Do Pitbulls Attack Their Owners? An Expert's Perspective

It's a common misconception that pitbulls are more likely to attack their owners than other breeds. However, according to experts, this is not the case. While some pitbulls may have been bred to be aggressive, studies have shown that Chihuahuas and Jack Russell terriers are actually the most aggressive breeds. It's important to note that potential dog owners don't seem to shy away from pitbulls when they consider all adoptees in a shelter.

In fact, research has shown that pitbulls behave much higher than other more accepted breeds. During a certain period, only 12.7% of bites were from pit bulls, yet they were related to higher injury rates and a higher risk of death. It's difficult to determine if pit bulls bite or attack their owners more than other dogs because of the way the news is reported. This article highlights the fact that the ban on pit bulls (whose population in Toronto declined dramatically as the “next generation of legal pitbulls” disappeared) did not affect the number of dog bites.

This evaluation also found that other breeds were significantly more aggressive towards others than the

pitbull

. Although the study does not consider illegal dogs, in this case it seems that pit bulls do not attack their owners any more than other breeders. It's very rare for your own dogs to turn on you and kill you and then eat you, according to experts. A man in Illinois has died after he tried to stop his own pitbull and another from fighting in his house, according to police. But Polsky stressed that this doesn't mean that all pitbulls are inherently aggressive. Don't play the myth of “this is how you raise them”.

If that were the case, thousands of responsible dog owners wouldn't be struggling with behavioral problems. There's a reason why adult pitbulls are overrepresented in animal shelters. They make cute puppies, but when they reach a certain age, their nature kicks in and they can become unmanageable at best and dangerous at worst. We hope that more and more people will provide loving homes for rescued pit bulls and that less obnoxious guys will raise these poor dogs to destroy them. You don't have to worry about your pitbull getting fully Cujo (get him vaccinated against rabies, for example), so even if you adopt one from a shelter with a questionable history, it's not a lost cause. Many pitbull rescue groups describe the breed as friendly, even to the extreme (which is why they are not good guard dogs).

The amount of scientific research that exists is disturbing, showing that the biggest factor influencing pitbull stigmatism is human behavior.

Leah Alm
Leah Alm

Total tea advocate. Subtly charming web junkie. Freelance baconaholic. Freelance thinker. Hipster-friendly sushi maven.

Leave Message

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *