Pit Bulls « Binary Trash

Here’s another argument that will never be won. Pit Bulls: What are they good for? Some arguments I have heard in favor of these dogs:

It’s not the dog, it’s the owner
The ones who attack were trained to do so

I now have two friends/acquaintances who had to put their pit bulls down because they turned on a family member. In the first case, the dog just started growling and acting weird so they had the dog put to sleep before anything worse occured. In the second case, the dog attacked and bit a little kid. Now I can tell you that neither owner in these cases had trained the dogs to attack. Both were responsible owners who took care of their dogs. So who is to blame? Dare we say…the dog?!?!?!

Personally, I can’t stand pit bulls. Yes, I know all dogs can attack. But I don’t get nervous around a golden retriever or a collie or whatever other non-headline-making dog you can think up. If I am near a pit bull for any reason, I leave. I hate them. We were near one during a 4th of July parade and I spend most of the parade looking at it from the corner of my eye, especially when it started barking at other dogs.

Today’s Denver Post has an article about a pit bull attacking a grandma and her grandchild. The ferocity of these dogs when they do attack is terrible:

“…So when police arrived, the responding officer shot the dog in the head through a glass door. Police dragged the dog outside, but it wasn’t going down without a fight. Officers had to shoot it a second time.

“Someone in the home used a knife and was stabbing the dog, trying to get it off the two ladies, and it wasn’t doing anything,” Aurora police spokesman Bob Friel said. “Then the officers showed up and shot and killed it. The knife was still sticking out of the dog.”"

Um, the dog wouldn’t let go after multiple stabbings? It had to be shot twice? Doesn’t sound like any animal I’d want to take a chance with.

Ian Says:

July 14, 2007 at 4:57 am

The problem with pit bulls is that for many generations they’ve been bred as fighting and attack dogs. That means that they’re aggressive on a genetic level, and as we all know from dealing with aggressive people, it can be the slightest thing (or even nothing at all) that sets them off. But these dogs (and really, you can’t blame them for acting upon their nature) know only one way to give rise to their aggression.

For what it’s worth, poodles are the same way, but you never hear about people being mauled by poodles. Did you know they were originally bred as attack dogs for royalty? They were supposed to ride in carriages.

Ian

Christine Says:

July 14, 2007 at 4:05 pm

Oh come Onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. People create dogs with issues. Pit bulls are a powerful breed and they need lots of exercise to drain their energy and discipline and socialization so they know how to behave in public and around other dogs. I’ve known lots of pits that are super nice dogs. ANY dog can bite. After 7 years of working directly with dogs for my job, and I’m talking Akitas, Pits, Shepards, Chows, Wolf/Coyote/Dingo Hybrids (hybrids, in my opinion are freakier than any pit), The only dog that bit me was a frickn poodle. It ripped the end of my finger off.

Cocker spaniels and poodles topped the bite list for years. One of the reasons for that is popularity. Then they are overbred for money instead of temperament and bettering of the breed, and mass sold to a public that has no understanding of dogs and their needs.

When a power breed like a pit becomes popular you’re just asking for trouble. People have a pit for their own ego, then don’t take care of the dogs needs and act surprised when it bites someone.

I don’t blame the dog. No dog just starts growling out of nowhere. The owner misses the signs leading up to it.