Pitbulls have the highest bite rate and fatalities inflicted of dogs don't they?
There's a
CDC study but it also does point out that pitbull has become an umbrella term when at the origin it is supposed to be one breed specific. People will call pitbull pretty much anything that looks vaguely like one and that's the problem. Also we all know that because of their reputation, pitbulls have attracted in the last 20 years criminals, thugs, dogfighters and shitheads in general which are more prone be terrible owners and/or to raise their dogs to be agressive (My understanding is that shelters are full of abandoned "pitbulls" since several years ago, in itself a testament to the poor ownership). The CDC study will point out that the breeds responsible for most incidents vary alongside their popularity. Also that male, non-neutered dogs are more aggressive (and there again, it wouldn't be surprising that some unsavory types would not neuter their pitbulls, for illegal breeding and whatnot).
All that being said, pitbull type dog are of course potentially more dangerous than a poddle or a chihuahua. Like Rottweillers they're incredibly muscular and compact dogs as well, maybe more so than a lot of other their size. I'm not certain though they are inherently more dangerous than very big dogs like Danes, Pyrenees moutain dogs (Who protects flocks in the mountain, sometimes without the human shepherd around. It's common enough that trekkers are supposed to be briefed on how not to antagonize them) or the police favorite Belgian or German Shepherds. Most dog breeds have been carefully crafted to be wired to either hunt or protect and in all cases be hard workers, after all.
EDIT : The news that prompted this particular GAF subject has been updated to mention the owner ordered her dogs to attack according to the police.
Fucking insanity in that thread. People comparing pitbulls to hyenas, leopards. A guy saying pitbulls should just be released in the wild.
