It's beyond me how people think owning a pitbull as a family pet is a good idea...

[DakotaGuy]

Every year, 25 times as many children are killed by cribs as by pit bulls.

Where is the "It's beyond me how people think using a crib as a bed for children is a good idea" thread?

Every year, 800 times as many children are abused by adults than are by pit bulls.

Wake up, people. Pit Bulls and dogs are not very dangerous.

However, 1.5 million pit bulls are killed in shelters every year. A pit bull is half a million times more likely to be killed by a human than the other way around.

And if anyone here owns a firearm, they need to delete every comment they have posted.

Ok you have made your point clear that Pit bulls are very gentle and a great choice for a family pet. A great dog for kids to play with. With that said... I still wouldn't own one.

As far as the firearm comment goes... I am a gun owner, but my guns are locked up if children are around. Do you lock up your Pit bull when kids are around? Just wondering.

 

[AustinIllini]

Ok you have made your point clear that Pitbulls are very gentle and a great choice for a family pet. Safest dog around for your kids to play with. With that said... I still wouldn't own one.

As far as the firearm comment goes... I am a gun owner, but my guns are locked up if children are around... Do you lock up your Pitbull when kids are around? Just wondering.

Statistics about firearm ownership is significantly clearer than any pit bull data. The fact of the matter is, you replacing your firearm with a pit bull would be arguably the best thing you have ever done for the safety of your family.

Omg...PRSI has turned me into a liberal.

 

[firedept]

I can not believe the misconceptions about pitbulls I have read. There are many more dangerous dog owners than dogs. Pitbulls are beautiful dogs if they are raised and trained properly. My neighbour has a red pitbull name Jaffa and she is one of the most friendly dogs you could ever meet. They have three small girls between the age of 2-6. We look after Jaffa when they go on vacation as we own dogs ourselves.

I would own a pitbull in a heartbeat. I think they are beautiful dogs that have been misconceived because they are used for fighting and occasionally owned by bad owners. Yes you only hear the stories about pitbulls, but there are many other dangerous dogs. Small dogs tend to be bigger biters.

 

[lht0747]

Pitbull my favorite.

 

[DakotaGuy]

Statistics about firearm ownership is significantly clearer than any pit bull data. The fact of the matter is, you replacing your firearm with a pit bull would be arguably the best thing you have ever done for the safety of your family.

Omg...PRSI has turned me into a liberal.

I'm not replacing my guns with a pit bull. I don't care what the statistics say I have control over my guns being safely locked away versus a pit bull on the loose. Those statistics on guns and pit bull attacks would be a lot better if everyone was responsible as gun and dog owners.

I'm not conservative and I'm not liberal. I hate labels and following agendas set by others. I like to think for myself. What I do believe in is freedom. If your a responsible dog owner and feel like you can properly train and handle a pit bull then get one. The same goes for firearms.

With all of that said, I just don't care for pit bulls and wouldn't own one. They just aren't my kind of dog. I'll leave it at that.

 

[bradl]

So much of it is a dog by dog basis, really. German Shepherds and Rottweilers quite aggressive at times and Dalmatians are really mean. I have a Rottweiler/Pitt mix and he's great with kids. Pitt Bulls are such a wide array of dogs that are heavily crossbred with other breeds that most of them now don't carry over the fighting traits.

Actually, German Shepherds were the the best breeds for guide dogs, going back at least 50 years. Guide Dogs for the Blind recently stopped using them - not because they were hard to breed or train, but because they wanted to simplify and streamline. They were previously using yellow, black, and chocolate labs, golden retrievers, lab/golden crosses, german shepherds, and were experimenting with Australian shepherds and (believe it or not) giant poodles. They graduated their last shepherd class in 2008.

My vote is for Great Pyrenees. We have a Pyrenees/German shepherd mix. She is the sweetest animal I have ever met. Found her out on the side of the road in rural Texas. Pyrenees are extremely protective (bred to protect sheep) but extremely chill and generally quite friendly.

Yeah they shed, but that's the reality with a number of dogs.

This little (big. like 85 lbs) one is daddy's favorite

The next soft spot for me. Back when I was a kid and Nickelodeon was actually a cool kids' cable channel, there was this one show on in which my world stopped for the 30 minutes it was on: Belle and Sebastian. Because of this series, I always wanted a Great Pyrenees.

BL.

 

[MacNut]

Actually, German Shepherds were the the best breeds for guide dogs, going back at least 50 years. Guide Dogs for the Blind recently stopped using them - not because they were hard to breed or train, but because they wanted to simplify and streamline. They were previously using yellow, black, and chocolate labs, golden retrievers, lab/golden crosses, german shepherds, and were experimenting with Australian shepherds and (believe it or not) giant poodles. They graduated their last shepherd class in 2008.



