I would dislike Pit Bulls less, if they weren't so proliferant, such that they occupy 70% of a shelter.
This is actually surprising because usually this shelter is crammed with just Pit Bulls, whereas they're
only 50% of the listed pooches. At the end of the day I visit this shelter, and I see the bully dogs, and generally they come across as sweet and affectionate, and sad. I appreciate the capacity that a Pit Bull is more multi-dimensional than a Crocodile. That said, the fact remains, these dogs are not suitable for most families.
If they didn't exist, there would be another dog to top this list, but the disparity between a Pit Bull (
Staffordshire terrier , or whatever you call it) , and the next (Rotti?) seems to be quite staggered.
People want them because they've become "boogey men", they seek out the dog for its reputation, they want a tough, rugged, scary dog. Perhaps to intimidate others, perhaps to prove they can tame the beast, either as out "alpha-ing", or the pit mom's that go after the most dangerous animal, in the same vein they chase after their dead beat 'rebel' without a cause bad boys (because biology compels them to seek out what
they perceive as a competent mate). They could easily opt for a work-bred German Shepard (without that stupid hind leg misalignment), Belgian Malinos, or what, but they seek Pits out for their reputations, which seems decidedly earned.
Notice also, how many bigger dogs, that are bound to be a handful and hard to control. The Havenese is bred with a Bassid Hound, putting the hound back into an agile body, Retrievers can be very high energy, then you've got some powerful dog breeds that need structure, or they will try and run your life, which is probably why most of these dogs wound up in the shelter.
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