MYTHS BUSTED!

[Nicole]

Would a dog-aggressive dog be aggressive to people too?
No. Some dogs can be aggressive to both animals and people. However, Pit Bulls were bred to be reliable with and friendly to people. Since handlers had to work very closely with the dogs in their original activities, the dogs had to be totally trustworthy. Aggression to animals and aggression to people are two completely different traits.

Do they have "locking jaws"?
No - another myth. It is a dog's strength and drive that result in a tight hold.

Are they good guard dogs?
No. These are people-loving dogs and should not be used to guard, intimidate or display an owner's machismo. A coward with a powerful dog is still a coward. So many Pit Bulls are injured, abandoned, and euthanized at shelters because people wanted them as status symbols, guard dogs, gambling objects or other bad reasons and then discarded them.

Do they have unpredictable temperaments?
No. As with any breed, some individual dogs may have genetic aberrations due to poor breeding, and some display unstable behavior as a result of earlier mistreatment and abuse. But Pit Bull breeds are among the top scorers by breed in standardized temperament tests.

[BRANDON BOND]

thats whats up!

[Nicole]

This and More info
http://atlantapitbullrescue.com/index.php?sub=pbr-info

[BRANDON BOND]

http://www.wsbtv.com/video/15141023/index.html

[VENOM]

Not sure where to post this on the forum so I posted here, was reading online news channel and came across this article this morning.....
_________________________________________
SUGAR HILL, Ga. (AP) -- The Sugar Hill City Council is considering banning pit bulls from public property.

The ordinance would prohibit the dogs, including mixed breeds, from going to public parks or government property within the city limits. Violators would be fined anywhere from $200 to $1,000.

The council could vote on the proposal as early at February 11th.

Media Feed: http://www.11alive.com/news/article_...storyid=110609

[561design]

From a vet:
Most of us don't really think about getting bitten or attacked by dogs in our daily lives, but it can happen a lot more often, and quicker, than you'd ever think. Part of the problem is that we are led to believe that there are certain types of dogs that are extremely aggressive and vicious (like pit bulls) when, in fact, some of the breeds that are more likely to bite are those you'd never think about, like poodles or terriers.

About 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs each year. One million of those need medical attention. About 750,000 children are bitten by dogs each year; in most cases, these bites are from "familiar dogs" -- not strays. Approximately 12 people die each year from dog bites

All dogs can be provoked to bite. There is really no such thing as a "bad breed." Most (if not all) dogs can be properly trained and socialized to be gentle and tolerant. Your dog should be trained to obey basic commands: sit, stay, come, and down. This alone could prevent many dog-biting incidents.

Potentially aggressive breeds:

Llasa Apso: can be cranky with kids

Toy poodles: bite out of self defense

Dachsunds: not very patient

Rhodesian Ridgebacks: very dominant breed

Miniature Pinschers: "big dog" mindset in little body

Pekinese: intolerant

Chihuahuas: prefer adults, not tolerant of kids

Chow Chow: one-person dogs, bite without warning

Giant Schnauzers: very dominant breed, will even challenge adults

Old English Sheep Dog: very protective of owner

Cocker Spaniel: very protective of owner

Rottweilers: very protective

Typically gentle breeds that have "bad boy" reputations:

German Shepherd: great with kids

Bulldog: gentle, playful

Rottweilers: can be gentle, affectionate

Great Danes: gentle, affectionate

Boxers: good with kids

Mastiffs-very docile

"Pit bull" is a bit of a misnomer. There really is no such breed. Generally, "pit bulls" are a cross between a "bulldog" breed and a terrier. They are also known as American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Most "pit bulls" are not aggressive by nature. They tend to be gentle, playful and loving. However, there are those that have been bred and trained to be aggressive. Even then, they are more aggressive toward other animals, not people.

Often, aggressive "pit bulls" have been abused and/or neglected. These are VERY dangerous.

[resonanteye]

My pit was once attacked by a collie, and I have been bitten by a dog twice (I tend to pet strays and try to contain them and call the AC) both of which were labs of some sort.

[cnmishto!]

following up on 561design these are also really nice stats to throw in people's faces. And if you have a bully or pit you should totally consider getting them tested just to bolster the numbers even more!

http://atts.org/stats1.html

[Pitgrrrl]

Here are a few more myths for your list:

MYTH: American Pit Bull Terriers have 1600 P.S.I. in jaw pressure

Per Dr. Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia, "To the best of our knowledge, there are no published scientific studies that would allow any meaningful comparison to be made of the biting power of various breeds of dogs. There are, moreover, compelling technical reasons why such data describing biting power in terms of "pounds per square inch" can never be collected in a meaningful way. All figures describing biting power in such terms can be traced to either unfounded rumor or, in some cases, to newspaper articles with no foundation in factual data."

MYTH: All Pit Bulls are mean and vicious. (this one piggy backs on cnmishto's post above)

According to the American Temperament Test Society, Pit Bulls had a passing rate of 84% or better after being subjected to rigorous tests. This is compared to only 77% of the general dog population! Due to their heritage as fighting dogs, they were bred to be very gentle with people. Men had to be able to get into the pit and separate dogs that had locked on each other. Also, most dog fighters were poor people and had to keep their prize fighters indoors with their families in order to keep them from being stolen. Any dogs that displayed aggression towards people were culled from the breeding program. These dogs were specifically bred to be aggressive with other dogs, but never with people.


MYTH: It’s all in how you raise them.

No! It isn’t all in how you raise them! You cannot train or love out what hundreds of years of selective breeding has ingrained into these dogs. It is possible to have your APBT behave in the presence of other dogs with a lot of training and patience. Pit Bulls can live happily with other pets if in the hands of a responsible, breed savvy owner. Responsible pit bull owners separate their pit bulls from other pets when they cannot supervise them, and remove all triggers that may start a fight such a food, toys and treats. They also DO NOT take their pit bulls to the dog park.