can i also just point out that we are only "seeing" reports of what the media choose to report - so a pit bull story is far more interesting than a family lab turning isnt it ? this has always been the case and in a way is what helps to give rise to the chav mentality of desirability of these breeds

I agree, it's the breed that the media latch onto. After all how many of you are aware of two poodles who were kept in a secret location under the DDA? They have been released now fortunately but they were in kennels for months, without being groomed as well!
Becky

i'm not entirely sure i can vouch for the press, but if a lab caused a fatality im sure it would be reported in the papers... berhaps for a different reason, but i'm sure it'd get coverage all the same...

yes it would get cover

my point though is more that a labxterrier for example would be described as a pitbull in the media - whereas its not its a labx.
thats why statistics dont mean much at all. There are loads of instances where media have reported the dogs of pitbull type when in fact they could range from a lab to a mastiff to a unspecified terrier. Most people cant even identify a true pitbull, certainly not in this country anyway.
I get people telling me that bruno is a pitbull all the time......just cos he is a big staffie.

its hype not facts

I've only had one staffy who was not representative of the breed I'm sure, being mentally unstable and unreliable - so maybe someone more experienced with bull breeds can answer a question?

I've always thought that the attribute bred into the bull breeds was gameness, not aggression. I thought that the aggression was due to lack of socialisation rather than bred into them. Is that the case?

My Parson Russell Winston was 'identified' as a Staffy, Staffy cross, crossbreed and a Dalmatian! And some of those doing the indentifying were heavily involved in the dog world!
Becky

Yes ALL serious dog attacks get press cover, but sadly many of the severe ones are caused by the same type of Dog! Regardless of whether a dog has kc papers or not, the case is usually that the dog is a PB, or that type of dog. Many SBTs are a far cry from what they SHOULD look like, yet owners get offended when they say they look like PB! Many are huge, coarse ugly dogs totally untypical which is why they are called PB's, yet none of these people are happy about having their dogs compared to them but are happy to defend them!


Can you prove that to me Dani? Or can you disprove that these dogs are in fact PB's? Or can you prove that these dogs are NOT PB's?

What do you mean by 'that type' pls
We hear that term in the press but i thought it was their way of muddying waters rather than it being a proper term.

Thx.

my font of knowledge (and utter crap)...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_bull

as Mahooli pointed out, those in the dog world can sometimes have problems identifying a breed, so god help the police force in enforcing a ban!

I know you shouldnt tar all Pittbulls with same brush,but the public does have the right to go about their business without fear of being attacked.Sometimes decisions are made for the greater good of everybody.