Why Do They Have Such A Bad Rep?

[Freshstart16]

Ok, I hope this is ok to post here.

I've read news articles etc and before I had met one I will admit I was frightened of them because of all the bad stuff I had heard, I have only ever met 2 pitbulls and they were the most amazing cuddly friendly dogs EVER, every time I would go see a friend of mine who had one, as soon as she realized it was me she would run over to me and want a cuddle, when I sat down in the house there she was leaning into my legs "pat me pat me pat me"

Most people I know would never own a pit bull - "oh i wouldn't trust them etc etc"

So the way I see it every dog has a likely-hood of being aggressive, If you were to purchase a APBT from a reputable breeder with temperament history or whatever, what makes those dogs anymore likely to attack than the next breed?

Im sorry if this is a written wrong, I want to know why pit bulls have such a bad name, isnt it all about how the dog is raised?

[APBT]

Good post, ive had APBT's in and around my family for 30 odd years, never had a problem just the odd dog scrap here and there,

From some of the comments i get from people it seems to me the american pit bull terrier is one of the most misunderstood breeds ever.

i will always own and love this breed no matter what.

Edited February 1, 2010 by APBT

[MonElite]

Its not only pitbulls that have the bad rep. Try a rottie or a dobe as couple of examples...

[Freshstart16]

Yeah, I have heard that rotties,dobes and even GSDs also have had very bad reps and now its all about the poor pitty.

The poor babies, when are they going to realize that its dickhead owners who are the problem. its sad that because of the reputation that a APBT has, it attracts people that want dogs for the wrong reason. (fighting etc) I understand that some dogs are people aggressive but i dont think its any more likely to come from a APBT than a freakin Chihuahua ( the most aggressive dog i had ever met was a chi) I was petrified of it after it came at me from under my friends kitchen table, teeth exposed lunging(sp?) at me,trying to bite me

I dont hate chis because of one bad experience i understand that it was that particular dog not the entire freakin breed, so why cant everyone else see that?

[laeral]

When my GSD girl was 12 weeks old, I took her with me to a horse sale as I didnt want to leave her home. When I went to register the lady cooed over her, what a cute puppy etc. She then asked what breed she was. GSD I said.

She immediately backed away with a look of horror and disgust.

"They arent very nice dogs you know, she will turn on you when she gets older, dont trust her for a second. Horrible, horrible dogs" she said.

I was crushed. She was only 12 weeks old, the lady acted like she was going to rip her thoat out at any second.

[Freshstart16]

When my GSD girl was 12 weeks old, I took her with me to a horse sale as I didnt want to leave her home. When I went to register the lady cooed over her, what a cute puppy etc. She then asked what breed she was. GSD I said.

She immediately backed away with a look of horror and disgust.

"They arent very nice dogs you know, she will turn on you when she gets older, dont trust her for a second. Horrible, horrible dogs" she said.

I was crushed. She was only 12 weeks old, the lady acted like she was going to rip her thoat out at any second.

Oh my god!!! that must have made you feel like absolute s**t, if someone had said that to me I would have started crying right there and then

So im assuming this lady either had a bad experience with a GSD or knows someone who did, but that doesn't make your dog a crazed loony. Im guessing some dogs just arn't wired right in the head or they have obviously had something bad happen to them and have fear issues or people aggression because of it.

Well this is what I imagine anyway, please correct if im wrong.

[Pointees]

When my GSD girl was 12 weeks old, I took her with me to a horse sale as I didnt want to leave her home. When I went to register the lady cooed over her, what a cute puppy etc. She then asked what breed she was. GSD I said.

She immediately backed away with a look of horror and disgust.

"They arent very nice dogs you know, she will turn on you when she gets older, dont trust her for a second. Horrible, horrible dogs" she said.

I was crushed. She was only 12 weeks old, the lady acted like she was going to rip her thoat out at any second. :D

You would also have to take into consideration, a number of people are actually scared of either big dogs, or dogs in general. So stories about dog attacks on humans and other animals tend to build up this fear even more...

Take my mum for instance... She used to be scared of anything bigger then a Staffy... ;) She was always saying about how she would get the family a BC, but came home with a malt cross...

