That's probably the worst I, Anonymous I've read. The kids were doing a way better job.

Okay, it sounds retarded but it's true. Cocker Spaniels and Labradors attack and bite more people per year than any other breed, but you only ever hear about pits. Pit Bulls have been trained and bred to be loyal to humans and to be animal aggressive. They are an incredibly powerful breed, but they really have to be taught to be aggressive toward people.

I've been attacked by a dog twice in my life. Both times were by pit bulls. I'd be totally skiddish if my neighbor had one.

A lab may bite, but labs don't kill. Pit bulls do--and they tend to kill kids. I wouldn't rent to someone that owned one of those damned dogs.

The rental market is very, very tight right now. My partner & I resident manage an apt. complex, and if the credit agency says you owe money to your last landlord and/or cannot prove your income, your application will be rejected. Doesn't matter if you have all the deposits and fees; some people view finding a rental like a purchase-can't I just buy my way in? Sure, discrimination happens, but in my experience people like to come up with scapegoat reasons when their credit is horrendous.

Pussy. Go walk your poodle in the park. Heh.

Any dog that attacks bites and draws blood should be destroyed PERIOD. I am an equal opportunity dog killer. Cats FOREVER!!!!!

I thought pit bull owners were required by law to live in south Tacoma, near Fort Lewis.

I detect a few characteristics of this person that have nothing to with his dog that might make him undesirable. These same characteristics make me think he might be in this "not me" mythical minority of pit bull owners who raise dangerous dogs.

that does piss me off. i've owned three pit bull mixes, and as long as you raise them like any other dog, they are perfectly normal. they are able to do more damage, but they aren't any more likely too.

I think you're right Fnarf.

Hahahaha -- you should totally publish that letter.

Even if what Carollani says is always true, I wouldn't want an animal aggressive dog in my neighborhood.

the reason more cocker spaniels and labs bite more people is because there are WAY MORE OF THEM. those are 2 of the most popular breeds in the country. and let's not forget that not all dog bites are equal - when is the last time you heard about someone being mauled to death by a cocker spaniel?

Hating a dog breed makes me racist?

Yeah, I've been bitten by pitbulls twice, both of which drew plenty of blood, one of which required a trip to the emergency room. It may be true that other dogs bite more often but most other dogs don't have jaws like a goddamn alligator so that the tiniest nip opens a vein. In both cases the dogs belonged to friends (who paid my medical bills) and I didn't wish to report their dogs as dangerous animals because that would have amounted to me having their family dog put down. But if there's ever a next time that's exactly what I would do.

Owners always forget that their dogs behave very differently towards them than they do towards strangers. Your dog seems sweet and gentle to you because it regards you as its alpha and it is being submissive.

Prospective renters may be worried about liability more than anything.

I know there are sweet pits out there, unfortunately for them, there are too many agressive ones making them look bad. Sure, a cocker spaniel or lab can bite, too. But you're less-likely to be MAULED by one of those breeds and require surgery or worse, be killed. I'd rather have a few stitches in my hand than reconstrcutive surgery.

It's a simple fact: Pitbulls can lock their jaws, labs can't. Meaning the pitbull can hold on as long as he wants, no matter how hard you try to beat it off of you.

Get them together and they're going to be even more violent because of the pack mentality. I tried adopting a pit but she just wouldn't calm down. She had previously had bad experinces with men. So anytime a guy came around her she became extremely violent.

Just last year, my friend was making a delivery to a house he'd always delivered to (Schwann's delivery guy) and was attacked by two pits that were in the yard. The owner was in the back of the house and didn't hear the commotion until my friend had beat the crap out of the dogs and finally made it into his delivery truck. This was north of Arlington. He was out there for about 30 minutes, middle of nowhere, no help in site. The ONLY reason why he was able to survive that attack is that he is a 3rd degree martial artist. So he had the stamina and the skill. But everytime those dogs saw him trying to break away to open his truck door, the bit down harder.

He ended up needed major extensive surgery in his legs and hands where they took chunks from him.

