So are Pit Bulls the only dogs that kill people?

[steveo777]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583 ... latestnews

Monday, January 18, 2010


CHICAGO — Chicago police are investigating the death of a 56-year-old man from the city's far South Side who was apparently fatally mauled by his daughter's pit bulls.

The daughter told authorities she came home Sunday night and found her father, Johnny Wilson, lying on the living room floor, covered in blood.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's office said Wilson suffered numerous bite wounds on various parts of his body.

The daughter turned over four adult pit bulls and two puppies to Chicago Animal Care and Control, where the dogs were being evaluated.

Neighbors said there was no sign of dog fighting at the Wilson residence, and that Wilson had never seemed to have any problem with the dogs in the past.

No charges had been filed as of Monday morning.

It sure seems like Pit Bulls are always in the news. So, is it just that kills by other dog breeds aren't mentioned, giving Pit Bulls a disproportionate share of the bad rap, or are they really that bad? I know enough that I'd never own one if I had kids, but who's to blame, the dog or the owners?

[Ehwmatt]

It sure seems like Pit Bulls are always in the news. So, is it just that kills by other dog breeds aren't mentioned, giving Pit Bulls a disproportionate share of the bad rap, or are they really that bad? I know enough that I'd never own one if I had kids, but who's to blame, the dog or the owners?

Probably a combination of owner and dog. People can train these guys all they want, domesticate them all they want, have a great master-dog relationship with it for years, they're still animals (and very strong + vicious ones at that). I personally think you have to have a screw loose if you own a pit bull with kids in your home.

Rottweilers are also pretty brutal...

[Ehwmatt]

Top 10 Most Dangerous Breeds

http://www.petsdo.com/blog/top-ten-10-m ... dog-breeds

[pinkfloyd1973]

Don't blame the breed, blame the owner. Like all dogs you must get the dog socialized and trained, ALL dogs are capable of turning on it's owner....even a poodle. My personal experiences with Rottweilers are very good, we knew some people who had a Rott that growled and barked at someone who the dog thought was hurting my son (they were play fighting with him). I also have a friend who has a Rott (she also has a 4 year old son) who is the biggest puppy you ever met, he thinks he's a lap dog and he's over 100lbs lol



Robin :o

[stevew2]

my beagle i had never bit my ass,there is a pit bull next door just cant wait to get loose and chew my ass up. it is trhe breed and the breeding also

[pinkfloyd1973]

my beagle i had never bit my ass,there is a pit bull next door just cant wait to get loose and chew my ass up. it is trhe breed and the breeding also

True that...especially if they're only bred to fight or be a guard dog, or are just tied up all day or left in a cage


Robin :)

[stevew2]

my beagle i had never bit my ass,there is a pit bull next door just cant wait to get loose and chew my ass up. it is trhe breed and the breeding also

True that...especially if they're only bred to fight or be a guard dog, or are just tied up all day or left in a cage


Robin :)

Most of them are,it is a shame, i know one named "tator" he is sweet, but i wouldnt trust that fucker if i walked up on him on a dark night

[pinkfloyd1973]

My question is....why did she have so many pit bulls? Methinks she was breeding them for dogfighting elsewhere



Robin :?

[SherriBerry]

While I blame the owners, the fact that Pit Bulls have been bred specifically for fighting and viciousness means that a great deal of training has to go into the dog to work against and prevent it from acting on its instincts. There have been several dog attacks on the news in the past year and the only ones that are completely unprovoked by the victim have been from Pit Bulls. The poor dogs were members of families and loved, but they attacked for no reason and had to be put down.

There is a Pit Bull down the hill from my parents and across the street from an elementary school that got loose once when my dad was walking the dog - the snow had gotten high enough that the dog jumped the fence. It stalked my dad a block down the street to the school before it turned back and my dad had to call animal control - who let the owners know they had better secure their dog (which goes ballistic at the fence when people walk by). There are coyotes, bears, and cougars around here, but it is because of that dog that we carry pepper spray or a baton when out walking.

