How Pit Bulls Got Singled Out as Dangerous Dogs

heifer dust! I knew a man with a pit bull in the mid 70's who was proud that his dog was able to kill a german shepard when the pit bull was only two years old, It also got a poodle! They did not suddenly in the 80's start being mistreated, the criminal element wanted to protect themselves during drug deals. And the dog fulfilled the role, BECAUSE IT ALREADY HAD THOSE TENDENCIES!

I have3 Blue Heelers, 2 Rottweilers and 2 Pitt Bulls. When someone comes to visit I have to lock up the Blue Heelers because they bite and are very protective of me. More people are afraid of the Pitt Bulls and my wonderful Rottweilers but nobody bats an eye at the smaller dogs. Fact is, smaller breeds are more likely to bite than the bigger breeds, and they are the number one bitters of children. Anyone with a dog knows that when your dog bites your are held responsible for the actions of your dog, no matter the size or the breed. I know that Pitt Bulls are dangerouse but large breeds are when they latch on to a child and chew the child up, but they are not all like that. Bald men with gangster tattoo's are not killer gang members yet we treat them like they are. The good dogs need to start becoming more in numbers than the bad ones, one dog at a time? one owner at a time? Something needs to change but lets not give up on this breautiful breed.

Pit Bulls, Dobies, Rotties, Boxer, German Shepards, Staffordshire terriers, etc., get a bum rap. If these dogs are properly trained and socialied from day one, they will not attack. Those that are abused and trained to attack are "usually" done by ppl who are involved in illegal activities.

PIT BULLS ARE GREAT DOGS AND A GREAT BREED and unfairly judged and criticized and I an tired of it. Our in laws have a Pure Bred Pit Bull and they have had it since he was a puppy and I grew up with a Labrador and adored her but the next dog I adopt for sure will be a Pit Bull !!!! Most of the dog attacks around our home have been by little dogs not the big ones and NOT PIT BULLS. Anyone who says such awful things about a specific breed has obviously never experienced having one in their life and until you have a Pit Bull and experience their Love and how much affection they have then shame on you for categorizing them as devil dogs. You need to educate yourself on all dog breeds. Oh and to put in bluntly............any dog breed can attack when provoked and YES A LOT OF HOW A DOG BEHAVES IS BASED ON HOW A HUMAN BEING RAISES THAT DOG AND TREATS THAT DOG. 99% of it falls on the OWNER !!!!!!!! Do your homework and stop judging PIts, Rotts, German Shepards, Mastiffs and all the other wonderful Large Breeds that get such bad raps. Leave the dogs alone and instead you should be bashing the owners who don't treat them properly and ignore them, mistreat them and abuse them. The owners are the ones who should be judged, not their dogs !!!!

My story begins by admitting that I too was one of those people who thought pitbulls were vicious dogs from all the media hype. To my surprise and horror my fiance decided to "surprise" me with an american pitbull puppy 3 years ago. And this is what I have to say about my experience the past 3 years: never have I ever felt the love, and loyalty of a creature such as my pittie has given me. He has been showered with love, belly rubs and treats. He did finish a 6 month obedience training, which I believe every single dog should do (even the little ones). He goes to the doggy park and plays with dogs of all sizes and breeds. When he was about 6 months old he was attacked and bitten by a Huski yet still to this day has not shown any aggression toward a single dog or human being. When other dogs show aggression toward him, he simply walks away. What I am trying to say is this: to all those people with misconceptions of this breed, please take some time out of your life, open your heart, go to your local pound and spend some time with a pitbull. I am 100% confident that you will change your mind just as my pittie has changed my life. You have not felt love and/or loyalty until you have opened your heart to a pitbull.