And guess what? It never made it to the news. I don't even know if those dogs were ever put down. So yeah, pits are dangerous. If you have kids, you shouldn't have a pitbull. If you do and something happens to that kid then YOU are at fault for being an irresponsible parent/owner.

He never said hating pit bulls makes you a racist, he only implied it's the same mechanism in your mind that makes you hate them.
They are reportedly baby killers, so people cross the street w/ their strollers when they encounter one.
Young black males are reportedly violent, so people cross the street when they encounter one.

There are statistics to back up both actions, but the fact that you let statistics determine your actions and who/what you hate makes racism and pit bullism the same reflex.

@7 - I love cats too, but if I put every kitty down that drew blood on me too, there'd be a lot of dead cats.

I have never been bitten by a dog (knock on wood!!), but I don't think I'd want it killed. I suppose it depends on the seriousness of the attack, though. When people let their dogs loose and the dog ends up hunting a person down and tearing him or her to shreds, yeah the animal should be put down. But ultimately, people need to be almost as vigilant with their animals as they are with their kids. Don't let them run loose, keep 'em fed and sheltered properly, and if you aren't responsible enough to take care of them, then for god's sake, don't bring them into your life!

The reasons for problems with dogs can virtually always be laid at the feet of the owner. It's all about establishing heirarchy with pack animals.

I was inclined to agree with the rest of ya'll and say it's foolish to rent an apartment to an aggressive prick and his killer dog. But then he stung me with this undeniable bit of logic: "Better yet, why don’t you fuck your grandmother?" Now I've reconsidered! He's right, you know!

Thank you for that, Gurldoggie.

@15 - the pit bull "lock jaw" claim is a myth.

http://www.dogwatch.net/myths/lock_jaw.html

And yes, adopting a pit is a bad idea, simply because there are people out there who specifically raise them to be as aggressive and violent as possible. But a pit raised properly from birth will not show that kind of aggression.

FS, you need to get your "facts" straight. Pit bulls do NOT Have locking jaws. That is a myth!

http://www.dogwatch.net/myths/lock_jaw.html

Are you even sure that the dogs who attacked your friend were pit bulls? Do you even know what a pit bull looks like? Take a look at this and let me know how you did.

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

Parents should be careful leaving their dogs, any dogs, left alone with their kids anyway. I have a pit bull/boxer mix and even though he's extremely docile and sweet and loves our cats, we don't leave him alone with them because I could never forgive myself if something happened. It's precautionary. I also don't leave my dog alone outside or in a car for the same reasons I wouldn't leave a child alone outside or in a car. You never know what might happen and it's best to just be practice preventative measures. I'm more worried about someone hurting my dog than I am about him hurting anyone, but either way it's not a risk I'm willing to take.

Please do some research on the internet and get your "facts" checked before you continue spreading the fear.

pits don't need to lock their jaws.

their jaws are about twice as big as other dogs in the same weight range.

why is it that, outside of the dog-rescue people, the only pits i see are owned by young men i would characterize as "macho dickheads"?

i once read a description of the typical staffordshire terrier (basically a mini-pit, a dog i WOULD own - it only weighs 25 lbs.) owner as "men who like to bask in its reflected athletic glory".

I’m even willing to pay your fucking ridiculous pet deposits and rent surcharges. I feel very sorry for you and your narrow mind. You are probably the type that operates on propaganda and stereotypes exclusively, aren’t you?

Oh, boo-hoo. The landlord has *no* way of knowing what your precious Fido or Spot or Rex is like. But all dogs are a risk and liability, and even if you as an owner think that Fluffy is sweet and well-trained, that's not a guarantee that an owner can take at face value. Even the most well-mannered of dogs can still do property damage and/or injure someone.

In case you didn’t realize, this is one of the most dog-friendly cities in this country and believe it or not, a select few of us are just insane enough to love these breeds and help fight the prejudices that surround them.

