I totally agree with this. There are no bad dogs, only bad owners.

True.

BluedeerLegend18 I definitely agree to you. The only reason pitbulls are used for fighting is because all they want to do is please their owners. If their owner teaches them to fight, and that's what they want them to do then they'll do it even if it means they could potentially lose their lives. They're just super loyal <3

I've got to disagree with you though, Lynetta. Only fighting dogs are bred to attack other dogs, not all pitbulls. As a matter of fact I foster a beautiful pit once [who was a total ham] and he HAD to stop to say hi to/play with every dog we met while we were on our walks. He was never aggressive to any other dog. He was even afraid of my cats! I also volunteer at an animal shelter and more than half of the dogs there are pits. The majority of them also get along with other dogs. I just don't want people to think pitbulls are dog aggressive because most of them are in fact not. They actually scored higher than poodles on a behavior test, and golden retrievers and german shepherds have a higher bite counts than pits!

MS: Yes, I know they were bred to fight dogs, and that's why people abused them in the first place. It's sad, because you were right, a long time ago they were sweet dogs. There are still sweet pitbulls out there, but they will probably forever be feared because of their idiot owners. This is one of the reasons I hate people.

Wow, you could have pulled that right out of the National Enquirer. :/
"prone to violence?" "terrible dogs 90%" of the time? Where exactly are you getting your facts and/or statistics?

Binta:
Ignoring the statistic question. And your sarcasm.

Of course they're going to be prone to violence, it's how they were bred to be;
Much of a dog's temperament relates to it's breed history and genetic inheritance. I won't go too deep into the history of the Pit Bull as there are many good books and websites that cover the origin and history of the breed. It is common knowledge however, that the Pit Bull breed was developed for blood sports: Bull baiting, bear baiting, and later, dogfighting. When baiting bulls was deemed inhumane, ratting (a sport where a number of rats were placed in a pit for a specified time with the dog) and dog fighting became more popular

Foxell;

http://www.newson6.com/story/8746561/puppy-kills-baby-boy?redirected=true
That was quick.

--

My father loves pitbulls, my uncle owns two. I wasn't raised to hate them in any way. I've never had a personal bad experience with pitbulls. I'm just tired of people defending them constantly. They're a breed you have to be cautious with. I have no problem with people who can admit that and still like them.

^

That.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&biw=1280&bih=596&q=lab+kills+child&oq=lab+kills+child&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=412072l413929l0l414128l14l12l2l3l3l4l253l1461l0.3.4l7l0

wrong.
it was the top of the list.

Wrong.
Everyone in my family loves pits.

As said above. I have family members who own pits. I've spent plenty of time around them.
(:

try again.

I wasn't going to comment on this, because I don't feel that TEFc is the place for this kind of topic, but some of the things that have been said compelled me.

First, I want to make one thing very clear: I like dogs of all kinds, I have no real bias towards any of them, and I can see this argument from both perspectives.

The common 'pitbull' that most people know today is not actually a breed. Most of the 'pitbulls' that you see on tv or on the street are actually mixed breeds between the American Pitbull Terrier (the original pitbull) and other bully breeds including boxers, Rottweilers, bulldogs, etc. The APBT was originally a cross between bulldogs and terriers bred to bait bears and bulls, and later put to use in ratting and dog fights. When these sports became unpopular, it became used in hunting, driving, protection, and numerous other uses including as a messenger dog during the World Wars. It has only been in recent years that the pitbull has become the 'monster' that a lot of people see it as, becoming popular with people who want a dog that appears intimidating.

The APBT as a breed is intended to be a friendly dog, loyal to it's family, and registered breeders work to retain a calm and pleasant temperament within the breed. With the rise of puppy mills and unregistered breeders, this careful planning has been allowed to slip, and when crossed with other bully breeds, the strong prey drive that normally lies dormant within the APBT can rise.

Yes, there are plenty of cases against pitbulls in recent years due to attacks, but when you look at the number of those attacks compared to the totality of dog attacks, it is not a large percentage. Through the years, there have been many 'phases' in which different dogs are subject to public anxiety. German shepherds after the second World War were thought to be aggressive and unpopular. Dobermans and Rottweilers followed, and in recent years the stigma is now against pitbulls. It really comes down to a combination of breeding and training with the individual dogs. When I worked at a vet clinic, we didn't take any more caution with pitbulls than we did with other dogs, and indeed, the breed we trusted least was actually the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. My mother, who bred dogs for years and showed them has been attacked three times in her career, once by a shepherd, and twice by dachshunds.

You have to be careful with any dog. They have minds that work very differently from our own, and if a dog isn't trained or given a proper schedule, they can become unpredictable. Many of the dogs that have been labeled as dangerous are ones where the owners have not bothered to give them proper training, and who don't bother giving them a proper schedule with feeding and walks to get rid of excess energy. An indifferent owner is almost worse than an abusive owner, because an indifferent owner doesn't care what his or her dog does, and doesn't see the warning signs coming, leading to an attack 'out of nowhere'. An abusive owner, while terrible, at least has some sense of what the dog is capable of.

I shouldn't have written so much, but I'll end with these words: With dogs, as with any thing, be careful of self-fulfilling prophecies. The more prejudice that is shown against anything, the more likely it is that that thing will eventually act as the prejudice expects.

Well said trigger_mortis.

was unable to edit last comment when I noticed I'd left something out--

I also thought I should add, that I hope none of you are now seething in hatred for me _{though I would not be surprised}

I enjoy little debates like this, I usually come out of them with more respect for the people involved.

Now I'm probably actually leaving.

@Mr.Sanguine: I in no way have any hatred towards you. I also enjoy debates like this, I just get a bit heated because this is a very touchy subject for me.

In no way am I saying that pitbulls are the best dogs ever. Some are very dangerous and have killed people. However, like Selruil said, you can teach a pitbull to be aggressive and dangerous, but if it has puppies they won't be the same, unless you train them too. And if you don't, most of them will probably be one of the sweetest puppies/dogs you'll ever meet- pitbulls can be very great dogs when not trained to fight. Not saying they are the best dogs in the world.

^ /nodnod