Pitbulls & kids: your opinion?

Laura - posted on 07/16/2010

god this discussion will go on forever because most pet owners quite rightly trust their dog and just dont think their dog will do it. I love my dog but feel differently and my daughter is more important than my dog. I do not trust him and I didnt trust the dog before. Bullmastiffs are guard dogs at the end of the day and although my old dog licked my feet and I never heard him growl in 6 years when someone came into my home and I was not there he attacked them. Simple it is what they do. Every dog regardless of breed and treatment is capable of turning on your child in a split second and if a powerful breed like a pitbull, rotty of bullmastiff KILL YOUR CHILD!!! Why can you not see this it is not rocket science and this is from a person in exactly the same position as you with a loving family pet and a small child.

Punzelina - posted on 07/16/2010

I don't own pitbulls, nor am I an expert. I have heard, however, that they are excellent family dogs and good with children. Most of the stories I have heard of kids being attacked were from dogs that had either been abused, neglected or not trained properly - even encouraged by their owners.


there is always a certain amount of risk when dealing with animals, any dog can attack, or animal for that matter. I think this is a heart issue and something you have to decide for yourself. I personally believe that pit bulls have gotten a bad rap. With that being said, be ever so watchful and can't be too careful!

Chantee - posted on 07/16/2010

so i should not show my dogs love anymore even though they have never done anything to me or my family?? there is a chance any dog can turn on u i think that a chance u take when u get a dog but to say all pitts turn on u is not nice... if ur kid is bad in school home ect. do u get ride of ur kid?? no u work with them u never give up. dogs have feeling and they r very very smart ..... please make sure u never get a dog diana

Amy - posted on 07/16/2010

This is not a wise choice at all. Pitbulls are inherently violent dogs. Obviously some more than others. But no matter what kind of training you provide and how much love you give, you can't change their genetics. All it takes is one dog and one instance for a child/animal to get killed. Smarten up. If not, then you are not being a good parent.

Joy - posted on 07/16/2010

My pitbull mix is the sweetest dog i have EVER met (and i've lived with dogs my entire life). My toddler loves her, jumps on her, lays on her, chases her, and never once has this dog had any sort of aggressive reaction. Also, this dog was a stray i found as a pup, and we have reason to believe that she came from less than ideal conditions, yet she couldn't be sweeter. Anyone who questions you exposing your child to a pitbull doesn't understand the breed and should be either educated or ignored.

Julene - posted on 07/16/2010

Yes, yes, yes! I am not a breeder, but a rescuer. Here is go, getting on my soapbox!

We have three rescue large breed dogs, two of which are pits. It is very very hard for me that people tend to dislike the breed so much. I am drawn to them because they are so vicitmized and misunderstood. I have a 6 year old and 4 year old. My dogs are amazing with my kids, whether they be in the presence of food, or being tackled. I don't believe that my dogs are exceptions to the pitbull breed. Afterall, they are rescues, and the history of both that we know isn't positive. Both came from abusive and neglected backgrounds. They were selected at random by my husband and I, so we didn't "pick the best one", so to speak. This breed has every bit the tendency of other breeds to be loving, companion-oriented, and obedient dogs. The media sensationalizes the breed because it draws a reaction. If a pit is involved in an "attack", the media is always sure to point it out. However, how many times have you read articles of dog "bites/attacks" and no breed is mentioned? The breed involved there was likely not a pit, therefore not mentioned, as it wouldn't garner the same reaction. (The same as the media will likely mention someone is black or hispanic in a new article, if it adds some spice to the story.)

