"Just no way this could happen"... over, and over, and over....

Gentle by personality some may be, but they're still bred over many generations to be vicious. It's the same thing with wild animals, they may be raised, trained, and loved/loving, but they're still creatures of instinct, and that instinct is going to override everything else when triggered. Just ask Siegfried & Roy.

Yep. I keep hearing that from people then turning around and reading that yet another person has been mauled/killed. Yet these owners can only say how sweet their breed is and how it wouldn't harm a fly. I had an aunt who said the same thing, she even had a couple dogs of such ilk for year and years. All it took was 114 stitches in her neck and face to convince her otherwise. Apparently the dog didn't like going to the vet.

This was posted on this discussion page on May 2, 2012 and the guy was called an idiot:

"I think that when a person acquires a Pit Bull, they are given a script by the seller. It goes like this: 'My dog never did anything like this before! He's part of the family. My children play with him.' The script is to be spoken verbatim when the dog attacks, and it's only a matter of time before the dog attacks someone."

Kind of scary that not a week later we have this unfortunate story . . .

I should have wrote "sarcasm" at the end of my post since it was not clear.

Its called dog owner denial. They claim fluffy would never hurt a fly while their mouth foamed "baby" vicously barks at a passerby.

It's so funny to me that most dog attacks are almost always by pit bulls, but people still stick up for them and refuse to believe that they are simply a more aggressive dog and have a stronger "animal" instinct. Get the message people!!!!! Keep your dogs away from little kids regardless of breed!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn, this pisses me off! I just want to slap the !@#$ out of these parents!

Actually, dogs have been biting children since dogs and children have coexisted. This is not new. What is becoming all too common and sad is the media's insistence on using the words "pit bull" in the title for sensationalism. Golden retrievers bite more people annually than pit bulls, but their name is never mentioned in the news when one of them bites someone. Don't leave your children unsupervised around any pets and teach them the proper way to interact with dogs.

lisa--yeah, I guess so. It's tough to identify when someone's sarcastically saying the same thing you know someone else is going to say with full sincerity, when all you have to go by is text...

Heya Indie&Bella and Rightone - if it's such a truism that other breeds are as risky as the Pit Bull, then how come I don't see a slew of articles about people being mauled by Goldens, Poodles and Chihuahuas ? Denial - it's not just a river in Egypt.

Right now pitbull owners are the ones looking like idiots.

You need help. If you get help at Charter, please get help somewhere.

While its very true that responsible and caring owners breed good dogs, there are still things that have to be considered with certain breeds. Pit Bull have an inherent propensity for aggressive behavior.

Yes other dogs bite, but thats also a poor argument. Small dog breeds can get aggressive and bite too. But there is big difference between being nipped by a pomeranian and a pit bull. Pit Bulls are extremely strong and have a much stronger bite then most other dogs. They also tend to hold on after biting and tear, causing more extensive tissue damage.

These are animals that should be regulated for ownership. They require special care and training. Unfortunately there are a lot more bad owners then bad dogs.

But I would never own a pit bull. They have to many triggers that can set them off. But one at your own risk.

RightOne: How wrong you are!! We don't care "how the dog was raised" or "what type of owners had it" of "it had training" ,blah, blah, blah! We DO KNOW that it attacked and mauled a 2 year old!!! And based on news reports from across the country for the past 15 years (which I read on a daily basis) we can pretty much deduce that pit bulls AND rottweilers eat people!! It's simple, we don't read about Chihuahua's "mauling babies!" Dogs to stay away from: Pit Bulls, Argentinain Mastiffs, Rottweilers!!

But he was such a gentle dog, right up to the point where he killed someone.

I HAVE met Pitbulls, know what I got? 40 stitches on my arm from one and a skinned knee from hopping a fence to get away from another. Both of these dogs I had been around before and had no problems, and I did nothing to provoke other than come in the front door after I was let in the home. Never had any problems from any of my 4 dogs I have had (all Labs) Or any other dogs for that matter.

@Rightone

I concur. I have played and wrestled with dogs all my life. Great Danes and mastiffs, huskies, German sheperds, etc. I was attacked as a child by a pit bull mix. I wasn't scarred for life, nor was I seriously injured because I was taught the proper way to interact with animals and what to do if they do become agitated and attack. I was maybe 6 years old.

As an adult I still love dogs, especially big dogs (the bigger the better). I play with pit bulls all the time, I've played with trained attack dogs without owners present (didn't know it was an attack dog until the owner came running out afraid I had been mauled haha), and I've encountered dogs that hate males that still play with me.

It's all about knowing how to approach and interact with an animal. Parents need to teach their children the same thing. This isn't something that magically just started happening. The only reason for the increase in attacks is the decrease in proper parenting, awareness, and respect.

Indie&Bella wrote: "Golden retrievers bite more people annually than pit bulls"

Please provide more context to that statement. What I would like to know is, do golden retrievers MAUL more people annually than pit pulls? And is the golden retriever population greater than the pit bull population? If so, and if they significantly outnumber pit bulls, then your statement tells me nothing about the LIKELIHOOD of being bitten by a golden retriever versus a pit bull. If one in 10 golden retrievers bites someone, and there are 100,000 golden retrievers, then that would mean 10,000 golden retrievers have bitten someone. if 9 in 10 pit bulls bite someone, but there are only 10,000 pit bulls (thus only 9,000 that have bitten someone), then yeah, 10,000 is a bigger number than 9,000, so there would be more bites from a golden retriever. But the likelihood of being bitten by a pit bull attack would be 9 times greater. I'm just making up these numbers to make a point. I'd like you to give me the real numbers. Until you do so, I will assume pit bulls are much more dangerous animals.

major2, you are 100% correct. The bite from some lap dog may require a bandaid, but a bite from a pit requires stitches or reattachment of limbs. Pitbull owners who say other dogs bite are correct but it's like comparing being shot with a bb gun to being shot with a .357 magnum. Just like responsible gun owners don't leave firearms out with their small children responsible dog owners should not have pits around small children because you can never be 100% sure what any animal will do in a given situation.

Its simple - the pitbull was bred to be a killer. Thats why you see all the idiot owners of these dogs walk them around to look "bad", macho, tough......and when the dog goes awry and mauls an innocent bystander (who often ends up a child or elderly person) - they pull out the script "Oh I would never have imagined that my gentle and innocent dog would have done that...he has never shown any aggression before."

When will all these idiots get it thru their equally thick skulls that all it takes is one incident, one atttack and it will change an innocent child's life forever - or even end it.........it just goes to prove that the owners are selfish idiots. I only hope that they will end up as a target of their own dogs.

Bad news pitbull obsessors. Get out of denial and wake up.

Report: U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities January 2006
to December 2008

A 2009 report issued by DogsBite.org shows that 19 dog breeds contributed to 88 deaths in a recent 3-year period. Pit bulls accounted for 59% followed by rottweilers with 14%.

• Of the 88 fatal dog attacks recorded by DogsBite.org, pit bull type dogs were responsible for 59% (52). This is equivalent to a pit bull killing a U.S. citizen every 21 days during this 3-year period.
• The data also shows that pit bulls commit the vast majority of off-property attacks that result in death. Only 18% (16) of the attacks occurred off owner property, yet pit bulls were responsible for 81% (13).

Wow, look at this article. No pictures of the owners, no details, just the mention of the breed and the age of the child and everyone here jumps on the anti-pitbull bandwagon! Like many here have pointed out, when a pitbull attacks, it makes news. When other dogs maul, you won't find it on the front page of MSNBC. I have met many pits who are gentle and lovable animals, including rescue dogs with massive scars from fighting. It's not the breed, people. It's the stupid humans who mistreat the animals. Unless the animal has some kind of brain disease, they don't just attack for no reason. The animal felt threatened for some reason. That goes for any animal, domestic or wild. Very few animals hunt man, people. And, domestic animals do not attack humans for no reason.

Indie&Bella

Actually you are very correct that Golden Retrievers "bite" more people annually than pit bulls, but pit bulls and pit bulls mixes (more often the case) maul they don't just bite. All dogs bite...but very few attack and maul in the same manner that pit bull and dogs that are mixed with the breed do. As for sensationalizing by the media...there is nothing more horrifically sensational than a news report about a baby or small child that has been attacked and severely injured by a dog. We not talking about a single bite or even two...we talking about a child who has been severely bitten with tearing and gaping wounds and will be facing multiple reconstructive surgeries to try to fix this damage...and all this because the parents valued a dog over their child.

Sag, where do you find 15 years of Pit Bull attack reports. I mean that is damn near 5500 Pit Bull maulings that you say you have read DAILY over the last 15 years.

You do realize that Pit Bull is a catch all for any of the 'Bull' breed? There are more than 20 different breeds that fall into this category. The Media has done a good job of just labeling the dog as a Pit Bull because morons like you will click on the link and give them Ad revenue. You wouldn't be afraid of a American Staffordshire Terrier, would you?

Why don't you read a little about the Bull breed.

People to stay away from: Sag-876555.

Wrong again, pitbull apologists. READ! Goofytger I guess this would indicate that ALL of those breeds of pitbull type dogs should be put down. Face it, man, they are killers. Sad but true. Man took a fine animal and made it into a killer.

recent years, the dogs responsible for the bulk of the homicides are pit bulls and Rottweilers:

"Studies indicate that pit bull-type dogs were involved in approximately a third of human DBRF (i.e., dog bite related fatalities) reported during the 12-year period from 1981 through1992, and Rottweilers were responsible for about half of human DBRF reported during the 4 years from 1993 through 1996....[T]he data indicate that Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67% of human DBRF in the United States between 1997 and 1998. It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities." (Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R. Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. JAVMA 2000;217:836-840.)

Pit Bull owner's Logic "If I raise a tiger gently it will never turn on me or anyone, especially a small child"

I'm responding in part to my own question to Indie&Bella, who said golden retrievers bite more people than pit bulls. I did a little research and found that golden retrievers outnumber pit bulls in the U.S. 41 to 1. So if there are 41 times as many golden retrievers, odds are there will be more bites from a golden retriever. But I would just bet you that any random pit bull is far more likely to bite you than any random golden retriever. That being said, I have NEVER heard of someone being mauled by a golden retriever. But I can't count the times I've heard of someone being mauled by a pit bull. My conclusion, Indie&Bella: your comment is a major fail. And pit bulls should not be in the same house with small children. Allowing that is irresponsible.

My brother in law had a pit bull. It was so friendly and loving that I had pretty much decided that their vicious reputation was unfounded. Then the dog leaped ten feet into the air, pulled a child out of a tree and savagely mauled the boy. A good friend of mine has had one since he was a puppy. Last Thursday he took a big chunk out of her leg. I was nearly bitten by my neighbors pit, about two months ago when I startled it by walking around the corner of our building to take a load of trash to the dumpster. I don't care what anybody says or writes in any news story. I don't trust the beasts, based on dogs I've known personally.

If I ever own another dog, it will be another Black Lab, like the loving and protective, without ever biting a single person in the fifteen years we had her, one I owned last. She was a a hunter and a herd dog as well as a guard dog. I never heard of a pit that could herd sheep and goats without biting them, or carry an egg in it's mouth for as long as you told her too, without breaking it, unless and until you told her she could eat it now.

Actually, Mastiffs are not on the list of dangerous dogs. You are probably thinking of the Presa Carnio (which is like a Pit Bull on steroids) or the Rhodesian Ridgeback. Mastiffs are very peaceful dogs and are actually recommended to be around small children.

These are lists of "dangerous dog breeds":

http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/images/dogbreeds-a.pdf

http://www.petsdo.com/blog/top-ten-10-most-dangerous-dog-breeds

http://dogs.lovetoknow.com/wiki/List_of_Dangerous_Dog_Breeds

http://listverse.com/2012/05/04/top-10-deceptively-dangerous-dog-breeds/

The lists of dog breeds good with kids:

http://caninebreeds.bulldoginformation.com/dogs-good-with-children.html

http://www.justdogbreeds.com/good-with-children-dog-breeds.html

http://voices.yahoo.com/20-best-dog-breeds-homes-small-children-488221.html?cat=53

The top three dogs for biting are: Pit bulls, Rottweilers, and German Shepherds

http://www.petsdo.com/blog/top-ten-10-most-dangerous-dog-breeds

Then you have the dogs that are considered more "family dogs," that go into a blind, unprovoked rage - usually noticed in Cocker Spaniels

Rage Syndrome in Dogs:

This behaviour is often mostly associated with English Cocker Spaniels with solid coat colour and is sometimes referred to as "Cocker Rage", it is suggested that approximately eight percent of this breed regularly showed aggression suddenly and without apparent reason. However it is thought that other breeds are also affected and these include Bull Terriers, Golden Retrievers, Lhaso Apso and Yorkshire Terriers. A Dutch questionnaire based study carried out on four hundred and four Bernese Mountain Dogs showed twenty percent had showed intermittent attacks towards their owners.

http://www.best-behaviour.com/rage-syndrome.html

I have two German Shepherds, a Doberman mix, Pit Bull, and a Cane Corso (Italian Mastiff). All are rescued dogs. Do I trust them with me, absolutely - I am pack leader, my husband is not a pack leader & there is a difference in how they treat him (they don't listen to a command, they will not move out of his seat on the couch, etc). My chow mix died recently, he would pick fights with my German Shep. - I ended up pulling the Shep off the Chow, the Shep was in a rage, I didn't get bit, but I could have.