When I was 10 and lived even further north, I was bitten in the face (bottom bite about an inch from my right eye) by a neighbour's Timber Wolf-German Shepherd cross, but I think he was trying to grab the pom-pom on my toque and bit my head instead. I was utterly terrified of dogs for several years after that, though I always loved them and I got over it (with the help of a wonderful Golden Retriever!). I have a feeling that the Husky-type dogs referenced in the article are Wolf-crosses which can be temperamental.

[kgdjpubs]

Don't blame the breed, blame the owner. Like all dogs you must get the dog socialized and trained, ALL dogs are capable of turning on it's owner....even a poodle. My personal experiences with Rottweilers are very good, we knew some people who had a Rott that growled and barked at someone who the dog thought was hurting my son (they were play fighting with him). I also have a friend who has a Rott (she also has a 4 year old son) who is the biggest puppy you ever met, he thinks he's a lap dog and he's over 100lbs lol



Robin :o

yep, that's pretty much it. Some breeds (pit bulls, rotts, etc) CAN be that way, but a lot of it has to do with the owner and the temperament of the dog itself. I've seen pit bulls that will roll up on their back to get their belly rubbed by a stranger, and a pomeranian that I didn't want to get close to because it was telling me it would bite. You have to read the dog's behavior. For example, a few years ago, I was hiking alone on a trail in the woods and came upon 3 loose pit bulls that were none too pleased with my presence. Long story short, they were just defending their "territory", and by the end of it, they just wanted to play and were very friendly once they determined I wasn't a threat.

Dogs do a VERY good job at being a judge of character. We had a 16lb yorkshire terrier (just big, not fat) who backed several fully-grown men down the steps with the ugliest growl I've ever heard from ANY dog.....and some people, she would be the friendliest thing you've ever seen. It's all in the attitude of the person. Some of our relatives she always loved, some she never got along with. The key is to judge the dog, don't pin them in a corner (where survival tactics take over) and act accordingly.

Basically, no dog breed is inherently bad. That said, some breeds (and specific dogs) are genetically predisposed to where they CAN be mean. From that point, it's down to the owner. Be a responsible dog owner and your dog will be very sociable. Be non-responsible, and you may find yourself with a problem. As was said, blame the owner, not the dog.

[stevew2]

While I blame the owners, the fact that Pit Bulls have been bred specifically for fighting and viciousness means that a great deal of training has to go into the dog to work against and prevent it from acting on its instincts. There have been several dog attacks on the news in the past year and the only ones that are completely unprovoked by the victim have been from Pit Bulls. The poor dogs were members of families and loved, but they attacked for no reason and had to be put down.

There is a Pit Bull down the hill from my parents and across the street from an elementary school that got loose once when my dad was walking the dog - the snow had gotten high enough that the dog jumped the fence. It stalked my dad a block down the street to the school before it turned back and my dad had to call animal control - who let the owners know they had better secure their dog (which goes ballistic at the fence when people walk by). There are coyotes, bears, and cougars around here, but it is because of that dog that we carry pepper spray or a baton when out walking.

When I was 10 and lived even further north, I was bitten in the face (bottom bite about an inch from my right eye) by a neighbour's Timber Wolf-German Shepherd cross, but I think he was trying to grab the pom-pom on my toque and bit my head instead. I was utterly terrified of dogs for several years after that, though I always loved them and I got over it (with the help of a wonderful Golden Retriever!). I have a feeling that the Husky-type dogs referenced in the article are Wolf-crosses which can be temperamental.

i had a german shepard bite me when i was a kid, of coarse i was under the table while he was eating scraps that fell

[Ehwmatt]

Basically, no dog breed is inherently bad. That said, some breeds (and specific dogs) are genetically predisposed to where they CAN be mean. From that point, it's down to the owner. Be a responsible dog owner and your dog will be very sociable. Be non-responsible, and you may find yourself with a problem. As was said, blame the owner, not the dog.

While I don't deny that much of it has to do with the owner and most of the time the dog is provoked (at least in its animal instinct's eyes), I still say you must have a screw or two loose if you either (a) own a dog that is predisposed to being mean/dangerous when you have children or (b) let your children hang around such a dog alone.

