Do Savage Dog Breeds Really Exist?
Okay this post is apparently not going to win me many friends but I feel an obligation to put it out there anyway! Recently I just read about another unprovoked dog-related death and surprise surprise the dog breed involved was a Pit Bull or some kinda pit bull mix.
Now here is why I feel obliged to touch on this subject; lately I have written a series of articles entitled Powerdogs featuring…well powerdogs! I will be the first to admit that this list is highly subjective and the criterion to make the list lies solely at my discretion (hey it is my list after all). For example I am not sure that the Great Dane will necessarily make the list but that is really of little relevance here.
I bring up this subject of Powerdogs because about 4 of those dog breeds on that list are what I consider dangerous dog breeds and I think it is only fair to point this out to those folks who might be excited by the prospect of getting a powerdog breed. It is also noteworthy that the dogs that fit my criteria as dangerous breeds were developed to fight (in other words fighting is inherent in their genetic legacy). The list by the way is not complete and will most certainly include the Pit Bull and the Rottweiler, the two dog breeds responsible for the most mauling-related human fatalities each year (not to mention the dog-on-dog attacks).
Clearing Up A Few Issues First
Under the right circumstances even the sweetest dog can lash out! Undoubtedly if a dog is raised cruelly in a harsh environment it is no big surprise when that dog turns out to be a menace, no matter the dog breed! But for purposes of this article we are going to assume that the dogs were raised in a loving environment and treated well!
Understanding Genetic Heritage And Individual Dog Temperament
Dr. Michael Fox said in his book Understanding Your Dog “Genetic factors are transmitted by inheritance, but the traits themselves are modified by interacting genetic and environmental factors. Training and early experience greatly influence these traits…”
In essence what is being said is that with training and early socialization it is possible to counteract to an extent the genetic traits inherently bred into any dog breed. However please note the operative phrase “to an extent!”
These days it is well understood by dog experts and authorities (but unfortunately not widely acknowledged by the common public) that by the 7th week of its life the temperament that a puppy possesses is the same temperament it will exhibit as an adult dog. It is in fact possible to determine the individual and different temperaments of puppies from the same litter.
Thus when (as so often happens) owners of Pit Bulls exclaim in outrage that the breed is being unfairly singled out and vilified by ignorant oafs (such as myself), they proffer as proof of their justified outrage the fact that they so happen to be the proud owners of the sweetest loving pit bull that there ever was! Well as previously noted, much like human family members possess and display totally different personalities, so will puppies from the same litter.
Now going back to the case of those owners with the sweetest pit bull there ever was there is a high likelihood that their dog exhibited high passive defense reflexes, high inhibitability levels and measured low on the dominance scale (for the breed at least). A dog with high passive defense reflexes requires a lot of stress and stimuli to be induced to bite. Some breeds have inherently higher levels than others, and even within the same breed different individual dogs display different levels.
The Pit Bull
There’s a very good reason why the Pit Bull is by far and away the leader in both human and dog maulings as well as fatalities and that is because the pit bull was selectively bred for those traits that predispose it to enhanced aggression; a trait that is very valuable in the fighting arena.
Touch Insensitivity Trait
One of the traits that was selectively bred for in the pit bull in order to make this dog breed into a more efficient fighter is what is known as touch insensitivity. This trait of touch insensitivity is common to dogs bred for fighting so that despite being severely wounded they would continue fighting. A dog high in this trait would be pretty much impervious to a might yank on its chain which goes a long way in explaining why it is so difficult to call off and disengage a pit bull engaged in an attack.
Other traits that were bred into the pit bull that enhance its violent nature are a tendency towards dominance and excitability; both excellent traits if you’re designing the ultimate fighter. Other features that the pit bull was selectively bred for all in the name of the “ultimate canine fighter” were enormous jaw strength, unparallel tenacity and extreme resilience!
In fact the Pit Bull is unique amongst dogs in exhibiting the unusual behavioral trait of being unfazed or undeterred in attacking opponents far larger than themselves. This would account for the unusual pattern of their attacks in that they are just as likely to attack an adult as they would a child! The Pit Bull is also notorious for attacking without warning or apparent provocation (that’s where that excitability trait comes into play).
The Rottweiler on the other hand (which is next on the list for most maulings and fatalities after the pit bull) displays a more normal child/adult attack ratio. All said and done, even though the Rottwieler is a bigger and more powerful dog than the pit bull, one has a better chance of surviving a Rottweiler attack than that of a Pit Bull, if for nothing else than that the Rottweiler does not possess the unrelenting tenacity or resilience of the Pitbull.
But Other Dog Breeds Bite Too!
This is the most often quipped disclaimer whenever the statistics for dog bites, maimings and fatalities are compiled and made public. True other dog breeds are involved in attacks but of all the breeds involved two especially stand out (yeah I know I’ve listed 3 dog types):
Pit Bull: 1110 Attacks; 608 Severe Maimings; 104 Deaths.
Rottweiler: 409 Attacks; 223 Severe Maimings; 58 Deaths.
Wolf Hybrid: 71 Attacks; 43 Severe Maimings; 18 Deaths.
These figures alone do not tell the whole story because they do not take into account the prevalence of a particular dog breed in society. For example there are far fewer wolf hybrid dogs than there are the other two breeds which means that proportionally many more fatalities resulted from wolf hybrid attacks than they did from the Pit Bull or Rottweiler.
That PDF report is excellent save for the small error where the author listed the Bullmastiff as the Presa Canario which is an entirely different dog breed altogether. The Presa Canario makes my list of dangerous breeds (unlike the Bullmastiff) and has indeed been banned in many countries.
On a final note concerning the aspect of Powerdogs that I have listed (and those which I haven’t but will eventually ) the following make my list of dangerous dog breeds:
- Tosa Inu
- Presa Canario
- Pit Bull
- Rottweiler
Of those four dog breeds on the list the only one that wasn’t singularly developed as a fighter is the Rottweiler. In Scandinavia breeders for some time have been trying to reduce the tendency of the Rottweiler to displaying unprovoked aggression through a program of selective breeding much in the same way that the Great Dane was converted into the lovable giant of today!
All the other breeds on my short list of dangerous dogs were developed as fighters and even though the Pit Bull is better known, the Presa Canario is probably a more dangerous dog for the fact it has all the fighting abilities of the Pit Bull except in a bigger and more powerful package.
