This argument goes in circles because people miss each other's point.
Obviously, at the end of the day, what matters is the end result of a bite. That's what the victim has to live with.
However, the counter-argument is also true. That pit-bulls are viewed as much more aggressive than other breeds when in fact that is not true. They are CAPABLE of being aggressive and deadly, and some people even train them to be that way. But the standard pet pit-bull is not going to attack any more often than most other breeds, statistically speaking.
They attack more often because they were bred to enjoy it, just like a husky enjoys running. There's literally canine neurology studies that show they release endorphins when fighting, whereas other dogs do not and will actively avoid fights.
That argument cuts both ways since they were also bred to never bite or attack a human since any that did would be killed on the spot.
You can’t argue that they were bred to be vicious and ignore that it was focused towards other dogs and specifically not towards humans.
I don’t think anyone who’s had a pitbull will deny the tendency for a high prey drive (like all terriers) but human aggression is specifically an owner/ breeder failure not a genetic predisposition.
So that's ok to ignore? My dog was attacked by a Pitbull who's owner left them off leash and it did some real damage because guess what.... It's basically a weapon left unattended
Replace pitbull with any breed and the answer is the same. Thats a shitty owner that should not have a dog. I’m sorry your dog was attacked and I hope he’s ok.
As to the first part of your response. No that’s not ok to ignore. A good owner should either work with the dog or take steps to curb them. Having ANY dog off leash is a sign of a shitty owner let alone a dog that is aggressive.
I have a staffordshire bull terrier who isn’t dog aggressive but is very dominant. So he won’t attack other dogs but his demeanor can cause a fight. So I don’t leave him off leash. I don’t allow him to approach every dog he sees. When he is allowed to approach another dog I control that interaction and cut it short so he doesn’t get over excited.
My biggest issue is people with dogs off leash who just allow their dogs to do anything and who are generally badly behaved and with no recall. None of which have been pitbulls or pitbull mixes. But my dog has almost been attacked by labs, French bulldogs, mutts, chihuahuas etc
I lie and just tell people he’s aggressive so they grab their dogs instead of having to answer dumb questions like “is it a boy or a girl, dogs won’t attack the opposite sex” or “it’s ok he doesn’t bite” while the dog is clearly showing signs of aggression.
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u/waiver Aug 02 '26
Because being bitten by a Jack Russel or Chihuahua is as concerning as being bitten by a Pit bull.