★ Pitbulls, dangerous or not dangerous?

[frankcastle]

If you look closely or farther back that the breed that has killed more people per decade has changed every decade since the 70s. This time it happens to be the Pit bull's turn.

My answer to your question about... could I love another breed? My answer to that would be the same as yours if I were to ask, "Could you love two different dogs if you couldn't have the ones you do now?"
The obvious answer is, Yes...of course we could.

The fact (if it's true) that the most dangerous dog per decade has changed doesn't really prove anything. Maybe it has to do with Dobermans being more common at that time combined with their characteristics and type of owner. Your choice of word "happens" downplays that breed, prevalanece and ownership all factor into the equation. This is not just a coincidence.

All it means is that insecure douche bags who know nothing about raising dogs properly have gravitated towards different breeds as an extension of their penis. I know you have had PB's and I'm not saying you are that type of person. What I'm describing is the likely profile of the PB owner whose dog goes out of control.

I knew your answer would be "yes" that you could love a different dog because:
a) you seem like a reasonable person
b) you seem like a person who appreciates the intricacies of raising a dog
c) you "happen" to like PBs but don't "need" it

The purpose of asking you that question though was a run around to avoid the "how many breeds should we kill" line of thinking.

At the end of the day I want people to enjoy the pleasures of dog ownership but at the same time I also want to minimize harm.

Apparently chow chows are pretty dangerous dogs..... but in a octagon I'll take my chances against that dog any day over a PB

 

[frankcastle]

Do you have any data indicating fatality by Pit Bulls before YR 1985?

Even if the number is lower..... we need to compare that to how common the breed was.

And we have to adjust for how many people owned dogs.

 

[canada-man]

Do you have any data indicating fatality by Pit Bulls before YR 1985?

pit bulls were not popular before the 1980s data will be hard to find

 

[malata]

Even if the number is lower..... we need to compare that to how common the breed was.

And we have to adjust for how many people owned dogs.

pit bulls were not popular before the 1980s data will be hard to find

Good points....at the same time, when Pit Bulls were being bred in numbers in the 1990's, most were probably being trained to be guard dogs for gangs and fighting dogs for gambling houses. Which brings us back to the conditioning of their behavior.

"The Pacific Standard Magazine had some very interesting statistics and opinions about dog bites to report in their 2014 article “The Tragedy of America’s Dog.” The following excerpt highlights that compared to the number of estimated Pit Bull types vs. bites reported, Pit Bulls were actually on the low end of those to be considered dangerous."

http://cdn.barkpost.com/good/pit-bulls-history-of-americas-dog/

 

[frankcastle]

Good points....at the same time, when Pit Bulls were being bred in numbers in the 1990's, most were probably being trained to be guard dogs for gangs and fighting dogs for gambling houses. Which brings us back to the conditioning of their behavior.

"The Pacific Standard Magazine had some very interesting statistics and opinions about dog bites to report in their 2014 article “The Tragedy of America’s Dog.” The following excerpt highlights that compared to the number of estimated Pit Bull types vs. bites reported, Pit Bulls were actually on the low end of those to be considered dangerous."

http://cdn.barkpost.com/good/pit-bulls-history-of-americas-dog/

And why did "they" chose the PB for those applications? Could they have trained any dog to do what PBs do?

 

[frankcastle]

Like it or not there was a breeding element.... docked tails, short ears, folds in the snout, strong jaw.... those were all selected/created for the purpose of improving their fighting ability.

 

[malata]

And why did "they" chose the PB for those applications? Could they have trained any dog to do what PBs do?

Because they scary looking mother fuckers?

Do you know which breed of dog has the strongest bite (PSI)?

http://petcomments.com/ten-dogs-which-have-the-strongest-bite/

 

[Nesbot]

No comparison between the power of a wire fox terrier and a pit bull. My uncle had a WFT and it was an annoying little fucker - totally untrainable, hyper and terrorized the neighbourhood kids by chasing them and biting their legs. The dog took a chunk out of my hand, but no big deal. I didn't even need stitches. If that was a pit bull that bit me, I would have had major damage to my hand.

Agreed. Now what about a PB vs tosa Inu? A Tosa Inu would rip a pitbull to shreds in minutes.

I think people need to step away from the media reporting and think of things analytically. Pitbulls a dogs. Just like every other dog. And they are not even close to the most dangerous of the lot. The just happen to be smaller and more manageable than rotties, mastiffs, and other large breeds. Have you seen the damage a wolf hound can do? Geeez.