quote:

Originally posted by reloader-1:
Just a quick compilation, only took a few minutes. For some reason, even though other breeds are much more popular with families and children, I can’t seem to compile a similar list with golden retrievers…



I adore dogs - this breed has no place on this planet.

Just a quick list of semi-auto handgun killings this year alone. I love the second amendment but these guns have no place on this planet.

Examples of 2026 incidents involving semi-automatic handguns (selected cases)

Fort Lauderdale–Sarasota shootings (Florida, Feb 2026)
7 people killed (including the shooter)
Weapon: handgun used across multiple locations
Pattern: domestic/family-related spree killing

DeKalb County shooting spree (Georgia, Apr 2026)
3+ victims killed (case reports vary as investigation continued)
Weapon: handgun
Scenario: multiple targeted shootings over a short period

Iowa familicide shooting spree (Muscatine, Jun 2026)
6 victims killed, 2 locations
Weapon: firearm (not always specified in early reports, commonly reported as handgun in similar domestic sprees)
Shooter also died by suicide

Shreveport family shooting (Louisiana, Apr 2026)
8 children killed + 2 adults injured
Weapon: firearm (domestic mass killing; firearm type reported broadly, often handgun in early coverage but not consistently specified in all records)

^^^^^^^^^

Comparing pit bulls to firearms is ridiculous.

quote:

Originally posted by oddball:
Comparing pit bulls to firearms is ridiculous.

As I posted here several years ago in response to a similar comparison, I have never yet had a firearm attack me or anyone I know without justification as we were minding our own business in a public place.

A firearm is inanimate - it cannot attack on its own.

You know that, and I know that. You have an excellent dog, and that is a good thing. 99.9% of dogs are probably great, and for pit bulls it’s still likely well into the 99% range - but that still means 10/1000 dogs are dangerous.

The data doesn’t lie: it states that pit bulls/mixes are more dangerous. Hidden within the data is that thousands of pit bulls are amazing, loving, loyal creatures that wouldn’t hurt a fly; but it’s impossible to know which one you ultimately have, as they are living animals.

As to your point, I created that list.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:

quote:

Originally posted by oddball:
Comparing pit bulls to firearms is ridiculous.

As I posted here several years ago in response to a similar comparison, I have never yet had a firearm attack me or anyone I know without justification as we were minding our own business in a public place.

That wasn’t my point. My point is finding a list online can be done for anything. Without context or background the list is meaningless.

We had three very similar incidents over here last year.
- 3 pit bulls attacked an elderly lady picking weeds around her mail box.
- 2 pit bulls attacked a jogger
- a group of dogs (thought to be pits or pit mixes) attacked a mother and her child, severely injuring the child

In several of the cases people passing by stopped to help. If I recall the dogs were found, owners identified and charged.

The data supports the argument that of all breeds those encompassed as "Pitt Bulls" elicit the most damage to those they attack, and, lead in the most kills in those attacks, be a person or animal.

It's just how the breed has evolved from the fight clubs over the years, where owners left non fighters to die as targets for the ones that would kill. So they breed those most aggressive males to the most aggressive females.

Horse breeders pay the most to breed certain horses to others to get a result for sales and racing. Over the years it's resulted in some spectacular race horses, and some that just need to be in a field.

Dogs are no different, every breed has gone though some kind of human intervention into the future of the breed.

Pits just happen to have natural fighting gifts and they have been bred to taylor the offspring to be even more so...

All dogs have a switch, some are more inclined to do so, some, when they do, are more dangerous than others. Like it or not Pits are the top of that list, so you can have one, it can lick your face all day and lay on the sofa, but the fact is most people don't see them that way and want nothing to do with them and see the owners as a problem having them around.

You know, like guns.....

I happened upon this video the other day. A family hired their baby sitter to keep an eye on their three pit bulls while they were out of town. She was mauled to death by them. Occurred in Tyler, TX.

Jodi Cowan died protecting her small dog, which she clutched to her chest and shouted “No!”

She couldn’t even begin to fight back, as feeble as that would have been, because her arms were protecting her dog.