All that said, I think it is not responsible to have an older dog and young (under 5) child - the breed doesn't matter. If the dog feels that it is the pack leader (is allowed to walk in front of human on walk, etc.) a child will be seen as pretty low in the pecking order. Dogs are dogs, you can put a sweater on them, have them cuddle on the bed but they are not humans - I little common sense goes a long way with a dog.

I have friends with children, they ALWAYS want to see or pet one of my dogs - I have never allowed it. I have no children, I do not know the experiences my dogs may have had with a child and I'm not going to risk it. I even have a double 6 foot fence in my yard (spaced two feet apart), so that little arms cannot reach into the dogs area. Common sense - my dogs have never bitten a person because I don't give them the chance too. Strangers are not in my dog's family pack - they do not bark at the neighbors, etc... but I wouldn't let my neighbor's children (under 5) enter my yard EVER - would my 11 yr old Shep bite a child I introduced him too, I have 99.99% faith that he wouldn't, but people (myself included) should not risk that 0.01% chance.

This Pit Bull will be euthanized, the child may have scars or permanent injuries but the problem is the adult owner who was not the pack leader and who let the dog and child together on the same level - be it floor, sofa, whatever.

Cars kill people. We should destroy all cars

Roller Coasters kill people. We should destroy all Roller Coasters.

People kill people. We should destroy all people.

I was bitten once in my life as a child and the dog, unprovoked, bit me and ran off. It was likely just scared, made it's point and hauled ass. A pitbull doesn't stop until it's wrecked you and it's strong enough to easily do that and quickly. It's ashamed that such a proud animal was so maligned genetically to be such a vicious animal. It's a shame but it's a fact and the statistics are all over the internet from many different studies for any who have the guts to read through them and put down their defensive walls. Truth isn't always what we want to hear but it always sets you free to make more rational decisions.

Now your just talking like a child who knows he has lost the argument, GT.

We were in an argument? oh. Well then. Congratulations for winning an argument?

And I was responding to the people that think the breed should be exterminated.

Black Kettle & Sand Creek...lest we forget

No, BK, the problem is that the owner had a dog that is known for a very destructivbe streak and probably listened to a lot of pitbull owners talk about how misinformed the public is about this "poor, sweet powder puff of a breed that loves little children and would die for them". That might be true in a minority of these dogs but people get pretty crazy over such minor threats to their children and then go and buy a pitbull?? Really??

The average parent doesn't have time to constantly be playing "dog whisperer" and making sure he has held his pitbull on the ground by the neck and 'growled' at it so it knows who the hell the boss is. The boss is the poor schlep who is buying the kibble for the dog and everybody else. Lets get real.

Dogma - if a person doesn't understand that a dog is a dog and not a human - then they shouldn't own one. I clearly stated that a Pit Bull or any other dog should not be loose with a young child - period. That's not the Dog Whisperer but common sense!

I have never hit or held down any of my dog's necks to prove I was in charge, short leash walking goes a long way, as does "time outs," etc.... I've only seen that TV show once and I found it ludicrous. The dogs were brats, the humans had no common sense, they should own fish instead.

Where did I say it was OK to have a child and a dog together? Where did I call a Pit Bull a "powder puff?"

TG: We were in an argument? oh. Well then. Congratulations for winning an argument?

And I was responding to the people that think the breed should be exterminated.

Thank you. BTW, this was never really an argument. It was people who have looked at the facts trying to persuade people who hadn't to stop being so difficult and accept the truth. Pitbulls maul and kill more than other dogs because they are bred to.

Your response was completely vague as to who you were responding to and, as a result, anyone could respond to it as I did and quite effectively by your own words.

Dogma: "That might be true in a minority of these dogs"

Minority? Really? So you are saying that the MAJORITY of pit bulls (or mixes) have mauled people? Or have you become wrapped up in the media sensationalism of this this you assume that?

If the "average parent doesn't have time to constantly be playing dog whisperer" then he/she should get a bird or a gerbil. Dogs are a responsibility and need to have a pack leader.

All pit bulls should be destroyed.
End of story.

Black Kettle & Sand Creek...lest we forget

You're saying no type of dog should ever be left alone with a child? That's about as solid an argument as saying cars kill people so we should ban cars. It's the classic argument that says

well if "A" is bad then the rest of the alphabet is just as bad too.

However, we weren't talking about all dogs. I was responding to your post on the amount of alpha male maintenance is required for your dogs. From your post I would take it that you really love dogs and spend a lot of time with them. A family dog is far different than what you have going on in your back yard which is basically a "pack" of large dogs and you are the alpha.

This is not how the family dog tends to operate and, considering the number of families that have dogs in the US and the number of pitbull attacks as compared to other dogs, everything typically works just fine if you don't count the dog eating a sock or digging up the flowerbed.

Sure, there is an alpha but the humans in the family aren't typically getting mauled if they didn't make alpha status...unless maybe the family dog is a pitbull or rottwiler.

Thats all I'm saying. I would also commend you on not exposing children to your dogs and for being so considerate in how you have fenced them. That you have saved them from the gas chamber is also an awesome thing.

All Mike Fillmores should be destroyed.

End of story.

GoofyTigre stated:

Dogs are a responsibility and need to have a pack leader.

Well stated GT!

Dogma: yes, I have a pack, yet when you look at the dog who bite list - my guess is that they are single dogs in a family of humans, yet they still bite because the humans refuse to understand dog behavior. Any dog will bite if it has no boundaries, similar to a child acting up - the difference is not always the size or breed of the dog but the fact that they have canine teeth and crushing abilities - if children had that, many parents would be in the emergency room for not being responsible parents to their child (i.e. giving boundaries, etc)

Dogma,

I'm not sure how to say this gently... but..... um... NO SH@#$ YOU SHOULDN'T LEAVE A TWO YEAR OLD WITH A DOG!

Any freaking dog, even a freaking teacup chihuahua, shouldn't be left alone with a toddler. I don't care who you are, what kind your dog is, or how great of a trainer you are. You never leave dogs and very young children together. Dogs don't seem them as little people, they see them as playmates... they play rough.

Regarding Pit Bulls, excluding the @#$@ that buy them to look tough, all of the owners talking about how gentle and sweet and loving their dog is... I like pit bulls too, but please recognize they were specifically and selectively bred for one thing - fighting. Hence the name... Pit... Bull. It's part of their instinct.

I have a border collie and a german shepherd. The border collie will try to herd other dogs (and kids). The German Shepherd will stick by my side, be defensive of my yard, and be aggressive to strangers (if I don't introduce them).

Dogs are instinctive animals... I love dogs, but recognize the facts.

it's true, pitbulls arent the only dogs to bite people - they, like rotweillers...are just the most likely to do the most damage when they do bite (which isnt just a quick nip and done, it's usually a continued bite attack).

statistics bear this out, it's not fear or fear mongering...it's simple reality.

my aunt used to have a pitbull and it was the most terrifying "pet" i have ever met...i remember the one time we visited and the dog had myself, my mom and my brother pinned in the corner in the kitchen, growling and barking like it was going to rip us to shreds...it took my uncle a good few minutes to get the dog to stop and retreat. the most terrifying moment ive ever had around a "dog".

but yeah, pitbulls...just like EVERY OTHER DOG...uh huh. right.

123

YOU CAN'T TELL IGNORANT REDNECKS ANYTHING.. Sorry about the allcaps, I am concerned that travis may not have the best eye sight considering his use of the caps lock key.

I would also add to his diatribe that leaving a two year old alone at all is not the smartest idea but a "two year old" is not what BK said. He said a "child" and before you go all apesh1t with your capslock key again, travis, you may want to use a dictionary to look that word up. I'll help you; "child" starts with a "c", okay?

The problem is that pitbulls can't be trusted with anyone of any age.

Keep your pitbulls, TG, BK, Travis and others. They will eventually help rid the rest of humanity of your poor genetics when they rip your arms off or that of your children.

The statistics speak for me! I'm done here.

You're saying no type of dog should ever be left alone with a child?

Yes I am saying that. Dogs and very young (under 5) children do not mix well. A child must be taught not to pull on a tail, not to hit or scream at a dog, tug-of-war, etc. Some children don't like dogs - just as some dogs don't like children. A two year old cannot be taught all those things. At the same time, the dog needs to know that the child is above the dog in the family pack - this takes time - time that parents of a young child may not have - common sense goes a long way here.

I would never leave a young child unattended with a dog or cat (you can't train a cat and I do NOT believe in de-clawing them). At two years old, I almost lost my eye to the family cat, I was not touching the cat, rather lying next to it when it stretched and yawned....stretching a claw into my eye.

My parents had a vicious Shih tzu when I was in college, that dog was insane - it bit them for no reason (& anyone else), and they got it as a puppy from a breeder. When I showed up with my well trained German Shep (who had been abused before) but I gained its trust with no yelling, no hitting, no neck to the floor....- their little dog followed his lead and was not its usual horrible self (the shih tzu).

Jessica:

Nobody said that pit bulls are like every other dog. They have exceptional strength and, yes, they are responsible for the most fatalities over the last 30 years.

What most people who are defending the breed are saying is that if you raise them correctly, are the pack leader (Alpha Fe/Male) and don't put the dog in situations where there is a possibility that they become defensive (unfamiliar people/not socializing them correctly/young children), they are actually just like any other dog.

Goldens probably bite more people, but don't often kill. Bully type dogs have exceptional strength in their jaws and their bites are worse than other breeds. Don't ever leave your child unattended with any dog. Period.

Dog Attack Deaths and Maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to December 26, 2011

By compiling U.S. and Canadian press accounts between 1982 and 2011,1 Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, shows the breeds most responsible for serious injury and death.

Study highlights

The combination of pit bulls, rottweilers, their close mixes and wolf hybrids:

• 77% of attacks that induce bodily harm
• 73% of attacks to children
• 81% of attack to adults
• 68% of attacks that result in fatalities
• 76% that result in maiming

Discussion notes:

• Even if the pit bull category was "split three ways," attacks by pit bulls and their closest relatives would still outnumber attacks by any other breed.
• Pit bulls are noteworthy for attacking adults almost as frequently as children, a characteristic not shared by any other breed.
• If a pit bull or rottweiler has a bad moment, instead of being bitten, often someone is maimed or killed; that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk.

1982-2011 chart

BreedBodily harmChild VictimsAdult VictimsDeathsMaimings% of dog population

Pit bull terrier
1970
826
687
207
1093
.033

Rottweiler
481
272
126
78
268
.003

Husky
66
41
4
22
18
.020

Wolf hybrid
84
69
5
19
48
.001

Bullmastiff (Presa canario)
76
30
28
11
44
.002

German shepherd
89
56
25
12
54
.014

German shepherd-mix
54
33
14
9
32

Pit bull-mix
130
56
31
8
74

Akita
65
42
19
8
47
.004

Chow
54
36
15
7
36
.007

Doberman
15
8
7
7
7
.007

*Chart ordered by number of deaths; includes only a portion of breeds listed in report.

Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to December 26, 2011, by Merritt Clifton, Animal People, December 26, 2011.

1. This report is ongoing. New attacks are recorded as they occur. Older reports showing fewer attacks include: 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007

http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-study-dog-attacks-and-maimings-merritt-clifton.php

Dogma: "Keep your pitbulls, TG, BK, Travis and others. They will eventually help rid the rest of humanity of your poor genetics when they rip your arms off or that of your children."

Now who's acting like a child who lost an argument.

By your last statement I can see your bias and ignorance about the pit bull breed. Just because someone owns a pit bull does not mean that it will "rip your arms off or that of (my non existent) children." You assume that every pit bull (type) will attack and kill. Flawed assumption.

And, I actually don't have a pit bull, or any dog at that.

