In the United States, pit bulls make up less than 3% of the dog population but cause more than 50% of serious dog attacks.
Most dog bites are from mutts (mixed breed), German shepherds and chow chows. Most fatal attacks are by rottweilers and pit bulls. (Source)
Out of the 25 dogs who have earned UKC "superdog" status (by gaining championship titles in conformation, obedience, agility, and weightpull), fourteen have been pit bulls[citation needed], almost 60%
Approximately 150 people are killed every year by falling coconuts. Therefore, you are more than 60 TIMES MORE LIKELY to be killed by a coconut than a pit bull.
The American Temperament Testing Society shows a pass percentage of 84.1% for pit bulls, which is slightly higher than the Golden Retriever at 83.8%.
Pit Bulls represent 5% to 9.6% of the total US canine population of roughly 55-60 million dogs.
They're mostly chavs, too. It's an image thing - having large nasty dogs with bad attitudes to match those of the owners. Unfortunately breed specific legislation doesn't seem to have worked here as there are so few breeds on the list.
All stupid proposed laws like this do is further remove people from individual responsibility. Instead of blaming the dog (or its breed), blame the owners. Prosecute them mercilessly for vicious attacks on the part of their pets. Sure some otherwise "nice people whose nice dogs went nuts" will get tossed in the klink, but it's the only manageable way to control the risk.
Yo yo... is Ali G in da house?
http://www.gladwell.com/2006/2006_02_06_a_pitbull.html
You can't hide the aggressiveness and damage caused by pit bulls by saying "pit bulls don't exist - they're made of many different breeds." It's like saying gang violence doesn't exist - you just have many different local 'hoods that are individually very violent. (Okay, the analogy isn't perfect, but you get my drift).
Re: temperament - different breeds of dogs are known to have different temperaments. Indeed, it's possible to breed dogs that are aggressive or meek by selecting the temperaments of their parents. Do this over a course of many generations, you'll get the generalized characteristic of a breed. Pit bulls were prized and bred for their fighting ability. It's no surprise that you get what you breed...
@Tyler: thank you for the link - it was very interesting.
Ask yourself this: you see two dogs you've never seen before guarding two roads. A chihuahua and a pit bull. Which road would you chose?
I'd take a chihuahua vs. a pit bull anyday (unless I know FOR SURE that the pit bull is a docile dog), because I know that the damage caused by the little yapper can't match the potential damage a pit bull can inflict.
We've had many dogs in our family, including aggressive breeds like chows and dobermans. And guess what? Generally speaking, those dogs ARE more aggressive than other breeds.
Remember that most of the dog bites are not reported. I don't think that people who get bit by a golden retriever, a dalmation, or many other breeds will report it as readily as they would report a "vicious pit bull".
Anyways, pit bulls are very sweet dogs. As a matter of fact, they suck as protection dogs, because they were bred to be super good to humans. If a thief comes to your house, the pit bull will probably lick him to death.
BTW, my 85 lbs. American Bulldog got attacked by a golden retriever once!!! hehehehe, I didn't know that the goldens had an aggressive bone in them. Just to show you that this debate is more complicated than people think...my dog didn't even fight him, he just wagged his tail...he does that to all dogs, even if they are trying to attack him. And to think that some people walk across the street when they see me walking my dog.
I'm not saying that all pit bulls are vicious or aggressive - your American bulldog, for once, seems like a sweetie pie.
But as a breed, pit bulls are generally more apt to cause significant harm when it attacks/bites than other breeds.
the breed does however, have a lockjaw instinct, just as the rottweiler, bullmastif, etc.
this just means when they bite, they dont let go, they keep going till the just cant anymore, thats the difference, thats the only reason they are more dangerous because when they do bite, they BITE. but just like the article, people get more bites from other breeds, its just theyre built differently
I was walking my sister's Newfoundland, and we met the creepy guy walking his Rottweiler. It was the first time I'd ever heard her dog - who loved every dog he ever met - growl. He was reacting to the confrontational attitude of the Rottweiler.
You can say it's not the fault of a breed, and that it has a lot to do with training. But pit bulls are so overbred, like our legless chihuahuas, that they're dangerous from the start. Couple that with an asshat who wants to lengthen his penis by owning a pitbull, and you've got trouble waiting to happen.
That is assuming that the asshole at the other end of the leash even bothered to put his/her dog on a leash in the first place.
Since I live in an area of the world where coconuts only appear in grocery stores, I'm more concerned about the two pitbulls down the street who mauled a little girl earlier this year.
Pitbull owners are the animal world's equivalent of Hummer owners.
It's like hunting with an uzi because you think it's a quality gun.
"Often people ask what breed of dogs are most dangerous? The question can be prompted by a high profile attack by a specific dog or may be the result of media driven portrayals of a specific breed deemed "dangerous"... Singling out one or two
specific breeds for control can result in a false sense of accomplishment. This often ignores the true scope of the problem at hand."
The truth is, there are no reliable population statistics for ANY breed, since that would require widespread breed registration. There are some small registries, but how many people actually use them? How many pit bull owners do you think are going to bother? How can we say that pit bull make up 3% of the dog population when A) we aren't even sure how big the dog population is, and B) we have NO CLUE how many of them are "pit bulls?"
"Often people ask what breed of dogs are most dangerous? The question can be prompted by a high profile attack by a specific dog or may be the result of media driven portrayals of a specific breed deemed "dangerous"... Singling out one or two
specific breeds for control can result in a false sense of accomplishment. This often ignores the true scope of the problem at hand."
The truth is, there are no reliable population statistics for ANY breed, since that would require widespread breed registration. There are some small registries, but how many people actually use them? How many pit bull owners do you think are going to bother? How can we say that pit bull make up 3% of the dog population when A) we aren't even sure how big the dog population is, and B) we have NO CLUE how many of them are "pit bulls?"
*POOF* They're al gone.
Guess what you're left with? You still have all the people that made the mean dogs mean. You still have all the sickos that abuse animals. You still have all the ignorant people who don't know how to properly train and manage a dog.
Those same people would just get another breed of dog, and ruin them.
This is a PEOPLE PROBLEM, not a dog problem.