I read many opinons and I think the owner is guilty for aggression of pitbull dog
Is pitbull (http://www.pitbull-apbt.com) aggressive breed or people make it aggressive? What You think?

Pit Bulls were originally bred for fighting. But like most breeds today, many lines are nothing like their original purpose. Yes there are some mean nasty Pit bulls, mostly bred and owned by mean, nasty people. Then there are some wonderful ones owned by nice people. Some of them have posted here in the past, and your post may bring them out. Responcible people choose well behaved dogs as breeding stock.

You just can't determine a dog's behavior from its breed. I have had young Labs that wouldn't join the other dogs playing in the lake. Some traits are shared by most members of a breed, but not all. Early socialization, before 12 weeks, is important too.

I can say that only 5 % from pitbull owners teach them to fight! Only 5%. The other 95% love this dogs !

There are so many wonderful pits out there... many wasting away in shelters with almost 0% chance of adoption.

HOWEVER, one thing people need to consider in opting for any breed of dog is IF things turn bad, can they physically handle the dog - GOD FORBID, but I know I cannot physically manage a pit, etc.

I had a pit in my household for 3 years. Loving, well adusted, well socialized, easy to teach and direct dog... he would stop on a dime from a dead run if I asked him to... Lovely dog... Until I came home one day to my cat shredded in a million pieces all over the house... and 3 days later, he took a big hunk out of my gordon setter (show dog, female, very mellow)... after 3 YEARS of living in my pack, sleeping cuddled with the cat every night and being an excellent sibling to all the foster cairns that had come through in that time...

I learned very quickly that if I could not trust a dog I was just not willing to have them in my household... I honestly can say I would be hard pressed to trust a pit again no matter how sweet they appeared, and no matter how badly I want to think the breed gets a bad rap

-Beth

I read many opinons and i think the owner is guilty for aggression of pitbull dog
Is pitbull (http://www.pitbull-apbt.com) aggresive breed or people make it aggressive? What You think?
The are responsible for their dogs.. I am 16 years old I have pitbull and he is so sweet. We don't have an environment where there is abusing ut juss depends on how u treat your pitt they are really good pets!!

I repeat that just being a good dog owner may not make any dog, and perhaps particularly a pi a nice dog for it's whole life... This is what I said before:

I had a pit in my household for 3 years. Loving, well adusted, well socialized, easy to teach and direct dog... he would stop on a dime from a dead run if I asked him to... Lovely dog... Until I came home one day to my cat shredded in a million pieces all over the house... and 3 days later, he took a big hunk out of my gordon setter (show dog, female, very mellow)... after 3 YEARS of living in my pack, sleeping cuddled with the cat every night and being an excellent sibling to all the foster cairns that had come through in that time...


As a good friend says: All dogs have teeth, and no dog no matter how well trained or sweet they may appear, should ever be trusted to not bite under all circumstances.

-Beth

I fostered a pitbull x from the animal shelter. When I initially fostered her, I expressed my concern to the vet about the nature of this breed. He said to me 'it is not the breed, it is how they are treated'. Turns out he was spot on. I eventually bought her and have had her for 2 years now, and I couldn't ask for a sweeter, more placid dog.

That's a VERY good question. I have worked in the veterinary industry for over 10 years now and I see a lot of breeds. Certain breeds we tend to take more caution with than others. I have never believed that any dog is born bad or aggressive, however, I think that over time certain breeds earn a reputation for potential behavior that is inherent in that breed but not necessarly always the case. The truth is, you should ALWAYS research a breed before you take it on. If more people were educated about their choice in breed, accedents would be few and far between. Yes, I think pit bulls tend to be more on the aggressive side than some other breeds especially dog aggressive, do I think that it can be trained out, yes, because I know a lot of great pit bulls that have owners that spent the time socializing and training their dog. The is just as high of a chance that a pit bull will be aggressive and mean as there is any other breed if they are poorly socialized and untrained. Pit bulls were originally bread to be fighting dogs, and they pick up behavior patterens from their parental units, thus once they began this way, the tradition continued and the breed has been unfairly labeled as a bad breed. All dogs are capable of attacking people and other animals and they can all do a lot of damage, pit bulls are capable of doing more damage due to their jaw structure and lean muscle mass, thus the reason why they were bred as fighting dogs. If you are considereing a pit bull as a pet, than just be smart and be in control from day one, get him or her trained, spayed or neutered, and socialized VERY early on. Hope this helps.
Heather

