Yes, pit bulls are inherently dangerous. ALL dogs are inherently dangerous -- pit bull no more or less so than any other breed.

I am a property manager in Michigan, and we do not allow "aggressive breeds" aka. pits, rotts, dobermans. How did we come to this decision you may ask? Because our insurance company that that we pay to insure us from law suites tells us they are dangerous, and they don't want them as a safety issue.

I also own a membership to a very nice camping resort in Michigan (they are in many states) and they were banning aggressive breeds, then they changed the rules to say you had to carry $300,000+ insurance (and prove this to them) before you could bring the aggressive breeds into the camp grounds.

Although I do agree that a lot of the trouble is because of bad pit owners, I beleive a pit has to ability to do server damage if it thinks it's protecting it's home or owner. The problem is, not everyone walking in the yard or picking up a child is trying to couse a problem, yet the dog can't always tell the difference.

Does that make the dog bad, NO, just possibly dangerous.

I do want to add, that as the property manager I will also make any dog that shows aggressive tendencies leave my property. Small dogs are the worst for yipping and snapping for no good reason.

Here's a peculiar FACT - I was denied homeowner's insurance by a company I'd done business with since my teens because of my dog. Know which one? My harlequin GREAT DANE...they were A-OK with my pittie but not the Dane. Interesting, huh?

Its also funny that when my daughter and I "play fight" or if my husband smacks my butt while I'm doing dishes, the Danes & the Lab come between us and "guard" mom. The pitbull, he doesn't leave the couch...its not worth his time to "protect" me. Real scary, dangerous beast isn't he?

Look toward the owners before you judge the animal. Any breed can be taught to be aggressive. If you don't understand that, then you're an idiot!

The law should be about ALL dog owners, not just one breed or off breed. I have 2 pitbulls, one happens to be a pit - mastiff mix, best dog I've ever had. My dogs do not roam the streets, when I walk them, they are harnessed and leashed at all times. When we let them out in the yard, they can not jump over our 8' fence, or pass through the gates that are always chained and locked. Neither of my dogs are aggressive, but owners of any dog(s) should take responsibility for their actions, but need to be responsible dog owners. I don't do this so my dogs just won't attack someone, it's for their safety as well. I'd rather not come home to find my dog was hit by a car, stolen, etc. However, if you enter my yard or my house uninvited, then that's your a$$, I will not be responsible for your stupidity. Also, keep a better eye on your children, it's sad, very sad, but if you know your neighbors have dogs (no matter what the breed) and you are concerned, well, keep your children away from those neighbors property, or just keep a better eye on your children. It all comes down to common sense people...

This is total crap & unfair to single these poor dogs out! I just had to put down our baby yesterday. He was a 3 year old Pit Bull who had some serious health issues. We have 3 kids who loved him & could hang all over him, pull his ears & jumped all over him..never once did I ever have a thought in my mind he would harm them!!! If you are a pet owner I believe you should ALWAYS be held responsible for your pets action except the obvious things like someone breaking into your house...not just because they are pit bulls. A pet is how you raise them...not their breed!!

It's Obama's fault....................

The saying about guns goes : Guns don't kill people. People kill people! A similar thing can be said about pit bulls. Pit bulls, by nature, are not vicious animals. It's what we human beings have done in breeding aggressiveness into the breed for fighting. It has been pointed out that Buster Brown's dog, Tighe, was a pit bull; Petey from the Our Gang/Little Rascals films was also a pit bull. Today, pit bulls are more like an accessory rather than a pet; people are afraid of this gentle giant of a dog because of the glorification of the fighting ability and intimidation that accompanies some pit bull owners. The Michael Vick case has had a lot to do with that image, while the dogs involved in that case have turned out, for the most part, to be sweet, loving companions and most have been rehabilitated and adopted. People who have pits have to learn that walking the dog on a leash made from a towing chain does not instill confidence in either the dog or the owner!

