Why do pit bulls attack and kill innocent people?

Question

Why?

Are they doing it because they're hungry?

Or terroritoral?

Or maybe it's because they're nothing more than wild animals with a leash and flea collar?.

We need to study about them.... How should we avoid them... and what can we do to distract them?
How do we fight them? Do they dislike our color of our clothes? Do they not like our eyes? Do we play dead? Is there some way to protect ourselves? I'm talking LETHAL measures, not bear mace.

And don't try saying they were raised by bad humans, I know some wonderful pit owners who've had their "dog" turn on them.

So what's triggering them to attack humans?

Answer 1

It has nothing to do with how they are raised. The Pitiods will have you believe all Pit Bulls are loving sweet angels that can never ever do wrong and they are only aggressive because they were abused or where raised to be that way.



Pit Bulls are in bred and breed to be aggressive.



They are dog aggressive and human aggressive.



Pit Bulls are the number one breed responsible for dog attack fatalities. They have killed many small children and many adults and still Pitdiots refuse to believe its a dangerous breed. They rather blame the owner and not the dogs who are extremely dangerous.



Pit Bulls are genetically hard wired for aggression, it can't be loved out of them and it can't be trained out of them.

Answer 2

I'd hope that anyone "seriously" doing research on the American Pit Bull Terrier will look further than the opinions given by some in the dog section of Yahoo Answers. Everyone has an opinion, and if you can't look past an opinion and make a judgment for yourself, then unfortunately, that is your loss. And if you truly in your heart believe that the APBT attacks innocent people unprovoked, then you have no business owning the breed. Like you said, poor breeding, bad owners and unsocialized, unstable dogs are the culprits, and this occurs in all breeds, unfortunately the APBT gets the brunt of it, because when they attack, they can do a heck of a lot more damage then most other breeds.

Answer 3

Like the other breeds that have been all but ruined by popularity and bybs churning out generation after generation of unstable dogs, the pit is suffering the same fate. 98% of the pit bulls out there are poorly bred, and unstable..that's why theres so many issues with the dog.

People that know and love the breed know they have issues and will do what it takes to ensure their dogs are under control at all times..the morons that don't have a clue about the breed will spout off that pits are just misunderstood and it's all about how they are raised...wrong.

You can't love or train away poor breeding or genetics..it really is that simple...

Answer 4

Well, what one may call a wonderful dog owner might be a very bad one. I trained dogs that were used to assist people with handicaps. A lot of thing that 'good dog owners' do will actually teach the dog poor habits.



Pitbulls have instincts that make them dangerous if they're not properly trained or socialized. A pitbull that wasn't socialized with other dogs since a young age is almost guaranteed to attack another dog at some point. The dogs will also kill smaller animals if not raised properly, since they're terriers.



A good dog owner doesn't just treat the dog with love. They need to train it correctly. You can get away with not training a Golden Retriever or a Lab. Pitbulls, on the other hand, are often bred to fight other dogs, be aggressive towards other people or be very territorial. This is the whole 'bully breeding' dilemma.



Also, just what is a pitbull? People often use the term 'pitbull' to describe a wide variety of dogs, including American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Bull Terriers, Dogo Argentinos, American Bulldogs, Cane Corsos, Boxers and many other dogs that are not actual APBTs. They've also been bred with other breeds to create these giant sized dogs. These mutts aren't pitbulls. They're called 'bully breeds', but they're really just muscular mutts bred to be aggressive. They're not pitbulls, but people generally call them that.

Answer 5

All ppl are not innocent

All "pit bulls" don't attack



It's mostly always the ill bred dog with the bad temperment and genes that attacks, which includes ANY BREED.



"Pit bulls" are overbred and ppl generalize a pit like dog as a well bred true American Pit Bull Terrier. Such a misrepresentation of the breed.



Why do they (ill bred "pit bulls").......don't know. Without even knowing or researching the dogs you are referring to, I bet they are backyard bred, mixed breeds, or a dog that should've been put down instead of someone trying to love the aggression out.

