Why Do They Have Such A Bad Rep?

[geo]

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.

I agree, It can come in different forms aswell, in my experience DA that my staffy had is fear based (rescued, suspected of being used for baiting) and he would go for any large dogs straight up no questions asked and cleverly discuising the signs that he was going to attack.

Growing up with DA dogs that just plain didn't like other animals, i have a healthy respect for it, and having 2 dogs now that are dominant but friendly is again a different matter, though i'll find out more when my 7 month old male matures.

All dog owners should be prepared for anything, train your dog, don't let it annoy other dogs and be wary that a fight can happen anytime, you see it all the time down the beach. Owners who have no idea, yet have dogs that they can't handle or can't face the fact that they're dog could cause a fight.

Ideally all dogs (and people) would get along, fact is they don't and as dog owners we must be aware and vigilant that no matter how 'good' our dogs are a fights can, do and will happen, no matter what the breed. And be especially vigilant in breeds where it is previlant.

[sandgrubber]

The Wikipedia gives a nice treatment of the pit-bull question . . . shows the value of letting everyone have a go at writing and rewriting the definitive article can work well. Lots of good references, which make the roots of disagreement clear. See:

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

The Wiki on BSL is also a good read

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breed-specific_legislation

Surprised to see how many places put the APBT, the ASBT, the SBT and the Bull Terrier in the same category . . . guess that makes it possible to gloss over the difficulties many people have in specifying which is which.

Edited February 15, 2010 by sandgrubber

[Adnil444]

OzPit, you have hit the nail on the head - great postings. The morons of society are out there in force unfortunately and until they personally suffer (whether personally or financially) I don't think they will get the message. You see them, strutting their stuff with pit bulls that are not what I would call a classic or true pit bull (I thought, correct me if I am wrong) that a true pit bull isn't a massive muscle bound, huge headed creature, but quite an athletic compact dog. They spend a fortune on studded bits and pieces and think they are so cool - personally I think that they must have a small penis, otherwise why do they need this extension to make them look cool, tough or whatever. They are a joke, however a joke in the wrong hands is often lethal.

[NoKillAustralia]

Pits have a bad rep because people don't understand them and anything they don't understand is scary. Pits are a game dog, not an aggressive dog. Coupled with the nonsense that they fight to the death, never give up, are unpredictable, have 2000lb jaw pressure can anyone not dislike them. IMO governments and the RSPCA have used them to scare people into donating to them and using the divide and conquoer principle to line their own pockets. The media love them because they can get all sorts of lurid footage from dogfightering busts and boost ratings. The dog world didn't recognise the breed under that name so didn't care even tho the SBT and Amstaff are one and the same breed! Finally they were an easy target for those opposed to pet ownership and for governments to control citizens through their pets. Dog owners, instead of standing together felt they could sacrifice the Pit and their breeds would be left alone. Now legislation is in place it is simpler for other breeds to be added in future which will happen unless the dog owners in this country grab the bull by the horns (or is it ba**s) and band together to vote out their opponents. IMO BSL also helps councils and "shelters" kill any dog that resembles a Pit without any justification, leaving more money to be spent on executive salaries.

[APBT]

Pits have a bad rep because people don't understand them and anything they don't understand is scary. Pits are a game dog, not an aggressive dog. Coupled with the nonsense that they fight to the death, never give up, are unpredictable, have 2000lb jaw pressure can anyone not dislike them. IMO governments and the RSPCA have used them to scare people into donating to them and using the divide and conquoer principle to line their own pockets. The media love them because they can get all sorts of lurid footage from dogfightering busts and boost ratings. The dog world didn't recognise the breed under that name so didn't care even tho the SBT and Amstaff are one and the same breed! Finally they were an easy target for those opposed to pet ownership and for governments to control citizens through their pets. Dog owners, instead of standing together felt they could sacrifice the Pit and their breeds would be left alone. Now legislation is in place it is simpler for other breeds to be added in future which will happen unless the dog owners in this country grab the bull by the horns (or is it ba**s) and band together to vote out their opponents. IMO BSL also helps councils and "shelters" kill any dog that resembles a Pit without any justification, leaving more money to be spent on executive salaries.

you speak the truth

[Mum to Emma]

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.

