Thanks for this. :)

Fabulous article! As an owner of two pits, one being a rescue from a really abusive family, I found this article so spot on! Thank you for opening everyones eyes to the stereotypes of this amazing breed. They are truely the most loveable and loyal dogs i've ever had the pleasure of owning.

Thank for writing this. It is about time more people step up and help to save these beautiful loving dogs.

Your two are beautiful!

One hopes that the same Media bias that encouraged miss-representation could be repaired by equal column inches of articles just like this one. Those dogs are influenced by their enviornment and it is humans that control those settings. Go after the humans creating the harmful settings.

Thankyou for taking the time to write this its very powerful.

Any breed of dog can be violent. Research has shown that most aggressive dogs have not been spayed or neutered, have not been socialized by lots of human contact, and have often spent too much time tied or chained. When a dog bites a human, there is usually a human to blame.

Agreed 100%, this breed has been mislabeled and misunderstood for far too long. Especially considering that half the people on the street can't even properly identify a pit bull. I have a pit/lab mix and a boxer/lab mix, and both are often mistaken for various breeds...most people just ask "is that a pit bull?" There's a reason an old SPCA magazine labels pit bulls (on the cover no less) as the 'best dog for children.' Breed-based discrimination and legislation is making the dogs out to be the enemy, not the irresponsible owners.

Thank you for writing this article! My husband and I have been pit owners for years and they are wonderful dogs! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Wonderful article, spot on! Breaks my heart how difficult it is to live in this area as a renter and find a place that allows pit bulls. They're the only kind of dog I ever want to own!

Well written and compelling. You've done a great service to pit bulls and, with this article alone, may save the lives of a number of them.

What really stresses and depresses me is your description of Cleo found in a sealed box in the middle of the road. It only validates my concern every time I drive by a box or Hefty bag at the side of a road/highway. I always wonder if there are pups or kittens in them. It's not always feasible, safe or possible to pull over every time. I have done it on occasion and - thank God - so far it's been trash. But to think there are others that go unnoticed ... horrible.

Again, a wonderful article. I hope it it picked up by other media outlets.

I have been attacked by dogs three times in my life. Guess what breed of dog attacked me 2 of the 3 times? Yep, pit bulls or pit bull mixes, I guess you call them. One time, I was walking my dog on leash, and 4 pit bulls used a chair that was beside a fence to jump it and attack me and my border collie. My border collie is ruined. She is terrified to walk on leash and she constantly looks behind her as we walk. She is also afraid of all other dogs now. Another time, my neighbor was jogging with her dog, and 2 pit bulls attacked her and her dog. I saw this happening and was able to get the pits off of her and her dog. I have plenty of bloody pictures that I will post, if you do not believe me.
The fact is, retrievers are bred to retrieve. Shepherds are bred to herd. They do this very well. Pit bulls have been bred (in the last 50 years, as you say) to fight and kill. And they also do it well. They kill cats and little dogs in my neighborhood, causing heartbreak. The pit bulls I have experience with attack other animals instinctively.

rah rah sis boom bah!

Unfortunately, I disagree with each and every one of you. A study was done looking at all dog attacks that maimed or killed humans from 1982 through 2011 (including US and Canada) by an editor of 'Animal People'. In that study it was found that Pit Bull terriers and other breeds of Pit Bulls are the most violent dogs around.

Regardless of how much you love your Pit, they are a dangerous breed. http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-study-dog-attacks-and-maimings-merritt-clifton.php

I had a gorgeous blue pit, she was only two and just the sweetest little girl. We had three other dogs already when we got her as a pup, two small rescue dogs and an older lab. She became our family and like our others was a member of it getting the comfort of the beds at night local walks and lots of treats. She never showed on ounce of any type of aggressive behavior, attitude, or made us feel our two little ones were in danger. One night just like any other she just snapped and maliciously, brutally attacked and killed one of our small female dogs. It was devastating for me and my family and a horrible tragic event that hasn't left our minds. We lost trust in her that she wouldn't do something like this again to another dog or a human. We never hated her and was with her from the very end staying with her showing love towards her, even to this day my family and I do not hate her and do not look at all "pit-bulls" as evil dangerous dogs. We lost two family members that weekend, two very beloved family members, both will forever be in our hearts. Every dog deserves a chance to find the right home and you cannot base one innocent pit bull based on from what you hear, they are not born evil and do not deserve to be punished based on a biased stereotype against them. R.i.p saphira and krumbl

I'm sure you're right about pit bulls being vilified in the media. Why people choose to use pit bulls as aggressors is because they have the physical equipment to do the job. I'd just as soon not take the chance that your dog is harmless. How about owners being required to watch as a surgeon puts some kid's face back together?

The original - Pit Bull Terrier - was bred for fighting. A way back there, but that is history. Pit - a circular space, I have idea how big. Bull - male bovine with horns and a short temper. Go back to at least the beginning of the 19th Century. The dog would be put in to fight the bull. Both were not long at it before one or bother would be bloodied and either badly injured or dead. The owner of the still living animal wold collect his bet money. and the next dog versus bull would be put in the fighting area to fight.. The same between game cocks, specially bred roosters to fight each other. I know this is illegal today. But - if you look around carefully there may be cock fighting places.
So - after many generations of breeding dogs to fight - the dogs themselves have a certain amount of this bred into their systems and the dogs are edgy. Leave them alone. There are others who are only "pets" They many not want people walking up to them to make comments and pet. The dog may have somethng to say about that. Leave them alone. Chows are another breed who do not like casual touching. Don't see many chows these days. Doberman Pinchers do/did not like casual touching. Dobermans were bred for hunting. Never try to touch a strange dog without the owners permission. Teach your children that lesson. May save a dog bite.

I enjoyed your article very much and wanted to pass along a note about a friend and author, Ken Foster, who runs a Pit Bull Rescue in New Orleans The Sula Foundation and has a new book coming out called I'm a Good Dog !https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Im-a-Good-Dog/327408317303102. He'll be on his book tour with a stop in Baltimore at Atomic Books in November 9th and could use some Pitty Support.

Kirk I'm sorry you had many bad experiences with "pit bulls." But if you were mugged 3 times by xxx ethnicity are you going to say that all xxx ethnicity members are muggers? Or might there be other factors involved (such as upbringing, social status quo, education, etc)?

I have worked almost exclusively with "pit bulls" over the past 20 years. I was bitten by a Jindo and a Dalmation and my own AmStaff was bitten by a collie and a malamute (he did not bite back). Statistically, I should have more pit bull attacks in my history since I've been surrounded by them.