[S2M]

Basically, no dog breed is inherently bad. That said, some breeds (and specific dogs) are genetically predisposed to where they CAN be mean. From that point, it's down to the owner. Be a responsible dog owner and your dog will be very sociable. Be non-responsible, and you may find yourself with a problem. As was said, blame the owner, not the dog.

While I don't deny that much of it has to do with the owner and most of the time the dog is provoked (at least in its animal instinct's eyes), I still say you must have a screw or two loose if you either (a) own a dog that is predisposed to being mean/dangerous when you have children or (b) let your children hang around such a dog alone.

In MY experience, as a mail carrier....I will say that most of the people that own Pitbulls are trailer trash, plain and simple....they think it is cool, and vogue to have one....however, if I were popping out 5 kids, didn't work, owned 2 Lexuses, aN Acura, and an Infiniti....had 2 60" Plasmas...but lived in what can best be described as an outhouse with dormers, I'd have one too....

[KenTheDude]

Basically, no dog breed is inherently bad. That said, some breeds (and specific dogs) are genetically predisposed to where they CAN be mean. From that point, it's down to the owner. Be a responsible dog owner and your dog will be very sociable. Be non-responsible, and you may find yourself with a problem. As was said, blame the owner, not the dog.

While I don't deny that much of it has to do with the owner and most of the time the dog is provoked (at least in its animal instinct's eyes), I still say you must have a screw or two loose if you either (a) own a dog that is predisposed to being mean/dangerous when you have children or (b) let your children hang around such a dog alone.

As much of a dog lover as I am, I have to agree with this. Especially (b).

[Ehwmatt]

Basically, no dog breed is inherently bad. That said, some breeds (and specific dogs) are genetically predisposed to where they CAN be mean. From that point, it's down to the owner. Be a responsible dog owner and your dog will be very sociable. Be non-responsible, and you may find yourself with a problem. As was said, blame the owner, not the dog.

While I don't deny that much of it has to do with the owner and most of the time the dog is provoked (at least in its animal instinct's eyes), I still say you must have a screw or two loose if you either (a) own a dog that is predisposed to being mean/dangerous when you have children or (b) let your children hang around such a dog alone.

In MY experience, as a mail carrier....I will say that most of the people that own Pitbulls are trailer trash, plain and simple....they think it is cool, and vogue to have one....however, if I were popping out 5 kids, didn't work, owned 2 Lexuses, aN Acura, and an Infiniti....had 2 60" Plasmas...but lived in what can best be described as an outhouse with dormers, I'd have one too....

lol, hey, they need a mean dog to guard their $500 in assets other than said cars and TVs

[Ehwmatt]

Basically, no dog breed is inherently bad. That said, some breeds (and specific dogs) are genetically predisposed to where they CAN be mean. From that point, it's down to the owner. Be a responsible dog owner and your dog will be very sociable. Be non-responsible, and you may find yourself with a problem. As was said, blame the owner, not the dog.

While I don't deny that much of it has to do with the owner and most of the time the dog is provoked (at least in its animal instinct's eyes), I still say you must have a screw or two loose if you either (a) own a dog that is predisposed to being mean/dangerous when you have children or (b) let your children hang around such a dog alone.

As much of a dog lover as I am, I have to agree with this. Especially (b).

As a dog lover, what kinda dogs do/have you owned? Have you had a Pit Bull, Doberman(n?) or a Rottweiler? Just curious here.

I personally have always been pretty afraid of dogs because of an incident that happened when I was three. My grandfather and I were taking a walk and a guy was walking two Pit Bulls coming towards us on the sidewalk. All of a sudden, they started growling and broke loose from the guy and started running at us (they were probably a good 40 yards from us at that point). I remember my grandfather being visibly frightened, getting in front of me, and telling me "Matt, these dogs might jump on me, if they do I want you to run as fast as you can." Of course, this all happened pretty quickly, but it seemed like an eternity. Somehow the guy got them to come back, either with a whistle or something else, but from that day on I was always scared of dogs.

