This week's Pit Bull fatalities:

If you are referencing me, I stated it was one occasion, and my opinion. (YMMV)

Then also said two vet freinds with a lot of experince concurred.

Just in case you`re calling me a GD hypocrite.

 

I'm going on record here and saying it was his parent's fault. They used to speak of pit bulls exactly as you do, pretty much verbatim. The dog released the boy when they shot it. Their opinion of the breed is now somewhat different. If you want the sordid details, the boy walked past the dog while eating an ice cream cone. It was a beloved family member prior to the incident.

 

Ohhh I have similar stories from other breeds. Of course the last lab mix that never bit anyone until it did was found to have an intestinal tumor that was consuming nutrients and leaving the dog malnourished without it being visible yet externally. He got food aggressive very quickly and snapped my hand while I was placing his water bowl on the floor. This was a dog born in my living room so I knew his entire history from birth. A sudden change in demeanor should not go without investigation. I would have to ask if there were any incidents prior that they just didn't register as something to address.

I speak of all large breed dogs the same way. We just happen to be focusing on a specific breed. Just because that Boxer or Mastiff is a lazy, clumsy clown ox today doesn't indicate that he isn't capable of inflicting serious injury or death. I just have little patience for people that excuse poor ownership and poor behavior in little rat dogs simply because they aren't as capable of it.

 

Yep. These are the stories the vets tell. Great dog, never a problem, etc. Then the "can`t believe it attack"

It was the same with my sons` dog.

Sorry to hear of your nephew.

 

We had huskys, shepherds and dalmations over the years, and never had one as much as growl at our family. Even after being kicked by a bull and limping around.

They were great animals.

 

Nope. I was responding to the person I quoted. Look at his reply to my post: he knows.

Interesting that it made you feel self-conscious, though.

 

Hahahaha

Not at all.

Like you, I just love a good discussion!

 

That is true but they hear the same things across all breeds and both of them see that pitbulls have more occurrences leaving out the X Factor of douchebag Thug owners

 

That's one aspect I hadn't considered. Bad breeding could make for some less than stable off spring.

 

Yes it seems to be really rare and unexpected

I have several friends that have had pits a long time with no issues.

Just not a dog I would trust with my kids in any regard.

 

I suppose that's different for every family and how you raise dogs

We had lots of large breed dogs and while I would not trust any dog around an infant I would have trusted them around kids from say 4 years old up or so

Because I saw these dogs around those kids with the kids doing the normal shit kids do like kicking them writing them Etc

They took it all in stride.

One difference with app it is after it latches on if it doesn't want to let go they truly are different in that aspect.

I've seen that in action and the only way to get it off was to shoot it.

Are there dogs used to squabble some been all my life I've never heard so much of dogs killing each other and people until the pits

And that's the observations the Vets are making including looking at all breeds.

Definitely not an exact science.

 

That's why it doesn't make the news. A larger breed just playing with someone can rip a finger off. My wife's chihuahua biting my hand doesn't even draw blood.

 

I'd leave my kids alone with most dogs before most people.

MHO is that breed has less than 10% to do with temperament. With that said, people can condition almost any dog to be an a-hole. Dogs are still dogs. They have instincts and genetic drives to protect themselves, their territory, and they gang up on the weak. You can neither blame them for these instincts, nor ignore that they exist.

I prefer mutts, because they seem to have more watered-down genetics. Our cocker spaniel mutt (in my profile picture) looks more like a beagle. He's 35ish lbs., but he is the alpha in our house over our 75 lbs. rottweiler mutt. Henry (the 'beagle') was diagnosed with cancer last week, and has been feeling like shit since then. Kramer picked up on it right away and started stealing Henry's food (not that Henry was eating anyway).

