Severe Dog Attacks and Pit Bulls
85Understand the Attacks
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The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media, Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression
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Fatal Dog Attacks: The Stories Behind the Statistics (United States)
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Dogs Bite: But Balloons and Slippers Are More Dangerous
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Excerpts from Pit Bull Placebo
"How has the landscape of America and the mindset of Americans changed so dramatically in only a few decades? Is it canine behavior that has changed so drastically? Or have we, with our growing ignorance of dogs, become so unreasonable that any flaw found in an individual dog is taken as ample justification for vilifying all their innocent brethren? Have we, in morbid fascination, concentrated so intensely on emphasizing the bad that some dogs do that we can no longer recognize the myriad of good and positive things that most dogs contribute to our lives? Or, as some lawmakers and the media would have us believe, are some dog breeds inherently more dangerous and aggressive than others? Are Pit bull- type dogs becoming increasingly more dangerous than they were a century ago? Are most such dogs wonderfully tolerant and manageable or are these dogs unpredictable and untrustworthy, waiting to explode in a fury of aggression against everyone and anyone?
"For those interested in understanding canine behavior and the forces which contribute to severe attacks, modern-day media sources are sorely lacking in vital information surrounding these events." This is what increases the public's fear of certain dog breeds, mainly those surrounding the pit-bull type dogs. What you hear, "Pit bull attacks and kills a 7 year old boy. The dog was owned by the child's neighbor." What you don't hear, "Prior to the attack the dog was beaten, served a dose of rat poison, and was found to be severely malnourished." If you were to hear that, would you still have the same opinion about the dog?
Previously Feared Dog Breeds
Around the 1900s the Newfoundland, Bloodhound, Mastiff, and Bulldog, were the feared. They were the breeds to avoid. They were the cause of nearly all dog attacks. But, they were replaced by other dogs with just as bad temperaments. The German Shepherd was just one of the dogs that replaced the first set of vicious terrorizors and baby-killers.
They were a fairly new breed to America, and were most commonly used as guard and protection. The breed of yesterday, is not the breed of today. The old German Shepherd was rebuilt by media. No longer do we see them as the killers they once were.
By the 1920's, the German Shepherd was gaining in popularity as a "bad dog." It already had several years of killings and fatal attacks behind its paws, and it was not getting any friendlier.
Slowly the vicious image of the German Shepherd was beginning to rebuild and reshape. Rin Tin Tin featured a friendly, fun-loving German Shepherd dog. Police began using the dogs. People began using them as seeing eye dogs; The German Shepherd was the first seeing eye-dog in the US.
About 10 years after the height of the German Shepherd fear, they had been reshaped into a heroic and courageous breed.
But, the German Shepherd isn't the only dog breed to have been reshaped by media. The Great Dane is another dog breed that is now seen as the gentle giant, but was once feared. The Doberman Pinscher has, also, been slightly reshaped by media, but not nearly as much as the German Shepherd or Great Dane.
Note- This does not mean that the German Shepherd or Great Dane are not responsible for a portion of the dog attacks and fatal killings of today. It just means that yesterday's fear can be tomorrow's love and joy.
Also Note: The first breed ban was for the German Shepherd. Not many people know that, but, it sure tells you a lot about the dog who is now seen as a hero.
Common breeds that attack:
- Bloodhounds- (various breeds of bloodhounds- cuban, Siberian, Russian, British, etc; during 2nd half of 19th century frequently the cause of severe and fatal attacks)
- Newfoundlands- (latter part of 19th century, predominate cause of severe, fatal attacks)
- Siberian Huskies
- Eskimo dogs
- Alaskan malmutes
- Labrador retrievers
- Arctic Sled dogs
- Alaskan huskies
- Spaniels
- Mastiffs- (used as guard dogs, they are common for severe and fatal attacks, but currently, the attacks have virtually disappeared)
- Collies- (numerous severe attacks in the first few decades of 20th century)
- Mix-breeds (IE Mutts and any dog that is unrecognizable to a breed)
- St. Bernard- (sporadic episodes of severe, fatal aggression at the beginning of the 1900s and again in 1970s)
- Fox terriers- (severe attacks to young children)
- Boston terriers
- Airedale terriers
The more popular a dog breed, the likelihood of an increased number of attacks by that dog breed.
Guess the dog breed in the following situations:
- Drug agents drove to a house, suspecting an arrest. The suspects rushed out of the house, loosened and ordered their dogs to attack the officers.
- A pack of dogs terrorize schoolchildren, chasing and biting three of them.
- A police officer mounted on his horse shoots a dog attacking his horse.
- Owner arrested for releasing and siccing his dog on a police officer.
- Police officer was able to barricade an attacking dog inside his doghouse, but the dog tore through the wood and lunged at the officer, who had to shot the dog.
- Dog shot twice after attacking 2 children and biting a police officer.
So, what type of dog was reported in each of those incidents?
Pit bull? .... No...
Rottweiler? ... No...
Poodle? ... No...
Mix-breed? ... No...
German Shepherd... Yes...
- What is Breed Specific Legislation and Who Does it Affect?
Breed Specific Legislation is not the way to go to prevent dog bites and attacks. Find out why and where the flaws lie.
Media Reports
Media likes to portray dogs with human emotions, frequently being described as jealous, lonely, depressed, enraged, angry, and frustrated, but dog's do not have human emotions. Dogs don't think like humans. Dogs think in the here and now. So if you leave the dog at home alone for the day and come home to find your new shoes torn up; the dog didn't do it out of spite. They don't know or understand what spite is. The dog did it out of boredom and well your new shoes probably tasted good.
Here's a common story you may read in the paper or see on television:
"The beloved family pet, who never once showed signs of aggression viciously attacked the young 17 year daughter of Mr. John Doe. The girl, innocently rocking in the rocking chair, and calling the dogs name, never expected the dog to begin attacking her face, chest, and arms."
