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Originally Posted by gracielove  Pit Bulls were once known as gentle dogs. They were loyal dogs that would give their lives to protect home and family. But like many breeds that come to the attention of a certain group of people they have fallen into the hands of irresponsible breeders that have chosen to increase their size and to breed for more aggressive temperaments. That is why we hear so much about the breed being so unreliable. It is truly sad that humans are allowed to destroy a breed of any kind.
We have a family member that has two well bred and well trained Pit Bulls. They have 3 grade school age children in the home. I have no problem with the dogs. They are friendly and well behaved, certainly better behaved than many other more acceptable breeds of dogs I have encountered. But I never take Gracie over there just because she is so much smaller and could easily get stepped on accidentally. Besides, she is not comfortable around bigger dogs so I am not going to deliberately subject her to the situation. Maybe my own memory of a previous dog attack causes me to be over protective. |
Pit Bulls were actually bred for bull baiting originally.
Here is a good article explaining (from a reputable rescue):
Pit Bull Information | Mid-America Bully Breed Rescue Quote:
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Pit bulls adore children and make great pets for a family with young kids. Due to the selective breeding of the original pit bull to never lash out at a human, even when in pain or from injury, pit bulls can tolerate rough handling or play from children and their outgoing personality has them ready for whatever adventure comes next.
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Because the pit bull was originally bred to be the ultimate canine warrior, some level of dog intolerance is to be expected. Not all pit bulls will become dog aggressive, but it is something that owners need to be prepared for. Often times, intolerance to other dogs will develop in the breed as they reach maturity (between 18 months and 4 years). There are many different levels of dog intolerance. Some pit bulls are best as only pets, while others get along with all other dogs. Most pit bulls fall somewhere in between. It is common for dogs of the same sex to be more prone to aggression towards each other than dogs of the opposite sex. Dog aggression is a genetic trait and while it can’t be trained out of the dogs, it can be managed. Knowing what situations your dog will and won’t do well in is the key to responsible ownership.
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It is just scary to me. I have seen some Pit Bulls that "grew up" at the dog park. And then all the sudden, one day they decide to latch on to a dog and not let go. You really need a break steak to get them apart if they are with intent to kill. For a small dog though, that one bite could be the end.
The thing is though, like Yorkies, a lot of BYBs got their hands on pits, so often times they're very waterered downed pits, and will be fine with other animals throughout their life. And then again, human aggression started creeping in because of stupid people who want a dog like that.
But I just feel like a lot of TV shows and people have this "It's ALL the way you raise them!" mentality and that can be JUST as scary as the "All pit bulls are evil monsters" view! Just because you have a Pit with DA doesn't make them a 'bad dog'. They just need to be managed well. I would never release Jackson into a fence full of rabbits with no protection. He would probably kill at least one. Why put him through the stress, as well as allowing other animals to be in danger on purpose?