Pit bull coming at me, owner screaming "Vicious NO"

[H2Andy]

people that google everything before they post instead of developing discerning opinions of their own about life have a huge reality check when they have children.

well, you are creating a false dichotomy here. i don't know anyone whose entire
life experience is "book knowledge" or whose entire life experience is "street
knowledge."

most rational people have a good mix of both.

Andy, your assumption that I need to hold anyone accountable is wrong. I said I don't like the dogs and I avoid people who have them, in most cases. I said I would not leave my little child at someone's house that had one. I look for ways to impact MY world.

i'm not assuming anything. we're discussing the merits of two statements,
"a breed is at fault" or "the owner is at fault."

just be aware that how well you protect your child is dictated by the answer
to that question. just because some people you know have a poodle doesn't
mean your kid is safe with them. they might be awful owners and the poodle
may bite your kid.

on the other hand, good owners with a pitbull will mean that your child is safe.

see?

There is no requirement that I be "fair" to Pit Bulls.

ok, that's your choice. i choose to try to be fair to all forms of life, whether
they are "just a dog" or a person.

actually, it goes beyond that. it goes to an attempt to see reality for
what it is, as opposed to projecting pre-conceived notions unto it.

 

[ShakaZulu]

When I was small a big dog grabbed my leg and wanted to make babies with me. Everytime I tried to move, he would narl at me. Scared the S out of me, and I had to stand there till my dad came out of the house.........keep your dogs in your yard. Do dogs really enjoy peeing somewhere else than in their own yard? I don't even think they realise they are in a different place? Why do people take dogs for a ride?

 

[H2Andy]

When I was small a big dog grabbed my leg and wanted to
make babies with me. Everytime I tried to move, he would narl at me. Scared the S
out of me, and I had to stand there till my dad came out of the house.........

this explains SO much

 

[RonFrank]

If I remember right they have lock bites. If they bite they will rip out hunks before they can open their mouths....it would not have been pretty.

This is a popular myth, likely resulting from such misinformation on the net. Their jaws don't have anything that locks. They can however close their jaws, and not choose to open them which is not quite the same.

 

[ShakaZulu]

this explains SO much

I take offense to that, till this day I'm emotionally scarred................just ask my girlfriend

 

[Cacia]

Ideally people have both types of knowledge, some people have very little of one or the other. No, "how I protect my child" has nothing to do with "who is at fault".--that's where you and I don't agree at all. In fact, I don't even understand how you could say that. Unless you mean it is my fault if I leave them with one.
Saying that Pit Bulls have a temperment not suited for kids is really not too radical. Especially if you are actually trying to get them through their day. The comment Rachel made about not leaving her child with any dog she did not know is ....well, just not practical if you are planning on having a stimulating life. It is like people who say to their kids "don't talk to strangers." Just not real helpful. At some point, being willing to make discernments, however unproven, can be a useful tactic.

 

[RonFrank]

I could have permanently injured or killed him if needed.
Ber :lilbunny:

If it came down to a bet between you, your wrist guard, and an aggresive PitBull, I'm sorry, I'd have to lay odds on the PitBull, and they would be 10:1. :14:

Jamming a wrist guard into that dogs mouth would likely just piss him off, and once he yanked that thing out of his mouth, he'd likely be going after parts of you so fast that you would be unable to fend him off. On rollerblades in the dirt, maybe the odds go to 20:1 as once he knocked you down things could go very wrong. However standing ground against most animals is the right thing to do. You'd be better off kicking his teeth in with a rollerblade.

I'm very glad that no dog or person was hurt. Those girls needed to have that dog on a leash at the very least.

In Denver we had a number of Pit Bull's either seriously injure, and even kill people. They now have a ban on them in a couple counties which requires registration and insurance. IMO that's just the wrong approach as I agree with Andy, it's not the dog, it's the owners. People who are irresponsible are NOT going to bother to register, or get insurance.

 

[lowwall]

The New Yorker had a very interesting article on this very issue.

http://www.newyorker.com/printables/fact/060206fa_fact

Their conclusion, it really is about the owners. Pit bulls aren't inherently more dangerous than breeds like German Shepherds or Rottweilers. The number of people killed by dogs stays roughly the same year after year, but the type changes according to what is fashionable among those that breed or train dogs for aggressiveness.

The strongest connection of all, though, is between the trait of dog viciousness and certain kinds of dog owners. In about a quarter of fatal dog-bite cases, the dog owners were previously involved in illegal fighting. The dogs that bite people are, in many cases, socially isolated because their owners are socially isolated, and they are vicious because they have owners who want a vicious dog.

 

[cinder4320]

Why do people take dogs for a ride?

How does my dogs in my car effect you? My dogs go everywhere. They are well behaved and if i want them in my car with me then so be it. They are living beings which enjoy outings and need to be entertained.

Miranda

 

[ScubaTexan]

The most common dog referred to as a pit bull is an American Staffordshire Terrier (and the English cousin, the Staffordshire Terrrier).

Actually, according to this informative article I found, the dog referred to as "pit bull" is an American Pit Bull Terrier, which is a first cousin of the American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Terrier, according to the American Kennel Club.

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/amerpit.html

Remember Spuds McKenzie? He was an American Bull Terrier.