http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Articles/MistakenIdentity/WrongId.htm
Start there.
It’s ironic that this website, in an effort to show that pits get unfair blame in the media, cites a number of media reports of dog attacks (fatal and non-fatal) where the breed was correctly identified as something other than a pit bull.
If you’re going to jump on inaccurate reporting, best not to engage in it yourself.
Has anyone ever been mauled by a Scottish Pit Bull?
I don’t follow…are you disagreeing with the accuracy of cited misidentifications (which would of course require some kind of back up…) or are you saying that the citations of misidentifications don’t matter because they also cite pit bulls correctly identified in other attacks? Which doesn’t follow…
Please clarify.
nm
OK. I’m not quite sure what this is supposed to prove tho. The cite is all over the place.
The ‘presa canario initially reported as pit bull’ link is broken.
The second link (Pointer/Boxer mix initially reported as pit bull) from 2009 shows no evidence that it was ever initially reported as a pit. And this link has nothing to do with a dog bite fatality being incorrectly attributed to a pit bull type.
The third link (2009) says ‘as you can see in the picture this dog is clearly not a pit bull or pit mix’, which is hilarious given how loud pit bull advocates scream that ‘you can’t identify breed on looks alone!’. Also, has nothing to do with a dog bite fatality being incorrectly attributed to a pit bull type.
Fourth link (2008) correctly notes that the dog ‘probably’ wasn’t a pit bull. Has nothing to do with a dog bite fatality being incorrectly attributed to a pit bull type.
Fifth link (2008) has nothing to do with a dog bite fatality being incorrectly attributed to a pit bull type.
Sixth link appears to correctly call the dog a ‘pit bull mix’. It was also somewhere ‘listed’ - not identified - as a Rott mix. Not necessarily clear that ‘pit bull mix’ was wrong. And - stop me if you’ve heard this before - the link has nothing to do with a dog bite fatality being incorrectly attributed to a pit bull type.
Seventh link - finally! A story (from 2007) tragically involving someone being chewed to death. And yet…both the link and every other news article I pulled up (other than the Austin Fox cite) on the death of poor 4yr old Tori Whitehurst said the dog was a bulldog. (Although I suppose we could assume that it was incorrectly identified as a bull dog and was actually a pit bull - I mean, if people are so shit at identified breeds, surely some attacks by pit bulls are -not- correctly attributed to them, right?) In any event, based on Wiki etc, this appears to have been correctly counted as a non-pit bull death.
Next link, also from 2007: Has zero to do with the media mis-identifying a dog as a pit bull. Also, has nothing to do with a dog bite fatality being incorrectly attributed to a pit bull type.
Next link: Also from 2007. Initially reported as a pit bull, was later correctly identified as a Catahoula mix. Data for 2007 shows this was correctly identified as not being a pit bull-type linked death.
Then another link from 2006, with the site saying ‘this doesn’t look like a pit to me!’ - but I thought we can’t identify dogs by looking at them? Not at all clear this is -not- a pit bull attack. Also, not related to a dog bite death.
And so on. Broken links, almost none of the links related to human fatalities, which is what we’re interested in - while sad, I don’t think anyone keeps data on emu deaths due to dog bites - and story after story of the media correcting earlier mistakes. I’m confused.
It sure looks like the data we have as to pit bulls being the most dangerous breed when it comes to chewing people to death is correct.
You have a cite for ‘pit bull owners are more likely to be shitty owners’? Why aren’t, say, golden retriever owners also shitty in similar proportions?
Possibly interesting - although that just means there is no ‘media conspiracy’ against pits, right? I mean, if they’re among the top 5 dogs in the country! And goldens apparently are now outside the top 10!
I have my doubts tho. The site only says the figures are based on ‘visits to Banfield pet hospitals in 2012’, which doesn’t tell us much. Could just mean pit bulls need a heck of a lot more hospital visits. Does the same pit bull going in 5 times a year count as 5 or 1? Would need to see more actual data before we know that pits really are the fifth most popular dog in the US.
You keep demanding a single cite for a media mis-identification of a non-pit-bull as a pit bull. You keep getting handed this cite, which contains a long list of cites that will fulfill what you demand, since it’s exactly what you keep demanding. You keep ignoring it, and demanding a cite of a media mis-identification. You keep nit-picking those as ‘Not a True Scotsman’. At this point, it becomes obvious that it’s willful ignorance and stupidity on your part.
We can’t wise up a dummy who insists on remaining a dummy.
I might also congratulate you on the fact that when even Stoid schools you on logic and reason, you have reached the nadir of being schooled.
You are an idiot of the first water. There are no more idiots more idiotic than you. You have proved it beyond any reasonable doubt.
My brother has a “pitbull” American Staffordshire Terrier, he’s a good dog,great with kids. His name is Spike and he’s a pussy. I don’t think this dog would attack you if you lit him on fire. 
:eek::dubious:
I can be many things: obstinate, arrogant, pedantic, condescending…varying flavors of irritating and annoying… but not illogical or ill-reasoned. Even when I’m wrong I get there by a pretty logical and well-reasoned path.