The next soft spot for me. Back when I was a kid and Nickelodeon was actually a cool kids' cable channel, there was this one show on in which my world stopped for the 30 minutes it was on: Belle and Sebastian. Because of this series, I always wanted a Great Pyrenees.

BL.

I know some labs and Shepherds can have major hip issues when they get older. Was that one reason for retiring the bred?

 

[Huntn]

I know some labs and Shepherds can have major hip issues when they get older. Was that one reason for retiring the bred?

I've always wondered if these kinds of health problems were a natural condition of the breed or might have something to do with breeding purebreds?

 

[iScared]

I've always wondered if these kinds of health problems were a natural condition of the breed or might have something to do with breeding purebreds?

It depends on the breed like anything else.

Yes, dogs can be great around kids, but it all depends on the dog and of course the parents. If you aren't going to give the dog the time or day, then the dog is horrible option for a pet.

 

[Huntn]

Well, yes, oh dear: Leaving aside the distasteful noun, dripping with not even masked contempt, this does beg the question of why young men with certain predilections or from certain backgrounds may be more inclined to choose this breed of dog rather than another?

I'll add to your statement with my own, statistics don't lie. Pitbulls, top of the list for human deaths, and I'm not inclined to believe that the explanation is that they are all a result of bad owners. The breed has historically been used for fighting. I won't imply that every Pitbulls is a killer, but I don't care for the odds based on the reality of the statistics.

If we ever own another pet, besides cats that I love, but make my wife sneeze, in the dog department it would be a Yorky, small, good natured, and no large messes to deal with. The ones I've met are not yappy.

 

[Huntn]

Have you got any examples?

Not readily available. Typically family pets, no problem, then boom.

I agree. If you have kids, pitbulls are not the dog to own

Some statistics here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_bull

A 1991 study found that 94% of attacks on children by pit bulls were unprovoked, compared to 43% for other breeds, and that 67% involved freely roaming animals.[/QUOTE]

 

[senseless]

My homeowners insurance company asked if I owned a Pitbull, Shepard or Rottweiler before they would write the policy.

 

[2298754]

My vote is for Great Pyrenees. We have a Pyrenees/German shepherd mix. She is the sweetest animal I have ever met. Found her out on the side of the road in rural Texas. Pyrenees are extremely protective (bred to protect sheep) but extremely chill and generally quite friendly.

Yeah they shed, but that's the reality with a number of dogs.

This little (big. like 85 lbs) one is daddy's favorite

Such a cute dog. They're not very popular around here for some reason.

If they are rated the same as Golden Retrievers for aggressiveness you would think the kill rate would be similar between the two dogs, but it's not even close. Heck it's been years since a death was attributed to a Golden Retriever.

If you feel a Pitbull is the best choice for you and your family that's your business. I'll just stick with a Goldendoodle and feel very safe letting my nieces, nephews and visitors interact with him.

Golden doodles are awesome. Huge fan of them. I wouldn't have any problems leaving one of them with little kids or babies.

 

[applelover4u]

So the fact that, statistically, Pit Bulls don't attack kids means nothing to you?

you got to be nuts to think pit bulls dont attack kids

look at all these news articles https://www.google.com/search?q=pit+bull+attack+kids+number&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

 

[Michael Goff]

you got to be nuts to think pit bulls dont attack kids

look at all these news articles https://www.google.com/search?q=pit+bull+attack+kids+number&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Did you misundrrstand my post? The number of bites to total pit bulls makes it statistically insignificant. Yes, it happens. People also choke on hot dogs.

 

[applelover4u]

Did you misundrrstand my post? The number of bites to total pit bulls makes it statistically insignificant. Yes, it happens. People also choke on hot dogs.

people dont choke on hotdogs at a high rate and when people choke on hot dogs it is fault of their own.

Pit bulls attack at a high rate

 

[Michael Goff]

people dont choke on hotdogs at a high rate and when people choke on hot dogs it is fault of their own.

Pit bulls attack at a high rate

No, pit bulls do not attack at a high rate, especially in relation to bites against children that is being used as the main problem in the thread.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

No, pit bulls do not attack at a high rate, especially in relation to bites against children that is being used as the main problem in the thread.

Sigh.

The level of denial in this thread calls to mind the type of denial one sees in some of the gun threads. The old 'guns don't kill; people do' and here, we see, 'pit bulls are not a problem, their owners are' or the deeply disingenuous 'more people die from choking on hot-dogs than die from pit bull bites'.