Well, a year and a half later, I wanted a Pointer, and a bitch came home.. This cured her fear a little... Then, a year and a half after that, a second Pointer bitch... Then, 3 months later, a GSP dog.

Needless to say, she isn't scared of my guys any more.

I know the feeling, I was had a lady yell at me while I was walking my GSD dog at the beach... Mind you, she was just sitting on the grass, and my dog and I were walking on the sand, dog on a lead, and she just had to yell out... ;) My GSD was the sweetest thing, such a great family dog... I still miss her.

I have spoken to a vet in my area, apparently the Labrador is the breed he puts down the most for biting someone. :D I couldn't believe it.

In all honesty, if Labs and GSD were as nasty as people believe, then they wouldn't be used as guide dogs, true?

The GSD has a bad name because they have been, and still are used as guard dogs, same with dobes, rotties, etc, etc, etc.

All we can do as either owners or admirers of these breeds is try to inform others of the positives of owning this breed.

[Freshstart16]

yeah, its a hard situation but like you said i guess all you can do is inform others of the positives, thanks for some great responses guys. :D

[FD26]

Good post, ive had APBT's in and around my family for 30 odd years, never had a problem just the odd dog scrap here and there,

From some of the comments i get from people it seems to me the american pit bull terrier is one of the most misunderstood breeds ever.

i will always own and love this breed no matter what.

I agree with you here! I love pitbulls I owned one in the states, and had many friends who owned them, and we never had any trouble with them. It all comes down to what you teach the dog to do. My partner would never have a pitbull because he thinks they're all agressive and I wouldn't have one here as they are too hard to register, etc. but I do still love them, they're beautiful dogs. :D

[mr.mister]

Great post.

I've been around all sorts of dogs all my life, especially as a child and have been nipped twice - once out of actual aggression by what the owners called a 'miniature longhaired kelpie' (um..) and the second time by a GSD I always played with in the park - well really I should say she mouthed my hand trying to get the ball, and though it hurt I knew she'd meant no harm and minutes later we were back playing together.

A lot of people just tend to believe media hype, but others I can sort of sympathise with their fear. I close friend of mine, when she was a child, witnessed the neighbour's GSD kill her maltese. Since then she's always feared them and disliked them, and though not all GSD's are like that at all, who can blame her? It would have really scarred her.

Having always been attracted to larger dogs I have always loved, been around, and played with GSD's, dobes, rotties particularly (my sister owned two and they were both the biggest lumps of sooks on the planet) and bull-type breeds. None have been aggressive to me and I have only had good experiences with them. It is such a shame that these breeds get such bad reps but until all the irresponsible or ignorant owners out there step up and be responsible, they will unfortunately keep their bad name.

[Pointees]

Having always been attracted to larger dogs I have always loved, been around, and played with GSD's, dobes, rotties particularly (my sister owned two and they were both the biggest lumps of sooks on the planet) and bull-type breeds. None have been aggressive to me and I have only had good experiences with them. It is such a shame that these breeds get such bad reps but until all the irresponsible or ignorant owners out there step up and be responsible, they will unfortunately keep their bad name.

I'm the same! I have always LOVED bigger dogs. Mum wouldn't let me have a GSD or Rotty, so I got a Pointee, and now love them just as much! With that said, dad had a GSD at that point in time, and a Labardor! OMG! Two nasty breeds! ;) Sorry, had to add that.

As much as I love the Pointees, I would still add a GSD or Rotty to the family.... If I had property!

[Longcoat]

'Naomi83' date='30th Jan 2010 - 04:11 PM' post='4296373'

So the way I see it every dog has a likely-hood of being aggressive, If you were to purchase a APBT from a reputable breeder with temperament history or whatever, what makes those dogs anymore likely to attack than the next breed?

Many people believe that potential aggression isn't breed related and is related to the way a dog is raised and trained which is true to some extent, but as much as I try to embrace that idea IMHO, some breeds do have more instinctive traits to be aggressive than others.

In my experience with Retrievers, (Labradors, Flat Coats and Golden's) and GSD's which we have owned and trained over many years, absolutely without question, the GSD has a more aggressive instinct with more potential to bite someone than a Retriever does. Having said that, I have found the Retrievers have more potential to bite their owners than a GSD especially with food and possession aggression where a GSD is more prone to bite strangers where the Retrievers tend to love everyone and the GSD is suspicious and more territorial.