I am absolutely sick over this.

quote:

Originally posted by ss9961:
Jodi Cowan died protecting her small dog, which she clutched to her chest and shouted “NO!”

I am absolutely sick over this.

I’m sickened by it too.
I got lucky the one that got my dog didn’t turn on me.
I should have just shot it.
Why in the hell should anyone have to fight a beast when you’re just out for a nice little dog walk!

quote:

Originally posted by walker77:
I don't understand why anyone would keep pit bulls.

Don't blame the Breed, Blame the Owner. There is a house with a Labrador and Golden Retriever that are left outside nearly 24/7. When I plan on taking that route for a walk I carry my 45 caliber 1911 in an IWB holster. Because even if I am across the street they pitch a raging fit. Calling the police doesn't do spit because until someone gets bit they can't do a damned thing. Yes they have had talks with the owner and he basically tells them to piss off.

Personally if they ever get over that fence they my plan is to take out both dogs and if the owner comes charging out of the house he may catch 2 in the chest. BTW I go across the street specifically to gain the reaction time that distance can provide.

Meanwhile a friends daughter has a Pit Bull rescue and after 2 years of working with the dog it is an absolute pussy cat with small children and younger or older dogs.

Fact is that ALL dogs need Love, Attention, and Walks. Park a dog in a closed enclosure without any attention and they will ALL become extremely territorial and aggressive and this is especially bad with a pair because they will work each other up. Take note, Walks are what prevents a dog from becoming territorial so they are important. Even if it's just a short walk around the block.

quote:

Originally posted by Scooter123:

...Personally if they ever get over that fence they my plan is to take out both dogs and if the owner comes charging out of the house he may catch 2 in the chest...

A whole bunch of years ago, a friend told me about a friend of his, a Cook County Deputy, I think, arrested a guy who lived across the street from the Deputy, and when out on bail, let his Pit Bull out and basically sicced it on the cop.

First shot hit the dog, second missed, but fortuitously hit the BG in the chest, DRT. Both of them.

Disagree, a dog has an intrinsic nature and disposition… some like to kill.

And all bets are off when dogs are in a pack.
Dog packs are fearsome.

I’ve seen what they can do against a flock of sheep.

I’ve known fantastic pit bulls and I’ve known ones that would chew through a door (literally) to get at you. Owner was a decent man who just wanted a companion… thankfully the dog passed of old age before it could maul anyone.

Dog was loved and lavished upon, its nature was fearsome.

It’s not specifically a breed thing but disposition and nature of the dog in question.

quote:

Originally posted by CPD SIG:

quote:

Originally posted by walker77:
I don't understand why anyone would keep pit bulls.

It ain’t the dog, it’s the owner.
A good friend of mine had Tyson- American Pit Bull. Ghetto rescue- he found the dog on the night of one of Tysons fights.

Tyson looked like he was on steroids, and looked about as mean as Mike Tyson as well.

The nicest dog you’d ever meet!
Just one big chunk-o-meat that wanted to hang out in your lap, be petted and played with.

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:
I would have maybe thought it was the breed a while ago. I then rescued this dog. They said she was a black mouth cur. We did DNA and she is 70% American Pit Bull and 30% Boxer. She is the sweetest dog you've ever met. She was sweet since the day we adopted her and she spent most of her life in shelters and rescues (she was 1.5 years old estimated when we got her).

I have done a total 180 on my opinion. Pits are the best dogs. Loving, affectionate and she is very shy. She walks by other dogs without an issue, apart from maybe a low look to make sure the other dog isn't reactive. She walks by people as if they didn't exist. I'm lucky to have her.

Looks kinda like my pitt-mix. They did DNA testing on one of his littermates. He's 25% pitt and the rest is a mix of Shepherd, Husky, Rottie, Pug?, and misc. Here is the vicious killing machine last year during 4th of July fireworks.



