Its not the dog its the owners i have had bulldogs, and sheppards and they were the sweetist dogs you could ever have. Are they stubborn yes but that is because they are thinking dogs. If people want to own these types of dogs they need to be educated about the breeds before getting them.
Itâs not the fault of the breed it depends on how they were raised, just like children. I know two Pits personally, one male and the other female and they are the most loving dogs.
I agree that we have a dog problem, but I think a stronger focus should be placed on spay/neuter requirements, pet ownership education, and licensing for legitimate, responsible breeding of animals in general. Hundreds of thousands of âbully breedsâ are excellent, well-adjusted animals that never hurt anyone. The issue is 100% the result of an oversaturated population from accidental litters in unaltered pets, and the back yard breeding/puppy mill industry. Countless poorly-bred puppies of all varieties with no temperament or health testing done are churned out every year. These dogs are irresponsibly sold for top dollar to people who have no knowledge of what their particular breed needs as far as training, socialization, exercise, diet, vet care, etc. The result is an unmanageable population of neurotic, unpredictable dogs with behavioral issues that end up in shelters and are subsequently placed into homes where they pose a danger to humans. It isnât just âpits.â Belgian malinois, German shepherd, Rottweiler, sharpei, chow-chow, dalmatian, great dane, Australian cattle dogs, Anatolian shepherd, doberman, mastiff, husky⌠all breeds that are not a good fit for someone who isnât going to buy a responsibly produced animal and give them the time, enrichment, and training throughout their life that they NEED to be a safe, balanced dog. All are equally capable of mauling someone who doesnât have any business owning them. All are breeds that as a veterinary professional I was far more wary of after multiple close calls. Demonizing an entire breed class and ripping countless cherished pets away from responsible owners because of vague wording like âpitbull-type dogsâ is terribly unfair, and not going to fix the root problem. Plus, unless you plan on finding a way to fund genetic testing for every dog with a fat head and stocky build, itâs not exactly a viable plan. Massive numbers of âmixed breedsâ out there have some sort of APBT, boxer, dogo argentino, cane corso, amstaff, English/American/French bulldog, bull terrier, Boston terrier etc. In their lineage, even if they donât necessarily look like it, and there are PLENTY of blocky dogs that donât have an ounce of âbully breedâ in them.
I wish I could downvote this 100 times 
Thank you for this perspective. Never heard that info.
Thank you for sharing your experience. A perspective I had not heard before.
It truly is a mix of both. But there have been plenty instances where well trained pitbulls turn. Children are attacked simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time when it comes these dogs. Their brains are wired differently and their jaws can lock down. They are unsafe.
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Absolutely not. This is not the dogâs fault. This is the fault of a lazy owner. I have a pit and he is the best dog I have ever had. Sweet, loyal, protective only when necessary, and incredibly loving. They represent about 20% of the dog population in the United States. This would be an insane overreach and if someone took my best friend away, there would be hell to pay.
Though I can appreciate the concern for human life, this truly comes down to responsible pet ownership. Iâd be more inclined to have owners sign paperwork regarding training and liability than ban a breed. My wife and I have work with animals for years (decades actually) and can tell you with 100% certainty, itâs not the breed. I know you posted about another family who loved their dogs and took care of them and they still attacked. Loving them and training them are two completely different things. Not every dog lover should have a power breed. That said, there are an estimated 4.5 million pitties in the U.S. right now. What percentage of those killed someone? Less than .001%. We should not be talking about banning a breed of dog from a country because owners are not properly training them and there have been negative outcomes. Owner accountability, yes. Pit bulls are great family dogs for families willing to put the energy and effort into training them and socializing them. Donât let a few bad apples spoil the bunch.
Ive had pitbulls for years as pets and they have never terrorized any neighborhood nor bit anyone. Maybe you need to move, breed specific ban legislation never holds up. In some states you can own tigers. Move to your state that best suits you.
There is a reason homeowners are not allowed to have wolves. They are not domesticated. Its their nature to be aggressive. Pitbulls same thing. Not fully domesticated. The USA would lose nothing by banning them - just get another breed. 1000s of lives would be saved. Ask any parent of an attacked child. Not worth the risk.
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That was my first thought.
I canât agree with this proposal. Saying a breed of dogs kills people is like saying guns kill people. I own a German Shepard dog and he is sweet and loving. Rather than outlaw a breed of dog, why not make the owners responsible for their failure to properly train their canines.
By-the-way, in the 1940âs Pit Bulls were considered âAmericaâs Dogâ. Their pictures were featured on war posters everywhere. That is a loving, loyal animal.
Please research this subject before voting. Try going to âBest Friends Animal Sanctuaryâ and see what they did with Pit Bulls that were forced to fight by Michael Vick. Itâs all about training and environment not breed.
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THANK YOU for saying what we were all thinking⌠well, those of us that critically think.
And how many other pet peeves do you feel the need to complain a policy compliance ofâŚ
Beautifully said!!! Thank you!!!
No!! I have the absolute sweetest German Shepherd/Blue heeler mix dog, she wouldnât hurt a soul unless they were hurting her family and my neighbors have a full bred German Shepherd that is absolutely sweet as well. I have been around plenty of pit bulls that I know would never hurt myself or any children. I think banning any breed of dog is going to be nearly impossible. Thatâs like saying letâs ban a certain human race, things just donât work like that.
Akin to banning guns. Bad idea. Take responsibility for your pets. Train them well. I have a pit bull terrier, she is the sweetest thing, hyper to say the least, but sweet.
Probably not lions for the animal rights stuff. Lions are meant to live in groups with other lions and need plenty of open space. It would be cruel to keep an individual lion in a home, even a mansion would not be enough space.
Iâd never keep a lion. I agree itâd be cruel to keep one under anything less than modern zoo-like conditions.
But itâs not my place to tell other people what they can and cannot do, as long as their behavior isnât affecting me. Animals arenât people and they donât have rights.