6.25.2010
Are Pit Bulls Safe With Kids? Feedback Friday
This topic ignited a firestorm of controversy a few weeks ago on Momlogic as readers weighed in on an article entitled "If you have a baby, give away your pit bull". This article referenced a news story from the Detroit news site, Click on Detroit, about an 11 month old baby mauled to death by the family pit bullPit Bull Lovers website maintains that pit bulls are just like any other dog and are safe with children using the precautions you would with any dog.
Here in Pittsburgh, another pit bull attack was reported by WPXI News just last week. A 5 year old girl is recovering after being bitten on the face, receiving 600 micro-stitches.
A website known as the Pit Bull Awareness Center has dedicated a whole website to warning people about the dangers of this breed, using graphic stories and images.
Yet, Rescue Every Dog, a dog rescue website maintains that pit bulls tend "to love all people, especially children. The only caution I would add is that, because they are very exuberant and energetic dogs, they can sometimes overwhelm very young children and accidentally bump them or knock them over, particularly when they are pups."
Pets Do website lists pit bulls as #1 on their list of most dangerous dog breeds while Dog Politics website lists the top 10 most dangerous dog owners, rather than naming breeds.
Confused yet?
It's Feedback Friday...So which is it?
What does your experience tell you about pit bulls and kids? What does your gut tell you?
This?
Or this?
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We have a little pug...never even heard her growl. All I know or recall about pit bulls is once when I was little around 4 years old...a friend of mine had one...and it would bark at the window everytime we where out in front...well one time it got out...and attacked me down to the curb...never bit me though....I think they are beautiful dogs....but I would never trust one with kids...just MO.
ReplyDeleteThis breed has become unstable. A safe pit bull is more the exception now than the rule. And there is really no good way to ensure the pit bull puppy you get does not have some fighting dog bred into it's ancestry. Safer to pick a breed known to be gentle with children - sadly, this one is not.
ReplyDeleteI have only personally known one and she was a very sweet and loving dog. Her owners had a baby girl and the dog was protective, but never aggressive toward the baby.
ReplyDeleteALL dogs can be unpredictable and unstable. ANY dog can nip or bite a child. We didn't leave our dog in the room with our babies when they were little (we have a mixed breed lab mutt). She is the sweetest dog, but could nip or bite if our kids hurt her, so we just kept an eye on her when they were little. Now that they are 4 and 6, we are okay with them hanging out together. They love the dog and have learned to always ask before they approach a dog. We have warned them that not all dogs love children and that it is best to ask to pet another dog and to approach slowly.
No child should be left unsupervised with ANY pet, and by "unsupervised" I mean "without adult hand on dog's/cat's collar, or restraint and safe distance." I don't care how docile and tolerant the breed or particular dog has a reputation for being. When I was a child, I got a nasty bite on the leg from a "darling" golden retriever and had to have stitches on my hand from a "harmless" terrier (those jaws were surprisingly strong-- he got hold and just would not let go). I remember the adults around talking about how shocking it was, that the dog had never done this before, etc. But it only takes once. Right now, the media is into pit bull stories-- and I think we love being able to classify a whole breed as "dangerous," because it makes us feel like other kinds of pets must not be, and therefore our family is safe. But I'd be very surprised if there isn't a single pet-related injury from some "safe" breed today.
ReplyDeleteWe treat them like our children, and they do deserve that kind of love and care from us, but pets can't tell us what they're thinking. We have to think for them. That includes protecting our children from them. If an animal has teeth or claws (or even a beak!), the potential for injury is there, period. Hand on collar and safe distance from little ones.
There's a reason certain types of dogs are used for security purposes.... and a reason why we hear of certain breeds mauling people.... do you frequently hear of a shih-tzu mauling a baby?
