Ban on Pitbulls

[deoxys121]

About a month ago, there was a proposed bill to ban pitbulls in Michigan, where I live. The reasoning behind it was the fact that pitbulls are 1. used in illegal dog fights, and 2. have been shown to have occasional incidents involving death or serious injury.

Thankfully, this bill did not get a hearing. This page states more details about the proposed ban.

I personally do not believe that any sort of dog breed should be banned. First of all, if pitbulls were banned, then dog fighters would just find another breed to use. And my counter to the occasional incident is this: they are a few isolated incidents and should not be used to make a generalization about the breed as a whole.

I have been around pitbulls on many occasions, and none of them have been mean at all. One family I used to babysit for had a pitbull named Scooby, who was one of the sweetest dogs I ever saw and the worst thing she would do is lick you to death.

A dog's behavior depends on how you raise it; it is not dependent solely on the breed.

What are your opinions on this?

 

[-ty-]

You are joking right? GASP

A pitbull has just as potential to become violent as a collie, or German Shepard.

I totally agree, my sister-in-law and my aunt both have pitbulls that are gentle. One of which is in a home with a 2 year old boy. Maybe they should increase the punishment for dog fighting so that breeds that have a structurally built are not demonized.

 

[Livewire]

"Studies indicate that pit bull-type dogs were involved in approximately a third of human DBRF (i.e., dog bite related fatalities) reported during the 12-year period from 1981 through1992, and Rottweilers were responsible for about half of human DBRF reported during the 4 years from 1993 through 1996....[T]he data indicates that Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67% of human DBRF in the United States between 1997 and 1998. It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities." (Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R. Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. JAVMA 2000;217:836-840.)

An outright ban is idiotic. However, the Pit bull has a reputation you cannot ignore, and rightfully so. If you are a new dog owner or a novice when it comes to these animals you should never, ever even consider keeping one. Especially when you have small children. Not all Pits are like this, obviously. But they account for more dog bites and dog fatalities than any other breed of dog.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

Pit bulls are only violent if their owners train them to be that way. Pit bulls are great with kids. This is why they are called the nanny dog.

 

[Oryx]

You are joking right? GASP

A pitbull has just as potential to become violent as a collie, or German Shepard.

Unfortunately, this isn't true. Pitbulls are generally more vicious than other breeds, part of a personality is bred into an animal, take Ragdoll cats for example. But that doesn't mean they should be banned - just carefully controlled and not taken in by families that aren't confident in their dog-handling skills.

 

[Safir-Hime]

Why blame the dog for the owner's mistakes? If a dog is violent it is 100% because of how they were treated by humans (or lack of treatment depending.) Sure pit-bulls have a trend of being violent, but so do German Shepards.

 

[Livewire]

Why blame the dog for the owner's mistakes? If a dog is violent it is 100% because of how they were treated by humans (or lack of treatment depending.) .

That's not remotely true. A violent dog is violent because of its upbringing and its breed.

Sure pit-bulls have a trend of being violent, but so do German Shepards

This is contradictory to what you just said. Wouldn't that just mean the German Shepards were brought up that way? Dogs, while domesticated, are still animals. Every single breed has the penchant for violence, it's just that some have come to be more violent, being bred that way over time. If anything, blame the AKC.

 

[Steven]

Pit bulls are only violent if their owners train them to be that way. Pit bulls are great with kids. This is why they are called the nanny dog.

Pitbulls tend to be more violent than other dogs. However, it really does matter how the owner trains them.

And yes, pitbulls are fantastic with kids. They just love each other, it's really cute. <3

I don't agree with a ban, but since they can be spontaneously temperamental, you should have to have a license.

My dog was attacked randomly by a pitbull, but the owner sucked (it was my neighbor's dog, so I know that for a fact.) Just because that pitbull attacked my dog, that doesn't mean every pitbull is going to attack something. :|

 

[Safir-Hime]

That's not remotely true. A violent dog is violent because of its upbringing and its breed.

This is contradictory to what you just said. Wouldn't that just mean the German Shepards were brought up that way? Dogs, while domesticated, are still animals. Every single breed has the penchant for violence, it's just that some have come to be more violent, being bred that way over time. If anything, blame the AKC.

That's what I meant, is that a dog is violent because of how they were treated or trained. Its breed usually isn't a big deal in the way it behaves, a good owner can make a sweetheart out of any dog, even a wolf.

It's not contradictory exactly to what I said, I just worded it wrong. I can agree that some breeds tend to be more violent, but like I said above, it can be controlled, rather easily.
A dog becomes violent because of ill-training, mistreatment, abuse, or neglect (i.e. growing up in the 'wild')
Ill-training can include raising an attack dog but not training it by command. Therefore the dog might think they can attack anything.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

A license? No.

Just require all large dogs to be caged, behind a fence, or on a leash when outdoors.

 

[-ty-]

A license? No.

Just require all large dogs to be caged, behind a fence, or on a leash when outdoors.

I don't agree with the license either.

Also, it is not true that Pitbulls are more danegerous.

According to the American Temperament Test Society, temperament evaluations of American Pit Bull Terriers shows that this breed has a very high passing rate of 82.6%. The average passing rate for the other 121 breeds of dogs in the tests: 77%.

This is all misinterpreted data. In 1979-1998 a study found that Pitbulls were responsible for the most fatal attacks. (United States)


Pit Bulls: 66

Rottweilers: 39

German Shepherds: 17

Chows: 8


So you are like, hey, Pitbulls are awful, right? Well, how many dog of each breed were there?