What you won't hear:
"The 17 year old was rocking in the rocking chair, when she accidentally rolled the leg of the rocker on the dogs paw. The dog went darting around the room in pain, and when the 17 year old called the dog, he responded by lunging at her."
That attack was out of pain, injury, and confusion. Not an innocent attack by a beloved family dog. It was a reaction to having his paw squished under a large wooden rocking chair.
This is a true story from 1897 of a Newfoundland.
- Pit Bull Myths
Some of the more common myths about "pit bull" dogs. Some of them are actually humorous. I'd say if these were true, even some of them, breeders have created a sub-human dog.
What they show you
What they don't show you
Pit bulls and Media
The media has bashed the pit bull type dogs since the 1970s. Most reports claim that a pit bull was (1) bred to kill, (2) non-human aggressive, and (3) have locking jaws.
- Well, they were bred to kill dogs, not people; human aggression and dog aggression are completely different types of dog aggression. One would not claim their dog food aggressive if the dog is only toy aggressive, so why would I claim a dog who is only dog aggressive as being human aggressive?
- The pit bull type dog breeds, which include the American Pit Bull Terrier, Bulldog, Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, English Bulldog, and any dog that may resemble a Pit Bull, were never bred for human aggression. Even in the height of dog fighting, dogs that showed signs of human aggression were culled from the breeding programs, meaning they were either put down or just removed from the breeding program but still kept as a pet.
- Pit bull type dogs are built like any other dog, but with the frequent reports of, "the pit bull locked his jaws around the child's neck," the most common myth "pit bulls" have locking jaws arises. In actuality, studies show that with most pit bull type dogs, have stronger jaw muscles than other breeds, but they're jaws cannot possible lock in place.
It is the intent of the media to report just about every dog fighting raid, police raid, and pit bull seizures, to attempt to further the bad reputation of the breed. This (1) makes people believe that these types of dogs are the only dogs attacking and have to ability to be aggressive and (2) furthers the fear of the breeds.
What's sad is that, statistically speaking, the American Pit Bull Terrier is the least likely dog breed to bite, and the Cocker Spaniel is the most likely dog breed to attack.
Another sad note is that because "pit bull" is commonly the term to group dogs of a fighting background, the American Pit Bull Terrier is the most common dog breed that is hit with the wrath of irresponsible dog owners, as APBT contains "pit" and "bull."
You commonly see pit bull type dogs with gangsters, mobsters, drug lords, and other rough and violent people. Do you see them with portrayed in the homes of teachers, CEOs, or the elderly? Unfortunately, not so often.
Recently, with the Old Navy commercial featuring the blue American Pit Bull Terrier puppies, have hopefully shown people that these dogs are not vicious by nature, because otherwises these cute, innocent puppies would be attacking the acters. Before that, the last time one has really seen a friendly, family APBT was in "The Little Rascals."
I mean come on, even Steven King used a pit bull type dog in the "Cujo" book and film. How scary is it to see a large rabid dog chasing after you, much less if that dog is a rabid pit bull type dog? Pretty scarey, if you ask me.
Even PETA, the world's advocate for animal rights, is the main organization setting fear in the eyes of people in regards to pit bull type dogs. I'm not saying that these dogs don't fatally attack, because they do, but there's no need to single out a group of dogs, collectively known as "pit bull." PETA is the main organization pushing for breed bans. They're the ones with the vicious pit bull posters.
Yes, they bite. Yes, they kill. Yes, it happens. But it also happens in regards to labs, retrievers, terriers, and other "family dog breeds."
Not your typical article about pit bulls
Find the Pit Bull Test
- Find the Pit Bull
Of the 25 pictures, can you find the true American Pit Bull Terrier? - Cold Steel Pits: Find the Pit Bull
Of the 18 pictures, do you know which one is the Pit Bull?
Dog Attack Statistics in Regards to "pit bulls"
In the 20th century there were over 450 reports of severe dog attacks in the United States, and none of them were caused by pit bull type dogs.
The media, being single minded, puts on their blinders, so to speak in regards to the pit bull. Think about it... From 2002-2005, there were 11 fatal dog attacks. 0 out of those 11 dogs featured pit bull type characteristics, but the media claimed each a pit bull attack. The media never once reported the true breeds of these dogs
According to the CDC, Center for Disease Control, over about 20 years, 66 fatalities caused by dog attacks were attributed to pit bull type dogs. 66 in 20 years!
Many people use this statistic to claim the pit bull type dogs are the most dangerous thing or dog, just because it has more fatalities than other dog breeds. Well, in actuality, in regards to children, the most dangerous factor is not a pit bull type dog but fathers, as the majority of child deaths is caused by physical abuse by fathers or father- figures.
You can't believe everything you hear from a politician's mouth or from a news reporter. The media is skewed.
10-20 pit bull type dogs cause fatal attacks, but tens or thousands are loved family pets... Look at those numbers... 10 versus 10,000... Hm...
Now, do consider that I'm not saying that pit bull type dogs never attack, as it's been reported over and over again, and even the CDC had about 66 reports pit bull attacks. But, every time you hear it on the news or any type of media, doesn't mean that particular attack was truly caused by a pit bull type dog. In many cases the initial report assumes pit bull type dog, and when the results claim the dog as another type of dog, there is never a retraction.
Otherwise, you'll see the headline "Pit bulls attack child of 8" but if you continue reading, you'll notice that the real dogs that attacked were American Bulldog or some other bulldog breed. It just doesn't sound the same to read a headline as "American Bulldogs attack child of 8."
Pit bull type dogs can and do attack people and other animals, but you have to consider that not every dog attack is caused by a pit bull type dog and not every pit bull type dog will attack.
Also, do take into account that it can be hard for the average person to properly ID a dog, so many statistics even the CDC dog statistics can be inaccurate. I've seen the results of cops in an area where BSL had just been enacted; they'll snatch any dog they think is of pit bull type origin. I've been to the kennels, and I've seen Catahoula Leopard Dogs, white Boxers, and Bulldogs that were taken in mistake for pit bull type dogs.