The Japanese Tosa Inu is not as long-legged and heavy weight as its American cousin (200 lbs) and is yet another dog breed like the Presa Canario that has been banned in many countries (not surprisingly because this dog is typically heavier than 150 lbs and when in a rage would be truly difficult to bring under control).
It is of note that some other large and formidable Powerdog breeds with excellent fighting skills have not made it onto my list of dangerous dog breeds.
For example the Boerboel, a large Mastiff descendant, has been known to kill a leopard single-handedly! The formidable Kangal dog is a proven wolf slayer while the Caucasian Mountain dog is another huge powerful livestock protection dog that can easily best a Rottweiler!
So why aren’t these dogs on my list of dangerous dog breeds?
Simple! They were never bred as fighters but rather flock guardians and protector dogs; thus they do not display the overt aggression characteristic of dogs that were bred to fight!
Article on savage dogs by Kayye Nynne
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Comment by Pat Gray on 1 February 2010:
I don’t know where to start with this – every time I referred back to your article I found even more specious argument, irrational logic and misleading conclusions.
There are NO dangerous breeds, only dangerous owners and potentially dangerous “individual” dogs.
“But for purposes of this article we are going to assume that the dogs were raised in a loving environment and treated well!” unless you can show that those 1110 Pit Bull attacks came from loving homes, or at least a mix of environments/histories, you aren’t playing fair.
Your article refuses to take into account an INDIVIDUAL DOG’S owner, home environment or history (chained, trained, roaming, abused, socialized). Nor does it take into account different bloodlines within breeds, bad breeding, poor socialization or physical condition.
Grouping wolf-hybrids in statistics with domesticated dogs is specious – wolves are wild animals. Please don’t confuse the issue further.
Like most bashing articles, you’ve built your argument against entire breeds based on the behavior/actions/history of a few. Others have used similar tactics – all Blacks are ignorant, all Irish are drunks, all Jews are usurers….
There are as many stupid whites (if not more) as blacks, Germans love their beer too and there a lot of WASP bankers and stock brokers who will rip you off as soon as look at you.
I agree dangerous INDIVIDUAL dogs are a problem, but dangerous dogs are in truth a symptom of greater problems that breed-bashing and BSL will NOT solve.
Finally, working with and living with a mixed group of dogs on a daily basis, I can only say: Give me a kennel full of Pit Bulls, Mastiffs and Rottweilers any day – you can keep your little dogs and Labradors!
Comment by selwyn marock on 2 February 2010:
Powerdogs,Weapon Dogs,Dangerous Dogs the list is growing.Whenever stats are given on the dogs it is to be noted that longer and longer periods are used for obvious reasons,here we have a 24 year period.
Let use 2008 in the whole USA
Fatalities caused by dogs(all breeds)………………………………………………….16
info supplied by CDC(Canine Disease Centre)
Murder caused by Humans upon other Humans………………….16000
info provided by the FBI
Pat You have covered in your posting the point re what some rate as
Racist it is an anology I like using although on many sites it is not liked but it is so true.All Muslims are Terrorists,All blacks are Rapists and all Pitbulls are serial -killers–All Garbage.
My view is that BSL is a Law that failing politicos like bringing in as they can show results,just send the cops and animal-control out collecting Family-Pets from the Law-Abiding,mostly they do not have to search for anyone just go through municipal records under dog licences.”Look Voters I have saved you from those Marauding packs of Pitbulls that are Killing our little children and little old ladies” What a Crock!!!!!!!!
Finally another little stat Bee-Stings kill more humans in the USA than the dogs.PowerBees.
Comment by Kayye Nynne on 4 February 2010:
Rebuttal To Pat Gray’s Post:
I’d like to attack…ahem…I mean address the salient points of the comment by Pat Gray:
POINT 1. “There are NO dangerous breeds, only dangerous owners and potentially dangerous “individual” dogs.”
Arrrghhh! I really do find this comment ever so irksome! It seems to be the mantra of well-meaning but msiguided dog lovers.
It is almost as irritating as that of the modern day urban gunslinger who shamelessly preaches “guns don’t kill…people kill” in justification of his ever growing home arsenal of weapons!
Anyway back to Gray’s ambitious statement that there are no dangerous dog breeds; with this in mind let us take a careful look at the genetic heritage of the Pit Bull:
• Bred and developed to be the ultimate dog pit fighter!
• Selectively bred for extreme dog-on-dog aggression!
• Selectively bred for enormous jaw strength!
• Carefully bred to display exaggerated “touch insensitivity”!
• Selectively bred for extreme excitability!
• Bred to be completely fearless with huge resilience and tenacity!
All in all the above ingredients made/make for a highly volatile and explosive dog breed.
Okay let’s go ahead and look at some of those selectively bred traits in a little more detail:
1. Dog-On-Dog Aggression. This sounded good in theory (at least for a fighting dog) because it wouldn’t have done the dog’s handlers much good to have their wards projecting their aggression onto them as well!
But that is almost precisely what has been happening. The Pit Bull’s so-called dog-on-dog aggression may have worked in theory but in real life…well let’s just say way too much of that aggression has leaked over to involve people; often with fatal results!
A lot of Pit Bull fatalities, maulings and attacks on people are a result of good Samaritans trying to save some hapless canine victim from the unleashed savagery of an unprovoked attack by a Pit Bull.
2. Enormous Jaw Strength. Well this is pretty self-explanatory…the ultimate dog fighter needs huge jaw-crushing strength to quickly dispatch its victims!
3. Extreme Touch Insensitivity. Okay this trait is not quite so well known or obvious as the rest so let me flesh it out a little more. A decreased sensitivity to touch or in other words an exaggerated touch insensitivity trait ensures that the dog is extra impervious to pain. Possessing this trait explains why pit bulls are able to continue fighting under extreme duress and when they have sustained impossible wounds that would stay most any other dog breed!
Pit bulls are relentless in their attack which is why it is so hard even for their owners to call of the dog once it’s fury is unleashed!
4. Aggravated Excitability. The pit bull was bred to be super-excitable, a trait that is extremely useful in a gladiator (ever notice how wrestlers, boxers and other ring-fighters pump themselves up before a fight…it’s all to do with that adrenaline rush thing!)
Unfortunately this excitability trait so characteristic of the pitbull also predisposes it to sudden and unprovoked outbursts of aggression.
