained to fight to the death. Their tenacity and brute strength are a recipe for some serious problems. But.....this is the good part.....they obey VERY well. Another trait that they remarkably have kept that makes them good companions in CERTAIN households. Oh, and BTW......pit bulls jaws don't "lock." It's physically impossible. 
These dogs need a LOT of attention. Exercise, love, proper diet, etc. 
They never have to be separated and no......we don't worry about coming home to a gut pile on the kitchen floor. 
She thinks she's a lap dog. She has her place on the couch and has to be constrained with her "kisses." Always willing to please and that's where the loyalty comes in. Incredibly loyal. And incredibly loveable.... can a child yank on her tail and bother her all day? Yep. But I won't let that happen. Not with the Pomeranian either. 