REPLY TO: Nothing but a bunch of ignoramus dog hating people is what these idiots are true! They know nothing of the breed and so do some of the others here I am an ambassador to the breed having been around them my whole life and I'm not young I have the most beautiful dogs ever watch something good and stop making up crazy off the wall stories that only you in your mind believe wow you just sound so ignorant! ..It does no good to talk to these stupid people for they are far to out there..All I know is most are making up what they want to hear and stupid purple girl wow dogs killing people your out of your mind! You people here are all telling myths, made up stories no way could they be true same as if you shot a person in the head fricking crazies..In all my debate groups never have I heard such stupidity you all need to go get real!!!

My 3 year old Pit bull is Canine Good Citizen Certified and therapy dog certified. You closed minded people need to go away! Your stats are off, majority of the dogs are not even Pit Bulls or even the bully breed. I work at two shelters and I even had a lab come in that was labeled as a pit bull. I fight for this breed... the Nanny Dog! Breed Specific Legislation needs to freaking end now! I will only own a Pit bull!

A civil court judge said on television last week that 90% of the cases involving dog attacks that she heard were by pit bulls. The attacks were primarily on children or other dogs

L.A. NOW
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA -- THIS JUST IN
Lancaster's dog ordinance is cited in helping to drive down gang crime January 21, 2010

A Lancaster ordinance imposing stiff penalties on owners of “potentially dangerous” and “vicious” dogs is reaping positive results, and may have even helped to drive down gang crime in the city, officials said.

The law, adopted in January 2009, was primarily aimed at preventing gang members from using dogs, such as pit bulls and Rottweilers, to bully people or cause physical harm, officials said.
City officials said that 1,138 pit bulls and Rottweilers were impounded last year by the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control. Of those, 362 were voluntarily surrendered by their owners in response to Lancaster’s ordinance.

“A year ago, this city was overrun with individuals -- namely, gang members -- who routinely used pit bulls and other potentially vicious dogs as tools of intimidation and violence,” Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said in a statement.

“These individuals delighted in the danger these animals posed to our residents, often walking them without leashes and allowing them to run rampant through our neighborhoods and parks. Today, more than 1,100 of these animals have been removed from our city, along with the fear they create. Lancaster is now a great deal safer because of it.”

Parris believes there is a correlation between the results of the dog ordinance and a drop in the city’s gang crime rate. Lancaster’s violent gang crime, which includes homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, fell by 45% last year, and there was a drop in overall gang crime by 41%, Parris said, citing statistics from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Under the dog ordinance, a hearing officer can deem a dog to be potentially dangerous, for example, if the animal becomes aggressive when unprovoked.

The dog can be impounded, and the owner must have it properly licensed, implanted with a microchip and vaccinated at his own cost before the animal’s release.
Dogs deemed to be vicious can be destroyed if they are determined to be a significant threat to public safety, according to the ordinance.

It also requires owners of potentially dangerous dogs to ensure proper leashing and muzzling, complete a dog obedience training course, spay or neuter their animals, and pay a fine of up to $500 for each offense.

Owners of dogs deemed to be vicious face fines of up to $1,000 per offense, and they could be prevented from possessing any dog for up to three years.

Though city officials praise the dog law, some residents continue to challenge its fairness. They argue that “breed-specific” legislation is an injustice to canines, because irresponsible owners are to blame for a dog’s behavior, not the dog.

-- Ann M. Simmons

No link between owners, aggressive dogs: Study.
Nanaimo Daily News [Nanaimo, B.C 24 May 2012.

More proof that is the breed not the owner, it is nature not nurture that creates a mutant undog killer like a pit bull.

People who love tough dogs may be as misunderstood as the animals themselves, if a new academic study is any indication.

Reporting in the journal Anthrozoos, researchers from Canada and the U.K. find an affinity for breeds perceived as aggressive - think Staffordshire bull terriers and boxers - isn't linked to delinquent behavior, despite stereotypes of such people as gang bangers, criminals and garden-variety dirt bags.

The only cliche that held true was one of anti-social tendencies: folks who were suspicious, unfriendly or competitive were likelier to desire an intimidating dog than their more affable counterparts.

Credit: News Services.

Copyright CanWest Digital Media May 24, 2012.