Answer
Teresa:
I hate when people think pits should be band, ANY dog can be mean it is all on how they are raised. Pit bulls are not born thinking oh i am a pit bull i need to fight, i need to attack other dogs.
They don't know what the hell kind of dog they are all they know is how to bark whine, walk and poop everywhere. So no they should not be banned If they should be banned then so should stupid people.
Technically pit bulls were breeding to help catch big game for the hunters it wasn't until one of the kings got bored who was White that decided to start fighting them.
Warrent:
I am not a dog person, we are currently owned by a pair of wonderful Ocicats. I do know that in the U. S. pit bulls are among the breeds that are excluded from liability coverage under most insurance policies (my wife used to be a partner in an insurance agency).
I also know that pit bulls, which represent about five percent of the dogs in this country, are responsible for around sixty five percent of serious and fatal injuries to humans. There is just no way you can argue with these numbers.
If I made the rules, it would be illegal to have one in a home with children, and it would be illegal to breed them. All pit bulls should be spayed/neutered.
Sorry if I seem uncaring, but I am an engineer and thus a numbers person, and these numbers tell the story.
Emily:
I'm from the UK and pit bulls are banned here and they are banned for a reason. I have nothing against them, I have a Staffordshire bull terrier and get lots of horrible judgemental people getting confused between the breeds, I think the problem with pit bulls is the owners and the damage they can do, its in their breed to be dog aggressive, as long as this breed is in the right hands, they should not be banned
Dobermutt:
Here in the UK, they already are. Although, we're still lucky to have Staffordshire Bull Terriers which I've heard are considered Pit Bulls in the USA and therefore fall victim to the ban in some states.
Either way, banning them is entirely pointless. Despite them being illegal throughout our entire country, I see at least one every single day. It's the people that need educating. People need to be educated on how to bring up, socialize and train properly, in the right way and they need to learn to understand their dogs. The same goes for non-dog owners, they need to learn to understand dogs and how to behave around them to avoid any incidents.
Instead of banning breeds, proper licenses should be created so that it can be made sure that a person is going to be a suitable, responsible dog owner before they jump into dog ownership with no idea what they're doing.
Remi:
No they shouldn't, if they are brought up to fight they will fight, if they are brought up to be loving family pets that's what they will be. It's like saying all bull terriers should be banned, they were all bred to fight bulls years ago,to be aggressive,but if we train them in the correct way they are amazing dogs. In the 70's it was the Dobermans that were "dangerous" ,in the 80's it was the German Shepard (yes "police dogs"!!) in the 90's it was the Rottweiler, now it's the Pit Bull, when will we blame the people that make them aggressive?
I have 2 pit bulls, a 5 year old and 11 month old, and in no way are they aggressive dogs, because I don't use them as a weapon, I own them because I adore the breed and I think they are way misunderstood.
Pit bulls were once known as nanny dogs, because of how protective and caring they were of children. Humans buy pit bulls, over breed them, beat them, and make them fight, and people are seriously labelling all pit bulls dangerous because some have the misfortune of getting into the hands of a selfish cowardly person who want them for their amusement and who want them for money.
The people who discriminate all pit bulls, because of the actions of a few, need to go and educate themselves before labelling all pit bulls dangerous. Dogs are reflections of their owners.
More proof:
I could go on all day, but their will still be people thinking the know pit bulls inside out, yet they have never owned one or met one, just read about one in a newspaper lol.
Paul:
Banned? NO, I however don't like the breed, They are on the homeowner insurance industry "risky" dog list. I don't think they are very good looking dogs, I'm sure a Pit bull owner would see it differently. The following are considered risky dogs, which doesn't always fit, but that's how the insurance industry sees it.
1 Akita
2 Alaskan Malamute
3 Chow Chow
4 Doberman
5 German Shepherd
6 PITT BULL
7 Presa Canario
8 Rottweiller
9 Siberian Husky
10 Wolf hybrids
Verulam:
That's a no from me. Blame the deed, NOT the breed has always been my mantra. Yes they are one of the listed 'banned breeds' in the UK but all that has meant is people with Pit Bull bitches have bred them to Staffies or similar which has created a whole grey area and meant any dog remotely looking like a Pit Bull, is seized.
Sadly the Pit Bull, never meant to be aggressive to his handler, has been picked up by idiots looking for a dog to enhance their macho image and BYBs know this and breed for aggression. And this has led to a knee jerk reaction (on the part of the UK Government) who brought in a ban. Which frankly hasn't worked.
Any dog could be dangerous but obviously the bigger and stronger the dog, the worst injury it can do, if it comes to that. Ban this 'breed'? No. But if only breeders bred for temperament and conformation and made sure of the homes their puppies were going to. Fat chance!
Mugles:
They're banned in Bavaria where I currently live, though the effectiveness of said ban is questionable because some less-than-ethical vets will list a dog as some kind of mix in order to help the owner skirt the breed ban.
Bavaria bans several breeds of dog because they are "dangerous breeds," though that is not the case throughout Germany. Other dog breeds are listed in a separate category that requires, among other things, a temprament test by 18 months of age and additional considerations when transporting the dog on airplanes and trains.
Overall these regulations work only insofar as people self-report things (like providing the results of a temprament test to the city) and animal control does its job in a timely fashion. What I find strikingly different is the culture surrounding dog ownership in Germany.
You can take a dog virtually anywhere here, but there is a general expectation throughout Germany that it is the owner's responsibility to ensure the dog is well-socialized and at least well-trained in basic obedience.
Most people whose dog is not well-socialized or trained will not, for example, take the dog into a restaurant while they have dinner. That culture is quite different from what I've seen in the US.
Lakelady:
You're a little late to the party. Pit bull bans have been tried, were unsuccessful at reducing dog bite injuries and already 110 cities/counties have overturned their breed specific bans with more in the works, and 17 states have made laws or constitutional amendments to prohibit breed-specific bans within their borders.
In other words, it's been tried and was a huge fail. so..in answer to your question, no, pit bulls should not be banned.