There are so many misconceived notions about pits that I plead for people to try not to judge based on the media, and the more unscrupulous owners that are out there. Yes, pits appear tough and indimidating, thus making them a draw for those less favorable members of our society. This doesn't make them violent and prone to attack or rash behavior. Yes, they tend to be animal-aggressive (not people aggressive) and if a responsible owner doesn't help them manage these tendencies, it can detract from their ability to be around other animals. But, please understand, this is a breed tendency that we, as a human race, are responsible for. Much the same that we have some breeds prone to birds, herding and hunting. Genetic and environmental manipulation to enhance certain tendencies. Does this make a labs, collies or hounds less affectionate? If a bird dog gets in someone's chicken coop and kills the chickens, are they considered a manacing breed? If a poodle bites a child that teased it, is that considered a vicious breed? No is the answer to both. These examples would be explained away with reason and justification. Why can't pits get the same courtesy? Does the public as a whole really think that a pit will "just turn on people"? One day good, the next a vicious breed? I have a good explanation for this: we live in a world where people don't take responsibility and own up to their faults or actions. It is easy to place 100% of the blame on the dog, who cannot defend itself, and in doing so makes the public sympathize with the owner. It isn't as easy to say, yes, the dog was left chained up and not exposed to children or animals, continually teased, neglected, etc. I haven't been a good pet owner and this is my fault this happened.

I just ask that people work towards trying to base their opinions of the breed on responsible owners they know with a pit. Not irresponsible street thugs or remiss owners. They are single-handedly the most victimized breed. They deserve to be loved and have the same opportunities to be in a caring family as any other animal. They may not be for you, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve a chance.

I am happy to answer any questions anyone may have about the breed. I, by all means, and not an "expert" (whatever that may mean) but I am a responsible owner and welcome the opportunity to pass on my knowledgement and perspective of the breed.

Julene Judd
Draper, Utah

Maria - posted on 07/16/2010

we don't currently have a pitbull, but we would get one if we had the time to train one... my son is 2 and he's been around our friends with pitbulls, never had a problem... had a friend w/ a pitbull for a few years before having her baby, and that pit treated the baby like it was her own. it's all in how they are raised

Mary Beth - posted on 07/16/2010

Jessie I hate to tell you that you are wrong. I've heard of a little Pomeranian killing a new baby. It's not the dog it's how it's raised! Of course you have to know what you are doing with some breeds but that does not mean that just because a dog is a Pit it's going to be dangerous. I used to have a huge German Shepherd and they were at one time the #1 biting dog but I raised him to be the best dog with children. And people in my area didn't even know for a long time that we even had a dog cause he rarely barked, I trained to be that way.

Mary Beth - posted on 07/16/2010

I don't have Pitbulls but I am a huge dog lover and I do know that it's not the dog but people who make them. It's the media that makes them look bad.

Jessie - posted on 07/16/2010

It irritates me when people say, "it's all in how you raise them". If a retriever ran after a frisby one hundred times, would say that? No. If you had a collie and it started trying to herd something, you wouldn't claim that it was because of hte way it was raised. You know that those dogs were bred to do that. Pitbulls have been bred to fight other animals.
They also have very strong jaws that lock, unlike many other breeds. Try getting a pitbull off another dog in a fight.
A lot of owners get lulled into a false sense of security, because pitbulls are often very dedicated animals. They would lay down their lives for their owners. But that doesn't mean you can automatically trust them around other animals, people and children.
Please ask about temperment testing at your local vets office, before you allow your pitbull carte blanche around your child. The same might be said for any new dog brought into the house.

Bae - posted on 07/16/2010

i have a pitty and he is so gentle iwth my 16month old daughter he is 25 kg's and lets my daughter pull food out of his mouth. As the old saying goes a dog is only as good asit's owner!

Rachel - posted on 07/16/2010

My sister has one and Sophie is just fine with my three year old. Its all in the training. Puppy teething can be a tough time but if you're a good trainer and its a calm household everything should be just fine.

Sydney - posted on 07/16/2010

My boyfriend and I love pitbulls!!! We have a 4 yr old and a 5 1/2 month old. A buddy of ours has a pitbull and he is the BIGGEST loveable, cuddley, insanely sweet cuddle bug!!!!! :) The first time he met the baby she was napping and he laid down right next to her and didnt move until she woke up. Then he came and nudged me until I realized he wanted me to go get her! lol! He climbed up next to me on the couch and laid his head on her legs!!!! It was the sweetest thing!!!