I think that it's more of a testament to the breeds that they don't do more damage, considering the abuse and stupid/ignorant people who are drawn to them for media-hyped reasons. They're strong, smart dogs. They are exceptionally loving and humorous characters. Yes, they can be twisted into doing wrong. But it's not because they are "pit bulls." Like children, dogs are the product of their environment and the people who raise them.

Nobody argues that dogs bred to herd, to retrieve, to swim, etc., don't do what their breed has been selected for. Of course they do (just try keeping a Labrador out of any body of water bigger than a puddle). Yet somehow, this is supposed to be different for dogs that have been bred to attack and kill. Some people want everyone to believe that behaviors like aggression can only be taught, not bred in like loving water or rounding up anything that moves. When someone is unwilling to admit that their favorite breed's defining characteristic is just as innate to that breed as herding is to a sheepdog, I can't accept their objectivity on anything else.

First, Pits are good and loyal dogs. They have their place in society though and it has to be a loving home. That's not to say that a pit won't turn on you. I've been a victim of a pitbull attack in a park. My uncles pitbull turned on him after 14 great years. My nephew had his face chewed on by a loose pitbull when he was 8. My girlfriends mom raises thoroughbred horses. Her neighbors 3 pitbulls escaped and killed all of her horses on a bloody rampage. One was found floating chewed at the neck and stomach in the middle of the stock pond. Would 3 rampaging chihuahuas do this? Would a pack of Labradors do this? There is a reason the shelters are filled with Pitbulls. There is a reason a so called "Myth" surrounds them. There is a reason they are no longer Americas 'Sweetheart' dog. That reason is because as time went on these attacks happened more and more and Americans realized what they are dealing with. Well.. Most people realized, except for those delusional 'Dog Parents' that swear their kids would never do wrong. That's what the owner of the Pit that attacked me said. "He normally so sweet". I was simply jogging by on a running trail. Be responsible people.

Here's what it comes down to. I have known nice dogs and aggressive dogs, the nice dogs come from nice owners and the aggressive dogs come from bad owners (for clarification bad doesn't necessarily mean 'people who train dogs to fight' it means people who do not train their dogs correctly or give them the type of environment that dogs need.) What people don't always see is the vicious cycle that goes on with pit bulls. Let's say in the 80's the media started printing the 'Pitbulls strike again!' articles. People will believe that. Simple. The cycle starts when jerks and stupid people respond to that article and say, "Yeah! i want a dog that's tough and mean and scary! ill get a pitbull!" Those people become bad owners which leads to aggressive dogs. The media can then turn around and say, "Look Look! See the aggressive pit bull! I told you they were monsters!" and the process begins anew. I've worked for the last year and a half at a dog shelter with abused, neglected, and/or poorly trained dogs. Some were pit bulls with serious behavioral issues, some were pit bulls who were easily as pie, and some still were labs, border collies, sheppards, and many small breed dogs with the same issues. As much as people think they are saving lives by enacting BSL's, the truth of the matter is that people are still going to get bit by dogs as long as their owners don't care for them responsibly.

Cool story bro. Tell it again.

I said this on FB, I'll say it here too... I get burned up every time I hear about Pit Bulls being targeted as a breed in general. I know several people with Pit Bulls as pets and they are just as friendly and loving and affectionate as my chocolate lab. There has been such a stand AGAINST Pit Bulls that it's time to turn it around and stand-up FOR them! It's all in how they're trained! Even my Choc Lab could have been trained as a dangerous dog. Every breed has their stereotype whether Pit Bull, German Shepherd, Rottweiler, etc. If we as a human race are to love our brother/sister regardless of race, color, religion, or sexual orientation, then we need to start doing the same for our animals!

*SIGH*

Stepping down off my soapbox now.

Pits & Rotties are great loyal dogs .. it's bad owners who should be demonized

Samuel, bravo and very well put! At the end of the day, it's the irresponsible/uneducated dog owners that are the issue....not the breed itself. Hold dog owners responsible for not properly socializing and training their dogs....not ban a breed since that doesn't solve the root issue...IRRESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERS!

It's all about the training and socialization as to how an individual dog will behave. Any dog breed can become aggressive and any dog breed can be sweet as pie. And frankly, in terms of disposition bully breeds are generally very friendly and lovable. Those of you who are terrified of all 'pit bulls' likely don't actually know any in real life (and saying you were attacked by a random dog doesn't mean you knew them). My pup is an American Bulldog and is often mistaken for a pitbull. He is the model at our training class for behavior and disposition over the labs, collies, shepherds, etc. Share the love and rescue a dog - get to know a bully!

Thanks, Suzanne, for a well-written article. My late Treeing Walker Coonhound/German Shepherd mix has been my only dog to bite someone and she thought she was being protective of my husband (someone who lived in the neighborhood but we did not know went to put his hand on my husband's shoulder and that's when Kelly bit the gentleman's hand). If Kelly had been a pittie, she would have been deemed a vicious dog. Having met and spent time with Ellen, one of the dogs from Michael Vick's Bad Newz Kennels, she was one of the sweetest most loving dogs of any breeds I have ever met. Judge the dog individually, not the breed.

Just look at the data.

Fans of pit bulls might want to take a look at "I'm a Good Dog," a new book by Ken Foster. http://www.kenfoster.blogspot.com/

Our local neighborhodd pit bull is frightened of my rescued beagle. That's because my beagle (known as a sweet family breed) is way meaner than he is! Anytime a human mistreats a dog, it can become aggressive (take it from me, owner of my own personal attack beagle). The sad fact is that pitties get abused all the time by people who want them to fight/protect.

You can't judge an entire breed by a single dog. Especially abused dogs (like a lot of poor pitties and my beagle)

I adopted my pitbull 14 years ago when I found her (actually, I think she found me) wandering - collarless - on Four Year Drive. At first I thought she was a Jack Russell Terrier but when I took her to the vet, they told me she was a pit bull (American Staffordshire Terrier). Before that, I didn't know what a pit bull was or that they had a bad rap. Lilly has been a wonderful pet - smart, playful, obedient. Yes, she has had skirmishes with other dogs but has never been aggressive or mean to any person she has ever met. She's 14 now and cute as ever - just a little slower and she doesn't hear so well.

Every breed has degenerative tendencies. From what I know the pitbull by nature is not any more aggressive than any other dog. My aunt has one, and she had pups too. No incidents. No lock jaw. Our german sheperd was much more frightening and fierce. Before you get a dog you should determine what purpose it will serve. If you're never home and don't have time for another baby around the house then get yourself a teddy bear. With or without retractable leash

I find it funny that half the people on here think we should ban pit bulls because irresponsible pit bull owners put the lives of others at risk. Would those same people be in favor of banning guns or banning cars? What if the statistics showed that per capita, a gun (hint) or a car is more likely to result in a death?

