Pit bull....
The fact is, for whatever reason, pits can, and will, for no explainable reason, turn into a vicious killing machine. They can be provoked by something completely innocent.
Your ignorance is truly astounding. This is like saying guns kill people. You believe everything you see on the news?
"Pit Bull" isn't even a breed. It's a general category that any one of about 5 different breeds are normally lumped into. A category that about
87.5% of shelter workers
misidentified. If shelter workers can't properly identify a "pit bull", what do you think the chances of the media, or general public, correctly identifying one? See stats here-
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-katy-nelson/pit-bulls-are-in-fact-unicorns_b_8028748.html
"Pits" are victims of the media, plain and simple.
Any dog can bite.
Any dog can attack. Yes, "pits" tend to be strong, muscular dogs, so they can and will cause more damage than other kinds of dogs if they become aggressive, but that is the
only difference. I have been around far more chihuahua's with aggressive behavior than "pit bulls", but of course no one considers them because they're typically too small to do much damage. Bite stats are skewed for the same reason. Who would go to the ER and admit they were bit by a Chihuahua? Well, that's were bite stats come from -ER's. And because people who are bit by "pit bulls" are more likely to go to the ER, because of mental prejudice as well as physical damage, the bite statistics are skewed. Seriously, if someone's labrador bites you, do you go to the ER? Or do you let them talk you out of it because you don't want their pet to be destroyed? But if someone's "dangerous" pit bull bites you, well, damn right you do-you want that dog reported regardless. Which dog is more dangerous? The behavior is the same, only the result differs.
The dogs from Michael Vick's dogfighting operation were rescued, and retrained. Some of them became
certified therapy dogs. Many more passed the "canine good citizen" test. If any "pit" was going to be dangerous, you'd think it would be former fighting dogs right? Well, you'd be completely wrong. Only one of the 51 dogs rescued from Vick's fighting ring was put down for being "too violent". One. And those were actually fighting dogs. 47 were saved, retrained, and most adopted out. Really, anyone who wants to voice their opinion about "pits" should read the book "The Lost Dogs" first. Maybe it won't completely change your opinion, but at least you won't be talking completely out of your butt.
Short article on the Vick dogs
http://www.si.com/more-sports/2008/12/23/vick-dogs
Here's a follow up on some of the more "accomplished" former Vick dogs
http://www.badrap.org/six-years-later
And then theres this guy, a former Army veteran that rescues and advocates for "blocky-headed wigglebutts" in Ohio
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steffen-baldwin/why-i-rescue-blocky-headed-wigglebutts_b_8032366.html
People that advocate against "pit bulls" are simply ignorant and uninformed at best. It's true, they're not for everyone, and they do need responsible owners. But so do many breeds that do not get the media vilification that "pits" do, or are subject to the same ignorant labels. Do some
actual research, not just BS internet searches on violent "pit bulls" that might not actually even BE "pit bulls". Read the books. Ask veterinarians. Develop an informed opinion. Like I said, they are not for everyone. They're athletic, can be high energy, and need responsible training and lots of exercise. But do that and they're the best dogs out there.
As far as being "ruined" because they came from a shelter - also complete and utter BS. I have two "pit bulls". Luke is some kind of Dalmation/"Pit" mix. We rescued him from the pound. He was already 2 years old, had been in shelters on 2 different occasions in his life for several months, and was previously owned by a guy that went to state prison. Yes, I own a rescued "pit" that was owned by a convicted felon.
He is the nicest, most well trained dog I've ever owned. Yes, it took a lot of training on our part to get him to where he is today. But he was
always a sweetheart, regardless of his prior life, just a little lacking on training. And he gets walked about a mile and a half a day, carrying a backpack with 32oz of water bottles so he actually gets tired before I do.
Mia came from the local SPCA. She's some kind of hound/bulldog/"pit". One of the smartest dogs I've owned. A little mischievous, and not the best around cats (although we manage), but again, a nice dog that is very loyal and obedient. We take her to the Green Acres Nursery (plants, not kids), where her favorite trick is to roll onto her back and beg for pets from complete strangers.
I fear what other people will do to my dogs far more than I worry about what my dogs will do to other people, regardless of the situation. And if anyone ever hurts my dogs I fear they will discover that I am far more dangerous an animal than either of my dogs, because they are family as far as I am concerned.
