If they're such nice dogs, why do you have to defend them? I don't hear people defending their golden retriever.

I find it interesting that so many people are against the APBT, when in fact it ranks 6th in a long list of the top agressive dogs, and you would be suprised at which ones are on it. I pasted a copy of a report that came out earlier this year. I also included a link , if you can't click on it then check out channel 3 wisc website.
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Citing a study published by Applied Animal Behavior Science, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported that one in five dachshunds has bitten or tried to bite strangers, and one in 12 has shown aggression toward its owners.

The study involved researchers from the University of Pennsylvania. About 6,000 dog owners were questioned about their dogs' behavior. Thirty-three breeds were ranked on their aggression.

Ranking below the dachshund was an even smaller dog, the Chihuahua. According to the newspaper, research found that the tiny breed often snaps at most beings it encounters -- including its owners, strangers and other dogs.

They may not look as threatening as some of the larger canine, but research revealed that the dachshund is the most aggressive breed of dog.

Citing a study published by Applied Animal Behavior Science, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported that one in five dachshunds has bitten or tried to bite strangers, and one in 12 has shown aggression toward its owners.

The study involved researchers from the University of Pennsylvania. About 6,000 dog owners were questioned about their dogs' behavior. Thirty-three breeds were ranked on their aggression.

Ranking below the dachshund was an even smaller dog, the Chihuahua. According to the newspaper, research found that the tiny breed often snaps at most beings it encounters -- including its owners, strangers and other dogs.

The Jack Russell terrier was third, followed by the Akita and the Australian cattle dog. The pit bull was sixth, followed by the beagle, the English springer spaniel, the border collie and the German shepherd.

http://www.channel3000.com/family/168197...

Just thought it was interesting reading

too bad it wasn't wearing lipstick.

JUST KIDDING!!! I just couldn't resist.

This is something that me and my husband have to argue with people a lot of times. I am simply just trying to defend my dog. I do not mean to be rude or attack anyone, but when stuff like Vick gets brought up, it's hard to sit back and not say anything because Vick is sick.I would also just like to say that I know that Pit Bulls have bad temper., and I don't argue that. What I do argue is the fact that most on here that are against pits are ones that will never meet one. So isn't that the "don't judge a book by its cover" motto? and as for optimism telling me to relax... sorry but when someone throws out a Vick comment, whether sarcastic or not, I felt like I needed to shoot that comment down right away. Say what you want about Pits, but don't use Vick as an example.

Professor..then you obviously didn't read that that person stated that my "parenting rights" should be taken away because of child endangerment? And you are saying that THAT was classy?

Srjndb.........Get A FREAKIN GRIP!!!! One life was totally being sarcastic. OMG....some people need to totally relax. DO YOU REALLY NOT KNOW WHEN SOMEONE IS BEING SARCASTIC??

ignorance about this breed and their aggressive backgrounds are what get people hurt or killed. all the pit bull owners think the breed is just the best thing since sliced bread, until your sitting in the ER waiting for stitches.

Srjndb, I figured someone had to bring up Michael Vick after all these posts. I appreciate your passion about your pet. I just figured dog fighters don't train poodles to fight usually...I'll shut up now. and no I don't hate pit bulls, but I darn sure don't trust them either.

all the ignorant people who argue that pit bulls have great temperment amaze me. Some even say they are the best dogs for a family. Your facts are clouded by the good dogs you all have but facts be known you cant honestly say that a pit bull is just as mild-mannered as a collie or a lab. Again, any dog can and will attack if provoked but in general facts are pit bulls are the most aggressive common species bred today, countless studies have shown. Would you rather back a pit bull or a cocker spaniel into a corner? me personally neither one but id take my chaces with the cocker spaniel 100 times before i would a pit bull.

Wow, I had no idea that this story was still alive. I must have been suffering from cabin fever when that comment was made. I have been a jerk from time to time and stuck my foot in my mouth on an occasion or two, but I try not to be in the same league as some these bloggers. I do not believe that I have ever called anyone an idiot as that is much too easy. I may have implied it on occasion, or did I? I am usually much happier to let the other guy prove it and I am seldom disappointed. George Carlin said that the world is a freak show and if you are born in America, you have front row seats. All we can do is sit back and enjoy the show.

