Dogs have much more primitive brains than humans. You are pondering and contemplating, thinking forward, thinking backward, you are remembering, imagining scenarios in your mind, imagining different outcomes etc etc etc and a dog does not posses the ability for any of that and there is little evidence that a dog has any conscious awareness of anything at all... but are just following urges and responding instinctively. Though there is some circumstantial evidence that a dog may possibly possess some slight degree of conscious awareness, it is not much, if any at all. The primary function of conscious thinking in any animal is to interrupt those innate instinctive programs.... for example, like a dog chasing his tale, there is nothing interrupting the urge to do it with the idea of "hey man, you're just not gonna catch this fucking thing, maybe it's time to stop" and THAT is the precise function and purpose of conscious thinking and awareness.

Though animals appear to have distinct personalities, its largely only that which we project upon them as we humanize them. Sure some appear happier, some not, some more energetic, some not, some more dependent, some not etc but these are all just minor variations in brain development, brain activity in certain areas and genetics and its us largely inventing the "personality". But it's the "instinctive urges" part that is the problem. Just like any other wild animal that is thought to be friendly or domesticated, they can be triggered. When an animal already has the genes for horrible behavior, it can come out at any time. When an animal has the genes for horrible behavior AND it's being encouraged by environment, that's a bigger issue.

Any animals basic instinctive behaviors are guided by very simple programs of the brain "approach/avoid", "kill and eat/ignore - its not food", "nurture protect/attack" etc. Though everyone seems to want to believe their dog is just a few days away from finishing a doctoral thesis on particle physics, they just aren't capable of any sort of human like understanding of the world around them as those areas of the brains and all the functionality that makes that possible is absent.

The funny part to me is that when you point out obvious neurobiological truths of how an animals brain works... they get intensely upset. That should also tell you how strong the desire is of people to believe their pet is much more than they are. After all, if it was simply "untrue", no one would care any more than me saying "dogs can't fly".

http://www.sott.net/image/s9/197452/...ubtle_bird.jpg

;)

I was going to post a well thought out big long reply but then I realized that would just be a waste of time.

Breed Ban Legislation is ineffective, period. The CDC, ASPCA, American Veterinary Medical Association and pretty much any professional trainer will tell you this.

I quickly looked through all of your dissenting opinions and unfortunately was unable to find anybody with any qualification at all. When presented with an argument supported on one side by GFYers and opposed by an overwhelming majority of professionals in the field, I'm going to go ahead and go with the professionals. Even if the GFYers include baddog light. :winkwink:

i've not mentioned banning any breed of dog in this thread and i've never advocated banning a breed.

my dissenting comments are re: personal accountability based on statistics.

good fucking point..thank you

and this specifically does not mean shit...its 100% up to the owner how the dog behaves or whether it aggressive or not...its a dog with a great potential to do physical harm no argument about that, but claiming that it is an evil breed or more aggressive than others is bullshit...

for an experienced owner it is a dream dog...

Yea because as it was pointed out "sheep dogs" only want to herd things because of a human.. Your logic does not compute.

Good for you for rescuing a dog and good for her to have found a good home. It sounds like a good match.

I am just worried about the people that perpetuate the stereotype. It seems like so many pit owners are either people that are desperate to disprove the stereotype and have no idea how to handle the dogs or they are people who love the stigma of having a badass dog which does neither they nor the breed any good.

Stereotype?

Like this:

"Pit bulls make up 6 percent of the dog population in Canada and the US, but they are responsible for 68 percent of dog attacks and 52 percent of dog-related deaths from 1982 to 2009, TIME Magazine reported."

Nothing to worry about? Misunderstood? No problem at all?

I actually looked into getting a Border Collie because they seem like the perfect mid sized dog. However after reading about them, I realized they really do love to be workers and have something challenging to do. Just taking them out for walks isn't enough to keep them happy.

Most stereotypes exist because they are true.

This is why the argument that the statistics are flawed because some percentage of pitbull attacks weren't specifically the pit bull breed. So what if its not 100%pure breed, it fits the stereotype of pit bull statistics.

Yah undeniably they need a job, or agility which is what a lot of people do with them. My dads dogs mostly love to play ball and I wouldn't trust the male dog to herd my goats without killing them, as he as already killed a small dog and bit a person running down the road. Like I said, they are not gentle herders, more for horses, less for sheep. Hopefully I can get the littlest one trained for it all and agility.

