this is some bullshit esp if you own a pit bull

[Creeping Death]

I've got a buddy who owns a lot of Pits. Guess why he owns them. Give up? HE IS A PROFESSIONAL WILD HOG HUNTER!!

Had a new neighbor that moved in, and owned a pit. I was out of town, and the pit came down into my yard. It charged my 3 yr old daughter. My wife saw it, and got in its line of march and kicked it in the mouth. The pit bit down on her foot. By this time, my coonhound got wind of the situation and handled the pit (coonhounds ain't exactly slouches themselves).

When I got home and was told about the situation, I walked up to the neighbors and explained to them before hand why their dog was going to die if it chose exit their yard ever again. The dog quickly found a new home.


If you own a pit, prepare yourself for a lawsuit, because its only a matter of time before the dog tears into someone, and they drag your ass to court and clean your clock. Or worse yet, what if the person the dog tears into is your kid. I keept my weapons away from my young children until they are old enough to be taught about them. Same theory with the pits and other viscous breeds of dogs. It all about responsible ownership. Letting a pit walk around a neighborhood with kids in it is as reckless as leting a perv walk around the same neighborhood shaking his pecker at your kids.

[SkyShark]

I just need one that isn't gun shy, bastards keep running off when you blow stuff up.

[Looon]

I think a Wiener dog and a Kimber are the best combo. The Wiener just "paints" the target for the Kimber. I don't think I need a dog to "protect" me.

My newest puppy, is a Dorgy. Half Doxin(wiener dog or shorty long as my wife calls it) and half Corgy. His name is Buddy. He won't try to tear your ass off, because he just won't reach it.

[Ranger Bill]

I just need one that isn't gun shy, bastards keep running off when you blow stuff up.

Get a beagle. Mine doesn't even flinch and they are relentless on a trail, and great with kids.

[Looon]

I just need one that isn't gun shy, bastards keep running off when you blow stuff up.

great with kids.

That right there is the biggest trait of a great dog!!!

[Benning Wife]

Pits are so unpredictable. I believe it is all in how you raise them. Our buddies rescued a pit and she the the sweetest dog. I think people who own them need to trained on how to properly train a dog of that nature.


We have a lab and a doberman. The both are big dogs and weigh about 65 lbs each, and they are still puppies. One morning I went outside to feed them and saw this nine year old boy at the top of my fench trying to play with. Right then and there I went to his house told his mom I didn't want him climbing the fence becuase if he falls and something happens I don't want them to sue me for it. Broc ( the doberman,) is a big baby but can be very protective when he has to. Both of our dogs have always been great with kids. For instance our friends who live down the street have a two year old and she loves Broc. He will lick her to death and play with her until she gets tired of him. I'm not to worried about him attacking anyone becuase no one in our neighborhood comes close to either of our dogs unless we are there.

[last.tango]

I have owned American Pit Bull Terriers without incident for over 25 years.
They are not your garden variety pet. They should never be allowed to run at large. And you should never trust them not to fight with another dog. The breed was developed to be dog aggressive NOT human aggresive. And there is a big, big difference.
Individuals who played major roles in the development of the breed culled (killed) man biters. Man biters could not be trusted or tolerated in the box.
I understand many people don't like the breed. We all have our favorite breeds and those we are not so fond of. Stereotypes and labeling sadly always rear their ugly head. My dogs are not an extension of my (wo)manhood, nor do they bolster my macha image. And thanks to the irresponsible owners who allow human aggresive dogs to live, breed and run loose, the changing laws are more than just an inconvienience, and at some point may require me to relocate. But as usual, it is those dog owners willing to comply with the laws and handle their animals responsibly who will suffer, while the irresponsible continue on their merry way.
To those who don't understand why someone would own the breed, I can only say, that those who do, know, and those who don't, probably will never understand. Rangers usually understand that "never give up" attitude which the breed embodies.
And it is alot more than just how you raise them. Unfortunately, unscrupulous and backyard breeders have allowed man biters to live and breed and failed to cull dogs of inferior temperament and placed them in homes with owners unknowledgeable about the breed, and/or unwilling or incapable of handling them responsibly. IMO, it takes a dedicated owner to handle them properly.
Instead of penalizing the breed and responsible owners, leash laws and laws targeting the irresponsible owners/handlers should be enforced. Many tragic accidents involving dog bites/attacks (of many breeds) could be prevented with adherence to the leash/dog at large laws alone.
And my disclaimer: I do not match my dogs, info provided for historical/discussion purposes only.

[edit for spelling]

[Everett Ruess]

The only one I have ever encountered that was aggressive toward me and my son (he was around 6 at the time) was easily trainable. One round of 230gr. hardball stopped all aggresive tendancies.

