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Old 11-22-2005, 05:24 PM   #2 (permalink)
elegy
Pit Bull Junky
 
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i think the author of this article has two very important mistakes in his arguement:
inherently aggressive does not equal inherently dangerous.
dog aggressive does not equal human aggressive.

yes, pit bulls are more dog aggressive than most breeds. there are other breeds who are also dog aggressive by nature- the akc breed standard for the akita mentions dog aggression, for example. but lots of dogs are dog aggressive-- everything from labradors to australian shepherds to jack russells. so what?

are pit bulls more easily aroused than other dogs? some, probably. are they more likely to be dog aggressive? absolutely. are they tenacious? sure! but so are all the other terrier breeds. it's part of what being a terrier is all about. are they strong? sure! but so are a lot of other breeds. has their body signalling been changed? i'll buy that. but look at the border collie and the other herding breeds who give eye.

i believe human aggression in the pit bull is, by and large, the product of crappy breeding. i believe any pit bull who shows aggression toward humans is unsound, and that most owners cannot safely own and manage these dogs.

i believe dog aggression is largely inherent and that it can be moderated by socialization and training, but it cannot be socialized *out* of the pit bull and it is dangerous to assume that it can be. i do not think dog aggro dogs are inherently dangerous to humans given that they are owned responsibly. this means no dog parks, supervising the dogs at all times when outside as they're legendary escape artists, going to basic obedience class, etc. nothing earth-shattering.
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