Are pitbull mixes safer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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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.

This whole argument is based on the premise that all dogs are intentionally bred, which for most mutts is just so obviously not true. And even if it were - if there were a massive underground operation breeding pit bull mixes to fill suburban shelters - do you know how many dogs a dog fighter has to produce to end up with a handful that can/will fight?! Hundreds! And that is a human being specifically trying to create the most 'dangerous' pit bulls. I'm not going to argue with you that bully-type dogs are very strong; that many have high prey drives; and that their prevalence in shelters means that many of them are problematically under-socialized. But those are correlative, not causative, and could apply to any large-breed dog. Many rescues across the country are seeing a resurgence in problematic German Shepherds as those have become the 'protection' dogs of choice; personally, I don't trust GSDs around children. But I also believe that should problems occur, it is the fault of the owner/handler.

NP. Kind, responsible people aren't out there breeding these dogs. Pits are intentionally bred to fight, and if a pit isn't game enough for fighting for sport, some chump will adopt it from the shelter and let it snuggle with the kiddos, because they don't believe in genetics. For every Golden who would rather bite a stranger's hand than pet them, there are 10 pit bulls that would rather just kill that Golden at the dog park, then rip the face off your toddler. Statistically, they are far, far more likely to kill and maim than any other breed, and not every pit owner is a bad person or bad pet owner; it's just the breed's nature.



https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2018/09/13/americas-most-dangerous-dog-breeds-infographic/?sh=1fb597f962f8

https://i0.wp.com/www.animals24-7.org/wp-content/uploads/PicsArt_07-06-06.58.31.jpg?w=742&ssl=1" border="0" class="embeddedImage" />

Using this info, we can do some rough math.

Let’s say there are 35,700 Rottweilers in the us. In a 13 year span, there were 45 fatal Rottweiler attacks. So in one year, there were 45/13= 3.46 attacks. Out of 35,700 Rottweilers, that would be 3.46/35700 = 0.0097 % = one in 10,313 chance of a Rottweiler killing someone.

Let’s say there are 152,678 pit/pit mixes in the us. In a 13 year span, there were 284 fatal attacks. So in one year, there are 284/13 = 21.85 attacks. Out of 152,678 pit/mixes, that would be a 21.85/152,678 = 0.014% = one in 6989 chance of a pit/pit mix killing someone.

Let’s say there are 119,680 labs and Goldens in the us. And of these let’s assume 65% are labs, so 71,808. In a 13 year span, there are 9 fatal attacks. So in one year, there are 9/13 = 0.69 attacks. Out of 71,808 labs, that would be a 0.69/71,808 = 0.00096% = one in 103,723 chance of killing someone.

Rottweiler - 1:10,313 chance
Pit/pit mix -1:6,989 chance
Lab - 1:103,723 chance

Obviously this a rough calculation, but we make do with the numbers we have. Pits are ~15x more likely to fatally attack than a lab in the us.

Does this mean they should banned? Rottweilers are 10 times more likely to kill someone vs a lab, but there aren’t as many people out there advocating a ban on them. How many deaths are too many? If it were one, then all dogs would be banned. In any case, it’s always helpful to have a per capita number to compare, not just absolutes.

Oops, my linking skills are weak. Here is the article with number of dogs by breed

https://www.animals24-7.org/2021/07/07/dog-breed-census-2021-labs-hounds-top-list-pit-bulls-come-in-third/

[Anonymous]

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.

BS. Some dogs will nip you at most. Pitts will kill if they decide to. Can’t lump all dogs together.

[Anonymous]

Besides beings dangerous, aggressive dogs, pitts are ugly too. No elegance whatsoever. I’d steer clear.

[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 myth has been debunked so please educate yourself
https://news.asu.edu/20210805-discoveries-myth-alpha-dog

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Besides beings dangerous, aggressive dogs, pitts are ugly too. No elegance whatsoever. I’d steer clear.

There is only one t in pit and that is your opinion, not fact.

https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/pit-bull-mix

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both my cousin and a friend were suddenly attacked by their own pitbulls- (my friends was a pit-boxer mix). These dogs were sweet gentle family dogs until they snapped. My beautiful cousin has a large scar that runs across her cheek. Getting a dog is a huge commitment so be careful in what you choose.

Most people are ignorant of the warning signs that dogs give.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:https://wjla.com/news/nation-world/dog-kills-illinois-toddler-after-she-crawled-too-close-to-food-bowl?fbclid=IwAR3oLzd5-YzzCt-RNtpX7kJwK0292oP2tktN7Y2Ex3ijtECexxJaTF_Kbds

And here we go again. A pit mix that had never shown signs of aggression before, killed a one-year-old who got too close to his food bowl as The sweet baby girl was just toddling in the kitchen.

