Name:	MAJ USA RET -	Reply
Subject:	the inappropriate pet
Date:	11/20/2018 9:27:08 AM

This week, a 5 day old child was killed by the family pit bull.

What Prompts a Pit Bull to Attack? - DogsBite.org – “…Due to selective breeding for the purposes of dogfighting1 -- pit bulls were artificially selected to attack unpredictably, to "hold on and shake,"2 and to hide warning signals before an attack -- the pit bull breed often demonstrates "hair trigger" arousal. Pit bull owners often try to blame these mundane activities on explosive pit bull aggression.”

 https://blog.dogsbite.org/2008/08/triggers-what-prompts-pit-bull-to.html

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	the inappropriate pet
Date:	11/20/2018 9:43:53 AM

I'm supposed to believe information from a website called "Dog Bite".  No dog is inheriently dangerous.  Just their method of attack has nothing to do with why they might attack.  No parent should ever leave a child alone with a dog of any kind.  Children should be taught to respect a dogs space.  And people need to stop training these dogs to be aggressive and attack.  And if you rescue a pit bull or any of the dog, you should look very carefully into their background to make sure they haven't been abused, and especially the bully breeds that seem to be used for aggressive training or dog fighting.

Articles and websites like this exist solely to demonize whole breeds of dogs, rather than taking any instance of a dog attack on a case by case basis. And children should be taught to how to interact with dogs.  Before pit bulls, people demonized dobermans and german shepards as untrustworthy and vicious.  Don't hear much abou that anymore now do we?  

Shame on you for perpetuating such nonesense.  

Name:	MAJ USA RET -	Reply
Subject:	by the numbers
Date:	11/20/2018 9:55:30 AM

“Today there are 3.7 million pit bulls in the U.S.,  who have killed more than 400 Americans since 1982 (57% of the total);  2.5 million dogs of other “bully” breeds,  who have killed more than 160 Americans;  and as many as 1.3 million Rottweilers and Rottweiler mixes,  who have killed more than 100 Americans.

“Together, dogs of these breeds amount to 11% of the U.S. dog population, but account for 77% of the dog attack deaths and 88% of the disfigurements…”

https://www.animals24-7.org/2018/04/08/insuring-pit-bulls-state-farm-pays-out-double-the-norm-for-dog-attacks/

PS: My wife and our golden retriever were attacked by a pit bull. It got away from its owner and covered over 200 yds in seconds to prosecute the attack.  It was pulled off by its owner twice... and got away from him twice in the same attack. Trust me... it will not end well for the pit bull next time.

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	the inappropriate pet
Date:	11/20/2018 10:33:11 AM

I've seen tons of pit bulls and most of them are very friendly.  And they are not even close to the worst offenders when it comes to aggressive behavior.  But the reality is that they are unique in their ability to inflict harm and much worse.  For that reason alone I would never own one.  But I also wouldn't own a number of other breeds.  I'll stick with labs, ridgebacks and other breeds that are not prone to this kind of violence.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	by the numbers
Date:	11/20/2018 10:33:26 AM

That is not a reason to damn a whole breed.  

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	the inappropriate pet
Date:	11/20/2018 10:40:15 AM

Chihuahuas are one of the most aggressive breeds and most vets will tell you that they would far rather have a pit bull patient than a chihuahua patient.  I would not have a pit bull because it is too much of a hassle given people's perception of the breed, but I know a number of people that wouldn't have anything but because of their sweetness.  I love the sporting breeds - and I am curently obsessed with hounds - which some people say are untrainable and can't live in the house.  Mine do.

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	the inappropriate pet
Date:	11/20/2018 11:16:10 AM

Pit bulls don't even make the top ten for aggressive behavior.  To be fair though, I am not aware of a chihuhah or dauchshund (the top two) killing anyone.  Number three on the list is the Chow Chow but they are a bigger dog.  The real issue with pit bulls is not frequency of occurrance but the magnitude of the attack.  The breed is very dangerous when they attack which is why they are the focus of attention.  As I said, the ones I have come across were very friendly, sweet dogs.  But I wouldn't own one because of the potential for them to cause serious harm if they do attack someone.

Name:	MAJ USA RET -	Reply
Subject:	as you say
Date:	11/20/2018 11:33:30 AM

1 – Yes, most of them are friendly… until something triggers them. And NO ONE has yet to come up with a way to determine that a pit bull is about to attack. They have a hair trigger.

2 – "And they are not even close to the worst offenders…”  I don’t think you read the article about the insurance industry experience with, especially, pit bulls (and Chows, huskies, and Rottweilers).

3 – “But the reality is that they are unique in their ability to inflict harm and much worse.”  …such as fatalities, dismemberment, and gross disfiguration.  They are bred to perform in such a manner.  My retriever has never been trained to retrieve… she began to do it instinctively… as a puppy.  My pointers were never trained to point… they did it instinctively… even as puppies. 

Pit bull conformation is meant for powerful aggression and tenacity. They are bred to do massive damage and do so quickly (unlike the Chihuahuas).  They make very good junk-yard-dogs… but, not pets. Most of the people that own them have no insurance (that covers liability for pit bull attacks) and little in the way of personal assets.

4 – You correctly pointed out in your last sentence that they are “… prone to this kind of violence.”   

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	as you say
Date:	11/20/2018 11:43:06 AM

Maj, I think we are pretty much in agreement.  However, while pit bulls do in fact inflict a lot more serious harm they are by no means the most aggressive breed.  It's the magnitude of their attacks that make them unsuitable to me as a pet.

Name:	Carlson -	Reply
Subject:	as you say
Date:	11/20/2018 12:14:02 PM

Pit bulls’ like humans’ behavior can not be predicted.  

Had my dogs attacked recently by a neighbors labs and we walk only with a bat and these labs seem to respect that.  If it ever happens again, they will get .38 therapy.  Sad part about pit bulls, you can shoot them and they still don’t turn loose.  Like I said, humans wishing to do fatal harm can not be predicted.  

Sorry to hear about your golden.  My golden had drains put in since dog bites always result infections.