The Glade 4.0

I don't disagree, however, with the idea of banning the breed. I've seen and heard of way too much violence from these dogs. Not totally their fault, but that doesn't stop it from happening in our neck of the woods. Seems like every thug around here owns a pit bull and you can tell they've been fighting.

Facism is not a school of thought, it is a racial slur.

There are no bad dogs only bad owners. Any dog can be made mean. Banning the breed will provide no solution, especially since it's not exactly 1 breed. I own 2 American Pit Bull Terriers: Hurley and Moose. They are both very affectionate, very playful, very loving dogs who like new people and new things. They are extremely well behaved. And, one thing they have over any other breed I've ever encountered is loyalty.

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin

There are no bad dogs only bad owners.

Temperament
The APBT is a breed that is loyal to friends and family, and is generally friendly towards strangers. People have been known to be afraid of them because of their bad reputations. Nonetheless, an APBT can be a very congenial pet as they have a general love of people. They do exhibit a higher percentage of dog aggression than some other breeds, and a very high prey drive toward small animals. Proper training can make the dog obedient and have a high desire to please, and socialization at an early age is a must. The breed can become dominant and destructive. According to the UKC, "aggressive behavior toward humans is uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable."[2] A study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that "pit bull type" dogs accounted for the majority of dog related fatalities in the United States between 1979 and 1996, though the study admits some limitations in its data.[7]
The American Temperament Testing Society shows a pass percentage of 86% for American Pit Bull Terriers.[8] Still, a firm, even hand and early obedience training are best. They generally have a lot of energy and high prey drive; they need exercise and stimulation in order to channel their energy properly and not become frustrated, bored, and destructive.[9]

Facism is not a school of thought, it is a racial slur.

You can be sweet/kind/loving to a dog but you can't get instinct out of them.

Khross: I know that ownership plays a huge role, but I do think that there are some breeds that require more experienced and knowledgeable owners and Pit Bulls are one of them. I don't think the average Joe should own a pit bull. If you know what you are doing, fine, but its not a breed that should be treated the same as a lab or a poodle.

Facism is not a school of thought, it is a racial slur.

Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, has conducted an unusually detailed study of dog bites from 1982 to the present. (Clifton, Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to November 13, 2006; click here to read it.) The Clifton study show the number of serious canine-inflicted injuries by breed. The author's observations about the breeds and generally how to deal with the dangerous dog problem are enlightening.

According to the Clifton study, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks that were included in the study, 68% of the attacks upon children, 82% of the attacks upon adults, 65% of the deaths, and 68% of the maimings. In more than two-thirds of the cases included in the study, the life-threatening or fatal attack was apparently the first known dangerous behavior by the animal in question. Clifton states:

If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a pit bull terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed--and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs as well as their victims are paying the price.

Clifton's opinions are as interesting as his statistics. For example, he says, "Pit bulls and Rottweilers are accordingly dogs who not only must be handled with special precautions, but also must be regulated with special requirements appropriate to the risk they may pose to the public and other animals, if they are to be kept at all."