Love it!! We also have a pitbull. She was gift for my little girl when she turned four. She's now 10. They have been best friends since the first day. We constantly have her around kids and all breeds of dogs big and small and she is the best dog we have ever had.

For those of you who love statistics, you are much more likely to be hit by lightning than to be killed by a pitbull.
I have two rescued pitties, one had a horrible life before I adopted him 9 years ago. The other is a sweet as pie shelter dog who helps me with my foster cats.

For those of you who love statistics, you are much more likely to be hit by lightning than to be killed by a pitbull.
I have two rescued pitties, one had a horrible life before I adopted him 9 years ago. The other is a sweet as pie shelter dog who helps me with my foster cats.

Dear friends
I had a very dominant Black Lab who was raised without boundaries (which is why they gave him to me-they'd always had cats. I had never had a dog look me in the eyes, and refuse, but this one did. He tried to bite my husband while getting sprayed for fleas, and my husband smacked him as a reflex, so he respected my husband, but not me. He was grossly overweight, so I trained him with peanuts, which he loved. It took about a year, but he was a smart dog and loved training and learning, and he got to be a very good dog. He llearned pretty quickly that he got no reward unless he obeyed commands, and he loved peanuts, and he loved me. He got up and met me at the door every day, and was so happy to see me. He was 14 when we lost him, and he learned to love me. My son's Rottweiler was sweeter and better-behaved than my Black Lab initially. A lot depends on the dog's individual personality and training. Any dog will bite and it depends on training and the dog's age. Smaller dogs bite quickly when they feel threatened, and a lot of dogs get irritable as they age.

Take a moment to think back a bit. The Doberman, Rottweiler, German Shepherds...all are very powerful animals. Remember they are ANIMALS FIRST! It is the owner's responsibility to understand/read their animal's behaviors. They can then understand their dog's behaviors and finally the breed itself. I was a K-9 Handler with a German Shepherd for about 8 yrs. I was trained at the same time my dog was trained. We developed as a team...over time. Dogs do not communicate in the same ways that we do. A quick eye movement, ears pulled forward, breathing through nose with mouth closed, etc. If you don't recognize the signs your dog is exhibiting, the unwanted behavior will not only continue but may escalate. Some pet owners reinforce bad behaviors without knowing it.

I have seen and been bitten by several small dogs. No one says anything because the injury is minimal. Take a large breed (like my former German Shepherd), when ordered to apprehend/bite someone (by me only) the bite was more severe. There was no pushing him off (he weighed over 75 lbs). My dog also stopped biting immediately upon command...period. He was still an animal...a dog!! It was my job to watch him. If he "targeted" someone/something I immediately had to correct it before it was a problem.

Too many owners have powerful dogs and have no idea how to read the dog and correct him/her before an attack occurs. All dogs have teeth and can bite. People are the problem WAKE UP!

I' m a Mother and a Grandmother, and I believe it's important for us to teach our children how to approach dogs. My son used to call our Black Lab over to serve as his pillow while he watched TV, and that very compliant dog did just that. My original Black Lab was tuned into me and loved me without reservation.
I grew up with an English Cocker Spaniel who was tuned in to my Mother even more than even she realized. He loved her without reservation, but he was kind of crazy, and would suddenly bark at innocuous objects like a mop leaning against a wall, for no reason. He would protect us and the house against anyone, and it was a good thing we moved so much, because he'd have been declared a dangerous dog today.
I taught my grandsons how to approach dogs, and I was always there when my grandsons and dogs interacted to protect both of them. I'm a nurse and I've seen horrible injuries when dogs attack children. Kids don't read dog behavior well, and they're impulsive. The adults need to train dogs well, train kids well, and to be there while they interact.

You can spin all you want, and commenters can say all they want about it being the owner, not the dog, who causes problems
But the statistics -- national statistics on dog bite attacks and fatal dog bite attacks show that far and away pit bulls are responsible for the most and the worst. You elide what they were bred to do.
So others here might just look it up.
But hey, deal with this hard fact from medical experts: "Attacks by pit bulls are associated with higher morbidity rates, higher hospital charges, and a higher risk of death than are attacks by other breeds of dogs. Strict regulation of pit bulls may substantially reduce the US mortality rates related to dog bites." (Bini, John K.; Cohn, Stephen M.; Acosta, Shirley M.; McFarland, Marilyn J.; Muir, Mark T.; Michalek, Joel E. (2011). "Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs". Annals of Surgery (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins)
I'd rather see you walking down the street with a saw-off shotgun than with a pit bull on a leash. I can more easily assume you might be able to control the shotgun.

Curveball,
Your shotgun analogy is amusing and by your statement I guess we're going to take everybody's shotgun because the # of people maimed and killed by shotguns is much higher than dog attacks.

My point had to do with matching owner's ability to handle dog with the dog's energy.

Of course large dogs (pits, Rotts, Shepherds) all have very strong bites (PSI) and will therefore cause more injury.

I have been bitten by more small dogs poodles, Bostons etc, who bite and the owner usually says, "he was just nipping, or he was playing". In my job I worked with the animal warden and I can assure you that the majority of dog BITES are not by Pitts!! (so you know the numbers are based on percentages of Pitts vs other dogs and further by dogs under 20 lbs).

Anyone making the argument about a dog being bred or in their "genetics", please remember that ALL dogs were ferrel, wild, pack animals that were slowly domesticated by humans. So drop that argument unless you're willing to euthanize little Fi-Fi as well!! Humans have evolved as well. we ate more fruits and vegetables and very little protein (when available). We have evolved to the unlimited carnivors that we are today, that consume enormous quantities of food!!!

Please be a responsible human and only raise the animal that is right for you. Maybe you can't have an animal.

Remember, all dogs are animals, have teeth and have the potential to bite. It's OUR RESPONSIBILITY to control our animal.

Here are some of the most recent attacks by pit bulls. Googe them or yourself. You won't get such a result for any other breed. Oh, it's media bias. Yeah, big, coordinated, wide spread conspiracy.

Jul 31, 2012 – MIDDLETOWNCops kill pit bull after dog attacks its Middletown owner.— A 32-year-old city woman was airlfited to Westchester ...

Aug. 2, 2012 ... Police shot and killed a dog described as a pit bull/boxer mix Wednesday, after it attacked a woman and cat inside her car...

August 01, 2012 ,9-year-old girl attacked by pit bull in Plainfield Township credits rescuers for saving her life.,

August 5 2012 10:32 AM EDT2012-08-05 ... A 10-year-old girl is in the hospital after a pit bull attacked her near her home.

Aug 06, 2012 A woman is in the hospital after being attacked by two pit bulls Sunday morning. ... ... the pit bull owner, was charged with

August 7, 2012 A 60-year-old man jumped the fence at Hanford Place in Norwalk to escape a pit bull attack,.

