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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

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. [/quote]

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. [/quote]

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.[/quote]

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.

[img]https://blogs-images.forbes.com/niallmccarthy/files/2018/09/20180914_Deadly_Dogs_Forbes.jpg[/img]

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

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.[/quote]

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