Sat Feb 2, 2013, 07:12 AM

xchrom (90,443 posts)

Pitbulls Used to Be Considered the Perfect "Nanny Dogs" for Children --

http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/pitbulls-used-be-considered-perfect-nanny-dogs-children-until-media-turned-them

Pitbulls Used to Be Considered the Perfect "Nanny Dogs" for Children -- Until the Media Turned Them Into Monsters

For most of the 114 years since the American pitbull terrier was first recognized by the United Kennel Club, the breed was rightly seen as the perfect “nanny dog” for children because of its friendly nature, loyalty and stability. As the ASPCA notes, the pitbulls were “once considered especially non-aggressive to people.”

Today, as any owner of a “pitbull-type” dog* can attest, parents often recoil in horror when they spot one of these animals, pulling their children close as if to protect them from a marauding werewolf. Fanciful myths about the breed abound, and some public officials have compared their bites to those of sharks and tigers.

Since the 1980s, the media have falsely portrayed the pitbull as a bloodthirsty monster, inherently more dangerous than other strong breeds of dog. There is absolutely no factual basis for that narrative, but it's led to a vicious cycle in which people who want a badass dog to fight, or to guard property, or to intimidate rival gangs tend to choose pitbulls (or Rottweilers, another much-maligned breed). Pitbulls are the dog of choice for irresponsible breeders, dog-fighters, people who want a tough-looking dog to tie up in their yard and those who refuse to have their male dogs fixed because they think those big, swinging balls makes them look tough by proxy ( 86 percent of fatal canine attacks involve an unneutered male, according to the American Humane Society).

A 2009 study in the Journal of Forensic Science ($$), found that the owners of vicious dogs, regardless of the breed, had “significantly more criminal behaviors than other dog owners.” The researchers added that “vicious dog owners were higher in sensation seeking and primary psychopathy,” and concluded that “vicious dog ownership may be a simple marker of broader social deviance.” And according to the ASPCA, “Pit Bulls often attract the worst kind of dog owners.”

