It's the owner who makes a vicious dog

My thoughts and my Bubby (all 108 pounds of love).

Hold please, i'm having a hard time typing because mine pitty son is laying on my chest blocking me from typing on my laptop very well.

I believed a heightened awareness around pits and pit mixes because I believe in genetics. They use blood hounds for tracking purposes because they have been bred for it. There are anecdotes both ways on the danger of pits and the effectiveness of breed bans. I would not own one or allow my grandchildren to be unattended around them.

I don't like the looks of pit bulls, and would probably not adopt one for that reason. On the other hand, I don't blame the animal for not being what I consider beautiful, and would never be anything but kind to one.

My Corona

Every living thing can have a Bad Day in the Office. Some living things could affect others lives when that happen because Life and Nature do No Exceptions.

I am a dog lover and we always had labs growing up. One got particularly cranky in her old age. Due to that and seeing how she was a sweetheart with our family but not so much with anyone else, I am cautious (not necessarily afraid, just cautious) when meeting any new dog.

With the possible exception of chihuahuas, I don’t think you can dismiss any breed as overall mean.

My friend has 2 girls, they are the sweet doggies , very loving. Pits are protective of their territory and their humans and some illiterate morphrodites use this instinct to abuse the dogs

I have seen dogs, and had a dog killed by a pit. It isn't the dogs fault as much as the owner. I have met many a very sweet, loving pit dog. I have met others I would shoot the dog and the owner on sight. I have protective dogs, and I pity the poor soul that wants to come into my yard uninvited. Protection is one of the reasons people have dogs, companionship is another. Any dog, animal, or person that is over the top; vicious, angry, willing to kill or maim unrelentingly should be put down or put to service to fight our pointless wars.

The answer to the question of whether or not fear of pitbulls is rational/irrational, would most likely depend on one's experience with pitbulls, I would think. The last experience I had, I was preparing for a bike ride while the guy who owned the vehicle parked in front of me was getting ready to leave, having done his ride.

With him was his 2 yr old female pitbull rescue. She was lying on the pavement resting when I had gotten out of my car, then she got up and ambled toward me. I have to say, I was a bit apprehensive as she approached me. But, when she came up to me, I offered her my hand, palm up below her chin, and she sniffed me for a bit, and decided I was OK.

From that point on, I listened to her owner, all the while petting the dog and rubbing her, which she loved me doing, as her owner told me his story and how he came to rescue this beautiful canine specimen. By the time he ended his narrative, including his obviously pro-gun proclivity, and his trouble with the law, I had a new friend (the dog), and was more afraid of the man than the dog, though he didn't seem like a "bad" guy.

Look at this little guy. He is Dilbert. He is a sweet little lab/pit mix. It’s all about how the dog is treated by humans.

I have been bit (nipped) by a chihuahua, but I would never want to be bit by a pit bull. I know that most of them are sweet though.

Its all about the owners-not the dogs. My tenants had a pit bull who used to lay on top of me on my couch. I miss Bella, not my tenants.

So many breeds have had their time of darkness. I think it is more the influence of humans on a breed : in accentuating certain traits in breeding or training or lack thereof. I remember when Rotts had their day. I rescued one even though I was very wary of him and he turned out to be one of the gentlest dogs I have ever had. All the pits I have met have been good dogs. That said I know people in rural areas that let them run in packs for protection and I wouldnt get out of my car in those areas

If you do some research on the topic, you will discover that the numbers are skewed and/or overtly exaggerated. I wish people would remember the Little Rascals dog was a pit bull more and focus less on the outliers.

I mean, if pit bulls were that reliably dangerous, we'd hear about attacks on owners practically every day because there are estimated over 10 million pit bull-type dogs in the US. It just doesn't ring true to me. Even if all of the bites attributed to them were actually pit bulls, and they're not, that's still WAY less than 0.1% of the population. Seems crazy to ban an entire breed on that alone.

Having fear of something that can hurt you or kill you is always rational.
I happen to like pitbulls and most of them that ive met seem to make decent pets. At the same time though people used to breed them to be a more agressive fighting dog.

Good looking dog! I think the question is really this: Is it rational to be more afraid of pits than, say, chihuahuas?

It's the mammal the other end of the lead that's the problem with any dog.