It's a terrible showing of legislating from the bench and will have devastating consequences to any Marylander owning ANY type of mixed breed dog. There is no guidance as to what breeds constitute a "pit bull" or at which percentage in their lineage they become "part" pit bull. How exactly does one prove to their landlord that their lab mutt isn't "part" pit bull? Spend a few hundred getting a DNA test? Most won't disclose whether there is pit bull or not because these tests are often used to euthanize dogs that return positive for pit bull.

The very study they rely on to overturn the common law specifically states that breed specific legislation does NOT prevent or reduce serious and fatal dog bites. The CDC concurs. Behavioral tests for pit bulls indicate they may actually be better behaved than other dogs overall as they're generally one of the highest scores compared to all other breeds. In a time when other states are realizing this and passing more enlightened legislation targeting dangerous dogs and dangerous owners, Maryland takes a huge step back because of yet another dangerous PERSON who let his unaltered, untrained, and completed abused and neglected male pit bull run loose in a populated neighborhood. Any golden retriever, lab, collie or other "nice" breed would react this way if subjected to such horrid abuse but the jerks that treat animals like this don't want nor do they have $3,000 to pay for the designer breeds.

I personally think all dog owners of all breeds should be strictly liable for the actions of their dogs. Unfortunately, I don't think most insurance companies would agree. But I certainly don't think holding the landlord accountable for their tenant's owning a dog solely because it may be part pit bull is appropriate or good law. This will lead to numerous pets that have Good Canine Citizen certifications and have proven time and again to be safe and friendly animals to be euthanized because the landlord's insurance will never allow dogs that can't show breeding papers of their lineage. The appropriate response is to finally listen to all the animal rights advocates that have been shouting for stricter laws from the beginning and enact strict laws banning breeding, selling, neglecting or refusing to spay and neuter these poor dogs and enforce penalties (which can then be handed out as rewards for reporting infractions). Maybe now we can actually get them enacted over the objections of all the abusers saying they should be allowed to breed their mutt and sell the puppies to make a few quick bucks, keep their dog unaltered so he's more manly and aggressive,or that a dog is for looking fierce and providing protection by being chained outside 24 hours a day with no human interaction or training.

Sadly, Maryland's legislature is out for the season and won't have a chance to fix it until next January...

Thank you to PocketClam for giving the actual statistics. I also looked up some information on dog attacks on the CDC website. Sure enough, pit bulls and Rottweilers are responsible for the vast majority of attacks.

I knew when I came to this site there would be a thousand comments like, "My pit bull Sugar Angel Honey Muffin is just a little sweetie and would never attack anyone." I'm sure all of the owners of dangerous pit bills have made the same comment at one point or another. They're sweet until they aren't.

Not sure, but I do know I wouldn't let seven people decide anything for myself - much less an entire state.

Pitbull, a worthless breed that some people love until it eats a child, I love my S&W 40 a great equalizer of Pitbulls. If you think your Pitbull is a friendly kind of dog, just check the records on dog attacks.

Thats stupid to ban one breed..I dont trust any dog no matter what breed around my kids.I have 3 dogs a shepherd mix and 2 pit bull mixed and used to have a dachshund..the dachshund was the pack leader and they got out and attacked the mail carrier thinking they was protecting my son.The only one who actually bit the mail carrier was the dachshund..the big dogs just scared her.Luckly I know her and she didnt want to press charges since she wasnt hurt other than the little bite by the wiener dog which we got rid of now its more peaceful around here as far as the dogs go..Even though the dogs I have now have never bitten or tried to bite I still dont let my little girl play outside unless im there with her and Im teaching her how to properly treat dogs and not to pull on their tails or ears or hit them with sticks and stuff.I think thats what causes most dog bites kids and even adults taunting them.Like some of the nit wits that go down my alley and throw gravel at my dogs,stomp at them and kick the fence for barking at them I tell them to stop or I'm calling the police cause that makes dogs mean and I dont want mean dogs and all your doing is making them hate you and I hope they dont get out sometime when your doing that...