5. Bred And Developed To Fight. Oh and while other dog breeds were bred to look after livestock, pull sleighs, protect property, guide the blind (naming but just a few doggie professions) the Pit Bull was…well bred to fight!
Is it really necessary to say more about what constitutes a dangerous dog breed or not?
On a parting note let me ask you this: Ever wonder why professional big cat trainers never work with leopards? I mean the tiger and lion are much bigger and more powerful cats but both are commonly trained by people in the profession.
Truth is there’s a good reason why nobody ever trains and works with leopards.
It all boils down to the animal’s nature and temperament…which in a word is explosive and unpredicatable! Put simply it is far too dangerous to work with leopards.
That said, dangerous as a leopard is, it is tsill not as strong as a male lion or tiger; even the female of both species is stronger than the leopard yet they are safer animals around people!
Comment by wolfdogged on 5 February 2010:
Merritt Clifton’s statistics are bogus & invalid. He’s done no real research. His stats come from newspaper articles.
part 1
http://lassiegethelp.blogspot.com/2009/03/merritt-clifton-list-updated-still-with.html
part 2
http://lassiegethelp.blogspot.com/2007/08/pit-bulls-dog-bite-statistics-and.html
AND the majority of the so-called wolf hybrid attacks actually were from mixed breed dogs with no recent wolf heritage. Misrepresentation is RAMPANT in breeding hybrids.
The “average” REAL Wolf Hybrid would rather run and hide then attack – these are very shy animals by nature.
“Wolves” without wolf
http://www.wolfpark.org/wolfdogs/Poster_section3.html
Misrepresentation and Responsible Breeding
http://exoticpets.about.com/od/wolfdogs/a/wolfhybridstorm_2.htm
Comment by Kayye Nynne on 6 February 2010:
Here’s the link to a particularly vicious pit bull attack on a poor Labrador. I wanted to insert this video in the post but the owner of the video disabled embedding. Here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtu24Gh0_VY.
Watching that video made me really angry and I sincerely hope the pit bull involved was destroyed (actually I believe it was a Pit Bull mix since it looked rather sizable for a pit)!
You can find hundreds more videos of pit bull attacks some of those attacks on the dogs’ owners themselves out of the blue!
Many pit bull attacks tend to be unprovoked on innocent dogs minding their own business and enjoying what was up to that point nothing but a pleasant walk. So word to the wise…if you are walking your dog and see a pit bull (even on a leash) give it an extremely wide berth or if possible cross the street. When a pit bull attacks even their owners find it very difficult to halt the attack even when the attempt to stop the attack involves kicking or hitting their vicious dog with heavy objects!
Bottom line…it is time to stop pretending the pit bull is not a dangerous dog breed. It’s not the dog’s fault it was genetically selected and bred to be that way!
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Comment by Ivanika on 9 April 2010:
While I believe you cannot judge an entire breed on a select few I do agree with you that a dog’s genetics plays a huge factor in their temperament, not their environment. This past, sometimes present, selective breeding towards high endurance and fighting dog aggression follows and haunts a breed.
Personally this article hit really close to home, my mom’s friend’s chihuahua was recently killed by a stray pit bull and that was the second attack! By the very same pit bull, and all she was doing was taking a walk around the block.
Comment by Dog Breeds on 10 April 2010:
I’m sorry to hear about that poor chihuahua.
Lately I have noticed dog owners whilst walking their dogs either picking up their own dogs (if it is small enough) when a pit bull is in the vicinity (whether it is on a leash or not) or giving the pit bull a very wide berth (crossing the street if possible).
Comment by eduard scotty on 28 October 2010:
the only problem with pitbulls is that it’s in the media. i was attack by a Dalmatian but it didn’t get a police report, why cuase its not a big deal, as u can tell many people don’t care if a dog attacks someone unless it a pitbull( i think that the report that you have on the dog attacks only proves one thing, that people will most likely report a pitbull attack then a poodle….why won’t you just get your self a pitbull and you will see how dangerous they really are before making comment about what other people say (bring real proof before u start making up thieries) by that i mean get a pitbull raise it and if you think it dangerous send it to the pound then you can write with real proof…
Comment by eduard scotty on 28 October 2010:
pitbull lashout??? i never seen one why becuase it’s not true
reasons why “DOG” lashout
1.alpha dog type- they think that they’re the leader
why: lack of training don’t have control over your dog
(irresponsable owners) never let your dog control you
especialy if they’re guard dogs
2.Sometime it’s not the pitbulls fualt that the dog nextdoor cross to his side. dog are known to be territorial and pitbulls are know to have a bad rep. so who you think will get the blame???
3. genetics??? all dog come from wolves doesn’t it mean any thing
if you leave your dogs unattended they will most likely copy their antcestors (form a group turn savage exc. “ALL DOGS HAVE SURVIVAL TRAITS”)some stray dogs don’t acked that way probable becuase they depend on humans…
4.THE LIST IS NOT THAT LONG but is still missing stuff….
I do think that super dogs are potensialy dangerous under the wrong hands….most (alot)of people buy pitbulls just to showoff don’t take full responsability of the breed and lack of knowledge
(sorry for any missed spelled words, english is not my main language
Comment by Kayla on 6 April 2011:
Ok, I really hope someone reads this, and my e-mail is kaylalonkard@yahoo.com if you’d like to reply.
So, I have to say that the notion of a dangerous dog breed is actually one on the fence for me. No, I don’t believe that there are really many bad dogs at all. You’ll have your instances, just like random serial killers who had good familes, good lives, and just snapped.
But… in my own research and dealing with horses, I have to say that I can see a genetic factor being involved. My theory though, is the same with dog violence as horse ‘cow herding’ ability.
In quarter horses (most known for cow abilities), there are many horses who are born with the will, desire, and some natural knowledge on how to work cattle. Around where I live, a family friend had a mare(female horse) with two of her foals (babies) that he turned out with his cattle. The three horses seperated the cows from their calves, not at all agressive or hurting them… it was like a game. So, these horses had at least a decent bit of the natural cow working abilities.
It is the job of a horse trainer, if they want to control this or improve upon it to work with the animal in ways that will accomplish what they are wanting. The most famed cutters (horse that competes in a competition of seperating one calf from the herd and preventing it from returning) had natural talent, that is not to doubt. But they all had a good trainer on their back to teach them how they could improve this skill.