"Michael Vick raised them to be great family pets..paaleeze."-onelife2live---- what the hell does this have to do with anything on this page?? Michael Vick had and raised his pits to be fighters! They were TRAINED to attack. That was their purpose, because that's what they were taught! I suggest that you all watch the tv special on this Friday, the 5th, about those dogs that Vick owned.They are being placed in homes, or at least the ones that could be around people again. It's pretty sad that someone would bring Michael Vick up, because to anyone that TRUELY owns a pit bull or any other bully breed, Michael Vick is a disgrace. Go figure that onelife2live had to bust that out... not to good with comments on here are we??

I do feel bad for the experience you had to go through after being attacked by a dog,clouds. "pit bulls are wild animals. they are a loaded gun and will go off, not if but when." are you serious to that statement??? you think that every pit bull will go off at some point and time? then do you also agree that EVERY dog will go off, not if but when??? I wonder how many time one of those ankle biters have bitten someone, but not one's reported it because they don't have a lock jaw. Now in no way or form am I saying it's okay for a dog to attack. But I am saying it's wrong that people attack them because of their breed.

I am sorry to hear of your experience Clouds. That was truely a horrible thing.

Professor, you have made good points, as my Grandpa used to say " the dog is only as smart as the owner", and I am sure some Pit Bulls are wonderful pets, but the numbers don't lie. I personally would not have one. My German Shepherd is a great watch dog but has never been aggresive towards humans. To each his/her own. Lets see how it plays out in the future...peace

You lose a LOT of credibility, momanddad, when you make comments like that. We all can agree/disagree on topics. THAT hasn't been taken away yet. But personal attacks like your last comment add nothing to the discussion; I'm disappointed.

Thanks bigteva and ronz; glad I made my case at least to you two. I have no doubt that the stories of what wonderful pitbulls some of the posters here are absolutely true. It's just sad that some of THEM are missing the point. Have a wonderful holiday, for you and your families....

bigteva..no I think what would be even better, is to take a city wide vote to get horrible outdated creatures such as yourself ousted from city limits!

Michael Vick raised them to be great family pets..paaleeze.

It was a dog. Don't worry, they will make more.

dont go to that extreme some are great dogs but they are bred to fight and historically aggressive dogs.

Ok, from these thoughts I have gathered that the professor has a better arguement and janesville mom and dad should have thier parents permit revoked for endangerment of children.
can we just get just take a city wide vote to remove these violent nasty outdated creatures? Not a one should be in the city limits.

Pit bulls were bred for fighting, not herding, they account for a majority of dog/human bite cases in relation to other breeds. It depends on the temperment and mostly how it was raised. Most of you defending pits have good dogs that you raised properly for your environment which is true for any breed. Any breed can attack, any breed can be loving lapdogs. Pit Bulls have a natural temperment in their natural insticts that frequently is not subsided by proper training. They are by nature more aggresive than other breeds, that is a fact that cannot be disputed. kudos to those of you who raised yours the right way.

One Life to live- obviously you didn't read all of my comment, because I stated at the bottom that if a dog, including my dog, attacked anyone then they should def. be put down. i understand that pit bulls are one of the top "bully breeds", i did NOT ever once state that they are not. As for you commenting about nipping on the nose, i was using that as a simple example that not all dogs that bite are pit bulls. I was also clearing up that not all pit bulls are going to attack whenever they are approached. So quit trying to attack me for clearly defending myself as a pit bull owner. GEEZE.

srjndb, we are not talking about a dog biting or nipping another dog on the nose as most dogs show some dominance over other dogs in one way or another. We are talking about dogs that attack or maul or bite humans. Pit Bulls have a high rate of doing just that. Sure a dog is a reflection of it's owner but lets not twist things around and call people ingnorant. Check the dot bite stats and see where pit bulls rank. Geeze.

srjndb--all I can say is AMEN to everything you said!!

