Are pit bulls bad dogs?

[Ph0enix]

Do you guys think Pit Bulls are bad dogs? Are the stigmas deserved, or very biased?

[♥ PrettySarcastic ♥]

I truly believe that no dogs are inherently bad dogs. It is 90% - the way they are raised, handled and trained and 10% of the time I do believe there are instances of animals with, for lack of a better term, mental illness.

If you look back the current pit bull stigma was once applied to different dogs, like German Shepherds back in the 80's-90's.

Unfortunately it is a stereotype perpetuated by the type of people who are often drawn to pit bull dogs, people who want to use them for dog fighting.

But the deciding factor? Almost always people.

[Gnorbu]

I thought pitbulls were bad when I was little. My mom was always afraid of them. ^^
But now as an grown up I have seen the sweetest and most adorable pit bulls ever! They can be very kind and friendly just like any other dog

[Banararama]

There are no bad dogs, just bad owners. Bad experiences with people generally are what makes a dog aggressive :C there are exceptions, and breeds that are hyper aggressive but they are actually illegal to own in the U.S. But pits def do not fall into that category. I've seen pits who are the sweetest goofy-est things C:

[Ph0enix]

loving these answers!

[Tapir]

All the pits I've known have been sweethearts, very friendly and playful. But my uncle did have a rescue dog that was a pit and I think the fact that the dog was bred/taught to fight did make him a little bit more dangerous than a regular dog. He was really aggressive towards other dogs and very protective over my uncle. I also think that pits in general get a bad rep since they're so popular for fighting (like any "bully" breeds) and that it's important to know their stigma if you plan to own one. Sad but true, most people are afraid of them because of the way they're portrayed as fighters and tough/mean dogs.

The meanest dog I ever met was a Chihuahua mix and I completely believe those dogs are satan reincarnate.

[Suicune]

I believe its how you bring up your dog.

(you need an account to see links)

Also its how you bring up your child around dogs, dogs are animals not toys and I think some parents don't bring up children to pick up signs of different dogs.

- ask the owner
- get down to the dogs level
- allow the dog to come to you

There are no "bad" dogs.

[Teal]

Hell no!
I grew up with one - Jade was the sweetest dog we ever owned. Most loyal and playful, never hurt us. She was a red-nose pit.
We got her when I was around 5 years old, but we couldn't keep her at our apartment complex for awhile, so she lived with our neighbor. She was basically raised by an aggressive Rottweiler (he was friendly to us), so that caused her to have that aggressive temperament towards strangers. She got along with smaller dogs, but felt threatened by dogs her size or that were bigger than her.

She made a great hiking buddy and I felt protected when I would go on walks by myself. She was aggressive but until you gained her trust, she became friendly. She didn't like my friend but after spending a couple hours hiking and my friend offered her water, she LOVED my friend. I believe the way you approach an animal is definitely a factor as well.

I love this:

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[maelkins]

any dog is a good dog. depends on the how the owners treat the dog.

[Ph0enix]

That video is so cute omg! That's what I mean, I think they are such patient and kind dogs inherently but people don't raise them right and ruin it for all of the other pit bulls.. I think fighting any animal is abhorrent. I had my Bella since I was like 9 I believe and I loved her more than any dog I have ever owned. So lovely <3 She was also a red nose pit.