Today, I enjoy playing with a friendly dog and I'm not nearly as afraid of them as I was until I was like 16 or 17. But, I still do keep a healthy vigilance over any decently sized dog that I happen to be around in a friend or relative's house, I don't care how nice they tell me he/she is or how friendly I've seen it to be first hand.. You just never know what can happen. They're still creatures of instinct, even the friendly ones.

[KenTheDude]

Basically, no dog breed is inherently bad. That said, some breeds (and specific dogs) are genetically predisposed to where they CAN be mean. From that point, it's down to the owner. Be a responsible dog owner and your dog will be very sociable. Be non-responsible, and you may find yourself with a problem. As was said, blame the owner, not the dog.

While I don't deny that much of it has to do with the owner and most of the time the dog is provoked (at least in its animal instinct's eyes), I still say you must have a screw or two loose if you either (a) own a dog that is predisposed to being mean/dangerous when you have children or (b) let your children hang around such a dog alone.

As much of a dog lover as I am, I have to agree with this. Especially (b).

As a dog lover, what kinda dogs do/have you owned? Have you had a Pit Bull, Doberman(n?) or a Rottweiler? Just curious here.

I personally have always been pretty afraid of dogs because of an incident that happened when I was three. My grandfather and I were taking a walk and a guy was walking two Pit Bulls coming towards us on the sidewalk. All of a sudden, they started growling and broke loose from the guy and started running at us (they were probably a good 40 yards from us at that point). I remember my grandfather being visibly frightened, getting in front of me, and telling me "Matt, these dogs might jump on me, if they do I want you to run as fast as you can." Of course, this all happened pretty quickly, but it seemed like an eternity. Somehow the guy got them to come back, either with a whistle or something else, but from that day on I was always scared of dogs.

Today, I enjoy playing with a friendly dog and I'm not nearly as afraid of them as I was until I was like 16 or 17. But, I still do keep a healthy vigilance over any decently sized dog that I happen to be around in a friend or relative's house, I don't care how nice they tell me he/she is or how friendly I've seen it to be first hand.. You just never know what can happen. They're still creatures of instinct, even the friendly ones.

I never have nor will I own a Pit Bull. I've had 4 dogs in my life:

1. Collie- lovable, playful dog.
2. Bassett Hound - Lovable but stubborn and VERY stupid, LOL!
3. German Shepherd. Honestly one of the most loving, loyal and affectionate dogs I've ever owned.
4. My current dog is a mixture of mostly German shepherd but smaller in size. Even more lovable than the last. His name is Deeno, named after Deen Castronovo. When I first got him, I told Deen about him and that I named him after him. He asked me how good of a dog he was turning out to be. I told him that he was a great dog but a little hyper (he was puppy then). Deen said "Well the name fits because I'm hyper too" LOL!

I can understand you being scared of dogs because of your incident. I would totally trust my dog around my child if I had one. I highly doubt I could say the same for a Pit Bull. German shepherds get a bad reputation because of their police dog training. They are extremely intelligent and gentle by nature.

[Ehwmatt]

I never have nor will I own a Pit Bull. I've had 4 dogs in my life:

1. Collie- lovable, playful dog.
2. Bassett Hound - Lovable but stubborn and VERY stupid, LOL!
3. German Shepherd. Honestly one of the most loving, loyal and affectionate dogs I've ever owned.
4. My current dog is a mixture of mostly German shepherd but smaller in size. Even more lovable than the last. His name is Deeno, named after Deen Castronovo. When I first got him, I told Deen about him and that I named him after him. He asked me how good of a dog he was turning out to be. I told him that he was a great dog but a little hyper (he was puppy then). Deen said "Well the name fits because I'm hyper too" LOL!

I can understand you being scared of dogs because of your incident. I would totally trust my dog around my child if I had one. I highly doubt I could say the same for a Pit Bull. German shepherds get a bad reputation because of their police dog training. They are extremely intelligent and gentle by nature.

Yea, when I first saw those lists I was pretty surprised to see German Shepherds on there, as I've known a few and haven't had anything but good experiences with them.

Basset Hounds are hilarious and Collies are always a classic.