I didn't read every entry here, but, I just want to make a couple comments. I owned a pit mix and, seriously, it was the best dog I ever owned. She was raised around children and never even barked when people came to the house. My parents had a little poodle, that was the meanest,snippy, crabby dog and I hated that thing!! He was so protective of her he'd bite you if you "crossed" him. Now, when a dog bites and charges strangers, no matter the breed, the right thing to do is destroy it, it obviuosly had a habit of doing it.

snazzyj- wow talk about generalizing people in groups. You think I got a pit bull because I want people to be intimidated by me? I own a pit bull because they are dogs that have a bad rap, and I wanted to be the one to prove that pit bulls can be well behaved pets. I also believe that large breeds of dogs are beautiful, compared to a dog that could be considered a cat(yes i own a cat too!). My PITBULL is and will be brought up with the most discipline. My friend actually brought her dog over, which by the way is a chocolate lab, and her dog BIT my dog in the nose- take a stab at what my dog did back!?! She whined, and sat behind my husband. She did not retaliate, she did not bark or make any attempt at fighting back. We have a lot of friends who own dogs, mostly labs, and she is great around all of them. We do not encourage "play fighting", we do however encourage her to let the other dog be dominant, by being "submissive" to the other dog. This is what we read and have learned by getting background information before we just impulsively bought a pit bull. It shows that our dog is not in control, so when your lab attacks my dog, like has happened already, our dog backs away instead of charging. Simple little things can let your dog, any dog for that matter, know who's the leader. I think it's disgusting that people have the nerve to talk about pit bulls when they know nothing about the breed. These dogs may have a bad rap, but it's not by choice. They don't have a choice on who owns them. The owner is 100% responsible for the dogs behavior. As for anyone else who chooses to hate pit bulls and other large breeds, maybe you should do some background information and get to know the dog before you judge. For all we know, this poor dog could have been abused or something worse, so when the cop approached him it triggered memories. Am I saying the cop is wrong? Absolutely not. If the dog, or even my dog for that part, attacked a person for no reason, then by all means put him down. But all I ask if that you learn before you judge... I know I was taught that as proper manners when I was a child. Just kinda goes to show how ignorant people can be!

It all comes down to this. Take care of your animals!!!

One thing that I wish people could see, is, this animal was not put through torture when the officer put him down. That was a shot to kill, and they die instantly. That isn't even close to the torture a vicious animal goes through in a lifetime due to fear. So, I am hoping people see this as an animal that was put out of his own misery, and is now in a better place.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/14112...

HANNAH....good morning to you!! Was thinking about you last night while I was planting some mums. I was thinking you were probably having a frozen cocktail while I couldn't because I had a HS football game to go to. Happy Labor day weekend. :o) I am going to find something else to plant today just so I can open a smirnoff.....lol.

STTLD...I was once driving through beloit and saw a flyer stapled to a telephone pole....."For Sale - Pure Bred PitBull Pups - Available Now". I look across the street at, well let's just say, an unkempt house, and there the WHOLE family sat in the driveway with the dogs in a kennel starting at the traffic as they drove by. Now that, is how this all starts!!!!!! I have a friend that had a Pitbull and he was the absolutely sweetest guy. He was even a "giant" by pitbull standards, and my legs would get sore from him licking them too much. Just a baby. I had a sh*tzu(I had to astereck that, the gazette thought I was swearing lol) that was an absolute horror. And she wasn't much bigger than my purse. She was brought up in a puppy mill, I found out, AFTER the fact that I baught her from what I thought was a "good breeder". My point....doesn't matter what kind of dog it is, or cat for that matter, if it is abused, it will be mean out of fear. Just like we are as humans. BUT I STILL would do away with any vicious animal that stalked my family. WE do have a rule though with cats, if we call kitty kitty and it cries or stops and look, we leave it be.

OH! We shoot coyotes too. They are super out of control. Woodchucks too!! But my birds are very protected!!!! :o)

I wouldn't even have called the police. It would have been shot by myself, just like all of the ferell cats around here are that the humane society refuses to come and get because our township won't pay them on a per cat basis. I would also shoot the cougars that people are suppose to leave be if I saw it in on my land. In an ideal world, the owners would take the brunt of the punishment these animals that are treated poorly and dumped get. I can see the point of the animal activists, but once an animal has crossed the line of being domesticated, there is nothing any of you can do. That animal doesn't care how much you activate for their protection....they will BITE YOU TOO!!!

