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Neighborhood Pit Bulls ARE dangerous
April 19, 2006Which comes first...the chicken or the egg?
Or in this case...the split-second judgment on a friendly pit bull or a dangerously violent one?
If you happen to run across one in your neighborhood...which are you going to choose?
The story in this morning's paper makes perfect sense. And this blog is not an attack against Roger Whatley or his home-grown pit bulls. He knows what he is talking about, that much is obvious.
Any dog can be made vicious. I have had enough animal safety training courses to know that. But in the spur of the moment, you have to make fast decisions that could or could not endanger your life.
Regardless if there is a dog-fighting ring in North Texas or not....Whatley and his dogs are in a vast minority of friendliness. A simple drive through some of the rougher parts of town and you will see countless pit bulls chained to trees in the front yards, pacing the fence line in the backyards or running around the neighborhood.
Do you want to take the chance that any of those dogs have been taken care of with the kind heart that Whatley's dogs have?
What makes Pit Bulls especially dangerous in my opinion is they are designed to deliver a crushing bite. Even Whatley's nice pit bulls have this genetic trait.
That being said...what makes dogs dangerous in general is post-traumatic stress disorder. Hyper-aggression as a result of mental stress from an event in their lives such as abuse.
Don't believe me? Ever seen a dog die from a broken heart after its playmate or owner died suddenly?
These pit bulls for the most part are dangerous as a result of their upbringing. But even the smallest event can trigger a dangerous and deadly reaction. Maybe separating it from its mother at an early age. That is what happens with non-professional breeders (and some professional ones). These puppies are ripped away from their mother, and despite the environment they grow up in....that alone could be the emotional trigger that turns these dogs into killers.
So it's a combination.....but if you see a pit bull, a breed known for it's aggression under stressful circumstances, facing off with you. Which should you assume?
Is he friendly....is he just posturing for aggression....or will he actually attack me.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Comments
Pit Bulls (you could insert many different breeds... maybe any mistreated dog) are much like guns... I do not want either in the hands of the wrong person. It is hard to tell just by looking at them (people or dogs), what their current state of mind is... So, my answer to your question is I am going to assume the worst and run like hell!
Wow... you really haven't done your research have you? I guess you just come from a bad area of town where no one actually knows how to take care of dogs. It is well known by professional pit bull breeders that they are RARELY agressive towards humans and they have a much higher tendency to be agressive towards other dogs. Out of around 500 FATAL attacks in 2000 none were made by a neutered male pit bull.
It's really sad that they get this reputation. I have one and she's an awesome dog. She even mothers my 3 week old kitten. (3 weeks because it's mother died and I adopted it)
Also, there is no special genetic thing that makes a pitbulls bite any worse than one from a different breed of dog. They have no locking jaw mechanism, they have no PTSD problem. Sure any owner who takes a dog away from its mother too early can screw it up mentally but you can't ignore the people that successfully raise pit bulls into great pets.
Even when raised for fighting they were raised to be friendly to people.
I've done my research... now you can do yours.
Spell check wouldn't hurt either. By the way, you don't have to post my previous comment. I'm just ranting because I'm sick of the way these dogs are treated. Have some faith in people.
Bless your heart, you're just an idiot, aren't you? Certainly, you want to use spell-check. Then again, maybe a "dangerous pit bull" bit off your spell-check finger. Good luck w/your special needs!
A reputation for being aggressive under stressfull situations?! People who know and are familiar with the breed know that a pit bulls REAL reputation is completely the opposite! And I don't think anybody would argue with me (anyone who has done their research that is) when I say that there probably isn't another breed in the world that can be so mistreated and abused in the the most horrible ways imaginable but still love with all their hearts those humans who are willing to show them a little love and kindness. It wasn't long ago that these dogs were the most loved family dogs in America, now we've just thrown them aside as monsters a reputation that they absolutely do not deserve! Do a little research!