[StevePerryHair]

Basically, no dog breed is inherently bad. That said, some breeds (and specific dogs) are genetically predisposed to where they CAN be mean. From that point, it's down to the owner. Be a responsible dog owner and your dog will be very sociable. Be non-responsible, and you may find yourself with a problem. As was said, blame the owner, not the dog.

While I don't deny that much of it has to do with the owner and most of the time the dog is provoked (at least in its animal instinct's eyes), I still say you must have a screw or two loose if you either (a) own a dog that is predisposed to being mean/dangerous when you have children or (b) let your children hang around such a dog alone.

As much of a dog lover as I am, I have to agree with this. Especially (b).

As a dog lover, what kinda dogs do/have you owned? Have you had a Pit Bull, Doberman(n?) or a Rottweiler? Just curious here.

I personally have always been pretty afraid of dogs because of an incident that happened when I was three. My grandfather and I were taking a walk and a guy was walking two Pit Bulls coming towards us on the sidewalk. All of a sudden, they started growling and broke loose from the guy and started running at us (they were probably a good 40 yards from us at that point). I remember my grandfather being visibly frightened, getting in front of me, and telling me "Matt, these dogs might jump on me, if they do I want you to run as fast as you can." Of course, this all happened pretty quickly, but it seemed like an eternity. Somehow the guy got them to come back, either with a whistle or something else, but from that day on I was always scared of dogs.

Today, I enjoy playing with a friendly dog and I'm not nearly as afraid of them as I was until I was like 16 or 17. But, I still do keep a healthy vigilance over any decently sized dog that I happen to be around in a friend or relative's house, I don't care how nice they tell me he/she is or how friendly I've seen it to be first hand.. You just never know what can happen. They're still creatures of instinct, even the friendly ones.

I never have nor will I own a Pit Bull. I've had 4 dogs in my life:

1. Collie- lovable, playful dog.
2. Bassett Hound - Lovable but stubborn and VERY stupid, LOL!
3. German Shepherd. Honestly one of the most loving, loyal and affectionate dogs I've ever owned.
4. My current dog is a mixture of mostly German shepherd but smaller in size. Even more lovable than the last. His name is Deeno, named after Deen Castronovo. When I first got him, I told Deen about him and that I named him after him. He asked me how good of a dog he was turning out to be. I told him that he was a great dog but a little hyper (he was puppy then). Deen said "Well the name fits because I'm hyper too" LOL!

I can understand you being scared of dogs because of your incident. I would totally trust my dog around my child if I had one. I highly doubt I could say the same for a Pit Bull. German shepherds get a bad reputation because of their police dog training. They are extremely intelligent and gentle by nature.

Most true dog lovers like you I have asked feel the same way about pit bulls. And they would also never own one. Im not sure a lot of the people who own them actually love animals in an "affectionate" way anyway. Maybe that's part of the problem too, who knows. And I have been around the Police German shepards and in my experience they are very sweet and gentle dogs too. I guess that goes with their intelligence though. Knowing their commands and not acting on them when they are not told to. I think Pit bulls must be very very dumb! Or is has to be some kind of pre-disposition. It has to be. Their has to be a reason that even the sweetest of pit bulls can still turn.

[bluejeangirl76]

I never have nor will I own a Pit Bull. I've had 4 dogs in my life:

1. Collie- lovable, playful dog.
2. Bassett Hound - Lovable but stubborn and VERY stupid, LOL!
3. German Shepherd. Honestly one of the most loving, loyal and affectionate dogs I've ever owned.
4. My current dog is a mixture of mostly German shepherd but smaller in size. Even more lovable than the last. His name is Deeno, named after Deen Castronovo. When I first got him, I told Deen about him and that I named him after him. He asked me how good of a dog he was turning out to be. I told him that he was a great dog but a little hyper (he was puppy then). Deen said "Well the name fits because I'm hyper too" LOL!

I can understand you being scared of dogs because of your incident. I would totally trust my dog around my child if I had one. I highly doubt I could say the same for a Pit Bull. German shepherds get a bad reputation because of their police dog training. They are extremely intelligent and gentle by nature.

Yea, when I first saw those lists I was pretty surprised to see German Shepherds on there, as I've known a few and haven't had anything but good experiences with them.