I will be photographing pit bulls in about two weeks, in my yard. I'm definitely freaked out about it. In general I love for my daughter to be in the SPCA's dogs for adoption photos that I've taken because they go real fast then, but I'm afraid to do that. Shit just happens so fast.

Pit bull is usually the dominat genes.. If it lab/pit it still looks like a pit for example but who knows if the lab genes tame it some.

I've had 3 border collies and I wouldn't get any other breed. They are highly intelligent and yes they love to work but they love just as much to be around you. They are extremely energetic for their first few years but once you get past that you will be rewarded with the best friend you could ever have.

I too don't think I will personally purchase another breed when my dogs start to go. I am in love with the border collie.

So many dogs are labeled "pit bulls" but in fact are not actually pit bulls. For example, many people see English Staffs, the dog of "Our Gang" and the Victrola poster dog, and think they are "pit bulls" and they are not. In fact, those were bred to be good family dogs, not fighting dogs. I have two mix breed dogs - one that is a boxer lab mix and many people think it is a pit and it is not at all.

I go to leashless parks daily. The only dogs I have ever seen attack other dogs with intent to hurt are not the pits, the pit mixes, etc, but the varieties of Shepherds people would also incorrectly lump together as "German Shepherds" as well as wolf mix huskies and akitas.

So, the logic also fails on the fact that "pit bull attack" statistics incorrectly identify many dogs as "pit bulls", which has become a sort of generic catch-all term, thereby greatly skewing the results.

Here's something you don't read about every day .......

Pompey II, a police stallion on routine patrol en route to the 75th Precinct in Brooklyn, suffered numerous puncture wounds and abrasions Wednesday when he was attacked by a loose pit bull, according to police.


But under the steady hand of his rider, Officer Luis Ramos, Pompey II stayed under control and kept in front of the dog while another police horse -- Limerick -- ridden by Officer Laurene Bove, drove the attacking animal back toward Essex Street, according to the NYPD.

The owner of the pit bull, who wasn't identified, was able to secure the dog. The canine was taken to a local New York Animal Care & Control, or ACC, facility where it will be evaluated, according to police.

NYPD horse attacked by pit bull - Newsday


.

Common sense says that if bichon on shin tzu bite you, you will think it was a mosquito.
They can be 10 times more aggressive, it doesn't matter. But once pit bull (or similar type of dog that was made to kill) grab your artery , you won't have enough time to reconsider your opinion.

Last night I was looking at young girl going with her dad and having some small dog on collar. Three women were coming their way and small white dog become aggressive and started barking and going fast toward those people. Their reaction was to laugh , stop and say how cute is small white dog, even if he is aggressive (but he is not dangerous).

This, I think, is ultimately the point. I think the dogs that bite the most, statistically speaking, are either Chihuahuas or Dachshunds. I have a friend whose aunt has a Dachshund that bites everyone that comes over and she thinks its cute. The difference, as you point out, is when a little Chihuahuas bites you it might not even leave a mark. If a pit gets aggressive with you then you likely have real trouble.

The other day I did a google search and found that the best estimate is that there are around 53 million dogs in the US. Of that around 5.3 million of them are purebred pit bulls. In 2014 there were 27 people killed by pits. Clearly the dogs aren't running amuck killing wholesale, but they do have the ability to destroy a person if they want.

Standard // The American Bully Registry

Me too!

and this is the kind of research people need to do before exploring dog breeds. You have to find the type that fits your lifestyle. Labrador Retriever is perfect for me.

This kind of mindset is especially important for potential pit bull owners -- and that goes for Rotweillers, Chows and German Shepherds. Those breeds need someone who knows what they're getting into and is willing to put in the time to be the dog's master.

Ive had pitbulls my whole life and not once did i EVER had a problem with any of them. I lived in long beach at the time so we got them as guard dogs. My parents cars and home were broken into numerous times and each time the dogs protected us and the thief was caught. They are the most loyal dogs anyone can ever own. Its all on how the owner are towards them and how theyre brought up

Pitbull and horse fight:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO88kUSmKaQ

What about all the family pets that are loved and care for / raised properly (the recent attack in Dallas was a family pet that was around kids for 8 years) and yet still maul a baby to death. Not just bite, maul it to death.

there is no logic, just real life practical experience with pitbulls and amstaffs...if you are an experienced owner it is a dream dog...some owners are plain idiots and would fuck up any dog, they should not be allowed to keep maggots let alone dogs...it is 100% up to the owner...