# Get in the ring with 1 Pitbull type or 5 smaller yipity dogs **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 4, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662 "2014-05-04T20:06:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LiveFree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/1 "2014-05-04T20:06:19Z")
Ok, here is the scenario. You have to either get in to the ring with 1 Pitbull type dog (you know the type) Or you get into the ring with 5 of those small yippity dogs. The dogs are in the ring to fight you, and you have to defend yourself. Which ring are you going to choose?? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/2 "2014-05-04T20:20:43Z")
I can squash the yippity buggers one by one without too much damage to myself. A large dog would be big trouble. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/3 "2014-05-04T20:31:19Z")
Can I kick the asses of a bunch of small yippy dogs even if they aren’t out to get me? Because that would be fun. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/4 "2014-05-04T20:43:17Z")
Either or both at the same time is ok with me. I’m like 15-0 vs dogs 50 lbs and over. Actually I find cats harder. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/5 "2014-05-04T21:29:35Z")
The WORST dog on my paper route was a Chihuahua. Man, that thing was aggressive, and fast. There was a mean, and very dangerous dog, but I had a deal with his owners that I left the paper at the end of the driveway, and the dog left me alone as long as I didn’t enter his yard-- I had to call them on the phone to let them know when I was coming over to collect, so they’d take the dog in, though. But the owners of the Chihuahua thought it was funny when he nipped at me: the cuffs of all my jeans had holes in them. They wouldn’t take him in a paper time, because what harm could he do, right? My other problem dog was an overly-friendly Golden, who used to retrieve the papers if he happened to be out when I went past his house. ---
**Author:** ![Clementine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8dc957/32.png) [@Clementine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clementine)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/6 "2014-05-04T21:33:42Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > I can squash the yippity buggers one by one without too much damage to myself. A large dog would be big trouble. Exactly – Yippity dogs can bite you and cause pain and later, infection; a big dog can tear out the veins in your arms and legs. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/7 "2014-05-04T21:33:47Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > The WORST dog on my paper route was a Chihuahua. Man, that thing was aggressive, and fast. There was a mean, and very dangerous dog, but I had a deal with his owners that I left the paper at the end of the driveway, and the dog left me alone as long as I didn’t enter his yard-- I had to call them on the phone to let them know when I was coming over to collect, so they’d take the dog in, though. But the owners of the Chihuahua thought it was funny when he nipped at me: the cuffs of all my jeans had holes in them. They wouldn’t take him in a paper time, because what harm could he do, right? > > My other problem dog was an overly-friendly Golden, who used to retrieve the papers if he happened to be out when I went past his house. Kick a chihuahua a few times and they learn to only come at you from the rear. Goldens hate anything citrus, so a plastic lemon is usually more than enough. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/8 "2014-05-04T22:29:17Z")
I’ve owned Rottweilers since 1985 and have known and fostered many pit bulls, so I’m not intimidated and am comfortable with dogs regardless of breed as a general rule. That said - I suppose if all of the dogs in question regardless of size were going to by hypothetically aggressive towards me, I imagine I’d have a better chance of getting out of the ring un- or minimally-scathed by five yippity dogs. I was VP of a rescue based in Flint MI for years and we would have two $10 rabies/other shots clinics per year, both to raise money for the rescue and to give people an affordable way to vaccinate and license their dogs (and cats). Our most high-volume clinic was over 900 animals in a weekend and the VAST majority were always pit bulls or bully-type dogs. Many of them backyard/usually chained up/untrained dogs. We did this for five years. During that entire time, only two - two - dogs attempted to bite anyone. One was a Husky (he almost nailed me but ripped my sweatshirt sleeve instead) and the other was a small poodle with pink painted toenails who lunged at anything that moved, including the vet. The many hundreds of pit bulls and other breeds or mixes who attended? Just fine. Barking, generally being wild and some going after other dogs at times, sure. But honest truth, in all that time, no generally recognised “dangerous” breeds acted aggressively towards people during all of those clinics. And in all the many years I have been around, trained and worked with dogs, including Rottweilers and pit bulls etc, the only animal that has seriously bitten me was someone’s psycho pet cat, in their house. I still have scars on my leg. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/9 "2014-05-04T22:50:04Z")