Now, let’s look at a dog in general, let alone a sixth generation pit bull fighter. A dog is a predator, so its game is to kill. This is something that is not uncommon and seen in squeaky toys (they like to hear something ‘dying’). And usually, this is a behavior that is easily controlled and steered in an upbeat direction (like a squeaky toy). But, say, a dog that has had no previous problems with aggresion meets someone that is completely scared out of their minds. Right then and there is when that dog very well could attack. Simply put, it is there in every single dog. When they sense fear, they have just identified prey. They do not know that this is a bad thing, in fact, they will think their owner will be proud for doing their job in chasing this prey down.
So, it is the owner’s responsibility to be able to notice the change in their dog, and when they have identified prey. It is also the responsibility of the owner to let the dog know that this is not prey, and (if they can) explain to the person that this is why the dog is reacting to them. Numerous numerous dogs have been known to bite when they have no previous aggresive tendancies, then it turns out that the breaking point situation is the first real time that someone showed fear to that dog (Backing away is a HUGE fear red flag for a dog).
Whenever I meet a dog I am cautious as far as questioning the owner on the temperment of the dog. Some dogs are indeed protective of their owners and I would not like the dog to get in ‘trouble’ for protecting their owner, again, something the think is their JOB. All living things for the most part need jobs. A horse, a dog, they need something where they feel they are useful and doing something productive. They may get mixed signals from owners on what their job really is.
Now, to close, a family friend had a sixth generation fighting pit bull given to them as a gift/repayment of some sort, I’m not exactly sure why. To get to the point, this dog was clearly bred to fight, kill, tear, grrr, etc. This person took this dog everywhere with them and had no instances or examples of aggresion from this dog at any time towards human, or another animal. (Btw, this was a gorgeous animal, very well made with a large, large fore-end and a beautiful large head and jaw.) It wasn’t until the dog was kept up and not interacted with much (started with the run on a chain, which actually went well) then moved to a kennel where the dog started going a little… to the bad side.
My point on this is that a pit bull (just going from my own research on the breed) is an extremely loving, loyal breed, bred for peoples farms to help with bulls, protection, and be a family pet. They need lots of interaction time with their humans and it is the humans error with these dogs chaining them, crating, kenneling them and offering no real companionship. (Note: Solitary confinment in humans is one of the most cruel and effective tortures).
So please if you get a ‘powerhouse’ dog, or any dog, train it well and treat it right. One last thing to consider: in the breeding of dogs why is it that for the most part, a bull mastiff, great dane, irish wolfhound, etc. etc. on the large dog breeds are known for their gentle, intelligent natures…
while smaller dog breeds are normally known for their bostorious, and truly aggressive tendancies *How many people know that house with six small dogs, and all of them are nipping at your heels… that’s not aggresion? PLEASE that’s aggresion to its truest!*
My theory is the simple fact that it is kind of funny for a small dog to be aggresive because one ‘punt’ so to speak and the dog isn’t bothering you anymore. With a large dog, that behavior was not funny, or tolerated, and those bad tempermented animals were more than likely culled out of the breeding herd, or out of the herd all together.
Just think about things, do your breed homework, but most importantly, learn the dog in general and training methods!
Comment by Stephanie on 23 June 2011:
Hi, I was actually looking for clues on my own dogs breeding since she is a foundling. Anyways in my search I cam across this blog. First of all, I will say that I have seen many pitt bulls that were perfectly nice and gentle. I live in a “dog” neighborhood, in central KC. I often see people walking their pitts and even passing other dogs without a problem.
My dogs ( I have a katahula/ heeler mix, and my little foundling who has the eyespots of a doberman, and the broad chest of a power dog like the pit) will sit at the gate and bark at people and dogs even if they are on the other side of the street. These pitts didn’t even aknowledge them. Further more the Katahula got out and went to “make friends” with a pitt on his walk and other than some grumbling back and forth he DID NOT try to ‘KILL” my dog, and he listened when his owner called him off.
In fact I had more trouble from a lady walking her three german shepherds than I did with the pitt. I will also say that my katahula actually bit my daughter in the face and chin. He had never shown that level of aggression before so instead of killing him immediately we investigated the incident, especially since we had caught her abusing the animals on multiple occasions.
It turned out that this time she had been stomping on his tail and hit him in the head. He defended himself, case closed. My daughter learned her lesson, and we kept our family dog. This may seem harsh to some, but the way I see it is that ALL animals should be respected and treated correctly. When you do not then it is YOUR FAULT not the animals for responding to how you treat it.
I must also agree with Kayla, just like people, animals have feelings and need jobs and activity as well as appropriate training to their breeding and what is expected of them. My mother and sister train horses as well, and I remember an old horse that was retired and he refused to eat until he had a job again. So we used him for the very young beginners.
Herd and pack animals NEED to know the “pecking” order. If you do not show clear and consistant dominance then the animal will take charge. I had a Quarter horse once that would use scare tactics to get the better of you. MOst people in the barn were afraid of him and he loved it. He would rear up and paw at them or charge and snap his teeth as he bumped you in the head with his chin. I can say that the first time he pulled that stunt with me after I put him in his place i checked for blood. I was of course fine. It was a tactic.
He had been abused and wanted to get the upper hand on everyone, he was also of hancock breeding which are supposedly crazy. When he pulled these stunts if I had a lead on him I would pop it to get his attention and show that I was not afraid, if I did not have a lead I would firmly approach him (his withers were above my head) Grab his mane or withers and firmly show who was dominant. (in wild herds dominant animals will grab the withers more often than not.
This can be used as a disciplinary measure, or it can be used to sooth with gentle kneading) I am NO TRAINER, I just watch animals and how they interact in herds and packs. If an animal feels cornered it WILL DEFEND its self. If it thinks its self dominant to you It will try to put you in your place and discipline you as is in its nature. If it thinks that it has a chance to fight for dominance it will depending on whether or not it feels it should be dominant. Just like humans, some animals have more of a dominant personality than others even within the same breed and litter, Some will be more dominant than others.
And as was mentioned earlier just as some professional athletes have a tendency to “fly off the handle” at seeminigly no/ or the slightest provocation so can some dogs. Especially if they are not getting enough exercise, socialization, and human interaction. All of these things are crucial. Dogs are by nature social animals and their pack is very important, even if that pack is their human family. Just like an inmate, if they have these basic needs taken away or don’t get enough, depending on their personality, they can turn towards aggression, even seemingly unprovoked.