Basset Hounds are hilarious and Collies are always a classic.

German Shepherds are awesome. They're loyal and loving but don't fk with their people. They make excellent guard dogs. My first dog was half shepherd and half lab - but he looked mostly like a shep, just a little smaller and with the blonde lab coloring. And was such a sweet dog, your typical man's best friend... but he was a guard dog like a motherfk'r. He went absolute insane every day when the mail came. He HATED the mail carriers and he would totally lose his mind when the gas/electric meter people came.

Anyone else he didn't know, he was a little anxious with, like jumping and stuff, but nothing harmful. Well, except one time when a friend of my parents came over... he came into the house and when he went to greet my mom, he raised his arm to hug her and the dog lunged at the guy, teeth bared. If my dad hadn't grabbed the dog, this man would have lost that arm.

[Ehwmatt]

I never have nor will I own a Pit Bull. I've had 4 dogs in my life:

1. Collie- lovable, playful dog.
2. Bassett Hound - Lovable but stubborn and VERY stupid, LOL!
3. German Shepherd. Honestly one of the most loving, loyal and affectionate dogs I've ever owned.
4. My current dog is a mixture of mostly German shepherd but smaller in size. Even more lovable than the last. His name is Deeno, named after Deen Castronovo. When I first got him, I told Deen about him and that I named him after him. He asked me how good of a dog he was turning out to be. I told him that he was a great dog but a little hyper (he was puppy then). Deen said "Well the name fits because I'm hyper too" LOL!

I can understand you being scared of dogs because of your incident. I would totally trust my dog around my child if I had one. I highly doubt I could say the same for a Pit Bull. German shepherds get a bad reputation because of their police dog training. They are extremely intelligent and gentle by nature.

Yea, when I first saw those lists I was pretty surprised to see German Shepherds on there, as I've known a few and haven't had anything but good experiences with them.

Basset Hounds are hilarious and Collies are always a classic.

German Shepherds are awesome. They're loyal and loving but don't fk with their people. They make excellent guard dogs. My first dog was half shepherd and half lab - but he looked mostly like a shep, just a little smaller and with the blonde lab coloring. And was such a sweet dog, your typical man's best friend... but he was a guard dog like a motherfk'r. He went absolute insane every day when the mail came. He HATED the mail carriers and he would totally lose his mind when the gas/electric meter people came.

Anyone else he didn't know, he was a little anxious with, like jumping and stuff, but nothing harmful. Well, except one time when a friend of my parents came over... he came into the house and when he went to greet my mom, he raised his arm to hug her and the dog lunged at the guy, teeth bared. If my dad hadn't grabbed the dog, this man would have lost that arm.

Gee, what a glowing endorsement of German Shepherds' gentle nature

[bluejeangirl76]

I never have nor will I own a Pit Bull. I've had 4 dogs in my life:

1. Collie- lovable, playful dog.
2. Bassett Hound - Lovable but stubborn and VERY stupid, LOL!
3. German Shepherd. Honestly one of the most loving, loyal and affectionate dogs I've ever owned.
4. My current dog is a mixture of mostly German shepherd but smaller in size. Even more lovable than the last. His name is Deeno, named after Deen Castronovo. When I first got him, I told Deen about him and that I named him after him. He asked me how good of a dog he was turning out to be. I told him that he was a great dog but a little hyper (he was puppy then). Deen said "Well the name fits because I'm hyper too" LOL!

I can understand you being scared of dogs because of your incident. I would totally trust my dog around my child if I had one. I highly doubt I could say the same for a Pit Bull. German shepherds get a bad reputation because of their police dog training. They are extremely intelligent and gentle by nature.

Yea, when I first saw those lists I was pretty surprised to see German Shepherds on there, as I've known a few and haven't had anything but good experiences with them.

Basset Hounds are hilarious and Collies are always a classic.

German Shepherds are awesome. They're loyal and loving but don't fk with their people. They make excellent guard dogs. My first dog was half shepherd and half lab - but he looked mostly like a shep, just a little smaller and with the blonde lab coloring. And was such a sweet dog, your typical man's best friend... but he was a guard dog like a motherfk'r. He went absolute insane every day when the mail came. He HATED the mail carriers and he would totally lose his mind when the gas/electric meter people came.