I also have a pitbull and most of my family does. If people would learn how to raise a dog there would be know problem. It is not the breed, they was not bread for fighting they was actually for hearding cows. Which most wouldn't know because they would rather listen to the ignorance of most. Just take a little time and research the breed once. They are very loving and yes i have children and even when they have new friends over she treats them the same. They are a awsome family dog.

jvillemomanddad: Im sure the reason your defending APBT breeds so much is that you have a good one and hes a great family dog. However facts are facts. http://www.dog-bite-law-center.com/pgs/s... This breed is variously cited as being responsible for nearly a third of all fatal dog attacks in the United States. Pit bulls cause one-third of dog-bite related fatalities while only make up less than 2% of the dog population. The pit bull terrier is a common cause of urban dog bite injuries in children. The major problem is that they are frequently (94%) unprovoked. Any dog can and will bite in certain circumstances. Typically (77%) injuries are by friendly dogs known to the bitten person. No matter how much you love your APBT facts are facts.....

The dog is dead, the neighbors are safe, the police served and protected, all is well!

Not all people that own pitbulls are thugs! I am a straight A student that just has a love for the breed because of there unconditional love and affection. I've had my pitbull for 6 1/2 years and he has never been agressive towards people or other animals...I have two cats that are his best friends and have never suffered any type of injury because of him. He has also been attacked a few times by much smaller dogs that people have left off of there leash and he has never done anything...not even growled. I agree completely that when a pitbull is agressive it is the owners fault. Everytime I look in the paper and see that people are selling these dogs I cringe because usually its not a reputable breeder and who knows who is going to get these dogs...It makes me sick. I hope they find this owner and put them in jail.

Why argue that pitbulls are safe? They have a shorter temperment, and are very dangerously capable of a severe clamping-bite. All dogs are capable of turning or already being bad, fine. They are simply not the same as most other dogs. Period.
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Why also, are these animals being used as a status amongst the mopes in our society? Crimial types living in run down houses or shady apartments, always seem to be associated with these dogs. Thay can't make an honest living, but boy!.....there soo tough?! It's all about being a thug. I know first hand there are only some exceptions to this. People can't afford their rent, don't drive, and have criminal pasts, but they have pit-bulls in their homes. For some reason they always take lots of pictures of these dogs too, and share them with friends. Strange?!

I wouldn't blame the breed, because I suppose it's possible that some true pit bulls are good family animals and that often bad animals are misidentified as pit bulls when they're really just a mutt of some kind.
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I have seen gang members and drug dealers strutting around with pit bulls (I'm not just making assumptions, in one case the guys were arrested after spending the day selling pot off a street corner) and last year I even saw a pit bull attack a guest of the dog's owners on the front porch after a sudden move or misunderstanding. Another time a guy brought a different pit bull around and they all had a good laugh as the animals "happily" attacked each other on the front lawn. These same animals were allowed to run loose in the neighborhood on a regular basis. Basically, in my experience, these are animals that are bred for protection or fighting. They're sort of like the automatic weapons of the animal world. Responsible pet owners will avoid them and will not participate in increasing the supply.

Raise your glass, Professor.....

Here's to the neighbors buying heavier chains for their dogs and making sure they use them properly, here's to the slum landlords building secure fences around the yards where their renters are allowed to own vicious dogs, and here's to dog owners being responsible and not endangering the other families in their neighborhoods by letting their cuddly little "snookums" to run loose.

In a study done from 1979-1998, Pit Bulls are far and away responsible for more human dog-bite related fatalities than any other dog. During that time period, pit bulls were responsible for 66 bite related deaths while rottweilers came in second with 39 bite related deaths.

http://www.dogbitelaw.com/breeds-causing...

Hmmmm, how many times do we read about a lab attacking humans? Most (not all but MOST) of the time it's a pit!

"When the dog CHARGED the responding officers, they shot it, the police department reported."

Regardless of the breed of dog, I would have shot it too. It was CHARGING - behaving in a very threatening manner. Like an earlier poster said, if that was a person CHARGING the officer with a weapon, that person would have gotten shot also.

