Are pitbull mixes safer?

[Anonymous]

I have an AMstaff which is a pit bull, but had the name changed in 1936 to get into the akc for show. Since then the breed has been bred to the show standards, which I would hope would be less about fighting and more about appearance. Maybe because of this they are less aggressive? IDK but mine got beat up by a King Charlies Cavalier.

[Anonymous]

Not safer than my doodle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pitbulls are only "less safe" because they're so incredibly strong and can do so much damage quickly. They are not inherently more likely to bite (chiuhahas and golden retrievers bite more frequently) but when they do the harm is that much greater. They are also more likely to have unstable homes and poor training.

So look at the strength and background of an individual dog.

This is a flat out lie, pitbulls are killers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have an AMstaff which is a pit bull, but had the name changed in 1936 to get into the akc for show. Since then the breed has been bred to the show standards, which I would hope would be less about fighting and more about appearance. Maybe because of this they are less aggressive? IDK but mine got beat up by a King Charlies Cavalier.

Breeding for appearance is a terrible idea, though. It causes all sorts of problems for the dogs (breeding to encourage aggression encourages all sorts of problems for humans)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an AMstaff which is a pit bull, but had the name changed in 1936 to get into the akc for show. Since then the breed has been bred to the show standards, which I would hope would be less about fighting and more about appearance. Maybe because of this they are less aggressive? IDK but mine got beat up by a King Charlies Cavalier.

Breeding for appearance is a terrible idea, though. It causes all sorts of problems for the dogs (breeding to encourage aggression encourages all sorts of problems for humans)

I hear what you’re saying (I would love a German Shepherd, but those poor hips and all to have a slanted line? Why?!) but there are aspects of pit bulls’ appearances that are relevant to their ability to maul. That wide mouth, for example, allows the pit bull to hold on to its victim and still get enough oxygen.

But I am of the “spay them out of existence” group. No idea what we do with all the mixes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pitbulls are only "less safe" because they're so incredibly strong and can do so much damage quickly. They are not inherently more likely to bite (chiuhahas and golden retrievers bite more frequently) but when they do the harm is that much greater. They are also more likely to have unstable homes and poor training.

So look at the strength and background of an individual dog.

This is a flat out lie, pitbulls are killers[/quote

If that was so, than we would have way more maulings/killings than we do now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We breed and train German Shepherds. I love all dogs! I think pitties are adorable. Every single one I’ve interacted with has been friendly and gentle. They are big goof balls. Most bully breeds are - right up until they are not. No amount of socializing or training will ever overcome bad breeding. The American Pit Bull Terrier has been the victim of generations of irresponsible breeding. It’s not the dogs’ fault. It’s just reality. They have been specifically bred for aggression, pain tolerance, prey drive, and strength for many, many years. That type of breeding doesn’t just disappear.

When we decide to breed, our dogs are carefully selected for temperament and health. They come from a long, documented line of balanced, stable, healthy dogs. Unfortunately, the American Pit Bull Terrier doesn’t have that lineage anywhere anymore. It’s time to allow the breed to die, sadly.

If dogs are breeding in the south and they have some pit in them how do YOU propose that we "let them die" You are a horrible human.

DP here but I think you misunderstand - she means don't breed them any more

Mixes aren't "bred" so how do you propose that? And btw, people should be allowed to breed pit bulls if that is what they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like it must be the same 2-3 people hyping the pit-mix breed fear here. So many of us (non-tattooed, lawfully-abiding citizens) have adopted from shelters, and I'm pretty sure in ours there's a strong chance one parent was a pit or staffie. The shelter did lable her as "mixed."

Our dog sits on the sofa with us, including our kids, plays, sniffs, goes for walks, drops whatever is in his mouth when we say, "drop it," lets us brush her teeth, play with her tail and ears, comes when called and does the other basic commands well even with distractions.

She's just a dog. Not special one way or the other. We do not fear her, nor do we have any reason to aside from basic, "all dogs are animals, be wary" slogan.

Thank you, pp! I also have a mix and I appreciate your viewpoint.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://newschannel20.com/news/local/child-bit-on-the-head-by-dog-in-springfield?fbclid=IwAR1Djq5vn6kWqf02Wx_-D12A6g_BlslcMM5qoZS8_iguSh7zItfbW2wluR4

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9376917/Boy-3-mauled-death-neighbors-two-pit-bulls-backyard-New-Jersey-named.html?ito=social-facebook&fbclid=IwAR1gR191sytxDQnMX1bqcF2DFeTfpp-Ohf6k00NW3mVluUmTtn4CX-F_Hjg

Two more precious babies in the past week, killed by pitbulls. There is absolutely no need to own one of these dangerous dogs. These children did nothing wrong, and did not have to die. The were literally torn apart by pitbulls.

This is horrifying. The tiny coffin really got me in the second article. When are people going to wise up about these dangerous dogs. How many more tiny children have to die?