This shouldn't even be a topic , Pitt bulls are naturally an aggressive dog, they were bred for that, trying to raise a pittbull as a family pet is like trying to raise a porcupine to cuddle. Pitt bulls are for protection and personal companionship there not for families. Unfortunately more and more irresponcible and low income, uneducated people are breeding this dog as a status and for underground fighting, banning the breed is just not the way, but banning breeding of this breed is what we should do. Peta recommends this in there spring aniamal times.

I read many opinons and i think the owner is guilty for aggression of pitbull dog
Is pitbull (http://www.pitbull-apbt.com) aggresive breed or people make it aggressive? What You think?
Pits are raised to be mean it is all the owner... if you do research the dogs that bite the most are usually smaller breeds "ankle bitters" growing up my family had several pit bulls and we never had a problem with them... they were possibly the sweetest dogs I've ever owned. In fact our cat walked all over them she practically raised them. I think that people who say that the dog breed is bad or aggressive are ignorant it is not in a dog its in it owner. If you raise a dog to fight it will fight if you raise it to be nice then it will...

There are lots of breeds that have the potential to be aggressive, not just pitbulls. Its been my personal experience and observation of many others that dogs are very much an extension of their owners. I have raised a beagle, shepard, huskie, shar-pei and lab. I would not hesitate on a pitbull puppy to raise either, if I were in the market for another pet.

I read many opinons and i think the owner is guilty for aggression of pitbull dog
Is pitbull (http://www.pitbull-apbt.com) aggresive breed or people make it aggressive? What You think?
I have worked in the industry of vet med for 11 years and had very few run in's with "bad" pit bulls HOWEVER, they are bread for fighting and as such they are by nature usually dog aggressive,it is just something, as a RESPONCIBLE owner, people who have pitbulls, must come to the understanding of. I don't believe that any animal is by nature "bad" or "mean" I do think that they respond to training and socialization EARLY in their lives so they are less likely to be predisposed to illnatured behavior.

I read many opinons and i think the owner is guilty for aggression of pitbull dog
Is pitbull (http://www.pitbull-apbt.com) aggresive breed or people make it aggressive? What You think?
I have a male pitbull that is just over a year old, and have many pitbulls in our family. They have all been very sweet and very sensitive dogs. They are pleasers, and it is all in how they are raised. It is the owner responsibility to raise their dog right. You can train any dog to be aggressive and nasty. Pitbulls have gotten a bad rap.

this shouldn't even be a topic , Pitt bulls are naturally an aggressive dog, they were bred for that, trying to raise a pittbull as a family pet is like trying to raise a porcupine to cuddle. Pitt bulls are for protection and personal companionship there not for families. Unfortunatly more and more irresponcible and low income, uneducated people are breeding this dog as a status and for underground fighting, banning the breed is just not the way, but banning breeding of this breed is what we should do. Peta recommends this in there spring aniamal times.

Do you think the same thing about bulldogs, staffordshire terriers, boxers, bull terriers, bull mastiffs, shar-peis, bedlington terriers, etc. Lots of dogs were bred to be aggressive pit fighters, used in baiting different animals and dog-fighting. On the other hand, pit bulls had a history of being a family pet for quite some time in America. The most famous example is Petey from the Little Rascals TV show. Nobody thought anything of having that dog in the middle of a bunch of little kids.

One of the problems with dogs (in general) is that a lot of people get one without doing enough research into whether the dog is a good fit for their lifestyle. The bully breeds need an experienced owner, who is willing to handle them correctly. If a chihuahua bites everyone it sees, no one cares. Let a pit bull act the same way, and people care.