You guys can love your pit bulls all you want and stand up for their "loving, cuddly" demeanor.........BUT.........statistically they are vicious, dangerous animals, bred specifically to be that way. If you check into the insurance claim statistics regarding dog bites, it's pretty clear that pits are problematic. If you keep them in a fenced yard and/or on a secure chain, love 'em all you want. But if they get loose it's a different story.

I've never heard of a small town banning golden retrievers within city limits....but how many have bans on pits and rottweilers? There's a reason for that.

Found it: http://www.flicklife.com/437de061c2577a4...

Also, Jvillemomanddad, in most parts of the country, tell your homeowner insurance agent you have a pitbull and see if your insurance rates don't go up..statistics don't lie.

If anyone can find that mid-80's video from California, with the APBT hanging from the breast of the female Animal Control Officer who came to impound it because it had been threatening other neighbors, could you send me the link? I can't find my original video of it. Talk about a lasting image....

Jvillemomanddad, I am not narrow minded about Pitbulls, my mind has been expanded by the endless news stories of their attacking kids, strangers, and their own owners. Watch the news, google it, or whatever. You don't see labs mauling people. I agree not all pitbulls are bad but the numbers are against them. Read my post, I said I would shoot ANY dog that charged me as I have young kids. I have spent the 8 years of my life traveling the US and am not jumping on the "hate the pitbulls bandwagon". They have a genitic flaw in their DNA which causes their unstable behavior.

never liked pits would never own one but iknow most of the ones ive seen or read about not so nice.... ill stay with my Irish setter. and the officers were well within their right to protect themselves.

I think we're getting closer to a toast in agreement. All I'm saying is that, just the same way a family should never own a wild animal, despite how friendly it may 'seem' most of the time--because it can, at any time, revert back to its instinctual habits, which may not be consistent with human safety. The same with the APBT. Because of its past breeding efforts for that particular breed, (especially if you don't know WHERE it came from), I don't think ANYONE should consider them as pets. We're probably saying something very similar....When we are ready to toast, I prefer Scotch...

Ignorance is insisting all dogs in the breed are WONDERFUL. Although the press does report the bad points about the breed, it's news. I have worked with many different breeds of dogs and all have their purpose. Your dog is a mix, so, not a purebred. A dog charging at a police officer is not going to be identified before it is restrained as to whether it is a Pitt Bull or not.

Professor..But what you don't understand, is that these dogs SHOULDN"T express that. I totally do agree, if the dog in question did indeed charge or attack, then yes, it was a danger and the officer did the right thing. But what I am trying to express here, is that these dogs ARE NOT aggressive towards humans. If they are, they should be destroyed! Human aggression and dog aggression is two different things. In your case, I wouldn't have hesitated to put that dog down. Anything you read about this breed says, if they show human aggresion that is a horrible trait that should not be passed on. So you should put them down. That is true with any dog!

runrabbitrun..THANK YOU! I was actually trying to find that website and couldn't! That is what makes me so upset. The media is so quick to call a dog a "pit bull" when chances are, it probably isn't!

I know what it is like to love a dog, but sometimes with these pitbulls, it makes me shake my head. When I was Special Prosecutor with the Beloit City Attorney's Office, a 'pet' APB Terrier had bit the face of a three-year old family member. According to the ordinances available at the time, I ordered the dog out of the city, as a dangerous dog. The mother of this child, who was now scarred for life with something like 50 stitches, begged me to change my mind, and blamed her kid for 'bothering the sleeping dog'. I honestly think she would have rathered that I ordered the kid out of the city.*****Any dog can be startled from a sleep, and perhaps even bite. But, why would you have a dog that has genes all the more likely to express that dangerous behavior, especially around crawling kids?

hah..um. It isn't insulting. You don't know hardly anything about this breed but what you hear in the media. And you are basing your decision on that. Isn't that ignorance?

JvilleMomandDad-Look at yourself in the mirror before flinging out insulting remarks.

Ronz..and that is your ignorant choice. You are missing out on an absolute WONDERFUL dog!

