It’s not the owner (although pretty often the owner doesn’t help matters), it’s the breed. I sincerely don’t know how many children have to be eaten by these monsters before everyone wakes up to the reality of these dogs. They have bloodsport fighting genetics hard wired into their brains, the same way you can’t stop a pointer from pointing or a herding dog from herding. They are the most impulsive breed, and they turn even on kind and loving owners all the time. Pit bull owners will flock to the comments to gaslight everyone about what wonderful dogs they are and how they must have been triggered by the child breathing or blinking and it’s not the dog’s fault. I’m attaching an image of such an argument I saw today.
I think many pit bull owners secretly like owning a killer dog, and just have some sort of oppositional defiance that makes them want to prove to everyone how wonderful their dog is, and until the dog turns on them will defend them to insane degrees. I think they like seeing people and pets and livestock get hurt or killed. I understand some people get caught up in romantic thoughts shaped by publications like The Dodo of helping a poor abused dog become a wonderful pet, and I totally understand wanting to help, and this isn’t their fault, but stark reality sets in quickly when they bring the dog home and it promptly tears apart their cat.
The Bennard family is a prime example, they are middle class people who lovingly raised their pits from puppies, and when they were 8 years old one day the dogs killed their baby and toddler and hospitalized the mom in the ICU. Pieces of that baby were everywhere. Apparently the reason was because the toddler picked up the ball the mom was throwing for the dogs, but she had had to break up a very vicious fight between the dogs shortly before. For that two innocent children lost their lives, from family pets who were lovingly raised.
I know what many of the comments here will be like, but I stand convinced that not one of these dogs is safe simply because of genetics. They are doing what they are bred for, and it’s high past time people get realistic about them.
I have known friendly ones and mean dogs of other breeds. That being said different breeds have different inclinations and physical capabilities because they have been bred that way. Golden retrievers were bred to patiently wait, then retrieve something they want to eat on demand, and give it up even though they would like to eat it. So they tend to be obedient and smart and further have mouths that can hold something without damaging it. For whatever reason they tend to be super friendly with just about everything. Im lazy so this is my prefered breed. Its just easier to train. I have a friend who has trained all sorts of breeds and no matter the breed they are spectacular dogs, but the amount of time they have to train is different for different breeds. Again im lazy. I mean I swear I barely have to do training with goldens. They pick up things so quickly it does not even feel like training. Anyway I will upvote as I certainly disagree but I likely fall into a central view on this issue.