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407 replies	Author	Time	Post
Pitbulls Used to Be Considered the Perfect "Nanny Dogs" for Children -- (Original post)	xchrom	Feb 2013	OP
"There are no bad dogs, only bad owners." nt	truebluegreen	Feb 2013	#1
Nonsense	Drahthaardogs	Feb 2013	#42
Nonsense.	truebluegreen	Feb 2013	#46
I have more dog sense in my little finger finger	Drahthaardogs	Feb 2013	#92
and yet with all your "experience" you need to make your case with personal insults. Bad dog.	TeamPooka	Feb 2013	#108
Please. Spare me.	Drahthaardogs	Feb 2013	#191
nothing you said addresses your use of insults in this debate and that's what I commented on	TeamPooka	Feb 2013	#195
Off the topic, but your posts are the most interesting	The Second Stone	Feb 2013	#236
I agree that they breed for genetics,	hollysmom	Feb 2013	#240
your imported GSDs sound dangerous	shireen	Feb 2013	#306
You do not understand	Drahthaardogs	Feb 2013	#311
wth?	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#347
Again, you do not get it.	Drahthaardogs	Feb 2013	#381
You do get your exercise, don't you? eom	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#396
You are so right. The problems start when fools purchase problem dogs.	DollarBillHines	Feb 2013	#324
You are absolutely correct!	defacto7	Feb 2013	#333
Thank you for the experienced insight	get the red out	Feb 2013	#208
Who the heck are you talking about?	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#233
There are breeds that are bred for a purpose	Aerows	Feb 2013	#247
I don't pretend shit and that was not my point	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#302
Until one randomly rips your arm off	Aerows	Feb 2013	#356
oh how patently untrue very very very untrue and I know for experience	azurnoir	Feb 2013	#359
I do not believe it	Aerows	Feb 2013	#364
you know what I don't care it happened	azurnoir	Feb 2013	#368
Fair enough	Aerows	Feb 2013	#370
I believe you about your dog	azurnoir	Feb 2013	#374
I actually would love to have a smaller	Aerows	Feb 2013	#375
I'm waiting for the story about	Aerows	Feb 2013	#367
Yeah well	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#405
+1. Professional horse trainer/breeder here, and owner of JRTs. Agreed on all fronts.	riderinthestorm	Feb 2013	#230
I think that breeding any animal	LWolf	Feb 2013	#287
I've had a Doberman	Aerows	Feb 2013	#244
Too much to type about the "why's" but suffice it to say	Drahthaardogs	Feb 2013	#254
They are good dogs	Aerows	Feb 2013	#344
Your post got me interested in this topic	Blecht	Feb 2013	#276
Even though	LWolf	Feb 2013	#288
I do not know your dog and how can I asses it from a picture? What I do know is	Drahthaardogs	Feb 2013	#293
I can't read any of that,	LWolf	Feb 2013	#338
Website for Fédération Cynologique Internationale (in English)	JHB	Feb 2013	#383
You are lucky to have such intimate knowledge of DUer truebluegreen. I have only met a few	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#295
Anyone who does not understand that in America, we breed a ton of unhealthy,	Drahthaardogs	Feb 2013	#299
I agree AKC and breeding practices for a physical trait is idiotic. Am just saying I am envious of	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#301
If my post was presumptuous, it was because	Drahthaardogs	Feb 2013	#304
"nonsense" is preposterous. Oh. Kay. Have a good day.	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#308
Any dog CAN be bred indiscriminately and there can be bad dogs but	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#292
No it is not.	Drahthaardogs	Feb 2013	#296
They CAN be bred indiscriminately but I know people who breed them and are very careful of	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#303
Really? I would like you to expand on this.	Drahthaardogs	Feb 2013	#305
Good dog, friendly, smart, no health problems=possibility of breeding. Simplistically put.	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#348
In other words, you have no standards.	Drahthaardogs	Feb 2013	#380
This is an internet forum, not a Master's Dissertation. eom	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#395
You are so right. Our vet says most problems are blamed on	appleannie1	Feb 2013	#57
That's very well put!	truebluegreen	Feb 2013	#59
That's true. Anecdotal evidence: Us.	JanMichael	Feb 2013	#103
Mine, too. And that's what I've read. But I have a dog...	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#151
I've been hearing that argument for years yet....	retired rooster	Feb 2013	#62
Don't see anything in your response about their owners.	truebluegreen	Feb 2013	#76
Owners are the issue	Aerows	Feb 2013	#248
So now it's "pit bull type dogs"? What the hell does that mean?	Recursion	Feb 2013	#179
A "Pit Bull type dog" is anything with 4 legs & a tail that the media wants you to be afraid of.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#189
Bingo	Drale	Feb 2013	#201
I'll note that I had a massive Doberman	Aerows	Feb 2013	#249
Bullshit.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#251
Pit bulls are not "pain intolerant" or even "pain tolerant", that is a myth.	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#298
Uh	Aerows	Feb 2013	#371
You wrote "they are pain intolerant".	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#373
So they just fly around on their own, you think?	Scootaloo	Feb 2013	#228
