I've never been bit by a dog, Lenore, but statistics, like the ones I posted already, don't lie.
Pit Bulls' killer instinct is not a result of their being mistreated. Mistreatment is not a genetically reproduced event.
People live with Bobcats, and other wild cats, too. Those animals will always be "wild" and cannot be allowed to live as a "tame" cat. They require a certain behavior of the owners, and owners of them cannot demand the same kind of behavior of non-owners.
In other words: If you own an animal with killer instincts, you cannot demand that others live with the animal. It has to be in a controlled environment - LIKE A CAGE.
Hi MoonFlower: I can understand where you are coming from. Yes if you breed a dog or any animal to be aggressive & vicious it should be kept away from innocents.
But have you ever studied how the different breeds came about, or how bigger breeds were made into the toys that are around now.
It because people have genetically alert them, by breeding particular characteristics that they wanted or didnt want into the animal. It takes several generation to get the characteristics to get the particular goal in mind.
But that is human breeding these animals to get what they want.
Pit Bull are not a natural breed of dog. They were breed by adding and subtracting different characteristics of existing breeds of dog in the beginning.
Most breeds of dogs are products of specific breeding techniques until they are recognized as the breeds they are today.
Pit Bull is a genetically created breed. Why do you think some of them are gentle and some of them are deadly killers. Because of generational specific characteristic breeding.
That is why some become Guard Dogs, Some become Fighter Dog,but with responsible breeding they have become gentle animals. But unfortunately, since we dont know which is which, you have to ask the owner if it is friendly enough to pet.
To compare a Dog with a wild animal who has not been genetically altered down through the generations, is not really a fair comparsion. Those wild animals who have not had human contact from is reacting from instinct, from what God has given them to survive.
Like the farm animals who have been domesticated, like the cow, where a farmer can milk, herd, care for those animals, because that animal has learn to trust this farmer. Yet the farmer knows that a cow can turn dangerous in certain circumstances.
Barn cats who have never has human contact to make them family pets are wild and untameable , and will scratch the skin right off you. Yet Cats are great pets, gentle, loving and independent.
Like humans who are vicious, dangerous, out of control, these animals need to be cage and put away because they are a danger to society. But you dont paint all humans with the same brush .
So like the PitBull and other dogs where have been breed and under human care, shouldnt be painted by the same brush.
I think each animal whatever the breed should be judged on its own merit, not because it belongs to a specific breed. Its that profiling and sterotyping, even though it is only a dog. But there can be human ratification in all of this. Like a person who rides a motor cycle, and wears leather is a Hell's Angel criminal. That is profiling and sterotyping all people who rides a motorcycle and wears leather.
Dont forget there are feral animals, including dogs, these are the most dangerous of all. Because they have either been abandoned or ran away, and have hooked up with other dogs to form a pack, and have gone back to the wild nature, to survive. A dog who doesnt have a pack and on the loose, have no chain of command in that pack to take order, ie. the human pack family, where the Alpha leader is responsible for the care and direction behaviour within that pack.
A dog who wants and is the Alpha Leader of its own pack, can be a very dangerous animal, because they become territorial and will exercise that power of the Alpha.
Well that enough for now, I thank you for the conversation, and the topic.
I bide you Happy Lord's Day. I hope you will have a wonderful time in the HOuse of the Lord, and am to glean from the message that God has for you today. May the seeds of his word, be a time of growth in your life.
Lenore