General Discussion

DirkGently

(12,151 posts)

147. It's become a generic term, is what it is.

Sun Oct 5, 2014, 04:32 PM

Oct 2014

Big dog, broad head = "pit bull." It's meaningless for dogs people typically buy and own. There are three actual breeds, which if you were to obtain from a reputable breeder, would simply be big terriers with generally goofy personalities, as are a lot of the normal dogs owned by normal people with a half an inkling how to treat and socialize animals.

But now there are a brazillion "pit bulls" born of the craze over the scary name and the 1980s resurgence in dog fighting. And there is the insistence of everyone who WANTS a dangerous animal that it must be a "pit bull," and yes, that is the one "breed" (because it really is not reliably a breed at all at this point) that anyone can come by.

And there is the breezy assumption that any horrible dog anywhere bigger than a housecat is obviously a "pit bull."

It's a cultural phenomenon, not a reliable trait of a cognizable "type" of dog. Disappear everything we call "pit bull" tomorrow, and next week Mastiffs and Akitas will be roaming the junkyards and terrifying the joggers.

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Highlight:

The Academic Impostor Behind the Pit Bull Hysteria [View all] baldguy Oct 2014 OP

The pittie haters are like the anti-vaxxers. hobbit709 Oct 2014 #1

pittie makes them 1dogleft Oct 2014 #4

None of the pittie owners I know fit your description. hobbit709 Oct 2014 #5

I have pics of what my neighbor's pit did to me and my dachshund in my own yard. Gore1FL Oct 2014 #14

and you sued your neighbor, right? Your neighbor is totally responsible for all damages. Sunlei Oct 2014 #29

And what do you do when it's an unknown owner and pit bull you encounter pnwmom Oct 2014 #85

carry some 'bear spray' when you walk about. Strays are a huge problem here in houston too. Sunlei Oct 2014 #107

Wouldn't have helped. The dog ran up out of nowhere -- from behind my son -- pnwmom Oct 2014 #114

Your son was lucky & brave! Sunlei Oct 2014 #118

Yes, having the spray would be a good idea, though my son has asthma so he'd have to be very careful pnwmom Oct 2014 #122

no one died 1dogleft Oct 2014 #33

dogs in packs are the danger hollysmom Oct 2014 #140

Thugs, Hells Angels and others will not socialise any dog intaglio Oct 2014 #178

What does one have to do with the other arikara Oct 2014 #39

did you bother to read beyond the post title? Is comparison beyond your comprehension? hobbit709 Oct 2014 #42

i think the connection is on du anti vac gets scorned, ridiculed, shamed, and he was using that to seabeyond Oct 2014 #43

I wish I had your way with words n/t 1dogleft Oct 2014 #54

Dog haters, anti-vaxxers (and anti-abortionisists, too) all rely on unreasoned fear, spurious logic, baldguy Oct 2014 #58

dog haters? most of the people on this thread have dogs. that hardly shows them as dog haters, nt seabeyond Oct 2014 #92

Sort of like Michael Vick. baldguy Oct 2014 #102

no. again. not even sorta like. nt seabeyond Oct 2014 #109

You're claiming the mere possession of a canine precludes someone from being a dog hater? baldguy Oct 2014 #115

no. i am claiming, the mere discussion of, fear of, experience, with pit bulls, does not make a dog seabeyond Oct 2014 #117

Comparing a Pit Bull to a bear or a shark makes your protestations... unconvincing. baldguy Oct 2014 #123

"Comparing a Pit Bull to a bear or a shark makes your protestations... unconvincing." no. animals. seabeyond Oct 2014 #127

Do you even understand the OP? baldguy Oct 2014 #131

bald. i addressed the people in this thread are dog haters. seabeyond Oct 2014 #136

as an aside, all except 2? of the Vick dogs were retrained and adopted by families. Sunlei Oct 2014 #138

Meh, those are "wimpy dog" owners ProudToBeBlueInRhody Oct 2014 #155

having had my behavior affected by confrontation with pits, .... i know, lol. nt seabeyond Oct 2014 #157