Can we please clarify what we are talking about here? Pit bull is a generic term, not a breed. There are several breeds resulting from interbreeding between bulldogs and pit terriers, most notably the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier, which are generally accepted to be "pit bulls". Many people see any bulldog breed and call it a pit bull. I've seen english bulldogs, mastiffs, cane corsos, cane presarios, and all kinds of breeds mistakenly labeled as "pit bulls". I have a rescue dog that I suspect is a mix between an AmStaff and a boxer, but unless the government or my insurance company forces me to, I don't see myself spending the money to DNA test her.

Dogma, I'm not entirely sure where you're thinking the intellectual superiority of your argument is coming into play, but your suggestion that there are dogs you can leave unattended with small children is completely ridiculous and makes me truly wish sterility upon you.

This article is about a two year old who was left alone with a pit bull, hence my anger at your suggestion it was the breed of the dog, not the stupidity of the parents, that was to blame.

Also, if you read my comment, you'll notice... I recognize pit bulls as dangerous dogs. That's what they've been bred for. I was railing against pet owners who think they're some sweet little baby.

There's no such thing as a "Family Dog" when it comes to kids under 5 being left unsupervised. Everyone says, "my dog would never..."... that's because it only takes one time. It's sort of like saying, I would never drown swimming in open water... again... it only takes one time.

My city recently passed a "pit bull" ordinance. Based upon a recent study ". . . pointed out that over the past three years, only 2 percent of the dogs licensed by the city are pit bulls, while 25 percent of all dog bites over the same period were caused by that breed. . ." So while 75% of the bites were committed by other breeds, pit bulls, at only 2% of licensed dogs in the city, committed 1/4 of all attacks. Granted there are unlicensed pit bulls committing attacks, but there are unlicensed dogs of all breeds in my city and still the pit bulls commit the most attacks. Statistics like this point to the breed as an inherently dangerous animal.

Any breed can bite. Any breed can fatally maul someone under the right circumstances. Wikipaedia has a list of fatal dog attacks since 1988. In 1988 a young girl was killed by her family's Labrador Retriever. In 2005 a lab mix and a Dachshund killed a 87 year old woman. In 2006 a boxer killed a 52 year old man. In 2008 a Jack Russell Terrier killed a 5 week old child. In 2008 a 14 week old child was killed by her family's Old English Sheepdog. In 2008 a 2 month old child was killed by his family's 6 week old Labrador Retriever. In 2009 a 2 year old was killed by his family's Weimaraner. In 2010 a 4 year old was killed by her family's boxer. In 2011 a 48 year old was killed when attacked by 4 Maltese type dogs. During those years other fatal dog attacks most by Pitbulls, Rotts, Dobes, German shepherds and mix breeds. Most of the victims were young children or elderly. Each dog is a individual. Any person that has had the same breed of dog over and over again will tell you that. I have had 5 dobes. Each one of them had a different temperament and personality. My first was raised by a family with 4 small kids. He was excellent with our daughter from the first minute we brought her into "his" home. My current dog would never be allowed around anyone but our family and never any kid. He is not aggressive but has nipped two people. In the wild dogs are social animals and use aggression in the pack to maintain their social structure and breeding rights. An Alpha male will always try to dominate as will a alpha female. No matter what breed. Terriers were bred to attack and kill vermin. The first seeing eye dogs were dobes. They quickly were replaced. Not because the dogs could not do the job or were aggresive but because people were afraid to approach the blind person.

A case of mistaken Identity...

Quite often dogs that attack are identified as pit bulls when they are not. It seems that that any dog of medium build with short hair is thought to be a pit bull. There are 20+ breeds that are commonly incorrectly identified as pit bulls.

The worst part of this identity problem is that the initial attack has frontpage coverage with PIT BULL all over it. Then several day's later when they properly identify the dog as a mix breed or another breed that story is a line or two on page 30 buried.

For more info on mislabeling:

understand-a-bull.com /Articles /MistakenIdentity /WrongId.htm

You should see what my German Shepherd puppy does to her chew toys. The problem is dogs do not consider small children people, but some other kind of animal... hence they think it's ok to play.

Here's my question what did the little girl do to provoke the dog? What I see is ignorance, the parents probably never taught either the boundaries. Little girl thinks dog is a playmate dog thinks the same. Difference is dog can hurt more in playtime.
I'm so sick and tired of morons freaking out on breed, pit bull isn't a breed its a general term and media over dramatizes everything about them. They are powerful animals yes, however it's human error why they get aggressive because people assume the animal knows they are alpha. Wanna be terrified of them? Good then your stupid *** will get mauled because they sense you are afraid and they are in control. There are some dogs like humans that are just born mean, however this doesn't mean the entire breed/race is. Look at most of these dogs whereabouts most live in homes too small don't get enough attention aren't walked and thus are hardwired for something to happen.
I hope the parents learned a lesson, and I'm sorry both animal and child had to pay for their stupidity.

My first dog is a 2 y/o blue nose Pit that I've been raising since he was 7 wks old. I'm going to get to the point. He is trained to sit, lays down, eats, gets in the bath, comes to me and give me his paw on commend. I'm still training him not to pull at times on walks and I'm seeing progress.

Before ever petting or knowing a pit bull I was somewhat afraid of them. They do have a stereotype for a reason but that didn't stop me from finding out for myself. It wasn't my intention to even get a pit but that's how things happened.

Pits are mid sized dogs and smaller then rottweilers, dobermans and german shepherds. Their temperaments are fairly similar. It's how well the dog is trained that counts. How well does it socialize with other dogs..and how much affection and attention does the dog get.

Without knowing the dogs history is where the danger lays. If my dog bit me after I grabbed and squeezed his right hind leg who is at fault.. Wouldn't it make sense not to allow the dog to bite again simply by not grabbing him like that again.

Pit bulls were bred and made out this why by all of us. People should feel a little more responsible instead of pointing blame on certain groups of people and attempt to eradicate the problem with the breed. Or maybe they feel the way they feel simply to get joy out of other ppls anger. There's a name for ppl like that..malice psychopaths.

Going back to the history of pit bulls the more violent (human aggressive) types have been minimized to probably non existence. Yes, they were bred to be 'game' always willing to chase and play tug of war. Yes, they were bred to withstand high levels of pain and suffering. And yes they are highly intelligent.

Pit bulls came over here from the UK and Ireland and they are a part of American history and culture. My only hope is to make all the haters of pit bulls lovers. Don't let one bad pit ruin it for the rest. Adopt a puppy like I did and raise one yourself.

Pits are number one in the dog breed population and 1 out of 50 have a permanent home. Pits should be protected and there should be an effort to minimize that statistic. There lays problems within problems. Dog shelter will just put them down. Licensed breeders will sell them for $1000 dollars and someone with a litter will sell them for a reasonable $200 dollars. And it's not easy to say to a kid you can't have a dog. On top of that, the dog shelters make it impossible for some ppl to adopt because they are selective. Shelters encourage illegal breeding..but that's a whole other topic.

Figure it out people. Border Collies are great herders because they were bred to, not because some suburban family trained them that way. Brittanys are great bird dogs and pointers because they were bred that way, not because they were raised that way from a pup. I've seen animals of both of these breeds exhibit pointing and herding behaviors even if they've never seen livestock, or gone on a single hunt in their lives. Yes - not every BC has herding instinct from birth, and not every Brit will point a bird without training - but a lot do. Likewise - some percentage of pits will be sweet, docile pets for their entire lives - but some will have that bred in instinct flipped on and will try to kill - even if they were never raised to do that.

Not too different from people - there's some that no matter what their lives and upbringing - they will still be ***holes - it's just their nature.

Travis-1944, where in this article does it state the girl was left alone?

Would you walk past and pet a pit bull, doberman, german shepard, rottweiler or mastiff on the sidewalk?

Me. I wouldn't pet any one of them even the pit. Some I can admit I will make an exception to depending on their temperament i.e. one laying down with tired, old, puppy eyes. But on the other hand, you are putting yourself at risk if you never seen the dog before and don't know how it will react to something as simple as petting the top of its head.

There are dogs of many breeds that will attack on commend and those dogs were simply trained to. It's not the dogs fault. I believe most aggressive dogs were not only physically broken down but neglected and poorly treated.

It is not a mystery why many people agree that the owner is responsible for an aggressive dog.

I've pet a pit that I just met before and he almost took my hand off. After talking to the owner he agreed that I shouldn't have done that because he was training that particular dog to be aggressive. I've gotten different responses from different dogs. It's safer to check with the owner after any doubt that the dog might not be friendly.

I woke my pit everyday and as german shephards, chow chows and other dogs bark at him he continues to wag his tail. If he sees a cat he will try to chase it down but wont kill it. He doesn't have the taste for blood and I won't allow him to. That simple. He will bark at other dogs and lunge at people but he will do it in a friendly attempt to check them out and play. My pit goes to the dog park a lot and never had one incident.

Any logical person would know the breed is not a problem. This thread seems to be 50 50 so I'm not even going to bother getting upset at this bias article because I know that is what they want. I just hope more pits find happy perminent homes because I guarantee that will change the statistic for the better.

Pit Bull owners are substituting for a lack of physical attributes below the waist........... otherwise you only "need" one if you need a vicious guard dog to protect your junk yard, pot field, meth lab, or stolen property.

@Indie&Bella: Goldens bite. Pit bulls maul.

Just this past Friday night - one neighbor had 4 pits (mom and 3 offspring).

Next door neighbor had some kind of pit mix. Bigger than the 4 next door.

The pit mix and one of the 4 pits are no longer with us. They killed each other. Now just 3 at that neighbor's house. The 4 pits were/are pretty good. They bark when you walk by but don't act like they are trying to break down the fence to get at you.

The pit mix came out at me a little over a month ago. If I would have run, it would have attacked me, I have no doubt. Instead I growled and snarled back. I had to do this a few times and even actually go after it. It finally shut up and went back home. Next Saturday night this pit mix came out at someone else who was walking their dog down the street. That dog was injured, I don't know how bad.

I hear all the time from pit owners, people at vet offices, dog trainers, etc that it is not the dogs, it is the owners. I don't buy it. I think they are ticking time bombs ready to go off. They may never go off or they may go off tomorrow. It is usually a child or elderly person. If not that then it is someone that didn't even see the dog coming - got jumped.

Sure, I could keep some hand grenades or sticks of TNT or some plastic explosive in the house. If I don't handle it wrong, no problem. But why have something with the potential to be that dangerous at all?

And yes, I am using Pitbull as a catch all for several bully breeds. I'm not going to do a DNA test to make sure it is an American Pitbull Terrier or Staffordshire Terrier when it is attacking me. Just like I don't care if it is technically TNT or C-4 that blows me up, I'm still going to be dead.

There are so many other good dog breeds (or even mixed breeds/rescues) that you could have that would not be nearly so dangerous.

Lots of other good points made by folks above too.

@ msg - never stop learning..I will teach you something today. Pit bulls are not the only dog that is good at guarding things.

W.e I'm not going to waste my time and energy on someone who doesn't want to be helped. I hoped some of you would care enough to even introduce yourself to a friendly pit bull.. You will be surprised to see just how many are out there.

Just because they are strong and can hurt you doesn't mean one will. All dogs come from the wolf...remember that. And pit bulls fall under the bully breeds and there are about 20 different breeds that can be confused with the apbt..the thing about that though is there are 10 times more pit bulls then all of them combined.

@wreckedinwa - That's exactly why the more aggressive one especially to humans aren't around anymore. But some that are still prone to be aggressive to other dogs are still around.

There is breed specific laws against pit bulls because they are at the forefront of the problem and the outcry of the public is to blame. The news media is to blame as well with misleading information. And if they start pulling that bs around here I will move ! To many laws impeding on my rights. Laws full of nonsense from clowns based on clown research.

There is a very definite confusion regarding the subject of dominance.

What is this business with holding down a dog's neck to show it who's boss?... A mixed signal, from the dog's perspective, at best.

Pit Bulls are NOT bad dogs, but I would group them together with other "dominant type" breeds. They REQUIRE dominant handlers who are aware of their gameness (bred into them, not for fighting, but for hunting badgers), and their ability to do great harm when provoked.
This is the case with Rotties, Chows, Akitas (sometimes), German Shepherds.

And in response to a previous poster's question, it is likely that I would pet strange "dangerous breed" dogs on the street, but not if their body language suggested, AT ALL, that the gesture was unwelcome. I would likely NOT try to pet a strange cocker spaniel or Brussels griffin...

Incidentally, though, I have experience handling large dog breeds, dominant, and not so much, including domesticated wolves.

