Quote:
Originally posted by PiKA2001
Ok, I was wrong about the lockjaw.
Are Pit Bulls that much more dangerous than attack dogs such as Rottweilers & German Shepherd, or is it a case of “no such thing as bad dogs, just bad owners?
BOTH SAYS THE RSPCA. Paul Edwards.
Pit Bulls were breed from Staffordshire Bull Terriers & Bull Mastiffs - Not to guard, or hunt, but to viciously rip other dogs to death in pits while their bloodthirsty owners cheered.
“They can literally sever limbs,” the RSPCAs, Paul Edwards said.
Unlike German Shepherds, which lock their jaws, Pit Bulls move their back molars once they have bitten. Their lower jaw scissors back & forth to sever flesh from the bone.
They are not large dogs, but they have an enormous power-to-weight ratio. Their jaw strength is far greater than any other dog.
A Rottweiler will exert 800 pounds-per-square-inch jaw pressure and a Bull Terrier will exert 1200psi. A Pit Bull will exert more than 2000 psi.
You can have savage Labradors and savage Chihuahuas, but none of them has the potential to maim & kill that a pit bull does.
42% of all dog related deaths in the US are from Pit Bulls - & they constitute 1% of all dogs. 70% of those deaths were children.
A Rotty or Doberman are savage because they are
territorial - they will defend their space. A Pit Bull is not savage in that sense-just unpredictable.
http://www.edba.org.au/courier.html
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First, you quote a Austrailian article about things that happen in the US and Paul Edwards doesn't even speak for the entire RSPCA; the article goes on to say how loyal a pit is. Not quoting the entire article makes it seem different than it is, which is a media article, not a scientific article.
Second, dog breeds are mis-identified all the time. This morning there was a dog attack and the first articles stated that a pit did it, it turns out that it was a lab.
Third, I've read many conflicting articles about the pressure that dog jaws can exert, and I'm not inclined to argue this point without further research. However, I do urge you to further your research.
Fourth, yes, other dogs do have the potential to maim and kill just as a pit does. I was mauled as a child, and I still bear the scars. I got pushed down by a dog last week in the clinic, and the only reason I wasn't mauled this time was because the owner knew to muzzle their dog. (Those breeds, for anyone interested, were a beagle and a dalmatian.)
Fifth, yes, certain dog breeds are more territorial and certain breeds have higher prey drives. Children are prey, if their parents are responsible and keep them away from untrained dogs, this wouldn't be a problem. Likewise, owners need to be responsible and train their animals, and keep them away from children if they know they have this problem. Also, I want to know how many of those attacks were provoked. Children often don't understand the things they do that annoy or hurt the dog. I don't think that any dog should be left alone with any child, pit or not.
Like I said, dogs respond to treatment. If they are raised being loved, cared for, and properly trained, pits are wonderful pets. I personally am looking for a pit from a rescue or shelter to be a companion to my Rottweiler. Unfortunately, many pits have been mistreated by everything from fighting to simple neglect, and that brings out the worst in any dog.
I'm not saying that you should go out and adopt a pit, I think that people should adopt a pet that fits their lifestyle. While there are laws that currently restrict what type of pets you can own, most of those laws are to enforce the humane treatment of the animal (exotics) or to enforce public health and safety (livestock, vaccinations, et cetera.) I just feel that it isn't in the public interest to ban a dog breed that if properly handled poses no threat.