Diana - posted on 07/16/2010

I have seen pitbulls raised to be the best dog and you could not ask for a better dog and you would not think it would hurt anyone then one day it turned when the child was left alone with it the dog chewed the child up. You can have your job raising them I just wouldn't leave my child alone with it. Sometimes kids pick to much at them and they think they are playing. I have raised three grown children. I have never had one but I have seen what they can do even if raised right.

Ramona Lemon - posted on 07/16/2010

Don't worry Christina,
My mom raised dobermans and the worst that I ever got was a nip from a puppy. The mother dog was always protective of me and thought I was one of her puppies. I look back now with fond memories of those times.
People react "that way" because of all the hype that's attached to the pit bull breed, just like the bad rap dobermans get.

Regina - posted on 07/16/2010

Absolutely. My dogs have shown no aggression toward my 5 month old at all, but one of them is protective and tries to attack the other dogs if they come near her. I do not need to be in the middle of that. So the dogs are separate unless the situation is controlled. It would onle take a second and no matter who was at fault and if it was meant, the dogs would be penalized. I do not want my child hurt and I do not want my dogs euthanized. So they are separate, they can see her, they sniff her and kiss her every once in a while, but I am not risking anything else, for everyone's sake.

Linda - posted on 07/16/2010

i agree you have to teach your child to respect dogs and cats or any animal... if you keep them away from them and not how to handle them then you... are creating a problem later on with your child... teach them to love a dog and not put their face in the face of an animal.. or to just walk up on one.. respecting animals is a parents job.. animals are animals no matter what and you need to respect their space as well as they need to respect yours...

Linda - posted on 07/16/2010

i used to have a boarding kennel and like everyone else had heard the bad rap about pits.. I raised dobermans and great danes and now beagles. so i know what you are getting... It is all the way the dogs are brought up... and handled.. if they have good breeding and good upraising and handling in a loving home then i cannot forsee any problems I had a pit that i used to board in fla.. that was used as a guard dog for a business but was kept at home in the mean time... not chained but with a loving family and he was fine... no problems.. i now have one of my pups back that was given to a family where it was caged 24-7 she is loving and all but from being caged without personal contact she is very skiddish.. and has bitten me and i have been the last 2 months doctoring this bite.. and this is a beagle..she was let to eat on a dead carcas and all.. she has the taste of blood slowly i am bringing her out of this but it is a long process...so like i said .. loving home and handling and good breeding will make a good dog .. if not you will have problems...

Regina - posted on 07/16/2010

Pitbulls are great dogs. All dogs have the potential to hurt a child, often by mistake or reflex, not because they want to. And people are strange about all pets with kids. I am a vet and I have 4 dogs and 3 cats. People asked when I was pregnant what I was going to "do" with the animals when the baby was born. Um, nothing -- they live here!

Cortney - posted on 07/16/2010

I have a 1 1/2 year old pit, (who unfortunately i had to leave with my parents because me and my husband moved to england with the military) She loves babys and kids she lets them crawl all over her and she loves it even when shes playing and running around the house she always watches out for the kids and makes sure she doesnt hit them with her tail. She also like little baby kittens my mom has a 10 week old kitten that is now her best friend she sleeps with him and licks him clean. She is the biggest baby in the world.

Laura - posted on 07/16/2010

Thank god for Marina and some common sense but clearly she is in the minority! I have a 7 month old bullmastiff he is already 6 and a half stone. Previously when my daughter was born I had a 6 year old bullmastiff that was 10 stone. My daughter is now 2 and a half. She has NEVER EVER been in the same room as either of my dogs. Bullmastiffs are known for their guarding instinct, loyalty and love of children, but still they weigh 3-4 times what my daughter weighs and although no more likely to bite than a lab, retriever or a small breed of dog the amount of damage they can inflict in seconds is devastating. Why would any parent even take the risk even a 0.001% chance that their loving family pet could turn on their CHILD in a split second and kill or mame it. My dog lives in our garage which is integral to our house he sits with us when she has gone to bed. If anyone visits our house he goes back in the garage. I nver let my child play with any dog even friends. I explain that I do not allow my dog that close to my child and so am not comfortable with their dog doing it. Dogs are animals they are not your children. Any breed is capapble of killing a child at any time.
I get the same looks when people find out I havea toddler and a bullmastiff until I explain that he lives separately. Beau our puppy adores her and she feeds him through the child gate but he is clumsy and boisterous and knocks her over which frightens her so it is not an option for them to be in the same room.
I am not preared to take the risk that my beautiful cuddly pup could kill my child if you love your dogs do not even put them in that position. It is nothing to do with owners or breeds it is just something that can happen at any time.

