this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2025
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Any dog can snap. So why do we see proportionally more news stories about it happening with a pitbull...?
EDIT 2: So. Many. Downvotes. But not a single comment refuting the statistics with facts and evidence... You're not flat-earthers, right? So don't act like them. Use your brain, not your feeeelings! I love dogs. All dogs. And yeah, if my dog was a Pittie, I would be defensive too, but I would also be honest that people need to take extra precautions...
EDIT: You're literally arguing against facts.
https://www.xinsurance.com/blog/dog-breeds-most-likely-to-bite/#%3A%7E%3Atext=1.%2Csevere+injuries+than+other+dogs.
Because if a pitbull snaps, someone is likely to die.
Right which is why they should stop being bred. They are more dangerous.
Dogs should stop being bred for certain features period. Beyond aggressiveness, it's just cruel. It gives them years of health problems. Some of the breeds all have the exact same health problem (sometimes it's an inability to breathe properly because of their head shape).
Purebred dogs should be illegal to intentionally breed.
Every time I have to see a spaniel, I cringe. The publicly available data (and videos on the effects of it for the assholes who have to see this shit to believe it) on their brain and skull sizes means that anyone still breeding them is just an asshole.
Thank you. This was so obviously my point...
Because their stereotype can attract shitty owners who want a badass dog but can't be assed to train or care for them.
Or they literally abuse, possibly even with dogfights, and abandon them.
Occam's Razor: They are known for being more dangerous because they are more dangerous.
EDIT: So. Many. Downvotes. But not a single comment refuting the statistics with facts and evidence... You're not flat-earthers, right? So don't act like them. Use your brain, not your feeeelings! I love dogs. All dogs. And yeah, if my dog was a Pittie, I would be defensive too, but I would also be honest that people need to take extra precautions...
From the very article you linked in the other comment.
Don't talk facts when your source refutes your claim.
You... think one paragraph voids decades of data they've carefully collected? Lol, I've lost all credibility because this issue (like everything) has nuance...? You believe that source agrees with you?
Okay, fine. Here's some more from statisticians, lawyers, non-profits, and hospitals:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_States
https://jminjurylawyer.com/dog-bites/the-most-dangerous-dog-breeds-in-america/#%3A%7E%3Atext=Several+factors+contribute+to+why+these+breeds%2Ctheir+owners+also+play+a+key+role
https://www.jacksonbackhome.com/dog-bite-statistics/
https://jnylaw.com/blog/dog-bite-statistics-by-breed/
https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/resources/javma_000915_fatalattacks.pdf
https://www.mkplawgroup.com/legal-services/los-angeles-dog-bite-lawyer/dog-bite-statistics/
https://care.choc.org/dog-bite-study-shows-youngest-kids-most-at-risk-which-breeds-inflict-the-most-severe-injuries/
https://www.vazirilaw.com/dog-attack-statistics-by-breed-2024
Let me guess: they're all in on the massive conspiracy to... let people know they should be more careful around their pitties?
...and how many neighborhoods, insurance companies, etc have rules against pitbulls?
There is no way that the full picture of breed ownership is tainted by purposely reporting the breed as one that wouldn't cause the owner to pay more for insurance, get dropped by insurance, kicked out of their rental unit, etc?
Most of the dogs I know have significant amounts of pitbull in their blood. Their owners are not pitbull fanatics - they just rescued a dog from a service and found out it was 50+% pitbull. The one friend who has close to pure (90+%) pitbulls literally rescued them from the streets. Like found the dog with no tags and no chip somewhere near where they live, spent weeks advertising to find its owner, and decided to keep it when no owner surfaced.
EDIT: Sorry, my fault! I thought you were arguing against the evidence, like many here...
Facts & science, please. I swear, I'm really not trying to be a jerk, but you make several assertions without proof. You're saying I don't have the full picture. But also implying we're seeing so many news stories about pits attacking children, data about than being more dangerous because... there's fewer of them? Legitimately not trying to strawman you or put words in your mouth, but that would be exactly opposite the point you're trying to defend.
Sorry, I misunderstood. So many people are having an emotional reaction to my comments...
Since you're using different statistics to compare and come to a conclusion, can I ask what you're getting the "breed numbers" from? @[email protected] has been throwing around the dogbite site but I wouldn't go off that number.