Black Kettle &... Absolutely correct that there is a disconnect when it comes to the understanding that a dog is a dog, not a person. It's funny though. I hand-raised a wolf-mix pup from 5 weeks old, and he was accidentally left alone with my infant son (born when he was 14 weeks) several times. No ill ever came of it, but he had literally ZERO prey drive (highly unusual) and they were best buddies until the dog died at 3 1/2 due to meningitis... I have a ten year old GSD, and I would NEVER leave him alone with a baby, in spite of being one of the most gentle dogs on Earth.

It is funny you say your husband is not a pack leader... mine is also not. LOL

The article said this was reported at 2am. What would a 2 year old and a pit bull be doing interacting at 2am? Strange....

Train your dogs and teach your kids.

The furthest my 2 year old gets from me while our dog around is the next room of our small apartment, and that dog has been around both our kids (the older one is 5) since they were born. Our poor dog isn't very smart (possible neglect or was a dumpster dog for the first year of her life), but she is very easy going. Even though she barely blinks when poked in the eye, interaction between her and the kids is supervised until they understand how to treat her and have enough impulse control not to grab her face, pull her tail, or pull her hair (all of which she allows for some reason).

I'm pretty sure she's a mix between a German Shepherd and Shiba Inu (smaller cousin of the Akita), and she's a total daddy's girl, but Mommy's the pack leader in our house too :)

Pit Bulls (and large Mastif breeds in general) are only a problem because every macho idiot with an inferiority complex wants to get one to seem tough. They often have absolutely no regard to their resources to take care of the dog or who is going to be around it.

They are big, strong dogs that are easily capable of harming people on ACCIDENT. A large pit can ruin your day simply by trying to jump up to be petted, scraping your face and arms with their mounstrously large claws. The fact is a vast majority of the population doesn't have the space, the time, the money, and the will to properly socialize these animals and keep them away from children and other animals. I'm not saying they should be illegal but people should seriously consider against adopting one.

It seems these days that every other idiot that picks up a rap album with a pit bull on the cover all of the sudden thinks they are gonna be some macho dog breeder. Worse yet, their little dog breeding hobby they eventually lose interest in provides a steady supply of abandoned pit bulls that end up mistreated and euthanized in shelters.

Furthermore, it only takes 5 seconds of internet research to see where the real interest in Mastifs lay. Youtube is chock full of videos of dogs attacking tires and demonstrating their bites. Forums showing dog atheletic conditioning are all over the place as are products clearly designed to encourage dog fighting.

To say that the fascination with Mastifs and Pit Bulls has nothing to do with dog fighting is just denial, plain and simple. Oh BTW: that herbal inscense and those bath salts are "not for human consumption" either.

I would CERTAINLY walk past and pet a Mastiff on the sidewalk and have for decades. A Mastiff breed (English Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Tibetan Mastiff, Cane Corso or Italian Mastiff, Giant Maso Mastiff, Great Dane or German Mastiff, and the Saint Bernard or Alpine Mastiff) is a quiet, defensive dog and not an offensive one. They are big sweethearts whose main "attack" is a BARK and will ONLY put themselves into a situation where someone might be bit if they are actively protecting a "pack" member from an ACTIVE attack - as in one where someone is actually causing pain or distress.

Then again, I was raised with a dog who was 7/8 German Shepherd and 1/8 Doberman Pinscher so I know that large breeds are generally feared solely based on their size whereas people think the micro-breeds are thought of as "cute" and "adorable" and people don't hesitate to bend over to pet them when THEY tend to be the most high-strung and most prone to nip or bite. I'll put it to you this way ... the giant breeds have no fear of you hurting them because they KNOW you're not a threat. The smaller breeds DO view you as a threat specifically to them. Pit Bulls and American Staffordshire Terriers, on the other hand, have a high PREY instinct and EVERYTHING is prey or a threat to them.

I actually have a 20 month old Giant Maso Mastiff. She knows without a doubt that I am the pack leader. There was a day over this winter where carbon monoxide built up in the basement due to incomplete burning of ashes/clinkers in our ash bucket. I went to the hospital to get checked out and the fire department came to check out the house. Our Mastiff met the fireman at the front door with a wagging tail and kisses - happy to make a new friend. She would be USELESS as a "guard dog" and ALL of the Mastiff breeds are similarly useless as "guard dogs". Their primary use for "guarding" is to bark an alert. Our Mastiff puppy (and she is NOT done growing yet) barks at the deer in the yard, the one bear that came in the yard, foxes, coyotes etc. People she never barks at. The Mastiff breeds were bred to protect FLOCKS and HERDS of livestock from animal predators. Their purpose is to BARK to drive the predator away and alert the farmer/shepherd that a threat is around. They were NOT bred to attack the predators.

Two comments -

I have a pitbull, he is 8 years old, very sweet and loving - BUT HE IS A DOG that is very strong. We love him and he is part of our family, he has never displayed any agression to another person, he loves people however; we would never under estimate what could possibly happen if we did not keep him under careful supervision at all times. With that said I would never leave him alone with my grandbaby or anyother child.

My second comment - after one child was attacked by this dog why was he given the opportunity to attack a second child.

As I said, I love my dog and he is my pal as well as part of our family. If my dog ever even atempted to be agressive and implied to potentially hurt a person, I would seriously have to have him destroyed.

Sonof Molly M said:

If I ever own another dog, it will be another Black Lab, like the loving and protective, without ever biting a single person in the fifteen years we had her, one I owned last.

And there was a story on the news last week about a lab who dragged a sleeping baby out of a swing and dismembered it while the father slept in the next room.

I am a longtime volunteer at an inner-city shelter that is about 60% pits. Since we also quarantine animals for Animal Control who are subjects of VDHB (Vicious Dog Hearing Board) investigations, let me give you a snapshot of what we have on the docket for this month:

Three chow chows ganged up on owner and bit him. Owner lost leg. Still wants dogs back.

Cocker Spaniel bit owner's brother in law. Hospital and stitches. Brother in law seeking monetary compensation from owner.

Pug bit owners penis almost off, required surgery to re-attach. Working on this with police and district court prosecutors because guy was molesting dog.

Pit/Lab mix attacked an Australian Shepherd. Shepherd suffered ripped ear and several bites.

Pit/Lab mix attacked a licensed breeders' purebred pit and killed it. Mix had no shots or license/registration; breeder's dog had shots, license, registration, breeders permit, and kennel permit and had just recently passed inspection. The purebred pit reportedly had no idea how to fight and had to have a leg amputated, but breeder was relived his testicles were intact.

Pit/Lab mix attacked and ate someone's cat. Yes, ate..as snacking on inside when found.

Owners 8 foot boa constricted a pit killed it and attempted to eat it. Since reptiles longer than 5 feet are illegal in our municipality this is an aggressive snake issue but we have to charge through VDHB because we don't have anything in place for snakes.

Two Airedales took their 60 year old owner on a running tour of one of our less savory neighborhoods. AEOs quarantined the dogs because they were out of control. Owner trying to fight to get them back but the two dogs together weigh more than she does and she is clearly unable to handle both. She did not have a license nor were they up to date on shots or fixed.

Five Chihuahuas ganged up on mailman. Mailman suffered bites to legs and groin. Major lawsuit pending since mailman suffered damage to buttock and penis and is now missing a testicle.

And the month ain't over yet....

No one is taking into consideration what will set off any dog.

Dogs can "smell" fear in people and that puts them on the defensive. Any dog will react to someone who is demonstrating fear in their body language, just as any human would.

You do not approach another living creature with ill-intent or the body language that would imply it ... it will ignite a response in accord, be it a dog who feels that he must defend himself or his owner with the only tool he has ... his bark (a warning), which if not heeded, followed by a bite ... or a human in a park who may shoot you if he feels he must defend himself against you and he has a concealed weapon's permit and the gun .... or a woman who screams loudly and hysterically for help from some "suspicious" character who she feels is a threat to her safety ... or a cat who flees to the highest branch of the nearest tree.

When attempting to pat a dog or cat or any animal, you always ourstretch your hand with your palm up (showing that you intend no harm against the animal) and speak in a friendly manner while NEVER exhibiting fear (when afraid, we do emit body odors that dogs in particular are evolutionally equipped to recognize). Let the dog recognize you and that you have no ill-intent. Let the aniumal accept you ... you are not part of his family/pack and you must obtain his trust prior to touching him.

We humans do it similarly with eachother every time we shake hands upon being introduced to someone new. We have the palm sideways, also a non-threatening posture for humans (not pets). If some stranger came up behind you and smacked you on the back and then said "Hi, I am so.n.so", good to meet you" ... most likely you would assess him/her to be a total jerk and a threat. Most times, all the words would not get out of his mouth because he would be on the ground already or kicked in the "family jewels" and bending over in agony.

In a world where a dog is never alpha to a human, the scent of fear will put them into distress for their own safety, especially accompanied with an intent to touch them displayed aggressively (palm down). It will, no matter what the breed, initiate a "fight or flight" reponse, which for a dog on a leash, only leaves fight which begins with the warning barks and followed by the bite.

If someone approached me agreesively, I would get in their face in a heartbeat! It doesnt matter if I am in a park, walking on a sidewalk or in line at the store register. Most back off because they arent used to a woman calling them on their aggressive behavior in public in a response appropriate to their agression.

All you who wish to fear unnecessarily could very well be successful in obtaining a self-fulfilling prophesy ... be it being bite by a dog, scratched by a cat, attacked by a mugger, avoided by your neighbors, etc. Fear is our enemy in everything, but in a nation addicted to it, it is hard to avoid its consequences. And no, I am not just speaking of dog bites or cat scratches.

Oh, and my 20 month old Mastiff gets along just fine with my 5 year old son. He is her PUPPY. We got our Mastiff when she was 7 weeks old and my son had just turned 3. We monitored the two of them so that he couldn't hurt her and so that she wouldn't play rough with him. I have had people shy away from her partly because of her size but also because she is a brindle and ignorant (as in they literally are not informed or educated about dogs) people are not aware that many dogs come with that coloring - they assume that only pit bulls and Presa Carnios come in that coloring, when you can find it on English Bulldogs, Boxers, Greyhounds, Mastiffs etc. Also, my house had no humans at home when the fireman came in the front door to check out the CO levels ... and the dog STILL greeted him as a long-lost friend.

Dang Amanda, you volunteer to deal with that mess????

Bottom line, if you have children, get rid of the pit bull. They are the number one dog that has a chance of turning on its owner or the owner's children.

If I was the owner of one of those dogs and it hurt my child, I would kill the damn thing with my bare hands in a way that would make Mike Vick proud.

Rightone---I was attacked by a pit bull. You will not challenge me to do a damned thing.

Cat, it is not always a person that is fearful that puts a dog on the defensive and makes it aggressive. In my area, there is a German shepherd that comes out in the road and barks at me when I walk by the house. When I first moved here, it didn't bother me, and I petted the other dogs that live at that house. I grew up with dogs and have never been afraid of them, and had no cause to be afraid of these dogs. The German shepherd pretty much ignored me. As time went on, though, the dog became more aggressive, barking, raising his hackles, and eventually putting his snout on me and snarling until I thought he was going to attack.

I called the dog warden, who is an acquaintance of mine. He said it was the 2nd complaint in a month about the same dog. He had crept up behind another neighbor as she worked in her flower bed and nipped her leg. She could not have provoked him or acted afraid of him, as she didn't even know he was there until he nipped her.

I would just like to thank Dogma Bites and State of Awareness for posting stats with citations to back up their arguements, rather than just stating opinions or anecdotes. Pitbulls are more dangerous than most dogs due to physiological differences, and perhaps temperment as well. One can argue with facts all you like, but you just end up looking like an idiot.

Most dog lovers know that their dog is a responsibility. Some, however, lack responsibility of any kind. Just like car owners, parents, etc.

This is a case where the dogs should be shot (not out of vengeance, but for safety), and the owners of the dogs held responsible for those toddlers lives, just like the irresponsible owner of a car that hurt toddlers, or anything else.

Sandy, I never said that a person being fearful makes a dog aggressive. Please point out where you think I stated this with a direct quote. Maybe you were referring to Recycled Hope's post which immediately ante-cedes mine and DOES state that "Dogs can "smell" fear in people and that puts them on the defensive."

I stated a fact that 1) I would never be afraid of walking past a Mastiff nor would I be afraid of petting one, 2) People are afraid of giant breeds because of their size (but never stated that this makes a dog aggressive) whereas people are NOT afraid of smaller dogs, that smaller dogs are threatened by humans because of the size differential and the DOG'S fear makes them more likely to be aggressive, 3) Mastiff breeds are defensive dogs not offensive dogs and 4) that people who don't know about dogs see my brindle Mastiff and think that she's a pit bull because of her coloring.