Kramer is legitimately one of the gentlest dogs you'd ever meet, but he went asshole when he sensed weakness. I would leave him alone with our 16 month old daughter without hesitation. He's carelessly knocked her over because he's 75 lbs. and walking is kind of a new thing for her, but he doesn't bat an eye if she crawls on top of him, or grabs his ear or whatever. We don't allow her to abuse him, but I'm confident that she could, and he wouldn't react. Now that said, I have seen Kramer get into a fight with a pit mix (my sister-in-law's dog).

Neither of them were "aggressive" toward each other, the pitty just wouldn't leave Kramer alone. She kept following him, sniffing, and annoying the shit out of him. I don't know which dog started the fights, but they've gotten into it twice. I was bitten separating them the first time. By my dog. It wasn't severe. luckily. Kramer has never come away from either incident any worse for wear. My sister's pitty mix was bleeding both times.

She's not an aggressive dog by any stretch, but I would still say she instigated the altercation. Kramer doesn't start fights, but he ends them... I can't see either of them ever hurting a person. Not even a home invader. MAYBE if someone was hurting one of my daughters, or trying to climb over our fence while he was in the yard.

 

I'll wade on in here and try to behave...

My grandfather was a large animal veterinarian out in rural Nebraska, from basically the late 30s to the 80s. He loved horses, cows and pigs, which comprised his main business, but of course he treated all manner of other animals, mainly cats and dogs. We used to ask him what his favorite animals were. Horses were his favorite because he found them to be very smart pleasant animals. Pigs were smart, but a big PITA to round up and manage. He liked cows, the treatment of which made up the bulk of his practice. Not as smart as horses, but very sociable and friendly. Dogs? those were his least favorite animal to treat, "you can't trust them".

He suffered all kinds of injuries over his 50 years treating animals. I don't recall if it was a horse or a bull that smashed his hand, but it doesn't matter too much cause he accepted that it was his fault. Most injuries? Dog bites.

In July of '99, I found this skinny-assed mangy dog under my truck at work in Atlanta during lunch. It was GA hot out so I gave it some water and we took my friends car to lunch. When we came back it was still there, looking pretty weak. I took it some more water and gave it a bag of fritos or something. At the end of the day the dog was still under the truck. So I coaxed it out, no collar or tag, and put it in the back seat and took it home. My wife went out and bought it food and we nursed it back from near death over a few days. On either day 3 or 4 we really started to like the dog. I took it into the vet to have it looked over, and she said, "beautiful Pitbull you've got here". I was shocked.

Having lived in Atlanta throughout the 90's I'd seen countless giant mastiffs, muscled rottweilers, and some steroid-addled-looking pitts with vicious faces and attitudes. So, it never occurred to me that this sweet little malnourished, friendly soft mutt could be a pitt, cause to me she looked nothing like one. I spent the next few weeks reading everything on pitts that I could including a few books at the library!

Over the next few months, this dog blossomed. She seemed to recognize and appreciate every day that we'd saved her and she loved us to death. She was a very passive dog around us, our friends, and every single dog we came across. She would simply roll onto her back and expose her belly when we came across other dogs.

We went from her having to be dragged on walks around the block up to the ability to do 12-15 mile mountain bike rides. Over that 6 month period she went from scrawny to brawny and became a fully muscled pitt. Her jaw strength was both incredible and somewhat terrifying. She could destroy toys in minutes that lasted other dogs months (and countless other examples)...

Unfortunately, we lost her after a short time. Hit by a car while chasing a squirrel, which sucked...

So, our pittbull was awesome. We loved and trusted her. that said, I wouldn't get one again. For me, there is simply too much strength in an animal that, after all, is just an animal. People can make their cases for the breed, and they can dismiss all the bitings, maulings and killings as due to the fault of the owner. They may be right. But, I've only been bitten once in my life by a dog, and it was some little shit-head lahsa apso or shitzu that bit me from behind in the ankle (never saw it coming). No chance that it, or a pack of them could have mauled me to death.

All dogs are dangerous. Some, maybe even most cannot be trusted (by a stranger). But only a few have the capability and history of killing people.

 

FIFY

 

I like how those that reference them as "just an animal" refuse to believe the that they are also "just an animal".