August 8, 2012. ATLANTA - Police shot and killed a pit bull that was attacking a 2-year-old child in Atlanta on Tuesday.

August 8, 2012 ... Pit Bull Attack Puts Anchorage Woman in the Hospital ... The Anchorage Animal Control, who currently has two pit bulls up for ...

Aug. 9, 2012 | 3:49 p.m. ... Vallejo police shot and killed a pit bull Tuesday night after officers say it attacked a 5-year-old boy and his

This only a sample. Facts are stubborn things.

Pit bulls are the sweetest, most docile, loving and playful dogs there are . . . until they're not. Then reality sinks in. But by then it's too late and either the owner, a family member or neighbor has to bear the physical and mental anguish for the owner's ignorant, stubborn or downright stupid denial of the fact that these dogs have the very real potential to be unpredictably vicious.

Too many owners of these dogs have had to learn this fact the hard way. Sadly, there are numerous hard-headed owners of these dogs that only see the good side of them, which blinds them to the harsh reality.

One too many child in the UK has lost it's life to pit bulls, as a result they are now rightfully banned in my home country. It's a fact. While I appreciate that not all pit bulls are killers, the fact is this breed, of all breeds, has a history of attacking and killing humans - regardless of how well-trained or "in-control" the owner thought they were. Biting is one thing, mauling a child to death is quite another. I never quite understand these "misunderstood pit bull" articles.

"How did they become so maligned in today's society?

By attacking, mauling, maiming, hospitalizing and kiling people with monotonous regularity. Doesthat help you?

"Pit Bulls are not for everyone, and typically not the best fit for the first-time dog owner. They are intelligent, energetic and strong-willed dogs who need consistent leadership from their owner, a commitment to their training, daily exercise and socialization. "

If this is true then ALL dogs are "not the best fit for the first-time dog owner." Which breed, for responsible ownership, does not need " . . . consistent leadership from their owner, a commitment to their training, daily exercise and socialization. "? I would respectfully suggest all dogs need this. The inference is that this is more, especially or exclusively true with pit bulls. Why is this?

Pit bull owners/defnders always use the "responsible onwership" argument after yet another mauling, maiming or killing by a pit bull. So, if emphasis on "responsibilty" always accompanies the discussion then it must be that irresonsiblity, which could be as simple as a lack of understanding of the breeds' potential for viciousness, can, indeed, result in tragic conseqences. Which other breed can you demonstrate whe discussing its traits requires an explanation or responsibe ownership? Responsible ownership of ANY dog is expected. Why is it always more important to point this out with pit bull ownership? Shouldn' it go without saying that one needs to be a responsible DOG owner?

"Gangs began assimilating Pit Bulls into their operations, and the dogs became guilty by association with this violent, criminal culture."

They found kindred spirits. Bird of a feather lock together.

"This was a challenging story to write because it’s personal to me, and there are so many points I want to include. I’m the proud owner of the two Pit Bull pups that you see in the main photo. Both were rescued from abusive situations, and both are the sweetest dogs you will ever meet." Until they are not.

Darla Napora, one of the staunchest, highest profile defenders, apologists and proponents of pit bulls was mauled to death in her home by a pit bull she rised from a puppy. It can be reasonably assumed she was a "responsible" pit bull owner.

Sadly, like the writer of this article, she was mistaken.

Google Darla Napora to read all about her and her tragic death by a vicious attack from her pit bull, which she no doubt considered the "sweetest dog you will ever meet".

Recently my sister was walking her Cairn Terrier on her street (in Connecticut), when a pit bull ran out of its house through an open front door and attacked her and her dog. She screamed, alerting neighbors who also ran out, including the dog's owner and tackled the pit. Fortunately, she and her dog are OK. This is the 4th such attack under similar circumstances for this particular pit. The owners are known to be irresponsible and generally have a reputation in the community for being trouble makers, they are the grandsons of the former chief of police in her town, so nothing has ever been done despite previous complaints. As a result of this incident, after all the neighbors marched down to the animal control office with my sister to make a complaint, the pit's owners are finally being cited for their dog's and their problem. However, this dog clearly has established itself as a dangerous predator that attacks without provocation. My sister's street is full of little kids - over 50 of them live on her block - and they all play outside. It's a disaster waiting to happen. Until the dog is removed from the block, because the owners cannot be trusted to take appropriate action, every child, animal and adult on the block is in danger of being attacked by this dog.

Frankly, I don't care what responsible pit bull owners say. It's a breed that has been bred for aggressiveness, it doesn't belong in urban or suburban settings. I am all for statutes and ordinances that prohibit ownership in those settings.

Good morning to all here who have been commenting on Pit Bulls. Please read this morning's Washington Post on the subject of dog bites. It might be something you want to be aware of in the DC area. We might go back to the place where every dog was required to wear a muzzle while walking on a leash with their owner. It was the law when I was a teen back there in the early 1950s and then disappeared.

Any dog can be raised to be bad, like children , no dog is born bad it all in a matter of how it is raised... I remember my aunt and uncle owning an amazing American Staffordshire terrier, who got into a scuffle with a Porcupine and this dog sat there and let her pull the quills out of his face. I have a Silkie that wont even let me clip his nails! As with ANY animal, when raised right by loving, caring and ATTENTIVE, owners pit bulls are amazing beautiful dogs. The sterotyping of a pit bull is no different than saying everybody from Jersey is a guido .... or all New Yorkers are sarcastic a-holes... or anyone from the south is a toothless redneck....

Why do people value their right to own a dog over the human right to life? If you could ensure that all pitbulls would be handled correctly that would be different, but you can't. The only difference between leaving a loaded gun on the porch and leaving one of the many breeds of proven aggressive dog breeds (the pitbull being one of them) on the porch, is that if a defenseless person, chid, etc comes across them, especially away from their owner, the gun isnt going to chase them down. You may be able to secure your dog and they may be sweet and lovin so far, untested, but the so many others can't, don.t or won't

I m sorry, but some dogs like the pitbull are bred for their aggressive behavior. Do your research, read, talk to people, then you will know that dogs are "born that way". Please don't be a nikko nutter.

I don't worry about any dog...there are too many human monsters...anything in their hands becomes a weapon.

My brother was attacked by a Black Lab. My Rottie mix was attacked by a Collie. When I volunteered at the HS the only dog that was ever aggressive towards me was a Shepard mix. There are TONS of stories of other types of dogs that attack but why don't they get reported? Because of the media. I know this article will never change the minds of the haters (as seen in comments here) but, if the tables were turned and someone tried to take away something they loved, they would know how we feel. I have owned 2 Pit mixes. They have NEVER attacked anyone. Never showed aggression to anything.

