[yorkietalkjilly]

I may sound rational and I am a doglover of all breeds but I know that dogs are animals and subject to instincts and urges we can never understand. As such, the pitbull is potentially a highly dangerous animal and should one attack a loved one of mine or my dog, I would likely want it put down or given a lifelong warrant for pitbull rehab living only, as opposed to most other breeds, because of the strong likelihood it has some very dangerous genetic predispositions from the recent history of this breed's fighting lingeages. I'd fear that once it had engaged in a truly aggressive attack, those fighting/killing genes could easily predispose it to future attacks on humans or animals.

Border terrier owners say once their dog has herded sheep on a weekend outing for herders, they are forever herding things instinctively with more intensity than ever before. Once a terrier has killed a mouse, those of you that have one who has done it know, they are always looking and sniffing for another - from then on!

Most of those who have worked for years rehabbing abused/fighting pits say it is usually true of a pit that once they attack, they aren't to be trusted in a normal home setting again. From what I know about dogs with strong prey-drive instinct, I tend to agree with those that work with the pitbulls in trouble. Pound-for-pound and all things being equal, they are far more deadly in an attack than any other dog according to most who work with Rotties, Pitties and GSD/Malinois breeds. Today's pitbulls' shorter, faster size, overdeveloped musculature, reaction time and bite-force & bite-ratio plus ability to sustain an attack outmatch most other dogs whatever their size.

But the pitbull didn't do that to himself or his breed. Humans carefully, deliberately, ignorantly bred them to be that way. A pitbull is just doing what he has fairly recently mostly been bred to do, be a highly prey-driven, aggressive, ultra-fast fighter who can grab a victim with his mouth, wrap them up with his forelegs and sustain a vicious attack until his victim is no longer moving if it takes an hour. Most breeds won't sustain an attack - they hit, bite, withdraw and many dogs are anxious to run away after a bite.

It is not the pitbull's fault - he's just being his doggie self and doing what in his bulldog/terrier instincts he's strongly led to do, like my Tibbe would chase a mouse or rat if he ever saw one. And knowing Tibbe, he would catch it and do his grisly job!!!

All that being said, I know some wonderful, loving and loyal pitbulls with wonderful temperaments in family homes today who are as fine a pet as ever could be. To know one of those is to love the breed for what it was and still can be again.