Danette - posted on 07/16/2010

We have a 7 yr old boxer/lab and a 9 month old pit. Both are big babies. My 2 and 4 year claim that the pit (Prince) is their dog, we are all involved with both dogs (my husband and I have five children and one grandchild the youngest ones are 9, 5, 2, and 1) but the 2 & 4 year old insist on feeding and playing with prince more than anybody...no problems we just pay attention to them and teach the kids how to be careful with the dogs.

Cindy - posted on 07/15/2010

We had a dog growing up that was part pit bull and we had a vet tell us they are great family dogs, but they have a bad rep (from being trained to fight.) Ours was a lab/pit mix and she was a sweet heart.

Shannon - posted on 07/15/2010

i dont have a pitbull, but i did go through school as a vet tech, and i hate that whole breed profiling! its all about how you train the dog and how you teach the kids to be around them. yes some dogs are more prone to be aggressive, but so are some people! its that mob mentality, they heard it somewhere and feel the need to pass it on. good luck to all of you and i'm glad people see the dog not just the breed.

in my experience the most aggressive dog i have ever met was a toy mix (little puff ball! it tried to run up behind me and bit my foot several times, growling and baring its teeth. the owner passed it off 'she was in bad mood that day', well add 30lbs to that bad mood and there is some serious trouble, just cause it doesnt do severe damage that required stiches doesnt mean you can ignore it.

Betty - posted on 07/15/2010

For those of you who need some help with a baby in the house.. try this.

When I'm training (& I'm the only one in our family who is to do it) I GENTLY pull on a new dog & give it a treat, ruff it up & give it a treat. It's never punished or given a treat for aggression.... just ssssssssT. Just like Ceasar. After many many many situations... if it gets hurt by someone.... it comes to me for a treat and doesn't nip whoever it 'thinks' hurt it.

By the way... one of my dogs was sooo afraid of small dogs, he would run behind me, put his head between my legs and cry. He would never bite, even if a kid pulled his tail, ears, or even lips. When he was adopted out, I trained the Mom & Dad to do the same. If any of the kids hurt him, he would just go to them and ASK for a treat (even a rub was enough of a treat) then go back & play with them again.

Betty - posted on 07/15/2010

I have over 26 years experience with aggressives. I have successfully retrained several pittys(a term i started using because it's a more pit friendly term) & pit-mixes. Some were adopted out to people WITH kids. Each dog is unique no matter the breed. If a pitty is properly trained, it's a wonderful, smart, dedicated companion.

The only breed, even I stay away from, is a Chow. That's only because I have little experience with them.

You can tell those that criticize you, that you are an experienced breeder & trainer. You would NEVER leave your child unsupervised around ANY pet that was questionable, Pitty or Golden Retriever. YOU are the expert and not a garage or puppy mill breeder.

I retrain just about anything (even owners) & would never even expose my Hubby to a questionable pet.

It really irritates me when insurance companies (or even subdivisions) won't insure you or let you in with a Pitty no matter how sweet. That's why many people leave their ears & tails alone and refer to them as boxers (no offense to boxer owners please) so people treat them properly. Remember the poor rap Rotties got because some idiot was teasing the puppy with the baby's feet an then when they weren't supervising....' I can't even repeat...

Sorry I went on & on... people like those comenting to you just get my goat ( oops...) I mean dander up..

Jennifer - posted on 07/15/2010

just to let u know i am sick of hearing labs dont bite,rubbish i had half my face ripped of as a 4 yo child.ALL animals no matter what r capable of bitting,we have 2 great danes nd previously had pits,guess what no bites,treat dogs as individuals and not just as a breed.

