...pitt bull ,,,,? I'm the proud owner of two male pitt bulls, their names are Capone and Junior. Why are they often confused as mean fighting dogs when they are actually gentle and great around adults as well as childern?

Well...pitt bulls have the rep of being inbred and used in dog fights. Also...there have been many many many stories of pit bulls biting, disfiguring, and even killing people. As a nurse, I have seen a number of dog bites and every other one seems to have been inflicted by a pit bull.

I have ben around Pit Bull through firends, and yes these dogs were friendly and fun. But the Pit Bull has been inbred over the last few decades for fighting and this has hurt the bred. Along with the fact that they were bred for fighting originally and do not have to be provoked to protect the owner (look it up in the AKA history and facts). This inbreeding and the number of attacks on children that seemed unprovoked have caused many people to have the preception that Pit Bulls are a dangerous breed. It is not a misconception that Pit Bulls can be dangerous ask any ER nurse or doctor. And yes it does matter who the owners are, but even then can you be sure of what would provoke your dogs to defend you which is in their breeding?

i used to have a pitbull and a staffy and they were brilliant!Its just the reputation they have got now that young teenagers seem to have them the ones who `hang out` on streets and get up to no good???Mine was brilliant with children and other dogs!Dont feel threatened by people who dont know you and your dogs!

You know I absolutely agree with you. It's not the dog, it's the owner that raises them. Sure...pit bulls have the capacity to "snap", but so do ALL dogs. You never hear about those.....you hear about pit bulls, rottweilers, and doberman's...etc. You hear about these horrible attacks from these dogs on the news all the time...it's a scare tactic. They only want to show you what they want you to see. It's sad though,...these dogs that usually attack have been teased and tormented, by stupid foolish children who end up dying or injured, and then blame the dog. Most dogs who attack, don't do it out of no where, not all, but most. I'm sorry, but if someone was constantly picking on me, I might just "snap". Also, again,....it isn't the dog, it's how the dog was RAISED...the OWNER. So people need to stop blaming the dog breed, because that is ignorant and they are so wrong with their information.

is it really a misconception? I think not

It's not a "misconception", you and others may have pussycat pitt bulls, but too many people don't have pussycat pitt bulls. They and rottweilers are notorious for attacking and killing other animals or small children. There are professional boarders or dog walkers that will refuse to accept either of them. Most people own these types of dogs mainly for their notoriety, or reputation.

I wish people would educate themselves, seriously.

Pitbulls were NEVER bred, I repeat NEVER, to be guard dogs or personal protection dogs. Did you know that when fighting was legal (and done "properly") that people had to grab the dogs while they fought? The people grabbing them 99% of the time were NOT their owners...but complete strangers. Any dog that EVER showed aggression was culled (more often than not meaning KILLED, if not killed they were neutered/spayed and were kept on the yard). These people left the dogs in their homes with their children, they couldn't afford human aggressive animals. Human and animal aggression are COMPLETELY different. Most terriers are animal aggressive. Hell, let's ban JRTs, and other terriers used to hunt small animals...it's aggression...all the same thing right? NO!

Also, most people can't tell a pitbull from many other breeds of dogs. Try a google search for find the pitbull (I can't post links yet). Take any of the tests.

And just for those who believe everything the news tells you...many stations do not show attacks by other dogs. They are not ALLOWED too! I know of several people attacked by different breeds, my cousin nearly KILLED by a GOLDEN RETRIEVER, but the news REFUSED to report it in the paper or on tv.

Just a couple of tidbits for those who don't research to formulate their own opinions based on fact instead of what you hear from third parties (or fourth and fifth).

The pitbull type dogs score higher and equal to those breeds known as "family" dogs...goldens and labs in the American Temperament Test. Higher than poodles, australian cattle dogs/shepherds, beagles, bichons, border collies, cairn terriers, corgis, chihuahuas, cocker spaniels, dachshunds, collies, greyhounds, jack russells, lhasa apso, maltese, minpins, schnauzers, pomeranians, shelties, toy fox terriers, yorkies, and the list could go on and on and on. This is JUST from 2006. Also, many of the "dangerous" types including guard and fighting dogs are listed above those popular breeds.

For those who aren't familiar with this test, it puts the dogs through various subtests to test their reactions and basically their mental stability.

In american the pitbull is THE MOST POPULAR dog in the country at this time. If this is the case why arent' there more attacks if the breed is SO vicious? There is no longer an official count of dog breeds that bite due to it being based on the victim or witnesses word...which is often wrong. But when it was being counted most bites happened by cockers and poodles. AND most of the time the victim was a young boy who was trespassing and/or teasing the dog. Hell I'd bite your ass too.

Originally Posted by Mr.Wise

There are professional boarders or dog walkers that will refuse to accept either of them.

This is not due to their repuation. It's due to insurance companies wanting to make a buck and jumping in on the band wagon. Everybody has this fear struck into them by the media so now they can charge extra to cover for certain breeds of dogs...not just rotties and pitbulls.