Pit bulls should be banned. I'm sure not all are bad but they are bred for fighting and have a tendency to attack. I hear about maulings by pit bulls all the time.
Not true. The American Pit Bull Terrier, while bred for fighting, are some of the least human aggressive dogs around. They are less likely to bite then a whole slew of dogs. They also do better on the American Temperament Test than most other dogs, with an 85.3% pass rate. That is better than the Australian Shepherd the Beagle, Border Collie, the Cocker Spaniel and the Chow Chow just to name few. The only reason you hear about Pit Bull attacks is when they do attack a human the attack is much more damaging. But the few attacks that take place every year do not mandate a banning of the entire breed.
A fact that I am not particularly proud of some 17 years later is that I used to participate in dog fighting. If Pit Bulls were human aggressive there would be problems in the pit. Two handlers are in the pit while the dogs fight. When a dog scratched, it was the handlers job to reach in and separate the dogs and take them back to their side. The dog that scratched was then let go and if he crossed the halfway point the fight continued. Never once did a dog cross the line and go after a handler, they ALWAYS went back after the dog. IF they had gone after the handler, the fight would have been over and the dog put down. Most dogs that fought were owned by families. I saw fighting dogs come to the match in the backseat of a car with children.
The following is from the ATTS website at
http://www.atts.org/temperament.html
The ATTS test focuses on and measures different aspects of temperament such as stability, shyness, aggressiveness, and friendliness as well as the dog's instinct for protectiveness towards its handler and/or self-preservation in the face of a threat. The test is designed for the betterment of all breeds of dogs and takes into consideration each breed's inherent tendencies.
The test simulates a casual walk through the park or neighborhood where everyday life situations are encountered. During this walk, the dog experiences visual, auditory and tactile stimuli. Neutral, friendly and threatening situations are encountered, calling into play the dog's ability to distinguish between non-threatening situations and those calling for watchful and protective reactions.