Even all the things I'm seeing online like the American Kennel club don't actually track realistic numbers
It just kinda gets worse from there
So I doubt you're getting accurate numbers since the data just isn't tracked. Just like all of these "facts", it's being heavily skewed and misrepresented. Hell, even EMpricorn's "INSURANCE WEBSITE link" (it's literally a fucking ad for pet insurance) just outright dismisses all this shit with the back and forth word salad
Because most people can't identify one and use it for any mid size dog.
See: Rottweiler, doberman in previous years.
Edit: that includes cops. Same thing applies to police reports. Guess what insurance adjustors use as part of determining insurance rates?
That isn't the slam dunk of info you think it is.
No one said it was a slam dunk? If you won't accept statistics by non-profit organizations trying to provide people with knowledge, facts, and legal info... What would convince you that any one breed of dog is more dangerous than others?
As it does in many other areas, the controversial nature of the discussion poisons the well on sources supporting either view. The days of 'here's a study saying...' being a useful tactic in anything are kind of dead. Most discussions can have reliable-sounding sources to support contradictory points. It gets hard to find the truth about anything without engaging in in-depth meta-analysis, let alone in a place like a comments section under a webcomic.
That is a very poor argument. Non-profit organizations lie about their statistics and their so-called facts all the time.
PETA is non-profit. Autism Speaks is non-profit. Anti-vax groups are non-profit. All sorts of groups dedicated to promoting authoritarian regimes are non-profit. And they all push a lot of bullshit that they claim to be facts and statistics.
Pretty much nothing since that isn't how it works.
There are some breeds that require more knowledge, experience, and time to handle properly. That includes the various breeds colloquially referred to as pitbulls, as well as German shephards, mastiffs, huskies, etc. I'd say most breeds with a job need knowledge and attention.
But the "danger" part is an issue with the owner (or previous owner). The only foster dogs I've ever been concerned about have been abused, whether by ignoring them, not feeding them, physically abusing them, or otherwise.
I can say I have a not insignificant amount of experience with quite a few breeds, and I can also say that blaming a breed is nonsensical.
And the only dog in my home right now is a corgi.
Edit: You're clearly interested only in your opinion and not the reality of dog behavior. So I won't bother further engaging with you, enjoy your day. I will simply note that health organizations such as the CDC note these same issues with statistics, and firmly recommend against breed-specific legislation for a reason. That, of course, may change under HHS Brainworms, but the actual data is quite clear.
Can you identify a pitbull?
'Pit bull' doesn't even have a real definition. It's sometimes considered a breed or sometimes a family or class and may include more than a dozen different breeds and their mutts depending on who is counting.
Both the CDC and AVMA say there is no sufficiently reliable source for breed data related to dog attacks.
DogsBite.org literally states their objective is convincing people pit bulls are dangerous and claims they can reliably ID a breed from a photograph.
So go pound sand with that 'facts' horseshit.
Even if we wanted to ignore those problems and take it seriously as a source, it completely neglects the only relevant question of the proportion of dogs within a breed that attack. Without reliable information about the sizes of the populations of included breeds, the chart is useless.
Real research on this exists.
Weird, every researcher seems to use this same term.
Oh, those pesky """"facts""""! You don't like my sources, that's fine. I included 8 more in my other comment, starting with Wikipedia:
https://feddit.nl/comment/15554133
The only reputable org having a likely informed and less biased conversation about real research on that list is the AVMA which states in the link you posted:
Note that the emphasis was theirs.
While I suppose it is possible that one of those lawyers from the other links has done a responsible job of representing the facts and isn't just an ambulance chaser, you clearly didn't read your own sources, so I don't see any reason to waste my time on it either.
Jesus that's sad. Everyone holding your hand trying to walk you down this path of actually learning about how research and science is performed and how to look into a source and you still just decide to spew nonsense.
I hope you learn to walk on your own one day. Don't stop reading and looking into sources just because you found something you like. All of your shit is crappy research that the authors conclude is bad data. It's why the precious dogbite.org focuses on a 1970-99 cdc study, a media review study for statistics slaps forehead.
It's obvious this meme brought in a lot of people who love to classify "undesirables" and a few willing to put up with the misinformation to actually try and teach someone how to do proper research without just "believing" from a few misquoted or misguided articles. I saw at least one person doing the work and realized your links and claims were bullshit so something was accomplished I suppose.