Answer 6

Well some times they attack out of instinct if they feel threatened they will attack this example of a pitbull is very common because they are saught after there aggressive ness only because human make them that way it's nature vs nurture my friend had a pit bull and shes the sweetest dog in the world :)

Answer 7

*bangs head on desk*



You again...? C'mon. Really?



Why do dogs bite you ask? Because of shitty genetics predisposed to aggression. How do dogs (of any breed) get shitty genetics? From BYBs breeding crap dogs. Crap dam and sire = crap puppies.



Many APBTs in shelters are CRAP. Some are not.. but most are not sound in the head. As with most dogs in the shelter.



If people were smart (which obviously they arent), they would leave breeding this amazing breed to people who know what the hell they are doing and perform the necessary tests on their breeding stock. There are too many people pumping out puppies like copy machines. And none of those pups have good genes and solid temperments.



I have seen sound dogs, and I have seen skewed dogs. Their is not mistaking the difference between a well-bred American Pit Bull Terrier and a BYB one.



You have quite an unrealistic outlook on a very factual filled topic. I wish Launi and Greek were here to throw their two cents into this.



Genetics are EVERYTHING. That is why it is so important to buy only from reputable breeders who test their breeding stock.. A dog's temperment has nothing to do with how you raise them.. with any breed. Because their are some really skrewed up Labs and Goldens I have seen. Temperment depends on GENETICS. Period. You cannot love and train the genetics out of an animal. You want a sound dog.. you buy from a reputable breeder with tested and proven dogs.



THAT is why dogs bit. Crappy genetics and unsound temperments. Not because people treat them badly, and NOT because they are vicious creatures. But because of the mass number of shitty breeders, that this breed has become what it is today. So few still breed quality American Pit Bull Terriers.



http://www.apbt.info/tiki-index.php



Here is a website. Do your research you uneducated thing.

Answer 8

How sad, this is what myths and rumors make people think...



Pit bulls are NO DIFFERENT than any other breed of dog.

FACT: News organizations have been known to report dog attacks as being made by pit bulls even before they've heard what the breed of dog is.



You don't want to hear that it's bad owners (which can often be the root of the problem, but not always), do you want to hear that just as many yorkies, golden retrievers, collies, beagles, etc have attacked when they've been provoked, hurt, sick or for many other reasons. Such as BACK YARD BREEDERS.

If you breed a dog with an unstable or grumpy temperament, the chances of that being passed along to the offspring is likely. The beautiful breeds of dogs that our ancestors spent thousands of years perfecting are being ruined by the greed ignorant of humans.





The American Pit Bull Terrier as a breed standard RULE should never show any aggression toward humans. They are, however, known to have problems with other animals. Why? Because they are terriers. Terriers are a group of breeds that have been used for thousands of years to hunt other animals AND they were used for hundreds of years as fighting dogs. The aggression toward other animals can be controlled and these dogs can be very trustworthy with other animals if they have been socialized properly. Again, NOWHERE in the breeds history has there been human aggression associated with the breed.





There is nothing triggering pit bulls to attack humans. No more than there is anything triggering any other breed of dog. Look online. You'll read up on tones of attacks made by huskies, german shepherds, akitas, etc. They are no more dangerous than any other breed of their size.





This is a BIG if, but:

If you are attacked by [any] dog, do not run. Dogs are hardwired to chase anything that runs.

Protect your body with your arms. Your arms are where the least damage will be done.

If a dog has your arm in it's mouth, don't pull back. This will turn into a game of tug-of-war and cause more injury. I guess as you say, play dead. The dog will most likely become bored with you if you are not moving.

Avoid eye contact with dogs you are not comfortable with. Eye contact can be intimidating so some dogs and it can make them feel threatened.

Answer 9

I have no idea where the f.ck you got this information from, but you're just completely wrong about everything. A "pit bull" isn't even an actual breed; it's what you call American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Terriers, and even Boston Terriers. Obviously you're more into hearing CRAP than actually doing the right research.



The American Pit Bull Terrier was once America's dog; and still would be in my opinion, if people would stop training them to fight.



