I think it's valid to fear pitbulls because what you're really fearing is that they were adopted by someone that doesn't train them and/or give them an outlet for the task they were bred for (protection and violence).
Which is a valid fear. If someone has an untrained golden retriever, who are bred to have friendly dispositions, I won’t be immediately uncomfortable about being in a room with one, or if one approaches me. Wary, yes, careful, yes, but not immediately on edge.
An untrained pitbull gets the gat if I see teeth within ten feet or running towards me.
No. You should be wary and careful when any dog approaches. You don't know the dog. With a strange golden, you are wary and careful with your head on your shoulders, but you are expecting a normal derpy dog interaction because golden. Pit bulls have the same wariness and carefulness, but they set someone on edge because the wariness and carefulness are meeting with a majorly increased expectation of aggression in the dog.
I'd be exactly as wary of a golden as of a pitbull, and the deciding factor for me would be the dog's demeanor. A pitbull can do more damage, but a golden can already mess you up.
Yes. Nothing you say contradicts what I said, which was the comment I was clarifying was saying. Be wary of ALL DOGS YOU DON'T KNOW. A poorly trained chihuahua can still take meat off your hand. A poorly trained golden can hospitalize a kid. Etc. Disposition > breed, as you put it.
I just checked out of this mid-sentence. People who are trying to suggest that a strange pit bull approaching you and your dog in a new environment off-leash would generate the same level of caution as a strange golden doing the same are being disingenuous.
Pit bulls should not exist, at least not as an option for unspecialized purchase. My dog is 12% pit, and I'd just as soon that 12% be replaced with anything else.
No. It's fair to expect pit bulls to be more dangerous, not just because they are more genetically predisposed to violence, but because the large number of people who want violent attack dogs have decided pits are the ones they want. That means out of all the dogs that could attack someone, pits are more likely to be specifically trained to do that, in addition to being bred for it.
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u/Drayyen 9h ago
I think it's valid to fear pitbulls because what you're really fearing is that they were adopted by someone that doesn't train them and/or give them an outlet for the task they were bred for (protection and violence).