There are two distinctions which the defenders of pit bulls need to draw, and admit to and acknowledge.

The first is that these dogs were bred to fight, which gives them a somewhat different core temperament with different triggers, than a dog that was bred to guard sheep, for example. That means that a greater duty of care is required from pit bull owners, full stop, irrespective of how engaging that particular animal actually is - and I don't doubt for one minute that a well trained and much loved pit bull may not present the threat or do the harm that a neglected one can.

My second point arises from the first. These dogs were bred to fight, and one of their distinguishing characteristics is that they have a ferocious and fearsome bite. That means that when they bite they have the capacity to do an awful lot more damage to anyone - above all a child, than most other dogs can manage, even individual dogs with a vicious temperament. Again, for that precise reason, it behoves the owner of a pit bull to show - and be prepared to show - a higher duty of care and responsibility than the owner of a dog that does not have such a powerful bite.

 

[Huntn]

No, pit bulls do not attack at a high rate, especially in relation to bites against children that is being used as the main problem in the thread.

Statistics conflict with your statement.

 

[Michael Goff]

Sigh.

The level of denial in this thread calls to mind the type of denial one sees in some of the gun threads. The old 'guns don't kill; people do' and here, we see, 'pit bulls are not a problem, their owners are' or the deeply disingenuous 'more people die from choking on hot-dogs than die from pit bull bites'.

There are two distinctions which the defenders of put bulls need to draw, and admit to and acknowledge.

The first is that these dogs were bred to fight, which gives them a somewhat different core temperament with different triggers, than a dog that was bred to guard sheep, for example. That means that a greater duty of care is required from pit bull owners, full stop, irrespective of how engaging that particular animal actually is - and I don't doubt for one minute that a well trained and much loved pit bull may not present the threat or do the harm that a neglected one can.

My second point arises from the first. These dogs were bred to fight, and one of their distinguishing characteristics is that they have a ferocious and fearsome bite. That means that when they bite they have the capacity to do an awful lot more damage to anyone - above all a child, than do most other dogs can manage, even individual dogs with a vicious temperament. Again, for that precise reason, it behoves the owner of a pit bull to show - and be prepared to show - a higher duty of care and responsibility than the owner of a dog that does not have such a powerful bite.

I've used facts and statistics, you've used feelings and "they're bred to fight". Yet I'm somehow the one in denial.

Statistics conflict with your statement.

http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-study-dog-attacks-and-maimings-merritt-clifton.php

295 deaths and 1355 child attacks in 32 years. That leads to an average of 42 child attacks per year and slightly over 9 deaths on average. Now, I'm not going to go into other things that people die from more often, I've said that enough. Nobody cares, apparently. There are, apparently, approximately 73 million dogs, 5% of which are pit bulls in the US alone.

How Many Dogs Are There In the World? | Psychology ...

http://www.numberof.net/number-of-pit-bulls-in-the-us/


Those two numbers, the amount of attacks against the actual number of pit bulls, makes it obvious that pit bulls that attack humans are in the minority.

 

[Huntn]

I've used facts and statistics, you've used feelings and "they're bred to fight". Yet I'm somehow the one in denial.




http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-study-dog-attacks-and-maimings-merritt-clifton.php

295 deaths and 1355 child attacks in 32 years. That leads to an average of 42 child attacks per year and slightly over 9 deaths on average. Now, I'm not going to go into other things that people die from more often, I've said that enough. Nobody cares, apparently. There are, apparently, approximately 73 million dogs, 5% of which are pit bulls in the US alone.

How Many Dogs Are There In the World? | Psychology ...

http://www.numberof.net/number-of-pit-bulls-in-the-us/


Those two numbers, the amount of attacks against the actual number of pit bulls, makes it obvious that pit bulls that attack humans are in the minority.

See post 61.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I've used facts and statistics, you've used feelings and "they're bred to fight". Yet I'm somehow the one in denial.




http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-study-dog-attacks-and-maimings-merritt-clifton.php

295 deaths and 1355 child attacks in 32 years. That leads to an average of 42 child attacks per year and slightly over 9 deaths on average. Now, I'm not going to go into other things that people die from more often, I've said that enough. Nobody cares, apparently. There are, apparently, approximately 73 million dogs, 5% of which are pit bulls in the US alone.

How Many Dogs Are There In the World? | Psychology ...

http://www.numberof.net/number-of-pit-bulls-in-the-us/


Those two numbers, the amount of attacks against the actual number of pit bulls, makes it obvious that pit bulls that attack humans are in the minority.

