Are Pit Bulls more dangerous than other breeds?

[Estado Novo Portugues]

Regulation is not some magic cure-all for problems like this. How are you going to enforce such regulation? What's stopping some hick from getting a license and then letting his pitbull roam free? What's stopping tragic accidents when a pitbull manages to escape a truly experienced handler through a broken fence? What's stopping tragic accidents when kids don't know better and go to pet the doggy, only to get their face shredded?

Another example: We regulate opiates to purely medical uses, yet tens of thousands die every year when they use them in ways contrary to their regulation.

Make the regulations similar (but slightly less restrictive) to keeping other dangerous animals, like venomous snakes and big cats. Require a proper enclosure, not a cheap wire fence, and make it large enough for the dog to run around and exercise. Do not let untrained members of the public handle the animals. And periodically have inspections of the habitat (like for zoos).

In other words, we should stop thinking of Pitbulls (or any other powerful breed like Kangals and Dogos Argentinos) as any old dog, but ferocious carnivores that should be admired from a distance. Letting strangers (children or adults) around them is playing Russian roulette. Seriously, Pitbulls are for pros only.

Hey, I never said it would be easy or cheap. If you can't afford the proper safeguards, you should consider a less powerful breed.

[Kroiner]

It's all dependent on how that certain pit bull is raised. This can also be said for any and all other dogs. Pit bulls are more dangerous if raised in a certain way because of their very and I mean VERY strong jaws. They can be very caring animals too, but it's all so circumstantial.

[Earth Orbit]

Regulation is not some magic cure-all for problems like this. How are you going to enforce such regulation? What's stopping some hick from getting a license and then letting his pitbull roam free? What's stopping tragic accidents when a pitbull manages to escape a truly experienced handler through a broken fence? What's stopping tragic accidents when kids don't know better and go to pet the doggy, only to get their face shredded?

Another example: We regulate opiates to purely medical uses, yet tens of thousands die every year when they use them in ways contrary to their regulation.

Make the regulations similar (but slightly less restrictive) to keeping other dangerous animals, like venomous snakes and big cats. Require a proper enclosure, not a cheap wire fence, and make it large enough for the dog to run around and exercise. Do not let untrained members of the public handle the animals. And periodically have inspections of the habitat (like for zoos).

In other words, we should stop thinking of Pitbulls (or any other powerful breed like Kangals and Dogos Argentinos) as any old dog, but ferocious carnivores that should be admired from a distance. Letting strangers (children or adults) around them is playing Russian roulette. Seriously, Pitbulls are for pros only.

Hey, I never said it would be easy or cheap. If you can't afford the proper safeguards, you should consider a less powerful breed.

I'd be down with pitbulls being relegated to being more-or-less zoo animals that require containment and extremely professional handling.

[Seangoli]

Regulation is not some magic cure-all for problems like this. How are you going to enforce such regulation? What's stopping some hick from getting a license and then letting his pitbull roam free? What's stopping tragic accidents when a pitbull manages to escape a truly experienced handler through a broken fence? What's stopping tragic accidents when kids don't know better and go to pet the doggy, only to get their face shredded?

Another example: We regulate opiates to purely medical uses, yet tens of thousands die every year when they use them in ways contrary to their regulation.

Make the regulations similar (but slightly less restrictive) to keeping other dangerous animals, like venomous snakes and big cats. Require a proper enclosure, not a cheap wire fence, and make it large enough for the dog to run around and exercise. Do not let untrained members of the public handle the animals. And periodically have inspections of the habitat (like for zoos).

In other words, we should stop thinking of Pitbulls (or any other powerful breed like Kangals and Dogos Argentinos) as any old dog, but ferocious carnivores that should be admired from a distance. Letting strangers (children or adults) around them is playing Russian roulette. Seriously, Pitbulls are for pros only.

Hey, I never said it would be easy or cheap. If you can't afford the proper safeguards, you should consider a less powerful breed.

Pitbulls are not particularly more aggressive than other dog breeds, and a good many are amazing pets. They just require proper training and socialization. Like all dogs Personally, I think every single dog owner should be required to do some level of obedience training, from Chihuahuas to mastiffs to pitbulls. It is damn shocking how much a dog's behavior can be kept in check by proper obedience training.

[Neutraligon]

Make the regulations similar (but slightly less restrictive) to keeping other dangerous animals, like venomous snakes and big cats. Require a proper enclosure, not a cheap wire fence, and make it large enough for the dog to run around and exercise. Do not let untrained members of the public handle the animals. And periodically have inspections of the habitat (like for zoos).