ReplyDeletehaving said that, i love dogs. all dogs. i'd pat and cuddle any dog with the owner's ok. and i know any dog, any breed, can bite.
as a kid i was bitten twice by random strange dogs - one was a german shepherd, another was a british sheepdog. i didn't antagonise either, didn't pat them, was just too close and they were angry for some reason. (thankfully they didn't put me off dogs, just think what i'd be missing!)
my australian terrier i grew up with would have bitten anyone who pulled her tail or antagonised her. rightly so.
my cavalier king charles spaniel i've had for 11 years now, has never ever ever ever ever bitten anyone or any other dog, i don't know if he knows how! my son plays rough with him, but he rolls over. some breeds are gentler, some are not as safe.... pitbulls cannot be put in the same category as a cavalier, no way, no chance.
While I agree with above statements that any dog is capable of inflicting harm it bears mentioning that pit bulls were BRED to fight - so, while some are not trained to attack, it's 'in their blood'
ReplyDeleteOur dog was attacked by a pit puppy - thankfully since it was not yet fully grown I was confident that I could pull it off without harm to myself(but you better believe I was terrified!!)
The owner of the pit 'couldn't believe it' when I told him what happened (the dog had gotten loose from his nearby house without him knowing) saying he'd never seen that before, but it just came out training or not. I'd never fully trust a pit around kids especially since kids are so unpredictable in their actions/reactions - you never know what could trigger a negative response...not worth the risk.
I have a friend whose brother had two pit bulls. They were a few years apart in ages, but he had raised both from puppies to adulthood. They were sweet dogs, allowed to be around kids and had no problem at all. Then one horrible day the younger dog turned on the older and sadly, the owner had to shoot the attacker to keep it from turning on his family. The other dog was basically chewed up and looked like ground beef yet still alive. They took it to the vet and obviously had to put it down. I've always been leery of pit bulls but after seeing what they are capable of I really keep my family away from any we encounter.
ReplyDeleteNOT TRUE NOT TRUE NOT TRUE!!
ReplyDeleteThis topic makes me so freaking angry. Pitties have been tested to have a better temperament than Labs and Collies.
Yes, your family friendly labs!
Pitt bulls bites are more known because they make the news each time. If you raise a dog properly, it will be a good dog. Yes, there are exceptions where something is just "off" no matter what you do. But, this can happen with ANY BREED.
I have donated to the Pitt Bull Rescue of San Diego. They are a fantastic org. Check out their "myths" page for some facts on pitt bulls.
http://www.pbrsd.org/learn/myths.htm
You can show me a million stories on the pros and cons of this question and it will always boil down to one thing in my mind.....Why would I even want to take the chance of a potential problem when it comes to the well being of my children. I'm referring to any breed, not just PB's. If their is any apprehension and uncertainty at all...I choose my child. Too much grey area....I must add that I have a nephew with a PB and she is the sweetest dog you ever want to meet. With that said I would avoid the hard decision and get a cat.
ReplyDeleteI would never take the chance. I wouldn't own one and I don't want one around my kids. Period. But pits are not the only breed I feel that way about. I also wouldn't own a cocker spaniel because I've heard too many stories about them turning on a family member.
ReplyDeleteI actually read once that Goldens actually have more reported bites per year than Pits, but that is because more of them are owned by families.
I think this is one of those things that just comes down to personal opinion. If you own one and you think they are great then fine, but keep it away from my kids.
I believe you need to take precautions with any dog and child encounter initially. Children also need to be taught how to treat dogs/animals with respect and gentleness.
ReplyDeleteWe have an almost 2 year old and two small dogs and a cat. They are all the best of friends. The dogs have proven to be trust worthy with our daughter and our daughter has learned to be very gentle with the dogs. The only time that we need to be careful is when the dogs are eating. They get very possessive of their food.
But, no way, no how would I, ever, let my daughter near a pit bull. I have heard too many horror stories of children being attacked by them. I have heard of the most friendly pit bulls all of a sudden turning violent and attacking other animals, adults, and especially children. I don't think that pit bulls should all be put down but, they should not be around children.
Very controversial subject.
Wow, poor babies :( In my experience, I have only been exposed to well-trained, well-behaved Pits. I think that unfortunately Pits get a lot of bad press.
ReplyDeleteI would be careful about leaving any dog alone with a child. Just the same, if I see a large dog on the loose, I'm scared for my own safety no matter what the breed.