The common characteristics that lead people to believe that a dog is a "pit bull" includes medium to large sized body, short hair, muscular, broad chest, and wide- square head. There are so many dogs that, also, fall into these traits. Mastiffs, Rottweilers, American Bulldogs, and English Bulldogs, are just a few breeds with these traits, and none are considered of the "pit bull" class. These traits are usually those that determine that the stray that attacked your nephew was a pit bull type dog. Now, how fair is it, when so many other breeds have the same traits?
Characteristics that can lead dog attacks:
A combination of the following characteristics can cause a dog to attack in many different situations.
- Intact male dog.
- Female in heat.
- Dogs used for guard and protection purposes.
- Malnourished dogs.
- Untrained and poorly socialized dogs.
- Poor breeding- inbred, over bred, etc.
- Abuse and mistreatment.
- Fear.
- Unsanitary living quarters, which can lead to health issues.
- Harassment.
Any dog breed can attack. Any dog breed will attack. Any dog breed can kill.
Proper socialization and training is the key. Don't be a poor pet owner or an ignorant soul. There is more than one dog breed that attacks and kills.
Take off the blinders and open your heart. One day the American Pit Bull Terrier will be reshaped as the feared dogs of the past once were. One day, they'll be beloved and cherished again.
Time changes. People change. Our past proves that alone, as the most feared dog in American was once a loved family pet and war hero.
Dog Attack Statistics
- Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks
The CDC presents this fairly extensive article and data charts about dog attacks between 1979 and 1998 in the United States. - The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Report on Fatal Dog Attacks...
How the CDC gathers their information. What information isn't used in the statistics. Quotes from the CDC about breed bans.
Dog Bite Prevention
- National Dog Bite Prevention Week
Find prevention tips,things to consider before getting a dog, and other information provided the CDC. - Preventing Dog Bites
Understand who's more likely to be bitten and what an owner can do to prevent his dog from attacking. Also, find out what to do to prevent yourself from getting bitten and what to do if your dog bites someone. - Biting: Causes, Prevention, and Control
How to reduce the risk of your dog biting. What to do if your dog would bite a person. How to avoid being bitten, and find out what to do if you're attacked.
Other Hubs About Pit Bulls
- American Pit Bull Terrier
Unbiased breed description about the American Pit Bull Terrier. Find information about the breed's history, appearance, temperament, health, as well as breed specific legislation basics, and famous Pit Bulls. - The Truth About American Pit Bull Terriers
Read about some of the more common myths that surround Pit Bulls and other bully breed dogs, and find out why they're just not true. You may be surprised by some of the things people believe true about these dogs. - Dog Fighting
Find out the ugly truths about dog fighting. This is a tastefuly view on the care of the fighting dogs, written in hopes to shed light on some of the nasty perceptions. - Famous American Pit Bull Terriers
Whether your realize it or not, the American Pit Bull Terrier is a rather famous breed. They've starred in movies, advertisments, and find themselves in a number of Hollywood homes. - Pit Bull Rehabilitation
The all debated question: should you rehabilitate seized Pit Bulls and fighting dogs? Find out my opinion. - How to be a Responsible Parent to a Bully Breed Dog
Bully breed dogs already come with a bad reputaion, so what can you do as an owner of a bully breed dog to make your dog less likely to strike fear in others and less likely to be accused of attacking someone or something.
Please leave comments.
Make note that all comments will be approved before they appear.
I will approve all comments (including those against my statistics and opinions) unless they are derogatory to someone else or contain foul language.
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Gee Whitney, You have really done extensive research on this topic. It is so hard to dislike a dog, sometimes it is the way the dog has been treated that causes it to fly off the handle. Even humans do that for no reason at all.
I love our dog and yet (in australia they are classed as one of the worst for attacking) that is (Picture of mine on hub) The Blue Heeler, more commonly known as a Cattle dog. These are like the name suggests a working dog.
Thats why, we trained him to do so many things. he gets our mail, the newspapers, our shoes, brings the tv times to my husband. He is even our accountant. Sound funny. Our clients come to pay us and he takes the money and brings it inside for us to put away. He is so clever and friendly. But at the same time, I would never completely trust him. He has acidently bitten us, if we have trodden on his paw by accident. But he was protecting himself.
not deliberately trying to attack. They are a beautiful and very faithful dog. If someone was to hit me or my husband or anyone for that matter he will let the attacker know in uncertain terms to back off. We love him.. Thanks for sharing this. I hope you dont mind but i have link this to mine.
These dogs will let visitors into a home, but often refuse to let them leave. Hence their name Blue Heeler. They will nip you on the heel. .
Excellent hub, Whitney. Your love for the breed really comes through, and yet you still provide a balanced viewpoint. I gave it a thumbs up- well-deserved!
I have a friend that has a pitbull and she is a wonderfull dog. However me and my family have been involved in several dog attacks and I hate to say it but several of those attacks were pitbulls that were not on a lesh and attacked our leashed dog. In all of the incedents my family members inculding myself were bitten by the attacking dog trying to pry it off of our dog. I do agree that the dog is a reflection of its owner but I guess we have just had some unfortunate luck. I will say though that my friends pitbull is nice.
I love it! I have a pitbull as well! She is terrified of my three cats, they run her all around, she LOVES all other dogs, and my kids can stick their hands into her bowl of food while she is eating! Great breeds, bad people!
Stacie, I definitely agree with you; I too avoid dogs where the owners are not paying attention. It doesn't matter the breed because all dogs have this potential. I think it's funny how you nearly never hear why the dog attacked. If the story of your German Shepherd hit the world news, no one would know that the child stepped on her bad hip.
Eileen, I did very much enjoy writing this hub. A lot of thought, effort, and research did go into it. I think it took me about a week to fully complete it. Cattle dogs are very nippy especially with children; they often try to herd small groups of children by nipping their heels. This is often misconstrued as bad behaviors and sometiems aggression, but in reality, the dog is doing what it was bred to do. Same with fighting dogs; they were bred for dog aggression, which is why many don't like other dogs, but again that vcan be avoided with early training and socialization.