I posted on another thread about a friend of mine who was taking care of her father’s sweet pitbull who never showed signs of aggression, while her father was in the hospital. Dog was so sweet she was even considering adopting the dog when her father passed. One day when she was feeding it, the dog without any warning snapped and bit her in the face. Pitbull’s are sweet until they are not. I have a little miniature poodle, if he ever suddenly snaps (which is unimaginable because he’s a sweetie) I know that the damage he would inflict on me would be nowhere near as much damage as my friend got to her face. She had to get plastic surgery and she still has scars.

That is so sad. This is what happens when society puts dogs above people.

It wasn't society that put dogs ahead of people. Most people don't understand the warnings dogs give. If anything humans believe they are better and above all. Hence the state of the climate and the extinction of many animals

See but here’s where you’re wrong. Pit bulls don’t give warnings before attack. They don’t use attack like other dogs do, attack is fun for them. They have been known to go down into the play bow that dogs do before launching themselves onto victims. Violence is what they were bred for; it’s the work that brings them joy.

First of all, how do you know it "brings joy" you are attributing human characteristics to a dog. Second, my dog who has 33 percent American pit bull terrier DOES give warnings as do many dogs. it is when dogs are punished for their growls that they stop giving warnings because humans aren't listening. Pit bulls are the most abused breeds so why is anyone surprised when they attack. Maybe it is out of fear..not joy? Good grief

[Anonymous]

NO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I love dogs! But don't get the appeal of pitbulls. They're not cute or in any way more attractive than other popular breeds. Why would you WANT a pitbull mix? I thought people just adopted them because the shelters are full of them.

True, we adopted ours because that's what the shelter had. And then we discovered that she was a loving, affectionate dog. And that's what matters to us, not being cute or attractive. Just a big heart and a cuddler.

We adopted a pit 6 months ago and he is so sweet and cuddly it is funny. I am a believer that dog breeds have natures, live a retriever likes to retrieve, a pitt bull was breed for fighting bulls. What type of character that has left in the modern breed I am not sure, but of course I wonder why this breed is one with so many toddler face attacks ( retrievers also high on this list).

Anyway, training is always a good idea.

Perhaps it should be required for Pitt owners given the concerns? Hell, golden retrievers too?

I agree. Honestly I would be fine with blanket restrictions for all dog owners like this. Let's require obedience training for all dogs. I would also like to see a restriction that all dogs over x pounds must wear a muzzle in public spaces, which I'm sure would get lots of push back. But a separate issue is that law abiding dog owners will comply, while the terrible kind of dog owner who is keeping 6 pit bulls in cages will not bother.

Why all dogs over xlbs wear a muzzle and not all dogs? Even a small dog can pretty seriously damage a child.

I knew somebody would come up with that comment, it's so predictable. Okay, let's say ALL dog breeds. I'm not a dog owner so I don't care if you have to muzzle your pom, so long as it keeps kids safe from dog attacks. But my other point is that it won't keep kids safe, because most pit owners won't comply. You can muzzle all the Pomeranians in the land, and we will still be reading almost daily headlines about kids getting mauled to death by Pits.

children are attacked by dogs..all dogs becasue they are young, unpredictable and don't know how to act around dogs. It is the adults responsiblity to keep both safe

http://www.safetyarounddogs.org/statistics.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would you be OK with a pit bull mix that does growl

That's what you want. A dog that gives a warning!

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love dogs! But don't get the appeal of pitbulls. They're not cute or in any way more attractive than other popular breeds. Why would you WANT a pitbull mix? I thought people just adopted them because the shelters are full of them.

True, we adopted ours because that's what the shelter had. And then we discovered that she was a loving, affectionate dog. And that's what matters to us, not being cute or attractive. Just a big heart and a cuddler.

We adopted a pit 6 months ago and he is so sweet and cuddly it is funny. I am a believer that dog breeds have natures, live a retriever likes to retrieve, a pitt bull was breed for fighting bulls. What type of character that has left in the modern breed I am not sure, but of course I wonder why this breed is one with so many toddler face attacks ( retrievers also high on this list).

Anyway, training is always a good idea.

Perhaps it should be required for Pitt owners given the concerns? Hell, golden retrievers too?