Obviously this could go on and on. I am not going to change your way of thinking and you are not going to change mine. I trust them as much as a bull in a herd of cows.

I remember when I was a kid and lived in Beloit, there was a loose dog in our neighborhood and a Beloit cop showed up to take care of it. The dog started walking toward the officer and he drew his gun and yelled at the dog to freeze! I never laughed so hard in my life!
I think the officer here did the right thing. Sometimes we all have to make split second decisions and everyone else can sit back and try to judge them for it, but you never really know what you yourself would do until you are in that situation.

Ok, well first of all, the Humane Society temperment tests all of their dogs. We brought our Golden in to meet with him. We did everything we could do to make sure he had a good temperment. The Humane Society doesn't adopt out dogs that fail their test. So I guess what you are saying is that all the mixed breed Pits there should just rot and get put to sleep then?

Something Professor you are not doing is seperating the fact of human aggression and dog aggression. The breeding you are talking about is people breeding them to be dog-aggressive. It is true that some Pits CANNOT be around other dogs, but that is NOT true about all of them.

Forgot to mention, my dog is part pit according to vet. She is a 60lb lap dog!

JvilleMomand Dad- You stated earlier - And yes, I do have an American Bulldog and Pitbull mix that we rescued from the Rock County Humane Society, and he is the sweetest dog in the world!
Then you said- That is why you do not buy this type of breed from a "backyard breeder." You get your puppy from a reputable breeder.
I did not know the Rock County Humane Society was a reputable breeder. I guess I should "get a clue" hmmmm

Obviously people who think that Pits are "undesirable pets" have never, ever had one. Or even been around a well trained one. And honestly, don't know much about them.

Shoot the dog, find the owner and nueter them!

Professor- Well said, I am in complete agreement. Thank you.

Professor..That is why you do not buy this type of breed from a "backyard breeder." You get your puppy from a reputable breeder.

Except that it is NOT true that handling is the SOLE cause of 'bad' pits...The FACTS are: The American Staffordshire Terrier if fine (absent bad handling). However, the American Pit Bull Terrier has been bred for decades for the sole purpose of maintaining fighting characteristics. Aggressive puppies are kept; others are destroyed. Those with better 'hanging' time are kept (dogs are taught to jump up to grab on a piece of meat--often the non-desirable puppies that were destroyed--and hang there, to increase their already destructive jaw strength); others are destroyed. (Average bite strength of German Shephard: 600 lbs/sq. in.; Am. Pit Bull Terrier: 2,000 lbs/sq. in.) I could go on. I have been actively involved in a number of pit-bull dog fighting investigations.

*****My point here is that ANY dog can be made mean by bad handling. American Pit Bull Terriers have been BRED for years to make them genetically predisposed for aggression and other fighting characteristics, which makes them completely unpredictable, and unacceptable as pets. The problem is, it is often hard to tell the difference at a quick glance.****

Watch a few videos of animal control officers getting shredded by APB Terriers, and then decide if the officer did right. This is a no brainer: The officer did EXACTLY the right thing under these circumstances. Period.

I will preface my statement by saying I love my dog more than most humans I've met. Now, my question is, why do we have to give more rights to animals and criminals than to law abiding people?
If I charged at a cop with a knife, I would expect to get shot. Me and a knife, dog with teeth, same thing.

http://www.atts.org/stats1.html

There is THE temperment testing website. And I am sorry, I did mis-speak. They are not the HIGHEST, but with a temperment testing score of 84.3%, they did outscore such dogs as Golden Retrievers, and Basset Hounds among others.

miltonalum- quite an interesting article link. I do agree with most points within the article.
How many people know how to properly train their animals? Any breed of dog does have some aggression within it's ranks. Is there any research on the the amount of damage done by different breeds as far as severity of bites?

Miltonalum..Another thing. Trust me, I did PLENTY of research before I brought ours into our family. I am NOT slinging falsehoods thank you. I, unlike most here, KNOW what I am talking about. It is funny though. I looked up that link that you put here. Right after your Never trust them not to fight comment, it says WITH ANY OTHER BREED. You left that very important section out. How convienent. Here is some more from that site..in case you didn't read any further...

