Are pitbull mixes safer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think owners should be criminally prosecuted when their dogs attack others. It would work better than a breed ban to encourage people to put more thought into getting a pet, what kind of pet they can truly handle, and encourage more responsible pet ownership.

I think owners should be substantially fined if they abandon dogs or if their dogs produce puppies that they cannot place with homes. Provide free fix/spay to anyone that wants it. It’s ridiculous that people are allowed to just put all these unwanted animals out there into the world. Take a genetic sample when you get a license and charge the owner. I donate thousands a year to dog rescue but would much rather donate to a sane system for making sure every dog is wanted.
We got out very sweet golden retriever from a breeder. My & year old can pry open his jaws to look at his teeth if she wants. He’s cool with it. I lost my key once and had to break in through a window while he was sound asleep in the middle of the night. He was cool with that too. Not an aggressive bone in his fluffy body.

God this is so pathetic. Do you also donate money into helping members of your own species?

[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?

I've been around pitties my entire life. My mom had one. They are fine. Inherently they are not dangerous. But they are large dogs. So, like any dog, but especially large ones, they need manners and training. The damage done by ANY large dog is worse than small dogs.

The pittie is fine. People who persist in the notion they the breed is inherently dangerous are ignorant and going against current thought (many places who have outlawed them are reversing those ordinances).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think owners should be criminally prosecuted when their dogs attack others. It would work better than a breed ban to encourage people to put more thought into getting a pet, what kind of pet they can truly handle, and encourage more responsible pet ownership.

I think owners should be substantially fined if they abandon dogs or if their dogs produce puppies that they cannot place with homes. Provide free fix/spay to anyone that wants it. It’s ridiculous that people are allowed to just put all these unwanted animals out there into the world. Take a genetic sample when you get a license and charge the owner. I donate thousands a year to dog rescue but would much rather donate to a sane system for making sure every dog is wanted.
We got out very sweet golden retriever from a breeder. My & year old can pry open his jaws to look at his teeth if she wants. He’s cool with it. I lost my key once and had to break in through a window while he was sound asleep in the middle of the night. He was cool with that too. Not an aggressive bone in his fluffy body.

God this is so pathetic. Do you also donate money into helping members of your own species?

You dont get to dictate how someone else spends their money. You donate where you choose, and I and PP will do the same.

[Anonymous]

Hi 9:11 -

PP that shared the sarcastic Anthony Hopkins quote here.

I think the concern with your angle is that it is a risk that is much greater than what you’re allowing room for. I agree I’d factors to reduce risk (as donating PP) in loading shelters with dogs who aren’t resourced to have a true background is just another failed opportunity for stop gate.

The resolution is likely a mix of a bit of what everyone is suggesting: owner awareness and responsibility/training, breeding restrictions/penalties to discourage misbehavior, and possible waivers for owners of Potts that carry a highest cost “risk insurance” in some way to decentivize ignorant dog owners (which most are, unfortunately)

It’s like saying all crack babies aren’t sentenced to addiction and arguing against funding for Just Say No campaign awareness, resisting enforcement crackdowns on corner crack dealers, and offering no incentive for planned parenting funding to prevent pregnancies that are a burdened societal cost.

The points and counter points here are mutually inclusive. There are a lot of creative solutions that combined ans put in practice can address concerns from both sides.

[Anonymous]

^^ supporting the end goal of allowing pet owners to have loving relationships with pitts, while also respecting the science of nature vs nature and creating a buffer that allowed consumers and communities to make an informed decision.

IIRC they’re illegal in PG County. Likely because of the exact dynamics that are being presented in argument against the idea of a pitttie.

It is a fact that inherent traits are inherent traits. My miniature schnauzer is a rat terrier; hounds will always follow the scent, even if you can teach them a manufactured Pavlonian response.

[Anonymous]

When our dog died, DH insisted we get a rescue. After seeing all the available rescues, which clearly had at least some pit, he firmly jumped back on the purebred train. We saw a “nice, non-violent” pit bull bite the face off a toddler in a park one day. It was traumatizing to witness. Frankly, it should be illegal to take these dogs in public.

[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.