And that right there would be my solution. I've got no problem with dogs and I'm not going to weigh in on the Pit Bull topic in particular - but if ANY dog attacks me or my family - it will die.

[RangerX]

I wasn't going to pipe in on this, because generally the problem with pitbulls, or any dog for that matter, is their human counterparts. I can't bring myself to call them masters, because that would imply some amount of discipline.

Unfortunately for pit bulls, rottweilers and other such dogs, they have a public reputation as being agressive. This leads people of less that optimal self esteem to keep these animals to help make themselves look "tough" or "hard" when neither is true.

I personally don't like the pit bull breed, as in general they are overtly agressive, particularly around other dogs and domestic animals. This is in their genetic coding, and has nothing to do with the owner. What does matter regarding the owner is discipline. If a pit bull owner spends the time to train and discipline his dog, the same owner will also likely take care that his animal is not roaming the streets causing havoc. Both will help ensure that an incident doesn't occur.

Some owners do bring up their dogs to be agressive. This can be said of any breed. I've seen overly agressive black and yellow labs, golden retrievers and other notoriously family friendly breeds.

One key aspect to all of this is the nature of the animal. It is statistically proven that you are much more likely to be bitten by some small yappy little rat fucker dog than a larger breed. Thing is, when someone gets their tennis shoe mauled by a yorky terrier, they punt the fucker across the street, and it doesn't make the news. When a pit bull, an extremely powerful and tenacious breed, mauls someone, it will inevitably involve an ambulance or worse yet, a coroner's van.

I don't think any dog breed should be outlawed (well maybe some of those barking hamster breeds), but the owner of a dog that perpetrates one of these attacks should have their balls fed to the dog before it gets put down.

As an aside, Rotties make excellent baby sitter dogs. They have a natural herding instinct, and if allowed to play are some of the goofiest dogs I've ever encountered. Also if you want a good laugh, train a Rotty to retrieve waterfowl.

[last.tango]

Are pit bulls this aggressive naturally? Or does someone train them to be aggressive? Does this aggression have to be trained out of them? What is the natural demeanor of a pit bull?

SSG Rock, the following is from the UKC Breed Standard for the American Pit Bull Terrier:

CHARACTERISTICS
The essential characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier are strength, confidence, and zest for life. This breed is eager to please and brimming over with enthusiasm. APBTs make excellent family companions and have always been noted for their love of children. Because most APBTs exhibit some level of dog aggression and because of its powerful physique, the APBT requires an owner who will carefully socialize and obedience train the dog. The breed's natural agility makes it one of the most capable canine climbers so good fencing is a must for this breed. The APBT is not the best choice for a guard dog since they are extremely friendly, even with strangers. Aggressive behavior toward humans is uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable. This breed does very well in performance events because of its high level of intelligence and its trainability and willingness to work. The American Pit Bull Terrier has always been capable of doing a wide variety of jobs so exaggerations or faults should be penalized in proportion to how much they interfere with the dog's versatility.

And in the ADBA Standard for the APBT:
Disqualifications: Man aggression, one sided or both sided cryptorchid,

At most shows, with any signs of human aggression, the dog(s) would be disqualified. The breed is naturally dog aggressive. But should NOT be human aggressive. Dog aggression cannot be trained out of them as it is a genetic trait, however it can be managed and controlled by a responsible owner/handler. (Which is why I will always maintain the dogs should never run at large). Human aggression, while it can be trained into them, is not their natural temperament. A pit bulldog that shows signs of being a man biter does not meet the breed standard and IMO should be culled. I worked with search and protection dogs for years, but when deciding to own soley APBT, stopped working/training my dogs in protection. I feel it is detrimental to society as a whole and to the breed in general to pursue that discipline with this breed of dog.

I'm very sad to hear about the elderly woman killed. And that incidents are on the rise again. Unfortunately there are also a wide array of mongrel and bully "type" dogs being called "pit bulls" whether they are truly APBTs or not. There is a widespread problem of people breeding indiscriminately and not culling dogs of poor or questionable temperament, a widespread problem of them being placed into the hands of owners unknowledgeable about the breed and incapable or unwilling to go the extra mile in handling them responsibly. I wholeheartedly agree with Ranger Everett Ruess, Ranger Tater Nuts and anyone else who suggests a dog (of any breed) showing human aggression should be put down. (Working police/military/protection dogs being the exception as this is the job they are trained to perform). I can not say if those dogs involved in the recent rash of incidents have simply lacked adequate training/socialization, been trained to be aggressive toward humans or if they were/are badly wired and should've had a dirt nap long before they were allowed to run amok.