In other words, we should stop thinking of Pitbulls (or any other powerful breed like Kangals and Dogos Argentinos) as any old dog, but ferocious carnivores that should be admired from a distance. Letting strangers (children or adults) around them is playing Russian roulette. Seriously, Pitbulls are for pros only.

Hey, I never said it would be easy or cheap. If you can't afford the proper safeguards, you should consider a less powerful breed.

Pitbulls are not particularly more aggressive than other dog breeds, and a good many are amazing pets. They just require proper training and socialization. Like all dogs Personally, I think every single dog owner should be required to do some level of obedience training, from Chihuahuas to mastiffs to pitbulls. It is damn shocking how much a dog's behavior can be kept in check by proper obedience training.

What pitbulls are is a larger stronger group of breeds that tend to have high amounts of energy. Due to their energy levels they need a much higher amount of exercise or they start to act out, and due to their strength this can be a problem, as dogs that act out due to boredom/high energy levels tend to get nippy. In addition, pitbulls are the type of dog you tend to find in shelters and as strays, along with beagles; you are much less likely to find a dog like whippet. As such, they tend to have far less socialization then other dogs, which exacerbates the other issues. All these issues are things you find in what are termed bully breeds (Mastiffs, boxers, bulldog and the like)

[Diopolis]

That’s an awful idea.

A Pitbull isn't a Golden Retriever. Would you let small children play with a wolf or bear? Those can be really friendly too, but the risk is too big. If others don't understand the animal's body language, they could unintentionally provoke it to snap. And then the animal would get sentenced to death for defending itself, but not even a fine for the person who provoked it into attacking. Pitbulls and families don't mix. This is for the protection of both the public and the dogs themselves.

I played with a pack of wolves as a child. They were rambunctious but I didn't get hurt.
Anyways, there are dog breeds which pose a problem for owning in a typical suburban household family with children. Pit bulls are not one of them.

[Cantelo]

A Pitbull isn't a Golden Retriever. Would you let small children play with a wolf or bear? Those can be really friendly too, but the risk is too big. If others don't understand the animal's body language, they could unintentionally provoke it to snap. And then the animal would get sentenced to death for defending itself, but not even a fine for the person who provoked it into attacking. Pitbulls and families don't mix. This is for the protection of both the public and the dogs themselves.

I played with a pack of wolves as a child. They were rambunctious but I didn't get hurt.
Anyways, there are dog breeds which pose a problem for owning in a typical suburban household family with children. Pit bulls are not one of them.

Except pit bulls are a problematic breed to own in a suburban/family setting

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

I played with a pack of wolves as a child. They were rambunctious but I didn't get hurt.
Anyways, there are dog breeds which pose a problem for owning in a typical suburban household family with children. Pit bulls are not one of them.

Except pit bulls are a problematic breed to own in a suburban/family setting

Actually, no. A properly trained and socialized pitbull is like any other dog in a suburban/family setting. Not problematic at all.

Did you have a bad experience with one yourself?

[Diopolis]

The following infographic shows that the Pit Bull is still responsible for the most fatal attacks in the U.S. by far, killing 284 people over that 13-year period - 66 percent of total fatalities. That's despite the breed accounting for just 6.5% of the total U.S. dog population.

- Forbes

It’s statistics like this that makes it seem so backwards to me the idea that Pit Bulls don’t have some inherent danger to them. It can’t just so happen that all terrible dog owners go for that specific breed, it can’t be some sort of strange propaganda against a particular type of dog, what the hell is it then? Isn’t the most obvious conclusion that this particular breed has been bred to amplify its aggression and ability to cause harm?

I’ve never understood the near-rabid defense of these animals, regardless of the statistics that back up the claims of Pit Bulls being prone to aggression.

It's the poor definition of what counts as a pit bull. Some pit strains(IIRC mostly those crossed with certain asian and spanish big game hunting breeds and bred for dog fighting) were adopted by drug dealers as personal security animals, then were bred for increased aggression towards humans.
Other pit bull strains actually have a lower than average aggression towards humans(although all pit bull strains have a high prey drive- aka aggression towards smaller animals such as possums/squirrels/rabbits/lizards, etc.). The average person- and most insurance companies- make no distinction.

