# It's always a fucking Pit Bull **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 24, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775 "2016-07-24T14:41:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2017, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/221 "2017-12-19T05:24:15Z")
> [@wonky](#): > > But it’s always a pit bull. I learned that on the internet! Well, that’s hard to argue with, especially given that > [@Abraham Lincoln](#): > > Everything on the internet is true. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/222 "2017-12-20T16:41:38Z")
> [@wonky](#): > > All dogs are dangerous if treated badly. _\_ And some dogs are just bad dogs. When I was a kid, we had a neighbor who wanted a German Shepherd he could show. Rebel was a gorgeous dog, but he was vicious, plain and simple. When he attacked the owner, they had to put the dog down. They got another German Shepherd, Kippy, who was a total lump of love. He was a willing pillow for their kids and a big old goof. Unfortunately, he had a floppy ear, so they weren’t able to show him, but he was a great pet. Same family, same living situation, different dogs with different temperaments. Sometimes stuff happens… ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/223 "2017-12-20T17:06:23Z")
Q: What do you get when you cross Lassie with a pit bull? A: A dog that bites you, then runs for help. I kid. My own rescue pit - plucked from the mean streets of Philadelphia - is the most loving, affectionate, lovey-dovey being I’ve ever encountered. Breeds don’t viciously attack people. Breeders do. mmm ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/224 "2017-12-20T17:22:02Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > The dog at the bottom of the article linked in post #211 looks like a Lab mix to me. I’m no expert but not in a million years would I have looked at that dog and thought “hey, that dog is part retriever.” The head isn’t right. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/225 "2017-12-20T17:49:06Z")
We have a pit and lab\pit mix that we got from the shelter a year and a half ago. They are both very sweet and loving. It is obvious, however, that both were beaten and traumatized when they were puppies. When someone says ‘bred to fight’, they mean the dog was born, then treated horribly. If you were treated that way, you’d be vicious too. ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/226 "2017-12-20T18:01:16Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I’m no expert but not in a million years would I have looked at that dog and thought “hey, that dog is part retriever.” The head isn’t right. For what it’s worth, as no expert but the owner of (now) a golden retriever and (formerly) a black lab mix, I have to concur with Skywatcher. I can see a little lab in that face. The snout is narrower and slightly less jowly than I’d expect from what I consider to be a prototypical pit bull. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/227 "2017-12-20T18:15:47Z")
> [@Paranoid\_Randroid](#): > > For what it’s worth, as no expert but the owner of (now) a golden retriever and (formerly) a black lab mix, I have to concur with Skywatcher. I can see a little lab in that face. Neither am I but there was a chocolate lab next door for several years and we frequently dog-sat. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/228 "2017-12-21T00:57:49Z")
Doesn’t look at all like a pit. But to be fair, it doesn’t say that that is one of the dogs that mauled her. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/229 "2017-12-21T19:36:34Z")
More news in the Stephens case: > [@](#): > > [Dogs went through ‘drastic lifestyle’ changes before mauling owner](http://wtvr.com/2017/12/19/dogs-went-through-drastic-lifestyle-changes-before-mauling-owner/) > > GOOCHLAND, Va. – Tonka and Pac-Man were brindled pit bull brothers from the same litter, born about two and a half years ago. They were socialized, indoor dogs whose owner, 22-year-old Bethany Lynn Stephens, was said to treat like her own children. She worked at a kennel and around trainers for a while, and she brought Tonka and Pac-Man with her to work. > > :snip: > > Tonka was with her since he was 8-weeks old and friends said she later adopted Pac-Man to get him out of an abusive home. > > :snip: > > Sergeant Mike Blackwood explained that the dogs were a “little bit neglected towards the end of this.” > > They went from being inside dogs doted on by Stephens to living outside in a kennel. Stephens left the dogs with her father, and Blackwood said; “he wasn’t taking care of them – it wasn’t his responsibility.” > > Friends explained that Stephens was going through certain personal events and she no longer had the dogs with her. > > The weather changed, and the dogs lived out “in the cold.” > > Blackwood said that with Stephens coming home maybe five times a week, the dogs became more isolated and only had contact with each other. > > They were not fed daily. > > "This was such a huge lifestyle change,” [Certified master dog trainer Valerie] Paul explained. There are so many factors within that lifestyle change that we may see as small things that the dogs may see as larger.” ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/230 "2017-12-21T19:40:04Z")
Also of note: she was completely naked except for one boot. If the dogs killed her, where in the hell are her clothes? ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/231 "2017-12-21T21:05:29Z")
