In Tallahassee, dangerous dogs are a hot topic.

Last Thursday, a proposal made by Sen. Tony Hill to give cities and counties more authority to ban dangerous dogs was approved 9-2 by Senate Community Affairs.

A long line of dog advocates soon began trying to thwart that legislation. Many feared it would lead to specific local bans on pit bulls.

"It's discriminating against a specific breed," said Connie Brooks of St. Petersburg, representing the Tampa Bay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "It's not a bad breed. And how do we start classifying which dogs are pit bulls?"

While the legislation was amended by Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, to prohibit local governments from imposing regulations on specific breeds, Hill acknowledged that the proposal's original intent was directed at pit bulls.

TBO.com

I am totally opposed this because I own a pit bull, and he is probably the sweetest/nicest dog I have ever owned. The question is: Is it the breed of dog or the owners that make them dangerous???

Trib, I've learned over the years, that this topic is a sticky issue for many people. Most people I've corresponded to who have had or currently own a pit-bull always say what you've just said, "He/she is a nice gentle dog, not a mean or aggressive bone in his/her body."

However, in my opinion, going against the grain here, there is the potential for a pit or pit-mix to be dangerous and aggressive and more so especially with poorly suited owners. The fact that I've read about so many of these unpredicted, unprovoked attacks from these dogs, makes me not like them or trust them. Which is why I also support putting them down if they attack someone, in addition to fines and/or incarceration levvied against its owners.

So to answer your question, to some degree the breed, but to a broader degree, the owners. Wherein stricter punishment against irresponsible or negligent owners should be in place, if the breed is not banned.

very well put clm. I have never owned a pit, though I have had friends that have owned them, and one who bred them. Every one of my friends raised the pit from puppy-hood, and only one had any troubles; the one who bred them. Out of something like 8 or 9 litters, he had two that no matter how he trained them or raised them turned out mean. He had them put down. The rest were all as sweet as you could imagine.

So as you stated, it is is degree a part of the breed yes; however it is primarily an issue of poor ownership and handling. And I am all for more severe fines and incarceration for those who do not handle ANY animal with the proper respect and love it deserves.

Owners most of the time. There is a small percentage that are genetically inclined to be dipsh*ts. I have personally seen two or three Pit Bulls that even as puppies were a waste of skin. More often than not Pit Bulls are just like any dog except for them being High Energy (Think dog on springs) and need a lot of activity to thrive. They are not sedentary like Bulldogs or St. Bernards who like to get out but are not exactly big on running. They are not a dog for everybody because they need a lot of handling.

All dog breeds have exceptional, good, and waste of skin individuals. Inbreeding is the biggest problem with any dog breed. ALL inbred dogs should be put down because I have first hand had to deal with dogs who were the result of inbreeding and all I can say is think of an epileptic that has seizures that involve them coming at you teeth first in a chain saw like manner out of the blue and randomly after the dog was just getting petted by me and it was wagging its tail like everything was OK and this was with the dog around for a month. The dog did it to everyone around it until it bit a kid out of the blue and got put down. Sad but true.

Humans are the root of the blame with bad or poor training, inbreeding, and just being arrogant vain putzes. What I hate more than an idiot with a vicious pit bull is anyone with a small vicious dog that does nothing wrong in her eyes and refuses to punish it for bad behavior. Sometimes you got to smack a dog for it to listen. I used to train guard dogs (and I like making them aim for the crotch. One good lock on and the person getting nibbled on is incapacitated from overwhelming pain). Dogs have belligerent moment when they are young like kids but they will test the fence a lot harder until they know they are not supposed to. Yelling "No" at them does not cut it. Sometimes just grabbing the scruff of their neck is enough but with any dog if it bites you you had better teach it pain begets pain unto itself. If you have to muzzle your dog to take it on walks you didn't do a good job training it. Period.

Keep in mind if you feel I am cruel that I trained an Iguana and a Ornatus Monitor to use a litter box to crap in. If I can train a lizard to crap in a cat box I can teach a dog manners. I would say that at least 60% of dog owners should not even have them. Those same people should not have kids either but they do any ways. How many dog owners can even keep a house plant alive?

i have grown up around pitbulls my entire life and the only pitbull that i can say that is truly genetically mean are red nose pits,now some may say "oh hell naw",i'm saying from my experience

oh yeah bluefawns are awesome