The details in that second article are enraging and heartbreaking. The mother had already complained twice to the dogs' owner. The dogs had bitten other people. The photos of the backyard show stuff the family stacked against the fence because they feared the neighbor's dogs. And the dogs got into the little boy's yard anyway by digging under the fence. The mother was critically injured trying to save her child.

The dad was described as really hard working, and the family had just moved out of the city to their new house three months ago.

What a horrible, preventable tragedy. I hope they charge the owner with some kind of homicide.

Actually my pit DOES have border collie and Austrialian shepherd in her so you could call her that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My mom is 76 with an 8 year old pit mix she’s had since she got her from a shelter as a puppy. I’ll have to check for hidden tattoos and signs of lawlessness next time I see her. Who knows what things that woman has done during the pandemic! I told her to stop being so friendly and hanging out with all those parolees, that it could only lead to having a pit bull.

It is so f u c king dangerous for a weak older woman owning a pit. They overpower them on walks and that pit could end up killing a dog or child.

\

dp She could be a strong women. Sexist and ageist. Congrats!

[Anonymous]

You people are ignorant. First of all, pitbull is an all encompassing term for 4 different breeds and pretty much every mix in the shelter. That would mean what people consider “pitbulls” accounts for over half of the dogs in the US. So it’s not surprising they are responsible for more attacks. Also, pit bulls are often abused and put in the wrong hands and are not properly trained. Yes, same as people, there are bad ones out there. Though compared to the majority of “pitbulls”, most are sweet and kind dogs. That doesn’t mean all pitbulls should be punished by a ban/being put to death or anything else because there are some bad ones. Should we just ban a race of people because they are responsible for the most deaths? It’s inhumane and every ignorant person who’s grouping all pit bulls into one category of dangerous killers is obviously uneducated and fearful. Maybe take some time to develop more education and humanity for other living things on the planet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People will come out of the wood work here to defend pit bulls but the reality is they were bred for certain traits and they all have the potential to be unsafe. I too know someone who was mauled by one, no warning and they did nothing to provoke it. I wouldn't let one of those murder machines into my home if you paid me and I don't let me kid get near them either.

what traits? Other than being muscular dogs I don’t think they have other traits that other dogs don’t have.

Pointers were bred to point, border collies were bred to herd, and retrievers were bred to retrieve. You can try all you want, but you aren't going to teach an English Setter to herd sheep better than a border collie. Pitbulls were bred to fight and enjoy it. They are bred for "gameness", to bite, not let go, and enjoy it. They were bred to not give the traditional signs of escalating aggression, (a snarl, a growl, an airsnap), and to jump right to the bite, hold, and shake. There is often no clear warning when a pitbull is about to attack, when compared to normal dog behavior. That's why, during a pitbull attack, people can beat a pitbull with a baseball ball ( https://nypost.com/2019/10/02/bronx-man-says-he-hit-pit-bull-with-baseball-bat-20-times-to-stop-attack-on-4-year-old/ ), hit it over the head with the leg from a wheelchair ( https://www.local10.com/news/local/2020/09/02/dog-owner-recounts-attack-that-killed-his-mom-and-sent-him-to-hospital/ ) or the cops can show up in the middle of a mauling and taze a pitbull ( https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/outreach/back-to-school/arkansas-man-mauled-to-death-by-pack-of-pit-bulls-authorities-say/527-5a6ffda1-626e-4be9-9c60-e6be6ab056db ), and the dog will continue to fight and try to kill. Goldens love to retrieve, and a biting pitbull is in its element. Pictures of pitbulls in flower crowns or tutus do not negate that these are dangerous animals. Any animal can bite, but no one compares a mosquito bite to a shark bite. Other dogs can bite, but a vast majority of maiming and fatal dog attacks are from pitbulls and their mixes.

Yes, yes, yes! I don’t know why people are so obsessed with these dangerous dogs. I know a few people who are always posting pictures of pit bulls and their babies/young children and it just makes me cringe. I think a certain type of person uses pit bulls as a sort of virtue signal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No dog is safe if the owner does not know how to train or handle it. It is up to the owner to let others know that their dog may not be good with strangers/other people/other dogs. I have a friend who has adopted two pitbulls and they are as sweet as can be. However, her second one is not good with dogs and she makes sure to let other around her know and steers clear of them.

I would hope that your cousin invests in some good training and learns to work with the dog and be the "alpha" so when he/she says a command, the dog listens.

I understand the sentiment of this statement but it simply is not true beyond the perhaps reasonable emotion behind it. Your super friendly pit bull is simply capable and probable to conduct more damage to another person than my CKCS. The dog has one thing and one thing only on its mind. Where is the nearest and warmest lap to sit on? That is it! It is not looking for food, it is not looking to play, it is not looking for something acting unpredictably. It is looking for a lap. That is it. It likes all that other stuff, but if given the choice of a dog treat and a lap, it will take the lap 100% of the time.

My 80 lb pit/border collie mix is also looking for the warmest lap too, lol.