Both breeds raised poorly with insufficient training would result in the GSD becoming more of a public danger than a Retriever which is a reason as I see it why the GSD along with Rotties, Dobes and Pits have attained bad reputations more so than other breeds. I do however believe that ALL breeds raised and trained properly especially the breeds with greater instinct for aggression are catered for in their raising/training correctly can be be good canine citizens. The one's that aren't raised and trained properly is what highlights the breed aggressive tendancies.

[OzPit]

Strange as it may seem, one of the most engaging traits of the breed is its gentle disposition...it is easy to see how such a trait has evolved by the simple elimination of the dogs that didn't have it. Take into consideration, for example, the fact that in the pit the dogs have to be handled and ministered to many times in the course of a typical match. How much more difficult things would be if the dogs out of pain, fear, savagery or whatever, would be inclined to bite their handlers. For that matter, a dog that scratched to the referee instead of to the other dog would be a definite liability! Dogs that did not stay cool under pressure and make a definite discrimination between human and animal were, therefore, systematically weeded out.

- Richard F. Stratton, "The Book of The American Pit Bull Terrier", 1981

An APBT indeed has an "instinctive trait" to be aggressive - towards dogs. There is a lot of evidence attesting to the APBT's stable nature around people, just as there is a lot of evidence attesting to its inclination to be extremely DA.

Unfortunately, due to their sheer power and inherent "gameness", they have the potential to do serious damage to a human just like the other powerful breeds mentioned (GSDs, rotties, dobes). The problem lies with the idiots who misunderstand the breed's true nature and churn out unstable puppies from unstable parents and peddle them to other idiots who are either unwilling or unable to properly manage the dogs they are given. Cue maltreatment, a lack of socialisation and training, and encouragement of aggression. These dogs then become ticking time bombs, as would any other breed if treated the same way. APBTs have a certain "image" to certain people so there's a disproportionately large number of these dogs being treated in ways that can create instability and aggression. And the stable ones don't make headlines, so the general public doesn't know they exist.

A properly bred & cared for APBT is IMO one of the least aggressive dogs you could encounter and a poorly bred & cared for APBT would have me heading for the hills in an instant. It's all in the way they're bred and handled.

[Longcoat]

Strange as it may seem, one of the most engaging traits of the breed is its gentle disposition...it is easy to see how such a trait has evolved by the simple elimination of the dogs that didn't have it. Take into consideration, for example, the fact that in the pit the dogs have to be handled and ministered to many times in the course of a typical match. How much more difficult things would be if the dogs out of pain, fear, savagery or whatever, would be inclined to bite their handlers. For that matter, a dog that scratched to the referee instead of to the other dog would be a definite liability! Dogs that did not stay cool under pressure and make a definite discrimination between human and animal were, therefore, systematically weeded out.

- Richard F. Stratton, "The Book of The American Pit Bull Terrier", 1981

An APBT indeed has an "instinctive trait" to be aggressive - towards dogs. There is a lot of evidence attesting to the APBT's stable nature around people, just as there is a lot of evidence attesting to its inclination to be extremely DA.

Unfortunately, due to their sheer power and inherent "gameness", they have the potential to do serious damage to a human just like the other powerful breeds mentioned (GSDs, rotties, dobes). The problem lies with the idiots who misunderstand the breed's true nature and churn out unstable puppies from unstable parents and peddle them to other idiots who are either unwilling or unable to properly manage the dogs they are given. Cue maltreatment, a lack of socialisation and training, and encouragement of aggression. These dogs then become ticking time bombs, as would any other breed if treated the same way. APBTs have a certain "image" to certain people so there's a disproportionately large number of these dogs being treated in ways that can create instability and aggression. And the stable ones don't make headlines, so the general public doesn't know they exist.

A properly bred & cared for APBT is IMO one of the least aggressive dogs you could encounter and a poorly bred & cared for APBT would have me heading for the hills in an instant. It's all in the way they're bred and handled.