I wish I could recall the news source rustydog Oct 2014 #216

It is incredibly ignorant and shallow to hate certain breeds of dogs. Jamastiene Oct 2014 #203

the reality is, many of us have had experiences in our lives that have curtailed our behavior, seabeyond Oct 2014 #207

I used to volunteer at the dog shelter wercal Oct 2014 #98

Was this some sort of special pure bred dogs only type shelter? Jamastiene Oct 2014 #205

Predictable 'you can't id a pit bull' bullshit response wercal Oct 2014 #217

Predictable "I didn't run their dna" idiotic reply. NealK Oct 2014 #218

He truly is the worst sort of slimebag - hides behind animal welfare to kill them. Not to jtuck004 Oct 2014 #2

All I want is for fucking people to keep their fucking animals on a leash, whatever breed. NYC_SKP Oct 2014 #3

You and me both! ColesCountyDem Oct 2014 #7

In my town it IS illegal to have your dog off leash. roody Oct 2014 #46

It is here, too, but strangely enough... ColesCountyDem Oct 2014 #48

There is a direct connection. Jamastiene Oct 2014 #206

I don't know about your dog, but the little terrier that lives across the street from me is a terror notadmblnd Oct 2014 #17

Hopefully, at least it's contained on the property and not out on the street. NYC_SKP Oct 2014 #19

For the most part she is fenced in notadmblnd Oct 2014 #24

I always say about my little pet terriers, "Thank god they're little!" Sunlei Oct 2014 #134

You know they are cousins of those evil Pits? If they were bigger notadmblnd Oct 2014 #161

Exactly etherealtruth Oct 2014 #22

I know what you mean! My friend has some cattle- dogs from the area come on his property & chase Sunlei Oct 2014 #34

+1. i had that experience last year. scared that crap out of me. keep dogs on their fuckin leash. nt seabeyond Oct 2014 #37

If you know you will need to pull your dog up off the pavement, why are you STILL using a "chock" Jamastiene Oct 2014 #204

Breed doesn't matter jeffrey_pdx Oct 2014 #6

Rat Terriers Scarsdale Oct 2014 #9

No. Training can mask genetics to a degree but genetics are important. Drahthaardogs Oct 2014 #27

Except no one knows a bad dog's "genetics," right? DirkGently Oct 2014 #100

So much misinformation here. Drahthaardogs Oct 2014 #105

False argument from authority. "Responsible breeders?" DirkGently Oct 2014 #116

Show dogs are a genetic mess. Drahthaardogs Oct 2014 #137

Fun because you ignore facts and logic? DirkGently Oct 2014 #144

that temperment test is not only for aggression Drahthaardogs Oct 2014 #149

So, you have no answers, just credentials? DirkGently Oct 2014 #152

You have a GENETICS PROBLEM because you have irresponsible people. Drahthaardogs Oct 2014 #160

Now I KNOW you are full of shit. Jamastiene Oct 2014 #209

Yeah, I am full of shit. Drahthaardogs Oct 2014 #214

Dirk posted links to actual studies and facts. Jamastiene Oct 2014 #208

Dirk's "facts" and the thing the little bird left on the rock are very similar Drahthaardogs Oct 2014 #215

That's simply an obtuse statement Android3.14 Oct 2014 #31

What I meant is that breed of the dog has less to do than how they're raised jeffrey_pdx Oct 2014 #165

It does when some breeds are deliberately bred for aggression. n/t pnwmom Oct 2014 #86

I've never seen a mean dog that wasn't owned by a jackass. marble falls Oct 2014 #8

I have had two pitt bulls and two Rottweilers RebelOne Oct 2014 #60

I had friends who had a female pitbull who I lived with for a couple of years. CentralMass Oct 2014 #10