(estimation) Pit Bulls: 5,256,000

(estimation) Rottweilers: 900,000

(estimation) German Shepherds: 780,000

(estimation) Chows: 240,000

The estimated percentage of attacks per number of dog was:

Pit Bulls: .00125 %

Rottweilers: .00433 %

German Shepherds: .00217%

Chow: .00333%

Hmm. Rottweilers are about 4 times as much likely to fatally attack a person. Actually Of these four breeds, Pit Bulls are the least likely to fatally attack a person.

 

[Mr. X]

All dogs can become violent dependent upon how they are treated/raised. But some are genetically more prone to violence.

The main reason why these dogs attack is because most people don't know how to properly train the dog. Each breed requires special training for certian genetic characteristics, although for most this can be safely disguarded.

Edit - To above

Are these numbers for purebred dogs, or just were pitbull was the dominating breed in that dog?

 

[Dracorus]

i do believe you that they would just find another breed to use, and thats true, they will just find another breed. im not a very quick reader so i dont read the aboce comments before posting this..

Ive had my share of pit bulls and i honestly love them( i love all dogs, but you know). but what i dont understand is:

Why fight animals against each other? for entertainment? for money? well yes, sure, you could say that.. but why? why pit two dogs against each other and fight to the death? now im not a super animal freak but i do believe they have just as much right as humans.. that may throw people in my face but thats the truth for me.

now my view on the ban? i think it was a good idea, as much as a bad idea, good as in pit bulls wont be used as much(for they are lawbreakers, they arent gonna stop). but a bad idea as in more dogs will be in fights.

 

[-ty-]

All dogs can become violent dependent upon how they are treated/raised. But some are genetically more prone to violence.

The main reason why these dogs attack is because most people don't know how to properly train the dog. Each breed requires special training for certian genetic characteristics, although for most this can be safely disguarded.

Edit - To above

Are these numbers for purebred dogs, or just were pitbull was the dominating breed in that dog?

It doesn't specify, but I assume dominant breed.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

The locking jaw myth has also been debunked.

 

[~*!*~Tatsujin Gosuto~*!*~]

That article does not surprise me for several reasons. Where I am from (New York City) they have a banning of both Pit bulls and Rottweilers in certain living areas like the projects. I honestly dont see that as a fair thing because not all Pit Bulls have the personality of being vicious, yes most of them do but not all of them. I think its the owner that does not discipline them correctly.


:t354:TG

 

[Livewire]

Pit Bull Owners and the Ohio Revised Code
What is a pit bull?
Ohio Revised Code states that Dog Wardens are the only authorities that can legally designate whether a dog is a pit bull-type dog. Breeds of dogs that fall under the classification of "pit bull" in Ohio include (but are not limited to):

• American Pit Bull Terrier
• American Staffordshire Terrier
• Staffordshire Bull Terrier
• Any other purebred or mixed breed dog whose appearance (looks or physical characteristics) are predominantly like the list of breeds above (or a combination of breeds from the above list)

What laws do Pit Bull owners need to follow?
If you own, keep, or harbor (have at your residence) a "pit bull-type dog" in the state of Ohio, the Ohio Revised Code 955.22 mandates that you must comply with ALL of the laws listed in this document. Additionally, your local municipality/city/township may have additional laws that Pit Bull owners must follow, or they may ban Pit Bulls completely.
For example, in Central Ohio, Pit Bulls are banned if you live in the city limits of Bexley or Reynoldsburg, and they are subject to additional restrictions in Gahanna.
To determine if your area of residence has additional pit bull laws, please contact your local code enforcement officer.
How do I need to restrain my Pit Bull-type dog?
When your Pit Bull is on your property, you must either:

• Keep your dog in a securely fenced yard (no gaps in the fence and no way for the dog to escape) with any gates locked (padlock or combination lock)​
• Or, keep your dog in a locked (padlocked or otherwise secured) enclosure with a top (like a kennel or pen with a secure top)​

When your Pit Bull is off your property, you must always:

• Keep your dog on a chain-link leash or tether that is 6 feet (or less) in length (this means you CANNOT take your Pit Bull to a dog park)
• Additionally you must do one of the following three things:

1. Be sure that the person holding the leash is an adult who is able to control the dog
2. Attach the leash/tether securely to the ground or a stationary object ONLY while an adult (who can control the dog) is right there
3. Muzzle the dog securely
Do I need insurance for my Pit Bull-type dog?
Ohio law forces anyone who owns a Pit Bull-type dog to have at least $100,000 in liability insurance that would provide coverage if your dog would cause damage to a person's body or a person's death.
Your existing homeowner's or renter's insurance may already cover this. Check with your insurance agent to see if your policy covers the breed of dog(s) you own.
If you do not have insurance or if your existing insurance does not cover your dog, switch to a company that does not discriminate against Pit Bulls!
We recommend the Insurance Companies listed in the green column on the right side of this page. You can also call us for a list of non-discriminatory insurance companies.
Alternatively, you can purchase a "personal umbrella liability policy" to provide the mandatory liability coverage, as long as the umbrella policy covers canine-inflicted injuries.

Some of the local laws regarding to Pitbulls. I hardly find these unfair.

 

[Mewtwolover]

IMO there should be a dog owner's license that you need to get before you can own i.e. pitbulls or other dogs that are difficult to handle properly.

 

[U.Flame]

Pitbulls are innocent. I hate it when people treat pitbulls like crap and blame the dog if it fights back.

 

[Phantom1]

Pitt bulls are amazing dogs.

As long as you aren't mean to your dog they are great animals.