Great article from Dogster (http://www.dogster.com/dog-breeds/pitbulls)

10 Misconceptions About Pit Bulls
1. All Pit Bulls Are Bad - Dogs do not have a conscience; they cannot be "bad." Pit Bulls react to their world based on their breeding and training. You can't breed a dog to fight other dogs for almost 200 years and expect those instincts to vanish.

2. All Pit Bulls Are Good - No dog is not innately "good." They simply act as their instincts and owners tell them to. To try to sell the Pit Bull to the public as a fluffy bunny does a disservice to the public, to potential Pit Bull owners and to Pits themselves.

3. Pit Bulls Are Human Aggressive - Since Pits were bred to fight dogs in a ring, the owners had to make certain they would not turn on them when they went in to stop the fight. Imagine a dog, so riled up from fighting and very aggressive, who was able to then turn it off when his human appeared in the pit. When a Pit Bull attacks a person, there are always other factors involved, such as protection of food. Any dog may bite if provoked.

4. Pit Bulls Can Cause More Damage Than Other Dogs - Sorry, Pit Bull lovers but this is sometimes sadly true. Myths such as the locked jaw have been disproved but a Pit Bull's traits make him naturally more driven. Consider these: tenacity (they often fought til death in rings), gameness, prey drive, a compact, strong, muscular body (pits can pull up to 7,000 pounds) and centuries of fighting instinct. But, there are too many factors involved in dog bites, such as the size of the animal and where the bite occurred, to make a blanket statement. In their favor, a Pit Bull will likely listen and obey better than other dogs if properly trained.

5. An Aggressive Pit Bull Cannot Be Rehabilitated - This was disproved by the Michael Vick case where some 50 pit bulls were rescued from a fighting ring. Of those, 49 dogs were rehabilitated. Some went to shelters such as Best Friends and many are well-loved family members today. The testing used to determine these dogs' ability to fit into society was exhaustive and excellent and successful.

6. Anyone Can Own a Pit Bull - Pit Bulls are different from other dogs and their owners need to be told the facts before rescuing or purchasing one. A dog lover who has had Bichons all her life will be sorely surprised unless she does her homework and understands the bully breeds. Pits need a lot of structure, a very pronounced human alpha, training, exercise and lots of attention. The owner needs consistency, time, energy and maybe some muscle.

7. Pit Bulls Will Always Fight Other Dogs - Some Pits are so dog aggressive that they should be the only dog in the house. They also should not go to dog parks or areas where dogs run off-leash. Any Pit Bull could get into a fight with another dog. Any dog could. But breaking up a Pit Bull fight is much harder than a tiff between a Shiba Inu and a Sharpei Inu. If you have a Pit Bull, learn about his body language and the signs that he is getting ready to fight. This will prevent many incidents.

8. Pit Bulls Are Lovers Not Fighters - Since it's been established that they can be fighters, what about lovers? Absolutely! Pit Bulls give more kisses than any other type of dog (it's proven!). They love humans and human interactions. They feed off positive attention. These dogs are loving, friendly creatures. And they are the kings of clowning.

9. Pit Bulls Are Badly Behaved - Any dog who has this much energy and motivation coded into his DNA can cause problems if he doesn't get enough attention and exercise. Pit Bulls put their whole hearts into destruction - of couches, beds, pillows, or your $200 boots. But all they need is to have that energy redirected. Pit Bulls are highly trainable but they do need to be trained. Their intelligence, focus, gameness, loyalty and desire to please makes them one of the most teachable dogs.

10. Compromise is Unthinkable - Unfortunately, both sides of the Pit Bull debate are often stubborn about their views and solutions. For those who think BSL is wrong, they need to be realistic about how to end it. For those that think Pit Bulls are dangerous, they need to recognize that banning Pits tears loved pets away from their families and what they propose will not stop all dangerous dogs. Giving in a bit on both sides, such as allowing muzzling of Pit Bulls in public places in exchange for no BSL, may prove the only hope.

Pitbulls are like other dogs yet they're also unique. Their gameness, focus, desire to please and boundless energy can be seen as either productive or unproductive traits. The trick is to utilize these characteristics in focused play and work, such as agility, weight pulling, rescue work or nose work.

You're a glutton for punishment. Move over oil threads!

I have 2 PB's. Well, one's actually an Am-Staff.

I will say that the dog's with high prey drive can be difficult with other animals, namely one's that are smaller. That can be a tough area to work on and often require prof help. I chose not socialize my dogs, however they have had a certain degree of re-programming. They get walked around the lake with other dogs, but I don't let them greet other 4 legged friends. However, they do love people.

On our walks, seemingly mild mannered Labs and Retreivers have snapped at them - moreso with owners who let them roam out 20 feet on those extendo-leashes. Luckily my dogs just ignore them.

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Just remember that Petey, on Our Gang & Little Rascals, was a pit.

We had Pit bulls for years but what we own now is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Pit bulls down fall was when they went mainstream.

We have a pit bull a yellow and a black lab. The pit bull almost seems to be thinking when you look in her eyes. She is a very smart dog. Both labs are now bigger than the pit bull and they all throw each other around pretty good but every now and then there will be an interchange and the pit bull will REALLY BOW UP. I don't have any doubt that if someone was messing with the wife he would get into their face. In addition, whenever we throw the ball out into the lake the yellow lab or black lab will swim out and get it and drop it at the steps where the pit bull will finish retreaving it. It is no use fighting with her for the ball because in most cases she is going to end up with it.

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Jim

That's a good list,
If anyone wants a pit bull, don't bother going to a breeder, the pounds are full of them.

Here is my pit Billy with my other big dog Benny (who may be a pit or mastiff mix). I found them both in the industrial part of Dallas where my hobby shop is, Billy was heart worm positive and Benny was about a week away from starvation.

You could not ask for better dogs. They are both very sweet and very beta to my two 10lbs min pins. I am however fully aware of the fact that they are "aggressive breed" dogs, They'll never be off a lease or out of my sight unless they're locked in the house.

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With best regards

Al

Pit bulls’ surprising past: Nanny dogs

I agree with the list in that dogs are neither good or bad (much like humans). They are a product of their environment and care takers.

I firmly believe Pits have received a raw deal from the like of people such as Vic.

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- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

it ain't just the likes of vick.every drug dealer and his buddies have em and train em to be mean.gotta keep the cops away ya know.

I had one for many years, my Bud was the sweetest dog I've ever owned. He welcomed my first-born into my house, and was a model for good behavior. I took Bud from a pound as an adult, and he brought my family nothing but good-will (and now fond memories). I used to tell my daughter to "go find your brother" when I needed to find him. This thread makes me remember my old companion, and those memories make me smile...man, I could show you pictures!

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Just taken, one of Billy with my 15 year old female min pin, Abby. She's the big dog in the household.

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With best regards

Al

Yeah yeah. Everyone I know who owns a pit bull describes their dog as being a big drooling sweetheart who's so gentle and kind it wouldn't bite a fly. And yet, while the chihuahua is more likely to bite, the pit bull's record for fatal attacks eclipses every other breed. Here's one 20 year database from the CDC. There are other more recent stats.

http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/images/dogbreeds-a.pdf

The nature v. nurture issue can be debated ad nauseum with no clear results. "It's not the breed's fault" doesn't excuse the deaths. From my perspective, I own a breed which is essentially untrainable. Everything they do as guard dogs is instinctive. Witnessing canine instincts close up, it makes perfect sense to me that the Pit Bull, a breed custom designed and selectively bred for blood sport is the winner in the fatal dog attack contest.

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I like this one better, but mostly because it agrees with my beliefs.

http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/2010%20DBRF%20Report%20FINAL_1.pdf

Edit: You gotta read the actual reports about what happened. It's truly amazing how negligent people can be, actually drug impaired people, really.

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I had the pleasure of meeting these particular gentle canines. Pit bulls are good dogs, it's the owners who **** up. When people talk about "banning" Pbulls it's similar to "banning" guns, just because people won't be legally allowed to have them doesn't mean they will stop existing.

I love all creatures. My farm is a safe haven to animals who can't help themselves. If I ever come across a Pit Bull on the side of the road, I'll do my best to help him back to my farm where he can find a good home. It's not the animals fault they fell into the hands of an idiotic human.

Hair raising stories. A good case for the nurture argument for sure.

__________________
You're a daisy if you do.
__________________________________
84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

Guns, pitbulls, abortion, religion.

Here's ours:

Attached Thumbnails

   

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'07 Yukon 2500
'13 Subaru Outback 3.6R
'13 Orbea Carpe 9-speed

Currently Benzless
Formerly: 300TD, S600, E55, 560SEL

---= The forest breathes, listen.
-Native American elder