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Pit Bulls; Good Or Bad?


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#1 Gigi342

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Posted 06 May 2011 - 05:15 PM

What do you guys think aout pit bulls? some say they are nice and if they are aggresive its the owners fault and others say they are naturally mean. i dont know a pit bull that well too judge for myself tell me what you think. :2thumbsup:

#2 gm2005

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Posted 06 May 2011 - 06:11 PM

Any dog can be mean if not properly trained and socialized, even ones that are only 3 lbs.
Pit Bulls can be wonderfull dogs just like any other breed.
Is it true that some breeds are more protective then others? Sure, but that doesn't make them mean.
Just my opinion.

#3 Devdave

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Posted 06 May 2011 - 06:30 PM

Mean is what you breed and train into a dog.

I've met some LOVING Pit Bulls in my time, and some really NASTY ANGRY Chihuahua's.

#4 Gigi342

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Posted 06 May 2011 - 06:36 PM

I here people wanna ban them! i think thats ridiculous banning a dog that made a million people happy

#5 Chad Vander Veen

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Posted 07 May 2011 - 07:34 AM

Pit bulls themselves aren't bad. It's just that more often than not it seems they attract owners who are unpleasant.

#6 momof1

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Posted 07 May 2011 - 08:18 AM

What do you guys think aout pit bulls? some say they are nice and if they are aggresive its the owners fault and others say they are naturally mean. i dont know a pit bull that well too judge for myself tell me what you think. :2thumbsup:

The truth is some pit bulls are nice and loving and some are agressive and mean.

And just like with humans, part of their demeanor is likely genetic and part of it is environment (i.e. how they were raised). I've never owned a pitbull, but I've raised quite a few dogs of different breeds and I can say, despite my training, each had their own unique personalities. with in the same breed, some were more agressive and some were more meek.

Blanket statements on the nature of an entire breed of dogs is as stereotypical as describing certain races of human beings as being all (pick your undesireable trait here).

Bigotry towards a dog breed is just as ignorant as bigotry towards a particular race or ethnicity IMO.

#7 MikeinFolsom

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Posted 07 May 2011 - 08:58 AM

Some of our very good friends have 2 pit bulls as family dogs. Those things are absolutely the most fun and happy dogs there are. They were purchased as puppies, have always been around kids, and are just plain good dogs. If you were to see them on the streets the image might cause a little fear in you, but they were raised to be good dogs. It's all about the upbringing.

#8 The Average Joe

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Posted 07 May 2011 - 11:58 AM

Pit bulls themselves aren't bad. It's just that more often than not it seems they attract owners who are unpleasant.


Bingo! They have an image. There is a group of people who buy and raise these dogs because of that image. Which perpetuates the image...

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#9 Steve Heard

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Posted 07 May 2011 - 05:12 PM

The truth is some pit bulls are nice and loving and some are agressive and mean.

And just like with humans, part of their demeanor is likely genetic and part of it is environment (i.e. how they were raised). I've never owned a pitbull, but I've raised quite a few dogs of different breeds and I can say, despite my training, each had their own unique personalities. with in the same breed, some were more agressive and some were more meek.

Blanket statements on the nature of an entire breed of dogs is as stereotypical as describing certain races of human beings as being all (pick your undesireable trait here).

Bigotry towards a dog breed is just as ignorant as bigotry towards a particular race or ethnicity IMO.

Many people will tell you which dogs are best for families, which are best for hunting, for protection, etc. Within each breed, there could be some that buck the trend, but by and large they follow behavior patterns.

Pit bulls seem to be more aggressive and more likely to attack than other dogs, regardless of who owns them.

One of my relatives had 2 of them, raised them with their 4 kids. One of them was sweet and nice, the other bit people on 2 separate occasions and they had to put him down.

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#10 giasmom

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Posted 07 May 2011 - 08:21 PM

Gigi-You are welcome to get a pit when you have your own home, I love that you love all animals. I think there has been great feedback on this matter. . . ps, I did see a Pit Bull Service Dog at Sams club, complete with vest, I was plesantly surprized, he was a beautiful dog.

#11 bordercolliefan

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Posted 07 May 2011 - 09:29 PM

Many people will tell you which dogs are best for families, which are best for hunting, for protection, etc. Within each breed, there could be some that buck the trend, but by and large they follow behavior patterns.