Anyone else he didn't know, he was a little anxious with, like jumping and stuff, but nothing harmful. Well, except one time when a friend of my parents came over... he came into the house and when he went to greet my mom, he raised his arm to hug her and the dog lunged at the guy, teeth bared. If my dad hadn't grabbed the dog, this man would have lost that arm.

Gee, what a glowing endorsement of German Shepherds' gentle nature

They're awesome if YOU own them. If you have a job that requires visiting peoples' homes wearing a uniform, then not so much. But they're also very easy to train.

[KenTheDude]

I'll give you an example of how calm and gentle my dog can be. My girlfriend has a miniature Pinscher. Very similar to a Chihuahua. This little shit will go straight up to my dog and steal his treat from between my dog's paws. The first time it happened, my dog looked at me like "Did this little fucker really just do that?" That little dude has some really big swingers. My dog's been letting it happen but he is beginning to let him know not to pull that crap anymore.

[Michigan Girl]

I agree w/a lot of this...I know a couple of very sweet Pit Bulls, but I would never trust
them completely enough to own one or to have around children.
I am a lover of dogs and they know if you love them...much like children!!

That said, the only breed of dog I have ever owned is a Pekingese. They are soooo
adorable and small, but they will bite your face off if you reach for me in an
aggressive manner, it's just their nature...

[bluejeangirl76]

I am a lover of dogs and they know if you love them...much like children!!

They also know if you are "not a dog person" and they latch onto that, too.
I am not a dog person and every dog I get within a mile of wants to be all up in my bid'ness.
It's like they know I don't want them climbing all over me so they do it on purpose. Little effers!!

[Michigan Girl]

I am a lover of dogs and they know if you love them...much like children!!

They also know if you are "not a dog person" and they latch onto that, too.
I am not a dog person and every dog I get within a mile of wants to be all up in my bid'ness.
It's like they know I don't want them climbing all over me so they do it on purpose. Little effers!!

lol!! Good thing^^^cause we look like our dogs too!!!

[kgdjpubs]

Basically, no dog breed is inherently bad. That said, some breeds (and specific dogs) are genetically predisposed to where they CAN be mean. From that point, it's down to the owner. Be a responsible dog owner and your dog will be very sociable. Be non-responsible, and you may find yourself with a problem. As was said, blame the owner, not the dog.

While I don't deny that much of it has to do with the owner and most of the time the dog is provoked (at least in its animal instinct's eyes), I still say you must have a screw or two loose if you either (a) own a dog that is predisposed to being mean/dangerous when you have children or (b) let your children hang around such a dog alone.

As much of a dog lover as I am, I have to agree with this. Especially (b).

no disagreement there from me either. I'd also be equally concerned about leaving small children alone with some of the very small miniaturization of some of the terrier breeds (ie 2-4lbs fully grown). Not for the danger of the kid, but for the danger of the dog.

[Michigan Girl]

Basically, no dog breed is inherently bad. That said, some breeds (and specific dogs) are genetically predisposed to where they CAN be mean. From that point, it's down to the owner. Be a responsible dog owner and your dog will be very sociable. Be non-responsible, and you may find yourself with a problem. As was said, blame the owner, not the dog.

While I don't deny that much of it has to do with the owner and most of the time the dog is provoked (at least in its animal instinct's eyes), I still say you must have a screw or two loose if you either (a) own a dog that is predisposed to being mean/dangerous when you have children or (b) let your children hang around such a dog alone.

As much of a dog lover as I am, I have to agree with this. Especially (b).

no disagreement there from me either. I'd also be equally concerned about leaving small children alone with some of the very small miniaturization of some of the terrier breeds (ie 2-4lbs fully grown). Not for the danger of the kid, but for the danger of the dog.

Oh yes, no matter how small the dog... they can do serious damage to small children if they feel
threatened/if a child hurts them!!

[JasonD]

I want a dog like Mr. Winkles. He's a cutie.

[stevew2]

I want a dog like Mr. Winkles. He's a cutie.

he looks gay to