The problem is that they're all jaw	Warpy	Feb 2013	#379
Deaths by dogs > Pit bulls 71 %. Your argument is exactly the same as "guns don't kill people"	KittyWampus	Feb 2013	#70
Who owns pit bulls?	truebluegreen	Feb 2013	#77
Who owns guns? The analogy is exact. Pit Bulls were intentionally bred to be killers.	KittyWampus	Feb 2013	#78
The analogy IS exact.	randome	Feb 2013	#125
The analogy CAN'T be exact. Dogs are living creatures with their own thoughts and instincts...	Moonwalk	Feb 2013	#196
Your wrong	Drale	Feb 2013	#202
Yeah, you're right. It does happen in some locations.	randome	Feb 2013	#210
BSLs are designed precisely to take away peoples pets.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#343
Pit bulls have never been bred to kill people, that I've heard. Where did you hear that?	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#134
When I had to put my Black Lab down because of old age, I asked the vet to ....	spin	Feb 2013	#194
The problem with that is...lots of injuries are blamed on "pit bulls" that aren't actually pit bulls	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#133
Because hysterias like this make witnesses identify every dog as a "Pit Bull"	Recursion	Feb 2013	#174
Propaganda from a biased anti-Pit Bull web site.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#207
Statically speaking...	defacto7	Feb 2013	#336
And such "statistics" are bullshit.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#339
Thank you for your kind reminder to read the OP	defacto7	Feb 2013	#361
Your link doesnot support your thesis.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#363
Nope, I was very clear.	defacto7	Feb 2013	#365
I'm not suprised that you can't provide supporting documentation for your misguided ideas.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#377
From YOUR link...	Nine	Feb 2013	#386
If you don't provide the full context, it's for sure "out of context".	baldguy	Feb 2013	#388
Heh. Now you say there are "problems with this report" - a report you yourself introduced!	Nine	Feb 2013	#389
You "don't dispute" this, you "don't dispute" that & "don't dispute" this other thing -	baldguy	Feb 2013	#390
Sorry to make things difficult for you	Nine	Feb 2013	#391
So, the SPCA, Michigan State University, the ABA, the National Canine Research Council,	baldguy	Feb 2013	#400
er, no, that's not what a strawman argument is	Nine	Feb 2013	#401
That's what you're arguing against: scientific peer-reviewed research.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#402
There may be no bade dogs	DBoon	Feb 2013	#135
I call bullshit -- and here is one example of why . . .	markpkessinger	Feb 2013	#238
That's a very dangerous situation and animal.	Demo_Chris	Feb 2013	#250
I agree -- and very worrisome! n/t	markpkessinger	Feb 2013	#334
I have a boxer/ rottie pet. He's like another child. He will bark like an idiot if	glowing	Feb 2013	#2
i thought it was just my female boxer /rottie mix was the only one...	madrchsod	Feb 2013	#14
You are right about that one. His bark is crazy sounding, no one would bother	glowing	Feb 2013	#43
Yeah, I honestly just think they are happier after they are "fixed".	LisaLynne	Feb 2013	#37
less testosterone is a good thing for many male dogs, and if you don't fix a female, you will be	glowing	Feb 2013	#53
I have a male and female, both fixed. He tries to mount her sometimes. She thinks it's a game.	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#153
Our fixed male tries to mount one of our female's head!	sweetloukillbot	Feb 2013	#175
That made me chuckle. That's pretty weird. But whatever floats his boat. nt	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#198
You have a mutt. Just saying. Sounds like a sweetie pie!	KittyWampus	Feb 2013	#55
He came from a pure boxer and a pure rottweiler used for breeding.	glowing	Feb 2013	#63
how do you know...	actslikeacarrot	Feb 2013	#60
Its being responsible. And they are fully functional without these bits and parts.	glowing	Feb 2013	#68
i know.	actslikeacarrot	Feb 2013	#75
Really?	blueamy66	Feb 2013	#69
I'm not trying to make you feel bad.	actslikeacarrot	Feb 2013	#74
And for their puppies' inconvenience, when they are ion the pound.	blueamy66	Feb 2013	#90
Go to a city animal	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#88
They don't "chop off" the balls. They snip the bag...	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#154
They are happier when they don't have	roody	Feb 2013	#215
I have a old	Tien1985	Feb 2013	#3
I've read that the aggressiveness can start at about two years old.	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#155
I am a firm believer	Tien1985	Feb 2013	#162
Wow, you sound so responsible!	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#200
I've heard	Tien1985	Feb 2013	#222
We adopted a 2-year old pit mix	YarnAddict	Feb 2013	#261
They do have dogs to	Tien1985	Feb 2013	#264
I wish for the best for her	YarnAddict	Feb 2013	#269
Has anyone considered what might happen	thucythucy	Feb 2013	#271
I hadn't even considered that!	YarnAddict	Feb 2013	#272
You might want to run this possibility by	thucythucy	Feb 2013	#273
I will talk to her ASAP	YarnAddict	Feb 2013	#274
Welcome to DU!	Recursion	Feb 2013	#279
It's interesting that the attacks don't seem related	thucythucy	Feb 2013	#280
