Why do people talk so badly about Pit Bulls?

If you want to look at temperament then you should know that the ATTS- American Temperament Test Society- shows that 85.3% of Pits passed the temperament test. Some of the lower scoring dogs were the Basenji (67.5%) Bearded Collie (53.3%) English Foxhound (66.7%) Lhasa Apso- a very common small lap dog (69.2%) Patterdale Terrier (66.7%) Scottish Terrier (63.6%) Skye Terrier (37.5%) Shetland Sheepdog (67.4%) Feist (50%) Walker Coonhound (62.5%). In all actuality- dogs that are considered dangerous breeds, really don't seem so dangerous anymore.Top Ten So-Called Dangerous Breeds-10. Dalmation 81.9%9. Boxer 83.6%8. Presa Canario 89.3%7. Chow Chow 71.3%6. Doberman Pinscher 74.4%5. Alaskan Malamute 84.4%4. Husky 86.8%3.German Shepard 83.7%2. Rottweiler 83.0%1. Pit Bull 85.3%These percentages are the percentage of dogs who PASSED the temperament test. I think America really needs to reanalyze some on their prejudices against Pit Bulls.It is also more likely that a Chihuahua will bite you than a Mastiff- so even though a Mastiff could injure you, you are still more likely to be bitten my a Chi or a Lhasa Apso- and I love Chihuahua's don't get me wrong, but they are by far some of the meanest most instigating dogs. I know I own one. And he picks fights with my Pit all the time.

they have such a bad reputation due to there use in dog fighting and use by drug dealers for protection. the temperment is bred into some in order to win pit fights and altough the percent is smaller the perception is still around

because they ae ill informed

Because of the media plain and simple. The only thing you see on the news is "Pit Bull kills child", "Pit Bull kills owner", "Pit Bull attacks neighbor", etc.. so people automatically assume Pit Bulls are vicious killing machines. You NEVER see "Pit Bull becomes therapy dog" or "Pit Bull becomes police k-9" because that is NOT what people want to read or hear. Soon this Pit Bull hype will all be over and the media will move on to another breed... Think of past "killer dog breeds" German Shepherds, Rottweilers, etc. were all part of the medias news stories. You can't change some ones opinion, but you can try. People will come up with all types of excuses for that temperament test "it was fixed", "it's wrong", etc...Also, since there are so many American Pit Bull Terriers being bred now that they became so popular, there are a lot of genetic issues causing these dogs to become unstable and aggressive since people are no longer breeding for quality, they are breeding for quantity.

In a short answer it's because their minds have been diluted by what the media has painted the breed to be.

1. My experience with dogs (volunteer dog socializer at humane society) differs from the scores on a few of those - specifically, Presa Canarios and Chows.2. I DO agree about Pit Bulls - the vast majority of them are wonderful, affectionate, people-lovers.3. You are mixing two different things: temperament and dangerousness. A nasty, ill-tempered Lhasa Apso might bite you, but it's very unlikely that the injuries will be life-threatening. A nasty, ill-tempered Presa Canario could easily tear your face off. A nasty Chihuahua may bite you .... but a nasty Mastiff may permanently disable you.

I don't mean to be rude, but why are people still asking these kinds of questions? It's firstly because of idiotic people who breed temperamentally unstable and unsound dogs. Then, more idiots purchase them without knowledge of the breed or its needs. They don't understand when their dog shows aggressive tendencies, and try to "love" it out of them. It doesn't work that way. The only reason why people hear more about "pit bulls" attacking, is because there are more of them! Plus, there has been an increase in popularity of crap bred mongrels called American Bullies. Most people think that these dogs are purebred American Pit Bull Terriers, and truth be told, they are the cause of the majority of "pit bull" attacks. In all honesty, there is no such breed as "pit bull", it is a type that describes 10+ breeds and mixes. That's another problem. A lot of mutts fit the vague description of a "pit bull", so they are being labled as "pit bulls", and that is why people say that statistically "pit bulls" are the cause of most dog attacks. It's inaccurate and flawed. Most people can not properly identify a purebred American Pit Bull Terrier.

because some people make them look bad with animal abuse which causes them to be aggressive sometimes and dog fighting...its sad. there really nice dogs.

OMG I LOVE YOU!meaning that im sick of people saying pitts are evil and blah blah blah. the only reason why ppl are so afraid of them is because back in the days where gambeling on animals lives were legal, they used the pit to fight because they are strong and loyal- they litterly do anything to please their masters. I think chihuahua's are more aggressive and evil; they just lack the size to do much harm. the freaking media also makes them seem eviler because they only post pitt and large dog attacks to make others fear them. I would trust a pitt with my new born baby over a chihuahua. i had a rescued pit that was in illegial dog fights in one of my dog classes and she was the sweetest thing. and when going on "rehab" walks she would let other dogs just beat her around and bark or growl at her and she would just sit there and take it or go to her owner and sit down ever so sweetly. ahh what a gorgeous dog that was. the lady's landlord was amazed when the dogs owner gave her my seal of approval.. i love pitts. its funny that i get more pitts in my classes because their owners are afraid and want them to be good, when they are already good dogs.I love pittbulls!!!!!

I think everyone in this section is fully aware of the APBT and they know they have a bad reputation. We've also seen those percentages more than a few times...Bad breeding and irresponsible ownership is to thank for this. We have people who ultimately shouldn't be breeding these dogs, and are breeding them to be aggressive or basically totally off base from the original temperament. Then you have to deal with idiotic owners who don't want to half train there dogs and when they get tired of it, they throw the dog in the backyard. No socialization/no training. Nothing.. As far as comparing a Chihuahua and a Mastiff, it isn't exactly a fair comparison. Yes, a Chihuahua may be more prone to bite you, but you are forgetting the fact that the Mastiff is 3x bigger than a Chihuahua, and if an ill tempered, poorly trained Mastiff decides to bite you, it may permanently scar you.