Agree that the background of adult rescue dogs raises the concern pointed out by @ucbalumnus.
There is no easy answer, however, insurance company statistics have revealed similiar statistics for decades in the US.
Spaying & neutering may be a key to curbing aggressive behavior.
Two types of aggression: Aggression toward humans & agression toward other animals. My understanding is that insurance companies statistics are only concerned with aggression by dogs toward humans.
As a Denver suburb resident, I’m glad this was vetoed. With the large variety of dog breeds available, why would anybody insist on having specifically a pit bull? Aggressiveness is probably a trait that specifically attracts some people, and I don’t want these people to have dogs. Of course people who already have pit bulls which didn’t exhibit aggressive behavior should be able to keep them.
@yucca10 If you read the Esquire article linked above you will see that there is not a large variety of dog breeds available as rescues and that the majority of dogs available have ancestry that includes “pit bull” (which isn’t a breed)which can’t even be identified by DNA.
And how do you figure out who the people are who you say value aggressiveness and whom you don’t want to own dogs? Is it ok if these people own purebred Cocker Spaniels, who seem very prone to biting?
But pit bulls do the most damage when biting humans or other animals.
https://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-studies.php
“In the 14 year period of 2005 through 2018, canines killed 471 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% (311) of these deaths. Combined, pit bulls and rottweilers contributed to 76% of the total recorded deaths.” (For more concerning studies & stats, click on “more” after this introductory paragraph.)
This website refers to dozens of studies condeming pit bulls. My intention is not to upset pit bull lovers, but to inform those opposed to breed specific laws & bans what they are facing. It is necessary to understand & respond to these studies if one opposes such ban type laws.
I’ll have to let my cousins in SF know that their French Bulldog is illegal.
@yucca10 we only have rescues. When we rescued ours, we were told she was a lab mix. And as a young, emaciated dog, you’d have NO idea she was mostly pit.
By the time she filled out, we sure as hell weren’t returning her just because her chest filled out.
And by varying definition, the vast, VAST majority of shelter dogs are “pitbull” type dogs. And I’ll never, ever have anything other than a rescue dog.
Luckily I don’t live in a city/county that baselessly discriminates against a dog’s physiotype.
Purebred dogs have a big advantage - DNA confirmation of the breed and/or AKC etc. paperwork.
Why is that an advantage, BB? An advantage to what? Not every dog is going to have typical breed characteristics, even if purebred. Plus they’re more likely to have health issues than mix breed dogs.
And let’s say you get a purebred APBT -from a reputable breeder who has raised loving dogs. Their typical characteristics make them an ideal family dog. But guess what? They make most APBT-mix rescue dogs good family dogs too.
Sorry I’m not getting any more into this discussion because I’m very emotionally invested in rescue animals. I will never, ever get a bred dog unless there is some extreme health reason why it would be necessary - and even most so-called hypoallergenic dogs are BS. (This will be my last post here.)
As a new dog owner, I am confused. What makes a pit bull, if it’s not a specific breed? There must be enough common characteristics to make some cities ban them, whatever “they” are, and to make some people fear them.
A friend of mine told me that her daughter and son in law had one, but chose to give it to another family (even though it had never shown signs of agression) when they were expecting their first child. And these were experienced dog people, who had only had pit bulls, and who had raised this one from puppyhood. But they were concerned about the unpredictable nature of this type of dog.
These concerns can’t all be rooted in bias or ignorance, and the statistics must be based on some common traits, right?
My problem with the stats is I wonder how the data is collected. I would guess that is just reported by the bite victim; certainly no AKC registration checking or testing is done so it’s just what the victim says. And I just have to wonder if “Was it a pit bull” is asked, or if “pit bull” is the default, or if the victim says they don’t know, does the report go over those very general physical characteristics, resulting in many dogs being falsely reported as “pit bulls?”
Anyway it is a big issue with lots of factors.
@yucca10 I bet there is a dichotomy of pit owners: The irresponsible ones who are attracted by the reputation of the breed, and the pro-pit ones who rescue them and take proper precautions and responsibilities of dog ownership. As long as the first type exist, we will need the second type.
People keep citing “statistics” but if the information they are based on is bad, they are useless. Like others have said, it’s not a breed. It’s a perceived collection of descriptors.
My D and SIL adopted a “pit mix” several years before they had a baby. The two of them are extremely close; the pup is so tender and loving with my GD. We shouldn’t consign the vast majority of rescue dogs to limbo because of our perceived fears. Or because of political cowardice.
Specific breeds have organized rescue groups (i.e. Golden Retriever Rescue etc) who then find a foster home. The dogs are carefully assessed, medically cared for and then adoption applications are taken. In a number of cases there is a lot of background information available but sometimes there is almost none. Still- there are lots of available breeds available through this sort of organization.