List of famous pits: Poppy's Place - Famous Pit Bulls (http://www.pbrc.net/poppysplace/famouspitbulls.html)
List of fighting breeds: List of dog fighting breeds - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dog_fighting_breeds)

To jessyfay , I just wanted to say that what you are saying is not true about pits , ex raising pitbulls as a family pet is like trying to raise a porcupine to cuddle, well I have had my pitbull for 11 years , and my dog has not hurting a soul my dog is the most adorable dog you will ever met I have had about seven different cats since we first got him and he never hurt any of them and he also lets stray cats sleep in his dog hoouse wit him and lets the 2 cats I have now eat out of his dog food bowl at the same time as him , so I really do think it is on the environment, and for me to have this same pitbull since 1996 he is not a mean and cruel as everyone is saying.

I read many opinons and i think the owner is guilty for aggression of pitbull dog
Is pitbull (http://www.pitbull-apbt.com) aggresive breed or people make it aggressive? What You think?
I think the owners is guilty of an aggressive pitt bull. I have a red nose pitt and a blue pitt. They are the best dogs I've ever had.They would never hurt us just protect us. There treated with love and respect and that what they give us in return. There part of our family.

I use to think that to but now after getting a pit I do not fully agree with that (((owners is guilty of an aggressive pit bull))) I am a pit bull owner myself and you have to think ANY dog can be aggressive rather it be a small loved dog or rather it be a big petty dog my puppy get the best treatment in the world he already has things that most dog would dream of in he's just 8 weeks old but he bites and I know I am not mean to him and I do not allow other people or dogs to be mean to him as well I know there are some people out there fighting pits and I do not think that's right I do not think any I mean any animal should be miss treated. I love my puppy so much but I know that it's in him to be aggressive it's in anyone and any animal but that should not give dog fighters the okay to miss treat them.:mad:

I use to think that to but now after getting a pit I do not fully agree with that (((owners is guilty of an aggressive pit bull))) I am a pit bull owner myself and you have to think ANY dog can be aggressive rather it be a small loved dog or rather it be a big petty dog my puppy get the best treatment in the world he already has things that most dog would dream of in he's just 8 weeks old but he bites and I know I am not mean to him and I do not allow other people or dogs to be mean to him as well I know there are some people out there fighting pits and I do not think that's right I do not think any I mean any animal should be miss treated. I love my puppy so much but I know that it's in him to be aggressive it's in anyone and any animal but that should not give dog fighters the okay to miss treat them.:mad:

Ms. Rene,

Many pups of many breeds will bite at this age. I hope that you are taking the time now to teach your pup that biting is not OK. If you don't get that stopped now, you will be facing an adult dog that is, eventually, going to bite someone who's not you. And then you may find yourself in court, where the breed's reputation is definitely going to work against you.

Just as background: My parents had an akita/pit mix, and I have seen first hand how quickly he killed a rabbit that we startled out in the yard (the sound of crunching bone is still in my mind), and how easily he could pull someone who weighed twice as much as he did. And the incredible amount of power he put out when he shook things - you could feel the snap up through your shoulder. I also know that he was perfectly sweet with me, the rest of the family, and the family pets, both cats and dogs. I loved that dog, but I would never trust him running loose in a place where he could get to a neighbor's cat. Not after the rabbit. Sadly, he died a few years ago, after being with the family for 15 years.

These are powerful dogs, and you need to be in control of that power, because you will have a difficult time stopping them physically if they get it in their mind that they want to go kill something. And getting control of your puppy is going to be much easier than trying to gain it after you have let him have the upper hand for several months or years. Being in control means that you will not have to face the agonizing decision of whether to get rid of or euthanize your dog because he followed his natural instincts. And your dog will be much happier, since he will be able to go to more places and interact with more people than an out-of-control dog can.