This is a dog that truly LOVES people, especially children. Pits are notorious clowns, and will Always make you laugh, even in spite of yourself. They are intelligent, and will often "invent" games to keep themselves amused. They seem to subsist on love and attention, and will do almost anything for a little special "loves n hugs" time. They tolerate the rough play of children, loving every minute of it, and, although poor "guard dogs" for property, they will willingly give their lives to save the people they love

miltonalum..thank you for that tip, I KNOW THAT. And you should have finished that sentence with, never trust your pit not to fight OTHER DOGS. That sentence has NOTHING to do with people. Yes, I am not saying that pits get along great with other dogs. That is a known fact. Some, like mine, LOVE other dogs. But it is true that some cannot be in a house with another dog. But that is true with all breeds.

I have been a vet tech for 8 years. I have seen way more labs (and other breeds for that matter) that are aggressive than pit bulls. I have never been bitten or scared of a pitbull as I have with other breeds. Pits are very friendly, loving, cuddly dogs. And when they are trained to fight, it is to fight other dogs, not humans. I'm not sure what I would have done in that situation, but I do believe that pits have gotten a bad rep which they do not deserve.

Ronz417..hmm..well that is news to me? So your saying every dog that loves his family is at risk for biting people? So my Golden Retriever is a bite risk as well? There was another case in Beloit I think that was last summer. Where 2 Boxers were playing out in their yard WITH their owner there. The children in the neighborhood LOVED these dogs and always played with them. If I remeber correctly the police were out patrolling like they usually do, driving around. They saw these two dogs and got out of the car. They proceeded to SHOOT the dog in the HEAD in front of all the neighborhood children. Why you ask? Because he thought that the "vicious Boxer" was attacking the children, when indeed he was PLAYING, happily bounding toward the children. This is a case of the police being extremley trigger happy. And I can garauntee that the report read, "the dog was seen to be attacking the children" That is why I am questioning this story. People have pre-concived notions that certain breeds are "vicious" and respond without actually knowing what is going on. And before you ask, I know this story first hand by the way. It was a friend of my mother's.

A well-raised pit bull of proper temperament is the most loyal and loving dog in the world, bar none. The problem is most people cant raise pits with the dedication they require so i dont blame the officers one bit they are dangerous dogs when you dont know anything about the one charging at you.

jvillemomanddad; Anyone can throw lines out there, lets see some facts, some links that pit bulls tested 1st in your temperment "test" and No the natural instict of pit bulls is NOT to be a loving cuddly dog. Maybe yours is because you raised it the way it should be. THE GOLDEN RULE OF PIT BULL OWNERSHIP - NEVER TRUST YOUR PIT BULL NOT TO FIGHT! heres a little research i did, Im not saying that all bulls are bad, yours is probably great but do a little research before slinging falsehoods.
http://www.pets.ca/articles/article-pitb...

JvilleMomandDad- I do indeed have a clue and assure you that if there is indeed a Pitbull loose in my neighborhood I would be calling the police. Perhaps the Pit Bulls have gotten bad publicity lately, but what percentage of the Pit Bulls in the area were being bred to be aggressive? Wolf/domestic hybrids is an example of "good" dogs who eventually turn.
A loving, family protective dog is what bites innocent children. I applaud the police department for taking the measurements needed to protect others.

If the owner of the pit had been there and been able to call the dog back, I would hope that this would have had an entirely different outcome. Like the owner receiving a ticket for having a nonliscensed dog and that being the end of it. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. Judging by the dog's behavior, he/she was more than likely mistreated and/or malnourished and didn't have any reason to trust humans.

All of this is pointless. What good does the mud slinging do? The homeowner did what he thought was right (and within his rights as a homeowner)by calling the Police. The Police did what they felt was right working with the information that they had at the moment. Was the dog vicious? They didn't know and we will never know. It is their job to air on the side of caution and ALWAYS protect HUMAN LIFE FIRST! That may make some of you angry. So be it. I too have pets. And I love them and protect them, BUT if I had to choose between saving my pet or my child, I will always choose my child. I have known one very nice family oriented pit bull, but that doesn't mean that I would trust any pit bull I see. Any dog that is charging you is a threat.

