Hello to all
This is a question that i have asked alot of people SHOULD PITBULLS BE BANNED i have had a lot of mixed answers. Rottweilers have attacked people before along with alot of other breeds of dogs but they have not been banned which i dont see as fair. If i could just put it this way it might make it clear is a gun dangerous? the answer to that is NO as if a gun is left on a floor it will never kill or hurt anyone, but if the is someone pulling the trigger then that is a different matter. That is the same for a pitbull if you have it from a puppy and just should it love and train it to be calm around people then it wont bite. but on the other hand if you train that dog to be a killer then that is what the dog will turn out to be. I would love to know your view on this matter

Look forward to all the replys

First your gun theory, myself I am a gun owner and shoot competition pistol, and enjoy shooting, mostly paper targets. I have never heard of a gun hurting someone, except maybe if it were droped and went off hitting someone. But I have seen imbeciles handling weapon in a dangerous inappropriate manner. Some people should never be allowed to own a gun because it is the person, not the gun that is the problem. see where I am going with this? There is nothing wrong with the pit bull strain, it is the fact that some people should not have one because they want to bring out the negative side of of a great animal. So do not band the breed but screen the owners and see if they are suitable. Michael Vick, should not qualify for ownership of this breed, and maybe of any breed! Its people that are the problem not the dogs!!!

we have a pitbull & never realized the discrimination that we were gonna go thru when we got him almost 6 yrs ago. it was hell trying to find a place that would rent to us, just because we owned one. & honestly, i feel our other dog, the austr. shep. is the one who has the tendency to be more agressive/protective.

i have friends who's dogs are not as mild-mannered as my dog is. & they have dogs that range from chihuahua to beagle to germ. shep. it's def. in how you raise them.

[reeskujo]

First let me say there are many cities that have banned Rotties as well as Dobies,Akita's even GSD's.....I don't think any breed should be banned but that certain people should be banned from owning them...I don't know how many more times it must be said that it's not the breed that is the problem but the people who own them...As an owner of an Akita and a Husky both great dogs with loving personalities and excellent temperments I'm sick of the bashing of large breed dogs...I have trained Pitts and Rotties that are sweetest dogs in the world and Poodles that are as nasty as the people who own them..Any dog has the potential to be mean if it's not properly socialized and trained at a young age or if it's abused or neglected....There are many human being who suffer from severe personality defects because of abuse and neglect or bad parenting...Do we ban them?...Of course not and look at all the crimes they end up committing....We don't remove them from society until they've done something criminal but people want to get rid of Pitts simply because they were born!...That's just wrong IMO!

many authorities have banned them in Australia, has been that way for a few years. Mine for example bans pit bulls and akitsas.

Really very common here to have these breeds banned. But we're even more over regulated than you guys in the US!!!

I think its more a case of handling too. I've seen all sorts of badly treated dogs that are aggressive to people, even breeds not prone to aggression.

If you want my opinion no breed of dog should be banned. It really doesn't make a lot of sense. Since there is no point in it why subject a certain breed of dog to it? I do believe in dangerous dog laws and that they should be enforced. This way people are protected to the best possible from dangerous dogs no matter the breed.

I'm not sure where you are getting Rottweilers are not banned. There are several cities which ban Rotts (and other breeds). A city where one of my Pits is at they banned Rottweilers. There is 1 city which has restrictions against Pit Bulls, Rottweilers and 14 other breeds and any dog which is 100lbs or over (no matter the breed or mix).

Maybe you don't realize how bad it really is. BSL is far worse then just Pit Bulls, so is insurance black list some have like 12 breeds on them.

There are a couple dozen breeds which have/do face some type of discrimination. And like a 100 breeds could also due to their physical appearance of a banned breed, size or just being a future target as a "dangerous dog".

I'm thinking of changing our APBT club to an endangered breeds club instead. This way we can all ban together and support. I think to get a good reaction. Even at out love a bully march there were non bullies (Cocker, Lab) so many people are against BSL and not just those who are currently under fire.