I understand what you are talking about and I agree with the training while he is young and that is what I have been doing. Thank you :)

Msrene, I am glad that you understand what froggy is saying. I hope you have found a very good training program for your dog. In addition to that, as a new pit owner, it would serve you well to do as much research and reading as you possibly can to get a good understanding of your breed. There are a lot of good books out there. Diane Jessup is an author that comes to mind immediately when I speak about Pits. Reading as many resources and information on pitbulls will help you tremendously in how you approach your handling of him.

labman has a suggested reading list, that although is not geared toward any particular breed, contains some very exceptional books that are highly regarded in the training world. Please see this link:
https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/information-articles-our-dogs-expert-labman-53153.html

With a pit, the most important thing to remember, besides training your dog to completely respond to your commands, is to socialize him as much as possible at his young age, with all animals and people, and continue that throughout his life. This is actually a very social breed. They love their people. They actually are one of the most affectionate and cuddly breeds around, if they are given the proper start in life. Mine, at 60 lbs, loves nothing better than to sit in my lap. Can be a bit of an issue at times with her size and weight. LOL. If you can ensure that you have socialized him properly, make sure that he is trained to the point where he will stop what he is doing when you give him the proper signals, give him plenty of exercise to work off his high energy, you will have a happy and balanced dog. They actually do quite well in agility. Once you have mastered the commands, you might want to enroll him in an agility course. It is a wonderful bonding experience you can have with your dog and will allow him to work off that excess energy.

I you have any questions, please create a post in the dog forum and I will get back to you as soon as I can. I will be happy to help you if you are experiencing any problems.

Rubypitbull,
Thank You:) I might have to take you up on that offer soon.:D

Pit bulls were not Bred for Fighting. They were actually bred for family dogs. Believe it or not. It isn't in there blood to harm. It is when the owner treats them wrongly. The reason pit bull kill is because they have lock jaws which means when the bite something they have to rip through it. I used to have a pit bull puppy and he was as sweet as can be. My Pomeranian was more aggressive than him. There have not been any incidents with him, meaning he never bit anyone, even as a puppy. They can be trained not to hurt but you have to understand that they will not tolerate aggressive behavior.

Heavens, although I do agree with you regarding training and a few other points you have made here, there are two things that you need to be aware of. I am not trying to be argumentative here but I take researching and understanding breeds thoroughly, quite seriously.

One is, they do not have "lock jaw." That is a bacterial disease that affects the nervous system, and is most often associated with humans. Most pitbulls do have a hinged jaw which allows them to grab and hold onto their prey different than any other breed out there. It is very difficult to break that hold once it is firmly in place. The other is, unfortunately they were originally bred to be a fighting dog. People who fought dogs were looking for the ultimate fighting dog and experimented by mixing quite a few breeds in a trial and error sort of way. They were ALSO bred to be excellent companions to humans because someone had to be able to handle and control the dog. The intent, and their purpose, was to fight other dogs and be obedient to, and easily controlled by, their owners.

I have been a dog groomer for the last 10 years and I own 2 pit bulls. I would gladly choose a pit to groom any day over most small breeds. None of the pit bulls I groom have been aggressive. However most small dogs I groom are. I also own a cocker spaniel that I would never leave unattended around my children but my kids can play with my pit bulls and climb all over them with out so much as a growl or whimper out of them. I think all dogs have the ability to be good dogs it just depends on their training and environment.

I read many opinons and i think the owner is guilty for aggression of pitbull dog
Is pitbull (http://www.pitbull-apbt.com) aggresive breed or people make it aggressive? What You think?
I feel the same way because I have a blue pitbull and she is nice as ever

I believe Pit Bulls are a breed for more experienced owners. Taking on the responsibility of this breed means understanding their strength and the potential for damage. It means spending a lot of time socializing them to animals and people, and never letting down your guard.
I personally like the breed in general, but I also watched one kill one of my cats. (It was my fault, I was evaluating him for a shelter, and had discovered he was animal aggressive. I was in the process of reporting this and recommending this dog not be put up for adoption. The cat had gotten into the room without my knowing it.)
I have noticed many owners tend to fall into one of two categories: the macho man who wants an equally macho dog and is proud of the dog's strength and aggression. The other extreme is the owner who is out to prove what a pussycat the breed really is, and has a false sense of security. The good owners fall somewhere in the middle--they appreciate the outgoing and confident nature of the breed, but they know how powerful they are and the owners are always vigilant. Obedience and good manners are practiced daily, and the dog is never unsupervised with children.