Angela, I tried to provide a well-balanced hub. Yes, I love bully breed dogs, especially the APBT, but I can't deny that they don't attack and sometimes fatally kill people. That is a fact that cannot be denied by anyone, not even an advocate for the breed. What was the point in protraying them as angel dogs, when they DO have that other side. There are so many hubs on HubPages that refuse to believe anything other than the 'bad' side, that I wanted to provide something that showed statistics that not all attacks credited to the dogs are not always they're fault.
Andres, thank you for the comment. The dogs do attack, and the hub I mentioned several times that they do. I don't want to portray them as angel dogs, because like I commented to Angela, they DO have another side. It's just hat you don't always know the whole story, nor the truth behind the breed. I'm sorry that you were attacked but do you know that these dogs were truly pit bull, or did they just have the characteristics of muscles, broad chested, and square head? Because many breeds fit that characteristic.
Erinn, My APBT is a chicken to just about anything she's not familiar with. She too is great with other dogs, people, rats, etc. Thank you for your comment.
Love this hub. I didn't know some of that stuff about the history of feared breeds... To anyone who knows the breed, it's hilarious to think of everyone fearing Newfies. We're such lemmings when it comes to believing media stuff like this.
Also, the first picture under "what they don't show you" or whatever is the absolute cutest picture ever. Kids and dogs are the most adorable combination ever.
If someone were to actually read this article all the way through, I don't see how they could possibly disagree with you. Well done.
Helena, thank you for your comment. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to read the hub all the way through. Otherwise, it may look biased, which is far from what I was trying to depict. There is a lot of information that people don't see with the media, and I think that these are importatn facts that people NEED to see in order to get the full picture. Media should portray an unbiased view, and let people make their own opinions, but unfortunately that's not how it works. I tried to find a cropped APBT with a child, but the one time I was looking, I couldn't find one; usually, that's all I can find.
Great Hub! When I was a kid, I was chased down the street by a pit bull for no apparent reason. Luckily I made it in the house before it reached me. A family friend of ours (who was around 8 orso at the time) was at his neighbors house playing with their pitbull, not an uncommon event, when it suddenly decided to bite and latch on to his face.
I am an avid animal lover and I'm sure that the breed is gentle when raised properly. I think there should be stricter rules regarding who is allowed to raise these dogs.
Great Hub, Whitney! Its so interesting, we have 2 dogs, one pit-bull mix, and one little poodle mix. Everyone wants to pet the little dog, but he's the one more likely to snap! (Garrett the big dog wouldn't hurt a fly). Before Garrett, we had a pure-bred Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Hershey was a great dog, too. Very gentle and a pure sweetheart. Still had people make assumptions about him though.
lamps, I'm sorry to hear that you were chased and your friend attacked, but there's always a reason with any dog to attack. No dog attacks out of the blue. If you set stricter rules for bully breeds, then thwill lead to stricter rules for all dog breeds. Breed bans, are the extreme of strict rules, and the result of breed bans is that 1) the bad owners move to districts that allow the dogs or 2) they find a different dog breed to fight. Stricter rules will cause other dogs breeds to have the same concerns. Do you feel the same about the other dog breeds of the past that have had the same bad reputations as the pit bull today? All it takes is a little time to reshape a breed's image; it's been done before. It will happen again.
Steph, I feel ya! My yorkie will snap at you especially if he thinks he's protecting me, whereas my APBT will run from new people. She's such a scardie-cat. My yorkie actually bit my dad today when he was putting his leash on him. I wasn't home and the dogs aren't allowed to roam free, and the yorkie gets super aggressive when you go to put him in a kennel, so he has to be chained to the microwave stand. It sounds mean, but we'd use his kennel if he wasn't so aggressive towards it, and it was never used as punishment. I think he's just claustrophobic. But, anyway; small dogs are actually more jumpy, nippy, and bitey than most big dogs. My mom suggested that I do some research and write a hub about that. I think I will soon.
Great idea on the small dog Hub, Whitney! I'm looking forward to that one! :-)
Steph, I'm definitely going to work on that one, ut right now it's bottom on the list. :-\
Very good and infirmational hub,Whitney! Our 2 pitbulls would not hurt a fly. Their only aggressiveness is with the licking...lol
Iown two dogs. One of them is 22kgs. The other is 4kgs. The 22 kgs dog is the one we have to watch. When friends come over the little dog is the one the kids all go for to play with and the big fellow brings reactionive body language such as hands acroos the chest and body inclined backwards away from the dog. When tradesman come to the house they will not work unless we lock up the big boy but they are happy to work around the litle girl all day.
Take the two dogs out for a walk and it is always the little one that growls at oncoming dogs and let's them know who will be boss on this road today. The big fellow will stay at heel and wait o be invited for social mingling.
Both dogs are lovely and will not harm anyone. But if I had to bet which one would go after someone, it's the little one.
I guess the fear we see in people when faced with a big dog may well be associated with size and percieved biting power. I can't think of anythig else.
Your fan.
Mon.
I actually find it hilarious that you would throw the German Shepherd under the bus to try and prove that pitbulls aren't dangerous. They are and they kill people every year. How many people were killed by Yorkies and Poodles last year? Make sure you include those statistics in your small dog hub.
Is it possible that your next hub about these wonderful dogs will be about how they have never harmed anyone and they should be the only dog people are allowed to own?
I'm not trying to prove the dogs aren't dangerous. I'm trying to prove that they're not ALWAYS the cause of the attacks. I added information about the German Shepherd because it was a good point that dogs that once had a similar feared reputation can, over time, become loved dog breeds. The APBT was once a loved, cherished dog breed who got a bad reputation over time, which can revert back to a loving perception over time, as the German Shepherd and the Great Dane. Also, if you noticed, I have included a list of other dog breeds throughout history that have had severe attacks and killings, not just the German Shepherd.
