Why do people still think that these ferocious dog breeds are safe and should be tolerated?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The dog in this case is NOT a pitbull, but an Argentine mastiff. Some breeds of mastiffs, such as Neopolitan mastiffs, were specifically bred to be aggressive. As for pitbulls, it is a myth that they're aggressive dogs. Most are sweet and loving animals, who wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone a human. Even pits that were made to fight can be rehabilitated into good family dogs. I'm surprised at the ignorance on this board. Then again, from previous postings here, I gather about 75% of you are dog haters.

It's not about whether the breed is "agressive". It's about the damage these dogs can inflict if they snap. They're jaws are made for killing. I LOVE dogs, I even love pit bulls, but I don't think stupid people should own them and I do believe you should be licensed to own one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem is not the dog, it's the owner.

Signed, Scared face - attacked by a Chiwawa when I was a child.

So not true. I know this is something pit bull owners like to throw out there, but I have seen and heard of many well raised dogs turning on their owners. Unfortunately they are animals, and we don't know what is going on in their heads. Breeds like pit bulls, rottweillers, mastiffs are dangerous and unpredictable. They were bred to kill. That was their entire purpose. My dad used to say "if you raise them right they are such wonderful pets". His dog was pampered and loved and disciplined with a tender hand. But the momment she got out of his sight, this darling little pit bull was out killing cats and chasing other dogs and the occasional person. My dad tried to keep her locked up, but she was crafty. Finally she chased the wrong persons and ended up dead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a neighbor with two pit bulls. She lives in a teeny little house with no yard. Four times a day these poor dogs get to tramp around outside to go to the bathroom. She can't let them off the leash. I tell you what, if they get loose and hurt someone's pet or kid, this woman is going to have a furious mob on her doorstep. Crazy dog lady.

You've yet to make a case for why those dogs are a problem or why she's a crazy dog lady.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The dog in this case is NOT a pitbull, but an Argentine mastiff. Some breeds of mastiffs, such as Neopolitan mastiffs, were specifically bred to be aggressive. As for pitbulls, it is a myth that they're aggressive dogs. Most are sweet and loving animals, who wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone a human. Even pits that were made to fight can be rehabilitated into good family dogs. I'm surprised at the ignorance on this board. Then again, from previous postings here, I gather about 75% of you are dog haters.

It's not about whether the breed is "agressive". It's about the damage these dogs can inflict if they snap. They're jaws are made for killing. I LOVE dogs, I even love pit bulls, but I don't think stupid people should own them and I do believe you should be licensed to own one.

"their", sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is not the dog, it's the owner.

Signed, Scared face - attacked by a Chiwawa when I was a child.

So not true. I know this is something pit bull owners like to throw out there, but I have seen and heard of many well raised dogs turning on their owners. Unfortunately they are animals, and we don't know what is going on in their heads. Breeds like pit bulls, rottweillers, mastiffs are dangerous and unpredictable. They were bred to kill. That was their entire purpose. My dad used to say "if you raise them right they are such wonderful pets". His dog was pampered and loved and disciplined with a tender hand. But the momment she got out of his sight, this darling little pit bull was out killing cats and chasing other dogs and the occasional person. My dad tried to keep her locked up, but she was crafty. Finally she chased the wrong persons and ended up dead.

So let's just kill all the bad dogs, right?

What's your suggestion?

[Anonymous]

http://www.realpitbull.com/myths.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a neighbor with two pit bulls. She lives in a teeny little house with no yard. Four times a day these poor dogs get to tramp around outside to go to the bathroom. She can't let them off the leash. I tell you what, if they get loose and hurt someone's pet or kid, this woman is going to have a furious mob on her doorstep. Crazy dog lady.

You've yet to make a case for why those dogs are a problem or why she's a crazy dog lady.

Maybe because she walks around in her ratty mu mu with her hair stringy in her face and talks in a crazy sing song voice to her little (huge) babies. They have no freedom and they are very dangerous. I am sorry I didn't go into details, but when she first moved in, the dogs got loose every day and chased cats and growled at the elderly man next door. Dogs like that are dangerous in packs. She weighs 90 lbs. and cannot physically restrain them if they are upset. We all called animal control and she finally put them on leashes. They were puppies then, now they are huge adults.

[Anonymous]

If it's the owner then when a pitbull kills a person the owner should be tried with 1st degree murder and if it just mauls someone attempted murder. Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it's bad owners who make them this way; the dogs are not this way inherently. In fact, they are such intelligent dogs and so eager to please, they will quickly learn to do whatever their trainer or owner asks, and mean people take advantage of this tendency and make them fight each other.

Pit bulls used to be known as family dogs and "America's babysitter" and in fact the RCA dog was a pit bull and so was the Little Rascals' dog, Petey, and the Buster Brown dog. Educate yourself:

http://www.ywgrossman.com/photoblog/?p=676

http://www.dontbullymybreed.org/

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/pete.php

My point is when I see a woman walking around neighborhood with this rescue who obviously is very mentally scarred and he seems to have no control of her dog, or thinks it's ok for it to play with my 20lb toy dog I have a problem. So don't tell me to fucking educate myself.