Here is the link to the Pets forum/group on DU. Come on over.	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#291
I Remember When I Was Younger Being Taught...	dballance	Feb 2013	#277
I'm far from being an expert	YarnAddict	Feb 2013	#313
Here's a picture of her	YarnAddict	Feb 2013	#318
You answered your own question in your original post.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#341
Huh. Your beloved, well-treated, seemingly wonderful pit suddenly attacked.	Nine	Feb 2013	#387
Welllllll......	onlyadream	Feb 2013	#4
What's your point? n/t	theaocp	Feb 2013	#5
See post 1	rosesaylavee	Feb 2013	#6
When I was a kid my mother's Silky Terrier did the same thing.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#7
Probably not,	Sekhmets Daughter	Feb 2013	#27
Exactly - case by case basis	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#114
Yep...	Sekhmets Daughter	Feb 2013	#132
I agree	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#168
Had an extremely powerful Doberman	Aerows	Feb 2013	#369
Hey there...	Sekhmets Daughter	Feb 2013	#384
Exactly LOL	Aerows	Feb 2013	#403
No, you were not wrong. But with a rescue dog, special care needs to be taken.	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#137
My brother had to have his nose rebuilt after a black lab acosted him while being pet. They	Ed Suspicious	Feb 2013	#184
Your friends gave reprieve to a psychologically damaged animal	Scootaloo	Feb 2013	#229
A Doberman?	Aerows	Feb 2013	#376
Looked straight-up doberman; no papers though	Scootaloo	Feb 2013	#378
"...parents often recoil in horror when they spot one of these animals."	secondvariety	Feb 2013	#8
A pit mix is a mutt. It's not a pit bull.	KittyWampus	Feb 2013	#56
"A pitmix is a mutt."	secondvariety	Feb 2013	#89
If my pit mix bites someone, then it will be called a full pit bull.	Lucky Luciano	Feb 2013	#115
Since what you have is a mutt, how would they identify her as a pit mix? Is that what you say she	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#140
The police there have flexibility to determine.	Lucky Luciano	Feb 2013	#216
Oh, I see. How awful some reacted to your pet that way.	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#219
I knew someone who worked at a vet	Lordquinton	Feb 2013	#239
I rescued a pit 'bait dog'...	ColesCountyDem	Feb 2013	#9
I don't have a pit	mzteris	Feb 2013	#112
you did a good thing.	liberal_at_heart	Feb 2013	#123
doesn't this call for some kind of action?	Enrique	Feb 2013	#10
There are hundreds of	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#156
Why fight at all?	randome	Feb 2013	#159
Because	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#166
It's not a hard concept to grasp.	randome	Feb 2013	#170
There is no easy answer here	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#186
My pitbull Odie wouldn't hurt anyone	sorefeet	Feb 2013	#11
it would be interesting to read any primary sources from over a century ago	datasuspect	Feb 2013	#12
Here you go...	Sekhmets Daughter	Feb 2013	#35
didn't know that	datasuspect	Feb 2013	#93
LOL n/t	Sekhmets Daughter	Feb 2013	#127
Actual historical analysis posted below. Pit bulls were NEVER nanny dogs. They were bred to fight.	KittyWampus	Feb 2013	#71
You are incorrect. They were called nanny dogs. The famous RCA dog? A pit bull.	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#141
That famous RCA dog was named "Nipper" because he liked to bite	JanMichael	Feb 2013	#255
My ex's Springer Spaniel bit a neighbor boy, and he growled & barked at me....	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#260
Your Springer Spaniel neighbor	Aerows	Feb 2013	#372
I don't know where you get your info, but pits don't have pain intolerance, and their jaws	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#404
Pit bulls are more aggressive. Why does anyone want to defend that?	randome	Feb 2013	#13
Ignorant post.	Lucky Luciano	Feb 2013	#16
Anecdotal evidence proves nothing.	randome	Feb 2013	#18
This deserves a good face palm and a fuck off.	Lucky Luciano	Feb 2013	#21
No one is trying to take that away from you.	randome	Feb 2013	#24
The article linked in the OP	grntuscarora	Feb 2013	#34
I read it now. Laboratory setting testing doesn't change much.	randome	Feb 2013	#39
I would never turn by back on a strange dog, either.	grntuscarora	Feb 2013	#41
I hear you.	randome	Feb 2013	#47
Ok	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#109
I agree that is preferable.	randome	Feb 2013	#122
Some serious	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#182
Nothing but agreement there!	randome	Feb 2013	#183
Yet anecdotal evidence is your proof also. Can't have it both ways.	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#350
Your dog WAS A MUTT. Why is that so hard to grasp. She was categorically NOT A PITT BULL.	KittyWampus	Feb 2013	#72
Says who?	secondvariety	Feb 2013	#100
A mutt? Really?	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#206
I'm so sorry	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#211
Thank you do much.	Lucky Luciano	Feb 2013	#217
You're welcome	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#227
No, they aren't. They are what they are raised to be.	glowing	Feb 2013	#20
More anecdotal evidence. Look at the statistics below.	randome	Feb 2013	#22
The world	secondvariety	Feb 2013	#29
That's probably true.	randome	Feb 2013	#30