Cat, you're correct, it was recycled hope's post to which I was responding. My apologies.

to those of you sticking up for pit bulls, no one is arguing that other dogs bite. in fact i would argue little dogs bite more often then large ones. my sis was bit by a cocker spaniel which are known to nip. what we are saying is that regardless of how the pit is raised, the breed has tendencies.... the breed was bred to have these tendencies just as other breeds were bred for other tendencies like hunting dogs. this breed has very agressive tendencies, especially towards other dogs. many other dogs bite, BUT PITS MAUL! when they bite, its deadly. when a golden retriever bites, which i still haven't heard of personally even though it prob. does happen,they don't keep biting and shredding and mauling. that is the difference. someone above mentioned the "lab mix" that bit the baby in the swing. It was a mix dog from a shelter not a pure lab. my labs are the best dogs. i also had a german sheperd which was an amazing dog! me and my three baby sisters grew up around it and it never once was agressive even when we pulled on its tongue poor thing! or tried to ride on its back. amanda: your post points out many breeds that are already considered to be agressive such as chows or cockerspaniels.. i guess your trying to show pits aren't the only ones? true but none of those dogs MAULED ANYONE. none of those people died. and all those labs you speak of are all mixes. part bad mixed in with the good. not a good defense.

I'm certainly sorry this happened to the children - and to their families, but I would like to hear from the parents of these children. I would like to hear them express their surprise that their pet dog would so such a thing.

Indeed, if the parents are NOT surprised, then they should be charged with child endangerment.

How many more of these surprise attacks must people endure before these unstable breeds are declared to be dangerous, and therefore restricted to 'dangerous animal' environments?

for those poor individuals without common sence and still in denial... yes lots of dogs will bite children and even adults. That is a fact, whether it was just the animals reaction to a percieved threat or just "having a bad day" attitude. The difference with a pit bull is that the animal does not just bite or nip someone. It is the fact the animal goes for someones throat or neck area as an attempt to actually KILL it's percieved threat. This is the crux of the issue with Pit Bull Terriers. Any animal may bite, be it a domesticated Tiger, Bear or Racoon. But given the choice I prefer the Racoon because they rarely kill a human. The most evil dog breed is probably a Chiahuahau but they can normally only nip fingers and heels for the most part and therefore pose less of a problem than a Pit Bull.

So, something occurs to me here.... Let's say for a moment that pitbulls are "bred as killing machines", "inherently dangerous", or "timebombs waiting to go off". So, given that, we should probably expect a decent number of the pitbull population to kill people right? Well, let's look at those numbers. Pitbull related fatalities per year - somewhere between 10-20.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_States

How many pitbulls are in the US? Estimates I've seen range from between 3M to 10M. We'll use 20 fatalities and 3M in our example. So, what's the fraction of pitbulls that kill people? < 0.00001.... It seems to me that if we're going to start calling something inherently dangerous, then the estimate of the chance of a pitbull killing someone should probably be a bit higher than 0.0001%.

So.... 20 fatalities per year from pitbulls. We'll assume the higher end of kills and that each death is caused by a different pitbull. How many deaths are caused by auto accidents? 30K. How many smoking related deaths? 440K. How many gun related deaths for children in a year. 300-500. But.... it's these 10-20 pitbull related deaths which now cause this species to be labeled as inherently dangerous.

Here's a really fun one. Coconuts kill 150 people per year. Clearly this means that coconuts are dangerous and the plant should be eradicated. Why... they're virtual killing machines.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/scientists-calculate-odd-ways-to-die-282884

This is the problem with comparing statistics for low value events and then trying to draw conclusions regarding the activity. Activity A may have a 60% higher chance of killing you than activity B, but that information is meaningless unless you have an idea of the probability of either activity actually killing you. If one activity has as 0.00001 chance of killing you, having an activity that has a 60% higher chance of killing you still results in a near 0 chance of actually killing you. So, taking your time to try to do something about it is rather pointless and probably better spent fixing real problems that affect a larger number of people. Like, those deadly coconut trees. We really need to do something about them....

@Doggysaywhat: You win. Just... wait, no, no, you win. Hands down. Give yourself a cookie. But not a coconut cookie; those things are deadly, I hear.

You have brought a much-needed sense of perspective to the whole discussion, and I applaud you, sir or ma'am.

Crying Shame said:

Dang Amanda, you volunteer to deal with that mess????

I had to laugh aloud at this comment. Yes, I do. I joke with everyone that I scoop dog poop for fun and like it, but it is true.

Volunteers aren't allowed to have any contact with dogs quarantined for VDHB dogs, but we can see the information cards on the outside of the cages on our way to feed and walk other animals. Incoming dogs are quarantined for three days (kept separate from other adoptable dogs while they get shots, medical treatment and temperament testing) before they are put up for adoption, so on our way to feed the quarantined animals we pass those who are in 'doggie jail' for whatever reason.

The VDHB quarantine area shows a lot more diversity than the adoptable animal portion of the shelter. The pit mixes are the ones who bite more--we have very, very few purebred pits who come in on VDHB hold. In the five years I've been volunteering we've had two purebred pits come in on VDHB hold. The most aggressive ones that come in are mixes from backyard breeders.

The mix who attacked the purebred pit in my post above was likely a fighting dog and saw the purebred as a threat. The owner also didn't have it on a leash. (one clarification to that section of the post; the purebred was attacked, lost a leg, testicles intact, died later of secondary infection but the breeder froze the dog's spern so she can continue the line. Yeah, I raised an eyebrow on tht too but we can't tell people what to do). However, the few times I've walked past that one's cage, he gets up, wanders to the door of the nkennedl, and wags his tail and whines to be petted. The vet techs have had no problems giving him shots, drawing blood for rabies and drug tests, treating the scars and cuts on his head from past fights, he barely protests when he's muzzled. When he's euthanized I'll ask to be the one who holds his head and sings him to sleep.

The kennel with those five Chihuahuas in it is in constant disorder and mess; they fight each other (we've had to spray water into the kennel to break up fights between them, and when you pass they hurl themselves at the cage yapping ferociously. Our techs have been bitten multiple times while attending to them, and we can't even get them under control to muzzle them; an AEO gets one on the end of a catch pole, takes it out and a tech hits it in the thigh muscle with a sedative; NONE of us wants to risk losing something important to those EVIL little things. Yes, I said that; we try to avoid character generalizations like these, and we understand the owner made them that way (she does visit them in the shelter and we watch how they behave and how she reacts to certain behaviors when she comes for thse suprvised visits) but they are still evil! They are extremely smart, smarter than their owner, and we see them go through a Jeckyll-and Hyde personality change as soon as she sees them. The rest of the time they eye anyone passing their case with a Hannibal Lecter gaze--like they're figuring out what part of you would taste best with fava beans and chianti. They all have names but we can't seem to remember any of them, they're referred to collectively as 'The Pack'. And I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole. There will be no tears from me if they get the needle!!!

The pit mix will be euthanized--there's no doubt about that. All pits in VDHB hold eventually are, the Board rarely, if ever, finds in favor of the Pit; there's been only one occasion in the five years, and that was a deaf pibble who nibbled on a burglar's ankle when he broke in to help himself to the dog's deaf owner's belongings. The Chihuahuas will most likely be returned because 'oh, they're not a vicious breed and they can;t do that much harm' and the owner will be forced to pay huge fines and put a mailbox on the outside of their fence so the new mailman doesn't have to enter the yard to reach the mailbox next to the front door.

@rjw007

I hope so!

Me too!

Here is the truth about dog bites and deaths by breed. Scroll down tot he chart.

http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/images/dogbreeds-a.pdf

Imagine how horrible the parents must feel. The dog has damaged some perfectly good tattoo flesh. I hope she heals well.

Stephen-3584703--Siegfried and Roy have never claimed that their tigers were tamed, or not dangerous. Roy Horn who was the one that was injured insisted that no harm come to the tiger as he was being taken to the hospital. It turns out that the tiger wasn't trying to hurt him but trying to protect him. Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried_%26_Roy

All that is beside the point however, a pit bull is a domesticated canine, a tiger is one of the largest, (in many cases with the Siberian tigers, the largest), wild feline. This isn't just comparing apples and oranges this is comparing apples and orchids. The only similarites between these two types of animals are the same they actually share with humans; spines, mamals, with teeth.

This is one of my prev. post not more that a couple weeks ago

All of you defending Pit Bulls are retarded. They can snap at any moment. If you think it is ok to have kids around pits, you should have your kids taken away and have yourself spayde or neutered!

Actually, any dog can snap at any moment. It's just that pitpulls are so strong. Aligators and geckos all bite - but geckos are considered less of a threat. Same with dogs; the big strong ones are more dangerous than the toy breeds. DUH!

Pitbulls are BRED for large strong jaws (it's part of the breed "type"). Disposition is irrelevant and pitbulls are no "meaner" than other dogs, genetically - just stronger and there are a large number that ARE trained for visciousness, as guard dogs or by ignorant people....

And I 'm NOT refering to fighting dogs because those are generally, fairly tame with humans - just viscious to other dogs...

Ursamajor

Thanks for the data. It's from the CDC as well. I don't think they have "a dog in the fight", as it were. It's always nice to see an actual report of actual data instead of all this "all dogs bite" talk. Turns out that not "all dogs kill". Some are better at it than others.

I am a landlord and will not allow Pits or Pit mixes for the very reason that they are more likely to do severe harm to a person and I don't need that liability. What gets me is people who call to rent my place (and it's not a cheap place to rent) who tell me they have a Pit or Pit mix and when I tell them I can't accept those dogs, they get upset (like females crying). Hey, if you are in a position where you need to rent, don't get a pet that has such a bad reputation. And why would you want such a large dog cooped up in an apartment anyway?

Also Pits tend to be the dog of choice for drug dealers. Enough said.

I sure hope so!

Terrible.

When will people learn?

@sfs You are buying into a bias just because you want to believe outdated sources. Maybe instead of being an idiot and possibly can be sued and lose depending on your state. You could think it out and sign an agreement saying the renter is responsible for their animal.
You couldn't talk out your ass anymore if you tried honestly these aren't dealer choices they are dog fighters and dealing probably pays for the steroids the animal is pumped with. Do you know why they choice them? Because these animals are loyal and their highest trait is the willingness to please.

The daughter is alive still and the dog is not. I wonder how many pit bull owners on this discussion page would get another pit bull if they were in the shoes of these parents?

@ workin hard
Seriously? Are you really that dense? It's because of the parents that their child was hurt, and they deserve every bit of spat thrown at them. They didn't teach the child about the animal and didn't train the animal about children. It's because of their neglect that not only was the child hurt but the animal lost it's life. I'm certain that animal probably had no clue even in it's last moments that had done anything wrong.
I have a welsh corgi a herder and they are known for jumping and nipping. I have no children of my own, but she is trained to respect and understand a child can get hurt easily. It's about responsibility and they neglected it entirely.

Maria

I just asked a question. I don't even own a dog. It just seems from some of these posts that some owners would roll the dice again. I'm curious how many.

Maria Ave

Every pit bull owner I've known has wanted a status symbol and that's why they get the dog. They are often young and impulsive. They may be loving and great dog owners, but the REASON for having this type of dog is often the wrong reason. These dogs also frequently end up abandoned when the owner can't handle their power anymore.

Pitt bulls are Al Qaeda decent..

They couldn't have pickd a more stupid dog to have as a pet than a pit bull.

Lobotomized pit bull? I would sooner keep a wood chipper running beside the toddler bed.

I'll roll the dice ten times over adopting more pits, because they are great dogs who need rescued, but never be as idiotic as the poor owners of these kids seem to be. Owning any breed of dog means you are the pack leader and all of your human companions are under you with the dog being last. If he doesn't know his role so to speak, bad things like this will happen without warning because the dog is not being controlled within its pack. Period.

Yes, pit bulls are powerful for their size. Yes, many people get them for a status symbol, fully unaware of what they are getting. Not just in terms of the power of the dog, but many of those people skip proper training and never look for the most subtle warning signs of a possible attack. They are always there but easily missed if a person is not vigilant. No, they are not bred to be human aggressive but many owners make them aggressive toward other humans because they are big sissies. This is a huge mistake because they are loyal to a fault and will take a lot of abuse before they turn on the weakest member of the family. Yes, a lot of these poor dogs are raised by people who treat them horribly...by not feeding them for days, by beating them, etc...all to make them "mean". Bottom line, are they dangerous? I have had one for nearly six years who was abused and he has been around my young nieces and other young kids. I watch him like a hawk and I do not get complacent...maybe I have never had trouble because I am always looking for it. But maybe I have never had trouble because I make sure I am the pack leader and I always take responsibility for my dog and his actions.