What so many don't realize is that its not going to stop with a few breeds it will spread. There are insurance companies which are thinking they might now not want to insure people who own Labs now. By some Boxer's are already included. These are breeds which not too recently would have never been thought to face any type of breed discrimination. I don't think many people will be happy or feel "safe" unless as dogs are extinct. Maybe they would exclude toy breeds which they don't see as dangerous, but you never know what type of problem they might find with them.

I can't understand the dog owners who are be for banning. It could possibly be their breed next and even if it never came to that you'd think dog owners would have enough dog sense to know that no breed is dangerous/evil/vicious because of the breed. How much common sense and logical thought does it take to figure out that no breed has these these mythical beastly powers and phenomenas that Pits are said to have. -Locking jaws, 1500 PSI, brain swelling bigger then their head (they said this about other breeds in the past especially Dobies but a lot of that hype has died down and been forgotten), its amazing what supposedly smart/educated people will actually believe. I could make something up tomorrow and people would believe it.

Good Comment! More and more laws are being passed that are extreemly invasive of our given rights in the Contitution. In Spencer, SD, They passed a law no pit bulls can reside in the town, and one lady that had her pit bull for over six years was told to get rid of her dog or move. Her dog had never in this time frame cause harm to any person or animal. Absolutely NO infractions! Because she could not find someone to adopt her dog she had to have it euthanasia, or the City would have done it. This is a sad reality, if I had heard of it, would have taken the dog. I only heard of it when I read the paper, and was very sad for both the lady and her dog. I would think the dog should have been grandfathered in because it was there well before this a$$ hole law was enacted. But this is just the tip of the Iceberg. Just my opinion!!

Yes, they should be trained. Don't ban the dog, ban the owner.

My pit mix is a rescue. I don't know what her previous life was like, only that in the 2 years I've had her I've grown to trust her implicitly with people. She is good and loyal and loving. Two year olds have come up to her unawares on the street and thrown their arms around her and she lets them. I have less confidence with other dogs on the other hand, and we generally stay away from dog runs because she has a tendency to get into trouble there. Bottomline being: you are best knowing your dog because every dog is different. To make generalizations based on breed alone is dangerous and unfair.

I have had plenty of dogs and many of them were pitbulls. I have NEVER had one of my pits bite, attack, or harm any person or another animal. Right now I have 2 pitbulls, a golden retriever, and a couple of strays and the ONLY one that is aggressive or that I wouldn't trust around people is the golden. I honestly believe that how a dog is raised means alot. I remember when I was younger though, Some how my dad ended up with a pit that was used for fighting. Well when we got her she was pregnant and of course we were all scared of her BUT she also turned out to be a very sweet dog. I remember after she had her puppies she would let us crawl in the dog house with her to play with them. So even though some HORRIBLE people used her to fight once she was out of that situation she was a great dog. I think that the dogs are naturally well tempered animals but some are MADE to do bad things and that is not the dogs or the breeds fault. That is a human fault.
Granted I have had alot of people trying to make me get rid of my pits I never will. They are great dogs and they both think they are 60 pound lap dogs. I could go on and on but I won't...lol
I will say this....Dogs breeds are kind of like human races and when a person commits a crime or fights somebody that whole race of people is not banned and dog breeds should not be either!!!!!!

well i dont see a reason why it should be banned

[Yogi]

NO! That is in my opinion as simple as it gets.

I love Pits, never had one, just love em :-) I was walking along a trail with my dog one day and a lady was walking toward me with her Pit off leash. The dog came running toward me and the lady was yelling over and over "hes friendly!" I stopped and talked to her and she had had that happen a few other times and people get terrified when I Pit comes barreling toward them. I thought that was sad. Most Pits are VERY sweet dogs. Like everyone else had been saying, its the owner that makes them killers. Pit Bulls are just dogs not meant for beginners because I hear they can be stubborn and hard to train, but if you don't do it they can become what everyone fears they are.
I'm thrilled to see no one has said anything bad about Pits (although is IS a dog forum, probably not likely).