The problem is that any large Molosser that attacks anyone gets called a "pit bull" by witnesses	Recursion	Feb 2013	#169
"pit bull type dogs" not pit bulls.	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#351
How often do you read about a chihuahua killing a kid?	cynatnite	Feb 2013	#33
Then thats your choice, but placing a black mark on these dogs is not exactly fair.	glowing	Feb 2013	#48
Do you really think dogs care about a 'black mark' on their reputations?	randome	Feb 2013	#54
When it leaves them homeless or on the kill list, yeah, I think it effects them.	glowing	Feb 2013	#61
I'm not the one that put the black mark on them. The deaths left in their wake did that. n/t	cynatnite	Feb 2013	#165
I don't know about that. I have a Chihuahua	RebelOne	Feb 2013	#120
Ban any dog that weighs more than 5 lbs. Gotcha.	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#300
little yappy dogs don't kill people. Oh, and a rottie/boxer is a mutt. A MUTT.	KittyWampus	Feb 2013	#79
Ok, what do you think most pitt and rottie mixes are? They get tagged with a "brand".	glowing	Feb 2013	#86
How do you measure aggressiveness?	MadHound	Feb 2013	#45
Facts are...	bvar22	Feb 2013	#80
Pit bull hysteria, you've got it.	MadHound	Feb 2013	#99
Your response does NOT refute anything that I posted.	bvar22	Feb 2013	#105
Sure it does, you just want to hang on to your precious pit bull hysteria.	MadHound	Feb 2013	#107
Its not ME desperatly clinging to a delusion.	bvar22	Feb 2013	#218
Do you hear of death by Pomeranian?	MadHound	Feb 2013	#224
Any adult Molosser breed can crush a child's skull with its bite	Recursion	Feb 2013	#173
I didn't say ANYTHING about banning dogs.	bvar22	Feb 2013	#286
Then your issue is with large molossers, not pit bulls per se	Recursion	Feb 2013	#171
Worse, Assault weapon bans have grandfather clauses	Lordquinton	Feb 2013	#243
Another DUer for banning all dogs of a certain size, but not breed.	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#352
And THAT is a complete fabrication.	bvar22	Feb 2013	#358
So what are you saying? That all big dogs are dangerous? Or more dangerous than smaller dogs?	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#362
Because...	bvar22	Feb 2013	#394
I don't think that's true, objectively speaking. They can be made to be aggressive,	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#142
Factually incorrect. Try again.	flvegan	Feb 2013	#234
My American Pit "Rocky"	raidert05	Feb 2013	#15
Our chihuahua is a baby and wouldn't hurt a fly....	cynatnite	Feb 2013	#36
Your probably right	raidert05	Feb 2013	#84
We had a poodle that hated my husband...	cynatnite	Feb 2013	#167
Chihuahuas can be feisty, by nature. But of course, if they bite you, it doesn't kill you. nt	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#143
That may have been true then	laundry_queen	Feb 2013	#17
careful breeding that may have been in place back then no longer exists	Corgigal	Feb 2013	#278
Jet and me would disagree about the wonderfulness of pitbulls	KG	Feb 2013	#19
how is he doing?	JanMichael	Feb 2013	#104
he's forgotten I think. I haven't tho.	KG	Feb 2013	#118
Not forgotten by me	War Horse	Feb 2013	#160
Is that a minpin?	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#145
the worlds greatest min-pin.	KG	Feb 2013	#164
Well, of course! That goes w/o saying! nt	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#199
I pull my kids close when they are in striking range of any dog that looks like it could kill them	alcibiades_mystery	Feb 2013	#23
The underlying problem with a lot of dogs,	SheilaT	Feb 2013	#25
Amen! You are so right.	KitSileya	Feb 2013	#284
It wasn't the media that did it.	aandegoons	Feb 2013	#26
Excuse me, but the media is, and has been, a large part of the problem.	MadHound	Feb 2013	#49
2012 38 fatal us dog attacks.	aandegoons	Feb 2013	#110
First of all, some perspective for you	MadHound	Feb 2013	#192
And you look exactly like some gun nut.	aandegoons	Feb 2013	#262
What is it with you pit haters, trying to link pits with guns,	MadHound	Feb 2013	#263
I love pitbulls and have met quite a number of them that are fine animals.	aandegoons	Feb 2013	#406
Wow, that is a non-sequitor,	MadHound	Feb 2013	#407
Why'd the breeders do it?	jeff47	Feb 2013	#366
“vicious dog ownership may be a simple marker of broader social deviance.”	yardwork	Feb 2013	#28
The only thing about the pitbulls I've been around is that you can get a little bruised up playing	brewens	Feb 2013	#31
the eternal problem of going to dog parks.	xchrom	Feb 2013	#38
"assault dogs"	krispos42	Feb 2013	#32
In all my years of being around all types of dawgs	MynameisBlarney	Feb 2013	#40
My wife and I found a stray pit last year	sweetloukillbot	Feb 2013	#190
Thank the Goddess	Helen Reddy	Feb 2013	#44
"Nanny Dog? Not so much." A dude bothers to do actual research on the Nanny Dog claim	alcibiades_mystery	Feb 2013	#50
Thanks so much. I don't demonize any breed but do realize the reality of dog breeding	KittyWampus	Feb 2013	#64
No obvious bias there.	Occulus	Feb 2013	#65
No doubt the guy is anti-pit	alcibiades_mystery	Feb 2013	#66
LOL! It's got a lot of actual historical sources. It was highly educational with REAL information.	KittyWampus	Feb 2013	#82
he supports his claims with primary sources.	datasuspect	Feb 2013	#95
What a laughingly biased website,	MadHound	Feb 2013	#96
