Comments on: DANGER – Pit Bulls Are MONSTERS!

By: Alysson

Alysson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:40:50 +0000

I completely agree with you, Dixie. However, during the process of training a willful, intelligent and potentially physically overwhelming animal of any kind (dog, horse, et al.), both physical & emotional strength give you and the animal the greatest chance for success. Based on my pet sitting experience, I can say with confidence that there have been times when my physical strength was the only thing standing between my clients’ dogs & other aggressively approaching animals is my physical ability to stop the confrontations before they turned truly ugly.

Thanks for taking the time to share your insight!

By: Dixie

Dixie — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:11:13 +0000

While I appreciate exactly what you’re saying and in a lot of ways agree I have to say the strength of the person physically isn’t really what counts in my humble opinion. I have a 132lb purebred mutt…..part Dane part Pit and part Lab. I am an over 50 female with 4 major back surgeries behind me and don’t even weigh as much as the mutant. BUT….due to training and committment to him knowing that there are some things he is NOT allowed to do with momma means I can walk him, play with him, and snuggle him just as if he was half the size he is. The same goes for my 87lb beagle/border collie mix. They don’t pull when walking and are not prone to get overly exuberant when I play with them. Yes, being strong enough to handle a bully breed is important the same can be said for having the good sense to train your dogs properly regardless of breed.

By: Alysson

Alysson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:56:55 +0000

Experience is always the best teacher, Reda…and always more powerful than preconceived notions. I’m glad you were open-minded enough to base your opinion on your experiences, rather than simply relying on the maliciously inflated danger this breed supposedly poses. Thanks for stopping by and for volunteering at your local animal shelter. I’d hope others reading this right now will be inspired to do the same!

By: Reda

Reda — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:47:01 +0000

I too was one of the skeptical people who thought “what are they thinking” when my cousins brought home a pit bull when they had 2 small kids in the house. I thought of all the stories I heard the injuries.
Then I started volunteering at an animal shelter that takes in pit bulls and works closely with an pit bull rescue in the area.
Now I hear all these wonderful stories of them rescuing someone, the shows dedicated to the breed, the rehabbing of the fighting or bait dogs and of course hands on relationship with the breed.
I love dogs. I grew up with doxies, had a couple bassets and now have a coonhound and boxer.
I cannot own a pit bull because of the laws and insurance requirements. But I love them and would lay beside one anyday over a small dog. I’m not knocking the small breeds…I love them too. I just prefer big dogs.
There are so many advocates now for pit bulls that hopefully legislation can pass reforms so that the breed isn’t discriminated against, then insurance follows thru to not exclude specific breeds…THEN and just as important, tougher laws on owners who fight these dogs. These dogs as so many just want to love and be loved.
Thank you for listening!

By: Alysson

Alysson — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:18:25 +0000

Well…um…your words. Not mine.

By: Alysson

Alysson — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:17:45 +0000

Thanks for stopping by, Megan. My sister owns a local pet sitting business. Our experiences are very similar to yours, in that Pit Bull-type breeds have never caused either of us any problems, but other breeds - particularly small breed dogs like Chihuahuas, Pomeranians and the like - are often far more aggressive and prone to bite. Granted, the damage they do is far less than that of a large breed, but tell that to the girl who ended up with 20 stitches after having been attacked by her grandparents 3 Chihuahuas. I don't recall anyone ever calling for a ban on Chihuahuas...

By: You're an idiot.

You're an idiot. — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:56:00 +0000

LOL. Dogsbite.org is a crock of shit, and if you listen to them, then your are worse then retarded.