And before you tell me I am playing with fire or whatever, there is a German Shepherd up the street that is far more dangerous than my dog. In fact, I think there are three pit bull type dogs in this neighborhood with one lab, one German Shepherd, and a mutt. The mutt bit it's owner pretty badly, yet they kept it. My guess is they are either dumb or they realize they made a mistake handling the dog. The German Shepherd is by far the most dog aggressive, as well as the most human aggressive. to the point the owner cannot walk it if another person or animal is outside. The lab is rarely ever outside so I can't speak for it. The other two pits and mine...well, the one was just chilling in his yard the other day, next to his elderly owner. The other seems scared of people and other dogs like he has not been socialized...and mine could care less about anyone or any other dogs. Yet a lot of people here want to say they are vicious. They are powerful animals humans refuse to take responsibility for, absolutely, and often are with owners who train them to be bad animals---but no one will ever admit to that. But vicious? Sorry, I would have never brought a vicious dog around my nieces.

Many of the problems are from IRRESPONSIBLE parents who leave their infants, toddlers, and young children alone with dogs. The kids act like kids and poke, prod, grab, and (especially infants and toddlers) have jerky uncontrolled movements. Most dogs don't particularly enjoy that. How stupid can parents be. At dog parks, I see parents bring kids and turn them loose like it is a playground. RARELY do they educate their children about dogs. NO parent should leave an infant or toddler alone with a dog. There are a LOT of stupid people parents out there. It REALLY isn't the dogs. It is the people. Check this story, the "dad" should be prosecuted for child endangerment, animal abuse (shot it in anger) and being a DUMB@SS.

How many idiots here have said the child must have provoked the dog... did you even read the freakin' article or just jump right in to defend these killers ?!?!?! It was 2 AM when one of them was mauled... 2AM when all children are asleep !! Morons.

People who buy Pit Bulls really amuse me and not in a good way. They all claim their dog is friendly and would never bite.

My reply is the same... then why did you buy a pit bull? People buy these because they are mean and aggressive and they want the "Mike Tyson" of the dog world. They never buy them because they are cute, cuddly, friendly companions. Dogs are pets which means unless you own a junk yard or a marijuana field- there is no real reason to buy a pit bull. Even then a German Shephard would be a better choice since they are easily trained to perform the function better than a breed known for its "renegade" attitude and overly aggressive nature. For me personally, my fenced in yard is not to just keep my Border Collie in my yard but to keep other "loose" dogs out as well. My neighborhood has 3 families with pit bulls and should one of them ever get loose and run the neighborhood, it will be it's only chance to do so as many of the homeowners have stated the dogs would be "put down" should they become an issue in the wrong yard. That is not my thoughts for sure, but I do agree since I am not just a responsible dog owner, but also a parent with children.

@Davey: Have you actually ASKED people why they have Pit Bulls, or are you just assuming that it's because they're mean and aggressive (which the majority are not)?

A normal, well-adjusted Pit Bull IS cuddly, friendly and a good companion. Although animal aggression is common (they ARE part terrier, after all), human aggression is not normal for them. Usually, human aggression in almost any dog is the result of careless breeding, poor socialization, or neglect/boredom/tethering.

Most Pit Bull owners I've asked love them for their playfulness, enthusiasm, devotion, affectionate nature and million-dollar smile. There's a reason advertisers frequently use Labradors, Golden Retrievers and Pit Bulls when they want a happy-looking (large) dog.

It is generally wise to keep a Border Collie away from unfamiliar Pit Bulls and vice versa, however. Both breeds can put on a "more alpha than thou" attitude with other dogs, and neither are famous for their ability to casually walk away from a challenge.

Come to think of it, Pit Bulls and Border Collies have a lot of similarities, both good and bad.

Louie, why do even have a dog that you know is potentially dangerous? Compensating for something?

There are thousands of homeless dogs out there that do not have these propensities, and people like Louie go for the monsters because they get off on the control.

Sickos.

You and the others who are hating on pitbulls are just uneducated. The only reason this is making news is because a pitbull is solid muscle so the ijuries can be more brutal. I am willing to bet that the dog was actually just playing (the owner may have been riling up the dog with a tug toy or such) and this happened or the kid inadvertantly touched a tender spot on the dog. Going on statistics, pitbulls only account for less than 2% of dog bites that are reported. So why label them something they are not? Why do other dogs not get the publicity? because have you ever been bit by a pug? Their bits hurt but unless they hit a major artery the damage is minimal, but they are 20 times more likely to bite someone than a pitbull.

Lets not spread hate without knowing facts.

I won't tell you that you don't know dogs, that much is obvious to anyone reading your idiotic post. "and that's what they do when they smell fear." Buddy, you watch too much T.V. It's unfortunate that you believe pretty much anything, including media hype. I guess you expect others to be the same way and believe your riduculous "facts" about pit bulls.

Speaking of facts, could you site your sources for the amount of dogbites from pitbulls? I am curious about that information. Thank you.

@Berenerd: Then let them play with your toddler. I wouldn't leave a loaded gun within my child's reach and I wouldn't leave my child within a pit bull's reach.

I agree with the poster who said the parents should be charged with child endangerment.

BTW, this is coming from a person who has owned dogs his entire life.

Why is this national news? Don't we have more important issues or is the public all about sensationalism? Oh of course it is! Forget the planet is being destroyed by greed, that's too frightening so the public goes into denial mode.

The 'sources' on dog bites get most of their information from newspaper and web articles. There is no one making sure they are accurate and the dog involved is correctly identified. Bad statistics cannot be relied on.

There was a case here in Michigan were the 2 dogs were INCORRECTLY labeled as pit bulls because that is everyone's first thought when a dog bite case comes up and clearly from the picture they were not! Reporters are not dog experts obviously. A correction was made later but still the websites that 'count' dog bites had the dogs as pit bulls. They never bothered to make the correction so the statistics are not to be trusted IMHO because there is bias out there against the pit bull.

If people still think that Labrador retrievers are the most numerous dog in the USA, think again. The most killed dog in shelters is a pit bull or mix thereof. If that is the case then there are a lot of them out there and being 'bred' (or more likely simply neglected) by people who don't know what they are doing. They don't bother to neuter or spay their dogs or socialize them. By sheer numbers of dogs out there and the socioeconomic class of those most likely to own them, it is not surprising that there are more 'bites'. This is a people problem, period.

This whole thing goes in cycles, German Shepherds were vilified and then Dobermans and Rottweilers. Unfortunately pit bulls have been victimized by those least qualified to have a dog, drug dealers, drug dealer wannabes and those who fight dogs.

No one should leave a dog alone with a young child.

You Pit Bull lovers are so full of it saying that Pit Bulls are only responsible for like 2% of bites! That is completely untrue. Pit Bulls are responsible for over 25% of all dog bites!

http://blog.dogsbite.org/2009/07/pit-bulls-lead-bite-counts-across-us.html

And in many communities over 50% of all dog bites when attacks that result in death, etc are included!!!!

That's the fallacy with Pit Bulls that vehement owners lie lie lie lie to keep their violent pets and keep from having them declared wild animals which they are.

@Darrel B. Let your child play with a toy poodle and see what happens in the same conditions.

I have also owned dogs, cats, ferrets, worked at animal shelters in Boston, New york, and Philly. I have dealt with abused animals and animals that have not been abused. I have seen a greyhound do more damage than some pitbulls when mistreated or abused. I have owned a pitbull and a rottie. They are big dogs, was it wrong to put a child next to the dog? possibly if they left both unattended. Dogs are still animals and will lash out to defend themselves if hurt and this can accidentally happen.

Going on your suggestion we should kill off german shepards, collies, poodles, and dobermans because statistically speaking they bite more people in a year than pitbulls? While we are at it, lets kill off cats and Parrots because they cause harm more often as well. While we are at it, lets kill off the human race because they are the kings of causing harm to other humans.

More2bits, finally someone who backs up their post with a source. Your the only one so far. Kudos to you.

I agree. I have a pitbull...and two labs and a fluffy short golden dog and a big terrier. I also have a 1 year old who has only met them all from a distance. She will NOT be in the same room with them untill she is much older than them. That is the rule in my house. We have to move the dogs to rooms when my child is in the main part of the house and there is always a two door minimum between them.

I have seen a dog attack and even if you are in the same room you cannot get a large breed (or even a small breed) off a child easily. I had a friend whose small poodle bit the crap out of a toddlers face requiring 100 stitches.

I love my dogs and all animals but children should not be exposed to them. Period. I get so tired of hearing stories like this. I love my pitbull and he is a sweetie but I am not going to be stupid and put a child in his face. I once had him in a park and a lady let her toddler walk up to him. (he was wagging his tail and was sweet)... I pulled him away and told her that she should NEVER let her child walk up to ANY dog like that.

Bernard you raise some very valid points!

Any dog can and will attack if they are provoked. Small children with their high-pitched voices who move very fast around dogs can be hurt. It is sad that the very people who love these dogs are NOT being smart about how the dog interacts with the child! These are ANIMALS after all. I love my German Shepard and my Bouvier but I would not let a 2 year old child play with these dogs unsupervised. Things can (and do) happen.

Dear B-Nerd,

Please run for public office. Your logic has to be given to more people. You could run as the "Occupy Something Candidate".

Here is the truth about dog bites and deaths by breed. Scroll down tot he chart.

http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/images/dogbreeds-a.pdf

Uneducated!? The proof's in the pudding! Open your eyes.

Louie

A pit bull owner with a brain. I was wondering if such a person existed. I stand corrected . . . .

Louie made some valid points but I don't think a dog wagging his tail is much of a threat at all. The dogs is acting in a friendly manner, ask 'Cesar Milan' lol. No but seriously if the dog was standing still, had his rear down to unwelcome other dogs and showed other signs like those 2 then yea, don't go near and definitely don't touch it.

Yea keeping the kid seperate is the easiest and most responsible thing to do in being proactive. Especially when the kid is to young to understand certain things like don't hurt the dog.

Having multiple dogs is commendable....

Sadly, dog bite statistics will always be skewed to never be in favor of a pit bull. Not that they should be in favor but think about this.

The pit bull is a popular breed right now. Any popular breed will always have more bites...not necessarily just because there are more dogs to bite...but because a lot of people choosing a pit bull as a pet are doing so for the wrong reasons. Many wouldn't even consider their dog pets but protection because they participate in other shady activities or even fight their dogs. Point is...biting statistics do not reflect how many of those animals are owned by people who treat the dogs as part of their family/do not keep them outside, feed them regularly, do not beat them, etc. You say why should it matter? Because I am telling you a socialized pit bull who is owned the right way will let a kid climb on them and tug at their tail and do all kinds of things without so much as waking up.

Another statistic issue...may smaller dogs bite humans all the time. It rarely gets reported because they can't do any real damage. Why should it matter when larger dogs can do more damage? Because smaller dogs can do just is much damage. They certainly are far more likely to attack children because they have a small dog complex. Point is...the statistics should be reported to show all attacks just as all dog attacks should show up in the paper.

In a previous post, I mentioned a dog attacking his owner down the street. It never made the paper and she had to be airlifted to the hospital...he nearly tore her bottom lip off. This dog was not a pit. Again, not only was it not reported on the news but they were able to keep that dog. I have no issue with them being able to keep the dog---if they want to, it is their safety at stake---but if the situation were reversed and say my pit bull bit someone like that? I'd be forced to put him down...even if said person entered my property without my permission. Even if that dog came into my yard and started to fight my dog, my dog would be put down. It seems entirely messed up.

Bottom line, I'm not a pit bull apologists for the bad pit bull owners out there. I certainly didn't get my dog as a status symbol, but rather chose to rescue him because I found another pit that was instantly my best friend when she was left home alone for about a week and got out of the house. I am just a responsible dog owner and I want the right to be able to still own a pit bull responsibly.

for IndieandBella... in case you do not have cable television and The Animal Planet Network. when people say a dog can SMELL fear it is not an urban myth. It is indeed a fact. When you and I smell fried chicken, we merely smell fried chicken. But a dogs sense of smell smells- chicken, flour, crisco, pepper, every individual seasoning on the piece of meat. Their sense of smell is 50 to 100 times better than a humans. And yes when you get scared your body produces adrenaline which any dog can smell and it triggers either a protective instinct or in some breeds an aggressive instinct.