The only thing "scary" about him is watching him play with pits or pit mixes. He tries his best to be gentle and not too rough when playing with other dogs. But with pits, there is no restraint from either dogs. It's full on, unrestrained, crazy, insane doggy playtime. And you can really see how powerful and strong they are.

Of course, this is not our first dog. He's not the alpha. He's had training. And we know how to handle him (and pretty much any other dog).

Alpha dog is a myth people. Please stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You people are ignorant. First of all, pitbull is an all encompassing term for 4 different breeds and pretty much every mix in the shelter. That would mean what people consider “pitbulls” accounts for over half of the dogs in the US. So it’s not surprising they are responsible for more attacks. Also, pit bulls are often abused and put in the wrong hands and are not properly trained. Yes, same as people, there are bad ones out there. Though compared to the majority of “pitbulls”, most are sweet and kind dogs. That doesn’t mean all pitbulls should be punished by a ban/being put to death or anything else because there are some bad ones. Should we just ban a race of people because they are responsible for the most deaths? It’s inhumane and every ignorant person who’s grouping all pit bulls into one category of dangerous killers is obviously uneducated and fearful. Maybe take some time to develop more education and humanity for other living things on the planet.

Thank you pp! Well said

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People will come out of the wood work here to defend pit bulls but the reality is they were bred for certain traits and they all have the potential to be unsafe. I too know someone who was mauled by one, no warning and they did nothing to provoke it. I wouldn't let one of those murder machines into my home if you paid me and I don't let me kid get near them either.

what traits? Other than being muscular dogs I don’t think they have other traits that other dogs don’t have.

Pointers were bred to point, border collies were bred to herd, and retrievers were bred to retrieve. You can try all you want, but you aren't going to teach an English Setter to herd sheep better than a border collie. Pitbulls were bred to fight and enjoy it. They are bred for "gameness", to bite, not let go, and enjoy it. They were bred to not give the traditional signs of escalating aggression, (a snarl, a growl, an airsnap), and to jump right to the bite, hold, and shake. There is often no clear warning when a pitbull is about to attack, when compared to normal dog behavior. That's why, during a pitbull attack, people can beat a pitbull with a baseball ball ( https://nypost.com/2019/10/02/bronx-man-says-he-hit-pit-bull-with-baseball-bat-20-times-to-stop-attack-on-4-year-old/ ), hit it over the head with the leg from a wheelchair ( https://www.local10.com/news/local/2020/09/02/dog-owner-recounts-attack-that-killed-his-mom-and-sent-him-to-hospital/ ) or the cops can show up in the middle of a mauling and taze a pitbull ( https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/outreach/back-to-school/arkansas-man-mauled-to-death-by-pack-of-pit-bulls-authorities-say/527-5a6ffda1-626e-4be9-9c60-e6be6ab056db ), and the dog will continue to fight and try to kill. Goldens love to retrieve, and a biting pitbull is in its element. Pictures of pitbulls in flower crowns or tutus do not negate that these are dangerous animals. Any animal can bite, but no one compares a mosquito bite to a shark bite. Other dogs can bite, but a vast majority of maiming and fatal dog attacks are from pitbulls and their mixes.

Yes, yes, yes! I don’t know why people are so obsessed with these dangerous dogs. I know a few people who are always posting pictures of pit bulls and their babies/young children and it just makes me cringe. I think a certain type of person uses pit bulls as a sort of virtue signal.

[Anonymous]

OP, obviously people have strong opinions on this. I think with any mix breed it is hard to say exactly what breed characteristics or tendencies will be inherited from either side. A dog that is 90% lab and 10% pit is probably more likely to act like a lab than a pit. And the converse probably also true. But you can breed a chihuahua and a lab and you might end up with one dog that looks mostly chihuahua, one that looks mostly lab, and one that looks truly mixed.

One thing you can probably tell from appearances is whether they inherited the pit jaw strength — so a dog that looks like a pit through the head probably has the jaw strength. But I think it’s harder to tell whether it’s inherited other breed characteristics. You might have a dog that is half beagle that doesn’t look much like a beagle but still is obsessed with following its nose.

Personally, I would not get one that looks pit, or that same from a known parent that looked pit, or one that I knew to be genetically more than half pit. But people obviously differ a lot on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, obviously people have strong opinions on this. I think with any mix breed it is hard to say exactly what breed characteristics or tendencies will be inherited from either side. A dog that is 90% lab and 10% pit is probably more likely to act like a lab than a pit. And the converse probably also true. But you can breed a chihuahua and a lab and you might end up with one dog that looks mostly chihuahua, one that looks mostly lab, and one that looks truly mixed.

One thing you can probably tell from appearances is whether they inherited the pit jaw strength — so a dog that looks like a pit through the head probably has the jaw strength. But I think it’s harder to tell whether it’s inherited other breed characteristics. You might have a dog that is half beagle that doesn’t look much like a beagle but still is obsessed with following its nose.

Personally, I would not get one that looks pit, or that same from a known parent that looked pit, or one that I knew to be genetically more than half pit. But people obviously differ a lot on this.

At least you realize that not everyone is you.