What Would You Say About This to the Management?

Let's not fool ourselves. Put in the wrong situation any dog can be dangerous.
 
You really can't draw a straight line between pit bulls and filas when you're making a temperament comparison. We've gone over this before but human aggression is part of the fila's breed standard and most certainly not part of the pit bull's.
 
It gets a little tiresome going over and over the same ground... better arguments than yours have been made against pit bulls and but even they didn't get very far in these parts. I'm not a pit bull owner either, like Glenda I have no personal interest in this issue (I'm just not a terrier person really), but I think all this anti-pitbull sentiment is just another fad that's egged on by media scares. Living in a rescue-happy city like Boston I can't help but come across friendly, happy pits and pit mixes ALL THE TIME and there is simply no convincing me these are "extremely dangerous" dogs.

ORIGINAL: peter_89

Let's not fool ourselves; if put in the wrong situation they are dangerous.
Simply because a certain trait hasn't been exhibited doesn't mean it doesn't exist in the individual; put it into the right situation and it may show itself.
Looks like it's happened again; another Pit Bull belonging to an irrisponsible owner leaving his dogs outside unleashed (as he claimed that in their entire lives they had yet to exhibit any dangerous traits at all) nearly kills a ten year old boy, tearing all of the flesh off of his right arm. It's in our local Chicago newspaper. Another story shows a woman having to have her arms amputated from an attack. Yet another story shows a man being mauled by his own two beloved Pit Bulls who had an extremely loving and tame history. A simple online search turns up dozens of these; sure, a fair amount of them are probably Presas or Dogos and not Pitties, but you have to admit that they still kill and can have a high amount of animal and even human aggression; and you certainly can't argue that every single attack is really an alternative breed cruelly labeled with the generic and easily recognizable "Pit Bull." Pit Bulls who show their deadly side are always described as being gentle. The problem is unpredictability. And sure, Cocker Spaniels are responsible for more bites that Pitties, but Pit Bulls are responsible for more deaths -- and that's the point. Don't waste time sobbing tears over heartwarming tales about them; I've read such stories about Fila Brasileiros and yet there isn't any disagreement over their temperements, is there? I also found it funny when a woman was mauled by a man's two Presa Canarios in her apartment stairway that owners of the breed fiercely defended it even though they are known to be a very dangerous breed. Why? Because they had a bias towards the breed and had certainly never seen any negative traits from it around the people it was raised with, but any reasonable and objective person who looked at the real, hard evidence would see that the Presa is a generally dangerous dog. It is a similar situation with the Pit Bull; it always seems to be the people who have it in their best interest to keep their Pitties who are fiercely and unrealistically defending it. Again, both parties are speaking in generalities: no, the Pit Bull is most certainly not, if raised well and correctly, a constantly fierce, vicious, and dangerous breed, lunging at anything that moves, and can in fact be very sweet and loving. The media grossely overblows this, indeed. But please, it is a dangerous breed made to be vicious if put in the right situation; no matter how well you try to rid the breed of these negative traits it still has the fundamental unpredictability strongly bred in to it. We must be realistic. They have been bred for hundreds of years to fight. We cannot "tame" them or "fix" them; that would be like ridding herding dogs of their tendencies.

 
i refuse to even give this poster credibility by arguing facts. As a pit bull owner I am very aware of the potential in the breed and do not let it blindside me. However the above post is backed by ignorance of the breed itself. Peter, once you actually come at us with a intellectual point of view and have done ACTUAL research versus just giving your opinion then we can talk. Till then please keep your "opinions" to yourself.