I have nothing major against pit bulls, but I am currently arguing with American Airlines over a situation. I bought my son a ticket to fly home for Christmas and he had a 4 hour flight sitting between two huge pit bulls. I simply put that if you are going to allow large animals (and potentially dangerous, no matter the breed) on the plane, you might want to rearrange the seating, at least making it so someone is not between two pit bulls (an odd request to have to make). I’m assuming it was someone abusing the “comfort animal” clause, but the airline was extremely condescending saying they were sorry my son was uncomfortable there was an animal on board. I tried to explain that he loves animals, but perhaps did not want to spend 4 hours sitting between two strange, huge, pit bulls. They did respond with “we cannot guarantee a pitbull-free cabin” which for some reason I found funny and thought of a slogan - American Airlines - Now with Pit Bull Free Cabins. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/232 "2017-12-21T22:11:23Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > Wait a minute. The report says it was a pit bull. This is fairly well respected newspaper. Now we can’t cite newspaper reports? The _Post_ has a follow-up: > [@](#): > > [[T]he dogs’ specific breeds are unknown.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2017/12/19/people-couldnt-believe-two-dogs-killed-their-owner-so-the-sheriff-described-the-horror/?utm_term=.d3ad8fe02f08) ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/233 "2017-12-22T23:19:43Z")
Just throwing my $0.02 in here. I also think, well… know that it is not the dog, but the owner. I have been around many pit bulls and the less than reputable owners of them and still have not been bit by one, I used to work at a dog daycare as well, no such issue. I have noticed that the ones owned by people in gangs (I have had questionable friendships in my teens-early twenties) tend to be more aggressive, whilst pitbulls owned by “normal” people are just happy friendly dogs, even if they have giant ridiculous heads. If someone could explain to me why I’ve been bitten by every poodle or poodle mix i’ve ever encountered, that’d be great. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/234 "2017-12-23T06:02:31Z")
[It’s not always a pit bull](https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/volunteer-hospitalized-after-being-attacked-by-dog-in-central-phoenix). Unless someone is going to say Akitas are pits? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/235 "2017-12-23T06:26:56Z")
There isn’t even any evidence that she was killed by the dogs. The dimwit sheriff is saying it was the dogs because he can’t think of anything else. He also admitted that the dogs don’t weigh 125 lbs, each, and that he doesn’t even know how much the dogs weigh. ---
**Author:** ![SaneBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SaneBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaneBill)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/236 "2017-12-23T11:37:46Z")
I know next to nothing of this case, but just thought to mention this. Sometimes when the owner dies for whatever reasons, the dog doesn’t understand what happened and tries to wake up the owner. When everything fails it may panic and try even biting, which is sometimes seen that dog have tried to eat the owner ( especially if happened indoors and dog had no food left ). > [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Breeds don’t viciously attack people. Breeders do. Dogs don’t kill people, people kill people ? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/237 "2017-12-23T12:10:38Z")
> [@JcWoman](#): > > Woot, I got the right answer on the first try! I educated myself on this issue, so if I’d gotten the wrong answer I would have been disappointed with myself. But I did have to seriously ponder the choice between 3 of the pictures… I got it on the second try. But my first guess was something called a “bull terrier”. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/238 "2017-12-24T21:23:42Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > Wait a minute. The report says it was a pit bull. This is fairly well respected newspaper. Now we can’t cite newspaper reports? Hard to believe that’s serious, maybe it’s sarcasm. No, you can’t cite newspaper accounts on this topic as being correct just because from a ‘respected’ paper. Without pictures the breed ID’s are generally worthless as facts (whether the paper is just faithfully repeating BS it was told by the police is not really relevant to the usefulness to the reader). And even with photo’s it just puts the reader in the same position to make a judgement call by appearance about actual breed. Nor does it address the basic question of what a ‘pit bull’ is supposed to mean: a mixed breed dog sharing some appearance characteristics of APBT/AmStaff, other different breed (Dogo Argentino) sharing some, new breed (American Bully, which like Dogo’s can explain dogs over 100#'s called ‘pit bulls’, a dog that big is not a pure breed APBT). And the whole focus on breed assumes it’s significant, or that laymen can piece together media articles to determine it’s significant, again often based on ID’s by people who know nothing much about dogs. That assumption itself is fundamentally flawed. ‘Respected’ media outlets might often have the fig leaf that _they_ didn’t make up and report irrelevant information in ‘pit bull attack’ stories, but it’s still often made up and generally irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/239 "2017-12-24T23:54:34Z")
> [@Corry\_El](#): > > (whether the paper is just faithfully repeating BS it was told by the police is not really relevant to the usefulness to the reader). Which is what happened here. A later _Post_ article noted that the sheriff was repeating what had been told by the family & friends of the deceased. ---
**Author:** ![OwnRules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ea666f/32.png) [@OwnRules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OwnRules)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2017, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775/240 "2017-12-26T04:26:56Z")
[**Pit Bulls Maul Woman to Death, Injure Husband in Gruesome Christmas Eve Attack**](https://www.yahoo.com/news/pit-bulls-maul-woman-death-144458302.html) Those misunderstood angels. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-always-a-fucking-pit-bull/760775.md?page=13)