Again, as I stated above, could you site your sources because your numbers are way different than the above poster. I'm very curious to see who is correct.

Where exactly did you find that statistic? I would like to read it for myself.

What?!?! You want me to provide actual sources to back up my rants? Oh my no no no, I simply can't do that. I just make stuff up don't you know... Seriously, if you're going to provide actual numbers, provide the source. Otherwise, you may not speak. That is all.

Rightone, BOOYAH! Right on the money! An excellent post of sarcasm if I've ever seen one! Perfectly stated.

More children are killed or harmed by their parents each year than any are harmed by dog bites.
There are many out there who purport to provide statistics, but statistics are only as good as the sources and unfortunately I don't think there are many reliable sources.
The biggest problem is determining the dog population. You have thousands of dogs out there that are not licensed. You have thousands that are mixed breeds. Not all dogs are 'counted'.
In addition, there is a lot of difficulty identifying a pit bull from other similar looking dogs. Not even so-called experts do it 100%.

http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics.php

Here are some statistics for you.

Report: U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities January 2006
to December 2008

A 2009 report issued by DogsBite.org shows that 19 dog breeds contributed to 88 deaths in a recent 3-year period. Pit bulls accounted for 59% followed by rottweilers with 14%.

• Of the 88 fatal dog attacks recorded by DogsBite.org, pit bull type dogs were responsible for 59% (52). This is equivalent to a pit bull killing a U.S. citizen every 21 days during this 3-year period.
• The data also shows that pit bulls commit the vast majority of off-property attacks that result in death. Only 18% (16) of the attacks occurred off owner property, yet pit bulls were responsible for 81% (13).

http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics.php

Wisepati, I am sure your right however, the fact parents kill more kids than dogs has nothing to do with the conversation at hand. Thank you for that info regardless though.

Y'all want some REAL statistics? Here, from the American Humane Association.

Be sure to read this part:

"Responsible breeding and ownership, public education and enforcement of existing laws are the most effective ways of reducing dog bites."

@Steve

The website you direct us too is a website dedicated to genocide on Pit Bulls - where did they get their stats....they don't say, they do say (among other things):

We advocate

1. Pit bull ban
   A breed ban is the most proactive policy that can be undertaken regarding the pit bull problem. A ban saves the most human lives by preventing attacks before they occur. By criminalizing pit bull breeding, a ban saves countless pit bulls from systematic euthanization and dramatically reduces the number of pit bulls used for dogfighting.

Do Pit Bulls put themselves in dogfighting rings by themselves? No, humans do. Human's should be punished for making any dog vicious or fighting them - but usually it's a slap on the wrist of the human and death for the dog.

If I wanted to win an argument, I would not use a website that was dedicated to my cause, it's no very OBJECTIVE, therefore, it's useless information.

Rightone

"Responsible breeding and ownership, public education and enforcement of existing laws are the most effective ways of reducing dog bites."

And my 12 ga. with 00 buckshot is the most effective way to eliminate repeat biters.

I agree Mike...but as a pit bull owner...I am fairly certain my dog would never bite and my problem here is the people who claim that some day he will without any provoking.

To the person who said the comment about parents killing more kids than pits do has nothing to do with this discussion...it very much has everything to do with this discussion because the people who are against pits want the breed wiped from the earth. My dog and any others I bring into my home will be safer than some parents I know, yet, people are telling me I should not have the right to own such dogs...even though said dog has protected my small nieces from a dog up the street.

Lastly, I am rather put off by even pit bull lovers saying dogs can smell fear and that is when they attack. It is not the fear other humans have of them that they are noticing. If a pit owner is afraid that they will not be able to control their dog, the dog will sense something is wrong and start freaking out too. That is what happens more often than not because they dog is essentially the pack leader, which should never happen with any breed but especially pits.

Thank you ApacheRose. You are an excellent example of the type of owners that pitties need. Calm, collected, informed and responsible.

I have rescued 4 pitties (owning two at a time) from shelters and have 3 children. They require a stronger, firmer hand in training and a vigilant owner who understands their breed. They -were- bred for fighting other animals originally yes, however, in those days, the human aggressive animals were destroyed because the owner of each dog washed the opponents dog to be sure there was no substance on the coat to prevent his dog from biting and holding. Once it was outlawed, they were called the "nanny dogs" because of their love and tolerance for children. Since then, several other "unstable" dogs have fallen out of favor and the breed that was chosen to "replace" them has been the pitbull due to its high pain tolerance, intense desire to please it's human and easy maintenance compared to other larger dogs. A pittie is easier to feed and keep than a Rottie (twice its size), etc etc.

This has paved the way for today's issue....human aggressive pitties. I don't deny they are out there, but to paint every dog with the deeds of a few is just as ridiculous as saying there is no mean pittie. Every breed has it's bad apples. Just like guns, if you outlaw them, the criminals will still have them...they do not care about the law...hence why they are criminals. Once the pitbull is banned (or wiped out as some have suggested), do you not think they will just move to the next dog that strikes their fancy, inbreeding aggressive animals until they get what they want, subjecting yet another breed to the fate of the pitbull? Do you think the criminals will stop with 2 breeds? 4 breeds? 10 breeds? No. They will continue to do this until they are the ones stopped....or we have no dogs of any size left.

I fully support a Dangerous Animal Ordinence to handle any truly aggressive, vicious pet out there. But I submit that taking away the right of one person because they "might" have a problem in the future is not the American way and a slippery slope to start down.

That may have something to do with there being less pitbulls than other dogs I would imagine.

I think virtually all dog breeds can be dangerous depending on how handled. Dog bites and attacks are a problem and it isn't just one type of dog. The other day there was a news story about a Jack Russell severely mauling a baby.

In my opinion Rottweiler is one of the meanest and most dangerous dogs,far worse than a "Pit Bull". There seems to be a rotating fad as to bad owners having a favorite breed for impressing their peers about their tough "guard" dog.

The big biter list seems to change over time depending on which breeds are most popular with the bad owners at the time-I think German Shepard,Doberman and others have topped the list at different times while Pit Bulls didn't even register at those times. Wolfhound? Chow chow?

Here is the truth about dog bites and deaths by breed. Scroll down tot he chart.

http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/images/dogbreeds-a.pdf

David - you make a good point about which breeds top the bite list and when. Alot of it has to do when the dog breed was in "fad". I own a AKC registered Chow Chow. I had never had them before and didn't know what they looked like when my fiance suggested that we get one. He had grown up with them. I was very apprehensive when I started to do research. They have a terrible reputation for aggression. Chow Chow's were popular in the 1980's and were seriously overbred. Anytime a breed is overbred, it enhances the possibility for aggression. Also, Chows do not think like typical dogs. They are not people pleasers. They are aloof, very independent and are typically one person/one family dogs. They are natural born guard dogs and can be very territorial. My Chow is wonderful. I did my homework and got her from a reputable breeder who breeds first and foremost for temperament. She is very gentle, sweet and non-confrontational. A couple of month's ago, she got a bloody lip from a German Shepherd at the dog park and she didn't react to him, she just ran to me like a child would. However, had the situation been different, I have no doubt she would have done damage. She is a magnet for little kids because she's "a big fluffy liondog" and a couple of weeks ago at the dog park I had to scold someone else's child for coming up behind her, jumping and stomping on the ground and scaring her (she turned around and growled at the girl). I had to explain to the girl that that was not an appropriate way to greet any dog. I would never leave her alone with small children and when the neighbor children want to pet her, she is leashed and I supervise.

Getting a Chow, I knew they have bad reputations and I was/am fully aware of the damage she can do. I took the time to research the breed and understand that how to handle her to try to minimize agression and maximize social behavior. A responsible owner knows their breed, knows the risks, and must accept the consequences.

Yeah, Jeff. Family pit bulls seriously maul two toddlers in one day in the same part of the country, and the dogs are "under attack" because of some Internet postings.

Loser.

Less pit bulls than other dogs? No. Absolutely not. If so, please tell me how most inner-city shelters are 60% pits or pit mixes. I would question a percentage like that because it seems if it looks like a pit, it must be one...but still. Say a shelter is even just 40% pits...how did that happen? This doesn't even include the pits that are immediately put down at kill shelters---shelters where they will not adopt pits out.

I'll tell you what it means. Many people are getting pit bulls and not getting other traditional breeds. They get them and have no idea what they are getting into. That doesn't count the drug dealers and such or the people that fight pit bulls.

And Woodward...Jeff is right. It is an attack. If this were suspected to be any other breed of dog, we would not hear about it. Unless I see pictures of said dogs, I will be suspicious that they were even pits because so many people mistakenly identify pit bulls. Yes, they are easy to pick out against other breeds...what about similar looking dogs that are not pits? The dog that bit the news anchor is a prime example. I am a pit bull owner and I would encourage anyone to meet my dog...but of course, that will never happen. Until it does, yes, sadly, most of these posts are attacks on a breed that is very unfairly portrayed in the media.

Does that mean I think they are safe, angelic dogs that everyone should go out and adopt? Absolutely not. In the right hands, they are prime examples of everything a pet should be and will never attack anyone. In the wrong hands---which is sadly where most pit bulls end up---they can be very dangerously or even deadly. These cases prove that...because I trust my dog with my nieces but I would never leave him alone with them because he outweighs them and could easily maul them to death if he wanted. To leave any dog alone with a child is asking for trouble, no matter the breed of dog.

I wonder how much time you've spent caring for these animals down at a shelter? Or are you basing your opinion on published news stories?

The best acting dog I ever knew was probably part Pit Bull and I think the press might be misidentifying some vicious dogs as Pit Bull when they are something else. Any kind of dog can be dangerous.

It's actually very rare for a dog to be "unpredictable," no matter what breed it is. Phrases like "it just turned one day" or "without warning" are usually indicators that the humans around were not paying attention (not always their fault, since the average dog has a reaction speed about 5 times that of a human). A dog attacking for no reason at all usually requires a medical or neurological problem (look up "Spaniel Rage" for more info).

The Bull-and-Terrier breeds (what are called "Pit Bulls" nowadays) were bred for fighting both bulls and other dogs, yes. And droving cattle. And doing ranch/farm work. And even looking after the family when the day was done.

Pit Bulls are not "bred to be killers". If they have a lot of the terrier's prey drive, then they will be compelled to hunt and kill small animals; hint to the unthinking, very young children have more in common with prey animals than they do with humans (shrill noises, erratic movement, etc). The bulldog side of their genetics can make them extra-attentive to body language from humans, too. All part of being bred for generations to take commands from ranchers on horseback. Combine those traits with impressive (by dog standards) strength and a social drive that can give the dog a near-manic fixation on human interaction (remember, negative attention isn't as good, but it's better than no attention)... you can see where problems can arise.

Pit Bulls are successfully used as service animals, SaR dogs, therapy dogs, and assistance dogs all the time. Heck, if I can eventually manage to train my Rhodesian Ridgeback/Boxer/Pit mix not to chase squirrels and cats, she'll probably get her CGC and therapy certifications, and start visiting children in the hospital. They're great dogs, as long as you follow Beckyes' advice in post 6.4: know your dog, train it/treat it responsibly and appropriately.

As for this article, lack of forethought or awareness resulted in a child being seriously injured and a dog being killed. I hope the toddler recovers quickly and completely, and that people might think twice before putting children and dogs in situations where this can happen in the future.

@Shelter, thank you for your post. My pit as I prevously stated is very loving and only wants to please. I have always been amazed at how he is so senative to how I feel (yes, he is a mamma's boy) I do not have to say a word or move and he knows when I am happy, sad, hurt, concerned, etc).

I also stated that he is a dog, and dogs must be supervised because outside forces can set them off regardless of the breed. I also own a min-pin. When a new person comes to the house, they always go to the little dog and want to pet him, I immediatley tell them don't touch him, he may snip at you. Give him time to know you are allowed to be here.

Brian, I agree with you 100%.

I too remember back in the 70s when it was the two breeds you mentioned that everyone was suppose to be fearful of. Also on the list was Rottweilers.

They are called attack dogs for a reason.

I agree with Brain there always has to be a scapegoat instead of responsibility for their actions.

888,

When a dog bites the head of a 2 year old is is a mauling. I can take the food out of my dogs mouth without a sound out of them as they have been trained since puppyhood to not growl or snip at anyone. If your dog is possessive you haven't trained them well.

i would think mauling would be a life threatening injury, especially to a 2 year old. If the pitbull attacked, mauling the child- the child would be DEAD. a 2 year old wouldn't be able to sustain a mauling injury. geezus.

