Dog bites?

[Gutshot John]

Pits get a bad rap that's really not deserved. I used to feel the same way, but then I got to know a few. Like any other dog, primarily it's in how they're raised, secondarily it's how people react to them.

Pits are assertive, but if you maintain the dominant position and are comfortable/calm you shouldn't have any trouble assuming the dog hasn't been conditioned to be aggressive.

Lastly any dog will scent on fear and in that a pit is no different. If you demonstrate fear, most dogs will think you have a reason to be scared in that you're up to no good.

I understand why one would react violently if any dog attacked a loved one, but it's not just pit bulls.

[bkb0000]

i almost started a thread on pits the other day after my 2 1/2 year old was "attacked" by my neighbor's pit.

Pitbulls deserve the bad rep they have. I don't know how much more likely a pit is to attack, but that's totally beside the point- the point is that when a pitbull does attack, someone is going to ****ing die or require years of reconstructive surgury. When a golden retriever "attacks," you might end up with some stitches, but you'll still have a throat and won't have a broken neck or be missing your face.

In contrast to gutshot's experience- I never had a fear of ANY dog until the last several years. I grew up with dogs, lots of dogs.. never had a pit, but never knew they were any different than any other dog. Then, in my adult years, I had a number of encounters with them that turned me cold- THREE seperate times I've been chased by growling/snarling pitbulls that got lose from their yards while their owners were at work- one of those times it was a pack of 3 pits that pretty much put the entire neighborhood on lockdown with a trail of dead cats, police roadblocks, CERT officers running through the neighborhood with MP5s, and somebody's old grandmother going to the ER with what injuries I never found out (probably ****ing killed her). The first time, I was still ignorant to the danger and tried to go GET the dog to find out who it belonged to. He was standing there wagging his tail and panting, till i got about 3 feet from him- then he bared his teeth and got low on me, and probably the only thing that kept him from biting my dick off was me grabbing my hammer-tacker (because i'd left my hatchet on the roof, much to my dismay) and holding it up while shouting to get away. All happened while I was on job-sites, and armed only with the tools in my tool belt. I almost had time to get into my truck and grab my .45 in one instance- and would have shot the shit out of that dog, but he started at me so fast all I could do was turn tail and boogie back up my ladder and call the cops from my cell.

I've had friends with pits, and while I've never SEEN one attack, each of these dogs were the most absent-minded, hyper-active, undisciplined dogs I've ever seen- a berzerk attack waiting to happen. One of my friend's 4 year old daughter was attacked by their family pit- last I heard they expect she'll be getting reconstructive surgery periodically throughout her youth- scar tissue doesn't stretch well as a child grows.

My own "attack" i spoke of turned out to be a lick/slobber attack only. I'd sent two of our boys outside so I could get some work done, and I hear Hiram, our 2 1/2 year old, start to scream bloody murder. This is not unusual, nor does it necessarily mean anything bad has happened, so I didn't react immediately- until I heard my neighbors screaming bloody murder- "SAMPSOOOON! NOOOOO!" I broke the sound-barrier getting there, .38 in hand. Soon as the dog saw me bust through the door, he tore ass back over to the neighbor's yard. Hiram was totally fine- but the ONLY difference between a lick attack and a teeth attack is what you get after the fact- in the mean time, all you know is that a dog with the ability to whip your child around like a RAG ****ING DOLL is attacking your child.

Pitbulls belond in the pit they were bred for. They are not ****in pets.

[Gutshot John]

I've had friends with pits, and while I've never SEEN one attack, each of these dogs were the most absent-minded, hyper-active, undisciplined dogs I've ever seen- a berzerk attack waiting to happen.

The above statement answers the question...once again bad humans make bad dogs... irrespective of breed. Anyone is going to be colored by their experiences with a particular breed, but in general pits are no worse than a German Shepherd who are just as assertive and I've seen more attacks by the latter than a Pit.

Discipline is a function of ownership. There is nothing inherently dangerous about Pit Bulls. Any dog can be dangerous if its owner is a waste of O2.

[bkb0000]

Again bad humans make bad dogs... irrespective of breed.