You do realize this can be true of any dog? michaz Oct 2014 #20

Actually, you can lump breeds into categories Android3.14 Oct 2014 #32

No dog should be left alone with a baby. roody Oct 2014 #47

Who says the dog and baby were alone? XemaSab Oct 2014 #49

... Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2014 #11

Why are they called PIT BULLS? XemaSab Oct 2014 #45

They weren't always called "Pit Bull".... Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2014 #93

Why is the word "bull" in the name? XemaSab Oct 2014 #95

It's the angle of the body with muscular front and smaller hind legs... Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2014 #96

RIIIIIIGHT XemaSab Oct 2014 #97

They were used as herd dogs... Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2014 #106

from 'bull baiting', humanity has always encouraged 'animal fights' Sunlei Oct 2014 #110

Yes. Many breeds began as fighters of one kind or another. DirkGently Oct 2014 #153

Never heard of him Orrex Oct 2014 #12

"I have" is not the same as "I have written." CaptainTruth Oct 2014 #13

The problem with the bully breeds gaspee Oct 2014 #15

Sorry baldguy, but breed matters Android3.14 Oct 2014 #16

My vet agrees with you. ColesCountyDem Oct 2014 #51

You have described a people problem, not a "breed" problem. DirkGently Oct 2014 #150

"We DO have a problem with stupid people deliberately breeding and keeping vicious dogs." ColesCountyDem Oct 2014 #156

"breed matters." It does not. DirkGently Oct 2014 #158

Got it! ColesCountyDem Oct 2014 #159

Pit Bulls Are Banned in Several Countries dynasaw Oct 2014 #18

Maybe the pit bull ate his publications. pintobean Oct 2014 #21

Statistics can be manipulated. But pits routinely kill people. Drahthaardogs Oct 2014 #23

This is a vicious lie promoted by the like of Merritt Clifton. baldguy Oct 2014 #163

I am pretty sure ABC Local is credible Drahthaardogs Oct 2014 #164

And now I can see you didn't bother to *read* the article in the OP. baldguy Oct 2014 #168

one of those wonderful pitties sent my little buddy to the vet hospital. KG Oct 2014 #25

My friend was mugged by a Chinese guy jberryhill Oct 2014 #28

I normally don't read P/B threads ... 1StrongBlackMan Oct 2014 #26

Today:Pit bulls' owner gets 15 years to life in prison for fatal mauling dynasaw Oct 2014 #30

Good! nt Logical Oct 2014 #35

Those weren't Pits. Pit Bulls don't exist. Hassin Bin Sober Oct 2014 #40

Pit Bulls exist, but I'd be surprised if those were actually technically 4 pit bulls Recursion Oct 2014 #41

yeah yeah. I know. Hassin Bin Sober Oct 2014 #62

That's because it was a Brad Pitt Bull. kwassa Oct 2014 #64

This ASPCA disagrees with you. pnwmom Oct 2014 #87

"404 - Page not found" uppityperson Oct 2014 #88

I added quotes from the article, but I don't know why pnwmom Oct 2014 #89

aha, I copy pasted the whole link, not just the blue part. uppityperson Oct 2014 #91

The U.S. does an awful job collecting data on dog attacks exboyfil Oct 2014 #36

Merritt Clifton, an investigative reporter and former editor of Animal People.has a lot of books. Sunlei Oct 2014 #38

Post removed Post removed Oct 2014 #44

I've never met a pit bull owner who wasn't a wanna-be tough guy XemaSab Oct 2014 #50

Right. All Pit Bull owners are insecure in their masculinity... baldguy Oct 2014 #78

None of those dogs are Pit Bulls. Hassin Bin Sober Oct 2014 #99

Probably. Most of them are rescues, and are probably of the "Heinz 57" variety. baldguy Oct 2014 #101

Just to clarify one point here, so we're all on the same page Orrex Oct 2014 #108

People who say they "run a Pit rescue" are mistaken or making things up. Hassin Bin Sober Oct 2014 #113

except they have studies like this. boomer55 Oct 2014 #52

And replies like this: baldguy Oct 2014 #57

What is your premise? Drahthaardogs Oct 2014 #68

Both. baldguy Oct 2014 #69

Dogs yes. Dogs bred since the Roman times for a purpose. Drahthaardogs Oct 2014 #72