Personally, I can never really understand why some people looking for a "tough dog" image buy APBT's for that purpose, as the "toughness" they are after is directed against people in the attitude that having a APBT will scare everyone. :confused. The bit I find silly, is that people and authorities using high level protection dogs of man stopping aggression are not APBT's..........so why do these people buy APBT's instead of the proven protection breeds when wanting a tough dog image???. The origin of the APBT was dog fighting, not fighting humans and the concept that I too determine as idiots who use APBT's as a protective weapon doesn't make sense to me???

[OzPit]

Personally, I can never really understand why some people looking for a "tough dog" image buy APBT's for that purpose, as the "toughness" they are after is directed against people in the attitude that having a APBT will scare everyone. :confused. The bit I find silly, is that people and authorities using high level protection dogs of man stopping aggression are not APBT's..........so why do these people buy APBT's instead of the proven protection breeds when wanting a tough dog image???. The origin of the APBT was dog fighting, not fighting humans and the concept that I too determine as idiots who use APBT's as a protective weapon doesn't make sense to me???

You're assuming the idiots use logic in their decision

I reckon they choose APBTs for a few reasons. Popular culture - American rappers for example use a lot of APBTs in their film clips, although now they're leaning more towards the American Bully-type dogs. Public opinion - like it or not, APBT, APBT crosses and dogs wrongly identified as such tend to be the breeds that make headlines when they attack. The media's creating mass hysteria when it comes to these dogs and these idiots buy into it, regardless of the fact that many of the dogs labelled "Pit Bulls" aren't that at all. They just hear what the media wants them to hear; that the dogs are weapons. And that's attractive to some morons. Also (and I think this is the big one) "rarity" (if it can be called such) - you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know the dogs are banned in the Oz states. What an ego boost, getting your hands on one of those "illegal" animals. Bonus points if it's one of the "rare" and "crazy" "red-nose pitties".

They're going for shock value. They COULD walk an aggressive GSD down the street and get a few glances from Joe Public. Or, they could strap their freaky, muscle-bound hybrid Pit Bull type (with a red nose!! How risque!) into a stupid metal-studded leather harness, walk it down the street and enjoy the twisted validation that comes from having everybody cross the road to avoid them. The public's not as wary of the proven protection breeds as they are about anything that MIGHT or might not be an APBT.

[whippets]

Yeah, I have heard that rotties,dobes and even GSDs also have had very bad reps and now its all about the poor pitty.

The poor babies, when are they going to realize that its dickhead owners who are the problem. its sad that because of the reputation that a APBT has, it attracts people that want dogs for the wrong reason. (fighting etc) I understand that some dogs are people aggressive but i dont think its any more likely to come from a APBT than a freakin Chihuahua ( the most aggressive dog i had ever met was a chi) I was petrified of it after it came at me from under my friends kitchen table, teeth exposed lunging(sp?) at me,trying to bite me

I dont hate chis because of one bad experience i understand that it was that particular dog not the entire freakin breed, so why cant everyone else see that?

I'd rather be attacked by a chihuahua than an APBT.

[sandgrubber]

Another factor working against the APBT is the name. That 'pit' thing really scares me. The most serious dog attack I've had in my boarding kennel was an APBT X Lab that looked more Lab like . .. but went for the throat of a little SBT (thanks to a flying tackle, no more harm than a few puncture wounds). I have met some very lovable Pitties, and don't support BSL for them. But I think it is necessary to have pressure kept on APBT breeders to tone down the DA and eliminate the HA tendencies sometimes manifested in this breed -- and other breeds with a history of breeding for fighting or aggression.

[chrisjc]

as well as being the most missunderstood breed out there, it also has i would say the highest percentage of uneducated owners.

because a fair slice of the owners are of the "undesirable" type, that side of the ownership type realy dont know what they are getting them selves into when they seek out their dog.

A; they would specifically seek out a dog thats parents have been recommended as great"gaurd" dog. with this breed this will only equate to one thing and that is back yard breeders, which obviously means bad breeding practices.

B; with little knowledge of the true temperament of the true APBT, usually means the dog is not well socialised , kept locked up or on a chain 24hrs a day and rarely exercised.

those two factors equate to a poorly bred dog with a bucketload of tension, and this is the last breed you want like that.