BTW - I've been bitten at the age of 8 by a pit (my fault)...you have to watch for the signs...my parents warned me to stay away from the dog (who had a bite history). I never blamed the dog/breed or was afraid of any dogs after - thanks to the help of my parents I've owned several so called "bad breeds", one of which my daughter grew up with. That dog passed recently (after being with us for 13 years) and it broke our hearts...she was the best dog..will never be another like her. My family will continue to adopt dogs that others won't but we don't ignore warning signs that a dog may be too much for us to handle. I agree with the article and everyone who has said it's an owners responsibility to train their pets and that any dog can attack and hurt someone. Albeit, that some dogs will cause greater damage. I suggest everyone watch the HBO Documentary (if you haven't already) - "One Nation Under Dog". It's not about one breed...it's about all of them.

"A man reloading his gun at 14441 Brookfield Tower Dr. accidentally shot his friend." I noticed the word dog is missing.

This was a great article to read! I am a proud owner of a pitbull named Cisco, and we rescued him from Bombshell Bullies, located in Vernon Hills. Its sad that ignorant people (Annie Brown) shame these dogs, ANY dog can attack a human, not just pit bulls!! Cisco is the most loving dog, and i am proud to say, any dog i own from this point on will be a rescued pitbull.

Those damn pits...they're bred to kill people. Once again....prove it...someone please prove it! I don't mean some article by some weird right wing nut but an actual double blind scientic test taken from a significant sample group. Duh, there are none! FLASH, the news is controlled/owned by these organizations some are liberal some conservative, etc. if you gather your data from the news instead of scientific data I guess you don't believe in evolution either (even though the Catholic Church has recognized it).

Pits have incredibly powerful jaws. So do RIdgebacks and Boxers and several other breeds with shorter, wider jaws. When they bite, they do a hell of a lot of damage.

As I stated in previous posts I was a police K-9 handler. My dog bit 9 people (under my specific command). He also released on command. Took lots and lots of hours of training to get there---it's "bred" into a dog to bite something (I.e., attack it) until it quits fighting...that's ALL dogs. You must recognize that you are working with nature's creatures. I think that packs of wild dogs were here far before humans domesticated them? Who's really responsible for them? We took the land they roamed freely on.

Some of you folks are making a similar argument to the one I was told by my grandparents...about the Jews. Most famillies didn't make it. Filthy animals huh? You should have seen what Shepherds did to Jews in camps in WW II. I guess they should be banned by your thoughts too

By the way...I don't own a Pit. Never have. Since my service dog passed away I haven't had any dogs.

Lots of anecdotes and surmise here. (And then there's the erudite whimsy from that great social philosopher Buck.) I posted a scholarly article by physicians yesterday.They're the ones who deal with dog bites/attacks. They believe pit bulls are the most dangerous by far. Police, whether keeping statistics or not, say the same based on experience. A long-time Fairfax County animal control officer (part of the police department) told me t he same.
Famous last words: "Gee, he/she never did anything like this before."

"The media has been a driving factor in shaping America's perception of Pit Bulls, and their coverage has been widespread and overwhelmingly negative..."

The publication ‘Animal People’ did a study and found that reported attacks by pit breeds is consistent with their rise in popularity in the 1980’s.

“Pit bull advocates commonly argue that pit bulls are considered "vicious" because incidents involving them receive disproportionately heavy news coverage--but key word searches of the 1,216 newspapers archived at NewsLibrary.com found only one year in the past 30, 1987, in which coverage of pit bulls appeared to be more intense than was warranted by the frequency of either life-threatening and fatal attacks.
Pit bulls were not even mentioned in any of the 1,216 newspapers indexed at NewsLibrary.com from 1976 through 1979--but then the numbers of mentions leaped from two in 1981 to 98 in 1995, 162 in 1986, and 470 in 1987, coinciding with a series of sensational attacks.
From 1988 through 1998, the frequency of mentions was consistent at about the 1986 level, but then nearly doubled in 1999, parallel to the number of fighting dog seizures; remained at the new peak for about five years; and more than doubled again from 2003 to 2005, as the number of fighting dog seizures again climbed.
A record 631 articles mentioning pit bulls were published in 2006, through December 30, up from 626 in 2005.” - Merritt Clifton

Headlines you rarely see:

http://www.piaberrend.org/stray-pit-bull-saves-woman-child-from-attacker/

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CEkQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.globalanimal.org%2F2012%2F05%2F10%2Fbrave-pit-bull-saves-woman-from-train-video%2F73865%2F&ei=sjQlUIO_KM-t0AG_q4G4Dg&usg=AFQjCNFMrO_W4iWXXJeU_gFhesGHAAeBFQ&sig2=uUuacbxtphgdwg79wlqx1w

The top two "biters" are 1) poodle, and 2) chow. I discovered this after my daughter was bitten twice in one month a few years ago. (Neither dog was a poodle or a chow.) I have known a few pit bulls. They were the most friendly and loving dogs...all because that is what their owner bestowed upon them. I agree that there is no bad dog...only a bad owner. Thank you for writing this article. This is a great breed of dogs. Now, if we can only eliminate the "breed of humans" that sacrifice them for the love of money and fighting!

Support Pit Victims, I had a chow (and he was the nicest dog in the world!). Pit Bulls are no different than any other breed of dog. It is in the way they are raised. If they are raised in a loving home, they are wonderful dogs. Unfortunately, some people tend to acquire these dogs for fighting or because they think is it the "in thing to do" and do not raise them correctly. The facts stand...poodles and chows are the number 1 and number 2 biters of all dog breeds. And, I do not discount the attacks of any dogs...I was mauled by a lab and nearly had my face ripped off--two plastic surgeries later, I still have scars. They are all "animals" and need to be treated as such. This, coming from a two-dog owner who thinks they walk on water!

Well said!

Can someone who is a pit bill owner/rescuer tell me about how pit bulls do with other non-dog pets in the house? Cats and/or birds? I've wondered about rescuing a pit bull but did not want my other pets at risk...

Are pit bulls nanny dogs?
There is really no such thing as a “Nanny Dog”. The term was invented by J.M. Barrie in 1904 for his production of “Peter Pan”. Nana was portrayed by a St. Bernard and an Old English Sheep Dog.
Dog fighting became a recognized problem in the 1980’s. Breeders had been trying to generate a better image for a dog known best for its ability to kill other dogs. At that time the drug dealers and malcontents began to associate themselves with pits, making an already problematic dog worse by breeding them for the aggressive traits they carry today. Pit supporters rallied by creating and image of the dog as maligned. This is when your myth of the “pit bull as nanny dog” got started. People began adopting them in greater numbers out of sympathy for a “maligned” breed without realizing that genetically, their temperament was unstable.
From 2004 to 2010 59 US children were killed by the family's, babysitter's, neighbor's or friend's pit bull. Since the early 80’s, news reports of violent attacks by pits have made news. In the 12-month period of 2009, DogsBite.org recorded 726 pit bull attacks reported by the U.S. media. Property information was available in 696 instances. 65% (455) of the pit bull bites occurred off owner property and 35% (241) occurred on property.
http://pitbullattacks.org/
No sir, pits are not nanny dogs.

