I think I used the wrong word here, it's *breed, not species, lol xD Sorry, I'm not native.

I've never met a Pittie from a loving dog owner that bothered to train them that was anything but a total sweetheart. I have met plenty of small dogs that are from similar homes that are proper terrors. You got it right when you said status symbol, so many people will get any kind of pet because its "cool" without learning how to care for them. Happens in the aquarium industry, reptile and bird pet trade and worst of all with large animals like dogs, that can be a serious threat to people. Irresponsible pet owners who treat animals like a fashion statement are infuriating. I worked in the pet industry for 8 years and people like that are why I left, it was unfortunately all too common to see.

Seriously!! My family used to rescue pitties for years and they are the most loving doggos ever if they're not abused. They were also more often than not total scaredycats.

That's just it. If wannabe gangsters would be drawn to any other breed the statistics would be very different. Add to that the fact that if the yellow press writes about a attack they often use pictures of a random Pit/Staff/Rotti which sways the public against the breeds.

They are actually not the most abused. I think that statistic often gets mashed up with "most aggressive" and passed around as a fact. It would seem so, but generally most "toy" breeds would be #1 on that list. While pitties tend to get more media attention, thousands of toy breeds live their entire lives in deplorable conditions, pumping out litter after litter until they die so that pet stores & internet a******s can sell them for $$$ Because I have a mobile vet clinic, I often get called upon by my & surrounding cities when the local Animal Services conducts a raid. Sometimes those visits break me to the point where I am sobbing as I am carrying out animals. No doubt there are a lot of mistreated Pit Bulls out there, though.

Nah, not small-dicked, rather dickless and born with less brain mass than the dogs they beat and kick until they surrender...this issue really drives me mad but I can't carry around a baseball bat with a fancy barbed wire coating everywhere I go...👀

My neighbor has one that has been so horribly mistreated that she’s terrified of other dogs. She’s the sweetest baby and it hurts my heart when I hear her freak out around another dog.

Like the poster said, if a Chihuahua bites you, you might need a band aid. If a pit bull bites you, you might need a hospital....or a coffin

The best dog I ever had was the Amstaff/Pitbull mix we rescued. Such a sweetheart! My little couchpillow, if you just looked at a blanket he would hurry up and lay with you on the coucb. ❤️ I miss him so much

Our beautiful girl was used for breeding, scars, broken tail, night terrors. Sweetest creature I have ever met.

The majority of owners of this breed want a "tough" dog, so they abuse them as well.

As long as pitbulls are in loving, and stable homes they are huge cuddle boys and girls. Ours thinks she is a lap dog she weighs 90lbs.

Bit bulls are not a “species” domestic dogs are all one species. Pit bulls are a breed.

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Pit bulls were MADE for the exclusive purpose of bull baiting and then dog fighting. Those are the sole reasons they were bred. Any “job” one says a pit bull is good for can be done better by a safer dog. Period. The breed needs to have mandates to be be fixed and not allowed to be bred until it dies out (no, I am not advocating for people to have their pets ripped from their homes and destroyed, just that they are fixed and not allowed to breed).

That's one part (looking at the 3 Malteses that terrorize our neighbourhood). The other is, that a lot small breeds are underestimated hunting dogs. A granny that does not work her dog should never own a Jack Russel or Dachshound and yet a lot of them do.

I think that the other reason is that many small dog owners don't put in the time to properly train or socialize their dogs. I had a client who had a mini Airedale who would bark like a lunatic every time I came over. Then he passed and she got another one and it acted the same. Why? She would always pick the dog up when encountering people. The dogs never learned to resolve anything on their own. I find that many people get small dogs because they think of them more as cats and then don't train them. At all. I once met a teacup poodle that was owned by a professional trainer. She wa awesome and would follow every one of her instructions. She was like a remote control dog. Truly amazing. TL:DR- train your dogs people!

It's also because people treat chihuahuas like toys instead of dogs. Dont exercise them properly, feed them human junk food, put them in uncomfortable clothes, squeeze and hug them. They are unhappy and eventually snap

Yes and no. Yes there are absolute monsters out there. But my sister in law has a male pit-mix dog. Biggest baby and lap dog ever, loves her kids and my kids. BUT if anyone comes in that house when his people aren't there, he WILL protect his home and if fully capable of sending someone to the hospital if he wanted. He's a spoiled baby, but is still bred with the protective instinct.

I've heard too many stories from people who make statements like that who later have a story to tell about this pit that was so nice and never abused and then just snapped one day.

While I agree with your point, I would not use this chart. It's a poor example. That is not what the average purebred, show quality American Pit Bull Terrier looks like. Most likely some sort of cross. Not sure where you got this, but it's a misleading chart that is too easy to tear apart if you're a pit bull critic.

I have a Bull Terrier and people ask if he is a Pit Bull. Screenshot...8c806b.jpg

They are bred to fight and kill... Fighting-dogs have been selected and bred based on fearlessness, aggression, strength and etc for hundreds of years. It's a dangerous dog. There are certainly bad owners and also really good owners who can handle a fighting-dog. But there is no need for these breeds outside military use when we know how dangerous they are.

The only dog that ever attacked me was a pit bull.

https://www.emeraldlife.co.uk/pet-insurance/cocker-rage/ not saying he had cocker spaniel rage but it might be