Were Pit Bulls originally bred to fight? Sure. 200 yrs ago. baldguy Oct 2014 #73

Your lack of dog knowledge is a problem. Drahthaardogs Oct 2014 #74

Anyone such as you who blames all Pit Bulls and only Pit Bulls for the relatively few baldguy Oct 2014 #75

You have no breeding regulations Drahthaardogs Oct 2014 #77

You have no requirement the media to tell the truth baldguy Oct 2014 #79

Again what are disqualifying breeding faults for pit bulls Drahthaardogs Oct 2014 #80

It doesn't matter. BSLs ban every Pit Bull - even if it's the most stable dog in the universe. baldguy Oct 2014 #81

We are not talking about BSL here. We are talking about your belief that pits are not genetically Drahthaardogs Oct 2014 #83

Testing puts actual Pits below 121 other breeds in aggression. DirkGently Oct 2014 #119

No. You stated they have "been bred for companion animals for 200 years" so... Drahthaardogs Oct 2014 #135

I'm with you Drath. We accidentally adopted a Carolina Dog elehhhhna Oct 2014 #111

My neighbor had a pit bull. meaculpa2011 Oct 2014 #53

A mastiff mix across the street stalked our CAR. DirkGently Oct 2014 #154

I'd be more sympathetic to the claims that pit bulls SheilaT Oct 2014 #55

I hope this is some kind of stealth sarcasm, because... baldguy Oct 2014 #56

LOL! SheilaT Oct 2014 #94

pit bull ban has worked in Toronto over that past decade DrDan Oct 2014 #59

All that proves is that there are fewer Pit Bulls registered in Toronto. baldguy Oct 2014 #61

read the article DrDan Oct 2014 #63

The Toronto Human Society disagrees. baldguy Oct 2014 #65

the facts DrDan Oct 2014 #67

Get those numbers from Merritt Clifton? baldguy Oct 2014 #70

right from that Toronto Star link I provided to you DrDan Oct 2014 #71

Which, again just proves that there are fewer Pit Bulls registered in Toronto. baldguy Oct 2014 #76

Your problem is not with statistics DrDan Oct 2014 #82

Your utter & complete faith in the charlatan Merritt Clifton has damaged your reasoning ability. baldguy Oct 2014 #121

I used NO info from him - LOOK AT THE ARTICLE I POSTED from the Toronto Star DrDan Oct 2014 #146

Right. BSLs deal with Pit Bulls. They **DON'T** deal with the issue of dog bites. baldguy Oct 2014 #167

pit bites in Toronto down from 168 to 13 (down 92%!!!!!!!) DrDan Oct 2014 #169

One more time: Dog bites in Toronto have not decreased in any significant way. baldguy Oct 2014 #170

Bites down 92% while the pit population goes down only 49% DrDan Oct 2014 #171

Dog bites have not gone down. Dog bites have GONE UP! baldguy Oct 2014 #172

Look at the Toronto data - not the province DrDan Oct 2014 #173

Read your own fucking article! baldguy Oct 2014 #174

Hahaha DrDan Oct 2014 #175

Sez the guy tauting an article that deliberately obfuscates the raw data. baldguy Oct 2014 #176

Pit bites down 92% DrDan Oct 2014 #177

Dog bites up 91%. baldguy Oct 2014 #186

At least I can source my data DrDan Oct 2014 #188

Toronto Humane Society. baldguy Oct 2014 #189

Toronto Star - that article you refuse to acknowledge DrDan Oct 2014 #190

Toronto Star, you say? baldguy Oct 2014 #192

Pit bull bites down 92% while population drops only 49% DrDan Oct 2014 #193

Post removed Post removed Oct 2014 #194

The pit bull ban has reduced pit bull bites DrDan Oct 2014 #195

Seems to me the total number of dog bites isn't that useful a number on it's own. Captain Stern Oct 2014 #213