You are correct, however, that on this subject Dragonash seems determined to hang on to his ignorance argue from same.
As for:
“Proportions”? Keep in mind we’re talking about 24 dogs a year, out of millions total, which is a proportion so infinitesimal as to be nearly incalculable, of any and all fatal dog attacks, no matter what the breed.
Secondly, do you just ignore everything that doesn’t fit your desire to argue about this, how many times has it been cited and described that assholes pick tough looking dogs like pits? You want to argue this, read the thread.
And be clear on what the assertion is, and is not: pitbull owners are not more likely to be shitty owners. Shitty owners, however, are more likely to choose pit bulls. Big difference.
The fact that the popularity has risen should speak for itself in terms of how that would affect the number of pit bull attacks- if you have been so carefully reading all the cites, that should be plain to you. If one in 1 million pit bulls will end up killing, Then you will see one pitbull killing when you have 1 million pit bulls total. When you have 10 million pitbulls, you will see 10 killings. And so forth.
In addition the exponential explosion in the popularity of pit bulls-which are neglected, abused, abandoned, and mistreated, at a much higher rate than other dogs- has itself lead to more abused abandoned mistreated dogs and more dog bites. People fall in love with the puppies, and are unprepared to deal with the grown dogs. This is true across all breeds, but more true among some than others, for different reasons. In the case of pitbulls they are strong, smart, active, powerful dogs that tend to have issues with other animals, and require dedicated careful training and socialization. People fall for the line that pit bulls are for everyone, get a puppy, and you a year or two later find themselves overwhelmed with more dog than they can handle. So they chain her up in the backyard, or maybe just leave her in the backyard all the time without a chain… As we all know by now that’s a pretty good start to an aggressive dog.
And yes there have been several citations to support the claim that shitty owners are more likely to choose pit bulls… Go back and read the thread for gods sake. People who want to look tough, people who want to act tough, and the abuse and neglect statistics support that as well, it isn’t thoughtful, well educated and experienced great owners who are neglecting and abusing these dogs.
Well I’d imagine he’d be more concerned about being on fire!
And if a cite is needed, go back to post 311.
OK how bout this one? He wouldn’t attack you if you were wearing a bacon suit.
Zusje wouldn’t attack either, but she would probably eat the suit.
And geese! Geese are damn mean!
First, I don’t believe in a media conspiracy, but I know that the media is sensationalisitic and that individual outlets and reporters are thrilled to seize on scary, lurid stories of death and mayhem of every sort, but especially of the sort that occurs in our own backyards. This leads to hysterical claims about pit bulls splashed all over. That leads to generally scary, negative perception regarding pitbulls and dogs who share major physical characteristics of pitbulls. This leads to inaccurate claims made to reporters, leading to more splashy, scary, poorly-researched stories of death and mayhem lurking in the backyard…rinse, repeat.
Which doesn’t lead to fewer pit bulls, only more polarization between those who buy into the scary stories and those who love pibbles, and more people getting pitbulls for the wrong reasons, as well as more people getting them to rescue them from the horrible rep.
[Begin my personal story of being one of the latter group…feel free to skip]
I was no fan of bully breeds, at least not up close. I iwas all about the blonde/golden soft fur and gooey sweet faces of cocker spaniels and then Golden Retrievers. Ten years ago I was sure I would spend the rest of my life with a succession of Goldens, because as we all know they are fucking amazingly darling dogs, and I had two of the best.
But being the hardcore doglover that I am, when I lost one of my Goldens and went looking for a new family member, I started to get a better picture of which dogs are the most in need of good guardianship such as I bring (no kids, sublimate all that into dogs). I was in no way ready for a pit, but I did take on a Rotty/Border collie/?? black dog specifically because I opened my heart to black dogs after learning they are rejected nearly as often as pits. Because people are ignorant fools. (I actually don’t care for black dogs because I find their faces very difficult to read. I still don’t like how hard it is to see my dog’s expression in anything other than bright light, but given his overall perfection in most other respects, it’s a non-price to pay.)
Preston turned out to be the greatest canine relationship of my life so far, and that loosened me up further about what kind of dog to get next. A few years on Facebook being hooked into loads of rescue organizations and pages, and because of that making it a point to meet as many pits as I could, it slowly became clear to me that my next dog was almost certainly going to be a pit: they desperately needed good homes and they were meltingly lovable. Once I confirmed that they were intelligent (an absolute must; no dumb dogs for me…) it was a done deal.
I was nervous. I did a lot of research. I had long conversations with my dog training teacher and mentor, who cautioned me that pits are absolutely not for everyone (pit bull fans doing a terrible disservice to them by perpetuating that untruth) requiring a high level of commitment and strong leadership.
My girl showed up unexpectedly through a friend, and I committed to her without meeting her first, something I’ve never done before. But the stars seemed to be aligned just right in the way it came about, she was precisely what I had pictured and hoped for, even more so.
