The text below was written by a member of the Pitbull-L . It is displayed here with permission

Food for Thought As Pitbull owners, we are routinely faced with the question of whether our dogs are vicious, or the statement that, based upon their breeding, pitbulls are a vicious or dangerous breed. This misperception is often based on the media coverage of so-called Pitbull attacks. I say "so-called" because often, a dog which is not readily found to be a purebred dog such as a Doberman or a shepherd and involved in a biting incident, is classified as a I don't doubt that there are pitbulls involved in attacks of other dogs and people – to say so would simply be naïve. What I do think is that the large majority of such incidents are the result of the dogs' caretakers irresponsibility and the training of the particular dog involved in the incident – not of the innate breeding of the It comes down to, unfortunately, a segment of the population of Pitbull owners who are irresponsible. Often, these owners want a strong and tough dog to fulfill a macho fantasy or want to use a dog for personal protection as they are involved in drug dealing or other illegal activities, or simply want a dog for protection. Unfortunately, the Pitbull is a perfect choice for this type of owner. When these owners improperly train their dogs or abuse their dogs, problems result, and generalizations about the breed flow without regard to looking at the owners and not the breed. By way of example , white cars are statistically the least likely color of car to be involved in an accident. Does this mean that white cars are inherently more safe because they are the most visible car on the road? No. What it means is the type of person who buys a white car is likely to have certain characteristics, perhaps practicality, perhaps being older than the average car buyer, that makes him or her more likely to be a safe driver. Conversely, red cars are more likely to be in an accident than cars of other colors. Is there simply a certain part of our population that can't see red cars so they are hit more frequently? Of course not – you've figured by now that the type of person, generally, who drives a red car is a bit flashier and younger and more likely to speed or drive recklessly than the owners other cars. Similarly, minivans are less likely to be involved in an accident when compared to sports cars. If you've driven a minivan and a new sports car, you know it is not because the minivan is easier to maneuver, but if you've read this far, you know it is because of the normal minivan driver's demographics (middle age with kids) versus those of a sports car drive (young and single) which make the minivan DRIVER (as opposed to the vehicle) likely to be a safer driver than the sports car driver. The point is not to tell you to drive a minivan,, but to make a correlation between Pitbull ownership, and irresponsible Pitbull ownership in particular. Does this mean that if you gave every 17 year old a white car they would have less accidents? If every teenager who wanted to drive a red sports car was given instead a white minivan, white minivans would no longer be as statistically safe as they are now perceived to be, and if every irresponsible Pitbull owner was given a Labrador, incidents of inappropriate behavior by Labradors would increase. While we don't say that red sports cars should be illegal because of their higher than normal accident rates, people should not be calling for breed specific legislation. Like with the cars, it is not the color or make of the car that determines the likelihood of a crash, but it the owner. Similarly, like cars with an irresponsible driver, dogs with irresponsible owners will not all do the same damage. Frankly, given the choice, I'd rather have a head on collision with a small car than large sports utility vehicle, and, if attacked by a dog I'd rather it be a toy poodle than a Pitbull We all know that my chances of receiving a serious injury are greater when I am confronted with an SUV or a Pitbull as opposed to a Volkswagen Bug or a toy poodle. And which story will make headline news – the car being run over by the SUV and resulting in severe injuries or the fender bender with a whiplash – the Pitbull attack or the poodle biting my ankle? The problem is that the qualities that make a Pitbull what he or she is, courage and an incredibly strong willed personality, also can make him or her a dangerous animal in the wrong hands. Unfortunately, other qualities of the breed, such as their strength and obedience and loyalty, make pitbulls a dog of choice for those who want to misuse them or simply get a "tough dog". Obviously, the answers as to how to keep the dogs with only responsible owners can't be answered easily, or perhaps at all, but this does not mean that pitbulls as a breed are any more dangerous than other dogs generally. Pitbulls, as a rule, are not bad dogs, and red sports cars are not inherently dangerous, but in the hands of the wrong owner, each can be dangerous. Red sports cars are fine in the hands of a careful owner and so too are pitbulls. Dave Stein: dave@davestein.com