Pit Bulls are dangerous weapons -- yes, I said weapons. That is what they have been bred to be for a long time. And I'm sorry -- no amount of training will completely purge that from them. Which is why I lean to them being banned from heavily populated areas. At the very least they should be muzzled at all time in public.
A good analogy would be Siegfried and Roy. They will tell you how sweet, loving, and well-trained the tigers were -- which they were till the second one of them remembered it was a tiger. The same applies to a Pit Bull. They can be great dogs until the moment they remember what they are.
All that being said, I do agree in part with other posters. A lot has to do with the owner. I have been around Pit Bulls that I've felt completely comfortable. They had good owners that trained and controlled them well. But these owners also had large amounts of land. Their dogs were able to get the exercise they needed and were away from the general public. So any time the met new people the owner was there keeping a close eye on them. They recognized the traits of the breed and acted to avoid the negative ones. Nothing bad about that; just practicality and good sense.
But most owners aren't very good ones. They don't exercise or control their dogs well. We recently had an issue with one in our condo building. The owner, despite repeatedly being told to keep her Pittie away from a Miniature Daschund, kept letting the dog run up on top of theirs. She also thought that having her dog on a twenty-five foot nylon lead meant the dog was under control. In her mind the dogs "simply needed to get to know each other." I see that additude in a lot of dog owners that seem to think that they know better what you or your dog needs. Good owners recognize when people and or their dog sare agitated or afraid of Pit Bulls. Then take steps to avoid a bad situation. Bad ones just think you need to get to know their dog.
This also goes with people talking about certain "myths" of Pit Bulls. Most aren't myths; Pit Bulls have the propensity to be violent and dangerous dogs. Acting like that is false. You are doing more damage to the reputation of the breed. A better approach is recognizing the shortcomings of the breed and working to overcome the bad influences through proper laws and oversight of breeders.
Ignoring the issues people have or treating them as "myths" is part of the bad view people have of the breed. It gives people that don't know the breed the impression that the owners either don't know or care of what their dog is capable of. It's somewhat like walking down the sidewalk waving a gun around and telling people that they shouldn't be nervous because it's not loaded.
It would improve the perception of the breed if the owners faced facts; then approached the situation with confidence and a clear view of what their animal is and the perception of others of that animal.

ANY dog can be a dangerous weapon.   So can liquor and cigarettes.
 
The examples you provided were of stupid owners, not violent dogs.  Pitties were NEVER bred to be people aggressive.  They were bred to be DOG aggressive, so unless you have four paws and a tail, you are in no more danger from a pittie than from ANY OTHER DOG.
 
People couldn't take pitties to dog shows or any other place if they were as dangerous as you claim.
 
Perhaps we should just insist on muzzling ANY animal with teeth.
 
And when you bring up that tiger?  Well, that TIGER is a wild animal no matter what you do to disguise that fact.  And wild animals flat out belong in the WILD.
 
Sadly, nothing any of us can say will open your mind to the possibility that you are wrong about pitties.

Doesn't BSL stand for Bull**** Legislation?  Sorry, I know, no swearing but sometimes it's needed. Wasn't it Spiritdogs that said that Aussies were on a BSL list somewhere here in America.  I had a good laugh at that one. I know a cashier at Petco that has a PBT.  I saw her walking downtown with the poor thing muzzled, which is required by law in that town, as it was walking along the stroller which carried her infant daughter.  I stopped and talked and pet the dog for a bit.  He was a real sweetheart.  And the muzzle was completely unnecessary. 

ORIGINAL: glenmar

I do not now, nor have I ever, nor will I LIKELY ever, own a pittie.  So I have no personal interest in this issue. But, the pitties I have known, I have adored because of their sweet and gentle natures.  It's not in my best interest to defend pitties, but, by golly, I will.

 
Like you Glenda I have nothing to gain, only memories of when my beloved GSD's where branded the same[:@], and now Malamutes are getting on some lists[:@]. Luckly there are people in this world that are smart enough and educated enough to understand the difference between breed and deed.