My childhood dog was a pit bull and she was the most gentle dog I have known in my entire life. We have fostered all different breeds and she still stands as the most wonderful dog I have ever known.
ReplyDeleteOne of the main problems with pits is that IF they do decide to bite, the damage is so much more severe. I do agree that there is more potential for serious injury than with a Pomeranian or some other dogs. The only dog that ever bit me was a Schnauzer.
A six month old in FL was killed 4 years ago buy a 6 pound pom. ANY dog has the potential to harm your child. Anyone who thinks their dog is safe just based on breed is CRAZY. My daughter is 4 and we are just now letting her begin to interact with our two terriers and our pug in a meaningful way. She also plays with a friend's pit bull and lab. She is old enough now that she is being taught proper boundaries and how to handle herself and how NOT to act around dogs. She knows how to tell if they are getting upset. She knows that dogs are sometimes scared of little kids and they they do not like screaming and loud noises. She knows to ALWAYS ask both her mom and a dog's owner before petting a dog.
Bottom line- people need to stop expecting dogs to be responsible for safety. They are DOGS- they all have instincts and potential to turn on anyone, but especially a small child.
We need to train and educate OURSELVES and our CHILDREN on what to do. We are the humans and if you are relying on avoiding a certain breed to prevent your child from being hurt, you are just fooling yourself.
Removing pit bulls from your environment is the equivalent of removing all *known* sex offenders and assuming that everyone else is perfectly safe for you child to do anything with because we got rid of all the "dangerous" people.
I am vigilant when my daughter is around ANY dog. Including our own sweet loving dog. Pit bulls don't get any more or less vigilance. To say that "all Pitbulls" are dangerous doesn't make any sense. The fact is ALL dogs have the capacity to bite and hurt a child. Some may be more likely than others. But more than the breed I would say the owners have the most impact over the potential for violent behavior from a dog.
ReplyDeleteOur dog is a Dobermann mix. He has big teeth and muscles, and could rip my hand off he wanted. He chooses not to. But I always respect that he could. He is loving to his family and protective of our daughter, but I am still vigilant in their interactions.
Dog can be loving pets. they can also be dangerous. Act accordingly! ALL dogs, not just certain breeds.
Wow Juniper...you have stirred the pot here. I'm not a dog person (any animal really), so there will not be a dog of any kind in my house...AND...my child is NOT allowed to go near ANY dog unless I am with him and he has asked the owner if he can pet the dog first.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a baby, I grew up with a Pit Bull as a pet! His name was Biggie (Patches, but he was bigger than I was so Biggie stuck!). He never bit a soul, except for one time my dad gave him a bite of steak and he accidently bit my dad's thumb. We had him for 16 years. So, there you go!
ReplyDeleteI'm a HUGE animal lover (and vegetarian) who always had multiple pets growing up. All animals - even domesticated ones - are unpredictable. Given that children are uncoordinated, more on the eye-level of a pet, noisy, rough and clumsy, ANY animal has the potential to be a danger to a child.
ReplyDeleteWhen my son was born I had two dogs and two cats - all of whom I love dearly - and yet I wouldn't let ANY of them near my son without constant CLOSE supervision. It's been four years (without incident) but I'm still mindful that it just takes one time...one quick moment for something to happen.
Dogs are pack animals, and typically see family members as part of that pack - so I'm not surprised that most pit ball owners haven't had any bad experiences within their own households. I'd be MUCH more leary and cautious of letting my child near someone else's dog...
Just like the story here in Pittsburgh that you mentioned - it wasn't her dog that attacked her.
Judy@cutest-little-things
I'm on the any dog can attack band wagon if you want to call it that. I don't think just being a pit makes the dog be more likely to be aggressive but being a pit might make the attack worse because of their jaw structure and physical characteristics, I don't have any actual knowledge on this topic though, just thinking out loud and it sounds like a pretty good thought to me. Of course of smaller dog attack isn't going to be as bad, they aren't all muscular and don't have those big knobby heads and jaws like pits, it's definitely something to think about when bringing a dog into a home.