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2000)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published in 2000 a study on dog bite-related fatalities (DBRF) that covered the years 1979–1998. The study found reports of 238 people killed by dogs over the 24-year period, of which "pit bull terrier" or mixes thereof were reportedly responsible for killing 76, or about 32 percent, of the people killed by dogs in the attacks identified in the study. The breed with the next-highest number of attributed fatalities was the Rottweiler and mixes thereof, with 44 fatalities or about 18 percent of the study-identified fatalities. In aggregate, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and mixes thereof were involved in about 50% of the fatalities identified over the 20-year period covered by the study, and for 67% of the DBRF reported in the final two years studied (1997–1998), concluding
"It is extremely unlikely that they [pit bull-type dogs and Rottweilers] accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities."[6]
The report's authors went on to say:
"Although the fatality data are concerning, one must broaden the context to consider both fatal and nonfatal bites when deciding on a course of action. ...[A] 36% increase in medically attended bites from 1986 to 1994 draws attention to the need for an effective response, including dog bite prevention programs. Because (1) fatal bites constitute less than 0.00001% of all dog bites annually, (2) fatal bites have remained relatively constant over time, whereas nonfatal bites have been increasing, and (3) fatal bites are rare at the usual political level where bite regulations are promulgated and enforced, we believe that fatal bites should not be the primary factor driving public policy regarding dog bite prevention."
The report's authors suggested that "generic non–breed-specific, dangerous dog laws can be enacted that place primary responsibility for a dog's behavior on the owner, regardless of the dog's breed. In particular, targeting chronically irresponsible dog owners may be effective."[38]
The latest CDC "Dog Bite: Fact Sheet" includes a disclaimer regarding this study, saying that
"it does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic. Each year, 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs. These bites result in approximately 16 fatalities; about 0.0002 percent of the total number of people bitten. These relatively few fatalities offer the only available information about breeds involved in dog bites. There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill."[39]
[edit]National Canine Research Council
Karen Delise, Founder and Director of Research, has been investigating fatal dog attacks since 1990. She is the author of two books, Fatal Dog Attacks: The Stories Behind the Statistics and The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression.[40][1] Her data set extends back to the 19th century. Delise refuses to rely only on news accounts, as she and other researchers have found them to be untrustworthy, in and of themselves.[41][2] Rather, she has obtained official documents whenever they are available. She has interviewed police investigators, animal control officers and, medical examiners.[42][3] According to her results, the overwhelming majority of dogs involved in human fatalities, irrespective of breed or type, were not dogs which had been afforded the opportunity to interact with humans on a daily basis and in positive and humane ways. They were dogs obtained and kept as other than pets. Most were also poorly managed and controlled.[43][4] Any single-vector study of serious and fatal attacks will overlook the critical circumstances in these incidents that have remained constant over the decades, even as the breeds identified in attacks have changed.

Facism is not a school of thought, it is a racial slur.

Her natural instinct is to be submissive. I'm good with dogs, but not THAT good! Something inside of this dog, instincts, whatever you want to call it, has determined what her temperment is going to be.

The latest CDC "Dog Bite: Fact Sheet" includes a disclaimer regarding this study, saying that
"it does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic. Each year, 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs. These bites result in approximately 16 fatalities; about 0.0002 percent of the total number of people bitten. These relatively few fatalities offer the only available information about breeds involved in dog bites. There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill."

32 U.S. fatal dog attacks occurred in 2009. Despite being regulated in Military Housing areas and over 500 U.S. cities, pit bulls led these attacks accounting for 44% (14). Pit bulls make up approximately 5% of the U.S. dog population.

Facism is not a school of thought, it is a racial slur.

With this breed, human-aggressiveness is rare. Until fairly recently in the APBT's breeding history, this highly undesireable trait was kept out of the breed through brutal simplicity: a dog that displayed aggression toward people was shot on the spot, no second chance. As a result of this ruthless culling, today you're more likely to encounter the opposite problem: figuring out how to restrain your dog's insistence on licking every face that goes by. However, as in all breeds, there will occasionally be a human-aggressive individual--usually, but not always, the result of backyard breeding or neglect and abuse. Owning such a dog is, to say the least, a tremendous liability. There are various degrees and causes of human-aggressiveness in dogs. Sometimes the problem is classic dominance-aggression, and it can be nipped in the bud at an early age if you appropriately re-establish your dominance. In any case, at the first sign of a problem, you should immediately seek expert help from a behaviorist or trainer with experience specifically with this breed. For your own safety, the safety of your neighbors, and for the sake of the breed, you should not hesitate to euthanize such a dog if necessary.

In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin

Facism is not a school of thought, it is a racial slur.

I don't disagree, however, with the idea of banning the breed. I've seen and heard of way too much violence from these dogs. Not totally their fault, but that doesn't stop it from happening in our neck of the woods. Seems like every thug around here owns a pit bull and you can tell they've been fighting.

Hmmmmm.

http://www.dogsbite.org/bite-fatalities-2009.htm


Thats not 16. That's 32.

Monte:

No, actually. American Pit Bull Terriers are labor dogs. They like to work and enjoy physical exertion. A good day to them is one that starts with food, some love, and a whole bunch of yard work. They get positively happy when I say, "Let's go do the yard."