The Army, Marines and Air Force prohibit pit bulls on their bases.
Sheesh, what do those folks know about danger and violence?

Okay, I'm addressing everyone here that keeps using flawed stats in their arguments. The information is only as good as the source. Dogbite.org has a known bias. And it uses information from the media hype that is proven to be incorrect.
http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/2010%20DBRF%20Report_Final.pdf
The National Canine Research Council uses real information. They investigate each dog related death. It takes them longer to produce the information because they get it themselves instead of just taking off the media hype-wagon. In 2010 they show 33 dog related deaths in the US. Out of which there were only 12 that could be linked conclusively to an actual breed. There were only 2 confirmed pit deaths. There were husky, American bulldog, Rotties, a "sled dog", a confirmed mixed breed, a wolf cross, a boxer and a Shepherd. There were 3 attacks by a pack of mixed dogs that even included dogs like spaniels. 3 of the attacks were by dogs that were never seen or located but the media called them pits all the same. 15 of the attacks were by dogs that were not determined by sight, owners, or even DNA to be any particular breed but the media called all but one pit bulls. That doesn't mean that none of them were pit bulls but on the one where they had the corpse, the DNA proved it wasn't a pit bull. If the information comes from the media, it is whatever they want it to say. Garbage in, garbage out.

I urge you to look at this report, check out the detail, confirm the accuracy with the local law enforcement and then tell us what you find. Of course nothing anyone says will change your mind. It is already made up and you are determined to hate the pitties. That is your choice but don't use fake stats.

Yeah, right.
(Only in the English language can two positives mean a negative.)
The National Canine Research Council was started by one pit bull lover and then sold to another, who now bangs the drum. Fake stats, indeed.
Check it out for yourself.
The Centers for Disease Control very conservatively monitored dog bites/attacks some years ago but eventually stopped doing so because of pressure from pit bull lovers. Can ya guess why? They were finding that more than a third of the attacks were by a certain kind of dog (variations of pit bull) that was only a much smaller percentage of the nation's dog population. Again, those were conservative estimates. It was really more than two-thirds.
Harrumph.

I have had Pits for the last decade. I have loved them all. I have been a rescuer, an advocate and have volunteered for rescues. I have never loved a breed of dog like the Pitbulls. They have personalities like no other dog - wonderful and loving.
However, with that said.....one thing we all have to sit up and take notice of.....there are not "bad" dogs, but there are dogs bred who produce genetically questionable dogs. If you get one of these dogs, you can STILL BE a RESPONSIBLE owner. It just depends on how willing you are to make your life about this dog. Some of the Vick dogs went to Bad Rap in CA and they worked like hell to get those dogs to be who we see today.
The thing is......when you are breeding dogs JUST FOR MONEY, you don't care if dogs from the same litter are bred. You just want to make money selling them. If you breed like this, you are called a "backyard breeder". And you may be producing puppies that will have genetic issues. So we need to work on mandatory spay/neuter laws and high fines for those who continue to breed these dogs for money. It is not fair to people who adopt the ones who have been dumped in the shelters.
So I fight for spay/neuter, so that people stop breeding JUST for money.

Thank you so much for this article. People who probably never even met a pitbull hate it just because they hear all the horror stories in the news, but all the good things that Pitbulls have done get no recognition?! That's ridiculous....any dog can be aggressive and can attack. People act like it's just pits who attack people. It is not their fault. It is stupid and ignorant owners who do not take the time to educate themselves on how to properly train this dog. I got my first pet who is a pit as a rescue dog. He was three months, with cropped ears, who's ex owner had a house full of pits that he trained (abused) to dogfight. He also sold drugs. And my pup was suppose to start training at 4 months, but fortunately he was saved. I have 3 children and never had an issue with my dog. He loves us and we love him. He plays with the kids, has very good behavior, and is very friendly. My dog is now 2 years old and every time i take him out for a walk I have an elderly neighbor that says " Wow! That's the most vicious dog on the street. He will lick you to death! " lol.

I don't understand why certain people keep coming back here to argue their points. It is pretty clear that they are not going to change their minds. This is an article meant to inform and help show others another side of a breed that has been vilified. If you hate pit bulls, fine, go away and quit coming back here with immature insults. For those of us who would like to show our support for the breed and perhaps answer questions, great. Either way, both sides are accomplishing nothing by calling names and spewing hatred. Please share what you have to say and move on instead of arguing like children.

Educate the owners as to how to handle dogs. Spay and neuter your animals, Socialize, socialize socialize the animal . Stop the madness of BSL Right now they are working on legislation that states it is not a valid law.
Really is the owner not the breed. If you want to own a particular breed study up because they all have their little quirks. Pits make one of the best obedience trained dogs out there They want to please and most are clowns.
I had one for 13 years when her spine seized up from Arthritis I had to put her down. We have a 7 year old rescued pit now along with a 13 year old dobe/ lab mix. So folks we could argue all day there are those for and those against. What shouldn't be is vicious slandering stories about a specific breed.

The majority of pit bull owners aren't raising their dogs to fight each other for sport, I think we can agree. But if Sweetheart gets out the gate and mauls a jogger, pit supporters reason he must have had a "bad owner". What did the owner do to "make" the dog aggressive and therefore brand him a "bad owner"?
1. Leave the dog tied to a rope on a tree outside all day?
2. Use a human hand as a chew toy?
3. Forget to close the gate?
4. Refuse to vaccinate or neuter the dog?
5. Vote GOP?
6. Feed the dog the wrong kind of food?
7. "Train the dog to be aggressive?¬" (WTF does that mean?)
8. Not walk the dog every day?
9. Not give it hugs?
What is the "bad owner" doing that owners of less aggressive breeds don't do? ALL breeds have bad owners, but the vast majority of maulings are from the pit bull breeds.

I kind of love you for writing this article. I've always said, the ideal situation would be to have no pit bulls or any other breed involved in dog fighting, but replace the sport with a fight-to-the-death ring for unscrupulous reporters who care more about ratings and readership than about reporting factual information. Now THAT I'd pay to watch.