Ok so that is my 2 cents. Again I am not a dog breeder or trainer. I just love animals. And people who judge an animal just because its breed has a rep, i feel are just plain ignorant. If someone looked at human statistics then it could easily be said that we are a very aggressive species, yet not all of us are. We have our hitlers, and we have our Dali Lamas and everything in between.
So does that mean that every German, or descendant of hitler should be taken out and shot? No. And neither should every dog that happens to have pitt bull breeding. So that is my say, and I will close now before beating the proverbial dead horse. I feel that a dogs agression is a combination of factors, some genetic, some disposition, and mostly environment.
Comment by Christina on 12 October 2011:
I will admit I have a soft spot for pit bulls and normally people defending them do, however most of the people defending them are correct the only reason the pit bull has such a bad rap is because it the main dog in the media. I’m 22 and in my life time I have been bit for no reasons by our neighbors German Shepard, why because it was being trained to be a police dog, my friends Cocker Spaniel, why because it has always been weary of new people, my own Chihuahua, why because she’s a little dog and thinks she’s tough. Dogs I have never been attacked by, my friends 80 lb female Pit Bull, why because she was raised with children and cats and was socialized(even though she tends to be slightly dog aggressive she is kept on a leash tied to something if they are outside for their own house), also never attacked by any Pit Bull or Pit Bull mix that has come into the shelter I work at(most are extremely excited to see someone who may be willing to pet them as well as wanting to play in the play yard with other dogs), also never attacked by a families Pit Bull/Lab mix who when I was little I could roll off the couch land on top of him, take any piece of food out of his mouth, shove my hand down his throat and he would continue to lay there and look at me. I believe there are dog breeds that were bred to fight, however with responsible breeding and ownership, I believe those traits could eventually go away. I don’t think owners who have be responsible owners should lose their dog just because of its bred. I pretty sure my Chihuahua has tried to attack more dogs at the park than my friends Pit Bull I would walk everyday.
Comment by Julie on 14 October 2011:
Excellent article. Couldn’t agree more! Have to say my pet peeve is when a reactionary pit bull owner comments “but I have the sweetest pit bull in the world that would never hurt anyone”. Your article did not state there is no such thing as a good natured pit bull on the entire planet. Simply that the breed has aggressive genetic tendencies breed specifically for the purpose of dog fighting. Second pet peeve – when someone suggests owning one first before you state your opinion. Please. I don’t need to own a great white shark to know it is a dangerous animal.
Comment by Andrew on 8 December 2011:
Hey people who think Pitbulls are “Killer Dogs”, get yourself and education in history and learn what the Pitbull use to mean to a family, not the demonic portrayal that the media has created. Pitbulls are HIGHLY intelligent animals, if you teach it to kill it will kill, if you teach it to love it will love, it is the same with ALL DOGS, and FYI people who say Pits a bred killers, why is it that NO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY USES THEM, oh right, their jaws DONT lock, they DONT have the highest bite force per square inch. Oh and want to know another fun little fact? tests have shown that GOLDEN RETRIEVERS are more aggressive dog v dog, dog v human than Pits…
read the article below if you don’t believe me
http://www.ywgrossman.com/photoblog/?p=676
P.S. My family has had two Pit bulls, one American and One bull-box, both were the most amazing animals I have ever had the pleasure of being around, and BOTH were rescues. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the wire-hair terrier that we own, although I love him, has nipped at my face and hand countless times, same environment same teachings.
So its Genetic eh?
FYI I am a Biochemist and I wholeheartedly believe that although your genes make you who you are, they don’t define you. Treat something with love it’ll give love, treat it like shit, you will get shit.
All you people that believe in pits as killers, meet one, and you’ll change, I sure as hell did. Only dog I ever smiled at and it smiled right back at me.
Comment by Andrew on 8 December 2011:
Check that, Labrador Retrievers, Goldies are all good =)
Comment by Pitbull on 2 January 2012:
I have owned a few dogs a rohdesian ridgeback
A pit bull
And a jack russel.
The pitbull was raised in a social environment and grew up
With the jack russel and both were trained at a school and raised in a loving home.
They lived very well were treated amazingly.
The pit bull attacked and killed my jack russel for no reason after 5 years of being perfectly fine/ inseperable together.
They are a irrational spontaneously aggressive dog
My ridgeback is amazing gets on well with young kids and any dog.
I would never trust a pitbull again and if your stupid enough to well done!!! It will turn On you or someone for no reason. I have a friend who has also had a placid pit bull from next door one day snap and kill her curly hair retrivier. It’s ignorant and and stupid to not consider there back ground and there instinct …
Also I find it funny pitbull owners argue that people a sepeciests
If you take part in domesticating animals then your a spiciest. Unless you actually think you can domesticate every animal.
Comment by Peter on 15 January 2012:
Hi,
I clearly don´t have the same level of knowlege as most people around here, but I have a question…I always heard a lot of people mentioning the Doberman when refering to “dangerous breeds” yet you don´t mention that breed in your article…is the Doberman not that dangerous or what?
And do you have any information on the argentine dogo? is it a dangerous breed?
Again, I don´t know, which is why I´m asking.
Hope someone can answer my questions.
Peter
Comment by Peter on 15 January 2012:
“But I was lucky…the outcome would have probably been very different if I had squared off against a dog that was bred to fight and be aggressive such as the Pit Bull, Dogo Argentino or Presa Canario!”
Just red that on your other article. That also spoke about Dobermans…but I still want to know why those two breeds were not mentioned in this article above.
Comment by Dog Breeds on 17 January 2012:
Hello Peter, been kinda busy with other stuff…however will reply in detail soonest.
Comment by Dog Breeds on 17 January 2012:
The Doberman Pinscher in my book does not classify as a dangerous breed. It’s reputation far precedes it and miscorrectly as far as the modern dog is concerned. Much like the Great Dane, the Doberman of yesteryear used to be a ferocious breed.
The Great Dane of today is a lovable creature because strenuous efforts were undertaken to breed out its ferocity because there evidently was no place for such a formidable (and large) dog in today’s society. So to retain the breed it had to be pacified.
To a lesser extent the same steps were underatken for the Doberman breed. However the Doberman was hampered with a certain psychological barrier that the Great Dane never had to contend with and that was that THE DOBERMAN WAS HOLLYWOOD’S POSTERDOG OF EVIL AND BAD!