Since there seem to be so many people out there who don't bother to learn anything about a topic:

Pit bulls were the 'nanny dog' of choice in the country for decades. Why, you ask? Because they're strong, loyal, and highly intelligent. Children are safer with a well-trained pit bull than with most humans. Unfortunately, the same traits that make them desirable as companions also made them desirable as guard- and/or attack-dogs. Seriously, you can't blame an animal for doing what it's trained to do any more than you can blame a gun for killing dozens of college students or a bomb for bringing down a bridge.

I am a dog lover and I do feel that the owner is totaly responsible for the behavior of their dogs, it is a known fact that pit bull/mix breeds can flip out and become vicious and destructive. And the MD court is right is decide that they are inherently dangerous animals. That being , the victims can easily sue for damages in case of an attack. You could not pay me to have one of these dogs. I have too much to loose, the risk factor is too high.

Regardless of why, there have been far too many seriously injured or murdered people because of pit bulls. If you are going to own one you should be held responsible if it hurts or kills someone else. I would never let my children be around this breed. The risk is just too high.

Of course this particular breed is more lethal than others. Aside from the aggression factor, it's also because of the tremendous force its jaws exert when it bites down. It is literally bone-crushing.

People who insist on owning a dog like this are to be classed with people who would drive a car with bald tires or bad brakes. Hit someone because you couldn't control your car, and it's all on you.

And by the way, it's illegal to drive a car like that even if you DON'T hit someone!

I see nothing wrong with local governments banning pit bulls.

This is just another list in the long line of comments from ignorant uneducated dolts. Show me all the stats you want, the bottom line is, 99% of people can't pick out a pitbull from the many other similar breeds.
Don't believe me?

Take the test yourself, bet you get it wrong.

And btw Maryland... Anything with teeth is 'inherently dangerous'. It really makes me mad when uninformed people make laws based on knee jerk reactions and half-truths.

And I own a Vizsla/Pit mix.. and the worst thing she will do is attack you... with kisses! Even when in pain and injured (she caught her nail and it pulled off leaving the quick exposed) the worst she did was growl and mouth my hand when I was checking it out.

If we were talking about any other dog we would say without doubt that certain dogs, despite the owners, display certain tendencies be they good or bad. Pit bulls are dangerous dogs and will be far more agressive and do far more damage. I am tired of hearing when the subject of pit bulls come that its the owners. Statistics dont lie.

People are more dangerous than Pit Bulls. Dogs, like humans, are creatures that are built to be conditioned. Humans are conditioned to recognize smells, images, feel certain emotions when exposed to different variables. Dogs are no different. If a dog is trained to fight, especially from a young age, the dog will be a fighter. If a dog is showered with love and affection, it is possible that it will be the best friend you will ever have. The breed should not suffer because of human influence, training and cruelty. Sure people say that Pit Bulls are being bred too close together which can cause inherent issues regarding violence. I still feel that even if the genealogical lineage has been crossed and crisscrossed for Pit Bulls a loving, nurturing family will go a long way in helping that animal be compassionate and loving in return.

I adopted a German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix in 2000. The shelter thought she was a throw-away from someone that was breeding them to fight. She was 6 months old when we adopted her and we overwhelmed her with love and affection. We could take her bone away from in front of her, touch her while she was eating (in fact she preferred we sat next to her), disrupted her sleep, etc. All of the things that you are told "not to do" we did with her so she was comfortable and knew we meant no harm. We had her for 12 years before cancer took her away from us in March of this year. She was the best animal I have ever had, truly loving, compassionate, caring, and with the soul of an angel...she was my best friend and it kills me when I see or hear of people that harm an animal they agreed to adopt and properly care for. I will refrain from stating what I would like to do to them but it should be rather obvious.