Ronz417..sorry I forgot something. The "natural instict" of Pitbulls is actually to be a loving, protective family dog. The "natural instinct" of pitbulls is that they are extremley people friendly. They get their bad rap from some being dog aggressive. You would know that if you had any clue what you were talking about!

runrabbitrun..Thank GOD almighty!! Someone on this board with some sense!! At least there are some people out there that understand what I am saying and understand that pits are good dogs getting a horrible rap.

Ronz417..first of all you have no idea what you are talking about. Normal dogs would not attack for no reason, what you said does not even make sense? My dog loves everyone, he would not even hurt a fly. And no, the testing I was talking about was not biased. It was a temperment testing on all different breeds of dogs. It was not done by "pro pitbull" people.

i would have did the same thing that police office didnt know what that dog was going to do and he had to think of his saftey along with everyone else he did the right thing if the human socitey would have shown up then would have takeing the dog back and put him to sleep anyways. and if you read and said that the dog had no tages on it so the only one being mean is the owner of these dog then should be the ones getting in trouble.

Very good family dogs who would attack innocent children playing with each other.It may not harm YOUR child, but what about other children? A lot of research is biased to any way of thinking. Sure, it does depend upon the upbringing of the dog. What about the natural instincts of the dog? Myself, I would rather be bitten by a Golden Retriever than a Pit Bull.

Onelife2live..I am sorry, but it is narrow-minded people like YOU that give Pitbulls a bad name! Pitbulls are NOT vicious dogs. If you would even do ONE bit of research before spouting out falsehoods you would realize that they are actually VERY VERY good family dogs. On a temperment test on a national basis, that gives stats on the best family dogs, pitbulls scored the HIGHEST. Yes you heard me right, the HIGHEST. That means higher than your precious Golden Retriever and Labs. And yes, I do have an American Bulldog and Pitbull mix that we rescued from the Rock County Humane Society, and he is the sweetest dog in the world! I also have a 2 year old son that loves his dog to death! I would never even THINK of my dog being a danger to my child. Any breed of dog that is brought up wrong can be vicious. I have seen mean Golden Retrievers and various other "nice breed" dogs that are not so nice! Also police officers with their knee-jerk reactions are sickening. The dog attacked? So it probably went up to the person and started barking? This is just getting ridiculous. I garauntee that if this dog was a Golden Retriever it would still be alive right now.

digit: did you want the officers to check the dog's id?

No one in the neighborhood knew the dog and it was vicious as are most pit bulls...shoot it. As a homeowner with young kids I would shoot any dog that charged me.

Good grief......I'm sure it only took one shot to kill the dog....not like the cops would be shooting it for pleasure...some people really need to get over the dramatics.

The police should have got back in their squads and called the "Dog Whisperer". Caeser would have hooked them up.

“apparently stray pit bull”.
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The “apparent” was referring to the stray status, I’m sure there was no apparent about being attacked.
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Treat “humanely”? YGBSM!! Humane is shooting a wild or uncontrolled animal before it hurts or kills an innocent bystander. Mind you, in a fair world, the cops would have shot the owner, but the most important thing is community safety. The only ABUSE here comes from the owner who trained the dog to be vicious and let it loose. The police absolutely did the right thing. You PETA guys need to try to achieve some balance between humans and animals, or else keep on being a very very bad joke.

animal abuse, thats funny, 110% the right decision the animal attacked a resident and chargedd an officer, when the animal started charging they didnt have time for an animal control responder to get there and tranquilize it before it tore his hand off. Id have done the same thing.....

correction: dog *that* has attacked
sorry

Hey digit..... The dog attacked a resident. The dog charged the officers. What would you do? Tell the dog to stop? Ask the dog to wait a while so that you can go back to the police station and find the trank gun? Or would you just let the dog rip your leg off?
The law allows officers to put down a dog has attacked and is attacking.

apparantely? no actual proof then.

what about treating this HUMANELY... tranquilizing the dog to remove it from the area. then putting it down humanely after sufficient proof is given.

ANIMAL ABUSE. that's what it is. but wait, they can get away with that, sadly. :(