chris spence wrote on Jul 30, 2009 9:20 PM:

" this comment goes out to edwina. No, my tone wouldn't be any different if me or a family member was attacked by an american pit bull terrier or any breed for that matter. Thats the problem with society these days. Everyone is so closed minded. Would you judge a race of people because of what a few have done? I wouldnt! 9/10 of pit bull attacks aren't even the american pit bull terrier. "pit bull" is a slang term regarding to over 20 breeds. When dogs attack there is no DNA testing on the dog to find out what the dog is. When it has a blocky head and muscular build it's automatically a "pit bull". Any dog has the potential to attack not just the pit bull. The american pit bull terrier was bred to be dog-aggressive and back in the day when they were fought the ones that showed human-aggression were culled.(due to people having to be in the pits when they were fought) It is not of their nature to attack a human. Don't judge a breed by what a few have done! "




Tammy wrote on Jul 25, 2009 8:11 AM:

" That is so true about pit bull dogs.I have three and one stays in the house.I have three grandkids and they play with them all the time.Its the owners that make these dogs mean and get that name of being such a bad dog.But you can make any dog mean if you treat them that way. "




kathy wrote on Jul 24, 2009 6:36 PM:

" you know ANY breed of dog WILL bite and omg any breed of dog will attack. So why is it pitt bulls get all the news coverage?
A dog like a child lives what it learns.

Potentially aggressive breeds:

Llasa Apso: can be cranky with kids

Toy poodles: bite out of self defense

Dachsunds: not very patient

Rhodesian Ridgebacks: very dominant breed

Miniature Pinschers: "big dog" mindset in little body

Pekinese: intolerant

Chihuahuas: prefer adults, not tolerant of kids

Chow Chow: one-person dogs, bite without warning

Giant Schnauzers: very dominant breed, will even challenge adults

Old English Sheep Dog: very protective of owner

Cocker Spaniel: very protective of owner

Rottweilers: very protective
Typically gentle breeds that have "bad boy" reputations:

German Shepherd: great with kids

Bulldog: gentle, playful

Rottweilers: can be gentle, affectionate

Great Danes: gentle, affectionate

Boxers: good with kids

Mastiffs-very docile
"Pit bull" is a bit of a misnomer. There really is no such breed. Generally, "pit bulls" are a cross between a "bulldog" breed and a terrier. They are also known as American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Most "pit bulls" are not aggressive by nature. They tend to be gentle, playful and loving. However, there are those that have been bred and trained to be aggressive. Even then, they are more aggressive toward other animals, not people.

Often, aggressive "pit bulls" have been abused and/or neglected. These are VERY dangerous.

this come from cbsnews.com read and learn. cbsnews.com/stories/2002/07/10/earlyshow/contributors/debbyeturner/main514774.shtml "




Edwina wrote on Jul 24, 2009 1:19 PM:

" You people that are defending pit bulls are crazy. Read this, and it happens all the time: CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A pit bull attacked a 9-year-old girl in east Charlotte so badly that she may need plastic surgery. I bit if you child or family was attack you would change you tone. Glad to see what wells wrote. "




Wells wrote on Jul 23, 2009 12:47 PM:

" Just remember, when your pit bull mauls your child, don't sue nobody, don't protest, don't say it's a racial thing, don't blame anyone but yourself! "




Gordon wrote on Jul 23, 2009 1:20 AM:

" Any dog that will ripe the face off a child is dangerous. I say sue the owners, make an example. "




chris spence wrote on Jul 20, 2009 10:05 PM:

" I'm sorry to hear about all that brian. I'm glad you're going to do the research.. If you want to e-mail me im at cspence27870@yahoo.com and ill be glad to help you with any questions and i can provide you with any links or anything you need. also check out gopitbull . com.. theres alot of good info on there "




Linda wrote on Jul 20, 2009 3:53 PM:

" To all the people that have made negative and ignorant comments about these dogs: I felt the same way about pit bulls for years because I was fed all this information about the breed about how they are just bad dogs and they are born mean and they will bite you for now reason. This is the idea I had. Not because I had ever been around the dogs but because society has made me believe this. A couple of years ago my son got a pit bull puppy and I was furious. Well the puppy was going to have to go and I was in a hurry to get him out of my house. Over the next few weeks I discovered that he was less aggressive than my husky. He was even timid at times and very afraid of certain things and situations. Well, we ended up keeping him and he is nothing but a big baby. Yes, people are afraid of him because they see what type of dog he is. He stays in the house most of the time and doesn't tear up the house like I have heard they will do. I even have stuffed animals on shelves that he can reach if he wanted and he doesn't bother them (he has more sense that some people). If you want an aggressive dog, get a chihuahua, the worst dog bite I have ever gotten was by one of these dogs. "




Jessica wrote on Jul 20, 2009 11:49 AM:

" Hi my name is Jessica

My Cousin was just attached fro a pit bull on Saturday. You can not always blame the Owns there are many cases were a Pit bull has just snapped and killed a baby. I am sorry but I think all pitts should be put to sleep.Until it happens to your family you will never know how it feels. Whether it be the owns or not this dogs are dangerous. "




Gordon wrote on Jul 20, 2009 2:53 AM:

" Those who raise pit bulls are responsible for their dogs actions. If a pit bull bit me or my daughter I will sue the owner for everything they have now and also their future incomes. Thank god for the pit bull owners. "




Christi wrote on Jul 19, 2009 8:00 PM:

" I have worked in animal rescue for several years now. I have encountered many pitt bulls and currently have one at my home that I have adopted permanently. He was severely abused when I took him in, yet he's never acted aggresively towards a human - EVER. His eyes are full of gratitude and love. Of ALL of the dogs that I have worked with (hundreds)- I've never had a bad encounter with a Pitt Bull. The ONLY dog to ever "attack" me? NOT A PITT..but a Cocker Spaniel !!!!
The problem isn't the breed of the dog. The problem is the dog FIGHTERS !! Let's crack down on THEM and then maybe we'll begin to get to the root of the problem. If you know someone who participates in dog fighting and abuse, report them to the police so these animals can be given a fair chance. The FIGHTERS should be caged - NOT the dogs !! "




Brian wrote on Jul 14, 2009 10:49 PM:

" Chris Spence, what you say makes sense to me. I am going to do some research as you suggested. I admit I am biased toward the animal I recognize as a pit bull. My cousin was bit in the face by what his father called a pit bull, it had been a family pet for four years. My grandmother's best friend was killed by four dogs as she was at her mail box and her husband died of a heart attack while trying to save her. These dogs were called pit bulls by law enforcement. I am sure other animals can be dangerous, I am just not aware of any. To the person comparing men to animals, I am a man but am not an animal. To Fed Up, how can you compare a dog to an inanimate object such as a gun, fork, etc.? I will reserve any more comments until I know more about the subject. Thanks for the information from some of you. "




lynn wrote on Jul 9, 2009 7:27 PM:

" I love pit Bulls.. so much power in those steel jaws. mayhap this comment will be approved ? "




cj wrote on Jul 5, 2009 6:34 PM:

" I have owned MANY pit bulls over the last 7 years and Id be the first to say if they were agressive. if you ever take notice the people calling them agressive more than likely have never owned one...I trust my dogs with my kids, its people you have to worry about. Also, to the person talking about STATISTICS any dog can bite, whther it be a Toy Poodle to a Dalmation, this breed specific stuff makes me crazy!! Dont punish the breed punish the deed!!!! "




megan wrote on Jul 5, 2009 8:13 AM:

" i agree with chris. my CHILD and i are proud owners of pit bull dogs!!!! ALL dogs can be ill tempered and possibly bit someone...go look at the history pages of pits bills helen keller had a pit bull for a seeing eye dog and pits bull were also rescue dogs for the snowy areas. So do some research before downing these dogs. Pit bulls are not breed people mean, like alls dogs they just dont like others dog. and brian left me inform you that a chow and dalmation are the fastest dogs to turn on children just thought i was advise you of this "