Deborah - posted on 07/15/2010

Oh and heres some more food for thought:

There were 33 dog-bite related fatalities (32 events) in 2009.

-- 16 different dog breeds, or mixes thereof, were involved (counting 'mixed breed' as it's own category).

-- 9 cases involved chained dogs

--14 cases involved other peoples dogs where people had been staying at babysitters houses or wondered onto neighbours property

-- 8 cases were in areas that were affected with high poverty rates

-- 4 cases involved packs of feral or near feral dogs

-- of the 5 incidents that were covered by 150 media sources or more, 2 involved 'pit bulls', 1 involved a Rottweiler, 1 involved a pit bull/akita mix (that was widely reported as a 'pit bull mix') and 1 involved a Weimaraner.

-- There were 7 incidents that were covered by fewer than 6 media outlets, the breeds involved were Husky, Chow Chow, Husky, Boxers, Australian Shepherd/Blue Heeler mixes and a Great Dane.

Yes, apparently all attacks are not created equally in the eyes of the media.

Summeries of the storys (excluding feral/wild dogs) are:
5 year old playing unsupervised in back yard with chained pregnant pitbull
4 year old playing unsupervised in back yard with chained Rottweiler
3 year old playing unsupervised in back yard climbed through a hole in fence to neighbours and was attacked by Rottweiler
8 year old staying at friends attacked by Rottweiler Mix
3 week old left alone with husky
2 week old left with chow chow
38 year old tried to seperate 2 fighting bull mastiffs
3 year old killed by neighbours husky
18 months wondered out of the house and up to pregnant pitbull while the family took a nap
7 months old killed by 2 pits while left alone with them at grandparents house
4 year old killed by neighbours 3 boxers
11 month old killed by family pitbull mix who had shown signs of aggression in the past
60 year old attacked by her great dane
3 year old wondered into back yard with stuffed toy and was attacked by 2 pit bull mixes and 1 collie mix while parents were in another room
10 year old attacked by neighbrous 2 pitbulls
20 year old tried to seperate a pug and pitbull from fighting
3 days old the family have a german shepherd and a pitbull, the pitbull was blamed for the attack
90 year old attacked by american bulldog, not sure if this was her dog or not
23 months old wondered into neighbours yard and was killed by pitbull while her mother was preoocupied
17 months left alone at babysitters house with pitbull/akita mix
2 year old wondered out of babysitters house, 4 blocks away followed a puppy into a back yard where it was attacked by a pitbull
16 months old at babysitters house killed by one of the 5 pitbulls
53 year old attacked by a white boxer who had previously bitten a US census worker
85 year old walking her dog attacked by neighbours pitbull
20 month old staying at grandparents house killed by Rottweiler/Lab mix while eating a cookie, the dog had only been in the house 2 weeks
49 year old visiting friends attacked by their Alaskan Malamute
2 year old attacked by family Weimaraners

So all in all out of all those cases we have 11 attacks by pitbulls, of those 11
5 were attacked by the family pet
4 were attacked by the pets of the person they were staying with (babysitter/grandmother)
2 wondered into a neighbours backyard
9 cases the child was left alone with dog or wondered unnoticed into a neighbours house.
2 was killed during a fight of 2 dogs
1 dog was known to be aggressive
4 dogs were chained up

I would take a guess and say that the 4 kids staying at their grandparents/babysitters were seen as a threat by the dogs. the child who wondered into the neighbours back yard was definately a threat. In all 5 of these cases the child was left alone with the dogs.

So of half the cases involving pitbulls you could argue that the dog was just defending its terriroty.

2 People were stupid enough to try to split up a fight, and the rest was parental neglect...

Diana - posted on 07/15/2010

I handle liability claims for a major insurance company. By far the majority of dog bite claims I get come from Pit Bulls. I don't care that they say it's the owner, not the breed-they are still animals and bad news.Post your email and I'll send you some pictures of children who have been attacked. Do you want to even take a chance? Don't be selfish.

