Cross Breeds - Are Pitbull aggressive dogs?

Are Pitbull aggressive dogs?

My cousin will be staying with us for 2 months and she will be taking her pitbull dog with her. She tells us how lovely and friendly the dog is but I have always been kind of scared of the appearance of pitbulls as they look aggressive. I have no fear of other dogs so far.

Public Comments

not unless trained to be. a well bred well trained pit can be as gentle as a lamb
No pitbulls are actually very loyal and lovely. I love the breed. As with all dogs they grow up how they are raised.
Considering the fact that they have killed small children, I would have to say yes. I wouldn't have one in my house.
i own a pit bull and they are very loving and sweet! they get a bad rap because ignorant people like to fight them in the "pit" with other dogs ... they are absolutely not human aggressive ... but if her dog isn't socialized with other animals it is possible to be animal aggressive ... but i wouldnt worry! my pitty loves everyone she comes in contact with! and a friend of mine owns a full grown pit and her house got broken into and the dog did nothing! so its all in how the dog was raised!!
Not necessarily, there are many aggressive owners who pass this trait on however.
They can be aggressive but if raised right, they are very loving and loyal dogs :) I wouldn't worry, if your cousin says she is friendly then im sure she is :)
NOOO they are NOT aggressive if raised right! The media trashes them even though they are only responsible for less than 25% of dog attacks and 26 breeds are mistaken for them.
Some are, some aren't. Bad breeding and bad owners are responsible for the bad seeds. I, personally, don't care for them, but don't judge a book by its cover. You shouldn't judge all of them based on the actions of the few. I'd give the dog a chance. Now if you want to see aggressive... you should have met my mother's last chihuahua before she passed away! She hated strangers and looked absolutely possessed when she'd spot one!
As with all dogs it depends on how the owner brings them up,but personly i would,nt trust them or rottweilers,pit bulls can turn anytime.tell her leave the dog at home as it will sense your fear.
Very common misconception. Pit bulls are very sweet. They don't need to be trained to be nice, they're born that way. People say that they have killed small children, well guess what, so has every other breeds. Just two months ago a spaniel killed an infant in Kentucky. Pits will never let you down, they aim to please. They look aggressive because they were bred to look mean. They can be aggressive toward other dogs if they're not properly socialized, but believe me, you're gonna love that dog and when your cousin leaves you're gonna want one of your own.
Pitbulls are a breed which is by nature more aggressive than other breeds. But they get a very bad rap. They can be trained to behave nicely, just like any other dog. Be careful around the dog. Pitbulls are territorial, even when they are puppies. Be cautious not to make it feel cornered, especially when it is in a new and unfamiliar environment. Don't let it get mouthy with you, even in play. Instead, give it appropriate things to chew on, like toys or nylon bones. Make sure it gets enough exercise and reward it when it behaves well. Lots of people approach a strange dog by towering over it and reaching out one or both hands to pet it. This is stupid, especially with a potentially aggressive dog. The dog can take it as an aggressive move on your part, and could go on the defensive to lunge at you or bite you. When you approach a strange dog, the best way is to be non-threatening. Do not stare directly in its eyes, and instead of facing it head-on, turn your side to the dog. If you are pretty sure the dog is not feeling threatened, then lower yourself to its eye level, but still don't look it directly in the eye. Speak softly to it and let it come to you instead of you trying to reach out and pet it.
Pitbulls and Rotweilers kill and injure people (most children) frequently in the UK. The usual answer in the animals defence by people who own these dogs is - 'it's the owner', is factually totally wrong, because the ownership of fighting breeds of dogs is only around 0.5% of all dogs owned in the UK. 95% of other dogs in the UK are not Pitbulls or other agressive breeds - yet strangely, these breeds barely register on the 'dog attack' register. The most common dog to attack after these little swines are the infamous German Shephard/Alsatian - hence the Police force use them. Why? Because Fighting Dogs (such as Pitbulls) commit 90% of all dog attacks in the UK against people. Yes these animals are trained to attack, or are abused or neglected, but so are a vastly higher number of other dog breeds also. Statistically then, Fighting Dog breeds are not only massively more dangerous to the pulblic and agressive in nature, BUT....that if you are attacked by a dog (if at all), it is 90% likely it will be a breed like a Pitbull or Rotweiller - ;type' breed. People who deny that dogs that are genetically and/or historically bred to be agressive - are obviously unaware of the history of their own dogs. These Pitbull dogs were literally 'man made' by breeding hyper agressive traits from multiple breeds (decended from other agressive breeds). To therefore claim (as some owners or dog fanciers do) they are 'no more agressive' - is utterly false. It is in their biolgical design to attack, and attack they do, and attack they will. Case closed.
Always be cautious around a new dog. All dogs can be aggressive. It is all in how they are raised. We believe Pitt bulls have gotten a bad rep against them. We believe they can be just as loving as any other dog. Give the dog a chance.
I think they are after having one for 10 years, but she was only aggressive to other dogs. Personally, I think pitbulls are the nicest dogs to people esp children. Remember that a dog will be mean if the owner teaches them to. It's all stems from the handler in my opinion. Nice, firm handler = good dog.
no they are not agressive only if they are trained to be.
I think people are biased to hating them, because of their reputation. With all species of animals (and humans) there are exceptions, meaning that there are bad genes and good. Maybe you should get some info on how to handle the Pit-bull. People usually fear what they don't understand.
not necessarily if the dog is trained in the right way it should be a loving and caring dog.
i always say its the way you bring them up any dog can be aggressive if you train them to be that way and i know pitbulls have a bad name but thats only because of twats out there that give it them my mates got one and its the most relaxed dog i know
NOP there just portrayes as aggressive because people only talk about nasty ones also ppl use them in dog fightingn but most are lovely and good natured