Fed-Up wrote on Jul 5, 2009 4:47 AM:

" To Brian: I don't care for what statistics say in ANY case concerning anything. Statistics would also tell you that most marriages end in a divorce, so would you advise me to go ahead and get a divorce or tell someone else not to get married? The fact of the matter is that if the Pitt Bull is raised properly, then it will not attack its owners or anyone else for that matter... UNLESS provoked. Every animal has its tolerance limit as does every human. You beat a dog, and it will eventually bite you. From Alaskan Huskies to Pitts. ALL breeds of dogs are capable of vicious behaviour. I knew a lab that used to live where I grew up that attacked a friend of mine when we were 5. I was bitten in the face by a stinking Chow when I was 4! So don't point the blame on BREED. If you want to do that, then we need to stop allowing people to have MALE children... after all... statistics show that the human male BREED is the most violent and likely to murder....... "




Nic.Karas wrote on Jul 4, 2009 6:29 AM:

" I have two children, a daughter aged 12 and a son who is almost eight- and I have a pit bull. It is completely unfair how this breed has become demonised in the media, the vast majority of pit bull owners are like the vast majority of all dog owners- we have a cherished dog who is part of the family. There is no such thing as a 'bad dog' just bad owners, at the end of the day a dog is simply a dog- 'Man's best friend!' "




KROW wrote on Jul 3, 2009 2:26 PM:

" I OWN A 10 MONTH OLD AMERICAN PIT BULL PUP, SHE IS A SWEET DOG AND I WOULD NEVER TRAIN A DOG TO BE VICIOUS,ALTHOUGH, IF I WANTED TO SHE COULD BE A MEAN DOG.I ALSO HAVE CHILDREN LIVING AND AROUND MY HOUSE AND MY DOG LOVES ALL OF THEM TOO. "




O.Z. StaffyDaddy wrote on Jul 3, 2009 11:52 AM:

" QUOTE: Brian wrote on Jun 27, 2009 9:40 PM:
" Just because they haven't bit anyone yet does not mean they will not bite someone. read the national statistics concerning pit bulls. It would be a shame if you are wrong, especially if you have children around. "

MY ANSWER

I just want to ask what national statistics? You mean the biased charts and numbers you see from BSL supporters like dogsbite.org and PETA?

The funny thing about your statement is that you can't prove what you're saying to be true. Out of twenty dogs that might be considered " a pitbull" only one or two is actually an American Pitbull Terrier. That's the breed. Not "pitbull" That's just a term thrown around to describe dogs that bear any of the same characteristics. If you were to look up the pedigree of the "pitbulls" that make the headlines, you'd be SHOCKED to find out that hardly any of those dogs are papered, meaning the rest of them have origins which are unknown. That is the real problem. Society sees any dog that resembles the breed physically and they label it vicious. I own this breed, and im in contact with 3 or 4 american pitbull terriers and american staffordshire terriers daily. What chris is saying about the Human Aggression is completely true. These dogs actually score high on the temperament test, and it all stems from the breeding process before the Animal Rights acts of 1976.

If you actually learn about the breed, you will realize that the people using them as "guard and protection dogs" are really the ones who are misinformed. Rottweilers and Dobermans were bred for protection because THEY are actually Human Aggressive, while the American Pitbull Terrier was culled for showing signs of the unwanted trait.

In addition to obtaining this breed for the wrong purpose, the image of "a bad boy" or "thug mentality" is also what adds to the problem. Unfortunately, a lot of the dogs retrieved from criminals and drug dealers are in fact pitbulls, but it's because a vicious circle has been formed. First the media twists the truth behind the actual breed, and theyre shown as vicious dogs. Because of that, people in trouble situations and violent upbringings obtain a apbt, with hopes of making it vicious. The only way to make a pitbull vicious is to neglect it, deprive it of love and human contact. You can actually do this faster with other breeds, because it's hard to break a pitbulls spirit.