Me too !!

[Mum to Emma]

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.

Why on earth would anyone WANT a DA dog? Purposefully bred DA dogs certainly don't belong in an urban environment.

[APBT]

Just becasue the Breed standard says there DA dose not mean everyone will be, there is just a higher tendency, mines has no aggression towards any dogs.

Most of the APBT around these days are not game tested or game bred so to speak. so its not asif we have Fighting APBT's running the streets, just uneducated people running the streets.

[tybrax]

Why on earth would anyone WANT a DA dog? Purposefully bred DA dogs certainly don't belong in an urban environment.

Rubbish!!

[RottnBullies]

Why on earth would anyone WANT a DA dog? Purposefully bred DA dogs certainly don't belong in an urban environment.

Rubbish!!

Make that a double Rubbish!! ;)

I guess we should pack up all those breeds with DA tendencies of to an isolated Island then shall we!!

Do you think we should start with one of the most popular and common breed found In every suburbia!

[RottnBullies]

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.

Me too !!

Now that Is just downright stupid!

Common sense would have you reply " I'd rather be attacked by neither! "

But hey be my guest I can point In the right direction to some "Little" dogs

who could fulfill that for you! With all the perks to go with It, ie: Hospital and time off work!

[Red Ruby]

We have owned 3 APBT's purchased from reputable breeders in the past and I found them to be the most loving and gentle dogs I have ever known. Personally I would have trusted our APBT's with our children/babies any day, over my mothers chihuahua!! All three would watch our kids as babies/toddlers protectively and get all concerned if they tripped or hurt themselves. They tolerated having ears and tails pulled, little hands stealing dog biscuits out of their bowls while eating, and being climbed all over. Though our dogs were very well socialized and professionally obedience trained.

It amuses me the most when you hear about a dog attack by a vicious APBT...and see it on the news or in the paper and it is a staf cross or some other breed, looking nothing at all like an APBT!!

[APBT]

We have owned 3 APBT's purchased from reputable breeders in the past and I found them to be the most loving and gentle dogs I have ever known. Personally I would have trusted our APBT's with our children/babies any day, over my mothers chihuahua!! All three would watch our kids as babies/toddlers protectively and get all concerned if they tripped or hurt themselves. They tolerated having ears and tails pulled, little hands stealing dog biscuits out of their bowls while eating, and being climbed all over. Though our dogs were very well socialized and professionally obedience trained.

It amuses me the most when you hear about a dog attack by a vicious APBT...and see it on the news or in the paper and it is a staf cross or some other breed, looking nothing at all like an APBT!!

ive had plenty of little kids come of to pat my APBT, i dont even have to think twice about her nipping ect, and like you sed, you can take food right out of her mouth with no issue.

[chrisjc]

unfortunantly, some apbt owners do rather a da dog. if you bought a breed and it wouldnt act like it was interested in the task it was bred for it would hardly be a reperesentation of the breed. sounds stupid but thats just the way it is.

funny thing is the apbt owners that do prefer that are the ones that you will never hear about, mainly because their dogs dont get the chance to attack people or other dogs, they are contained properley, and controled at all times.

and i can say i know of a few people from the states that prefer that trait in their dogs.

[doit4thedogz]

unfortunantly, some apbt owners do rather a da dog. if you bought a breed and it wouldnt act like it was interested in the task it was bred for it would hardly be a reperesentation of the breed. sounds stupid but thats just the way it is.

funny thing is the apbt owners that do prefer that are the ones that you will never hear about, mainly because their dogs dont get the chance to attack people or other dogs, they are contained properley, and controled at all times.

and i can say i know of a few people from the states that prefer that trait in their dogs.

I know of many people who wants their Apbt to be game and DA and not just all show. And that is the way it is, or else they would of just got a staffy. Who would want an Apbt that doesnt act like what it was bred for? MIght aswell get an amstaff. At this point in time if Apbts owners cared about BSL they should stop pumping out litters and giving away dogs. Thats where the problem started. Pumping out litters of DA dogs until every bogan on the block had one. And those bogans bred litters and gave them away to their bogon frineds. And the cycle continued.