Admittedly, we are in a state and city that is dumb enough to entertain the notion of allowing dogs in bars. But if you're writing a letter like this, pal, you really are insane. Chill out and relax.

All dogs in the city suck. Do you think they're excited to be locked up all day while you're at work? Or to go for a slow walk for a leash? Yeah, they seem excited. It's Stockholm syndrome. A neighboring building allows dogs. They're once beautiful lawn is now a collection of yellow spots and the constant barking of lonely dogs fills the air. Also, love that smell of dog shit. Dear Anonymous, if you love your dog, move to a cave in the forest.

if the problem with pit bulls are the owners, why is it the owners of pitbulls almost always suck?

BA...

Don't you know? The reason the owners suck is because they are either Black or Mexican. Brutal and savage races, both of them. At least according to the sentiments of some SLOG posters.

I see mostly white people owning pitbulls around here.

BA..

Because you only see white.

You need to embrace diversity, not run from it. For example, it is totally OK and acceptable for you to fantasize about pre-pubecents while masturbating in puppy blood. It is just another form of self expression.

I hate hearing the "pitbulls are missunderstood, you people are ignorant" arguments. If not image, then what the fuck attracted you to them?

I've know plenty of sweet "pitbulls" in my life, and some no-so-sweet, but just the same, what landlord wants to deal with a tenant like this?

Human ethinicity and dog breeds should never be compared. It's idiotic.

I own a pit/lab mix. Sweetest dog I've ever seen.

But, i don't treat her any different than i would any other dog--she's never left alone in the yard, she's never off-leash (except to relieve herself in the backyard, where i keep a constant watch, or the occasional trip to the dog park). While in public, i pay more attention to her than i do the people i'm with, etc. The only thing i do special because i'm a pit owner is to be super-anal about making sure i do everything right and legal--tags, vet visits, vigilance, training, whatever. I know if anything happens it's my fault, so it's my job to make sure nothing happens. I was also very careful to get a dog (maybe 4 months of research) with a completely known history--i'd be afraid to get one from a shelter without knowing what the previous owners were like. That would go for most dogs though. People who visit my house know that i have a pit, and i make a point of telling them how to approach the dog--wait until she's calm, turn away from her if she tries to jump up, etc.

I was attracted to the breed partially because they are misunderstood. Can't explain that, but i like proving people wrong perhaps.

In doing my research, i found that pits are no more likely to attack than any other breed, but are more likely to cause serious damage if they do. There was also a report of a pomeranian that killed, which i find fascinating somehow.

Finally, i've found that most people don't know how to approach dogs, but think they do. My neighbors, who have had dogs their whole lives, told their 4-year old neice to wait until my dog was standing with her tail wagging, then hold out her hand for the dog to sniff. they called this making friends. i call it stupid.

The only vicious thing i've seen about my dog so far is her gas--she can blister paint at a good thirty paces.

I agree with the anonymous dog owner, though I would extend it to include class. Pit bulls are generally thought of as fighting dogs the lower classes and blacks breed and train for viciousness. They're seen as a kind of extension of underclass thug culture. It's a stereotype as meaningless as ones based on race. Like human thugs, violent pit bulls are socialized for violence. It's not genes that make gangbangers and white trash violent, but their upbringing. Same with the dogs. But like blacks and poor whites, they're stereotyped. Much in the same way yuppie NIMBYs are scared of poor blacks and homeless people, they're scared of pitbulls. And much in the same way Lou Dobbs employs anecdotal evidence to generalize about Mexican immigrants, people scared of pit bulls dig up anecdotal evidence to generalize about the dogs- see Savage's post. Completely irrational.

Or another analogy to make things relevant (to add to the Dobbs one above), using anecdotal evidence to demonize a dog is the tactic someone like O'Reilly would use to demonize gays or liberals. Anytime some gay dude or liberal does something bad, O'Reilly will present it as anecdotal evidence of a wider systemic problem with the gay community or liberals.

Sound like a stretch? It's precisely the kind of shit the anti-put bull crowd pulls when making their "case" against the dogs.