Any dog doesn't matter the breed is not born aggressive,
Any dog doesn't matter the breed that is raised well will never attack a human being,
A dog will act according to his/her masters wishes,

I adopted a staffie about a year back, she was lovely, simply the best dog ever,
However she had one major defect, she was extremely aggressive towards over dogs, whenever she laid eyes on one she would go crazy, literally mad, she wouldn't even bark properly she'd just screech with rage,

So after finding this out we decided to conact the place we got her from, we found out that she was used for dog fighting, of course this broke my heart, knowing that our cute little jazz had been introduced to a world of violence and pain, when we first got her we noticed scratches and marks which we think are now wounds from her previous "life",

However instead of giving her back, we wanted to take care of her, and train her to get along with other dogs, so for 4/5 months we went to these dog training class's, she eventually got a little better, until I took the final plunge myself and introduced her to one of my friends dogs completely face to face, and of course she barked and screech'd as I assumed she would, but when she saw that I wanted for her to get to know this dog and be calm she immediately was quite, looking up at me with her big staffie smile, and now I go on walks with other friends and their dogs without worrying about her attacking/barking at them,

Basically what I'm trying to say is, no dog is bad, they are raised that way, however, no dog can not be changed,


How can she be deem'd as an aggressive dog?

You know what? I had a friend of mine over a couple months ago, the first time being to my house, around my dog, and she was petting him, he was licking her, she was doing fine with him telling me how well behaved and gentlemanly he was... then she says "what breed is he?" pitbull... then "oh no" and she backs away like he will attack and tear her to shreds at any second. I just about kicked her out of my house. But the God in me (and my husband) held me back. So of course it's the owner of the dog who controls the turnout of the personality. My husband and I taught him to never play too aggressively when we have toys, and what do you know, now that he has a playmate, he barely grazes her. It's definitely all in the teaching.

Any dog is capable of vicious tendencies, even your neighborhood golden retriever. I myself was attacked by a Labrador. In fact right now the number one biters are dachshunds. Some can just be more dangerous then others if they do turn. Pitt Bulls as a breed do have the potential to cause harm, especially if those tendencies are fostered, but they also have the capacity for great love. Pitt Bulls use to be the all American farm dog, but now sadly all that the media allows you to see are the killers. Breeding also plays a large part in the makeup of a dogs personality. "Game bred" pitt bulls or dogs from these lines are much more likely to become more aggressive. If you are interested in getting a pitt bull,I would suggest ONLY getting one from a reputable breeder, and meeting the parents to get a feel of how the puppies may be. If you get one from the guy in the parking lot, you may be buying "game" bred dogs.

I believe that it is the owners who make the dogs aggressive like I always say there is no such thing as bad dogs only bad owners!!

I don't think pits are naturally aggressive dogs in recent times. Back when they were still bred for fighting yes they were aggressive. My boyfriends brother owns 3 pits and one valley bull and he has three VERY small children.
They were taken to obedience just to be safe as pups but they are the best family dogs I have ever met besides dogo's (which are used for wild boar and mountain lion hunting in argentina but are loving protective dogs when it comes to family

i can say that only 5 % from pitbull owners teach them to fight! Only 5%. The other 95% love this dogs !

I'm wondering where you got this information from.

Clearly there is a chasm between pit bull owners who are supportive of the breed and people who are afraid of them, generally because of their massive power and a highly publicized history of aggression.

There is no question that both nature and nurture play their part in the disposition and character of any dog.

There is also no question that there are good pit bulls out there. Heck, there are some really great pit bulls. The good ones are known for being excellent companions, including in families with children.

Still, no one can argue that a lot of people, especially children, other dogs and pets, have been maimed or killed by pit bulls.

Unfortunately, pit bulls are often sought out by owners who are attracted to aggression. Again, this doesn't mean that all pit bull owners are this way, far from it, but it does account for a good deal of the nurture parts gone wrong.

