Breeding pit bulls banned

I have heard of certain laws that are now banning the breeding of pit bulls. In all honesty is this fair? Do you think the breed should be or should not be phased out? Why?

 

It depends on the location. Some cities and even small towns ave been having problems with people breeding pit bulls for illegal dog-fighting. We all know that dog-fighting is abusive to dogs, and they also train the dogs to be mean. These dogs have the potential to be dangerous, especially around young children. Not all pit bulls are raised that way, but one bad apple (owner) can spoil it for everyone else. It is sad but true and becoming more prevalent.

 

You are talking about Breed Specific Legislation and really it is not only pitbulls or pitbull type dogs they do this with. No it is not fair and it reaches so far that even if you have one that is a therapy or seeing eye dog and it is of a breed that is ban you have to either move or get rid of your dog because they are that strict. They view all of them as a problem, not just the ones that happen to be a problem. Any dog has the potential to be dangerous around children and actually little dogs are the worse due to their size and fear biting that happens due to children being clumsy and not as easy with dogs as they should be. It is mainly bigger breeds that you will see this with though, I do know that even chihuahua's are on the banned list in Australia.There has been a lot of media attention lately on BSL and mainly the fact that they are saying no to a lot of the places that are trying to put bans on these dogs. I actually just helped a group of other bull breed owners in North Carolina stop a BSL bill from being signed into law. The out pouring against the bill was so great it was pulled before it even went up for vote.
They tried with the Doberman, German Sheppard and Rottweiler and those dogs still make the rounds on the lists of dogs that should be banned along with the pitbull. Actually along with pitbulls or pitbull type breeds, these dogs are on the lists from home insurance companies that are considered high risk. Shame too my chihuahua's have always been more dangerous than my old pitbulls and my current dogs.

 

On one hand I don't think it's fair to ban this breed completely. On the other, there are just so many irresponsible owners who shouldn't have these dogs because they might be dangerous if they weren't trained well. In my opinion there should be some kind of a test - if a person wanted to have a dog like this, he would have to pass it.

 

Any dog can be dangerous, by stating that a certain breed is more dangerous than another in its size class is just as bad as BSL(Breed Specific Legislation). Pitbull's are the same as any other dog, people just don't get that because they've been force fed that they're "dangerous" their whole lives. When statistically a German Shepard is more likely to bite you, and a Cocker Spaniel of all dogs is the most likely. If a person wants a dog at all, they should have to pass a test; not just for pits.

 

In general, I feel that there should be a test especially for owners of bigger dogs, not only of pit bulls. But I agree, it wouldn't do any harm if the test was mandatory for all.
My little Yorkshire Terrier wouldn't be able to hurt an adult person but I'm fully aware that he could be dangerous for a child.

 

Actually I have bitten 2 times in my life by dogs and both of them have been little dogs. I got bit in the face by my mothers chihuahua when I was 22 and by my friends parents Yorkie 2 years ago. I actually still have a scar from where she jumped up and bit me in my inner thigh. Little dog bites tend to not be reported because they are little dogs. If owners of bigger breeds to have to take a test than all dog owners should have to. Any dog can and will bite, regardless of breed. I was at a dog show this weekend with my big dogs and the problem children who were nipping people and acting out where the little ones. People make the mistake of thinking because it is a little dog that the behavior is okay because they can't do much damage. A bite is a bite no matter the size of the dog. If there is to be a rule it should be for everyone. To me BSL and similar laws are just a way to teach people it is okay to be prejudice against a breed or hate a breed because of something some jerk did with their dog.

 

What I meant is that a small dog won't kill an adult human. Even when Homer is really angry at me, all he can do is to bite my ankle or, if he jumped, my knee. It sometimes hurts, but it's not dangerous and I could stop him if it became a problem. If he was bigger and stronger, it wouldn't be this easy, I would be scared of him.
But I really don't have anything against pit bulls, I'm sure that they can be as sweet dogs as any other breed.

 

I also think that any breed of dog can be dangerous if trained to be dangerous. Pit bulls should not be trained for fights.

 

Yes, sure, but sometimes people decide to buy big, strong dogs even though they have no idea how to train them. Although I'm aware that most of these owners don't have bad intentions, in my opinion they're irresponsible. When you want to have a pit bull or other strong breed, you need to know how to train it, otherwise a dog like this might become really dangerous.