This breed was BRED to LOVE people. If they ever "turn" or anything, it'll be another animal; not a human. The only reason they would EVER turn on their own owner would HAVE to be the owner's fault, I mean there's no other reason?



I bet you also believe that their jaws lock? That their brains don't stop growing, and that's what causes them to "snap"? 90% of the shhit you hear about them are myths, rumors, and made up crap.



I bet you didn't hear about the FIVE LABRADORS KILLING their owner? He opened his front door and the LABS attacked him. His family found the dogs chewing on his head for crying out loud! But NOOOO, how dare they put THAT all over the news?!?!



I bet you also didn't hear about the POMERANIAN killing a baby? No? Didn't think so.



You're a clueless dumbass that seriously needs to do some major research.



EDIT: Why are the "pit bull lovers" getting so many thumbs down? Is it just because people are scared to face the truth?



THIS BREED WAS NOT BRED TO BE AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS HUMANS. THEY WERE BRED TO KILL BEARS. I can't believe how many IDIOTS are on this site! Oh my gosh! One of my Pit Bulls is laying beside me right now asleep; I mean WTF? She must be planning my murder, right!?!

Answer 10

I have no idea why! I used to think it was the owners but then I hear all the time how "he was a great dog loved everyone even kids". People always bring up Chihuahua's when someone asks about a Pit Bull and it is so ridiculous, a Chihuahua try as he may will not rip you to shreds and most certainly would not kill you! Pit Bulls are banned where I live and I am glad! I would be terrified to be walking my dogs and have some Pit Bull grab one of them and not let go and I saw a video on youtube last night of one who did that to a small dog.

Answer 11

Any dog can attack. My aunt's chow attacked her, my neighbors lab attacked her daughter, a friends doberman bit him while training. As far as talking about his one breed, Out of the top seven most dangerous breeds, Pits are number one. Pits are not only raised by humans, they are being bred to fight by humans. When these dogs are taken to the illegal pits to fight, the owners will kill the animal which seems the weakest. Why? They want winners. If one dog shows he's weak, cowers away in a dog fight, he or she is dead. Period. So yes, humans are becoming responsible for the breeds temperment. As far as protecting yourself, unless your carrying a tazer, or spray, you may be in big trouble. Pits go for the throat and they don't let go..... Pits in our town are illegal unless registered by the City.................By the way, I'm a trainer and will train the owners to train their pits. I want to know how they intend to treat their dog, what is the intention for them having a pit, I interview the dad, mom, children then all together. Pits have a bad rap that is deserved. But as you ask...why? Because we as their human owners want a dog that protects, how can I make them mean? You don't have to make a dog mean for them to protect you. Dogs will protect you out of love. So much folks need to know about Pits. I'm leary of them myself, more than any other breed. Chow is next on my list.

Answer 12

Wendy- you are the worst troll on this website. You have admitted that not only did you used to breed pit bulls (obviously poorly bred mutts, not real APBT) but that your dog that you bred at least twice had a bad temperament. It's people exactly like YOU that are destroying that breed. If scumbag BYBs like yourself would find a new hobby we wouldnt have so many poorly bred dogs in the world.

After 101 Dalmations came out every scumbag ran out and bought one and started breeding them, they almost ruined the breed and there were countless reports of attacks. As soon as the fad died out so did the attacks and the breed has begun to stabilize.

Everytikr you spew your hatred to this breed I can't help but laugh because you seem completely oblivious that YOU as much as anyone else, created this problem.

The real American Pit Bull Terrier is an amazingly sweet, friendly, driven breed but bad breeding is causing bad temperaments, just like in Dalmations.

Do you not have a job? Your on here all the time spewing hatred about one of the most amazing breeds in the world, a breed that has fought for this country, done search and rescue for years (dozens of them helped after 9/11) and yet you seem to have a very bizzar obsession with hating them.

Are you in an unhappy relationship and redirecting your hatred towards innocent dogs? What's going on in your life to make you so hateful? I think you need to take a break from Y!A and get some help sweetheart, it's not normal to be so fixated on and hateful to a breed of dogs. Doesn't it seem a little silly when your called out on it?