Chantee - posted on 07/15/2010

yes me and my hubby have 2 pit bulls. we had them before the kids. i have a 5 year old and 1 year old. my dogs r great i have no worry that my dogs will ever do anything to my kids. we raised them with love and thats all they know.. i hate when people do the look or the ohh myy.. it gets under my skin.

Debra - posted on 07/15/2010

We have a bull mastiff who is a sweetheart w/ my 7 & 5 yr olds and a new pure white pit bull puppy. She is a sweet dog and the kids love to play with her. I agree it's all in how you train dog and the kids, lol.

Kim - posted on 07/15/2010

I do not disagree its all in how a dog is raised my saints could crush a infant i am sure without meaning to my kids are older we had a saint before but our youngest was two i will help any dog even a pitball but pitballs turn not in every case but they make me nervous.....

Deborah - posted on 07/15/2010

No matter how gentle the dog, no matter how well bred, no matter how good the pedigree you do own a wolf.

ANY dog will turn if its provoked, try pulling a dogs tail 10 times while it has toothache and see if it will snap at you...

Dogs loose their temper just like humans do, but the dogs only way of retaliation is to bite. Any dog who can open its mouth wide enough to get it around a part of your body has the potential to cause injury, and yes that goes for Chihuahua who i'm sure could bit a finger off if it took the notion.

Alisha - posted on 07/15/2010

Seriously people! I am so fed up with people saying that Pitbulls are the only dogs who are going to "turn" and that they're going to seriously injure your children. It's NOT TRUE!

Cindy, you said you've never heard of a Lab or Golden Retriever attacking someone? Here you go:
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?s...
and
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/05/...
and
http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/n...

Also check out this report:
http://www.dogbitelaw.com/TX-study-1999....

At the bottom of page Labs were only 8 attacks behind Pitbulls!
Labs are great family dogs and they are the #1 dog breed owned as a pet in the U.S., but they can "turn" as easily as a Pitbull, Rottie, or ANY OTHER DOG.

Please people, open your eyes. As it has been stated over and over in reponse to the original question here, ANY DOG can be dangerous!!! It's NOT BREED SPECIFIC!. Honestly, this is ridiculous.

Deborah - posted on 07/15/2010

this subject is one that oculd go on forever and go nowhere.

EVERY dog is capable of turning on its owner, no matter how docile..

there is no possible way to judge the figures without knowing exactly what breen was involved in a bite, and exactly how many of that breed are actually out there,

Its ok says that about 45% of fatalities were caused by pitbulls, but if pitbulls accounted for 75% of the total dog population that would be expected,

And as for you owners that say you have other breeds that wouldn't hurt anyone, I'll take the saint into account, the gentle giant...
"The number of dog bite fatalities has remained fairly constant over time in the United States. In the twenty-year period between 1979 and 1998, the number of fatal dog attacks ranged from 5 to 17 per year.8 In this period, severe dog bites resulted in at least 332 confirmed human deaths. Breed specific data was available for just 238 of these 332 cases, and revealed that 25 breeds of dogs were involved ..... Age specific data from 1997 and 1998, showed that 70% of fatal dog bite victims (19 out of 27) were children. .... Of these 27 deaths, rottweilers accounted for 10, crossbred rottweilers accounted for 2, pit bulls accounted for 6, saint bernards accounted for 3, and a husky, great dane, doberman pinscher, a crossbred great dane, a crossbred doberman pinscher, and a mixed breed each accounted for a single death.8

So your beloved "gentle giant" accounted for 3 deaths in children and pit bulls for 6

Kim - posted on 07/15/2010

i agree i have two saints one 150 and the other165 and they are gentle giants...

Kim - posted on 07/15/2010

St.bernards are very srong ......Pitballs kill....And turn no matter how sweet .....

Alicia - posted on 07/15/2010

I have a 3 yr old blue pit. She is wonderful around children. She is also very protective of my kids. It doesn't matter what breed of dog it is, it is all in how you raise it.