So you're saying the attack was not serious enough because the dog only bit the child's head and didn't kill her?!! OMG, you pit bull people are something else ....

Technically, a mauling is any injury causing slashing or tearing wounds; scratches, lacerations and so forth. So yes, if the child had to be taken to the hospital, it probably counts as a "mauling."

It has nothing to do with the severity of injuries.

That said, if a dog bites defensively (even everyone's favorite bugaboo Pit Bull), there is usually less damage and potential for fatality. That in no way makes it "not serious enough," because a child was still injured - severely enough to require hospital attention. Also worth noting that the dog was euthanized to check for rabies, which means it was likely not vaccinated. Even more reason to keep a cautious eye on the child's condition.

Listen to yourself. You are actually calling for the destruction of an entire race of dog. Take out the word dog and replace it with people and you know who you sound like???

owning a pit bull is like playing russian roulette only the gun isn't pointed only at the owner. if you have one that attacks the victim could be anyone and they did not consent to taking the risk. i own a 20 pound mix breed and he might scratch your leg jumping up to try to lick you but biting isn't in his nature. the only dog i ever owned that nipped was a spitz and she hit the 3 stikes category. since then i have owned only docile non-threatening dogs and have had no problems. i would not risk owning a dog that might harm someone.

They have 1600 lbs per square inch biting force the second strongest is Rotts with 400 lbs.

However it takes lets than a pound of pressure to break the skin. Pits are all muscle and in a frenzy can get lock jawed this is why they are popular in dog fights. Dog fights are why pits get the attention they do because the media only shows that side of the dog.

Not... exactly. 1600 psi biting force would put Pit Bulls somewhere between Great White Sharks and Nile Crocodiles. psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201005/dog-bite-force-myths-misinterpretations-and-realities Don't get me wrong: 275-375psi is still plenty of force to do damage, even unintentionally.

Pit Bull jaws also don't "lock"; that's another misconception. They DO have a stubborn streak and a huge drive to please people (sometimes to the point where the dog will literally kill itself to make its owner happy), which along with a high tolerance for pain and their natural agility makes them a favorite of dog fighters. Of course, those same traits make them popular with people who do agility, tracking, flyball, and any number of other legal sports and activities as well.

Yes, that caught my eye as well, being air-lifted for non-life threatening injuries. Sounds like the ambulance company just wanted to gouge the parents and their insurance company. I hope the little girl recovers and doesn't develop a fear of dogs. I don't trust my cocker spaniel alone with little children, just as a rule. Okay, I do but better cautious than regretful. Someone is always right there.

when it comes to chidren it's better to be safe then sorry , so airlifting her made sense , your right dogs near chidren should always be supervised.

@ upset in ohio

Of coarse you will see more dog bites, from other breeds of dogs.

Pit Bulls are a small % of the dog population. However when it is a Pit, It's usually far more worse than say -Hootie my pug.

Not to mention that for any kind of scar minimize-especially on the face- speed is important, particularly with children as they heal so rapidly. So the airlift may have been for preventing long term scarring, while not life threatening, it can be life altering...

Wait for those in abject denial to make the foolish statements that it isn't the breed it's the owners. Ban this breed and the only thing worse than a pit bull are the humans that deny this menace.

William Long, you're right. I am sure this only made the headlines because it is a pit bull.

I work in an ER setting and see charts with dog bites quite often. Many, many times the person was not bitten by a pit bull.

I don't think any dog or cat should be left unsupervised with a young child. Probably should not be allowed to be in a room with a small baby at all.

I understand there are some germs or protozoa that cats could pass on to a human.

These dogs that show anti human aggression or hunting behaviors against humans,should be put down regardless of breed.

Would that include if the child was abusing the dog and the dog was defending itself? Not saying that it was the case here, but I have seen children do horrible things to dogs that I won't list here.
To me this is very situation specific and needs a calm cool head before any action is taken that can't be undone.
I find it amazing that we humans expect more of a dog than we do a fellow human being. We expect a dog to put up with anything a child does to it and not bat an eye. Dogs are animals, not super beings.
We expect dogs to accept being hit and starved and chained and not react. Is that even rational? Would a human accept this treatment and not react? I don't think so.

Are you kidding me Sally?? You are being VERY IGNORANT!!!!!!!!

You can judge 1 dog with the entire breed. I can on & on with your ignorance....

We'll just leave it at - JUDGE the OWNER - NOT the breed!!!

The owner taught the dog right??

So unless you have an education on the breed, I suggest you keep your mouth closed!

AND again - the news crew did it again - We are not told the entire story - so therefore we don't know how it all occured & WHY the dog attacked!!!

hummbird

Any dog that tries to take the face off of anyone, especially a child, should not be given away, it should be put away. Or rather put down.

Please don't take this as a personal affront to you. Honestly, my blood is boiling right now.

Wichasha, I could not agree with you more. Giving away a dangerous animal is only putting someone else at risk. If a person took a dog knowing it's dangerous, they are idiots! However, I doubt that the original owners told the truth of that animal. If they did, the new owners wouldn't take them.

wichasha: Agreed!

Everyone needs to read the original post again. Hummbird didn't say that the dog that tried to bite the child's face off was given away, only that her niece gave away her (the niece's) dog, because of the actions of a friend's dog of the same type.

The key here is 'press accounts'. So these reporters know exactly what every breed of dog is? Were the accounts verified? So every single incident is reported? Statistics aren't reliable unless the data is.

This isn't a scientific study or reliable data and doesn't take into account at all the total number of dogs in the US.

If a similar study were done by reporters on where best to invest your money, would you give them your life savings? I should wouldn't.

WisePati: Shut-up and go play with your pit bull!!!!

Must have hit a nerve. Good.

Pati--when a dog kills, mauls, or causes serious harm to anyone, or attacks a child, you can be fairly certain the press will report on it. Every snap by a lab or golden retriever isn't going to be in this report, but then those bites aren't doing the kind of damage we're talking about.

WisePati

The key here is 'press accounts'. So these reporters know exactly what every breed of dog is? Were the accounts verified?

I'm with you, WisePati. It's so obvious. Pit Bulls are actually crusaders for truth, and the "lame stream" media has vilified them as a result.

It all started one cold morning in Area 51, when a pack of Pit Bulls took over the Illuminati's 'Project Rover' facility. The pack collected information incriminating key gov't officials and attempted to remit the documents to MSNBC, but MSNBC was in on it the whole time!!! Ever since then, MSNBC has had a vendetta against the breed and has published false and misleading information regarding Pit Bulls (along with the CDC and various other organizations and news agencies).

Yes, that's right. Ignore the preponderance of statistics and news stories that indicate that Pit Bulls account for the plurality of canine attacks, despite accounting for about 2% of the dog population. All lies.

And...What were the child and the dog doing together at 2am in the morning?

Slippery slope there Mikey. There was this one guy back in the day who wanted to do the same thing to an entire race... Pitt bulls are good dog and no more dangerous than a German Shepard you need to relax and inform yourself before you call for an extermination Hitler!

So, the solution is to exterminate an entire canine population based upon a loose comparison of the failure rate for those humans who have attempted to domesticate two predatory species and territorial chimps. Then add in a slap of the wrist for the humans responsible. The logic is astounding!

Urbanski, I won't quote statistics to you here, but pit bulls are very disproportionately represented with respect to bad bites, vicious attacks, and deaths, especially of children. Keep kidding yourself, and just hope your children don't become part of the statistics - but you are a fool if you do so.

Michael...guess you are ignorant of the law. If your dog attacks someone you are liable, criminally and civilly. At least where I live that is the case. That is any dog BTW.

If you ban pitbulls then another breed will take their place. The laws need to focus on dangerous dogs and their irresponsible owners/breeders. Increase the penalties, control irresponsible negligent 'breeders'.

A lot of people say that keeping guns in the house is dangerous as well. Maybe we should ban them? Oh and cars, let's ban them as well. People are killed and hurt daily by cars. What about that toddler killed by an SUV the other day?

The issue here is a lack of responsibility. Humans domesticated dogs and now they need to be responsible for them. Every day there are horrible stories of humans starving or abusing dogs. But that isn't national news is it? It should be, there is a proven link between abuse of animals and later escalation to harming humans.

There are no guarantees in life. Stuff happens. We can't live in a bubble. We could ban all dogs and all guns and all cars and still people would be hurt. That is life...it is always ultimately fatal.

Exactly, it is stupid to keep any dog where it can be around children unsupervised.

Just a quick follow up. Here is a site that performs temperment tests on hundreds of dog breeds with the results.

Also, here is a good site about pitbulls. Lots of good info. They even state pitbulls are not for everyone but can be a great dog for the right owner.

So you are ecquating your daughter being bitten on the foot by waking a sleeping dog to a type of dog bred specifically for an agressive and short tempered nature?

All dogs have a likelyhood to bite. Pitbulls are notorious for ferocious attacks most often resulting in severe mauling up to death. http://www.dogsbite.org/dogsbite-newsroom-2009-dogsbite-three-year-fatality-study.php

Didn't know I couldn't do sites. So check out Don't Bully My Breed and also American Temperament Test Society

Just goes to show you that all statistics can be used to prove any point, relevant or not. I may be going out on a limb here, but if someone's yellow lab killed a child, it would be just as big a news story.

I am not happy to say what I am about to say ...

I have a sister-in-law who "owns" 2 Pitpulls, they are very nice dogs, never been aggressive either towards each other (note that they were both adopted from a shelter, and that the second one is an adult adopted a few years after the first one), other dogs, nor people (she has 3 children who played with the dogs often as well). Cesar Millan (the dog whisperer) also owns Pitbulls, they have been the greatest dogs, their job is to help other dogs with issues and they have been amazing. So it is clear to me that Pitbulls can be great dogs.

However, after taking a look at the list of fatal dog attacks in the U.S., it is heartbreaking for me to have to admit that Pitbulls were indeed the culprits in many fatal dog attacks, followed by Rottweilers. A few other breeds were involved in fatal attacks as well, but the attacks were overwhelmingly by Pitbulls and Rottweilers. And I was surprised to learn that a few of these fatal attacks were by Labradors, a breed that is generally not known as being aggressive.

I don't think the solution would be to eliminate all Pitbulls and Rottweilers, as most are great dogs (considering the number of Pitbulls and Rottweilers in the U.S., if they were all as vicious as this list suggests, there would be fatal attacks every day), and this would be undoubtedly unfair to responsible owners, and dogs who haven't done anything to deserve such a fate. I think a possible solution would be to make dog training with a professional mandatory when you own either breed, and other breeds like Presa Canario, Cane Corso , German Shepherd, including others breeds that were involved in fatal attacks (smaller dogs probably shouldn't be included, as they are not dangerous generally, eventho good training is always a plus).

Note that a Jack Russell Terrier was the culprit in a fatal attack against a six weeks old baby, so it seems it would be safer to never leave dogs alone with a small child, especially not very young ones (as some of them may not realise the child is a human being, and may perceive him/her as a prey or toy). And I do not enjoy saying this, as most dogs will not hurt a baby nor child, in fact they usually protect them.

Note that myself I "owned" a German Shepherd a few years ago (I think she owned me lol), they are one of my favorite breeds, and she was a great dog. I love dogs (and cats) generally, they have always been the best companions.

Note also that there is a lot more "fatal attacks" by humans against other humans every year, then fatal attacks by dogs (had to point that out).

Anna, Your post is one that shows concern and love.. BUT, until parents realize that dogs are like anyone or thing else. they have good and bad days. Now if the parents of these small children would realize that these children don't come equipped with knowledge of not to pinch, pull, or just annoy a dog, that would be an improvement. Parents that allow their children to be around a pit bull, need no children..
I love my dog and no its not a pit bull.. People have to use common sense and when they don't, arrest them.. I still believe, to have children one should have to apply for a permit.. Instructions and a signed contract of how they will obey the rules of parenting..Can you imagine the pain some of these children go through just because an "ADULT" didn't use common sense.

I am angered this happened.. I remember the woman that was killed by two pit bulls in San Fran a few years back.. These dogs do have a reputation and stats to prove they are very dangerous.. There are three or so breeds other than the pit as well.

Parents need to be charged for these stupid decisions and should pay the consequences...

For the people who class death by a car to death by a pit bull, I bet I will stand by any strange car for a whole day and it will never bite me.

For one I would not have a dog that bites period I dont give a rats tail what the breed is. If the parents did not kill that dog or have it put to sleep they should loose their child I hope the little girl is okay. I personally would shoot that damn dog multipul times.