ADD- The people that are agreeing with this lunatic- she has admitted in past answers that she used to breed Pit Bulls and that the dog she bred was unstable. It is people like her that are DIRECTLY responsible for every single death caused by pit bull attacks. This is NOT and has NEVER BEEN in their nature. These dogs have been bred from day one to be dog aggressive and excessively human friendly, more so than any other breed. Fighting dogs are more trustworthy than any other breed around humans because they are the only breeds ever bred to never, ever, even in the heat of a fight- harm a human. They had to be bred this way because humans are in the ring with them when they fight, they couldn't have dogs that redirected their aggression to humans when they pull them apart- the human aggression comes only from moron BYBs that dont know a thing about dogs and ignore temperament problems in their breeding dogs- like Wendy.

Would I trust any of my Pit Bulls to baby sit a poodle? Absolutely not. But would I trust any one of my well bred, real Anerican Pit Bull Terriers around kids, my parents and grandparents? Any day of the week.

Answer 13

Wait a minute is it the breeds fault that people bred them? I believe not, the dogs didn't have a say.

Answer 14

Mine never have. Poor breeding/unsocialized/untrained/allowed to roam loose. Stupid owners. (Same with any breed of dogs though.) CORRECTLY Bred APBT's and AST's are very friendly and people oriented.

Answer 15

Pitbulls were bred as fighting dogs, usually raised cruelly being beaten by humans and dogs and taught to fight everyone in sight. It's their nature, built into their brains, sort of, to attack like that. Like it's a lion cub's instinct to hunt a wildebeest.



Now that all depends on the dog. I know 4 perfectly sweet pitbulls. So a dog might be territorial but otherwise sweet. A dog won't attack a human out of hunger unless taught to do so or biting the owner to remind him it's feeding time.

I can pretty much guarantee they aren't wild unless you find them in the wild.



A good way to settle a dog down is to push them on the side and claw your hand around their neck. Don't choke it, merely hold it down (if it struggles also hold its torso down with your free hand), a familiar sensation to them originating from a mother dog. It's also good to get behind them, grab the dog's torso with both arms (almost like a hug from behind) and sort of lightly sit/straddle on their lower back/ rump area. Hope I helped.

Answer 16

chijauha and shittzu account for more dog bite situations than pit bull terriers,,, pit bulls are just the flavor of the day,,, used to be dobermans were the bad guys

Answer 17

Along with chimps and the Chinese they are slowly hatching their plan to take over the world and displace humans as the dominant force on this planet.













....well it makes about as much sense as some of the justifications i am seeing here for it!

Answer 18

They aren't. You have bad information and your trying to spread it around to create a problem where there isn't one. B*tch.



Even pits raised by 'bad' people are almost never people aggressive. There dog aggressive. The ones who do turn out people aggressive get killed, not bred, therefore it goes against the breed's characteristics.



Pits were originally the 'family dogs' of America, before labs. They still make wonderful family pets, and when I have a family, I will have one or two.



Add: I second the comment about chihuahuas. They are nasty lil things.



Also, do you know the breed proven MOST LIKELY to turn on it's owners? Cocker Spaniels. They are the number one dog when it comes to attacking their owner. Do some research.

Answer 19

No. It's the way the dog is treated by its owner, there is no such thing as a ''bad dog'' UNLESS the owner has mistreated it very bad. Not all pittbulls are ''evil''. My uncle has one and its just as friendly as can be.

Answer 20

You make me sick. they are excellent dogs. any dog can snap bc of something its just pitbulls are very strong and have a hellacious bite so they get a bad rep. ive been bit by numerous chihuhaus. why nobody talks ab how mean they are?

Answer 21

cuz they got a mean streak in their genes. I think that's why they are being banned in more communities.

Answer 22

WTF??

pitbulls are NOT aggresive and they DO NOT ATTACK and kill innocent people!! You have extreamly bad information! They do not attack people at random. And what's with the quotation marks on the word dog in the fifth part?they ARE peoples dog..

Answer 23

believe it or not..most dogs are that way because of the way the dog was raised, including pit types.

Answer 24

Because there stupid owners dont train them right!