Doing homework with my son



"Watching tv" with my wife



Even when he's playing or roughousing he'll control his bite force so he doesn't hurt you, but he can really clamp down on a ball or toy. We always buy him the tough chewer stuff, and he shreds it in short order. He tries to "hunt" and pounces on stuff in the grass when we go for walks, but he never catches anything and I don't think he'd know what to do with it if he did. He also hides behind me whenever he's confronted by a growling dog. The strength and capability is there, but the temperament is not.

Any dog can be a biter.
When you add the physical capability of a much stronger dog due to size, bone and muscular structure, that significantly raises the risk of serious physical harm.
I love dogs, have had between 1-4 most of my life.
But just like when a person attacks in a way to threaten my life (or others nearby), a serious response is justified. Imminence, proportional and reasonable, and not the initial aggressor.

I also volunteer at our local county shelter. At any given time, the pit/pit mix population is 70% or more of available dogs. Not just because of the large supply, they're the hardest to adopt out.
FWIW.

The "owner not the breed" argument is a false dichotomy. Pit bulls make about as much sense for pets as tigers. There is no sensible reason to have one and they pose a completely unnecessary risk to everyone else. Also, owners of other breeds who fail to properly control them pose a completely unnecessary risk to everyone else.

Dogs do what they were bred to do. Retrievers retrieve. Herding dogs herd. Livestock guardians watch over and protect. Hounds follow scents wherever they lead. Terriers dig and chase vermin. Pit bulls were bred to fight and kill.

I will never scold a retriever for fetching something, or get upset at a hound for sniffing and trying to follow a scent. Also, that doesn’t mean that YOUR dog or pit mix is aggressive, the vast majority aren’t. However, when a beagle gets aggressive, which isn’t normal, people normally don’t die; when a pit does, which IS normal, death follows.

Any human aggressive dog should be put down, IMO.


The CDC has not tracked breed specific info for Bite Statistics in 25 years because the information was/is so unreliable and unscientific.

Population estimations range from 5 to 15 million "Pit Bull Type" dogs currently in the US... Blood would be running in the streets if it were "normal" for them to be human-aggressive killers.
It is a tragedy when someone's life is lost or altered by a improperly raised/abused animal, but it is far from the norm for any breed.
Even if pit bull type dogs were responsible for all of the 30-50 dog bite deaths per year, that would account for roughly 0.0005% of the breed population.

You are ~10x more likely to be struck by lightning, than to be killed by a dog, in the US.

I have been personally involved in temperament testing in years past...
APBT and American Staffordshire Terriers have the same pass percent in the American Temperament Testing Society as Golden Retrievers, Whippets, and Basset Hounds. "Mixed Breed" fall into the 85% range, along with the aforementioned breeds.


ABPTs are not bred to be human aggressive.
Historically.. after the breed transitioned from Bull-Baiting and Bear-Baiting to dog fighting/baiting; human aggressive dogs were bred out of the gene pool. Handlers were always in close proximity to the fighting dogs. If one were to attempt to bite the handler, they were euthanized.
AM Pit Bulls are not naturally human aggressive. Dog-on-dog aggression and human aggression are distinctly separate traits.
APBTs and AmStaffs can without a doubt be naturally dog aggressive; if not properly socialized.


When substandard humans try to beat the natural instincts out of a dog (e.g., making a pit bull human aggressive), then you do have potential for them to snap. APBTs are not guard dogs. They do not have the tending and guarding instincts of a GSD. "People" try to beat them into being guard dogs... they beat them into being fearful of strangers.
If you similarly beat a black lab, until it cowered in pain/fear every time it wanted to fetch a tennis ball; it will have the same potential to bite. Any dog will have increased exposure to lashing out after its natural instincts are abused out of it.

quote:

Originally posted by walker77:
I don't understand why anyone would keep pit bulls.

Pit bulls are some of the sweetest and most trainable examples of dogdom. It is their owners/trainers who are to blame for whatever bad behavior they exhibit. They are favored by the dog fighting "community" for their persistence in doing what they've been trained to do in the face of pain and aggression.

This akin to the time tested 9MM Vs .45 debate.
Some of you want to snuggle up to a Pit and others believe they shouldnt be kept as pets.
The way to have real resoultion is on a case by case basis.