ORIGINAL: peter_89

Pit Bulls are dangerous weapons -- yes, I said weapons. That is what they have been bred to be for a long time. And I'm sorry -- no amount of training will completely purge that from them. Which is why I lean to them being banned from heavily populated areas. At the very least they should be muzzled at all time in public.
A good analogy would be Siegfried and Roy. They will tell you how sweet, loving, and well-trained the tigers were -- which they were till the second one of them remembered it was a tiger. The same applies to a Pit Bull. They can be great dogs until the moment they remember what they are.
All that being said, I do agree in part with other posters. A lot has to do with the owner. I have been around Pit Bulls that I've felt completely comfortable. They had good owners that trained and controlled them well. But these owners also had large amounts of land. Their dogs were able to get the exercise they needed and were away from the general public. So any time the met new people the owner was there keeping a close eye on them. They recognized the traits of the breed and acted to avoid the negative ones. Nothing bad about that; just practicality and good sense.
But most owners aren't very good ones. They don't exercise or control their dogs well. We recently had an issue with one in our condo building. The owner, despite repeatedly being told to keep her Pittie away from a Miniature Daschund, kept letting the dog run up on top of theirs. She also thought that having her dog on a twenty-five foot nylon lead meant the dog was under control. In her mind the dogs "simply needed to get to know each other." I see that additude in a lot of dog owners that seem to think that they know better what you or your dog needs. Good owners recognize when people and or their dog sare agitated or afraid of Pit Bulls. Then take steps to avoid a bad situation. Bad ones just think you need to get to know their dog.
This also goes with people talking about certain "myths" of Pit Bulls. Most aren't myths; Pit Bulls have the propensity to be violent and dangerous dogs. Acting like that is false. You are doing more damage to the reputation of the breed. A better approach is recognizing the shortcomings of the breed and working to overcome the bad influences through proper laws and oversight of breeders.
Ignoring the issues people have or treating them as "myths" is part of the bad view people have of the breed. It gives people that don't know the breed the impression that the owners either don't know or care of what their dog is capable of. It's somewhat like walking down the sidewalk waving a gun around and telling people that they shouldn't be nervous because it's not loaded.
It would improve the perception of the breed if the owners faced facts; then approached the situation with confidence and a clear view of what their animal is and the perception of others of that animal.

 
Again, you are speaking of your opinion. NONE of that is fact, yes it is fact that bad traits have been bred into them but the rest is rubbish.

I just wanted to add that I wouldn't NOT own a pittie, it's simply not a breed I would seek out, not because of any fear of their temperments or "turning on me", but simply because that isn't the "look" I prefer.  But, if one showed up on my doorstep, s/he would be welcomed in....and no doubt bullied by the gsds.

People are becoming so brain washed. It's sorta like what happened with the catholic church. A few people come out and say they were molested by a priest, and now everyone and their neighbor has been molested by a priest.   A few people get bit by a pit bull and now the pitts need to be banned?
 
Last year a friend of a friend was having a  birthday party for their 9 year old daughter. Their chocolate lab had been a member of the family for the girls entire life. the little girl gets a hampster for her present. Her dog is checking the cage out when the little girl goes to give her best friend a pat on the head and he turns to bite her face off.  Will it stop me from ever owning a lab? NEVER
 
ANY dog could snap. I do not believe that it depends on the environment the dog was raised in I do not believe it is common in one breed over another. You could have the perfect family dog that was raised with your child riding it's back and always being so loving simply bite or attack. The pitts are just being picked on because people are being brainwashed. Thats all it is.  

Sheprano, I'm with you.
All I can say at this point is - school's still out for summer, right?

Peter, out of curiosity.....what kind of dog breed do you own? What dog has captured you heart as pit bulls have captured mine?

Sweet Jesus Almighty. Peter, if you are looking for people to agree with you on your anti-Pit Bull rhetoric, you picked the wrong forum. The majority of people who post on this board are responsible dog owners who are savvy about dog breeds and dog ownership.
 
Can Pit Bulls be dangerous dogs? Yes they can. Any dog can be dangerous in the wrong hands. In my old neighborhood, I was more afraid of the human aggressive Cocker Spaniel who was allowed to be off leash despite going after people and the Siberian Husky that constantly jumped the fence to come after my dogs. The common denominator in both those dogs were the irresponsible owners who did not properly socialize their dogs nor properly maintain them on their property. Does that mean all Cocker Spaniels are human aggressive or that all Siberian Husky's are dog aggressive? Absolutely not.
 
Would I own a Pit Bull? No and it's not because I fear or hate the breed. It's just not my choice of breed. Even though I wouldn't own the breed, I will fight for the rights of others, like Jaime or Sheprano and many others, who are responsible dog owners to own Pit Bulls. I do not agree with BSL because it's a bandaid solution to the real problem and the real problem is irresponsible idiots and in a lot of cases the irresponsible breeders who supply the irresponsible idiots with dogs. BSL is something all dog owners should fear. If they'll go after Pit Bulls who's going to stop them from going after my Rottweiler? What about the idiot who's convinced that my 10 and 15lb Boston Terriers are really "miniature" Pit Bulls because they're brindle in color and have big blocky heads? What's going to stop them from adding your chosen breed to the list? When does it stop? When owning a dog becomes illegal?
 
