Are pitbull mixes safer?

[Anonymous]

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:

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.

It really must be something like that! A good parent wouldn't go out and purposely buy the car seat that tested the lowest in safety, or a bike helmet that was recalled for safety issues. Why would you purposely bring the breed of dog that is most likely to maul or kill a family member into your own house?

[Anonymous]

**^^
I did not wanna copy a thread that got so long. But I completely agree with the poster about breeds are bred to have specific characteristics and pitbulls were bred for their characteristics of gameness. There’s so many breeds to choose from, why choose pitbull? Unless it’s to virtue signal

[Anonymous]

People who get pit bulls are antisocial so most likely don't make good dog owners anyway. I keep my kids the hell away from them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 21 yr old cousin just adopted a rescue. Knowing about a former friend's relative who was mauled to death by 2 I wonder if mixes are any safer?

No

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My Pitbull mix looks 100% Pitbull to me.The rescue said he is a mix of a , which made us feel a safer, I have to admit. They said he was part foxhound. But who knows? When he was really little, his ears looked big and we thought that is where we are going to see the Foxhound. He had not other characteristic that we could see that looked foxhound like. Well he grew into his ears and now looks literally like the dog on the wikipedia page for American Pit Bull. It could actually be a photo of him there is such a likeness.

We're not giving him back because he seems sweet and we have had him almost a year now, but I'd be disappointed if the shelter just said "pit bull mix" to get him adopted. We're afraid to do the Wisdom panel because if it shows purebred pit that could have implications on things I'm told like insurance or in places with BSL.

But is it possible the shelters are just sitting around saying, "pit-bull lab mix" or "pit bull hound mix" based on no real knowledge of the dog's background?

Conversely, my shelter dog who for 10 years I believed to be a 'pit bull' (not actually a breed) is actually a 75/25 boxer-bulldog mix. All dogs are individuals. I've met Goldens who would rather bite a stranger's hand off than be pet by them, it just depends on the dog's early exposures and current management in combination with their genetic temperament.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Conversely, my shelter dog who for 10 years I believed to be a 'pit bull' (not actually a breed) is actually a 75/25 boxer-bulldog mix. All dogs are individuals. I've met Goldens who would rather bite a stranger's hand off than be pet by them, it just depends on the dog's early exposures and current management in combination with their genetic temperament.

This is such a disingenuous argument, everyone knows what a person means by "pit bull", just like everyone knows what you mean by "chihuahua", or "Old English Sheep Dog" or "Collie". However, if you want to pick this term apart, you can refer to "Pit Bull Type" dogs, which typically refers to four very closely related dog breeds: the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Bully. The APBT and the Staffi are so closely related, they can be dual registered as AmStaff with AKC and APBT with UKC. Your anecdotal evidence of knowing a couple Golden Retrievers that would bite someone's hand does not change the fact that "Pit Bull Type" dogs commit most of the severe dog maulings and fatal attacks in this country. It is highly dependent on the dog's genetic temperament, and love does not change this. Pit Bull Type dogs are genetically prone to aggression. All dogs are not simply individuals, they are members of a breed that has certain physical and behavior characteristics. That is why you cannot teach a blood hound to guard sheep, or a Boston Terrier to herd cows.

[Anonymous]

My pit mix is a mush. More docile than a Labrador. Great dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My pit mix is a mush. More docile than a Labrador. Great dog.

And my sheltie is amazing with kids, way sweeter than the pitbull that mauled this kid's face. https://www.9news.com/article/life/animals/aurora-dog-attacks-child-euthanized/73-fcec7153-5b5a-4180-bcf5-f5f168270475 Still wouldn't necessarily recommend a sheltie to a person with young children. Anecdotal evidence is meaningless when looking at larger trends; anyone that looks at actual statistical evidence will tell you that pitts and their mixes are a horrible choice in breed for almost all families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My pit mix is a mush. More docile than a Labrador. Great dog.

And my sheltie is amazing with kids, way sweeter than the pitbull that mauled this kid's face. https://www.9news.com/article/life/animals/aurora-dog-attacks-child-euthanized/73-fcec7153-5b5a-4180-bcf5-f5f168270475 Still wouldn't necessarily recommend a sheltie to a person with young children. Anecdotal evidence is meaningless when looking at larger trends; anyone that looks at actual statistical evidence will tell you that pitts and their mixes are a horrible choice in breed for almost all families.

What a horribly sad story. That poor child. There are so many breeds to choose from, why would anybody, especially if you have children or planet to have children, would anyone adopt a pitbull or pitbull mix? I have a miniature poodle. He’s quite sweet, but if he wasn’t sweet and was a nippy dog, his bite would in no way inflict as much damage as that pitbull did to that child. His mouth is simply not large or strong enough. It’s very easy for me to pry his jaw open if he won’t let go of a toy when we play fetch. I’m still teaching him how to drop toy but I can tell you his mouth is not all that strong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My pit mix is a mush. More docile than a Labrador. Great dog.

And my sheltie is amazing with kids, way sweeter than the pitbull that mauled this kid's face. https://www.9news.com/article/life/animals/aurora-dog-attacks-child-euthanized/73-fcec7153-5b5a-4180-bcf5-f5f168270475 Still wouldn't necessarily recommend a sheltie to a person with young children. Anecdotal evidence is meaningless when looking at larger trends; anyone that looks at actual statistical evidence will tell you that pitts and their mixes are a horrible choice in breed for almost all families.

What a horribly sad story. That poor child. There are so many breeds to choose from, why would anybody, especially if you have children or planet to have children, would anyone adopt a pitbull or pitbull mix? I have a miniature poodle. He’s quite sweet, but if he wasn’t sweet and was a nippy dog, his bite would in no way inflict as much damage as that pitbull did to that child. His mouth is simply not large or strong enough. It’s very easy for me to pry his jaw open if he won’t let go of a toy when we play fetch. I’m still teaching him how to drop toy but I can tell you his mouth is not all that strong.

Aurora repealed their pitbull ban, and it took less than one month for a child to be mauled. That poor baby didn't deserve that!! No other dog breed needs a PR team to convince people to buy them, and then convince people that this deadly behavior is not innate in their genetics.

[Anonymous]

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.

I can promise you that the typical purebred beagle does not have the same reactive characteristics as a pitbull.

[Anonymous]

You can have doggie dna done to see what’s it true makeup is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can have doggie dna done to see what’s it true makeup is.

Embark is good for this.

Also look into Canine Ethology which is science based information of breeds behavior. Simpawtico training had a good summary video on it a few weeks ago, or you can read about Kim Brophey - who also has a book. I would learn about the proper training and environment for this breed.

I don't know enough about whether all pit bulls are inherently dangerous, but their bite is. Personally I am reluctant to own one, purebred or mix.

[Anonymous]

No, I don't think mixes are any safer.