Discipline is a function of ownership.

but again, an undisciplined golden retriever isn't going to kill someone. an undisciplined pit just might. pits go on berzerk frenzies, and you're gonna require medical attention. they're just like wolves or coyotes... you can train the shit out of wild dogs, and they might make great pets- but they can turn, and there's no way to predict it.

[Gutshot John]

but again, an undisciplined golden retriever isn't going to kill someone. an undisciplined pit just might.

Golden Retrievers are perfectly capable of attacking and killing, google it. That said people make the same argument about "Assault Weapons" v. Sporting Arms.

pits go on berzerk frenzies

Clarify please, this type of claim is invariably media-fueled hype. When a dog attacks...he attacks. Pit, Rottie, Shepherds even Chihuahuas ...any is capable of "bezerk frenzies".

and you're gonna require medical attention.

Any significant dog attack is going to require medical attention.

they're just like wolves or coyotes... you can train the shit out of wild dogs, and they might make great pets- but they can turn, and there's no way to predict it.

I'm afraid that's another media-fueled myth. No well-behaved, well-adjusted disciplined pet dog just "turns" and goes crazy one day out of the blue. Any dog attack is predictable if you know what to look for. Again it is the owner that bears responsibility.

There is an oft-repeated myth that Pits (or Dobies) brains grow too big for their skulls...this is hogwash.

I'm not arguing that you or anyone should go out and get a Pit if you're not comfortable with one, but that doesn't mean everyone should avoid them. They're wonderful dogs given half-a-chance.

[bkb0000]

well you can think what you want, and i'll think what i want. based on my experiences, i don't want shit to do with them.

[Don Robison]

but again, an undisciplined golden retriever isn't going to kill someone.

Take a gander through here and you'll see how wrong you are. It has news articles listed by the month and year and I think you'll be surprised at the number of maulings committed by undisciplined golden retrievers, cocker spaniels, beagles, labs, greyhounds etc.

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Art...llDogsBite.htm

[bkb0000]

Take a gander through here and you'll see how wrong you are. It has news articles listed by the month and year and I think you'll be surprised at the number of maulings committed by undisciplined golden retrievers, cocker spaniels, beagles, labs, greyhounds etc.

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Art...llDogsBite.htm

that's about as rational as going to bradybill.org to find out where you stand on gun control.

just because any dog can bite doesn't change anything about bitbulls. they bite harder, inflict more damage, and attack for a longer duration. and are more likely to attack to begin with.

what i don't understand is why pitbull lovers deny this. that's like saying "my guns cant hurt anyone." of course they can, and of course pitbulls are more dangerous.
If i owned a pitbull, my argument would be more along the lines of gutshots- that if you train the mother****ers, you don't have problems. it's probably quite possible that a well trained pitbull is no more likely to cause problems than any other well trained dog- but if they do, they're still going to do more damage.

[bkb0000]

i dont want this to get hostile, and it doesn't have anything to do with the OP's issue, which is an important one. so lets all just agree to disagree, or PM for any further debate.

enjoy your pitbulls, just dont let them lick-attack my kids.

[Don Robison]

that's about as rational as going to bradybill.org to find out where you stand on gun control.

just because any dog can bite doesn't change anything about bitbulls. they bite harder, inflict more damage, and attack for a longer duration. and are more likely to attack to begin with.

what i don't understand is why pitbull lovers deny this. that's like saying "my guns cant hurt anyone." of course they can, and of course pitbulls are more dangerous.
If i owned a pitbull, my argument would be more along the lines of gutshots- that if you train the mother****ers, you don't have problems. it's probably quite possible that a well trained pitbull is no more likely to cause problems than any other well trained dog- but if they do, they're still going to do more damage.

You missed the point, it was simply a bunch of news articles showing that undisciplined dogs come in all breeds.
Funny thing is I don't own a pit bull and I'm not particularly fond of them. I even shot one in the front yard last year, but I don't blame a dumb animal for his owner not having a lick of sense. He just happened to pay for his owners stupidity.
I do have a mongrel that could quite possibly have some pit in him, but he's got discipline in his life.
Agreed to disagree.