[Neutraligon]

Except pit bulls are a problematic breed to own in a suburban/family setting

Actually, no. A properly trained and socialized pitbull is like any other dog in a suburban/family setting. Not problematic at all.

Did you have a bad experience with one yourself?

Hell, so long as they get enough exercise, there are pitbulls that can and do thrive in apartments. I mean....where else would they live in a place like New York City.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Actually, no. A properly trained and socialized pitbull is like any other dog in a suburban/family setting. Not problematic at all.

Did you have a bad experience with one yourself?

Hell, so long as they get enough exercise, there are pitbulls that can and do thrive in apartments. I mean....where else would they live in a place like New York City.

I was like her many years ago, until I moved to an apartment complex and one of my neighbors’s bf had a pitbull. Imani was her name. She was huge, but when I got to interact with her, she was the sweetest, most good natured dog I’ve ever encountered.

I tend to recommend that people watch the YT videos of New York Bully Crew (a dog rescue) to get well informed on how misunderstood this breed is.

[Diopolis]

I played with a pack of wolves as a child. They were rambunctious but I didn't get hurt.
Anyways, there are dog breeds which pose a problem for owning in a typical suburban household family with children. Pit bulls are not one of them.

Except pit bulls are a problematic breed to own in a suburban/family setting

No, they are not, aside from certain strains bred for aggression. This is not true of most pit bull strains, which are typically less aggressive towards humans than other breeds(although most have a higher level of aggression towards non-human animals).

[Neutraligon]

Hell, so long as they get enough exercise, there are pitbulls that can and do thrive in apartments. I mean....where else would they live in a place like New York City.

I was like her many years ago, until I moved to an apartment complex and one of my neighbors’s bf had a pitbull. Imani was her name. She was huge, but when I got to interact with her, she was the sweetest, most good natured dog I’ve ever encountered.

I tend to recommend that people watch the YT videos of New York Bully Crew (a dog rescue) to get well informed on how misunderstood this breed is.

I loved pitbulls, even as a kid...mainly because they where so easy going and you could roughhouse with them without being worried that you would hurt them. The ones I knew loved playing with kids. One in particular was very protective of any kid she was playing with (she was also very good at keeping kids with her).

[Diopolis]

I was like her many years ago, until I moved to an apartment complex and one of my neighbors’s bf had a pitbull. Imani was her name. She was huge, but when I got to interact with her, she was the sweetest, most good natured dog I’ve ever encountered.

I tend to recommend that people watch the YT videos of New York Bully Crew (a dog rescue) to get well informed on how misunderstood this breed is.

I loved pitbulls, even as a kid...mainly because they where so easy going and you could roughhouse with them without being worried that you would hurt them. The ones I knew loved plying with kids. One in particular was very protective of any kid she was playing with (she was also very good at keeping kids with her).

My last pit roughhoused with rambunctious boys before they'd learned all about not hitting people for no reason. No bites, nothing. It really depends on the individual dog's breeding and socialization.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

I was like her many years ago, until I moved to an apartment complex and one of my neighbors’s bf had a pitbull. Imani was her name. She was huge, but when I got to interact with her, she was the sweetest, most good natured dog I’ve ever encountered.

I tend to recommend that people watch the YT videos of New York Bully Crew (a dog rescue) to get well informed on how misunderstood this breed is.

I loved pitbulls, even as a kid...mainly because they where so easy going and you could roughhouse with them without being worried that you would hurt them. The ones I knew loved playing with kids. One in particular was very protective of any kid she was playing with (she was also very good at keeping kids with her).

I’ve been told the breed was always intended as a family one. They’re extremely protective of their families, children more so than adults. But because it is a strong dog, it appealed to people with less than honorable motives. That’s why when dog fighting rings are dismantled, most of the dogs held for fighting are pitbulls. Because they’re strong. But the breed was never intended for violence.

[Neutraligon]

I loved pitbulls, even as a kid...mainly because they where so easy going and you could roughhouse with them without being worried that you would hurt them. The ones I knew loved plying with kids. One in particular was very protective of any kid she was playing with (she was also very good at keeping kids with her).

My last pit roughhoused with rambunctious boys before they'd learned all about not hitting people for no reason. No bites, nothing. It really depends on the individual dog's breeding and socialization.

Tail pulling was a repeated thing with this particular pit I am remembering, in fact, sad to say we made a small game of tease the dog where we would try to sneak up on the her to pull the tail. No biting, no aggression, she seemed to enjoy the game. That was before others learned not to pull on the dogs tail. I had already been taught that, but what little kid always listens, especially when everyone, even the dog, seemed to enjoy the game.