ReplyDeleteThat being said not all pits are the same and some are still bred to be fighters and if they are bred and treated different from a cute little cuddly thing, which many are, then there is a an obvious concern. This can start before a person even becomes in possession of the dog. I think it's very important to do research on any animal you may bring into your home, breed wise and from the people/place you are getting it from. You need to know what the daily care of the animal was like before you bring it home.
I agree that it's a human training issue. Pit Bulls are no more likely to bike than any other dog out there. They are VERY strong dogs for their size though, so I think that we humans underestimate them and they have the potential to do more harm when they bite. The fact that they get so much negative press makes me really angry.
ReplyDeleteI was quite surprised when I saw Pit Bulls as the No.1 most dangerous dog breed. I thought it would be German Sheperds. Don't get me wrong. I love ALL dogs in spite of their breeds (Bobo, my dog, is a mutt actually). But I have to say although dogs are pets, they are still animals and can be unpredictable.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the top ten dangerous dog list, you'll find these ten breeds are actually large breeds. Small dogs are easier to control when they get aggressive and unbehaved. However, large dogs are very powerful, and when they are out of control, well, you get the picture.
I'm not just talking about Pit Bulls here, but all dogs. Never leave a child unsupervised with a dog (or any other pet). Even the smallest dog may do serious harm by nipping. Get the dog socialized as early as possible. I've seen dogs poorly socialized, and they can be difficult or even dangerous to approach. Also, train the dog early. Be sure your dog is bred carefully by a good breeder if you want to buy a particular breed. Poorly bred dogs can have problematic temperament.
Pits were not bred to be fighters orignally. They were actually bred to be loyal dogs that obey their servants, which is why so many fight as instructed by their owners. All animals are unpredictable and should be watched around children.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pitbulllovers.com/
I don't agree that "all" pit bulls are aggressive and unsafe It's all how you raise an animal and their breeding. This goes with any animal, big or small, I've seen some pretty scary chi-wow-wows. I have two "English" Bull Terriers (Target Dog, Spud McKenzie), and they are fabulous! But all of the "bully" breeds get mistaken for being aggressive. Dogs only do what they are taught; actually any animal. If someone has children, you should never let your child be around an animal without supervision. Some animals do not like small children. I know my 2 lbs. chi-wow-wow doesn't since I don't have any small children in my house. However, she is easy to contain. LOL This quote says it all "Punish the Deed, Not the Breed!"
ReplyDeleteI'm sure pitbulls can be nice, but I don't trust them around my kids. When we go to my friends with pitbulls, I make them put the dogs in a different room or on a leash!
ReplyDeleteMy opinion on this matter has changed over the years since I became a parent.
ReplyDeleteIn the past, I would go off on pit bulls and argue about how dangerous they are. But like many people echoed above, I've come to learn that any animal can be dangerous in any sitaution.
For example, we have a Toy Terrier and although he's a small and very friendly dog, we have told our daughter the same thing as with other dogs - don't put your face in his face, don't grab at him, don't bother him while he's eating, etc.
Accidents do happen - my sister once had to have plastic surgery because a poodle bit her lip when she stuck her face in its face. The owners ended up putting the dog down.
Have incidents happened with pit bulls - absolutely. Have cops had to shoot pit bulls during incidents - absolutely. Are pit bulls targeted in the news - absolutely. That's the fire storm. But like other said, it happens with all animials. You just can't trust them and have to take precautions.
I think some people would argue that you just shouldn't have pit bulls and kids together, just based on trends. And maybe I'd agree with that, based on the data they'd show me. But I think a lot of pit bull owners would argue otherwise.
Why would any parent want to chance it? Sure, your kid might get along fine with your pit bull. But there is TOO MUCH at stake when you consider the risk of your child getting killed or severely maimed. Don't get me wrong, I like pit bulls, and dogs in general for that matter. But if I owned a dog breed that was known for harming children (including labs, pit bulls, rottweilers, etc.), and I got pregnant, I'd be making arrangements to find my potentially dangerous dog a new home. It's just not worth it.
