Here is another one. I am so sorry for the little girl.

http://www.cnn.com/video/partners/clickability/index.html?url=/video/world/2007/01/02/okelly.uk.dog.mauling.itn

The ending picture of her is what got to me. How tragic it is to have something like that happen.
It is also another tragic blow to the breed unfortunately.

I don't mean to stir the pot here but the first thought that came to my mind was, "Why is it always a pit bull"? Logically, I know that statement is not accurate but, I cannot help but feel it is close to accurate. Is it because they get more media attention then say, a Golden Retriever? I'll be the first to say, that in the last year alone, I've had the misfortune of bumping into well over a dozen nasty Goldens and not one nasty pit bull. But these awful, tragic stories keep on coming.

I know nothing about the breed and from what I hear from owners I bump into along the way, pits couldn't be any sweeter but from my point of view, I can't help but understand people's desire to bash the breed after hearing these stories .

I should add that the mad face was intended for the owner of the pit. I neglected to add that part but still, I understand people bashing the breed as well as the jerk who owns him/her.

Judy I totally have to agree with, I know there are a lot of Pit lovers that will sware it's the owners and not the breed but I think they forget sometimes that the "gene" of these dogs are very important when they purchase or rescue these dogs.For instense my X lives over seas and travels all around Asia,and he has seen a dog fight event, hundreds showed up ,pits against pits or russian bred dogs and middle eastern dogs and he ws telling me that talking with the gentlemen that invited him to the fight(wich is legal in part of Asia)was telling him that you can't buy pups from these dogs (for family dog purpose)because they have been fighting dogs for long generations and are very hard to handle as pups.He also said that they only get their stock from only fighting generation dogs.Anyways, that certain genes of pits are fighters at heart.And I am sure that a lot of pits in rescues or even for sale have that close fighting gene.People have to research their pits pedigree or background.I am not answering to all the questions of why they do what they do but you have to wonder, we talk about working lines and show lines, the ability of working for how many generations ect..I know they are the same things going on with the "fighting" line in these dogs.I asked my x if he finds anything written about those dogs( in Asia) to e-mail it to me.But I really wonder about that ever since he told me about it.We have in numbers as many Pits as Rotts or more and so it's fair to say that pits can be more dangerous in the "average dog owners home" than any other breed?

The ending picture was so sad , a beautiful little girl.
Having a soon to be 5 year old little girl ,I can't imagine not having her in my life, and especially over a family pet gone mad...NO WAY

Sometime ago it was the German Shepherd. It's not the breed.

Yes but it's like having a hard working line and the owner does nothing with the dog cause for one he bought it for a pet in the house, don't you think that that hard working line, lots of drive dog is a time bomb?
Maybe not to Humans but furniture or anything else he can take his energy built up on?
Especially if he is in the house all day and goes out just into a small yard but has NO stimulance other than what's around him in the house, day day out?
I think that goes for any dogs but some breeds are the exeption.
What about the lineage of these dogs ,does any one ever look at that in pits.
Just ideas and assumptions nothing more, Kristine don't think I'm against the breed.
More against some of the people that buy them without doing their homework

I have owned several APBT's. So here is my 2 cents for what it's worth.

A lot of the APBT temperment is breeding. I have put down several around 2-3 years of age because they seem to "turn" if they haven't been bred well. No matter how they are raised. People think they are OK, but around that age they just get weird. I have 2 young kids, so we didn't risk it.

We now have an APBT that we got from a show line in Florida. We researched the lines. He is Purple Ribbon registered which means we can trace his genes back 7 generations to all non-fighting dogs. He is now 8 years old.

We have had no problems with him and he is the best dog, seriously very mellow. We have had intact males come into the yard and attack him and he will just stand there and do nothing. That dog wouldn't know what a fight was, and it's the way we like him.

I guess my point is that, they (IMO) aren't like other breeds where it's more about how you raise them. It's 50/50 how they are raised versus how they are bred.

*one more comment* Most people can't tell a true APBT from a mutt and call them APBT's when really they are just a mixed breed with maybe some pit in there.

Poor kids . Seems like it is always the kids that suffer.
You get mad as hell at the kids sometimes but if they where
to be murdered my life would be over. Men hurt more kids then dogs but the pit bull gets more attention then that horrilbe fact.

Steve

Judy,

I believe with pit bulls it is a combination of factors. I believe the biggest thing is the "type" of person attracted to this dog. For the most part, this "type" of person is not going to buy a golden retriever. I believe that many people who buy this dog are not responsible pet owners. You get many who want a "macho" and "tough" dog who do not take the time to research breeders properly. They go to a "breeder" who can tell them how the dogs they breed have bitten many people and "voila", dog sold!

They take the dog home, don't socialize it, don't exercise it and bam a "menace" to society is born. The dogs start to escape the yard. Neighbors complain. Nothing is done until someone is seriously injured. The media reports the "latest" incident and pit bull hysteria is born.

I believe the same of cane corsos and presas. (After the Whipple mauling in SF, breeders reported more interest than they ever had in the breed.)

Now, I personally believe the pit bull if bred with sound nerves has the potential to be an excellent pet.

I met a rescue a few years ago. The dog had been chained outside. I don't know who bred the dog originally, but it had SOUND nerves. I sat and spoke to the rescue lady who was fosterting the dog and this dog did not bark, growl, or jump on anyone or anything. I contemplated adopting him. (For another breed of dog, other than a GSD, to get my attention is virtually unheard of.)

As for the pit bulls with sound nerves, you won't hear about them because they are too busy being good pets and companions to their families. They are in the hands of responsible people who take care of them properly.