I'd make an example of you now	flvegan	Feb 2013	#235
Any dog can snap and I would never take a chance on a pit bull never snapping.	MotherPetrie	Feb 2013	#51
Horses injure & kill more people each year than Pit Bulls.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#73
Cars kill and injure more people each year than Pit Bulls. Guns kill more people than Pit Bulls.	KittyWampus	Feb 2013	#81
Magnificent response!	Orrex	Feb 2013	#349
You should try to read some of the actual OP and the linked article	baldguy	Feb 2013	#353
the opening post is absolute nonsense. Pit Bulls were NEVER "nanny dogs".	KittyWampus	Feb 2013	#392
Except that they were.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#399
Wow, the further I read into this thread, the numbers go up and up and up	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#354
So what?	MotherPetrie	Feb 2013	#85
No one ever talks about banning horses.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#97
So if the dangers of one animal is ignored, the dangers of all animals should be?	MotherPetrie	Feb 2013	#102
No, it means that animals should be properly trained & rerspected - then they won't be dangerous.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#119
I'll tell that to my neighbor, whose leashed dachshund was attacked by another neighor's	MotherPetrie	Feb 2013	#121
I'll tell you about the time my leashed Pit Bull was attacked by a neighbor's Standard Poodle.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#130
Since I know someone who was attacked by a pitbull	MotherPetrie	Feb 2013	#136
I hope your neighbor's Dachound never turns on you.	Lordquinton	Feb 2013	#245
Since I was attacked by a St Bernard, I will continue to be careful around all dogs.	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#355
LOL	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#307
I brought her over to my sister's Super Bowl party, and she had an, um..."incident".	baldguy	Feb 2013	#340
so the media is simply making up the statistics . . . I see	DrDan	Feb 2013	#52
They are being trained as service dogs at Villalobos	appleannie1	Feb 2013	#58
I've seen the results of several dog attacks before.	bobclark86	Feb 2013	#67
Famous Last Words of Pit Bull Owners:	bvar22	Feb 2013	#83
I gotta take issue with this insistence. The "media" didn't do anything but report on	MADem	Feb 2013	#87
really?	shanti	Feb 2013	#91
Meh, if I think I could devote the time necessary to train/socialize one...	Left2Tackle	Feb 2013	#94
I gave pit bulls the benefit of the doubt until 4 weeks ago.	Hatchling	Feb 2013	#98
A few weeks ago	XemaSab	Feb 2013	#101
I used to raise and breed Saint Bernards.	Hatchling	Feb 2013	#282
I find it interesting	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#106
Pete from Our Gang was a pit bull.	appleannie1	Feb 2013	#111
Um, why do you think they had to keep on replacing the kids?	Bucky	Feb 2013	#281
Because like all kids, they grew older. Even the dog was replaced.	appleannie1	Feb 2013	#283
A sweet "nanny dog" savagely dismantled our family pet	whatchamacallit	Feb 2013	#113
Did you know the family and the dog? Was it a full breed? Did you sue them?	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#148
We share a tall fence at our backyards	whatchamacallit	Feb 2013	#157
Oh, how horrible. He got out of his yard into yours? How horrible. Your poor dog...	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#203
You sound like a great owner	whatchamacallit	Feb 2013	#221
Thanks for writing this;	JanMichael	Feb 2013	#259
That Bolt dog is a cutie. You sound like a good owner, too!	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#265
Thanks for writing that! You are too kind...but, the "Dog Whisperer"	JanMichael	Feb 2013	#319
pit bull	timdog44	Feb 2013	#116
A great deal of training and abuse goes into making a dog - any dog - into a killer.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#129
You said "I don't trust any dog." So why are you posting to a dog thread...	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#149
to honeycomb	timdog44	Feb 2013	#177
It's simple! You hate flaming dogs!	randome	Feb 2013	#180
While I'm no huge fan of guns	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#161
Emotions always get heated when this comes up	War Horse	Feb 2013	#117
Sometimes it is the circumstances more than the dog.	hollysmom	Feb 2013	#242
small dogs attack more often than big dogs	liberal_at_heart	Feb 2013	#124
How often do they kill?	whatchamacallit	Feb 2013	#126
this is going to be one of those nasty threads where the only thing that	liberal_at_heart	Feb 2013	#131
I insulted your argument	whatchamacallit	Feb 2013	#139
do they inflict as much damage?	DrDan	Feb 2013	#144
That's true. I love all dogs, but if you own a large dog, it's a big responsibility...	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#146
I read this a long time ago. It's not just the media, though, that did this to the pitbull. It's the	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#128
Pit bulls don't have some magical death bite	Recursion	Feb 2013	#185
I agree with you there. People tend to call any nondescript dog that bites a "pit." nt	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#197
Little Rascals: Pete was a pit bull.	no_hypocrisy	Feb 2013	#138
said no sane person ever...	JCMach1	Feb 2013	#147