Many people still see the Doberman that way even though that is no longer true of the breed today. Oh and by the way I think the Doberman ranks number five as the smartest dog breed.
For more about the “Gentle” Doberman breed and accompanying video check out this post of mine: http://dog-breeds-spot.com/dog-breeds/featured/doberman-pinscher.php
Comment by Dog Breeds on 17 January 2012:
Just FYI Andrew, the PitBull leads all dog breeds for turning on its owners even when raised in a loving and caring environment. The question you need to ask yourself are you willing to take that chance with your kids?
As an aside when I was a kid we grew up with Labradors and German Shepherds. The Sire of the group was a large (120 lb) GSD who was given to my Dad by a friend returning to Germany. This dog was from German stock GSD and had been attack trained as a guard dog before he became our family pet. Now the only person he ever really responded to and trusted was my dad but everybody was comfortable enough to leave us young kids (5 yrs old and upwards) unattended with him.
One of the games we used to play with this GSD and the other dogs was to bait them with their tails…in other words have a quick grab and snatch of their tails. The dogs of course hated this and would warn us with a low growl when they noticed our lil hands sneaking towards their tails. But that was the fun and danger in it — oh and by the way most of our dogs were more guards than pets — being able to pull the tail without being bitten.
Well every now and then someone wasn’t fast enough and inevitably got a tooth mark as a reminder…then we’d go off crying to the parents that so-and-so had bitten us. The wound was tended to and we were told –again — not to bait the dogs and it pretty much served us right.
So what’s the point of this tale of tails?
Well even when we baited our dogs they only inflicted minimal damage to us as a warning to desist from such behavior. Thus despite being provoked they never really attacked us and after a few brief moments of cooling off we’d be outside playing hide and seek with the very same dogs.
In stark contrast there are many stories of PitBulls turning on their loving families for no reason. Now imagine what such a Pit would have done had we provoked it the way we frequently provoked and baited our dogs!!
Comment by Peter on 17 January 2012:
Thanks for replying, I knew they were ranked as n5 smartest dog, but I had never really thought about the impact that Hollywood had on the Doberman´s reputation. Thanks for pointing that out. The dog does look scary, doesn´t mean it´s a vicious beast like the Pit.
After reading this article again, and taking a look at some of your other articles, a question poped to my mind. The pitbull, and other breeds too, but particularly the Pit, are fearless. So my question is: this fearless thing is it kinda like when those tiny little dogs are so brave and don´t realize they are gonna get killed if don´t backed down or does the Pit actually know when he is putting himself in danger? What I mean is ( and take the wolf as the prime example ), some creatures know that sometimes the best thing to do is to just walk away. Would a Pitbull know when to walk away? For example, if a Pitbull was to find itself facing a bear. Would it attack the bear? Would it wisely walk away? Or if it was a wolf, or a couple of wolfs?
What does fearless mean exactly, when refering to the Pit?
Thanks in advance, loving this website
Sincerely,
Peter
Comment by justin on 20 February 2012:
Here’s the deal, good dogs – bad owners. Dogs are pack animals, unless the owner is seen as the owner then the dog is going to be a leader, not a good deal. I’ve met tons of dogs of the dangerous breeds mentioned that were sweethearts, but they also had good owners. Dogs are all trainable but the owners of these dogs need to lead their pets, if you can’t lead then get a soft dog. Just like the way a kid turns out is the responsibility of the parent so is the behavior of the dog the responsibility of the owner. I’ve raised quite a few breeds, and seen the difference between the dogs I’ve raised and the dogs other people raised. My dogs don’t take no shit from other dogs and only attack when threatened by those dogs, as for people they attack on command when there is a threat to the safety of me and my family, other than that they are playful and harmless. I have a friend with 3 huskies and the male is retarded an it is highly likely that he would be a threat to a person, the dog will bark at me but he stays out of my space because he knows ill smash him if I feel threatened and the sad part is it has to be that way because my friend is completely oblivious to his dogs behavior being his fault, but he is that way because my friend half ass trained the dog. I have another friend who has a sheperd mix who is great with people but doesn’t play well with other dogs, this dog is actually responsible for the death of my beagle, I house sat for a month for this friend, the dog doesn’t attack other dogs anymore. Look up the dog whisperer, and you will find that anybody that knows anything about dogs knows that you can take the worse dog in the world and as long as the dog knows who the boss is the dog can be trained to be a good dog. Its just a matter of the owner and how much time you spend with the dog. Once the ownership is developed I have found the military approach with the good old break them down phsyically through exercise and build them up while training them with commands and praise for doing the right thing generally works well for me, but I’m not like regular people dogs can feel your emotions and mental state so they will test you and undermine your authority if they feel they can just like kids. Especially the bigger breeds.
Comment by Ashlei on 23 February 2012:
I would just like to say that i think it is insane the way you people have nothing better to do with your lives than make negative judgments against certain dog breeds. The Pit Bull in particular. I used to own a pit bull and i have to say that she was the best dog that i have ever met. Not just owned but met. She was extremely loving and sweet. never once did I have a problem with her being aggressive. When my daughter was learning how to crawl my pit bull was her play ground. the dog was very gentle and aware that she had to be especially careful when my baby was crawling all over her. This is because of the way i raised her. Dogs are not the problem no matter what the breed it is all in the way they are raised and treated. Pit Bulls used to be known as the #1 family dog in america but because of cruel irresponsible people they got a bad name. i think if you are going to research a dog breed (especially the pit bull) then you need to do so with an open mind! there are hundreds of good positive stories in which the pit bull breed is very loyal and heroic even. I have to wonder when i read articles like these if the people that are writting them have ever met a pit bull raised in a good home where it was loved and taken care of instead of trained to fight. are you also for racism? Because there really isn’t much of a difference when you think about it.
Comment by Ashlei on 27 February 2012:
peter,
to answer you question about a pit bull facing a bear if it was protecting it’s owner/ family no it more then likely would not walk away.
Comment by Ashlei on 27 February 2012:
MANATEEE COUNTY (Bay
News 9) — Pitbull stories
don’t usually end with the dog
as a hero but don’t tell James
Kimon of Bradenton that.
Kimon is calling his pit bull,
Hennessey, a hero.
Kimon said someone broke
into his Bradenton home
Friday night when he and his
children were sleeping.