Maybe BSL is a good thing. Stop the uneducated fools from getting their hands on them. When apbt owners pumped out DA dogs and it was easy to get them, it was the new trend. Now if people want to breed GAME or DA dogs thats their business. If they cared about the breed they should just breed for themselves, keep a couple of pups and give the rest a knock on the head. But who does care anyway??

[doit4thedogz]

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.

Why on earth would anyone WANT a DA dog? Purposefully bred DA dogs certainly don't belong in an urban environment.

There is an obvious demand for this type of dog. Hence why the breed is popular.

[APBT]

unfortunantly, some apbt owners do rather a da dog. if you bought a breed and it wouldnt act like it was interested in the task it was bred for it would hardly be a reperesentation of the breed. sounds stupid but thats just the way it is.

funny thing is the apbt owners that do prefer that are the ones that you will never hear about, mainly because their dogs dont get the chance to attack people or other dogs, they are contained properley, and controled at all times.

and i can say i know of a few people from the states that prefer that trait in their dogs.

I dont have a Problem with people owing game bred and DA APBT's if they have the experience and know what there doing with the dog, in the wrong hands its a different story.

[poodlefan]

unfortunantly, some apbt owners do rather a da dog. if you bought a breed and it wouldnt act like it was interested in the task it was bred for it would hardly be a reperesentation of the breed. sounds stupid but thats just the way it is.

funny thing is the apbt owners that do prefer that are the ones that you will never hear about, mainly because their dogs dont get the chance to attack people or other dogs, they are contained properley, and controled at all times.

and i can say i know of a few people from the states that prefer that trait in their dogs.

I dont have a Problem with people owing game bred and DA APBT's if they have the experience and know what there doing with the dog, in the wrong hands its a different story.

And its those wrong hands that see the breed in the position it is in today. Too good a dog to change? Then too good a dog to be sold to those who bring its reputation into disrepute.

There have been two dog attacks on people involving APBTs reported in the US news in the last week alone. One was an attack by a dog on its owner. The hows and why's are probably unclear but the bad PR continues unabated. ;)

[geo]

And its those wrong hands that see the breed in the position it is in today. Too good a dog to change? Then too good a dog to be sold to those who bring its reputation into disrepute.

There have been two dog attacks on people involving APBTs reported in the US news in the last week alone. One was an attack by a dog on its owner. The hows and why's are probably unclear but the bad PR continues unabated.

I wonder how many attacks there have been in the last 6 months and how many of them were apbt, most dog attacks go unreported or deemed insignificant, not newsworthy unless it was a pitbull. 2 in 1 week, bad news for apbt owners, yes, but not even close to attacks by other breeds.

The pitbull in the states is a slightly different issue than what we have here because they're one of the most popular dogs and secondly the undesirable owners we have mentioned are more prevelant over there... maybe

We can't really use the USA as any sort of measure for our population.

I don't think many good stories about pitties make the news, it just doesn't sell.

[NoKillAustralia]

Pits were bred to be game, not DA. An aggressive dog is a scared dog and of no use to a dog fighter. Pits have stable temperment. In the states a Pit is defined as an Amstaff an APBT or a SBT. Rightly so as their history proves them to be one and the same breed. Looks differ due to different standards but what makes the dog is what's in it's head. DA is not a problem if the owners are not in denial. If we removed all DA or HA dogs from society there would be very few left. Pits were bred as hunting dogs and only a tiny minority ever abused, yes that's right, fighting Pits are the victims of abuse. The sooner this is recognised the better. Even so many of the biggest names in dogfighting had their fighting Pits (which they called Bulldogs anyway) as house dogs, raised with children and some not even willing to fight outside a Pit. Stereotyping is wrong whether we apply it to humans or dogs. Those attacking Pits are usually using the dogs to attack the owners. Illegal to do openly so get em by killing their pets. That is why Pits have such a bad rep.