They can't have been "responsible owners" if they weren't on a leash.	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#150
Rural area in the late 1970's... I was a child	JCMach1	Feb 2013	#237
Really? Pit Bulls? Am Staffs or APBTs?	Recursion	Feb 2013	#172
Fine. Any dog that can fire more than 7 rounds at a time should be banned.	randome	Feb 2013	#176
OK, we're in agreement there! (nt)	Recursion	Feb 2013	#178
Some don't need 7 rounds	guardian	Feb 2013	#385
That's hard. Geez I don't know. The 2nd pic? They're called devil dogs...	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#252
UTTER BULLSHIT. PROPAGANDA.	Nine	Feb 2013	#152
Here's some evidence for you, that unlike yours, is not bullshit propaganda.	MadHound	Feb 2013	#193
More propaganda. The ATTS is a sham.	Nine	Feb 2013	#204
Hmm, who to believe, who to believe,	MadHound	Feb 2013	#205
Believe the statistics.	Nine	Feb 2013	#213
Your attempt to link pit bull ownership to gun ownership is laughable,	MadHound	Feb 2013	#223
also as the article states	Drale	Feb 2013	#214
I agree they are more dangerous than many other dogs, but the owners aren't	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#253
Other great ideas that used to be considered perfect thinking.	99Forever	Feb 2013	#158
My pittbull sleeps with my 6 yr old	Catherina	Feb 2013	#163
Oh, dear. That's not a good idea, even if the dog is stable....	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#256
Oh geez,	MadHound	Feb 2013	#258
I wasn't talking about the breed, or about adults. Read my post again....	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#266
Again, oh geez.	MadHound	Feb 2013	#275
why risk even a small chance?	ecstatic	Feb 2013	#310
Well if you are that concerned about your children,	MadHound	Feb 2013	#315
I'm hijacking this thread. Anyone makes another post and it's curtains for fido!	randome	Feb 2013	#181
It's coitains for you, Rocky...coitains.	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#257
to randome	timdog44	Feb 2013	#187
Aw, hell, I couldn't shoot a dog. You called my bluff.	randome	Feb 2013	#188
Trouble is, the dog haters here would shoot the dog without batting an eye.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#209
How many people did the "nanny dog" kill last year?	Nine	Feb 2013	#212
Only if you actually believe "pit bull" identifications are accurate	Recursion	Feb 2013	#231
What dogs do you think are being mistaken for pit bulls?	Nine	Feb 2013	#289
I've seen cops and reporters identify a ton of different Molossers as "pit bulls"	Recursion	Feb 2013	#290
Show me cases where a dog who killed someone was misidentified. (nt)	Nine	Feb 2013	#294
Take the test, can you identify the pit bull?	MadHound	Feb 2013	#297
Here is a debunking of that test.	Nine	Feb 2013	#312
Oh geez, not that POS website again.	MadHound	Feb 2013	#316
So basically	OwnedByCats	Feb 2013	#232
I think the breed has been damaged by gangs and others	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#267
I generally love alternet, but this article is suspect.	Quantess	Feb 2013	#220
Message auto-removed	jayfox122	Feb 2013	#225
So much stupid in this thread.	flvegan	Feb 2013	#226
+100 fucking thousand! It's astounding to see the ignorance	Catherina	Feb 2013	#397
I had the best Amstaffs	Sierra89	Feb 2013	#241
" It's up to responsible owners to train, care for and socialize our bullies properly"	Catherina	Feb 2013	#398
.....	DainBramaged	Feb 2013	#246
Rachael Ray's Pit Bull Isaboo	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#268
Rescued Pit Bull Saves Owner’s Life	xchrom	Feb 2013	#270
That's a wonderful story. But it doesn't negate the negatives of the breed.	Honeycombe8	Feb 2013	#285
ok, enjoy your pitt bulls, but for God's sake	ecstatic	Feb 2013	#309
By the way, here's a "nanny alligator."	Nine	Feb 2013	#314
Yeah, but did the AKC recommend alligators as the best dog for families for decades?	MadHound	Feb 2013	#317
You keep asserting that without backing it up.	Nine	Feb 2013	#320
Contact the AKC, they will show you the paperwork,	MadHound	Feb 2013	#321
Ha ha! Did they show you paperwork?	Nine	Feb 2013	#323
You can find out for yourself, contact the AKC.	MadHound	Feb 2013	#325
I'm not the author.	Nine	Feb 2013	#329
LOL, this coming from the poster who is using a bullshit biased blog,	MadHound	Feb 2013	#322
Biased? Sure, in the sense that it takes a stance.	Nine	Feb 2013	#326
the AKC is an abomination only interested in money. They don't give a crap about dogs or humans.	KittyWampus	Feb 2013	#393
Okay, you're going to have to tell us what search you used to find this.	randome	Feb 2013	#328
It's from that "bullshit biased" site MadHound hates. :)	Nine	Feb 2013	#330
"Mommy, can I come in now?"	randome	Feb 2013	#332
:D nt	Nine	Feb 2013	#335
Now they're BRED for AGGRESSION. nt	valerief	Feb 2013	#327
Our Pit Bull Mix	Smilo	Feb 2013	#331
The problem is not that pits are mean dogs.	Nine	Feb 2013	#337
That is true about any dog. Any dog.	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#345
Read the fucking article linked in the OP.	baldguy	Feb 2013	#346
After reading this thread, I'm glad to be a diehard cat person.	Arugula Latte	Feb 2013	#342
Which of these dogs have any pit bull in them?	uppityperson	Feb 2013	#357
And of course all this uninformed hysteria about Pit Bulls covers up one salient fact	baldguy	Feb 2013	#360
my experience	Skittles	Feb 2013	#382