You sound more snappish than any dog*. So, let's euthanize you and, while we're at it, ban all people like you, just in case they're mean like you too. Wouldn't want to take any chances. Sound ridiculous? That's what breed-specific legislation is all about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is not the dog, it's the owner.

Signed, Scared face - attacked by a Chiwawa when I was a child.

So not true. I know this is something pit bull owners like to throw out there, but I have seen and heard of many well raised dogs turning on their owners. Unfortunately they are animals, and we don't know what is going on in their heads. Breeds like pit bulls, rottweillers, mastiffs are dangerous and unpredictable. They were bred to kill. That was their entire purpose. My dad used to say "if you raise them right they are such wonderful pets". His dog was pampered and loved and disciplined with a tender hand. But the momment she got out of his sight, this darling little pit bull was out killing cats and chasing other dogs and the occasional person. My dad tried to keep her locked up, but she was crafty. Finally she chased the wrong persons and ended up dead.

So let's just kill all the bad dogs, right?

What's your suggestion?

My suggestion is to aggresively inforce dog ownership laws. Crack down on puppy mills and dog fighting rings. Impose mandatory spay/neuter laws and make it crime to posses one if it is not fixed. Basically let the breed die out. They were an invented breed, It won't stop the rotation of the earth by not having them anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it's the owner then when a pitbull kills a person the owner should be tried with 1st degree murder and if it just mauls someone attempted murder. Problem solved.

Do you know what the criteria are in your jurisdiction for first degree murder?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The breed that bites the most in US = German Shepherd.
The breed that holds second place = Pitt Bull.

Why invite problems? Why keep these kinds of dogs in residential areas? Even the nicest dog of these breeds can snap; and the owners know this but elect to take on the liability of ownership anyway.

Well, I guess my dogs win then! I have two gorgeous German Shepherd Dogs. And they would both bite the hell out of you....if you were a sloppy joe.

All the kids in our neighborhood play with our German Shepherds. They LOVE kids! They've never shown even a hint of aggression. And they've been raised around children. I still would never in a million years allow my dogs to play with children without me closely supervising.

Would they bite? Under the right circumstances, of course they would. They are animals. They aren't people. They don't think nor behave the same way humans do. The biggest mistake people make with their dogs is treating dogs the same way they do children. Any dog will bite. It's the owner/trainers responsibility to ensure that the dog is properly trained and socialized, and most importantly, properly supervised.

All you have to do is look at the picture in the article to figure out what went wrong during the interview. No one with any common sense would put her face that close to the face of a dog she doesn't know really well. The dog bit her because in doggy language, she was threatening him. The owner should never have allowed the dog to be put in that position. And the host is obviously clueless about dog behavior.

[Anonymous]

OP, I agree. But elimination of aggressive dogs sounds a lot like ethnic cleansing to some.
HOWEVER, there is a big difference in aggression between a pit bull and a golden retriever. Don't fool yourself.
I had many aggressive dogs in the past, as well as more docile dogs. There is a difference, and they were raised in the same way by the same person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The breed that bites the most in US = German Shepherd.
The breed that holds second place = Pitt Bull.

Why invite problems? Why keep these kinds of dogs in residential areas? Even the nicest dog of these breeds can snap; and the owners know this but elect to take on the liability of ownership anyway.

Well, I guess my dogs win then! I have two gorgeous German Shepherd Dogs. And they would both bite the hell out of you....if you were a sloppy joe.

All the kids in our neighborhood play with our German Shepherds. They LOVE kids! They've never shown even a hint of aggression. And they've been raised around children. I still would never in a million years allow my dogs to play with children without me closely supervising.

Would they bite? Under the right circumstances, of course they would. They are animals. They aren't people. They don't think nor behave the same way humans do. The biggest mistake people make with their dogs is treating dogs the same way they do children. Any dog will bite. It's the owner/trainers responsibility to ensure that the dog is properly trained and socialized, and most importantly, properly supervised.

All you have to do is look at the picture in the article to figure out what went wrong during the interview. No one with any common sense would put her face that close to the face of a dog she doesn't know really well. The dog bit her because in doggy language, she was threatening him. The owner should never have allowed the dog to be put in that position. And the host is obviously clueless about dog behavior.

I thought the same thing -and I thought it strange that anyone would feel that comfortable with a dog they don't know.

[Anonymous]

I was at breakfast in arlington recently and someone had the brilliant idea to leave their bull mastiff tied up outside on a public patio. Of course, the mastiff ended up getting annoyed by a little dog and took the entire patio enclosure down, and injured the little dog. Was it the little dog owner's fault? Maybe. But the mastiff shouldn't have been left outside unattended. I have no problem with people owning dogs like this, but they simply are too big and can do too much damage if they aren't handled by owners that take proper precautions.