KP - dog fighting has been illegal for many years now. It is just that getting the dogs desires that were bred into them bred out of them. Of course, it helps if their owners treat the pet with love and kindness rather than mock fighting with them. Of course, the looks of the dogs are still a part of that fighting past. Maybe figure a way to change their overall appearance would help as far as us humans view the dogs.

Sorry folks... But -- as someone whose kind-hearted and friendly whippet was senselessly mauled, attacked from behind as he dared to simply look at a female dog, from a male mixed-breed (pit) bull dog -- we cannot escape the strong tendency of Dog Aggression that runs through mixed and pit bull breeds. I agree that these dogs can be wonderful around people and even children, but you can't out love/train their innate aggression toward other dogs. I'm fine with private ownership, as long as insurance is carried and dog breeds deemed "vicious" (toward humans OR other dogs) are not allowed off-leash in public areas.

Simple solution -- just have a few years where the breed maims and kills people and other dogs at the same or lower rate as other breeds, and the problem will take care of itself.

First, love you guys who bring politics into the dog ownership debate, as if that makes any difference, very classy.
Second, the nastiest dog I have ever personally owned was a Pappilion, and if I had bothered to check out the breed before I rescued him I may not have adopted him, because in the breed traits it describes them as "Little Napoleons", and that dog was tyranical, nasty, nigh on un-trainable. I had to muzzle him to have company, and drug him to take him to the vet. I kept telling myself I had to be a "responsible pet owner" right up to the day he turned on me and bit me, with my 2 yr old daughter standing only a few feet away.
I had him put down that night, because he sure as hell wasn't getting a second chance to maybe bite her.
Dogs have breed traits. We know this, we study them when we are looking for the right pet for us. You can say "But...nice!" and "But...Raised right!" all you want, but ultimately, unless you are not only a responsible owner, but the undisputed ALPHA of your pack, and you make sure your Pit knows it, you may face a tragedy.
I like big dogs, always have. Best dog I've ever had was a Newf/Border collie mix, huge boy, 110lbs of sheep herding, nanny dog. I was Alpha, tho, and he knew it.

Two things: "Nipper," the dog in the Victor trade-mark is widely believed to be a Jack Russell Terrier (or sometimes a Bull Terrier-Fox Terrier mix). You omitted Buster Brown's dog, "Tige."

I own a bully breed and I own a chuahua mix, guess who has bitten people in that mix? My chuahua, he has stranger danger and bites anyone who tries to pick him up, he's adorable so this happens frequently. My bully has never bitten anyone, I have pictures of my nieces growing up with him and crawling all over him and he hasn't bitten them. But my chuahua has bitten both my nieces as well as my bully, but my bully has never attacked my hotheaded chuahua either. The reason pits are responsible for a lot of bites is because they are TRAINED to be mean by the humans they trusted.

I've rescued and owned dozens of dogs in my life. My wife and I are huge animal lovers. I used to believe that any dog can be trained or socialized to any behavior. We treat all of our dogs the same and try to bring them up with the right mix of discipline and love. However, in recent years, I've come to believe that a) even within purebreds, there is a relatively non-trivial bell curve of different behavioral characteristics. So, to put it differently, within a given breed, you will find most dogs behave near the "norm" for that breed, but there will always be outliers. b) some dogs simply cannot be "trained" to eliminate deeply in bred behaviors. So, for instance, we thought we could, through both positive and negative reinforcement, train our Jack Russell not to kill chickens. But if it's possible, it is beyond our skill level. Nothing we've ever tried has worked.Also, every Anatolian Shepherd I've known has been extremely aggressive to anyone it considers not one of its people. That includes a 1/2 Anatolian and 1/2 Great Pyrenees that we raised from a pup. Just like we raise and socialize all of our other dogs. One time my brother's family came to visit and my little niece came running up to hug me. We thought nothing about having Anna out there since she'd never been aggressive to us. Anna perceived this event as an attack on me and jumped snarling in front of me lunging at my niece. I caught her in time. But she never really trusted my niece after that.

Someone posted early on to make sure to get an AKC registered dog. But that's no guarantee of anything. Anyone can buy two AKC dogs, breed them, and register them. That means backyard breeders, homeowners who know nothing about breeding, and puppy mills can sell AKC-registered dogs. It's a piece of paper.

For me it's a no-brainer - with milions of dogs (and cats) killed each year, I'd always choose a rescue or shelter dog. But for someone who wants a purebred from a breeder, do your homework and carefully research the breeder beforehand.

checkout the first face transpant victim whose lab tore its face off; pomeranians and jack russels have killed small children before. to a small child isn't ddog size irrelevant? any dog can bite and cause damage. hell, a cat can cause severe injury to a child. small "cute" fluffy dogs have torn off many a child face. by shear numbers alone, so called pits are one of the most popular ddogs in the nation, and less than 1% of them bite. labradors are one of your top biters year after year. re pits shaking when the bite - really? every dog does that! watcch your dog tear up a stuffed animal to get to the sqeaker! there are 25 breeds that are commonly referred to as "pit bulls" not including mixes. you mix a lab and boxer what are you gonna get? a pit bull looking dog. the general public can't properly identify a dog and short of doing a DNA test you don't know. as for BSL in Denver, guess whch breed hold the most bites now? labradors. a weimerwiner recently ripped my friends dog's ear off,my neighbor's boarder collie kills squirrels and cats in our neighborhood always; my friends daughter watched her two bunnies killed by the dalmation next store. animals have prey drives. they have since the beginninng of time. its not a "pit" thing. i have owned pits for 25 yrs and do pit rescue for 6 yrs and have never been biten once. they are amazing friendly goofy and the only dog i'll ever own. wow guess i'm lucky to be alive LOL

pits also make amazing search and rescue as well as therapy dogs. i hope the ignorance people posting here don't ever find themselves in a position to need their help

I have a just turned 3 y.o. Plott Hound and people ALWAYS think he is a pit. He is the friendliest dog I have ever had (he is my 4th.) It is sad to see people's reaction to him sometimes...I know he can feel their tension and I would hate for that to give him a behavioral complex as he gets older. He is uber-friendly and playful and all he wants to do is play with every dog or human he comes in contact with. Dogs can read us more than most people realize. If your tense it makes them scared too. Just sharing.

