Must say if I was walking down the road with my dogs, saw one person coming with a Patterdale, and one with a pit bull type, I would worry more about the Patterdale .

Sorry patterdale owners, they are lovely dogs but they do seem to have more of the terrier spirit then a lot of the bull breeds I see, but more people seem to worry more about bull breeds by just glance, its a shame though as all dogs can be lovely, but many are just not given the time of day .

Doggie is as owner does...
So no, pitbulls are not any more dangerous than any other type of dog!
They just happen to have a stronger jaw and sharper teeth than most dogs and in the exceptional occasion that one would bite a human, the result happens to be more severe (same thing with rotties by the way).

On personality basis, they're awesome! One of Ziggy's best playmates is a pitbull (they're not banned here yet, thank god!) and he's a very trustworthy, obedient companion for his owner. They're a very smart and indeed quite sensitive breed, which is probably one of the reasons why they're not ideal for uncommitted and or first time owners. I'd like to have a pitbull mix someday in our family, just to prove that they are wonderful dogs and shouldn't be judged by their cover!

Banning pitbulls is stupid by the way, instead they should ban people from getting puppies without thinking it through
Instead of banning them, they should invent something like a 'dog license', then not nearly as much macho men would get a pitbull or another large dog on a whim, just because it's "cool".

they can be dangerous if the owner does not train the dog properly,as can any breed of dog. Pitbulls and staffys make good headlines if they behave badly.

I used to be like that too until I gave myself the honest chance to get to know a few pits...

You must realize, in a way you're already preparing your dogs to be anxious before they had a chance to sniff each other's rear end if you immediately put them on the leash (and if you're fearful, they know...)
At the risk of sounding like CM, all dogs if trained well are dog first and breed later. Treat them like a dog and they will be dog, treat them like a criminal or villain and you might get just that...

Seriously, the only dog breed I'm not fond of are dobermanns, and that's not because I think they're agressive... I just don't like their nose up my crotch!

The rest... every dog is different and each one has its needs, characteristics and little quirks. As long as you make sure you meet a dog's specific needs (by which I do not mean only food & drink, but also walks, training, love and a routine which suits the dog) and you're able to gain his trust, then he will be a lovely companion, pitbull or no pitbull...

In South Africa where I live the breed is not banned nor do we have any kind of DDA - statistics appear to show that they bite and attack no more and no less than any other breed. However if a Labbie mauls someone it never seems to make the news - but if a Pit Bull does - it is splashed over every tv station and newspaper.

My logic tells me to blame the deed not the breed!

However - the problem does not simply lie there. As they were genetically engineered to kill other dogs in pit fights - many of the normal dog communciation signals have been bred out of them. If someone wants a dog to fight for greed etc - it would put the dog at a disadvantage if the opponant dog was warned first. Oh the cruel intentions of man and of course a horrific practice!

In addition - you cant undo over a hundred years of genetic selection!

My problem is that 364 days of the year the Pittie is the most delightful, darling "nanny dog" as the Americans call them. The dodgy part is that on that "one" day - if it ever goes wrong - it goes dramatically badly wrong.
And therein is the problem!

This supurb athletic breed has the quickest arousal level I think there is! I have seen them go from fully relaxed state to 101% over the top arrousal in under a second - and that is where the problem lies.

However having said that we accept them in our early puppy education group, and our training classes - and no we dont make them wear muzzles etc. All training is achieved through positive reinforcement only and I must be honest I have never been bitten by one (little fluffies have given me the most bites lol!)

We are of course careful and always aware of the breed charactaristics and ensure that the ENVIRONMENT is managed - NEVER putting them in a position as far as humanly possible where they have an oppportunity to learn the wrong things. Most importantly we try to ensure each individuals triggers and "critcal" distances.

So can honestly say having worked with dozens in the past decade or so (prior to that they were not seen here) dont find them a problem in our controlled environment.

Our main problem with the owners is that they tend to own other high drive dogs and often end up having to separate them permanently and (big surprise) they generally dont get on with their owners fluffy yorkies or daxies - and I am always hugely concerned that the little fluffies could end up as hamburger patties ......

could not have put it any better,well explained.

Overall, I do not think Pittbulls are dangerous.

The person on the other end of the lead is.

Yes, they have powerful jaws, in fact, their head is as large as it is for the large muscles it has on its jaws.

In the right hands, it is the most loyal, loving and gentle dog.

Unless they are trained, neglected or psychologically disturbed, they would not be as aggressive as the ones bred for guarding and pitt fighting ones are.

WE HUMANS have created a beautiful, loving creature, into a jekyll and hyde dog.

From Today's News...................

Dogs Kill Woman.

Margaret Salcedo, 48, was mauled to death by four pitbulls that escaped from a yard near Albuquerque, New Mexico, US.

4 medium to large dogs of ANY breed could of been capable...your point is?

Other reports said "pit bull mixes" which means four medium to large size dogs with short hair. Don't always buy into the media hype. When it comes to mixed breed dogs, who knows WHAT they are. It's ridiculous for the media to call every single dog who attacks and has short hair a "pit bull."