[ComfortEagle]

Took the dogs out to the local dog park today and during our time there ran into two pit bulls. One was a 12 week old puppy and the other was a couple years old.

The puppy was very cute and friendly as was the adult until it became aggressive towards another dog.

It all started because a ball was thrown and the pit bull and the other dog chased after it. Instead of racing to get there first, the pit bull decided to just overpower the other dog.

They got into a fight that took about 30 seconds to break up.

I know that pit bulls have a bad reputation, but is it warranted?

Pleas vote in the poll and offer your opinions.

IMO, the pit bull is not born a killer and not naturally aggressive. I believe that just like any other dog, with proper training they can be great pets. However, pit bulls naturally have strong jaws and strong bites which can lead to more destructive bites and/or attacks.

[Notorious]

Agreed, I myself have been around pits my whole life own 2 right now and they ahve never been a problem. I think relies on how the dog was brought up and bred. Now pitbulls do have a tendency to wanna be the main dog, and are very protective of there owners very loyal dogs.

[Mr.Kimball]

Agreed, I myself have been around pits my whole life own 2 right now and they ahve never been a problem. I think relies on how the dog was brought up and bred. Now pitbulls do have a tendency to wanna be the main dog, and are very protective of there owners very loyal dogs.

Chimpanzes can be very loyal to their owners as well, but we all know how that turned out. The chimp was well trained, was raised as a human being,was a star on Old Navy commercials, and knew his victim very well (who is now fighting for her life). He even turned on it's owner.

Bottom line, any animal that has the potential to cause harm in the way that a Pit bull can needs to be banned from society. As loving as they may appear to be at times they can still "snap" with their behavior. The bad thing is it can happen without warning, and then when it does happen, it's too late. Regardless of what is thought, they are instinctive natural killers.

[ComfortEagle]

Chimpanzes can be very loyal to their owners as well, but we all know how that turned out. The chimp was well trained, was raised as a human being,was a star on Old Navy commercials, and knew his victim very well (who is now fighting for her life). He even turned on it's owner.

Bottom line, any animal that has the potential to cause harm in the way that a Pit bull can needs to be banned from society. As loving as they may appear to be at times they can still "snap" with their behavior. The bad thing is it can happen without warning, and then when it does happen, it's too late. Regardless of what is thought, they are instinctive natural killers.

Should all chimpanzees be banned because of the recent actions of one?

Should all pit bulls be banned because some percentage of them have been dangerous?

I believe the increase in pit bull attacks is simply due to the increase in their population. Multiply the yorkie population by 10 and I bet we see more yorkie attacks too.

What I don't like is the inconsistency in whether we accept pit bulls or not. Some cities ban the dogs altogether, others have no restrictions at all. This had led to a bad reputation. And after speaking with someone who works at an animal shelter, very few pit bulls and pit bull mixes get adopted, most of them get put down even if their temperament is good. I got to see this first hand a while back at PetSmart. Our PetSmart has an "Adoption Area" where people can look at some of the dogs and cats available and adopt them right there if they so choose.

There was one cute mixed pup on the end. Very cute. I stood back and watched the people go look at him. Most would comment on how cute it was, walk into the adoption area, and then look at the clipboard fastened on the front of the cage. This clipboard contained information about the animals. In most cases, the potential owners lost interest when they saw that it was a pit bull mix. You could see them point and whisper to another in their party, then walk away.

This kind of reputation is also leading to a lot "wanna-be renegades," "******bags," "think-they're-cool-kids," "so-called-bad-*****," buying or adopting this breed. Which also leads to a lot of bad training. Not saying all pit bull owners are bad trainers, but the trend is starting to swing that way. JMO

[Stardust]

Interesting info: http://www.austinlostpets.com/kidskorner...itbull.htm

[Brittany0121]

I have a Pitbull and he is sooo sweet. He doesnt try to attack anything. He is too big of a big goof and a big lug to do anything. He barks at other dogs, but its just like he is trying to protect his territory.

[Brittany0121]

Chimpanzes can be very loyal to their owners as well, but we all know how that turned out. The chimp was well trained, was raised as a human being,was a star on Old Navy commercials, and knew his victim very well (who is now fighting for her life). He even turned on it's owner.

Bottom line, any animal that has the potential to cause harm in the way that a Pit bull can needs to be banned from society. As loving as they may appear to be at times they can still "snap" with their behavior. The bad thing is it can happen without warning, and then when it does happen, it's too late. Regardless of what is thought, they are instinctive natural killers.

Banned from society is a little much. If someone tried to tell me I couldn't have my pitbull, I'd have to hurt them. He's the baby. A big one.