Agreed. Funny story....sort of. I was walking with my 12-year-old pit mix (who we adopted from a shelter at the age of 5 months) and we passed a woman hanging Christmas decorations in a tree in her yard. Her chihuahua is sitting by the front door unleashed and races down to the sidewalk barking like crazy and attacks my dog, getting its teeth on my dog's hind leg. I was terrified that my dog was going to get hurt, that my dog would get mad and attack, even kill, her dog, and that the woman and I would get hurt trying to keep them apart. Luckily the woman was able to grab her dog after a few seconds while I kept pulling my somewhat confused dog away. But those were some of the longest seconds of my life.

We were really lucky that chihuahua didn't succeed in breaking the skin on my dog's leg and everyone was okay. The woman was terribly sorry and I explained that small dogs are just like that - they feel more threatened and so they are more likely to go on the attack. Fortunately my dog seems to have no PTSD from being attacked. We still walk by that house with no reaction from her.

FTR I worked hard with my dog to teach her how to behave properly around other dogs and I don't put her in situations that could test that training. But yeah, I don't believe that pit bulls are inherently more dangerous than chihuahuas and I now give every chihuahua I see on the street a wide berth!

[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.

Agreed. Funny story....sort of. I was walking with my 12-year-old pit mix (who we adopted from a shelter at the age of 5 months) and we passed a woman hanging Christmas decorations in a tree in her yard. Her chihuahua is sitting by the front door unleashed and races down to the sidewalk barking like crazy and attacks my dog, getting its teeth on my dog's hind leg. I was terrified that my dog was going to get hurt, that my dog would get mad and attack, even kill, her dog, and that the woman and I would get hurt trying to keep them apart. Luckily the woman was able to grab her dog after a few seconds while I kept pulling my somewhat confused dog away. But those were some of the longest seconds of my life.

We were really lucky that chihuahua didn't succeed in breaking the skin on my dog's leg and everyone was okay. The woman was terribly sorry and I explained that small dogs are just like that - they feel more threatened and so they are more likely to go on the attack. Fortunately my dog seems to have no PTSD from being attacked. We still walk by that house with no reaction from her.

FTR I worked hard with my dog to teach her how to behave properly around other dogs and I don't put her in situations that could test that training. But yeah, I don't believe that pit bulls are inherently more dangerous than chihuahuas and I now give every chihuahua I see on the street a wide berth!

My pit mix was bitten in the eye by a Golden. My vet said the purebred Goldens sometimes can have aggression issues and she was not surprised at all. The owner wasn't the least bit sorry. Didn't even want to help pay for the vet bills. Ass.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

I've been around pitties my entire life. My mom had one. They are fine. Inherently they are not dangerous. But they are large dogs. So, like any dog, but especially large ones, they need manners and training. The damage done by ANY large dog is worse than small dogs.

The pittie is fine. People who persist in the notion they the breed is inherently dangerous are ignorant and going against current thought (many places who have outlawed them are reversing those ordinances).

No, you are ignorant. People who are reversing ordinances are trend followers, and they're ignoring clear data showing that pit bull attacks are more frequent and more severe than any other breed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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

Again, you are predicating this opinion on the assumption on the idea that the average pit bull mix that landed in a shelter must have come from fighting stock, or someone who is intentionally breeding them for what you've classified as 'pit bull qualities'. This is simply not true or even likely. Mutts happen the way they have for thousands of years - two unfixed dogs get together and anywhere from 4-12 puppies result. In many places, most of the loose, unfixed dogs are part or all 'pit bull', so shelters and rescues end up with a preponderance of unwanted, unsocialized 'pit bulls'. In some communities, the most common shelter dog might be huskies or chihuahuas - both of which have their own issues that can make them problematic family dogs for the unprepared/uncareful. If you're not comfortable with the uncertainty of rescue dogs, I can understand that. And there are definitely rescues/shelters who don't do their due diligence when placing animals, which is dangerous. But it's just alarmist and uneducated to claim that dogs that look they belong to a loosely-defined "breed" are homogenous in temperament and suitability to be pets.

Dog breeds are not just about "looks" and the breeds aren't loosely defined. Maybe you should go educate yourself.

[Anonymous]

My sib had pitt who recently passed at almost 16 years. Super sweet dog, but I'm not sure he did well with other dogs.

My own dog was bitten by a pitt, and the same dog attacked another not long after.

Come to think of it, we live in a neighborhood with very few dog incidents--but the only ones I've heard about have involved pitts. In one case a couple of pitts got loose and bit one person, and then chased another guy on top of a car. Police were called, who eventually shot one of the dogs.

[Anonymous]

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.