Btw, Cookie_Dog, nicely put! Short and sweet

in my opinion.... NO, Pit Bulls should not be banned.
I do not have a Pit, but I still think they should not be banned.
And BSL in my opinion is wrong. As mentioned in the original post, MANY other
dog breed have attacked, and they are not banned. As a good friend of mine has said,
"Chihuahua Attacks Child" (or any smaller breed, Poodle, Dachshund, Shih Tzu)
Just doesnt attract the type of attention as "Man Malled by Pit Bull"
It is not the dogs fault that the owner is irrisponsible, and teaches it to be aggressive.
Just like people, as children we are taught behavior from our parents.
Some people are aggressive, others are not.
I can go on and on abuot what I think on this topic, but I'm sure you all know what I'm trying to say.

My short answer.... No, I dont think Pit Bulls should be banned, I think irrisponsible dog owners should not be allowed to have dogs.

[lil mutt]

I dont think that it's right to ban this breed... Pet owners should be responsible with their pets and not just because there were reported incidents that a Pitbull attacked someone...

I strongly agree with Jettas_mom's point.

You will find a few threads asking this same question around I love dogs, and generally you will find that most dog owners are not supporters of breed restriction and breed banning.

BSL is becoming more and more common around the world, but is proving to be a massive failure, it is not stopping or preventing dog bites on humans. If anything it is kind of making it worse.

Sorry now as i must admit I have been a little lazy and just copied and pasted a response of my own in a similar thread earlier this year, however in doing so my thoughts and feelings on the matter have not changed.....so here goes

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No breed should be banned!

My reason for saying that is because otherwise where will it end? Ban the PBT Ban the rotti, Ban all big dogs that have had a history of being a guard breed.........then what next? Ban the breeds that bark alot? ban the breeds that now have a percieved bad reputation becuase the other breeds with misunderstood reputations are gone? ban any dog over 20 kilo because it COULD bite harder?

Before we know it the right to own a dog is gone.

Breed banning is only a small speed hump to those that want to own certain breeds for a more sinister reason.......and there does your dangerous dog lie, not socialised, kept in cages out of sight, does not get to experience the true bond that can occur between human and canine.

The reality is that breed banning most often effects the responsible owners, those that have had their family companions stripped away from them because of nothing but its geneology and ancestory.

Here is a poem I wrote earlier this year, I often like to share it at discussions like this one, as a voice for the dogs that dont get a say.

By Natalie Jones
My Friend (a dogs perspective of BSL)

From the day you took me for your own,
Was the day I prayed for my forever home.
These things from you is all I need
A tender hand, and a healthy feed.

My friend in return, I promise you
My companion, affection and love so true.
I guarantee you a laugh and a smile
I will walk by you through the longest mile.

My friend when you leave and head on your way
My thoughts are of you and your return that day
Eagerly I wait for you to open the door
And then I won't worry for you any more.

Friend you are again by my side,
My pleasure to see you, I will not hide.
And as the day closes and comes to an end
I will still be here with you my friend.

When we awake to the next rising sun
Another happy day with you has begun
I will do what ever you want to do
Just promise me that ill be there with you.

As the years go by we'll grow old together.
Through any trial and any weather
I will see beyond your aging flaw
I just want to be with you, nothing more.

You see my friend, that's why im here
To love and serve you each day of the year
But Government is making a strange new law
To say that I can not be with you anymore

They say my kind is causing fear
They say with our loved ones we can no longer be near

For me there is nothing stranger
To have someone say im a horrific danger
When all I've done is serve and protect
A service I hope you will never forget

I know for me it's far to late,
But please fight on to protect the next dogs fate.

My friend you took me for your own
I found with you my forever home.
I am guilty of love, that was my deed,
But now I must go because of my breed.

from your friend.

Written by Natalie Jones
Tasmania, Australia
Against Breed Specific Legislation

Use with permission.

I use this as an example often, because a dog is exactly that, a social animal, regardless of it particular breed, and with guidance and a human owner who understands its need for leadership, kind handling, and fairness in their dealings, is capable of being a GREAT dog. PBT, Akita, Rottie, dobe....whatever breed.