To make a long story short, if you think I'm going to buy into your ignorant fear based misconceptions about Pit Bulls, you thought wrong.

ORIGINAL: meilani

Sweet Jesus Almighty. Peter, if you are looking for people to agree with you on your anti-Pit Bull rhetoric, you picked the wrong forum. The majority of people who post on this board are responsible dog owners who are savvy about dog breeds and dog ownership.

Can Pit Bulls be dangerous dogs? Yes they can. Any dog can be dangerous in the wrong hands. In my old neighborhood, I was more afraid of the human aggressive Cocker Spaniel who was allowed to be off leash despite going after people and the Siberian Husky that constantly jumped the fence to come after my dogs. The common denominator in both those dogs were the irresponsible owners who did not properly socialize their dogs nor properly maintain them on their property. Does that mean all Cocker Spaniels are human aggressive or that all Siberian Husky's are dog aggressive? Absolutely not.

Would I own a Pit Bull? No and it's not because I fear or hate the breed. It's just not my choice of breed. Even though I wouldn't own the breed, I will fight for the rights of others, like Jaime or Sheprano and many others, who are responsible dog owners to own Pit Bulls. I do not agree with BSL because it's a bandaid solution to the real problem and the real problem is irresponsible idiots and in a lot of cases the irresponsible breeders who supply the irresponsible idiots with dogs. BSL is something all dog owners should fear. If they'll go after Pit Bulls who's going to stop them from going after my Rottweiler? What about the idiot who's convinced that my 10 and 15lb Boston Terriers are really "miniature" Pit Bulls because they're brindle in color and have big blocky heads? What's going to stop them from adding your chosen breed to the list? When does it stop? When owning a dog becomes illegal?

To make a long story short, if you think I'm going to buy into your ignorant fear based misconceptions about Pit Bulls, you thought wrong.

 
A wonderful post from someone who dosnt favor pit bulls above other breeds as some of us do. I dont want you to think that we dont respect your opinions or experiences, its a matter of telling us pit bull owners something about our dogsthat is incorrect. Jamie has a plethra of experience with them for many many years, can you see why anyone would trust her words over yours? I feel stupid even sticking up for us because you are so irrational, spouting hysterics, its almost laughable at how you could fathom something to be downright evil, ha ha!
However I DO beleive that the whole pit bull situation has gotten out of hand. half of the pit bulls I see on the streets are not "true" pit bulls, they are blown up hippos that wweigh considerably more then the breed standard. I DO beleive that some sort of breeding restrictions should be implemented. I HAVE a wonderful blood line in my girl, UKC registered, health tested, temperment tested but I chose to have her spayed becuase there are too many pit bulls in the world. I beleive that if a pit is not of show quality, temperment and health tested then IT should be law to have it spayed or fixed. I WOULD agree to licensing my dog with my county as a potentially aggressive dog to help weed out all of the "bad ones". And I say all of this NOT because I think they are vicious and can get in the wrong hands. I say this out of respect for the way humans have manipulated this breed and how the dogs are now paying the price for it. But guess what? If it wasnt pitts with the reputation the gangsters and thugs would pick another breed to condition to its uses. Will you be so quick to jump on the bandwagon if say, Boxers turned out to be the new fad as Rotts and Dobies were a couple of decades back?

I love, love, love Pitbulls and I own an English Mastiff.  The only dangerous thing about either would be a bad owner.  What would concern me about an EM being sold in a petstore would be it's potentially poor breeding.  That can and will lead to mega vet bills in the thousands if this is a sickly, poorly bred pup.  2ndly, more than likely, it will fall victim to the old, dreaded "he just got soooo big and we couldn't keep him anymore".......My guess is he'll be on Petfinders.org within the year!!!     

Pit bulls are not dangerous. People are.