Pit bull/Pit bull mixes kill toddler.

[OwnedByCats]

38. Everyone talks about what they were bred for

The earliest pit bull breeds (there are several, pit bull is a generic term) were bred for hunting, bull baiting, working on farms and companion animals, yes companion family members. Most dog breeds were bred to kill/hunt other animals, even a tiny dog like the Basenji was bred to hunt small game in Africa. But of course the pits were also bred for fighting - but not to fight people. I've seen some interviews with dog fighters (covered their faces of course, cowards) and they will say they don't want a dog that is people aggressive, that dog could turn on them. They want them to be dog aggressive, obviously. They said that they would kill a pit bull that showed any aggression towards their owners. Now I am unfamiliar with a long line of any pit bull breed that were bred for killing people specifically. However, any time that you train a dog to be so aggressive to another dog that they will tear them up, disembowel them and usually end up killing them - you do take a chance that the dog aggression can turn to people aggression. It's a very dangerous game to play and unfortunately, between the scum bags who fight dogs and the ones who abuse their pit, train it to be dog and/or people aggressive - then you have a problem. Pit bulls more commonly attack other animals than people anyway, but a small percentage will go after people.

Tonight as a matter of fact, on the news in my area a pit bull was found in a dumpster, dead of course - emaciated, tore up, had no teeth. That dog was probably used as a bait dog. They will remove the teeth of the bait dog so it doesn't hurt their "champion" in training. I hear these stories constantly. Pit bulls being starved to death, beaten and abandoned where they either die on the street, animal control picks them up (and they are dead anyway after that, they'll only hold them for a few days), or if they are lucky, a rescue shelter takes them in. I have heard the most disgusting things that have been done to these dogs (and many other animals, cats etc). What a human does to a dog or ANY animal, they should know better. A dog is an animal that doesn't know any better, especially if they are specifically trained to be people aggressive, not trained properly, not socialized properly, abused - most of the time all roads of a problem dog lead back to the owner. Dogs don't come to us all perfect and well behaved as puppies. It takes a good pack leader. I guarantee that if everyone who owned a dog was responsible and did completely right by that dog, you'd be hearing a lot less about ANY dog attacking people. And don't be fooled, any dog can be unpredictable. Always always use caution when approaching any dog you don't know, and always use proper judgment to keep your children, visitors to your home and your dog safe.

An example of something unfortunate - a friend of mine and her family had a Rottweiler when we were teenagers. He was absolutely sweet and loving, gorgeous dog. Very protective of the children. They let him run around the yard, no leash, no run, no nothing. I said maybe they should think twice about that, since the dog could get hit by a car. "Oh he never goes near the road" they told me. I said that doesn't matter, just because he hadn't up until that point did not mean he wouldn't later. Three months later, he was hit by a car after his owners believed he would never venture in the road and he died from his injuries on the way to the vet's office. He was only 2 years of age. We didn't know why he suddenly decided to go in the road, but the point is you never assume anything like that. Communication with our pets are limited. We can do our best, but using good judgment and common sense will give you the best success.