Breed Banning, does not resolve the true problem at hand, its us humans, we have, for our own entertainment and sport, ruind reputations of an animal that is only doing exactly what we have expected him to do generation after generation. But so typically for us humans, when it all goes wrong, its the dogs fault, not ours.

IMO a better education on dog ownership, handling, training and public and social responsiblility is where the solution to the problem lies. Abolish pet store pet sales, (doing this also takes away sale point for alot of puppy mills) also stops just anyone off the street just buying a dog on an impulse, apply strict regulations on rehoming shelters and registered breeders, allowing them the freedom to scrutinise the suitability of a potential dog owners before releasing a dog to them. No unlicensed selling of dogs through the net, paper or poster on the wall.....You want to breed it, you gotta licence it to breed and pay for that licence. Dont want to pay the fee.......Get the dog spayed or neutered.

I praise people who adopt Pittbulls and train them properly. God bless you! It's definately a training issue. However training them to be calm is not all they need. They are very difficult to train (just like Rotts and others) - so I think that a very good intentioned person can end up with a badly trained Pittbull without even knowing it. I would suggest those with pittbulls start in a training class at a young age. I have seen two situations personally where a wonderful family pet turned into a un-controllable dog (only for a split second, but that is all it takes).

I don't think banning them is a bad idea when it comes to safety as long as KILLING them is not the back alley solution (after all, what will they do with all the dogs they ban?). There are people who understand these dogs and can help give them the wonderful lives they deserve. People who currently own a well-behaved Pittbull should never have to give it up!

[Piti Longstalking]

I never understood why people are afraid of a breed of dog. Actually, I do understand...they watch too much TV. Injury by Pit Bull is very, very rare, despite what you might hear or read in the media. Death by Pit Bull is even more rare. If people took the time to put things in perspective, they might see this issue as the non-issue that it is. I mean, how many people do you hear clamoring for a ban on party balloons? You do know that party balloons cause more deaths than dog attacks, don't you? Need we ban bathtubs, and lightning? More people die each year from those than they do dogs. Seriously, if Pit Bulls are that much of a public concern, lets ban party balloons NOW!

Hi,
In Reply to your Thread...
I strongly believe that no animal should be banned.
Pit balls can be agressive, but they arent born like that. Owners teach them and bring them up that way.
I have two staffs, and people look at them as if they're some agressive type of breed. Well the truth being, my dog chester is a big fat cuddle ball and is scared of fireworks and bin bags.
My mum, when she was young, had her ear bit, BY A POODLE.
Does that mean Poodles get banned? No. The only reason why people want Pit bulls banned is because they look agressive, when deep down, they are loving and kind.
Staffies are the same.
Its how the owner brings them up.
Not every pitbull deserves to be put down and banned.
Im strongly against that.
From Chelsea, 14.

I live north of Denver, Colorado where we have been actively fighting BSL for years now. Pit bulls (and bully breeds in general) are banned by most cities within metro Denver. Hands down our WORST enemy is the media.

They NEVER run any of the countless stories of Pitties helping or saving a human or about the people who have had their beloved pets literally RIPPED from thier arms and euthanized. But let one growl wrong and they have it splashed arcross the 6PM news.

The latest that didn't make the news here was a young man who lived several blocks from a banned area. He was in the process of moving to a city 45 minutes north of Denver (with no breed bans I might add) and his pit bull escaped while they were going in and out of the house carrying boxes. Poor Forrest ended up within the breed ban area, was caught and was scheduled to be put down.

The young man told them what happened, begged, pleaded, called an attorney and they STILL would not let him have his dog back. Many of us got petitions going, wrote letters, made phone calls trying to get them to release Forrest to his owner and they refused. In the end the best we could do was that they made him relinquish the dog to a rescue OUT OF STATE. He never got his dog back.

For those of you who come to Colorado on vacation or business, I urge you to NOT bring you bully breed dog. Denver has NO common sense and if they catch you with a bully breed they WILL take it from you and put it down. I also urge you to NOT come to Colorado until the breed bans are lifted. Spend your money in a state that isn't breed prejudice!

Happy New Year to all!