If you feel like you might want to learn more about the breed as a loving and loyal companion for the family, please visit wwwgopitbullcom and tell them StaffyDaddy sent you. All comments and opinions are welcome, and if you do decide to participate in the wonderful community, we hope to enlighten you and show you what the breed is all about. "




Love Thy Dog wrote on Jul 3, 2009 2:21 AM:

" To know the breed is to love the breed. To judge by what you see in the news is ridiculous. All dogs are loyal. All dogs can bite, but who cares when it is ANY other type of dog. Even dogs that do not look like a pit bull breed are classified as such. The statistics are not accurate. Responsible owners have great dogs no matter what breed they are. "




chris spence wrote on Jul 3, 2009 12:08 AM:

" the statistics on the "pit bull" isn't just on the american pit bull terrier. over 50 breeds of dogs fall into the category of "pit bull". Any breed of dog has the potential to be viscious. Not just the apbt. It's when these "thugs" get these dogs for looks and keep them on a chain 24/7 and don't socialize their dogs. thats when you have something to worry about. I really hate when people are uneducated about the breed try and have a debate,when theyre just going on what they heard.
anyway i dont feel like going into a rant about it but check out this link it's pretty informative
badrap.org/rescue/myths.cfm "




undisclosed wrote on Jul 2, 2009 7:36 PM:

" wow, i really believe its all in how you raise your animal! pitts shouldnt be the only concern.. what about chows? dobermans? rottweilers? "




Eric Brewer wrote on Jul 2, 2009 4:31 PM:

" MR.Spence hit the nail on the head,I've owned several American Pitbull Terriers for over 30 years and never been bitten once!
If you take a pack animal such as a dog and throw him in the backyard on a chain and never spend anytime socializing it, you are asking for trouble.
The APBT was the first dog in the white house owned by President Theodore Roosevelt and another famous APBT Sgt. Stubby was a war hero. Stubby was wounded in action twice, he saved his entire platoon by warning them of a poison gas attack and he's the most decorated war dog in history and Hellen kellar was rather fond her APBT,and don't forget pete of the little rascals!
OH yeah I almost forgot Cesar millan"the dog whisperer",the APBT his his favorite breed,the most loyal and courageous breed of dog in the wold !

Eric Brewer "




chris spence wrote on Jun 28, 2009 7:41 PM:

" it's totally ridiculous how people see this breed. The american pit bull terrier is the only breed ever bred to be non human agressive, because back when they were fought people had to be in the pits with them. The dogs that showed human agression were culled. Dogs don't attack without being provoked. Dogs arent born agressive they have to be trained to be that way. I am a proud parent of 2 american pit bull terriers and honestly i wish we had to have some kind of general knowledge to own this wonderful breed of dog. I wish we had to get some sort of liscence to own this breed. That way we could weed out the idiots that are getting these dogs for the wrong reason. If anyone has any questions about the american pit bull terrier please email me and i would be happy to help anyone cspence27870@yahoo.com "




Brian wrote on Jun 27, 2009 10:40 PM:

" Just because they haven't bit anyone yet does not mean they will not bite someone. read the national statistics concerning pit bulls. It would be a shame if you are wrong, especially if you have children around. "




Fed-Up wrote on Jun 26, 2009 11:41 PM:

" As the owner of a 2 1/2 month old Pitt I am glad someone else believesthis very statement. Its as dumb to say Pitt Bulls are vicious killers as it is to say that guns kill people. In todays society we love to remove our own human mis-doings from any equation that could make us look less than perfect. The gun doesn't kill, the person holding it does, the spoon never made anyone fat, nor did the fork, the glutton behind it did, and Pitt's are not naturally vicious, they are TRAINED to be vicious by ignorant owners who have no business owning such a beautiful animal. "

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