He said he woke up when he
heard his dog attacking the intruder. The suspect fired shots at, but
did not hit, the dog.
“It was just too hectic, all I could do is hear the dog she was just
attacking,” Kimon said. “That’s how I knew someone was in here is
because I could hear the guy say ‘hey get off me,’ so she did her
job.”
The suspect broke through the
bedroom of the house, where the
family had hidden in a closet. They
say they heard the dog attacking him
again.
The intruder took off running, and neither the dog nor the family
members were injured.
Kimon said that nothing was taken from his home. The suspect
remains at large
Comment by Hogwash on 27 March 2012:
Your article is pure hogwash. Reports show pit bull in the media. They show “family” dog. Truth is if a person saw a Labrador running at them they would likely call it a pit bull. Big head and big mouth, combined with a muscular body. Automatically called a pit bull. You want to know what the most dangerous dog is, ask a veterinarian. Which dog has bitten them the most? My vet said of all dogs, chihuahua. Of larger dogs, Labradors. I don’t see people calling to ban Labs from cities. The CDC has done back and verified the breed of the dogs in question on fatalities. Despite people claiming it was the pit bull, 11 other breeds were confused with pit bulls. Some people even claimed their own dog was a pit bull and it wasn’t.
“Family” dog is often confused with “Resident” dog. A family dog is loved and cared for. A “Resident” dog happens to reside at the same location. More times than any other breed, the pit is abused and outside on a chain malnourished and suffering. It’s beaten and hurt, and people tend to take joy in hurting them because of articles like yours. They are tortured and beaten, and even shot simply because they are pit bulls. YOU are contributing indirectly to the continued abuse of pit bulls through your dissemination of false information.
YOU are causing otherwise loving and kind dogs to be slaughtered in shelters because people are afraid of the pit bull. Pit bulls now make up the largest percentage of dogs put to sleep in shelters. Anyone who calls themselves an animal lover and tells people to stay away from pit bulls is a hypocrite. I used to be afraid of them. Then I owned one. I was sad when I lost her, and someone kept her as her own(though I was happy that they took her as a family pet as it gave me a reason to get another from a shelter, so two dogs were saved from death). I now own 3 very loving pits. The only damage you could get from them is if you were allergic to dog licks.
Comment by Dog Breeds on 27 March 2012:
Sigh…sigh sigh! I really could write a dissertation in reply your comment. But honestly I have neither the energy or the desire. That said however let me rebutt on the bit about biting labs and toothy chihuahuas.
There are 1000s more Labs than Pit Bulls as pets so it really isn’t too surprising if there are more Lab bites. However when we break it down into ratio we find that Pit Bulls have a much much higher bite frequency…not to mention FATAL BITE INCIDENTS! How many times have we heard of a Labrador mauling someone to death?
As for the Chihuahua observation…sure they are aggressive lil suckers but seriously? One teeny weeny kick with my toe and that Chihuahua will fly like a well executed drop kick…so let’s be a lil bit serious here. When was the last time you heard of a deadly Chihuahua bite (unless the dog has rabies of course).
Another point…you really have to be ignorant of dogs to think that a Lab can possibly resemble a Pit Bull.
On a closing note here’s another recent fatal Pit Bull attack for you to mull over and perhaps reassess your unwavering love for the breed!
Comment by meghann on 2 May 2012:
I wouldn’t even read most this junk about how pit bulls being so dangerous its hog wash. I’ve had every dog you can imagine. And I don’t care what breed it is if you have male dogs they are going to fight. I have a re heeler that is the worst about picking fights no matter the size of the dog b/c they are male. Oh and guess what the bull dog I have is the nicest dog here. And the black mouth curr tries to starts fight with the bull dog. But the heeler and bull dog get along. Either keep your male dogs separated or have them neutered. And as for attacking humans they had to have done something to them if you seen it or not. There jaws are strong and cause more damage then other dogs. The meanest dogs I have ever seen are little and my best friend 25 yrs ago was attacked by a poodle and had to have plastic surgery on her face. Over a hundred stitches in her face so let’s post all over how horrible a poodle is most people don’t even keep records of how many attacks other dogs do. If you don’t like or are scared of a breed or going to make them mean don’t own a dog.
Comment by bella on 2 June 2012:
im sorry but comparing races to dog breeds is insane. I was not “bred” to be white. pit bulls for the most part were bred to be pitbulls. Humans dont breed by selecting traits to a type, breed for mutations,and inbreed.
The reason why some of these breeds are so dangerous is they have been bred for traits that make attacks more likely. We have bred normal behavior and replaced it with abnormal behavioral in these dogs. and you all wonder why theres a problem? I have personally worked with many dogs, and while many pits were sweet, the dogs that were very unpredictable were the pitbulls. this is why they are so dangerous.
Comment by Rachel on 8 June 2012:
I see more dog aggression then human aggression in pit bulls and many other breeds actually. I see almost as much Pit bull types as Labradors,and even as a kid I remember loose Pit bulls running up to me only for attention. Pit bull types have existed for over a hundred years but other dogs topped them on attacks. Cuban mastiffs, Siberian mastiffs, Newfoundlands,German Shepherds,Dobermans, Wolf Hybrids and Rottweilers have beat the death rate by Pit bull types at some point. Newfoundlands don’t seem like an aggressive breed but I had one that was a street dog that had showed dog and human aggression, he bit me and killed a bird. Eventually he was trained out of most of those behaviors though. They are not normally a mean breed but you never really know,especially with dogs that had a hard life. It can all depend on what dog makes a good guard dog,is over bred,and is a status symbol.
Of course Pit bulls are not always angels,they are dogs which are capable of great tolerance and kindness or destruction and chaos it depends on the individual.