ReplyDeletePit Bulls get a bad rap.. I can say, from personal experience, that the one I own, and the others I've been around, have been fabulous pets. I have a 5 yr old son, and adopted our dog, Bella, when she was 6 weeks old (when my son was 3). She has been the most well behaved dog anyone could ever ask for. My son's rough with her - riding her like a horse, pulling on her tail, getting in her face and treating her like a big stuffed animal, and she has NEVER even hinted at being aggressive... She, however is very protective of my son when he's around other dogs. I think the big thing here is how the dog is raised. ANY dog can be a Kujo if they're taught and loved well. The nicest of poodles can rip you a new one if given the opportunity. I hate that pit bulls are stuck with this stigma... mine is the best dog I've ever owned, or even been around, and I will most definitely purchase another one when she's gone. In my opinion, and seeing how she is with my son... Pits can be right up there with Labs for being the best with kids.
ReplyDeleteI don't care how sweet people say they can be...I would never let my kids near one. I am sure they can be lovable and snuggable like any dog, but it isn't a risk I am willing to take.
ReplyDeleteFirst off I would like to say that any large dog has the potential to be dangerous, so take caution and choose a dog that is right for you and your family.
ReplyDeleteI myself love the American Pit Bull Terriers, as well as the entire bully line up and most other large dogs Rots Dobermans and my favorite the Cane Corso. One thing I look at is this there are over 300,ooo home invasions each year in the US alone most of which happening in upper middle class suburban areas. What would you guess is one of the biggest deterants of a home invasion thats right having a large dog in the home, the dog does not even have to be a trained guard dog it is simply the presence. I've always believed in having a loaded fire arm in the home for protection but knowing there are over 1200 fatalities every year involving children under the age of 8 each year with loaded fire arms in the home I opted for large dog when the kids came. Also with over 75 million dogs in the US there are only an average of 30 fatal attacks per year compared to human pop of 300 million and we have an average of 16,000 murders in the US a year so we are a mere 4 times the dog population but murder 500 times more people than they do per year. Furtermore for the people that believe certain breeds should be banned or restricted, out of all the murders in the US it is estimated that 35.2% were done by blacks while 33.5 whites 1.7 was other and 29.6 unknown maybe would should next start to put a ban on blacks and whites lol. Ohh we did not even think about cigarettes, drugs,alcohol gangs ect that kill and injure children every year.
Last year in 2009 there were a total of 32 fatal incidents involving dogs this link has a complere list with breed info and the report from the attack, http://btoellner.typepad.com/kcdogblog/2010/01/2009-dog-bite-fatalities-final-report.html it could be very enlightening yes there are pitbulls on the list as well as other breeds but in almost all cases of pit bull attacks come from low income areas below the poverty line and all pit bulls attacks got high media playback for instance One boy Dustin Faulner was attacked and killed by a neighbors husky that broke off his chain to get the boy this incident was only run in one newspaper where as almost every story of pitbull involved fatality went nationwide with actual news footage...
Side 1: The surveys based on press reports record more pit bull attacks than other breeds.
ReplyDeleteSide 2: More scientifically based studies show pit bulls are well tempered.
Side 1: Pit bulls were bred to fight, so that's what they do.
Side 2: Pit bulls were bred to be athletes, and always needed to be trained to fight. Only 5% 'fight hard' when trained.
There are biases both ways and lies on both sides. I've owned pit bulls, dogs that I've both raised from puppy-hood and rescued. All were wonderful pets that were great with people, children, dogs, and cats. I didn't want them to be tough, they were raised as companion dogs, and as a consequence none have ever shown aggression.
I believe it's how their raised and trained. If you treat them lovingly they'll be loving. If you mistreat them or neglect them they will develop fear and aggression.
Every experience I've had with one has been a bad one...Being chased by three of them while I had my baby in my arms and just barely making it inside,seeing one who was raised with an older dog kill it for no reason,and having one running loose at a hotel come after me.
ReplyDeleteI would NEVER,EVER own one of these dogs.I do not trust them at all.People quoting punish the deed not the breed will eventually learn the hard way.Keep your dogs away from me.