Kim - posted on 07/15/2010

I am sorry i understand they can be sweet but i worry they can turn i would never have them around kids just because i know a couple who have turned i am a owner of st.bernards they are very sweet and i love all dogs but pitballs worry me....

Cindy - posted on 07/15/2010

I have no pics to post, just an opinion. I have had cats and dogs all of my life. My personal opinion of pitbull is not a very high one. It's a breed of dog I do not like, and I do not believe they should be mixed with children.
I realize they do get a "bad rap" from the media, However, I have never heard of a lab, or a golden retriever rip off a babies face, or kill a small child. It seems to be the pit bulls. I'm sure the media would cover any breed of dog that behaved this way. It just seems to always be the pit. I have known several different people, with and without children, it seems their stories always end with getting rid of the pit bull. Good Luck to you and your children. Cindy

Crystal - posted on 07/15/2010

i havent read any of the other replies but i have 2 large dogs of mix breeds one of them includes pitbull n they are the most beautiful caring dogs. ppl do need to remember u should never leave a child unattended with a dog or any animal really cos u never know what might happen. ppl get the wrong idea about pitbulls they are lovely dogs its just those few ppl who bring there dogs up wrong who ruin it for everyone else!

Alisha - posted on 07/15/2010

Thank you so much for posting that information Deborah! I still don't think the skeptics will change their minds because they're too closed, but maybe a few will see that not all Pitbulls are vicious!

Deborah - posted on 07/15/2010

some interesting reading here too http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/394/...



Not gonna copy and paste its a long article but here are some smippets...



"What the media ... fail to mention in any article I have read, is that the figures do not separate dog bites from dog strikes. I know of quite a few people who have been admitted to hospital because their dogs greeted them a little too enthusiastically or accidentally knocked into them."



"They will all be logged under the same code meaning “bitten or struck by a dog” yet the two meanings are often very different and certainly don’t scream “dog attack”. "



"In recent years it has been pointed out that children 9 and under are more commonly admitted for “bites or strikes” from a dog and this is true. However over the last ten years in England, the number of children 9 and under who have been admitted to hospital for this reason, has actually risen the least of all age groups, by 4.1%. This equals just 39 more admissions when comparing 06-07 with 96-97. Using the same years comparison, the age group of 40-49 year olds show a massive increase of 136%. We rarely hear of large numbers of 40 odd year olds being attacked by dogs so would it be fair to assume we are actually looking at more strikes than bites?"



Taking the above into account the bull breeds are probably logged in these "bites" more ofthen than other dogs... after all the power behind a pitbull jumping up on a n adult let alone a child could easily knock them over if the dog is excited... how many people have been toppled by a chiuahua.



Also from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_Bull



"In the time period from 2005-2009 pit bull type dogs in the United States have been reported being involved in 61 of 143 fatalities. The pit bulls involved represent 1 in every 105,191 (0.0095%) individuals in the estimated pit bull population. In a given year the average American had a 0.000004% chance of being in a fatal incident reported to be a pit bull whether an aggressive act or accidental. "



Note that by Pit Bull this article is refering to American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier combined.



So 0.0095% of pitbulls was involved in a fatal bite - yeah really dangerous breed - quick lets kill them all, of course we have to put down the other 99.9905% that haven't and probably won't ever attack anyone...Yeah I can see the logic there.



While we're at it and I'm in a sarcastic mood, how many humans are actually involved in fatalaties... should we kill all humans or stop them breeding because some are robbers, rapists, murderers?

Deborah - posted on 07/15/2010

from a book called "Dogs Bite - But Balloons and Slippers Are More Dangerous"

Dogs can be dangerous. And they are more dangerous to children than to adults. But here's the reality. Dogs almost never kill people. A child is more likely to die choking on a marble or a balloon, and an adult is more likely to die in a bedroom slipper related accident. Your chances of being killed by a dog are roughly one in 18 million. You are five times more likely to be killed by a bolt of lightning.