Pit bulls seem to be more aggressive and more likely to attack than other dogs, regardless of who owns them.


I agree with Steve. Different breeds are bred for different things. Because pit bulls have so often been bred for fighting, there will have been artifical selection (by breeders) in favor of more aggressive dogs. It doesn't mean every pit bull is aggressive, but that is definitely a trait that has been favored within the breed over many generations. So, if you buy a pit bull, you are taking a risk that it comes from a line of dogs who were selected for their aggressiveness.

In contrast, Golden Retrievers (to pick an obvious example) have been touted for years as great family dogs. So, breeders will tend to select in favor of traits that make for good family dogs. If you buy a Golden, you have a good chance that your dog comes from a line of happy-go-lucky, "I love everybody" dogs.

Of course, there can be an aggressive Golden Retriever, just as there can be a sweet pit bull. But as a matter of statistics, the Golden is more likely to make the great family dog.

I would not write off all pit bulls, but I would be extra cautious with that breed. I might try to have it behaviour-tested by an expert before I would bring it home to my family.

Incidentally, there are other breeds I would be similarly cautious of. For example, cocker spaniels are well-known to suffer from genetic "rage syndrome." Again, while not writing off all cocker spaniels, I would do my homework to make sure I did not acquire one of those dogs.

#12 Darth Lefty

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Posted 08 May 2011 - 01:47 PM

This has a huge potential for flamewarfare (the wikipedia entry on pit bulls has three different disclaimers at the top about disputed content). I think it's really and truly a large part nature, not just nurture. Different dogs are bred for different things. Golden retrievers are big, happy, and eager to please. Little mop dogs may bark up a storm but it's only funny or annoying, not dangerous, because they weigh twelve pounds and couldn't hurt a house cat. Pit bulls are big and athletic with a stand-offish attitude and a bit of temper. If you have one, and you're honest with yourself, that's why you got one. (It can't be their looks, anyhow.) If you never challenge that temper, you may believe you have a dog that wouldn't hurt a flea.
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#13 tsukiji

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Posted 08 May 2011 - 02:29 PM

I'm not a dog expert and I've always been curious about what seems to be a higher incidence of pits / rotts and similar breeds being involved in attacks as reported by the press. Perhaps there is some inherent trait that leads to a seemingly higher incident rate.

Yet, Caesar Milan (Dog Whisper) has a pit that seems fantastically well behaved regardless of breed.

Perhaps there is a innate trait that, if left unchecked by the owner, leads to incidents. So, maybe in large part it depends on the owner.

But also, like Darth pointed out, a pit / rott attack would likely tend to be much more severe and make the news than say a chihuahua or other small-ish dog attack. So, with similar or higher frequencies of attach but with much more severity in outcome has lead to perception, warranted or not.

#14 4thgenFolsomite

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Posted 09 May 2011 - 12:13 PM

The truth is some pit bulls are nice and loving and some are agressive and mean.

And just like with humans, part of their demeanor is likely genetic and part of it is environment (i.e. how they were raised). I've never owned a pitbull, but I've raised quite a few dogs of different breeds and I can say, despite my training, each had their own unique personalities. with in the same breed, some were more agressive and some were more meek.

Blanket statements on the nature of an entire breed of dogs is as stereotypical as describing certain races of human beings as being all (pick your undesireable trait here).

Bigotry towards a dog breed is just as ignorant as bigotry towards a particular race or ethnicity IMO.


okay, I have to point out that dogs are bred to enhance traits and instincts. that's why some dogs are pointers and others are herding animals. they aren't just bred for appearance. pit bulls were bred for fighting and that instinct can kick in unexpectedly. that is why certain breeds, including pit bulls, are banned by insurance companies (i.e. tenants may not possess....).

this is why breeders, vets, etc., recommend certain dogs as family dogs, etc. for instance, labs and golden retrievers are known as good companion animals. is that a bigotted blanket statement? no, its just the facts.
Knowing the past helps deciphering the future.

#15 Sandman

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Posted 09 May 2011 - 12:42 PM

I am dog person but have a bitter dislike for pitbulls. Call it whatever you want but I don't think it's coincedence everytime you hear in the news of someone getting killed or maimed that it just so happens to be a pitbull. I don't let me kids around them regardless of the owners appearance or demeanor.




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