Comment by Stephanie on 14 June 2012:
I love how people never take any responsibility for anything bad that happens. We as humans always seem to be the victim. All I’ve ever owned were pittbulls, although not my first choice I can’t complain. My pitt mix is one of the smartest, most loyal, friendly dogs I’ve ever come across. She is 11 years old now and all of my neighbors(even some who were against pitts at first) love her. She has made a ton of pitt haters fall in love with her. You wouldn’t think she was pitt if you didn’t know, but her mother was full blooded red nose. I feel sorry for this breed because they get such a bad rep and whose to blame? The people…but once again, humans are the victims. I know of a black lab who took the face off an 11 month old baby while the mother took the trash out. Lets ban all the labs!(sarcasm)…
Comment by pits are good dogs 101 on 23 September 2012:
pit bulls are good dogs it is all up to the owners after that. I have owned pits all through out mylife and my first dog was a pit and i was 4 years old they are good with kids and other dogs depending on the owner and pits are not for just any family they need to be socialized with people and other animals early on. People need to quit giving pits bad names any medeium or large dog can be dangerous and i have a lab and he could killme and so can my grandmas 11-year old boxer can kill me an so can a 6 month old mastiff puppy and kill me; almost any dog can kill a person or animal yet we still keep these animals in our homes with children and other animals.
Comment by Actual Smart Person on 31 October 2012:
You seem to act like you know a lot about dogs. You clearly don’t. There were so many holes in your post(s) I lost count. For instance one would be “the HUGE bite force”, well anyone that knows anything about dogs knows that skull size has everything to do with bite force and in most cases the American Pit Bull Terrier has less force in his bite than say a GSD(German Shepherd(which is very middle of the road)) is a good example. The reason APBT’s appear to have such great bite force is because they have large temporalis muscles that give their jaws that big, mean look. And that comes from the bulldogs in them, bred to hold onto bulls no matter how much they got tossed around. APBT’s have what I compare to a good power to weight ratio in a car. Just because you have a big engine doesn’t mean you’re the fastest. APBT’s just have good power for their size. Thus those temporalis muscles allow them to do things like spring poles because they have a good “power to weight ratio” Another fact that shows you know absolutely nothing about dogs in general other than maybe internet reading is the fact that while APBT’s were bred to fight other dogs or rats they were equally if not more so bred not to be human aggressive(any reading on the breed will tell you they are terrible guard dogs”here let me hold that light for you”). You could see how this human aggression would be a huge inconvenience while handlers had to actually HANDLE them in the pits. If one bit a handler it was put down on the spot or not ever bred. What about those genetics? Gonna leave them out because they don’t fit the bullshit story you are making? Or how about that AmStaff’s aka in the UKC American Pitbull Terriers have been selectively bred for over a hundred years for non-aggression? Didn’t take that long to develop the American strain of Bull and Terrier so how do you explain your story?
How do I know this? Period magazines, articles and firsthand knowledge left by my great grandfather who was a “dogman” and bred them til his dying day and countless others. I’m not proud of that but it does give me some great insight. These dogs were called Americas Dog or Nanny Dog for over a century for a reason people. Hell, I own a Rottweiler/Wolf hybrid and an APBT/Anatolian Shepherd mix and they are absolute hits at the offleash dog park across the street(Don’t believe me? I have lots of pics at your request). So were their parents, and their parents.. See where I’m going with this? Its not hard to take even the “most dangerous breed” and just be the pack leader. Just takes a little knowledge, common sense and mellow energy.
People like you amaze me. Honestly. Its like you have have a real mental illness. First it was GSD’s in the 60’s, then Dobermans in the 70’s, rotts in the 80’s, now APBT’s. All the same kind of b.s. facts about attack numbers and how for instance the dobermans brain was to big for his skull which made him hyper-aggressive. Urban legends to make it worse. It’s like you strive for conflict.
Then you brought gun control into it? Really? Tell me how being a victim is morally superior to defending ones self and family? Because you know the criminal element would give up their guns right? The over 100 million in weapons coming over the border from Mexico each month would just stop right?.. if we took mine and your rights away to own firearms? Right? Ignorance is bliss I guess.
Go ahead and dislike APBT’s but you know what they wouldn’t care and would be happy to meet you. You might die though, by licking.
Comment by Dog Breeds on 31 October 2012:
Reply To ” Actual Smart Person”…if you truly were an “actual smart person” then you’d have taken the time to read the author’s rebuttal comments before making asinine comments such as: “Another fact that shows you know absolutely nothing about dogs in general other than maybe internet reading is the fact that while APBT’s were bred to fight other dogs or rats they were equally if not more so bred not to be human aggressive.”
Oh and FYI…it is within my power to approve or disapprove any and all comments so thank your stars I am such a libertarian!
Comment by boerboelhugger on 5 November 2012:
Hi guys, allow me to add my five cents worth. Any dogs temperament is estimated at 70 percent nature, 30 percent nurture. Unfortunatley these beautiful specimens that are pitbulls have been genetically ‘designed’ for aggression. Not the dogs fault, it will take many years of selection, ie: not breeding dogs that display uncalled aggression/dominance, as per the doberman. Remember if 1 of the parents was a possible menace, your dog is a lilely one. This applies to all breeds.I breed boerboels in South Africa, my stud male is 200 lb of pure muscle yet the most striking aspect of this leopard hunter is his temperament, which is apparent throughout his bloodline. Check both parents temperaments before you by and remember, nature will truimph over nurture most of the time……
Comment by John van Niekerk on 8 November 2012:
Hi All
I live in Amanzimtoti,KZN South Africa.I am trying to find a Caucasian Shepherd.Does anyone know of any breeders in South Africa that i could contact? I would like to buy a male puppy.Appreciate the help,Thanks
Comment by Bill on 18 December 2012:
You relied on laughable “statistics” for your blog post, champ.
Please use actual peer-reviewed scientific papers if you want to have any credibility beyond the typical “i hate xyz” crowd (in this case, pit bull type dogs).
http://www.pediatricsdigest.mobi/content/117/3/e374.full
Find a real peer-reviewed study that shows a higher rate of attack for pit bulls – please. Once I can see one, I’ll consider your stance. Until then, I’ll go with what real scholars and behaviorists suggest.
Also, please show me one professional behaviorist/dog science organization that endorses BSL or agrees with your views.
Thanks.
Comment by Dog Breeds on 16 January 2013:
Very interesting comment and quite appreciated. Without going into much detail because already so much water has passed beneath this particular bridge let me just quote some of the text from the link you sent “Media reports that have focused on aggressive behavior of fighting dogs and special training for dogs to make them more violent have led to an increased public awareness. This may explain why we did not identify any of these fighting dog breeds to be likely to attack more frequently than average. On the basis of the dog population in our catchment area, German shepherds and Dobermans were the most aggressive breeds.”…
Please take particular note of the statement: “On the basis of the dog population in our catchment area“…which tends to suggest nobody owned pitbulls in that catchment area!