By: Megan

Megan — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:49:14 +0000

I own 3 APBT’s and love them to pieces! All have their own quirks but are SO lovable and everybody that knows them just loves them to pieces! I adopted my oldest from a rescue, they called her a ‘Lab/Weimaraner mix’ which was a total lie but i didn’t care, and i have never looked back, my second i got from a byb before i knew much about the breed and my third is my first show dog and they are all just great dogs. everyone is always going to have their thoughts and we are always going to have people that are afraid of pit bulls but the more people that spend time with these beautiful and amazing creatures the more people whose minds we are able to turn! i would say 90+% of the people that ‘hate’ all pit bulls and want them all to die have probably never actually met one, and are just feeding off of the media frenzy! my dogs are always properly contained and never off-leash other than in their own backyard. they are properly socialized (i am a dog groomer) and they come with me to work most days of the week and love to greet the customers! we have the occasional customers who have problems with those ‘pits’ (i hate that term) but if they stand and pet the dogs they get over it. as far as my experience goes, the small dogs are the problems. the dog is small so nobody cares to socialize or train it. the dog barks and snarls, so the owner picks it up. how is that a correctional behavior? regardless, any dog can be aggressive and if they ban all pit bulls they will just continue through all the breeds until we can’t own dogs anymore. what a shame!

By: Alysson

Alysson — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:55:34 +0000

Thanks, Allison. There are far more stories like yours than there are horror stories. Unfortunately only the sensationalized attack stories seem to make headlines.

By: Alysson

Alysson — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:54:32 +0000

Thanks for taking the time to comment, Bonny. The more positive stories people share about Pit Bulls, the less likely people will be to believe they are inherently more aggressive or dangerous than other breeds.

By: Alysson

Alysson — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:53:06 +0000

The snide comment about my being a progressive wasn’t necessary, as I can easily – and accurately – point out that ultraconservatives tend to be among the most factually challenged and prone to revisionism.

Readers of this blog are welcome to share whatever facts or anecdotes they feel are applicable to the topic at hand so others can make informed decisions based on all of the information available, not merely the information that supports my position. Thanks for stopping by.

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:41:29 +0000

There’s always two sides to a story. Below is information which directly contradicts the opinions expressed in your article. While my experience of Progressives is that they don’t really like to hear opposing opinions, hopefully you’ll allow this information to stay on your website so intelligent, rational individuals can make up their own minds.

http://thetruthaboutpitbulls.blogspot.com/2010/08/there-are-three-kinds-of-lies-lies.html

http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-study-dog-attacks-and-maimings-merritt-clifton.php

http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-fatalities-2011.php

By: Bonny

Bonny — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:12:51 +0000

I loved reading the postings. I have five dogs, two akita/lab mix and have fostered three pit bulls and then adopted them. I cannot stress how wonderful they are….they are not only grateful for getting out of a shelter but they are calmer and loving by knowing they came into a home where they would be loved, and given a nice bed to lay their head at night. I would like to urge people to foster this breed, they stay in shelters for so long because people are afraid of them…please give a bully breed a chance, it is so wrong to euthanize them just because of the “pit” status. Give them a chance….you will be glad you did.

By: allison

allison — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 02:45:19 +0000

Great page!! I too own a pitbull and love him to pieces best dog i’ve ever owned.. Keep up the good work

discriminating against a certain breed is like discriminating against a certain race, wish people could open there eyes! :/

By: Alysson

Alysson — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 02:15:33 +0000

Hello, Donna. Thanks for stopping by. Had you taken 11 seconds to read anything more the THE TITLE of this post, it would have become rather obvious to you that I am part of the fight FOR pit bull type breeds, not against them. And you have the audacity to call me an idiot? If you’d like to go ahead and pull your foot out of your mouth, please go ahead…I’ll wait.

By: donna bursell

donna bursell — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 01:59:41 +0000

Allyson, all i can say is if you think a pitbull is a monster, then you truly KNOW NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!….you are an idiot

By: Alysson

Alysson — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:48:33 +0000

Thanks for taking the time to comment, Brianna. Accurate information is always the most effective weapon against fear-based ignorance.

By: Alysson

Alysson — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:14:03 +0000

Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts.

By: Alysson

Alysson — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:13:17 +0000

You’re quite welcome. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and help to dispel the myth that all pit bulls are aggressive or dangerous.

By: Alysson

Alysson — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:11:32 +0000

I do agree that all living beings are a product of both their environment AND their genetics. However, we do not preemptively execute the children of psychotics, schizophrenics. et al. (like Herb Baumeister, for example) simply because they may have a genetic predisposition to mental illness that could potentially result in a violent murder spree at some point in the future. Yet it seems perfectly acceptable to some to exterminate a dog without a single incident of aggression or so much as an aggressive bark.