Dogs classified as Pit Bulls are an insurance issue in many places and do cause a lot of harm if aggressive.
Temperament testing isn’t just to test for aggressive dogs. It is also used to identify dogs who are too shy or fearful, whether or not that leads to negative behaviors. For instance, my first golden would have flunked these two subtests:
My dog was amazingly gentle but hated loud noises or unexpected “scary things”. He would have climbed into my lap, all 80 pounds of him. Someone once tried to physically break into our housemates’ condo. Yelling people with baseball bats. Not a noise from the dog. When did he bark? When he saw the scary lights on the police car.
I’m of two minds about pit bans. I’ve met some truly sweet bull terriers (American and or/ Staffordshire). In fact I was rubbing a pit belly an hour ago. On the other hand I had a terrible experience with the next door neighbor’s. The dog was wonderful with the family but extremely aggressive with everyone else. Once came into my house while I was out and pinned the cleaner in the laundry room; pinned me on the steps in another episode. Was growling with raised hackles both times. The dog bit my dog, then two different people, and had to be destroyed.
I’ve seen dogs get into fights before. The common MO is that one is set off, goes after the other, that one responds, they snarl, bark, and bite but eventually separate. When this dog went after mine it was different. The dog went after mine, mine snarled and barked back but when the pit bit my golden the golden totally submitted. At that point every dog fight I’ve seen would be over, but in this case the pit would not let go. No matter what anyone did he would not release my dog. He held him with his teeth fully sunk for close to five minutes before the owner’s son was able to pry his teeth apart with a shovel handle.
That’s what scares me about some of these dogs, particularly those who made have been bred, or had parents bred, for their protective characteristics. A dog who bites is one thing. A dog who mauls is another altogether.
^^ Similar experience. Neighbor’s pit bull who was wonderful with the family came after our Golden who was being walked on a leash. My husband got between them and the pit bull bit my husband’s shin and he had to go to the walk in clinic. There are just too many incidents like this.
“Why is that an advantage, BB? An advantage to what?”
That was a reference to the French bulldog. The paperwork can serve as a proof that the dog is not a prohibited “breed.”
I am a dog lover. All of our dogs are adopted from local shelters. All mixed breeds. Prefer retrievers. Love border collies as well.
This thread must be hurtful to those who have and love “pit bulls”. I find many pit bulls adorable. Many seem to be sensitive & loving. I apologize to any who may be hurt by the studies or stats cited. My intent is not to upset anyone, just to hear all sides & let readers know what the concerns are & what evidence might be used when discussing restrictive laws.
P.S. Wouldn’t spaying or neutering at a young age greatly diminish any aggressive tendencies toward animals or humans ?
@Publisher, I understand where you’re coming from, and when I’m not looking lovingly at my rescued sweetheart, I understand the insurance company viewpoint also.
It is clear to me that, if an owner is a bent human being, that a pit bull could be trained to be a nasty animal; many are athletes with staggering strength.
I love dogs, but am afraid of pit bulls. They are, in my experience and research, unpredictable animals. It’s not just a matter of how they are raised. I think those who don’t want to admit it are willingly choosing to keep their heads in the sand. I have a rottie mix. And while she’s a super sweet dog and loves people, she has unpredictable, aggressive tendencies when it comes to other dogs, even as a senior dog. Pretending otherwise benefits no one.
I think there is a level of unpredictability to any animal. My experience with my last dog (lab/boxer) was also that he became unpredictably aggressive towards other dogs as he got older. I think a realization that animals cannot truly be predicted is a healthy attitude for dog owners (and all). I know my current dog 100% and she is the sweetest, shy thing. Would I let her get face to face or face-to-hand with a baby or anyone we don’t know? Nope. Are my eyes glued to her watching her body language when we are out and about and interacting with someone? Yes, always.
@Publisher if only there was a way to require spay/neuter (for all) except for those that prove themselves responsible breeders! But I think we’re just coming around to the same problem…owners who don’t properly supervise, socialize and train their dogs, pit or not, are also less likely to spay/neuter.
Breeding certainly comes into play as well. By and large breeds have certain characteristics because they’ve been bred for them. It’s hard to finds a golden retriever who doesn’t like the water, or a beagle who won’t follow a scent, or an Australian shepherd who doesn’t herd kids and other dogs. They exist, but they’re not common.
While plenty of pit bulls (yes, I know it’s not a single breed but I’m using it as a shorthand for those breeds commonly characterized as pits) have been bred to be gentle, loving family dogs, others have been bred for aggression and even in cases where dogs with this lineage have had loving homes sometimes (IMO) breeding can win out and cause an otherwise lovely dog to literally snap. I think that’s why animal shelters are filled to the brim with American Bulldogs.
Some places had (or informally still have) breed specific bans or restrictions on humans, an unsavory historical precedent.