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Why do certain breeds of dogs (Pit Bull, Chow, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, etc) have such a bad reputation?

my american pitbull terrier is a very sweet well tempered 5yr old dog. but just the same, i don't allow any dogs (even my own) to be alone with any children (even children who are familiar to him). never *ever* trust an animal to be unsupervised with children. it's irresponsible. those attacks happened b/c the dog was allowed to be unsupervised with the children (example: the baby asleep on the bed? why was the dog allowed to go in that room anyway?) i could very well make the same generalization about jack russels. they are wild, rambunctious, and one of their bites could easily kill a child. i know this b/c one bit my 30yr SIL and literally left a hole in her chin. she had to have reconstructive plastic surgery. we've got the pictures and court documents to prove it. her plastic surgeon happened to own a couple jack russels and he said it was going for her jugular vein, trying to kill her. b/c that's what animals do when they attack. it was instinct. i could also generalize that all lhasa apsos are psychotic b/c my SIL dog as well as my childhood friend's dog both were very ill-tempered, easily bit, terrorized kids, snatched food off the table, etc, etc. i will not let my kids anywhere near my SIL dog, not b/c of her breed, but b/c of her temperament. she was raised to play too rough and now does not know to play gently with kids. BUT i know that all dogs have their own personalities. ***lumping them into generalized stereotypes is as stupid as racism*** and MOST bites could have been prevented if the owner/handler had control of the dog and if the "victim" had respected the dog properly. ***the real victim is the dog.*** I rescued my pit and his brother (Marus and Arillus) when they were 6months old. we think they were abused as pups, they took a while to warm up to us. Arillus passed away due to an accident, Marus is now 5yrs old and the sweetest, most loving protector. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=At9GF3cQslVHzsdAXlsVROHsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090814042826AAb5Wvc&show=7#profile-info-s8VgyzE2aa

Public Comments

1. Honestly, they scare me. I used to be chased every day on my walk home from school by a rott. I hear too many horror stories on the news about pits. It's just a personal fear I have. Nothing against the owners or people who think differently than me.
2. The reason they have such a bad rep is because of the owners. The owners trained those dogs to be aggressive. Also, the temperament of the dog reflects that of the owner. If the owner is more aggressive and aggressive to the dog, the dog will be aggressive as well!
3. You know, I was going to edit my answer to that question, not to change my answer, just to point out that dogs have no way, besides their body language, of telling us that "Hey, that kid is wearing red, and I cannot stand the color red", or anything along those lines. We have no idea of knowing what will trigger a dog's instincts at any given moment, and sometimes the reaction time between their growl and their bite is lightning-speed. I love dogs, even Pit Bulls and Rotties, but I would just rather err on the side of caution. If my small dog decides that she doesn't like my socks that day and attacks without warning, I'm guessing that it would be much easier to fend her off than it would be to fend off a breed of dog that outweighs me. That's all.
4. The reason they have such a bad rap is because nobody reports the small dog biting. A chihuahua is 10X more likely to bite a child then a pit is. I do have to disagree with Judo, There are many many signs before the growl that a dog is unhappy or angry. Children need to be taught about animals and how to behave around them. They need to see the warning signs that a dog is pissed and to leave the dog alone. They also need to learn to calm and dominant around a dog, so the dog doesn't feel the need to walk all over them.
5. I think they have a bad rap because of the media. Anything that looks potentially dangerous and that is in your home is like a major win for the news stations lol. I think if you train them and love them and take care of them the way you're supposed to there's no problem. My dad has a sheppard/chow cross and he's the biggest suck ever. He's very intimidating because he is so big, but he doesn't bite, and he really never barks. But he would definitely attack if he felt something was wrong (which is the way it's supposed to be). To me if my dog attacks you it was because you were being an as.shole and obviously aren't supposed to be on my property.
6. You do have a point. It just seems like every time I turn the radio on and hear about a dog attacking someone (usually a child), it's almost always a pit bull. Maybe I'm not hearing the other stories on the radio or hearing the whole story but it is what I hear. I know in those cases, it's not always the dogs fault but I hear the stories in the news so much that it's enough to instill fear in me.
7. It's not so much the breed, as the idiots that own and breed them. Nature vs Nurture. Nature wins every time. That trait is either there or it isn't. The biggest problem I see, is that people forget what these breeds were originally created for. You've referenced the Jack Russell terrier. They were bred to get varmits. They are high energy, and then some. People get them, because they are cute, and don't bother to realize the needs these dogs have to be active and use their brain. If you aren't meeting your dog's needs, you are bound to run into trouble somewhere. You referenced the Lhaso Apso. They were originally bred as guard dogs. Do people stop to take that in? No, they see a cute hairy pup, and think, oh how darling, the kids will love it. By the way, I've also seen a few insane lhaso's. One had been a family pet for years. Suddenly started attacking visitors. So they put him up when company called. Then he turned on his family. Back to the pit bulls. You'd be surprised at how many money hungry, macho idiots are out there breeding them. Temperment is hereditary. Many of these idiots either don't care, don't know, or want that aggressive gene in play. I can't count how many times, I've heard from ignorant pit bull owners/breeders that, "You have to breed daughter to father to keep the line pure" All that inbreeding isn't healthy and it shows. I've been attacked by 2 pit bulls from 2 different households, in 2 different states. I did nothing to either of those dogs. Neither was a victim. I was the victim. Both were pretty scary situations. I'd known one of those pits since she was a pup. I was the first person she attacked. It wasn't that bad. Unfortunately, since it wasn't that bad, no one took it seriously, and I wasn't the last person she attacked. The little boy she got ahold of, wasn't so lucky. He'll be scared for life. He didn't antagonize her either. By the way, she was raised in a loving, caring home. She did tricks for crying out loud. As for your statement that it happens when they are unsupervised, guess again. My friend's grandson was attacked by a pair of rottweilers right in front of his parents, and other grandparents (the owners of the dogs). That little boy was just a baby, and will also be scarred for life. Supervision really saved him, didn't it? You can't take a dog that was bred for centuries to do a specific task, put it in suburbia with no job and expect there not to be a few causualties. It isn't realistic. Nature is nature. It's in them, and without a constructive outlet, it's no wonder so many attacks happen. I'm glad you feel safe with yours. Congrats. But don't belittle those that have been attacked, by downplaying the problem. I know what my breed was originally bred for, and I meet that need. Can you say the same? I won't/don't have any dog that has potential for true violence. I picked them out carefully, know their background, and have raised them right, I also meet their needs. Can you say the same?
8. Because people make them that way. Look at Michael Vick. Chows are different thought. My grandmother had one and when we were little it always growled at us. I believe chows are very protective of there owners.
9. Because aggression is a natural tendency in some breeds. I have 2 dogs that are a mix of wolf, king sheppard and akita. I've had them since they were puppies (they are 9 and 10 years old now) and despite the fact they were brought up in a loving home, they still can be aggressive. Although they're aggression is directed toward other animals, I still would not trust them around my babies. They do not get near my kids because I'm not willing to roll the dice and take a chance on them harming my babies. It's not stereotyping them, it's that most dogs like this are aggressive by nature. I don't care how ''sweet'' you think your pit bull is. In a second, he has the capability to KILL your child. Having him around your kids, supervised or not, is playing a game of russian roulette.
10. I think people are just easily frightend by media coverage of just about anything. All you have to do is look at swine flue to see that in action. Breed bans are pathetic. It's just frightened people wanting to punish something for a perceived misdeed or threat. Punish the people who are making their dogs mean, not the whole breed. I will admit that I'm terrified of dobermans, but that's a direct result of being bitten when I was a child by ONE bad one, and I know intellectually that they're not all like that. I don't want them banned even if I don't like being on the same side of the street as one. We have a german shepherd, two shelties, and an akita/GSD/border collie mix. People see our fluffy little shelties and then get scared of the other two, but that's nonsense. Our shelties were if anything more difficult with my daughter because of their herding instinct and tendency to work as a team. They were nightmares when she was learning to walk. The GSD was actually helpful with it, he'd stick close to her the whole time, didn't care at all if she grabbed him or his fur while trying to stand, or climbed all over him.
11. i have alot to say on the subject. I have a large german shep and hate that he gets clumped in with other animals who have zero to do with him or his demeanor. first, it is the owners who are at fault. many people aquire or purchase one of the dogs mentioned because they thing they are "cool" or "tough" and know little about the breed, handling or temperment. they do not spend the time and money necessary to train and socialize them. they don't consider whether or not they have the time for the bare minimum care for the animal. all the dogs mentioned are working dogs; smart and high energy. they require a lot of attention. secondly, you are 100% right- the dog IS the victim. irresponsible owners leave their dogs in dangerous situations. anyone who truly cares for their animal and does not want them to "get in trouble" or hurt anyone else would not leave them alone with small children (who generally have no idea yet how to properly play with an animal) or take them out without a leash or fence to protect them from the outside world. it is just asking for trouble. granted the owner should worry about being sued or about someone getting hurt but they should also worry about their animal. the owner can be sued but the animal can be KILLED. it's very sad. third though i have to mention that, as you said it is instinct. sadly, pitbulls were bred to take down bulls, so when they revert to their instinct they can be incredibly dangerous, more so than most other dogs due to their very powerfull bite. this i why larger dogs with more powerful jaws absolutely NEED training. any dog can slip while playing and nip you accidentally, a shitzu or jack russell would obviously do less damage than a pit bull or german shep. Even a house cat can do some serious damage to a human being ( i know a woman who has a scar that looks like a shark attacked her from a plain old cat.) bottom line is animals are animals. they rely on US to care for them which includes making sure their behavior meets the standards of the life they live (as domesticated pets.)
12. some unhappy people raise their dogs to be mean.
13. Some breeds of dogs (like Pit-bulls) were bred for the purpose of being fighting dogs. The breeders purposely only bred the most aggressive dogs time after time to get the "best" results. Genetically speaking, aggression is in their blood, and this is part of the reason why some Pit-bulls and Rottweilers "snap" sometimes and attack. Poor ownership, (leaving the dog outside on a chain it's whole life, treating it violently, not socializing it...) sometimes plays a part in this, and sometimes the owner hasn't done anything wrong. Also, there is a list of dog-breeds who have bitten every year, and Pitt-bulls and Rottweilers, and German Shepards are usually in the top 5 reported breeds who have attacked. You can look up for yourself if you want. The question is, is it irresponsible owners who create problems in certain breeds, or is it certain breeds just acting the way they were genetically bred to act?
14. For me, I just don't want to be near dogs that have a bad reputation... BIG dogs, who could easily kill me, that is... I don't fear a poodle, or a Jack Russell, or any of the other smaller dogs who may decide to bite... Sure, they could hurt me, but I could kick them off of me; not so with a Pit or a Rott... Yes, smaller dogs can bite, too, and some may even be more prone to do so, BUT, when a Pit or another big dog bites, they will do more damage, period.
15. I agree that pit bulls, rottweilers, and other such dogs can be great pets. However, I think people are too casual with their care. These dogs have been breed to be protective and loyal to one owner. They are physically capable of killing a child; in fact it doesn't take much effort on their part to kill a child. I think they have gotten a worse reputation then, say, a Jack Russel not necessarily because they bite children more but because when they do the consequences are far more severe. I have never heard of a Jack Russel killing a child...I have heard numerous stories of Pitt bulls in particular killing a child. One such story occurred in Oregon. The dog had played with this particular child many times while supervised by the dog's owner and the child's parents. The child was two years old and wandered out of his yard into the LOCKED yard of neighbor when his dog was stacked out on a long lead line. The owner had taken all the necessary precautions, but that didn't prevent what happened which is the death of the child. Yes, the child's parents should have been watching him more closely...but that dog owner will still have to live with the knowledge that his dog killed a child for the rest of his life. I agree that the dog is also a victim. A victim of poor dog ownership, or irresponcible parents. However, I still would never own a pitt bull. I see it almost like a loaded gun. They have the potential to be deadly. They are geneticly predisposed to be aggressive and protective and they don't differentiate between a defenseless child and a threatening intruder.
16. I have a Dobi and a Kelpie. People cross the road to get away from our Dobi and he is the most placid dog on the face of the earth, he just looks mean because of his breed and their reputation, my kelpie on the other hand, well lest just say never break into our house because we don't know what she'd do. With the breeds that you mentioned, nobody ever hears about a the pit bull who saved the neighbours kids from a fire, or the one who stopped a lady from being run over, you only ever hear about the bad ones, the ones who make the breed look bad. I never leave my kids alone with my dogs because of the size difference, but as the kids get older and we teach them what to do and what not to do they will spend more time together. I have had more problems with little snappy bitey dogs like terriers and Chihuahuas, nobody reports them because they are tiny and don't do much damage, but those attacks do happen.
17. Because Pit Bulls and Rottweilers are the favorite dogs of irresponsible thugs who breed specifically for agression, either so they can use the dogs as guard/attack dogs or for dogfighting. A similar stereotype holds for German Shepherds, since they're most visible as military or police dogs, people tend to project a kind of 'toughness' onto them. Chows - I had friend who had a Chow once, and it was rather aggressive even though it was fixed. However, the most aggressive dogs hands-down are chihuahuas and terriers and other small dogs. The difference is their bites usually don't cause any serious harm, so nobody's going to care if the chihuahua runs around the family reunion biting at five people, cause the likely result is five shoes with teeth marks in them, but because of a pit's powerful jaw the same actions would result in injury, death, and national media attention.