I always wondered who started the BULLSHIT about pit bulls. Rex Oct 2014 #66

The only dog that's ever ripped into one of mine, leaving us with a $900 vet bill, pnwmom Oct 2014 #84

Ban all breeding of Pit Bulls seveneyes Oct 2014 #90

Ban all breeding please! At least until roody Oct 2014 #112

They will never be empty because they have become the shelters of the world. pnwmom Oct 2014 #124

World Vets is working on it. roody Oct 2014 #166

Most of the nice dogs in shelters are Pit Bulls. baldguy Oct 2014 #162

Pitties are just playful MannyGoldstein Oct 2014 #103

no different than any other breed . . . I read that right here DrDan Oct 2014 #148

Any well-muscled dachshund could do that, too MannyGoldstein Oct 2014 #151

Facts don't seem to make a difference in this debate JonLP24 Oct 2014 #104

Sweet. Will our 7 year old friend grow back his penis and testicles now? joeglow3 Oct 2014 #120

Are the 20 million Pit Bulls in America all collectivly guilty of this? baldguy Oct 2014 #125

Post removed Post removed Oct 2014 #126

30 vs 30,000 baldguy Oct 2014 #128

Pit humpers trying to manipulate stats more joeglow3 Oct 2014 #129

Try four. baldguy Oct 2014 #133

And you think the "kind" of dog was the problem? DirkGently Oct 2014 #130

Pit humpers now claiming spoons are more dangerous than guns joeglow3 Oct 2014 #132

Well, no, the logic is that Pits have better temperaments than DirkGently Oct 2014 #139

because they're a cheap breed, very popular and 'the poor mans gun', a status symbol Sunlei Oct 2014 #141

It's become a generic term, is what it is. DirkGently Oct 2014 #147

sure, a lot of mutts are missIDed (i do DNA on my mutts) but pitts are in top 10 in popular 'pets' Sunlei Oct 2014 #184

Few people, and no poor ones could ever afford a real pitbull. Ligyron Oct 2014 #183

more people mating those 'cheap poor quality pitts?',selling them cheap to bad homes. Sunlei Oct 2014 #185

"Pit Humpers" .... are you intentionally trying to be rude and ignorant by using this term? etherealtruth Oct 2014 #142

Well, one of his three posts was hidden for using that term. Orrex Oct 2014 #143

Ah, very good! Thanks for the info etherealtruth Oct 2014 #145

Hmmmm, Google scholar is your friend rjsquirrel Oct 2014 #179

Err, you did not actually bother to read the article, did you? intaglio Oct 2014 #180

If you had any clue as to how to work the Google machine, baldguy Oct 2014 #187

Dangerous dogs or dangerous owners? intaglio Oct 2014 #181

England grew out of their dog fighting days in the 1800s when they banned some animal fights Sunlei Oct 2014 #198

Oh how very wrong intaglio Oct 2014 #199

sure you have 'gangbangers' who fight animals, but your society goes after animal cruelty- Sunlei Oct 2014 #200

It still does not alter the fact that I have never been attacked by pit bulls intaglio Oct 2014 #212

Chicago dogs like the one in video are usually down from Corvino lines Ligyron Oct 2014 #201

whatever, point is the USA has a HUGE, HUGE dog fighting industry..that is ignored. Sunlei Oct 2014 #202

Most people have no idea what a "Pit bull" is Ligyron Oct 2014 #182

Extra butter on mine, please. KamaAina Oct 2014 #191

Our society needs to be harsher on dog fighters & bad owners, not the 'dog breeds.' Sunlei Oct 2014 #196

About the muzzle in public business IVoteDFL Oct 2014 #210

No, the law requires a full muzzle. I use a gentle leader for training some dogs, works great! Sunlei Oct 2014 #211

I was going to get a Pit Bull but my vet said she wouldn't give him a circumcision snooper2 Oct 2014 #197