The supposed epidemic numbers of dog bites splashed across the media are absurdly inflated by dubious research and by counting bites that don't actually hurt anyone. Even when dogs do injure people, the vast majority of injuries are at the Band-Aid level. Yet lawmakers, litigators, and insurers press for less dog ownership. This must stop. We must maintain perspective. Yes, dogs bite. But even party balloons and bedroom slippers are more dangerous.

Melissa - posted on 07/15/2010

oh and I wish people would stop telling me that pitbulls have "lock jaw" wake up people and do your research! They dont LOCK! they are just strong and dont let go! HELLO..

Melissa - posted on 07/15/2010

I have a 4year old male pitlbull and he is wonderful.. We take him everywhere, on the boat, trips, walks, bike rides, etc.. He is loved, taught manners, and we dont take any crap from him. He respects our home, our space, our kids and he protects us as any dog would. I am so sick of hearing crap about pitbulls. When I was a child I had my face mauled by a damm poodle!

To own a pitbull I believe you have to be strong minded and prepared to teach your dog boundries. Thats all they need, and tons of love. He learns quickly and just lays ont he damm couch and snores while we watch t.v. My kids can lay on him, grab him, ride him, whatever. I taught my dog early on as a puppy how we control his food, hes not food aggressive or animal aggressive or people aggressive. I truly believe in my heart its how you raise an animal.. ANY ANIMAL.. unfortunately my beloved pitbull breed gets the bad rap, always.. I would get another and another. im going to try an post a picture as well..

Beth - posted on 07/15/2010

A friend of mine used to own a pit bull she had small children.. this dog did not hurt the children but only tolerated them.. there not good family dogs. My brother also owned pit bulls.. one was very nice, the other very agressive.. I would keep your young son away from them.

DeeDee - posted on 07/15/2010

I have had all kinds of breeds of dogs, I have raised Dobies, Rotts, Pitts, Chihuahua, Yorkies, Poms and Boston terriers, Labs and even Chows, heck I have even owned cats (which I got rid of because I could not keep them out of my childrens cribs as babies) ... No one person can say any breed is better or worse than the others. my pom and my yorkie were more difficult than my pit (crazy ankle biters ..lol) I loved my little dogs but most do have a "10 ft tall and bullet proof attitude" not all of them but it is a characteristic of smaller dogs. My pit is a wonderful dog, easily trained and great with my kids. My dobie was the most mellow of dogs and my rott was protective but very gentle never attacked anyone, my Chow was the closest I have gotten to anything vicious and she snapped at (not bitten) at the neighbors daughter for taking a bone from her. So unless anyone on here can say they have had a pittbull and had horrible experiences themselves as owners then don't degrade the breed. They are not horrible dogs, All the stories you read about dog deaths are due to the lifestyle those dogs were in. the media will paint any picture they can to keep owners from choosing a breed, For once i would love to see a story about all the wonderful things pits are good for. You have to look at the situation of the attack and the conditions that dog has been in and exposed to. I stand by my vision that regardless of the breed any dog is vicious and any dog is wonderful, its about parenting with your kids and the dog. Teach your children to respect the dog and the dog to respect its owners. Raising a dog is not all about dicipline, its about respect. The first time you disrespect your pet... It will disrespect you. That goes for CATS... DOGS... RABBITS... GERBALS.... ANY ANIMAL

Ashley - posted on 07/15/2010

Me and my bf have a pitbull, and our baby is almost five months. Our dog is so sweet, and i feel pitbulls or mis judged. I mean if your baby is not in danger then there is no problem. No worries! :)

Monica - posted on 07/15/2010

YES!!! We have a pit bull/lab mix who is AWESOME with our young kids (now 2 & 5). We have had her for 10 years (so pre-kids) and I was really pleased with how well she accepted the new critters (kids!) into our home. She is so sweet and so loving...I often say she has more patience with my 2 year old than I do. I watch carefully, but sometimes my son is a bit rough - she takes it all in stride and never even growls. She just buries her head between my knees and looks at me like "help!" :) Let's not forget that Pit Bulls are "America's Dog" and have been loving loyal family members for a looong time - remember Petey from the Little Rascals - he was a pit bull. :)