[Diopolis]

I loved pitbulls, even as a kid...mainly because they where so easy going and you could roughhouse with them without being worried that you would hurt them. The ones I knew loved playing with kids. One in particular was very protective of any kid she was playing with (she was also very good at keeping kids with her).

I’ve been told the breed was always intended as a family one. They’re extremely protective of their families, children more so than adults. But because it is a strong dog, it appealed to people with less than honorable motives. That’s why when dog fighting rings are dismantled, most of the dogs held for fighting are pitbulls. Because they’re strong. But the breed was never intended for violence.

They're also cheap in comparison to other big, strong dog breeds.

[Neutraligon]

I loved pitbulls, even as a kid...mainly because they where so easy going and you could roughhouse with them without being worried that you would hurt them. The ones I knew loved playing with kids. One in particular was very protective of any kid she was playing with (she was also very good at keeping kids with her).

I’ve been told the breed was always intended as a family one. They’re extremely protective of their families, children more so than adults. But because it is a strong dog, it appealed to people with less than honorable motives. That’s why when dog fighting rings are dismantled, most of the dogs held for fighting are pitbulls. Because they’re strong. But the breed was never intended for violence.

Given the shape of the breed, I would not be surprised if it was initially bread for a variety of situations, from guarding to as a family pet. I mean, they are basically the perfect size for a family pet while being muscled enough to be a good work dog.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

I’ve been told the breed was always intended as a family one. They’re extremely protective of their families, children more so than adults. But because it is a strong dog, it appealed to people with less than honorable motives. That’s why when dog fighting rings are dismantled, most of the dogs held for fighting are pitbulls. Because they’re strong. But the breed was never intended for violence.

They're also cheap in comparison to other big, strong dog breeds.

It breaks my heart every time I see videos of the conditions they live in in those fighting rings. It’s downright criminal.

[Gormwood]

Oh Pit's are the death dog of this era. Previously, Rots, Dobies and German Sheppard's were going to kill everybody.

I have met many who were the nicest dogs. I have met some who where skittish and a few who were mean.

Long ago it was bulldogs. Of course back then they were work dogs made to subdue actual bulls. Most modern bulldogs are mild tempered as companions.

[Gormwood]

Chihuahuas would be vicious too if they were bred as fighters and guards.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

I’ve been told the breed was always intended as a family one. They’re extremely protective of their families, children more so than adults. But because it is a strong dog, it appealed to people with less than honorable motives. That’s why when dog fighting rings are dismantled, most of the dogs held for fighting are pitbulls. Because they’re strong. But the breed was never intended for violence.

Given the shape of the breed, I would not be surprised if it was initially bread for a variety of situations, from guarding to as a family pet. I mean, they are basically the perfect size for a family pet while being muscled enough to be a good work dog.

I’ve never had one myself, but Imani, the pittie I mentioned, was compact yet muscley. Her owner had also been doing some training exercises for her to strengthen her chest. She was imposing and beautiful. But a goofball in the end.

[Neutraligon]

I’ve been told the breed was always intended as a family one. They’re extremely protective of their families, children more so than adults. But because it is a strong dog, it appealed to people with less than honorable motives. That’s why when dog fighting rings are dismantled, most of the dogs held for fighting are pitbulls. Because they’re strong. But the breed was never intended for violence.

They're also cheap in comparison to other big, strong dog breeds.

Part of that might be that they are so common. I mean they are one of the most common breeds found in shelters.

[Neutraligon]

Given the shape of the breed, I would not be surprised if it was initially bread for a variety of situations, from guarding to as a family pet. I mean, they are basically the perfect size for a family pet while being muscled enough to be a good work dog.

I’ve never had one myself, but Imani, the pittie I mentioned, was compact yet muscley. Her owner had also been doing some training exercises for her to strengthen her chest. She was imposing and beautiful. But a goofball in the end.

Pits tend to be very goofy dogs.

[Diopolis]

They're also cheap in comparison to other big, strong dog breeds.

Part of that might be that they are so common. I mean they are one of the most common breeds found in shelters.

A big part of that is that any shelter animal that looks like it might have some kind of pit ancestry is labelled a pit bull. Whereas shepherd mixes are pretty popular, but no one calls them German Shepherds.