I think you are missing the point that one death is a death too many. Ten child deaths a year from pit bulls? I come from a country where, if one police officer a year dies violently it gives rise to national headlines, and where the police aren't armed, and where children, as a rule, don't get shot to death, or bitten to death. Ten deaths a year from a specific breed of dog is a disgraceful statistic, not an excuse.

And I am staggered that you apparently fail to recognise that what differentiates this breed form most others is that it has been bred to fight.

I am not from the US, so the culture of denial on a great many things (guns, evolution, and - now - pit bulls - stupefies, but doesn't really surprise me) but I repeat that a bite - and an attack from a pit bull - is a lot more threatening and possibly dangerous to the person bitten than a bite as a result of an attack by almost any other breed precisely because of why and how (that awesome bite) and the way that pit bulls have been bred.

Actually, I have to confess myself astounded that there is a staggering reluctance and inability to recognise that this breed poses more of a potential threat to children than many other breeds, and, as a consequence, that this, in turn, imposes a higher duty of care on pit bull owners than would be expected from most other dog owners.

 

[mobilehaathi]

I've used facts and statistics, you've used feelings and "they're bred to fight". Yet I'm somehow the one in denial.




http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-study-dog-attacks-and-maimings-merritt-clifton.php

295 deaths and 1355 child attacks in 32 years. That leads to an average of 42 child attacks per year and slightly over 9 deaths on average. Now, I'm not going to go into other things that people die from more often, I've said that enough. Nobody cares, apparently. There are, apparently, approximately 73 million dogs, 5% of which are pit bulls in the US alone.

How Many Dogs Are There In the World? | Psychology ...

http://www.numberof.net/number-of-pit-bulls-in-the-us/


Those two numbers, the amount of attacks against the actual number of pit bulls, makes it obvious that pit bulls that attack humans are in the minority.

From your own links:

• Even if the pit bull category was "split four ways," attacks by pit bulls and their closest relatives would still outnumber attacks by any other dog breed.
• Pit bulls are noteworthy for attacking adults almost as frequently as children. This is a very rare pattern, only seen elsewhere in the bullmastiff/presa canario line.
• If a pit bull or rottweiler has a bad moment, instead of a person being bitten, often a person is maimed for life or killed. This has created off-the-chart actuarial risk.

And

In more than two-thirds of the cases I have logged, the life-threatening or fatal attack was apparently the first known dangerous behavior by the [Pit Bull/Rottweiler/wolf hybrid] in question.

 

[Michael Goff]

See post 61.

The study in question doesn't have enough to it to be considered a valid study.

I think you are missing the point that one death is a death too many. Ten child deaths a year from pit bulls? I come from a country where, if one police officer dies a year violently it gives rise to national headlines, and where the police aren't armed, and where children, as a rule, don't get shot to death, or bitten to death. Ten deaths a year from a specific breed of dog is a disgraceful statistic, not an excuse.

And I am staggered that you apparently fail to recognise that what differentiates this breed form most others is that it has been bred to fight.

I am not from the US, so the culture of denial on a great many things (guns, evolution, and - now - pit bulls - stupefies, but doesn't really surprise me) but I repeat that a bite - and an attack from a pit bull - is a lot more threatening and possibly dangerous to the person bitten than a bite as a result of an attack by almost any other breed precisely because of why and how (that awesome bite) and the way that pit bulls have been bred.

Actually, I have to confess myself astounded that there is a staggering reluctance and inability to recognise that this breed poses more of a potential threat to children than many other breeds, and, as a consequence, that this, in turn, imposes a higher duty of care on pit bull owners than would be expected from most other dog owners.

No, 10 deaths per year period. More people than that die in cars, but I'd hardly suggest people keep their kids from cars. It's just easy to say 'well, but pit bulls are dangerous and bred for fighting'.

From your own links:



And

And dogs in general rarely attack. Seriously, Pit Bulls are not this monster that are just going to attack you. Statistically, you're more likely to die in any other number of ways than even get attacked by one.

 

[\-V-/]

It's beyond me how people can think owning a pit bull as a family pet ISN'T a good idea. Back in the day, pit bulls were THE family pet to have (think Little Rascals). Their bad reputation is due to horrible dog owners, not the dogs themselves. Statistically speaking, they have a better temperament than most dogs ... even better than golden retrievers. There really aren't any bad breeds, just morons with dogs. And people that think ill of pit bulls have clearly never owned one or seen them around children when they're actually raised properly.