That said, I expect that this baby will get nipped (though not necessarily attacked) when it becomes 4-5 years old as the dog gets older and less inclined to tolerate such behaviour.

I rode bareback, alone, all the time....and only broke a toe or two :)

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When I was in NZ they were talking about banning the whole breed. I wonder if they ever did that.

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Staffordshire Bull Terriers (which have a similar reputation for violence and fighting, despite being lovely dogs most of the time) have become the dog du jour instead.

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Newsbunny, I worked with pits and I'd be happy to talk to you about this through PMs. I remember your comments and I like you, even though we disagree radically here. I know that there is a lot of pit-fear going around right now, spurred on by some very publicized attacks, but it is overblown and does not justify demonizing the breed or breed-specific legislation.

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You, with the tone of your comments, are not presenting a great front for the animal you love.

I wish you well. I always enjoy your comments here. And I don't think we've ever snapped at eachother in the past, have we?

I'm not coming to take away your pit bull, and you're not coming to force me to take one in. So..how about chilling a bit?

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I've been doing dog rescue for years, and I know a shit ton about this topic, but there is no point in getting into it at this point. What profession are you in that you claim such knowledge about this?

As for the rest of your reply, I don't know what those last three paragraphs mean. I really thought that, given the tone of your original comment, that you were kidding.

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*sigh*. Okay, time to stop reminiscing on my dog =(.

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I have no problem with Pitt Bulls and I am in love with Bullies in general. BUT it bothers me that when we were looking for a new dog in our area that the local shelters were all easily 90 percent Pitt. For this reason alone I think that breed restrictions are worth considering. Not because the breed is bad at all but because clearly there are over population issues.

As far as doggie prejudice goes I will admit that Pitts scare me a bit after having seen two attack a friends dog. But I also know that for every big bad Pit story there are ten sweet stories to counter.

Im just going to snuggle my sweet Boxer princess.

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I don't even hate them because of attacks and shit like that (amen to the cocker spaniels being mean though, I will never allow my future children to be around cockers) I hate them because they are big and stupid and cause a lot of damage. If you can show me a pit bull who doesn't piss on my shoes when it's happy, knock shit off counters, chew up carpets, get all up in my dogs grill and piss him off or do any of the things I've experienced with pit bulls then I might start liking them again. But as it stands, I hate them.

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Frankly, I stay the f away from pitbulls, chows, and dobies.

You guys need to quit it with the personal attacks against newsbunny because you aren't helping your cause by simply shouting the loudest.

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Pit mixes are one of the most common types of dogs you will find at shelters. A lot of people work really hard to train and/or rehabilitate them, and it pisses them off -- rightly so, I think -- when people dismiss their animals as cruel, scary and ugly based upon the morons who train them for violence. Essentially, that is judging a breed based on idiots who manipulate them.

I don't know if you are a pet owner, but I don't think it's impossible to understand that a dog is a member of your family, and sweeping generalizations and ill informed dismissals of a member of your family would likely get your back up.

Plus, everyone has a point with reporting bites. Small dogs often won't break your skin and you are unlikely to report them.

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Also, "pit-type" dogs (various terriers and bulldogs that all tend to be lunped in together) do not have locking jaws. You may have them confused with alligators.

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I know, and believe, the Dog Whisperer's rationale that bad owners make bad dogs, and I've never had a problem with pit bulls before, but one day my husband was walking our beagle. Said beagle (whose picture is my avatar) had her nose to the ground near the fence while they were walking (the houses back up to a popular street where people walk). Three pit bulls grabbed her by her muzzle and pulled her under the fence and would not let go of her until she "acted dead." It was only then, when she gave up and let go, that those pit bulls let her go. I wish I had the pictures to show you how badly beaten up she was. And her whole personality changed--from then on she became very afraid of all other dogs, no matter if they were bigger or smaller than she was (she died a few years later).

I _know_ that bad people raise _bad_dogs, but my only experience with pit bulls has been this one. Is it not easy to understand why I would fear them, not only for myself, but for any animal that I might have with me?

I don't want to catch a lot of hate and vitriol here, but my only experience has been with pit bulls that were trained to be protection dogs or who were ignored or not taken good care of and thus became "problem" dogs. Owners of dogs who do not want, or do not have the capability of handling a strong breed kind of dog, has no business in buying one.

They ought to make people go to some sort of dog-training classes or take an exam showing that they know how to raise well-behaved dogs.

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To say that dogs are "bred to be ____-aggressive" is incorrect. Dogs can be TRAINED to show aggression towards humans or other dogs. You say your only experience with pit bulls is with mistreated dogs and those owned "for protection." Well that's exactly the problem many of have identified.

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