 

They are irresponsible, not a matter of opinion, it's flat out fact. You should have some type of inclination to train a dog, regardless of size. I see people constantly walking over-active hyper small dogs off leashes. One of the most irresponsible things you can possibly do with a dog, all it takes is one time for them to become curious about the street, or to wander into someones yard, a bush with a Raccoon in it, etc. Your small dog obviously can't kill/hurt you, but he is (more than likely) exerting the exact same behavior as many dogs do. It needs to be quelled regardless of size(it might seem cute now),but what if he got out and got into a fight with another dog his size? Or a Raccoon and because his behavior has dictated that biting someone hasn't ever really gotten him in trouble, or hurt, he may try to do it again thinking it will have the same result. Obviously standards are set for dogs regardless of size, but the standards for people shouldn't change no matter what type/size of animal they are choosing to accept into their life.

 

I completely agree, it's so irresponsible! I never walk my Homer off leash, it's too dangerous. I would be scared that he could decide to chase a cat or simply to run away. Also, he is very aggressive, he always tries to attack dogs much bigger than him so I prefer to be extra careful during our walks.

 

I think since there are a huge number of Pit Bulls currently in the shelter system it makes sense to not breed more of them while others get put to sleep. I think an actual ban is a little strict since some of the nicest dogs I've met have been Pit Bulls. If you consider that the dog that is most aggressive in the form of biting is actually the Cocker Spaniel, banning another breed seems sort of silly. I do not think people should breed Pit Bulls right now though. Almost half of the dogs in shelters are Pit Bulls.

 

My mother owned a Cocker Spaniel when she was a teenager and it's true, he was very aggressive and he bit her many times. But again, in my opinion it was mostly her fault, since she didn't know how to train him. Any dog can be aggressive if he isn't trained well.

 

I think it's just a tad over the line to expect someone to take a test to own a pet. I have 6 pits, half of which are rescue dogs. I can't get them to do back flips or play dead very well, but they have been raised in a very loving environment. They have never attacked or bitten anybody, and I trust them to around any children. They're loyal and loving. And I feel safe at night knowing they're there. When my newest family member started getting around, 3 out of 5 big ones were cleaning her and cleaning up after her. She can run up and attack any of them without me worrying she will get hurt. When I take her outside to go potty I let my 8 year old pit go with us. He isn't interested in playing with her, but he'll keep her in the yard. My biggest concern if someone broke into my house is that they might run and hide behind me. I already had to take a test to drive, and to CCW, I'm not going to take one to own a pit anymore than I'll take one to have a child.

 

LilAnn, you are awesome!!! Thank you so much for being part of the solution and not the problem (by adopting your pit bulls) , I really admire people who do that If more people adopted dogs, then this world would be a better place. One step at the time

 

Two (one of which passed a couple of years ago), were supposed to be fosters. They were taken to the animal shelter after their mom bit a 2 yr old. He had a lot of dogs, they thought they might be bait dogs. It was less than a month before I absolutely could not let them go anywhere. I havent tried to foster since. i just adopt them. I've got the land and the means to take care of them, and they deserve to be happy, too. The only reason i dont have more is because i dont believe in outside dogs. especially as cold as the winters and as hot as the summers are getting around here. My house isnt big enough for any more. Lol. i get so much out of it, too. Nothing makes me happier than proving people wrong about pits, and every one of mine can do it.

 

That is very nice. I had a pit bull while growing up. She died too young though, she had vision problems My parents didn't let me keep her for too long, but I really fought for my dog to get back up in her feet. She still died, but at least I tried. Thanks for doing that I think pits are one of the most demonized breeds out there, ANY dog can bite. I've heard of a lot labs losing it with kids, yet you don't hear so much about it. If a pit does it then hell is set loose.

 

That is true, Claudine! I think this is what went wrong my my mom's vicious Australian shepherd. He already belonged to a breed that tends to be a bit aggressive if not trained right, so that didn't help. By the way, was that dog the one that bite the friend of your mom on the face?

 

Yes, it was that dog.
But I no longer think it was my mother's fault. The more I learn about that dog, the more I hate him. He clearly was insane. I'm glad I never met him.