Most of the points I usually make in this conversation about the nature of
the breed have already been stated (it's bad owners that cause bad breed
reputations, popular dogs that get a lot of backyard breeders going can have
problems unrelated to breed itself but instead related to breeding
practices, lots of dog breeds are known for biting more than pits, etc.).
I still feel that the OP needs to hear one thing I always point out--pit
bulls have been illegal here in the Netherlands for a very long time. And
there are LOTS of them here. I see three or so every day. Most of them, I
find a way to chat with the owner (given that my dog is always going
absolutely goofy trying to play with them provides a good opening), and
mention that I know it's a pit and that they have a bad rap, so then they
open up to me about it actually being one, so I'm not just guessing here.
They're one of my Great Dane's very favorite breeds to play with because
they're fast, tough, friendly and happy dogs. Luckily they also pretty much
never bite anyone--there was one incident a couple of years ago where some
police climbed in the window of a squat and one of them was bitten, not very
badly, on the hand by a probable pit mix when he grabbed it without warning.
Lots of people get bitten by little yappy dogs here.
The ban has succeeded in doing one thing, really--preventing the owners of
these dogs to get good professional training help and proper veterinary care
for their dogs. However, lots of trainers and vets just write "English
Staffordshire" or "boxer mix" and look the other way, too.
Oh, and I'll cite a recent incident for clarification--my dog was playing
with two young pits she knows well a few weeks ago, in the nearby dog field.
I was, as always, wearing my sleeping baby on my hip, in his sling. He, as
usual, even though sleeping, managed to work one of his socks off. The
second it hit the ground, one of the pits had it. He ran all over with it
trying to get the other pit or my dog to play tug with it. The owner got it
back, and as he handed it to me, the pit leaped up and tried to grab it from
the air between us. Then as I put the sock back on the baby's foot, dangling
"temptingly" in the open air totally within reach of the dog, he hung his
head and tail, clearly said "Dang!", and went back to trying to get my dog
by the collar (a game she enjoys).
--Katrina
>> Stay informed about: Friend attacked by a pit bull yesterday 
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