Those statistics aren't in this hub because this hub is about pit bull type dogs, not yorkies or poodles. I wanted to portray that just becuase you hear something in the media, doesn't mean it's true. (By the way can you pick out the APBT?)
If you actually read the hub Hoodala, you will have noticed that I never mentioned that these don't DON'T attack; I actually mentioned about 3 times that they do and can attack. My next hub in terms of the breed has already been published; it's about myths about the breed. Maybe you want to check it out.
If the breed is as vicious as you believe, why is it that in 3 years there were 11 fatal attacks, and none by a pit bull type dog, much less of a dog with similar physical characteristics?
Which 3 years are you referring to? 1090 bc through 1092 bc? Becasue you sure aren't referring to the last 3 years?
In the hub I actually refer to the statistics from 2002-2005. Also, keep in touch, I'll be posting a hub about small breed attacks within the month.
Whitney, As you know, certain breeds are banned in the UK, the American Pitbull being the chief among them. What should be remembered is the reason why these dogs were imported into the UK in the first place - not to be pets for little old ladies, but as fighting dogs. After a few generations of careful breeding, the vicious tendencies were emphasised, so that it is now impossible to find an APBT in the UK that is not potentially dangerous.
I would accept that APBTs found in the US may not be vicious and dangerous, but that is not so over here.
I also accept that, with many other breeds, the way a dog is treated has much to do with the way in which it behaves. The breed that we used to call Alsatian but is now, for some reason, called the German Shepherd, is a case in point. These dogs are regularly used as police dogs, guard dogs, and helping dogs, and some of the friendliest dogs I have known have been of this breed.
However, it would be impossible to make a safe pet from a British-bred APBT, simply because every single example comes from stock in which viciousness is inherent. So yes, as far as the UK is concerned, the breed is inherently dangerous, and the ban is fully justified. Your experience may well be different, because you are talking about dogs that have a different ancestry. Despite the name being the same, the British and American pitbulls may be on the way to becoming distinguisable breeds.
Indexer, not all APBTs are vicious and agressive; that is included for every country. Just because they are banned in the UK doesn't mean that they are all bad. If that is the truth, then that means that just because in certain county district has a ban on certain breeds, that means that ALL individual dogs in that breed are agressive and vicious, which just isn't true. The American Pit Bull Terrier has its background in England. The APBT, AmStaff, and other fighting breeds now commonly found in the US all came from the background of fighting dogs in the British Isle.
There may be differences presently, but in both the British pit bull and the American Pit Bull are both descendants from the same dogs and stock.
http://hubpages.com/_dogs/hub/Dog-Fighting
Whitney, There have been too many instances of attacks by pitbulls for me to take a different view. Children have been killed by dogs that were bred for the express purpose of killing other dogs. I know I won't convince you on this one, as we've had this discussion before, but when people take an aggressive dog and an aggressive bitch, then breed another generation from their most aggressive puppies, and then do so again for five or six generations, can you seriously tell me that the end result is a dog that is not inherently dangerous? That is what has happened in the UK, and that is why all such dogs ARE aggressive and vicious. You might as well say that not all lions, or wolverines, or Tasmanian devils are inherently dangerous and that, if well looked after, they would make lovely pets!
Indexer, I'm not going to argue that agressive lines make aggressive pups, but not all are aggressive, which means not all pups are aggressive. Yes, if you are in the line of breeding dog-aggressive canines, you're going to want the most aggressive parents.
But, even in game dogs of today, game is more along the lines of will, and not aggression. I HAVE met and heard of tons of game bully breed dogs living as indoor dogs. It just takes a more dominant and experienced person to ensure that there are no mishaps in the home.
I have met more non-aggressive bully breeds than I have aggressive. But, yes 6 full generations of dog aggressive to dog aggressive to dog aggressive dogs, WILL lead to dog aggressive pups, but not all breeders breed for dog aggression. Some breeders, believe it or not, breed for good dogs. And do not have dog aggressive dogs in their breeding groups.
I don't know the statistics of attacks in the UK, but in the US, not all statistics are accurate. I'm just giving you facts that I know. I'm not saying these dogs CAN'T be aggressive. I'm not saying that they DON'T attack, I'm saying that not all statistics are true and not all dog attacks are caused by "pit bulls" (to include statistics that claim the cause was a "pit bull").
I didn't start this hub to deny that bully breed dogs can't be aggressive. I'm not here to deny that they don't and haven't fatally attacked children. I just wish that people could see that not all attacks, even the claimed ones, are 100% "pit bulls." Again not saying that some aren't truly caused by these dogs, but not all are.
I gave plenty of facts and good statistics that I don't want people to ignore just because I'm giving the perspective of "pit bull" type dogs.
"are some dog breeds inherently more dangerous and aggressive than others?"
I think so, bigger dogs are more dangerous (potentially) due to their power, and I think some breeds have a better temprement than others, though I think this is secondary to the way they are trained / handled.
I do disagree with that. I don't think that any do is inherently aggressive, except of course those dogs that have a lineage of aggressive dogs. I believe that the aggression was selectively bred from very dominant dogs. I personally, have met more aggressive and dominant small dogs thant big dogs.
But, in terms of dangerous (which is different than being inherently dangerous, as inherently means that the pup was born dangerous versus just being dangerous from lack of training), I do agree that larger dogs are more powerful than smaller dogs. It's all in the training and socialization.
My 6 yr old daughter has always loved animals and been very good with them. I often feel she might be a vet. She was on her first sleep over and attacked by a great dane as she was following the other children in the house from the backyard. The dog did not growl nor bark and gave her large lacerations on the right side of her face all the way down to the bone. We have had to surgery's so far and overcome many obstacles like not wanting to start her 1st day of school because of the scars. Luckily she is a strong girl and still loves animals but i do feel that owners of large dogs must be responsible and never think it can't happen. This was a family dog that had been around children all it's life. Thankfully my daughter is alive.
hi all
Great lens. My I wish more people could open up to the fact that pit bulls are actually great dogs if they are with the proper people. And I like how you mentioned german shepards (no you weren't just rolling them under the bus). Some of the most vicious dogs I have encountered were german shepards (and no I wasn't a criminal running from cops). But don't twist that statement around, some of the most vicious dogs I seen were german shepards, but I also seen some sweet lovable ones. Anyone immediately putting down a pit bull, please take the photo quizes Whitney linked to. If you don't get it right, just think if the person taking the report of a pit bull attacked might not have been looking at the one of the other dogs.
