Pit Bulls

Only of their owners, who use them for attacks.

I have actually met quite a few of them, up close ever, and I am still alive and intact.

The American Staffordshire terrier is one of several breeds of dog known as the 'pit bull.' Because several dogs are included in this description, the injury rate is understandably quite high. This would be the equivelant of saying that all blacks are dangerous and then prove it by showing prison statistics of blacks, latinos, Asians, Italians and Iraqi's. However, I will confine this review to the Am. Staff because they are one of the more popular breeds of pit bull. The Am. Staff was bred to fight, this proves beyond a shadow of doubt that people back then were cruel and starved for entertainment. Because they were bred to fight, it was very important that they be highly tractable and have loyal temperments. Am. Staffs are true terriers, they are active, playful and confident. At the turn of the 20th century they were very popular family pets it was not until the last 30 years or so that people began to fear them. When trained using positive ennforcement (as you should do with all dogs) and socialization, the Am. staff is a loyal, affectionate, intelligent companion. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that this breed is not genetically more agressive than any other.
The current temperament score according to the American Temperament test 2008 is 85.3% this is out of 665 dogs that were tested. More were tested than any other breed. They also scored higher than most breeds.
In the wrong hands this breed is dangerous.
In the wrong hands a gun is dangerous.
In the wrong hands a car is dangerous.

*For every 1 (one) pit bull that kills, there are 10.5 million who DO NOT.
*A pit bull is half a MILLION times more likely to be KILLED BY US, than the other way around.

One more statistic:
Of 'pit bulls' and rottwielers who have caused injury to people, their owners have a higher criminal record than any other breed. Of the pits and rotts whose owners have no criminal background, the rate of injury is less than average.
Please punish the people and not the dogs.
This is something that I see all the time and it is something that I take damned seriously. There are few animals that I see that are more subject to human cruelty.

Please note: If you have a small ego, self esteem issues, a small penis or just want to look tough: DO NOT get this dog. They don't need your problems. See a shrink, get a penis enlarger or just work out more. Until your issues are resolved, STAY THE HELL AWAY from this breed. If you are a decent, kind animal lover looking for an active, easy to train companion, this is the dog for you.

Please check out these articles by people smarter than I.
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Pit_bull
http://www.atts.org/stats1.html
http://dontbullymybreed.org/
http://www.dogexpert.com/Dog%20Bite%20Statistics/Do gbitestatisticshome.html (keep in mind that many dogs fall under the umbrella of pits. )

Only if their owner made them mean.

The ones I've Known have been Friendly, but they tend to jump a lot and seem to have a lot of Energy. Seems like a good dog to go Hiking with.

I'm only familiar with two of these beasts.

The one who lives in New York likes to have his ears scratched.

The other one - who lives in Florida - might lick you to death, if you don't watch out.

http://tinyurl.com/4fdxm

I hate the damn things, and I tire of the excuses. If I see one in my yard....target practice.
It is such a load of crap when people say that "it all depends on the owner", etc. How often do you hear about a Lab or an Irish Setter chewing the face off a two-year-old?
These monsters have been bred for fighting and killing- it is in the DNA.

These dogs are nervous and high strung. They can be made to do much harm. They bear watching, but many breeds in the canine kingdom fall into the same category.

"That was strange, my Pit never attacked anybody before".

I don't want me or my family on the other end of that statement.

I work in people's houses as a satellite dish installer, and I meet alot of dogs on these jobs. Sometimes a Pit gets put away because the dog is "funny with people" and sometimes they're frickin' babies. Know the difference and you won't get the business from them most times. For the record, the most vicious customer's dog I have encountered was a chihuahua named Chiquita. Its a good thing I was wearing jeans that day.

Fear these lousy mutts, their owners, who are mostly sleazy dirtbags or some sappy freaks who think they are misunderstood.

I'm leery of them until I know for sure, but to fear them just because they're pits...no. Not all pits were raised to be aggressive and it's ridiculous to assume such.

You betcha. Staying clear of them, I am.