[Stardust]

For those who may not be familiar with teh above comments about Chimpanze's

http://www.courant.com/news/local/statew...4122.story

HARTFORD, Conn. - A 200-pound chimpanzee kept as a pet attacked and seriously injured a woman visiting a Stamford home Monday, police said.

The chimpanzee named Travis, who once appeared in television commercials, was shot and killed by an officer when he charged police and cornered that officer in his cruiser, police said Monday.

The injured woman was hospitalized late Monday in very serious condition at Stamford Hospital, police said. Her identity was not immediately released.

Stamford police Capt. Richard Conklin said the woman was getting out of her car in front of her friend's house when Travis attacked her for no apparent reason.

Sandra Herold, the owner of the 15-year-old chimpanzee, wrestled with the animal as it mauled her friend, then ran inside to call 911.

"She retrieved a large butcher knife and stabbed her longtime pet numerous times in an effort to save her friend, who was really being brutally attacked," Conklin said.

The woman suffered "a tremendous loss of blood" from serious facial injuries, he said.

Travis ran away and started roaming on Herold's property as police arrived, setting up security so medics could reach the critically injured woman lying on the ground, Conklin said.

But the chimpanzee returned and went after several of the officers, who retreated into their cars, Conklin said.......

[Notorious]

A little bit of info I found and will share-

The American Temperament Test Society, Inc. (ATTS) is a professional organization that objectively tests the temperaments of various dog breeds.

They do this by methodically exposing members of a breed to a series of confrontational situations, then measuring their reaction. The more aggressive the reaction, the lower the score the dog receives. The score is based on the percentage of dogs in a breed that passed the test:

Here are some of the most recent results available. We’ve included some widely considered “most friendly” (like beagles and poodles) and some labeled “dangerous” (like Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and of course, pit bulls.

Warning: you will be surprised by the results!
ATTS Scores by Breed
Afghan: 72%
Australian Shepard: 79.2%
Beagle: 78.2%
Cairn Terrier: 70.7%
Chihuahua: 70.6%
Cocker Spaniel: 81.5%
German Shepherd: 82.8%
Golden Retriever: 83.6%
Labrador Retriever: 91.1%
Rottweiler: 82.3%
Toy Poodle: 80.9%
Yorkshire Terrier: 80.0%

Now, compare these to the pit bull breeds:
American Pit Bull Terrier: 83.4%
American Staffordshire Terrier: 83.3%
Staffordshire Bull Terrier: 93.2%

For this study, the ATTS evaluated more than 25,000 dogs and more than 200 breeds. The average score for all breeds together: 81%. As you can see, when it comes to having a reliably friendly temperament, the pit bull breeds well exceed the average!

You can find these scores and more at http://www.ATTS.org

[Magicjefferson25]

IMO pit bulls are no more vicious than any other dog. It is all about how you raise your dogs.

[Batpuff]

I have one and she is just a big baby that all she wants to do is play.. yea she may jump on you when you walk up to her but she just wants to play... She just had her first set of puppies and i hope that will calm her down some.

[Tatertot]

it depends on how the owner raises it!

[crazytaxidriver]

its all in how you raise them.. if you love them and give them loving attention they will return the favor.. if you treat them like ****, then like any other dog they will do mean things..

I think that the little toy breeds are the worst animals.. They are overly aggressive toward everything except their masters.. It's just that they are so small their bites and attacks can be stopped much easier..

My wife raised two monster pit bulls.. pure bred.. and they were the best dogs ever.. The female died last month at the ripe old age of 10 in human years.. and the male is about 6 now.. He is territorial, with other animals, but he loves anyone who will play with him.. he's big and it seems like he's rough, but it's just cause he weighs over 100 lbs.. and he's a big kid..

I think every animal has the potential to be a good animal, or a bad animal. And like the case of the crazy chimp, stuff will happen but does that mean they are all like that.. I think not.. But then again i don't know if i would want a pet who can outsmart me, and actually plot against me.

[*Central_Cheer_Chick]

I think its all in how you raise them and interact with them on a daily basis. Yes, they are strong/dominant dogs by nature. But not all are brutally bloodthirsty.

I also have a pit bull, but I adopted him from a friend's relative. He was about 6 months and already a good size. But the owner had 2 - 3 litters of these dogs and thought it was hilarious to watch them 'playfight.' So he was rough when I got him.

But he is as loveable as ever now. He is an awesome watch dog and a great pet. He does lapse every now and again if I pet another dog, but he wasn't born with that instinct. I do not think that pit bulls are any more dangerous than any other dog