What is it with the media's infatuation with 'bad rap' breeds?

[RD]

Every time I hear of a dog attack on the news, it's almost always a Pit or a Rottie as the vicious, man-eating animal..

I read an old article a couple years back about a teenage girl in a coma after being badly mauled by 2 Labradors. I saw nothing about that on the news.

Why does the stupid, one-sided media try to portray these breeds as monsters? Or is it one of those questions that can never be answered?

[Renee750il]

Grace, it's the same rationale that dictates that you hear all the sordid details of an alleged rape, murder or other violence, the complete life history of the accused and the family of the accused, and then, when it comes about that the wrong person was accused, it's buried on the back page of the newspaper. Only the sordid, sensationalized and salacious stories (how's that for alliteration?) are deemed newsworthy. It's sensational and easy to place the blame squarely on the dog, no questions asked, when it's a Pit or one of the other breeds the media loves to portray as nefarious killers, but if it's a Lab or one of the more typically common 'family pet' breeds, it might make too many people ask just what made the dog bite, depriving the media of a sexy, juicy story that no one will question.

I remember a few years ago in middle Tennessee a woman was fatally bitten by a Chow she had rescued from an extremely abusive owner. The dog was having a predictably difficult time acclimating to being in a new place and wouldn't eat or come out of it's doghouse for a couple of days - understandable under the circumstances. This well-meaning but foolish woman crawled into the dog's house to pull it out! Of course the dog bit her! Unfortunately, her artery was cut and she bled to death before anyone knew anything about it. Did the news ever mention the fact that it was her own fault for so foolishly invading a frightened animal's only safe place? Nope! It would have been a perfect chance to educate people about intelligent handling of animals, but it was a wasted opportunity.

I was heartened, though, by the coverage of another incident in middle Tennessee. It was heartbreaking, but the right people got the blame for once. A family from Florida was pulled over by the local authorities and everyone - parents and kids - were made to get out of the car. The entire incident was caught on the patrol car's video tape. You could hear the parents pleading with the officers to shut the car doors so that the family dog wouldn't get out. The officers were holding these people at gunpoint and laughed at them when they tearfully begged them to shut the car doors so their pet wouldn't run out of the car and be hit on the busy highway. Well, predictably, the dog, about a 35 o 40 pound Pit mix, bounced out of the car, tail wagging and grinning, and started looking around, but when he started to bounce toward one of the officers, the #@%$* shot him point blank with his rifle - twice! The big strong cop said he was afraid for his life because that vicious Pit Bull attacked him. Oh, the local news got hold of the tapes of the entire incident and saturated the airwaves with it, the national media got it and did the same, the name of the officer got out, he received all sorts of death threats from all over the country. AND THE ENTIRE STOP HAD BEEN COMPLETELY BOGUS!
I heard that a very reputable breeder here in Tennessee of very expensive dogs (forget which breed, it wasn't really the point, I guess) invited the family to come and pick out a puppy from her next litter.

The press talks more about pit attacks because they are more common. They also wanna get people excited and have afeeling that the article about a pit attack instead of a lab attack will be juicier.


You also have to think about it like this. Let just say(this ratio isnt accurate so dont critisize it.)

100 pit attacks a year. Then 2 lab attacks a year.

You will probably hear more about the pit attacks because their is more of them. So the new crew may not be biased.

Another thing is labs are not as powerful as pits so their attacks aren't as fatal. Labs are a lot less aggressive so there isnt as many lab attacks.

[RD]

Excuse me?


Labradors are easily the nation's most common breed. With them being the most common breed, Labs are GOING to attack more often than Pits because there are MORE of them.

Take my neighborhood for example. There is a Chow/Pit X that lives right across the street from two labrador retrievers. Sometimes Gypsy (pit mix) runs with Beavis & Butthead (Dunno their real names)

Well, one day a 9-year-old on the street got attacked, and the whole neighborhood blamed Gypsy & a Rottweiler that also lives on that street.

The girl said that a black dog and a yellow dog jumped at her while she was riding her bike and knocked her down into the gravel while they chewed on her arm. Might I point out that the Chow/pit mix is brown and white.

If anything, IMO, Labs are more aggressive than pits. BUT, they don't have incredible jaw-power and they can't sever an arm with just one bite. Maybe you should look at the facts instead of just being prejudiced and set in your ways.

no i didnt say there is more labs than pits!!!! i said there are more pit atatcks!!! god~

dont be rude if u dont even know what i said

You look at the facts

[RD]

I do know what you said.

Pit Bulls do NOT attack more than any other dog out there, like you seem to be saying. What I'M saying is that when they do attack they inflict a more serious wound, therefore getting on the news or in the paper.

Do you honestly think that people register a dog bite every time a Chihuahua bites them? 'course not. Little dogs probably bite three times as much as large dogs, but because they don't do DAMAGE, it doesn't matter. the same goes for breeds with weaker jaw muscles that can't HURT someone as badly as a pit or a rottie.

Pit attacks are not more common, I personally have only heard of Pit Bulls injuring someone, never seen a truly aggressive pit, and have a pretty hard time believing that Pit Bulls attack more than any other breed, so therefore they get on the news.

k~~ i misunderstood u~~ u dont need to be so harsh when u correct me~~

[Debi]

hey you two.....before getting into a tizzy.........I've heard lots about all kinds of breeds. Here it is the doberman and the Rottie that get the bad rap. We all know any dog can inflict damage. Not just picking on the pits. Some news stories just seem to pick up on certain breeds when there is a problem. You've all heard me say this.......and I stick to it........those little 2 or 3 pounders scare me the most!!!!!! Mean little suckers. I must say, tho...I came across a pit bull that was dropped off....I had great respect for that fellow and his powerful jaws...he was, tho......a sweetheart. Ya just never know.

[RD]

Debi, i have to agree about the little tiny guys! The only dog bites I've endured have been from little dogs!

Facez of death, I don't mean to be harsh, but you really, REALLY need to take a good, long look at what you're saying, and then go research the breed that you're criticizing and being prejudiced against.

If, after lots and lots of reserach and after you learn the temperament of the breed, you still think they're all vicious man-eating machines, then you'll have reason to criticize and dislike the breed. Right now you obviously know nothing about pit bulls, and you are just taking in everything bad that you hear about pits and storing it as your idea of their temperament...

pitbulliest posted alot of good sites in your 'pit bull' thread, go look at them...

[xXAKC dOg GuRuXx]

FOD. You shouldn't critisize a whole type of breed like that. Pit bulls can be very friendly if raised correctly.