I agree Whitney with many of your arguments. I have a bullmastiff/bull terrior/beagle mix. His father was bullmastiff/bull terrier. His father was my neighbors dog and was very mean. It attacked our golden retrievers many times and did so once to the year old retriever while the retriever father was on a leash and couldn't reach its puppy to help it. A couple days later the mastiff came back and the retriever father pinned it to the ground by the neck puncturing the neck which later caused infection and death. The mastiff I believe was mean do to lack of affection. The mastiff broke into our house in the winter to get out of the cold, was never allowed in its own home and never treated by a vet. The owners were very cruel to the poor dog. Our puppy is very loving and sweet.
I know of maltises that are alot more viscious than many big dogs
Definitely valid points but it's hard not to be scared of those type of dogs no matter how they have been raised when your own (at the time he was only four) son was brutally attacked by 2 pit/rotweiller dogs. My son and I will have to live with that horror for the rest of our life. I'm sorry I could never trust that type of dog again around me let alone my children.
I'm sorry to hear about your son. But you must remember there are always signs these things may occur, and an unsupervised child is highly susceptable for attack by any dog of any breed.
i have a pitball and rott y i alow them to mix with other dogs n show what rite n wrong they are fine and obedient
well i have a female German shepherd I got her from a man who did not want her. the problem with her as long as you are an individual she thinks it is OK to love you. but no animal can come near her. I think this is why she was given a way she is just too friendly.
There could be a number of reasons as to why the dog was given up. I'm surprised you didn't ask, most people would have.
To The Indexer, you are a complete idiot. You are very ignorant towards the breed, and it is the attitude of people such as yourself that will lead to the demise of this amazing breed of dog. APBT's are used as rescue and therapy dogs. One of the first therapy dogs used in Canada was an APBT, and they are still used successfully for this purpose to this day. If they are as aggressive as you say, they would not be using them to help people. Did you know that APBT's were used in search and rescue efforts of 9/11? I am a firm animal and dog lover, but why do think government agencies and police use german shepard dogs instead of pitbulls when trying to stop criminals? German shepard dogs were intentionally bred to be human aggressive. I am not saying that all German Shepards are vicious towards people, but they are a more human aggressive breed than the APBT. Although APBT's can be human aggressive if raised in the wrong situation, their main purpose as fighting dogs has been to be dog aggressive. Although pitbulls have and do attack humans, it can usually be put down to mistreatment and the dogs desire to please it's owner by any means necessary. These dogs are so loyal that they will attack a human or animal if they think it will please their owner. This is one of the main attractions of the APBT as a fighting dog, if put in the wrong hands their loyalty can cause the death of innocent people and animals, it can even cause their own death. I own three APBTs and have 2 children under the age of three. Because my dogs have been correctly trained and socialised, they are great with our children. You also have to take into consideration the fact that all dogs are individuals. It is possible to have puppies from 5 or 6 generations of fighting stock that simply do not have the same aggressive traits as its ancestors. When the family pet does attack a child, it is due to many different factors, not just the breed of the dog. Any dog can attack, it is purely the strength and stamina of the APBT and other large and powerful breeds that makes it capable of inflicting serious injury. We are from Australia and also own a Bull Arab. This is a perfect example of why dogs should not be discriminated against just because of their name. The Bull Arab is a powerful mix of many breeds, including the English Bull Terrier, APBT, Great Dane, Boxer, Doberman, Rottweiler etc. The Bull Arab is bred for pig hunting in Australia, and they are known as a powerful and aggressive dog capable of bringing down wild boars three times their size in extremely brutal combat. Our dog, who was purchased from a hunting stock litter, is the most gentle natured dog you will ever meet. He is very calm and tolerant with our children, and gets along fine with our three APBTs. He weighs just over 70kgs, and could easily inflict damage if he wanted to, but because of his training, socialisation and the environment he has grown up in he has never attacked or shown aggression towards anybody. Does this sound like a brutal hunting dog to you? This is a perfect example of why dogs should not be classed by their breed, but rather by the characteristics they possess as individuals. If you are familiar with Australian laws on the APBTs, you will know that BSL is in place here in Australia. Funny when you consider that the Bull Arab is a far more dangerous and unpredictable breed, but it has never had the reputation of the APBT. The APBT is extremely misrepresented by the media and government authorities. What good has the government ever done for you? If they don't care about their people, there's not a chance that they will ever give a damn about the animals existing in their society. Say no to BSL.
I have always loved pit bulls! my friends all had them when we were gorwing up and one of my friends dog just had 5 puppies! 2 blues, 2 black and white and one brown and white, i finially convienced my friends mother to give one to my son, the brown and white one, and he is now 5 months old and loves my son to death! he didn't have any training until i finally got him at 4 months so we are working well but it took him 2 days to learn the sit comand so he is learning fast and i'm excited to watch him grow! pit bulls are great dogs!! people are just scared because in america the media uses fear to control our public into what they want them to think.
I love some of these people talking about how they know a nice pit bull, but at the same time they and all their family members were bitten or they were chased down the street (seeing as how these are some of the most athletic dogs in the world I highly doubt a "pit bull" chased you with the intentions of attacking, and you out ran him to your house).
