New Jersey Pit Bull attack.
 

Pit Bull Viciously Attacks Owners Leaving Serious Injuries

I have met dozens of pit bulls here in the Villages over the past 16 years and most of these are quite gentle but once in a while there is an attack like this one in New Jersey.

Lumping 4 breeds together though with the handle pit bull and then expected them to all be dangerous is a stretch. Types of Pitbulls: Differences, Appearances, Traits & Pictures.

And a lot depends on the dog owner and how much common sense he or she has about their dog. Like not taking it to a dog park unless they have a good idea what it will do there.

There is almost always more to the story than the breed. Any breed can become vicious in the right (wrong?) circumstances.

"Pit Bulls" get a lot of bad press, but in general they are very gentle pets. For years in AZ my wife and I walked dogs at the animal shelter, and I normally got the pit bulls because other volunteers were afraid to walk them. My experience was even the most angry pit bulls were all most always angry at other dogs, and not at people. They really like people. Once I had them away from the other dogs (in cages) they were happy to be out walking and very friendly.

Thanks for that response.

I looked up this which was helpful. How to Train a Pit Bull to Get Along with Other Dogs | Wag!.

In general, pit bulls should be outlawed in the US, since dogfighting is history and was a stone-age throwback set up for an audience of sadistic neanderthals. Today junkyard owners actually feed gun powder to their guard dogs (like pit bulls) to make them crazy and aggressive. Today there are SO, SO many breeds of dogs to chose from - why mess with a potential lawsuit from a breed that has historically been violent and has bitten SO many Americans and their children. Many children need plastic surgery on their faces from pit bull attacks. I practically regurgitate when I see an older man or woman walking a pit bull - often without human control. It's ALL very unnecessary.

There reason the get lot bad press, they kill and mangle. YES, other large breads can, but beings pit are inherently bread for guard dog and strength in the jaws along with they are like snapping turtle when clamped down the won’t let go. Most pit owners are not strong and willful enough to control an aggressive one. Yes, not all are aggressive, but the potential is there.

Between 2010 and 2021 there were 480 fatal dog bites in the US. of those 185 were from pitbulls.

it is not the dogs fault, it is the owners. When a dog mauls a person the OWNER should be punished. The dogs are simply the product of their environment.

We will have to disagree. It is in my experience training not breeding that results in an aggressive dog. In any case, it is not the dogs responsibility, it is the owners. If the dog attacks the owner should be held responsible and punished.

I guess I could agree with the idea that it is NOT the individual dog's fault that he/she was born a pit bull. If you divide 185 by 480 you get 38 %. So, 39% of all human deaths due to being mauled are caused by ONE, (ONE) BREED - that seems significant enough to me to justify my post. Since the pit bulls that you walked were already born and in the US - then I am glad that someone, like yourself, walks them, that's an empathetic thing. I would like them to NEVER be bred in the US in the 1st place, so no pain to them individually. Just 185 more US citizens get to LIVE. My Springer Spaniels could hardly maul a rabbit! I have also had German Shepards. I also had a friend whose Great Dane would hurt humans by hitting them with his wagging tail, but I doubt that he would hurt a human on purpose.

I agree with the responsibility part.

There was a group of people who trained these dogs to attack. They learned every bad habit from humans. Their commands were in Vietnamese. A friend of ours took his Pit to be trained there every weekend for months. We got involved and convinced him how wrong it was to act this way. He loved this dog. It was a beautiful animal to look at. Sort of Grey sort of Blue.

The dog ended up on a farm in western NJ and lived many years without incident until it struck out at another animal and had to be put down. Still brings chills to us when we think about the damage this beautiful animal could have done to one of our family or anyone else. Many lessons were learned here but it was the Dog that paid the ultimate price. It has to be about 20 years ago and still it is tough to talk about and recall. The guy who brought the dog to be trained met a terrible end to his life. Karma? I think so. Totally shameful.

That is really sad.

I have heard of dogs here in the Villages moving to farms and finding happiness there.

I own a small dog, less than 20 lbs. I have lived in 4 different neighborhoods here in TV, now 3 of these neighborhoods, I have seen pit bull dogs living up to 20 houses away from me, which we see 1-2 times per week on our walks. Each and every time I walk my little dog and see the pit bull dogs, they stop and spot my little dog and sit with their heads slightly down and focus on my dog. I stay away from the area where I have seen them walking, and I immediately leave the area, whether by walking or golf cart. It is very scary, and the owners are oblivious to their pit bulls behavior. I noticed their dogs have plain regular collars on their necks and could very easily pull away! The dog shelters are full of pit bull dogs or crossbreds of them.
Edited their sitting stance, this is a known watch stance, preclude to ...

Dogs, any breed are like guns it is the owner who is bad!

Most dogs that lower their heads and front half to another dog are showing play mode.
Alpha stance is upright and full on.
Having said that, still wise to give unknown dogs a wide birth until you are confident with them.
Most of my bad experiences with stroppy dogs, have always been with the small ones punching above their weight.
Than your God Chihuahua's were born small!

Judge Judy hates Pit Bulls and will usually side with the other party involved...
:bigbow::bigbow::doggie: