I agree with the part nature/part nurture approach. Any dog can bite, but some breeds are more dangerous than others. And the stats on dogs biting can be cooked pretty easily. If they only recognize bites by pit bulls that are AKC registered as pit bulls then nearly all of those bred by private, unethical breeders are excluded and that's often where the trouble comes from.
I've been around a lot of dogs in my day and in my experience, the bigger breeds typically are saner and more trustworthy. I've known chihuahua's that attack anyone and anything that moves. They might let one person handle them, but attack everyone else. Now a bite from a chihuahua isn't all that impressive as they can't typically open their mouth enough to bite anything big like a leg, and more scrape you with their teeth than bite you unless you put a finger in reach. Bites from bigger dogs tend to be more problematic.
I've had limited contact with pit bulls, but I've never trusted them due to multiple stories I've read of experienced dog handlers who will no longer work with pit bulls. They have a lot more experience with the breed and say many pit bulls are too unreadable and unpredictable and they just won't work with them.
You hear the same story from people who have been attacked by pit bulls. "He's been with us for X number of years and never bit anyone or showed any sign of aggression, then he just snapped and attacked us for no reason."
Based on everything I've read, heard, and tons of anecdotal stories, a pit bull to me is a time bomb just waiting to go off. It may not happen for a year, two years, five years, or more. It may never happen, but far too many pit bulls go loco at some point and attack out of the blue, and I just don't see the need to take that risk. There are many far more stable breeds of dogs out there, so why risk your life or your family's life on a pit bull? You can get everything you want in a dog in other breeds that are more stable. They may still go loco at some point, but the odds are better with a more stable breed.
I always say my favorite breed of dog is the BGD (Big Goofy Dog). These are typically the mixed breed, part Lab, part whatever, that are just happy-go-lucky dogs who may not really be all that bright or focused, but are just good companions you don't have to worry about. They may or may not fetch a ball if you throw it. They may or may not catch a Frisbee. You're apt to find them with their head buried in the trashcan as they look for a quick snack only to look up with a "What me? I wasn't in the trash." look on their face even as a piece of trash is still on their head. They typically have mismatched ears with one up and one down or folded over, a constantly wagging tail, and love nothing more than slobbering all over you. You pretty much never hear of a BGD attacking anyone as they love everyone and everything. They're just big goofy dogs. Sad to say, they're getting harder to find as shelters are full of pit bulls these days instead of BGD's.
Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!
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