In my experience, Pits are less people-aggressive than small breeds, although some Pits can be dog-aggressive. I’ve had a Pit/GSD mix, and a plain old Pit (as far as anyone knew), and neither one was people-aggressive. The Pit/GSD wasn’t dog-aggressive. The plain Pit didn’t start fights, but she didn’t back down from them either, until I did a lot of work with her, and could call her down. She wouldn’t have been a good fighter, though, because she was small for the breed. She was really very friendly and sweet, but she did make me realize how someone with bad intentions could train a Pit to be a dangerous dog. Both dogs were more eager to please me than any other dogs I’ve known. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/10 "2014-05-04T23:23:03Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > In my experience, Pits are less people-aggressive than small breeds, although some Pits can be dog-aggressive. I’ve had a Pit/GSD mix, and a plain old Pit (as far as anyone knew), and neither one was people-aggressive. The Pit/GSD wasn’t dog-aggressive. The plain Pit didn’t start fights, but she didn’t back down from them either, until I did a lot of work with her, and could call her down. She wouldn’t have been a good fighter, though, because she was small for the breed. She was really very friendly and sweet, but she did make me realize how someone with bad intentions could train a Pit to be a dangerous dog. Both dogs were more eager to please me than any other dogs I’ve known. In the early years of pit-fighting dogs, they were definitely genetically selected for animal or other-dog aggression, but also [importantly selected for being non-aggressive with humans.](http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/truth-about-pit-bulls) Since dog-fighting dogs needed to be tractable and obedient towards their handlers in order to be handled in the ring. The rise of bully-breeds as the ghetto-dog of choice has ruined and subverted this type of dog. Any breed is merely the result of people who have purpose-bred that particular breed, whether for vermin control, herding, livestock or estate guarding, digging for badgers, retrieving, treeing coons and bears or fighting other dogs. [quote] Dog breeds are characterized by certain behavioral traits. Each breed was developed to perform a specific job, whether it be hunting rabbits, retrieving downed birds, herding livestock or sitting on people’s laps. When developing a breed, breeders select only those dogs who perform their job best to produce the next generation. [/quote ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/11 "2014-05-05T00:11:01Z")
Not sure what the record distance is for place-kicking a hostile Jack Russell terrier. But it might be fun to find out. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/12 "2014-05-05T00:20:24Z")
> [@](#): > > Ok, here is the scenario. You have to either get in to the ring with 1 Pitbull type dog (you know the type) No, we probably don’t. Given an actual pitbull, a small yippy dog, and what you probably think of as a “pitbull type”, the actual pitbull is probably closer in size to the small yippy dog. In practice, the usual modern definition for a “pitbull-type dog” is “dog of any breed that bites a person”. And lo and behold, it turns out that suddenly pitbull-types are responsible for all dog bites. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/13 "2014-05-05T00:33:03Z")
Can you actually identify a pit bull? Well,[can you](http://www.pickthepit.com/)? ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/14 "2014-05-05T00:52:15Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > Can you actually identify a pit bull? Well,[can you](http://www.pickthepit.com/)? Purebred pitbulls are pretty calm dogs, it’s the mixed breeds that I’ve always seen have behavior issues. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/15 "2014-05-05T01:17:10Z")
Assuming the hypothetical dog was vicious as a given… I’d go for the small ones. I’ve dealt with ankle-biters before. I know they can be nasty and vicious. Given five random small dogs versus one random pit bull, I’d be a lot more wary of the small ones. Hypothetically, though, all are people-aggressive, so I’d go with the yappers. They’re easier to hurt or incapacitate by kicking/stomping (I assume. I have no firsthand experience trying to hurt dogs of any size) and really aren’t going to be able to reach my face or throat or even my hands if I don’t bend down. A big dog who wants to do damage would be a whole lot more dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/16 "2014-05-05T04:28:29Z")
Who picks the dogs? What do I get to wear? Big dogs, been there twice. If I have to leave my biker boots, leathers, helmet, belt knife etc., I’ll still take the big dog. Stick with what you know. You know? Oh, yeah, I voted big dog. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/17 "2014-05-05T04:35:27Z")
Good lord, what colossally stupid thread. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/18 "2014-05-05T04:55:09Z")
Oh goodie, just what we need, another pitbull thread! :: bangs head against wall then realises it hurts :: :smack: ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/19 "2014-05-05T05:04:57Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Purebred pitbulls are pretty calm dogs, it’s the mixed breeds that I’ve always seen have behavior issues. I picked the Pibble, because, IME, my own calmness will calm the dog. My demeanor has 0 effect of the little yappy dog. And BTW, small dogs, like Pekinese, have killed toddlers, and several working together have done severe damage to older children. They just don’t get the opportunity to attack in packs very often. Cocker Spaniels have a very high bite rate, but people don’t usually seek medical attention for the bites, and they don’t get reported to authorities. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662/20 "2014-05-05T05:10:01Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > No, we probably don’t. Given an actual pitbull, a small yippy dog, and what you probably think of as a “pitbull type”, the actual pitbull is probably closer in size to the small yippy dog. **In practice, the usual modern definition for a “pitbull-type dog” is “dog of any breed that bites a person”. And lo and behold, it turns out that suddenly pitbull-types are responsible for all dog bites.** > [@chiroptera](#): > > Can you actually identify a pit bull? Well,[can you](http://www.pickthepit.com/)? Here ya go. [The Journalists’ Guide to Dog Breed Identification](http://www.prodoggroomingsupplies.com/dog-forums/showthread.php?t=77585) For another point of view, [there’s also this](http://i1.wp.com/www.goodpitbulls.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/pitbull-cartoon.jpg?resize=300%2C284). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/get-in-the-ring-with-1-pitbull-type-or-5-smaller-yipity-dogs/687662.md?page=2)