The truth is the APBT is no more dangerous than your street variety gsd, mastiff , or rottie, the difference is the owners and a little thing called bsl.

if the APBT was legal to import and own there would be a lot more responsible owners around and alot less idiots due to the fact that its no longer against the law to keep, and therfore taking the stigma of having "the baddest dog in the street" away.

breeding practices would be better[if done the right way], and the breed would be turning up in agility events, and other working dog dog type activities and it would shine a better light on the entire breed.

the silly thing is the "dogmen" of old who had extremely good breeding practices considering the role in mind for the dogs, rarely had incidents of dogs attacking and in those times when it was classed as a gentlemens sport, any dog that showed any human aggresion were culled out of the breeding program with no further thought. you try having two human agressive dogs fighting in a 8x8 pit with three people with them and try not to get bitten.

it would be near impossible.

where the old dogs of this type were culled out of the program, these days with idiot owners those types of temperements are high up on the "dogs to breed list".

the reason that APBT's when breed correctly are such great companions is because that is a role the have allways had. beleive it or not some of the greatest pit dogs of all time were house pets.

as much as the breed has a bloody past the truth is, every single decent owner of the APBT is rich in knowledge with the dogs past, ie they have done their research, they know what they want out of their dog and they know exactly what to expect out of the dog.

its pretty rare that any owner of the undesirable type knows anything about the breeds history, other than the parents of their dog was mean.

its the same idiots that ive ran into on the street who compliment my dogs rednose, simply because "rednose bloodline is the baddest", little do they know that the colour of the nose is just that a colour.

owners also need to understand that you can never trust a Pitbull not to fight, it is what they enjoy and excel at, and if you own one you should be socialising that pup from the moment you get your mitts on it or you are more than likely in for trouble.

you wouldnt scold a pointer for doing its job or a labby for bringing the paper to you why blame a pitbull for fighting? they have been bred for it for hundreds of years so its up to the owner to prevent it from happening, for the dogs sake.

the truth is, that the pitbull has been the top of the bsl food chain now for way too long , i know that other breeds have been under the spotlight before but the pitbull has been up there now for nearly twenty years, twenty years too long, and they will stay popular with the morons as long as they stay on top of that list.

[geo]

Another factor working against the APBT is the name. That 'pit' thing really scares me. The most serious dog attack I've had in my boarding kennel was an APBT X Lab that looked more Lab like . .. but went for the throat of a little SBT (thanks to a flying tackle, no more harm than a few puncture wounds). I have met some very lovable Pitties, and don't support BSL for them. But I think it is necessary to have pressure kept on APBT breeders to tone down the DA and eliminate the HA tendencies sometimes manifested in this breed -- and other breeds with a history of breeding for fighting or aggression.

DA has been bred into these dogs for 100+ years, i feel it can be controlled obviuosly through responsible breeding etc..

HA, I haven't met one that is HA personally but i'm sure they're out there, just as all breeds have individual dogs that can be HA, this is not a breed tendencie and never has been, and is exactly the kind of thinking that the media has installed to the unknowing public.

The fact is if we had legal breeders with good ethics many of these issues could be avoided, sure there will still be some idiots out there who want a tuff dog, who will not be a good owner and who will let down all the good pitties and owners out there.

[OzPit]

DA has been bred into these dogs for 100+ years, i feel it can be controlled obviuosly through responsible breeding etc..

HA, I haven't met one that is HA personally but i'm sure they're out there, just as all breeds have individual dogs that can be HA, this is not a breed tendencie and never has been, and is exactly the kind of thinking that the media has installed to the unknowing public.

The fact is if we had legal breeders with good ethics many of these issues could be avoided, sure there will still be some idiots out there who want a tuff dog, who will not be a good owner and who will let down all the good pitties and owners out there.

It can be controlled to an extent but there is the issue of - if you take away the DA then you're taking away a large part of what makes the dog an APBT. A lot of hardcore fanciers of the breed don't want a dog that only looks like an APBT they want a dog that looks & acts like an APBT and DA is a part of that they're willing to deal with.

Too true re: we need breeding legalised. The wheat would be separated from the chaff and the public would start seeing the APBT as it's meant to be. A smart, hard-working, stable dog. Not a bloody-minded child-eating weapon of mass destruction like the public now sees them. There are of course breeders doing the right thing at the moment but they're unable to reap the rewards of their work (that is, public recognition) because then they'd have to admit to owning & breeding a RB. They're doing some hard work and it's a darn thankless task.