Response to xchrom (Original post)

Sat Feb 2, 2013, 07:25 AM

truebluegreen (1,632 posts)

Pitbulls Used to Be Considered the Perfect "Nanny Dogs" for Children --

1. "There are no bad dogs, only bad owners." nt

42. Nonsense

46. Nonsense.

92. I have more dog sense in my little finger finger

108. and yet with all your "experience" you need to make your case with personal insults. Bad dog.

191. Please. Spare me.

195. nothing you said addresses your use of insults in this debate and that's what I commented on

236. Off the topic, but your posts are the most interesting

240. I agree that they breed for genetics,

306. your imported GSDs sound dangerous

311. You do not understand

347. wth?

381. Again, you do not get it.

396. You do get your exercise, don't you? eom

324. You are so right. The problems start when fools purchase problem dogs.

333. You are absolutely correct!

208. Thank you for the experienced insight

233. Who the heck are you talking about?

247. There are breeds that are bred for a purpose

302. I don't pretend shit and that was not my point

356. Until one randomly rips your arm off

359. oh how patently untrue very very very untrue and I know for experience

364. I do not believe it

368. you know what I don't care it happened

370. Fair enough

374. I believe you about your dog

375. I actually would love to have a smaller

367. I'm waiting for the story about

405. Yeah well

230. +1. Professional horse trainer/breeder here, and owner of JRTs. Agreed on all fronts.

287. I think that breeding any animal

244. I've had a Doberman

254. Too much to type about the "why's" but suffice it to say

344. They are good dogs

276. Your post got me interested in this topic

288. Even though

293. I do not know your dog and how can I asses it from a picture? What I do know is

338. I can't read any of that,

383. Website for Fédération Cynologique Internationale (in English)

295. You are lucky to have such intimate knowledge of DUer truebluegreen. I have only met a few

299. Anyone who does not understand that in America, we breed a ton of unhealthy,

301. I agree AKC and breeding practices for a physical trait is idiotic. Am just saying I am envious of

304. If my post was presumptuous, it was because

308. "nonsense" is preposterous. Oh. Kay. Have a good day.

292. Any dog CAN be bred indiscriminately and there can be bad dogs but

296. No it is not.

303. They CAN be bred indiscriminately but I know people who breed them and are very careful of

305. Really? I would like you to expand on this.

348. Good dog, friendly, smart, no health problems=possibility of breeding. Simplistically put.

380. In other words, you have no standards.

395. This is an internet forum, not a Master's Dissertation. eom

57. You are so right. Our vet says most problems are blamed on

59. That's very well put!

103. That's true. Anecdotal evidence: Us.

151. Mine, too. And that's what I've read. But I have a dog...

62. I've been hearing that argument for years yet....

76. Don't see anything in your response about their owners.

248. Owners are the issue

179. So now it's "pit bull type dogs"? What the hell does that mean?

189. A "Pit Bull type dog" is anything with 4 legs & a tail that the media wants you to be afraid of.

201. Bingo

249. I'll note that I had a massive Doberman

251. Bullshit.

298. Pit bulls are not "pain intolerant" or even "pain tolerant", that is a myth.

371. Uh

373. You wrote "they are pain intolerant".

228. So they just fly around on their own, you think?

379. The problem is that they're all jaw

70. Deaths by dogs > Pit bulls 71 %. Your argument is exactly the same as "guns don't kill people"

77. Who owns pit bulls?

78. Who owns guns? The analogy is exact. Pit Bulls were intentionally bred to be killers.

125. The analogy IS exact.

196. The analogy CAN'T be exact. Dogs are living creatures with their own thoughts and instincts...

202. Your wrong

210. Yeah, you're right. It does happen in some locations.

343. BSLs are designed precisely to take away peoples pets.

134. Pit bulls have never been bred to kill people, that I've heard. Where did you hear that?

194. When I had to put my Black Lab down because of old age, I asked the vet to ....

133. The problem with that is...lots of injuries are blamed on "pit bulls" that aren't actually pit bulls