Chicago man mauled to death by his own pit bull
By Andrew Mach, NBC News

Chicago police said the autopsy shows that 44-year-old Charles Hagerman was attacked and killed by at least one of his two pit bulls. Hagerman’s wife, Charlotte Williams, found him unresponsive with one of the pit bulls on top of him in their apartment around 8:15 p.m. Wednesday.
Williams ran outside and called police on her cell phone. When police arrived, Hagerman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hagerman reportedly suffered multiple injuries from the dog attack, including a fatal neck injury, according to the autopsy. The death was ruled accidental, officials from the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.
“His wife was just sitting there in shock, just staring off into space,” Alameen said. “She said, ‘The dog killed my husband.’”
The family had owned the three-and-a-half-year-old pit bull, Scrappy, since he was a puppy, Charlotte Williams’s son, Daryl Williams, told the Chicago Sun-Times. They took in a second pit bull, Scrappy’s son, Rocco, a year and a half ago.
Daryl said the dogs were familiar and friendly with all three members of the household, which is what made the attack so puzzling. He said the incident has traumatized his mother, leaving her inconsolable and unable to sleep.
“Nobody knows,” Daryl said of how and why the pit bull attacked. “The dogs slept at the foot of their bed. He played with my nieces and nephews. We can’t figure this out.”

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Articles/OtherBreedBites/AllDogsBite.htm

Don't mean to burst any ones bubble nor create controversy or be a pain in the butt but this RCA/His masters voice was not a pitbull but a fox terrier called Nipper. All our lives we thought this too! But Info should be corrected for readers! Here is the history link on Wikipedia. Ps. We do support Pit bull BSL laws strongly! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Master's_Voice

Way back there in 1943 - My family was living in Norfolk, VA. There was by some quirk - a pair of medium size dogs, mother and son who were behind a three foot picket fence. I think I can still describe the pair - white, pipe clay colored, small dark eyes, whippet like tails and absolutely smooth short fur. The story was out along the block that these dogs were "mean" dogs. I had a cross breed, long hair, black and white with a flag of a tail. Of course, because "Mickey" ALWAYS CAME when called - I had not put him on a leash. Mickey decided this time when I called him to me to "grin" and stay just far enough from me that I could not catch him. Down the street we went, mickey abou five or more feet in front of my on my bike. We went past the picket fence. One of the two white dogs was outside and up against the fence checking? just looking? at Mickey and myself. I got desperatte to catch Mickey by his collar and get him home. Mickey just danced around me, grinning. I finally sat down on the curb and cried. Mickey stopped dancing and came to me, licking my face. I hugged him and we got home safely. The dangerous white dog stayed behind its fence. I was terrified by the knowledge that the white dog was "dangerous", It did not jump its fence it just followed our gyrations. End of story. Pit Bull? Staffordshire Terrier? Do not know. I was terrified.

All cats bite. Anyone who says tigers are any different from housecats is prejudiced.

Tiger at German zoo kills keeper, is then shot dead
Reuters
This male Siberian tiger, seen on March 8, killed a zookeeper in Cologne, Germany, on Saturday.
By NBC News and wire reports
BERLIN -- A Siberian tiger attacked and killed a female keeper at Cologne zoo on Saturday before being shot dead.
The gate of the tiger's enclosure had not been properly shut, allowing the big cat to jump on the woman and maul and bite her, a zoo spokesman said.
The director of the zoo, Theo Pagel, shot the tiger from a rooftop, the spokesman added. Police briefly cleared the area after the incident but the zoo later reopened for visitors.
The victim's name was not immediately released but she was said to have been 43 years old.
"This is the darkest day of my life," Pagel later said in a brief statement at the zoo's entrance, the Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger news website reported.
"I shot and killed the animal so that we could enter ... and take a look. But the employee was already dead," he added.
"We cannot yet explain how the keeper could make such a fatal mistake (of failing to close the gate)," Pagel said.
The Cologne zoo in western Germany, founded in 1860, is one of the oldest and best-known in the country.
Reuters contributed to this report.

Bob, the only cat to bite me is/was the one I now have over the 50+ years I have had one or more cats. I have a beautiful golden tiger. A few consistent "NO" has broken the habit. If she has decided that out of my arms is where she wants, she just might show she is going to bite, "NO Biting" and she pulls back. No claws either, She knows that "paddy-paws" means no scratching. A wild animal is a wild animal. Even if it has been caged all of its life. It may generally not offer claws or teeth, but most keepers of such know that the chance of being bitten or clawed CAN HAPPEN. They watch the animal's face and eyes and wha the tail is doing. A waving/whipping tail, ears that are not facing forward, a semi-crouch and probably a undertone of a growl. Means trouble is present and will happen unless the human pulls back. Be in the cat house at the National Zoo when the cats are being fed. The keepers are careful! Some cages, the food is slid under the bars in a certain place so that the cat can't reach the man feeding it. You will see the same thing happen in the large ape cages. If the animal doesn't want contact with the food provider - hey the keeper knows it.
You like dogs, OK - not like cats? OK. Some dogs, of any age and type are one person dogs. They like one person in the house and stay away from everyone else. Why? any explanation is good enough.

Wow there is certainly a lot of opinions on this post, some I agree with and some I dont. In America we are allowed to have our opinions. The sad thing here is ignorance and discrimination. We have all had our experiences with many breeds of dogs, its how we walk away from that experience that matters. I dont judge anyone particular breed of animal, nor would I do that of a human. That in part is probally by the way I was raised. I do own 2 pit bulls. Before I owned them I heard the good and bad stories, but I decided for myself that I wanted to take a chance, no matter what I have heard. My two pits have given me the greatest enjoyment. They are loving, sweet, loyaly and to strangers they may have to endure being licked to death. If I am sick, or recently loss a family member, they sense my sadness and climb into bed with me and follow me every where I go. Without them I would probally not have faired so well during some hard times. I take them in public, and most people pet them, but I still get some awful looks. Once they approach them, they are pleasently surprised. I love my pit bulls and have had many breeds of dogs. I hope those who have had a bad experience can walk away without ignorance of the breed or any breed for that matter. It is each persons choice to pick any breed. No matter which one, I hope they give the love and attention any animal deserves. My final thought here is, " Dont discriminate one or a few for the whole group." Punish the Deed, not the Breed.

Most of the problems associated with pit bulls has nothing to do with the breed. It has to do with the type of person who would want to own a pit bull in the first place. It's a status thing and a statement pit bull owners feel they are making to everyone else. It's sad, really. Nobody has any practical purpose for a pit bull other than to have one as some sort of status or personality symbol.

I know, I know. All you pit bull owners are going to get mad at me. I'm not lumping you all into a single group. A friend of mine owns a pit bull and she's one of the sweetest things I've ever met (not as sweet and gentle as my lab mix though!). Even the most responsible pit bull owner has to admit, though, that there are a large number of pit bull owners who own them for the wrong reasons and that's why people get hurt. No?

Of the hundreds of different pure breed mixes and the thousands of mixed breeds available, why do people still insist on purchasing a dog with a violent history when they live in a suburban neighborhood? Makes absolutely zero sense for the dog or the owner.

I have no idea I have 3 stinking cats.