Many want to argue that every breed has its own aggressive dogs. This is true, but it doesn't change anything when it comes to dealing with the problems associated with problem pit bulls. It just means that not enough people know how to handle and train their dogs. That's not a good thing when it's a chihuahua, and it's definitely not a good thing when it's a dog with a much bigger, more powerful bite.

No matter how much a pit bull owner loves their dog, there is no arguing with the facts. Fear of pit bull aggression has not come out of thin air. They are responsible for more fatal dog attacks than any other breed.

The following comes from wiki: Pit Bull - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_bull)
"A comprehensive study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that the pit bull breeds are the breed most often involved in fatal dog attacks in the U.S. Out of 238 dog bite deaths for which the breed was known from 1979 to 1998, 66 were caused by pit bull attacks (over 20%), more than any other breed."

Also from wiki: Dog attack - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_attack)
"There are studies that claim certain breeds are more likely to attack than others. A study by Merritt Clifton, which analyzed serious attacks in the U.S. and Canada between 1982 and 2006, determined that Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios, and their mixes were responsible for 74% of attacks studied and 65% of fatalities.[6][7] Another study indicates that pit bulls and their mixes were involved in approximately one third of the reported human dog bite-related fatalities between 1981 and 1992, while Rottweilers were responsible for about half of those fatalities reported between 1993 and 1996."

Google the 10 most dangerous breeds. The pit bull comes up again and again.
Top Ten (10) Most Dangerous Dog Breeds | Pets Do (http://www.petsdo.com/blog/top-ten-10-most-dangerous-dog-breeds)

I can only assume that the bans aren't coming out of thin air either. States, cities, towns and municipalities could not be able to legislate bans and restrictions of certain breeds if there were positively no facts to support the laws.

I realize that this question has pulled up a lot of the loving, caring and responsible pit bull owners who frequent this site. Thank goodness you do what you do. But there is another side to the story, and that information needs to be here too.

I think the following is an excellent site that all pit bull owners (or potential owners) should read. The people who manage the site love and rescue pit bulls. They also take a fair and very serious look at proper pit bull ownership.

Pet Pit Bull - Breed Information (http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/breedinfo.php)

One problem contributing to the breeds bad rap is that when shown photos, many people are unable to differentiate between pitt bulls and other close breeds such as boxers, staffy's, and American bulldogs, and the dog/dogs responsible for the attack are misidentified. I'm not saying pitt bulls are not responsible for bites, just maybe less then they are given credit for. Can you find the pitt bull?

Pet Pitbull - Find the Pit Bull (http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html)

Got it on my 5th try, wow, that's not easy. You're right Silver, I think many of the attacks are probably blamed on pit bulls even though the dog isn't a pit bull.

The thing to remember, all dogs have the capability to attack, even teacup poodles can and will attack. So, why do pitbulls get a bad rep? Because, when they attack they can cause a lot of damage, even death. Other breeds can as well, but for some reason we've focused a lot of attention on the pitbull breed.

All I can say, if you aren't an experienced pet owner, don't get more dog than you can handle. A pitbull requires someone who knows what they are doing when training this breed of dog. It's not for a novice pet owner, so buyer beware.

The dogs I knew weren't right off the bat were the lab, the swiss dog, the boxer, the russels, the vizla, the rotty and the cur, which would be easier to recognize for me since they are my state's dog. Even still, it took me 3 tries! I have more dog knowledge then your average bite victim though. An example is that I know someone with a French bulldog. I've heard people ask countless times, "Is that a pitt bull?", or my favorite variation I've heard at least a dozen times, "Is that there one of those english pitt bulls?" If people are capable of mistaking a frenchie for a pitt...

I have a pitbull-he is the sweetest an absolute sweet heart, I don't know where I would be without him. We have two other dogs as well, although he is dominant he is not aggressive towards them. With him I've only experienced that he is very dog aggressive and territorial. I'm not sure if this is due to his breed, but I think that he's just got a "dominant dog" personality, which dogs of any breed can have.

Beth, while you were obviously well intentioned you did not do your research before bringin your Pit Bull Terrier into your pack nor did you manage his socialization after. Owners like yourself do further damage to the breeds TRUE reputation.