NY Times article about Vick's pit bulls

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by Danzig

i'd imagine there are more vicious attacks with injuries or deaths with pit bulls than any other breed, by far. it's bred into them. that was the whole point of that breed when they first sought those traits, and it can be a latent trait in any of those dogs. i don't understand why anyone would take a chance and have one, not when there are so many other dogs out there without that 'ticking time bomb' worry. i know why some choose to do so, gangsta mentality, or for fighting, and some do so because they are macho. then there are those that have that feeling that they are special, can have some kind of connection with animals that others can't (the black stallion syndrome??) and then they find that's not true. sadly, others pay the price to show it's not true.

Have to correct something here, Deb...

Fighting was bred into them, but aggression towards their human handlers was not. In fact, they are highly loyal and normally very good with children when raised from a young age. Pits are naturally not friendly with other small animals though, and it's normally a risk if you incorporate them into your home when you have another dog or cat sometimes even when you raise them as young puppies. I had a pit bull before and while he was not aggressive, he was what was called 'fear aggressive' (a lot of pits are.) When they feel cornered, they lash out. A lot of research says that something snaps on in a pit bull at around the age of 1 1/2 or 2 with other animals and that this poses a problem because the majority of people who own them as pets (by then) think they're in the clear to have them around other animals.

My newest dog Charlotte is starting to look like a lab/pit mix instead of the lab/hound mix they thought she was at the pound, but she has been fine so far in regards to aggression. (Even when cornered.)