I've owned 2 pitbull mixes. They have been by far the best dogs I've ever owned.
On the other hand, a lab/shepherd mix mauled my son when he was 9 months old.
It is not the breed. It is the kind of owners the breeds attract because of their repuations. I find some of the responses this thread to be almost as offensive as "fags like little boys" threads.
Any animal behaviorist worth their salt will tell you pitbulls were bred to be dog aggressive not human aggressive. And, for the most part, a good owner will train their dog and socialize them with other dogs so that they don't tap into that dog aggression that was bred in for sport.
The dogs know the difference between other dogs and people. The problem with pit bulls, and I've seen this by working with them, is that there are a lot of backyard breeders trying to breed "tough" dogs, and a lot of people who want mean dogs training them to be so as well as doing a pretty good job at neglecting them. Neglect is terrible for pit bulls since they are a breed that thrives when given love and attention from their human family.
I could write pages about the pit bull hysteria and why it's so overblown as well as the real dangers of owning one, but I am so passionate about this topic that arguing with people who've never owned this kind of dog makes me insanely angry.
On the other hand, a lab/shepherd mix mauled my son when he was 9 months old.
It is not the breed. It is the kind of owners the breeds attract because of their repuations. I find some of the responses this thread to be almost as offensive as "fags like little boys" threads.
Any animal behaviorist worth their salt will tell you pitbulls were bred to be dog aggressive not human aggressive. And, for the most part, a good owner will train their dog and socialize them with other dogs so that they don't tap into that dog aggression that was bred in for sport.
The dogs know the difference between other dogs and people. The problem with pit bulls, and I've seen this by working with them, is that there are a lot of backyard breeders trying to breed "tough" dogs, and a lot of people who want mean dogs training them to be so as well as doing a pretty good job at neglecting them. Neglect is terrible for pit bulls since they are a breed that thrives when given love and attention from their human family.
I could write pages about the pit bull hysteria and why it's so overblown as well as the real dangers of owning one, but I am so passionate about this topic that arguing with people who've never owned this kind of dog makes me insanely angry.