I own Amstafs and APBTs and I sometimes have the hardest time figuring out what dogs are actually Amstaffs or APBT, so I do not beleive anyone who says they were certain they were attacked by these two breeds. Most people don't even know that pitbulls were originaly between 20 and 40lbs, and anything over 60 has been mixed with another breed. Pitbulls breeds have also done very well in tempermant tests. Better than beagles, great danes, german shepards, golden retreivers, minature dauschounds, border collies, Greyhounds, whippets, toy poodle, CHIHUAHUA, and pomeranian. Statisticaly they are also one of the most popular dogs in the US and they bite statistics (when reported fairly) are nearly as bad as they should be considering their population and the vast number of them that are abused, mistreated, malnurished, and just treated poorly because of their negative press.
I have owned over ten diferent breeds of dogs and my pit bull type breeds are some of the most intelligent and by far the most people friendly dogs I have ever owned. Anyone who supports Breed Specific Legislation should be ashamed of their ignorance.
Also to clear this up. "pit bulls" are not a great breed for "proper" owners. Any dog is a great with proper owners. As I have stated above pit bulls are have a better average tempermant than many breeds of dogs. If someone isn't a proper owner for a pit bull, and them owning one would be a danger to other people because of attacks, then they really shouldn't own a dog as any dog would be a danger to attack for them. While it's true that some pit bull breeds can be harder to train, harder to train is a long ways from viscious attacker of humans. A proper owner of any dog should be a person who is knowledgable about all dogs and dog behavior, not a breed. A dog is a reflection of it's owners. Instead of listening to a friend of a friend who "knows" of a bad pit bull or the media, do some research for yourself and look up the American Temperament Test Society, national canine research Council, and Pit Bull Rescue Central.
Punish the Deed, Not the Breed
The worst experiences ive had with dogs arent with the dogs themselves, but the owners.
Im disabled, I try to walk my australian shepherd everyday, which is hard, but i need the excercise for strength. One of the neighbors has a pit bull and he lets it roam free. The other day it came at me when I was walking my dog and he just stood there whistling at his dog while I danced around trying to stay in between the pit and my dog. I carry pepper spray but would hate to spray an animal, but after 2 times of this happening, ill have no problem doing it if i have an altercation again. I might have to inolve the police, but who wants to do that with a neighbor?
Some breeds get a bad name, but I dont blame the dogs, just the ignorant and irresponsible owners.
You can't always assume that the dog is going to attack your dog, but your are right in that it is the ignorant owner who is to blame. The pepper spray may do 1 of 2 things- 1) stop the dog so that you can walk off or 2) make the dog mad and turn a potentially non-aggressive dog aggressive for the moment.
I just wanted to say thanks for writing this article and thanks to everyone's responses. I'm currently looking at adopting a 10 week old sheperd/bulldog/pitbull mix. the mother was sheperd/bulldog and father pitbull is what the shelter told me, but all I've heard from other's is how I shouldn't get this dog because its pitbull...which is how I ended up on this site, I wanted to research it for myself. And I am going to keep researching about the breed, but I wanted to say this really put a lot more confidence in me to adopt her. Also, I wanted to add a story...
I have no idea the dog breed, it was a smaller 10lb white dog, I was probably about 6 or 7 years old. It was at my parents friends house, I was playing with the dog for maybe 20 minutes when the dog snapped and bite me in the face right under my eye, everyone freaked out and couldn't believe what happened. Well, the reason the dog attacked me was cause I was face to face at it staring it in the eyes right before the attack, but at my age I had no idea that this could cause an attack, and did I tell anyone that at that moment? nope... it wasn't til later after the incident i even realized this. So, my point is I think especially children can accidently make mistakes to cause a dog attack and noone was there to see it or whatever and the dog catches the blame.
Kyle, with proper training and socialization Pit Bulls and pit bull mixes can be wonderful family dogs. I have a pure APBT, who is the best dog that I've ever had, of course except for the other APBT that I had previously.
I have several hubs about APBTs, if you want to check them out:
Bad ownership, bad breeding. Any breed can attack a human or another animal, and the only difference is the capacity to do damage. I think the problem arises when a certain breed becomes popular and is puppy milled or overbred just to satisfy the demand. I have known Dalmations to be human aggressive, miniature american eskimos, chihuahuas and yes, the famous cocker spaniel. Yes, the larger breeds can inflict fatal damage so there attacks will be focused on. You wont find any media report of a cocker spaniel for instance scarring a child for life by grabbing his or her face. But a rotti or some other large breed who through movies or other media has been portrayed as demonic or destructive, is part of fear mongering and makes a better story. So the breed the suffers and is banned, such as pitbulls in most areas of Ontario, Canada or Winnipeg Canada. I find the media partly to blame in most cases by sensationalizing the event, without giving all the facts. Responsible ownership and applied knowledge is key, and knowing something about ones breed and avoiding situation where an incident could occur. I understand that everyones experience, may be different depending on what has happened to them or someone within there sphere of influence good or bad. So they may have a severe dislike for a certain breed due to bad ownership/breeding. Are we not ambassadors of the particular breed we own? So it is up to us to properly educate, and hopefully erase the negative stereotypes that any particular breed has acquired. Know your breeds limitations, period.
Great hub! I too believe that any dog is capable of biting when provoked. I don't know much about pit bulls, in my country they are banned, so you don't see too many. The ones I have seen, staffys, amstaffs etc, seem really friendly to people but not so good with other dogs. Do you find PIt Bulls to be more aggressive with other dogs? When they do get into a fight,I have noticed they are much harder to break up.
Some are more dog dominant, but not all. It is always a concern with certain breeds, but being born a certain breed doesn't necessarily mean that it'll be prone to dog aggression. It's a lot in the genetics and breeding, as well as socialization.
Somehow whenever i search a hub i come across one of yours. Your hubs are very nicely put together. APBT are one of the best dog breeds if they are properly trained and cared for. I own 3 myself and they are the best dogs i've had in my dog owning years. I've had German Sheperds, Swiss Mountain Dogs, and even Boxers and I have come to favor my Pit Bulls by far. Once again you've created another great hub!