I agree. Honestly I would be fine with blanket restrictions for all dog owners like this. Let's require obedience training for all dogs. I would also like to see a restriction that all dogs over x pounds must wear a muzzle in public spaces, which I'm sure would get lots of push back. But a separate issue is that law abiding dog owners will comply, while the terrible kind of dog owner who is keeping 6 pit bulls in cages will not bother.

Why all dogs over xlbs wear a muzzle and not all dogs? Even a small dog can pretty seriously damage a child.

I knew somebody would come up with that comment, it's so predictable. Okay, let's say ALL dog breeds. I'm not a dog owner so I don't care if you have to muzzle your pom, so long as it keeps kids safe from dog attacks. But my other point is that it won't keep kids safe, because most pit owners won't comply. You can muzzle all the Pomeranians in the land, and we will still be reading almost daily headlines about kids getting mauled to death by Pits.

children are attacked by dogs..all dogs becasue they are young, unpredictable and don't know how to act around dogs. It is the adults responsiblity to keep both safe

http://www.safetyarounddogs.org/statistics.html

That little seven year old girl who was minding her own business doing a little fashion show for herself was mauled. https://www.wbrz.com/news/7-year-old-girl-was-playing-in-family-member-s-yard-when-neighbor-s-pit-bull-fatally-attacked-her A seven month old was mauled locally; what do you think the seven month old did that warranted the dogs attacking so badly that his skull was crushed. https://www.fox5dc.com/news/miracle-baby-recovers-from-dc-pit-bull-attack A pit bull mix killed a three day old newborn. Three days old; now what do you suppose a three day old infant did to act wrong around a pit bull? Relative to this thread, this fatality was caused by a pit bull mix. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/apr/23/pit-bull-kills-newborn-baby-in-bed

Pit bulls are bad dogs. Actually, if you consider that “dog” means an animal we have bred for companionship or work but that is supposed to be a net benefit to humans, pit bulls aren’t even dogs anymore. It’s not hard to find stories of pit bulls chewing through doors and fences to escape to bite people and animals. It’s not hard to find stories of them doing the same type of behavior to “break in” to cars and houses to maul people and critters, either.

Blaming the victims is as tacky and stupid here as when people blame rape victims. The fault is with the perpetrator, or here with the people who insist that there’s nothing wrong with pit bulls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://wjla.com/news/nation-world/dog-kills-illinois-toddler-after-she-crawled-too-close-to-food-bowl?fbclid=IwAR3oLzd5-YzzCt-RNtpX7kJwK0292oP2tktN7Y2Ex3ijtECexxJaTF_Kbds

And here we go again. A pit mix that had never shown signs of aggression before, killed a one-year-old who got too close to his food bowl as The sweet baby girl was just toddling in the kitchen.

I posted on another thread about a friend of mine who was taking care of her father’s sweet pitbull who never showed signs of aggression, while her father was in the hospital. Dog was so sweet she was even considering adopting the dog when her father passed. One day when she was feeding it, the dog without any warning snapped and bit her in the face. Pitbull’s are sweet until they are not. I have a little miniature poodle, if he ever suddenly snaps (which is unimaginable because he’s a sweetie) I know that the damage he would inflict on me would be nowhere near as much damage as my friend got to her face. She had to get plastic surgery and she still has scars.

That is so sad. This is what happens when society puts dogs above people.

It wasn't society that put dogs ahead of people. Most people don't understand the warnings dogs give. If anything humans believe they are better and above all. Hence the state of the climate and the extinction of many animals

See but here’s where you’re wrong. Pit bulls don’t give warnings before attack. They don’t use attack like other dogs do, attack is fun for them. They have been known to go down into the play bow that dogs do before launching themselves onto victims. Violence is what they were bred for; it’s the work that brings them joy.

First of all, how do you know it "brings joy" you are attributing human characteristics to a dog. Second, my dog who has 33 percent American pit bull terrier DOES give warnings as do many dogs. it is when dogs are punished for their growls that they stop giving warnings because humans aren't listening. Pit bulls are the most abused breeds so why is anyone surprised when they attack. Maybe it is out of fear..not joy? Good grief

The warning your dog gives probably comes from the other 67% of normal dog.

Even the gentlest raised pit bulls “snap.” It has nothing to do with their abuse or training at the hands of dog fighters and everything to do with their breeding as blood sport dogs. That’s it. You’re deluding yourself to think otherwise.

[Anonymous]

No. All pit dogs, mixes or purebreds, are highly dangerous. It's a dog that has been bred for aggression. But that wont stop virtue signaling, attention seeking, performative clowns from having their faces ripped off by pits of all kinds because they wanted to prove how noble and virtuous they were.