I fell madly in love, but spent the first couple of months worried that I had a dominant biter, and I came very close to thinking I was going to have to give her up because she was going to be too much for me to handle. But it turned out that what I actually had was simply a very young puppy, something I hadn’t had to deal with in over a decade, so I had forgotten that very young puppies are mostly a set of teeth being sunk into everything in sight just to check it out.
What I have now, at ten months old, is the sweetest, softest-mouthed, most affectionate, smart, athletic, well-socialized (and completely submissive to Preston as well as me) goofball dog I have ever had the joy to have in my family. She’s a challenge because she’s so damn smart (Preston is ridiculously intelligent as well, but he’s such a creampuff inside and out that it never prevented or slowed his training in any way, it only enhanced it.) and she’s damned hard to fool. But she’s also proving to be very bonded to me and committed to pleasing me, so the willfulness is slowly wearing away. (Without any training at all, if I simply say in a commanding tone “What’s in yuor mouth?” her mouth falls open instantly and whatever it is falls out.)
I am certain that if this dog ever turned on anyone in the world with the intent to harm, well, it would be all the proof I’d need to know she had a brain tumor. Because it is just not in her. And I’m going to make sure that remains true as she matures. We have another year or so to navigate, but I’ve never known a dog brought up properly to have a shocking, uncontrolled personality shift that turns them into a different dog entirely, especially neutered early (she was) and in the hands of a good guardian (I am.)
All this to say: I am the example of how the BAD reputation has led to a GOOD home that would not have been available to her without all the noise and reputation surrounding pits. (And in case you missed it, I’ve only been attacked by a dog once in my entire life, and it was actually my dog that was attacked, and it was by a pit. One of the most terrifying things I’ve ever endured. So I was not without apprehension arising from experience, and that experience was true to form: the pit attacked my dog, not me. This is frequently a problem with pits, and no one who claims to know pits can honestly deny it. But what is also true is that animal aggression and human aggression are clearly delineated for dogs, so animal aggression is no indicator of human aggression. And it was this kind of aggression I was concerned about when I decided to get a pit, and this kind of aggression I was an am dedicated to preventing.)[end my story…]
Wait… seriously? Seriously?? You don’t know and understand that vets keep records of individual animals? You think they did this count based on “visits” vs. patients? God I hope this was just a little brain burp on your part or this is a colossal waste of time.
Banfield is the largest veterinary group in the world, operating out of Petsmart. They have almost 2.5 million ***dog patients ***in their system. I can’t begin to imagine what better representative sampling of the US dog population you could hope to get than that, please share if you can think of something. I’ve also included AKC registrations, which don’t show pits at all because pit bulls refer to three different breeds as well as various mixes, and they are frequently not registered even when they can be. But look at the AKC numbers for the other breeds and you will see that they line up pretty well with Banfield, supporting the Banfield numbers. Showing that there is no reason to doubt the validity of the Banfield numbers.
As it is, here’s there 2012 Top Ten
Labrador Retriever
Chihuahua
Shih Tzu
Yorkshire Terrier
Pit Bull
German Shepherd
Mixed Breed
Maltese
Dachshund
Standard Poodle
Changes in popularity from 2001 to 2013:
Yorkies (+152%)
Maltese (+143%)
At the same time, other breeds’ popularity dipped a little:
Labrador Retriever (-22%)
German Shepherd (-33%)
Common Names:
Max, Buddy, Bella, Daisy
AKC data:
2012 Most Popular Dogs in the U.S.
- Labrador Retriever
- German Shepherd Dog
- Golden Retriever
- Beagle
- Bulldog
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Boxer
- Poodle
- Rottweiler
- Dachshund
Most Notable Dog Trends in 2012 Include:
**Mastiff-type **breeds have risen in rank, with the Mastiff going from 34 to 26 and the Bullmastiff from 47 to 39 over the past decade, and the Cane Corso (67 to 60), Neapolitan Mastiff (116 to 112), and Dogue de Bordeaux (69 to 67) all making gains since the year they became recognized.
“**Bully” breeds have pawed their way into people’s hearts over the past decade with the Bull Terrier (79 to 51), Staffordshire Bull Terrier (91 to 76), and Miniature Bull Terrier (132 to 126) all making strong gains. **
Our pibbles wouldn’t even bite you if you were schmeared with peanut butter. They very politely lick peanut butter from a spoon without so much as a tooth clink, let alone trying to grab it and run off with it.
Here, let this terrorize you …
I have just determined what the absollute pinnacle of comedy would be: four or five different kinds of dogs, all with brand new booties on their feetand eating a huge spoonful of peanut butter that has been smeared on their palates. (Yeah, I do that. Totally ups the comedy)
I would probably end up with a hernia from laughing so hard.
And your babies are beyond sweet. So mellow.
MY kids, on the other hand…sheesh. And ALL the sound is coming from Preston. He goes nonstop.
Amazing how many excuses owners can come up with their favorite pet/breed. That said, the numbers are in – Pitbulls are simply a very dangerous breed to own.
Do so at your own risk.
PS: a Dobiegirl – Silky – ex-owner speaking. Broke my heart to put her up for adoption when I moved into an apt. She was 6 at the time and the best dog ever.