Thank you so much for writing this. I am passionate about animals in general; however bully breeds have a special place in my heart and in my family, more specifically the American Staffy, and the Standard Staffy, along with the pit-bull mix's. I have four as family pets, and I have a tendency to rescue bully breeds in my area. I take them in and get them healthy, show them love, and try to rehabilitate them to re-home them. However not all of them can be saved they have just been treated way to bad, and can not come back from it. Dog fighting is problem where i live even though it is not broadcast. The breed has a bad reputation mainly due to media. So thank you for writing this.
its not the dogs fault ! its the owners who trained them that way! a dog will obey their master, they will duplicate the owners actions, they look up to them so therefor treat a dog with no respect and like dirt and expect it to be pissed!
The funniest thing i ever saw happpened last week. There is this dog Lucy who visits the pet store i visit frequently. It seems like everytime I'm there Lucy is too. She is the sweetest dog ever and wags her tail a mile a minute the entire time she is in the store. Well she was prancing with her owner checking out the sights and smells when a mother and her two children came around the corner. The dog looked at them smiled and wagged her tail harder. The mother stuck her arms out as if to shield her children from the dog then backed into a shelving unit and caused a total mess!!!! I started cracking up. I live in Philadelphia, the pit bull capital of the world (if you ask me), yet she acted like she'd never seen such a scary dog!
Great hub. I really liked it. BTW while mentioning Petey, and the old navy pups you could of mentioned Racheal Rays dog. Her pit bull is on the cover of her premium pet food. All profits are donated to help out homeless pets.
It is rather sad. Did you hear about the morning show that had a collie and a pit bull on there for adoption. The collie snipped the shelter worker on the show, live, and the pit bull wouldn't stop licking the anchor person. The collie was adopted later that day, and the pit bull sat for several more days.
I own an Argentine Mastiff/Red Nose Pit (7 months old) mix...he is possibly the sweetest dog ever. I also own a German Shepard/Collie mix (6 years old) and a German Shepard/Rottweiler (15 weeks old) mix...the 2 German Shepard mixes are a pain! I love them, but they both have attitudes and they nip on occasion... Meaty - the mastiff/pit mix- was abused before he came to live with us...he scares easy and is attached to females, ie I have a dog at my side allll day long. He is a wonderful dog! Frankly I'd like to slap people who stereotype pit bulls - jerks.
Great hub!!
@ The Indexer
Sorry, you may not get a chance to see this, but the APBT came from the UK's own creation. The UK is where the "Pit Bull" originated they bred them for fighting because the English bull dogs were slower adn more bulkiy but the Pit Bull was quicker, more agile, and had a much higher pain tolerance.
Then when the UK banned the APBT they blamed the US for bringing this dog into existance, when really it was a creation of the UK themselves...
But honestly I think Pit Bulls are the most beautifl dogs on earch and if treated and raised correctly they are the most loyal and loving dogs. That is why they are used for fighting because their undying will to please their owner is so strong that they will put their lives on the line for it.
Thank you for your comment. I will agree that the pit bull was from the UK, yet so many feel bc they're banned there now, the ones bred there are worse than those bred anywhere else... Same breed. That's the origin, but after the people moved elsewhere, they brought with them their fighting dogs. So same breed.
I also agree gorgeous dog breed. My dad has never been a big fan of them till we got ours. Now, when we seem them walking with people or in a semi just hanging out, we sit and watch them a minute because he just wants to look at the dog. They're just gorgeous.
the problem is when they do bite! Not if they will bite. Pits lock their jaws and don't let go. If they do its just to get a better grip. Instinct will always outweigh training. If and when a pit bites it is always nasty. I will never trust one enough to own one. I am a dog groomer and I work with a ton of different breeds every day. There are several breeds that I wouldn't trust. Often you will find a great individual dog. This doesn't mean that you should trust the breed as a whole. Your logic is faulty. In your story, you say that even Newfie's are dangerous, but then explain that the dog's paw was smashed and that explained it. So is the breed vicious or not? I will tell you that its not. Newfie's were bred to save lives. Not kill people or animals. Just because you love the few pit's you have, doesn't mean that they are a breed that can or should be trusted by the general public. The general public are nieve to what it takes to be a good dog owner and prevent an attack. Besides, why should I be paranoid over waiting for an accident. I can prevent an accident from even happening by not having that kind of dog. If you really think all the rest of these dogs are just as dangerous, you should advocate breed bans on them, just to make the pit look more innocent. But we all know that is rediculous. All dogs are dangerous to some extent. The problem is that pits kill with their powerful jaws, wether trained to or not, their anatomy makes them capable and that's why the breed as a whole is considered dangerous. Would you also like to defend a domesticated alligator in Florida as a great pet?
pits were bred for dog aggression not people aggression. Those who showed signs of people aggression were no longer allowed to figt or breed. Would I trust the few that I've had and MANY I've worked with in the public? Yes. Let's not be condescinding. Pits were not bred to kill people. My story is not faulty. My story says all dogs can and will kill, but we don't blame labs when they kill.I don't advocate any breed ban. That's plan ignorant to advoate breed bans. They don't work. They're proven not to solve bites and attacks. I have a hub on statistics if you'd like to read it. Nut it doesn't seem like you're going to change your mindm and that's your deal. I just think people should be aware of the flase stories and truths about the breed. Can they kill# yes. Were they bred for it? No. Do they have lockibg jaws? No. That's one of the biggest myths. Let's not argue if you don't have a solid poin. As for alligators, that's a whole other story involving a WILD animal not a domestic pet.
Stacie Naczelnik says:
2 years ago
This has some fabulous info and points. I admit that I will actually cross the street sometimes when passing someone with a dog - usually if it looks like the owner isn't paying much attention to their dog and the dog is paying to much attention to the things and people around it.
I definitely think that the way a dog is treated influences the way a dog will act. Your rocking chair story is a great example. Our old German Shepherd was a great family dog, but bit a young girl after the girl stepped on her bad hip (she could barely walk on it by then). She wasn't a bad, violent dog.