While I don't have much to say on the debate at hand, I know I will never own another pit bull again. The conditions in which we kept ours was fine, that is, until we had to move in with a friend for about 3 months, and thus, our pit was exposed to harsher conditions such as being chained outside during inclement weather. That's when he went from harmless to full-out hunter, killing rodents in the area, biting humans and picking fights with other dogs.
I can admit that it appears as if the drastic shift in my pit bull's lifestyle (like he was human or something) most likely contributed to his aggressive nature afterwords, but just the fact that he was so easily provoked is enough for me to not want to chance living through that again. Just the peace of mind taking my dog on a walk around the block was shattered when I knew that any and everything that dared threatened him would set him off.
I'd compare his temperament to the one friend we all have that's great to be around, but we know the party's over if someone bumps into him/steps on his shoes. Hot heads are prone to ruining a lot of fun, overall. See: little man complex. That's how I feel about pit bulls. Sure, they're awesome dogs, but don't piss them off, and sorry, but that's just not worth it for me.
So you chained him to a post in the freezing cold and you expected him to be grateful? Do tell. Its almost like owning a pet is a responsibility and that neglect changes them somehow...
I figured I would get this kind of response. While I did say I can see how my treatment of my pit bull certainly attributed to his aggressiveness, my point was that I don't want a dog (or breed of dog) that is prone to such a drastic shift in temperament. For the sake of relevance, I did not mention my aforementioned friend's house also had a dog that my dog had to share a space with. He was a lab, and he fought as well, but only when provoked (by my dog, usually) and never against complete strangers. That's the type of dog I'm used to: ones that fight solely to defend themselves, not merely for the sake of sport.
I see your points regarding external factors such as environment, type of ownership, etc. contributing the the dog's aggression levels. I, however, due to my own experiences, feel like pit bulls are hot heads. Sure, I may have shortened the fuse on my pit bull, and I can take ownership of that, but that doesn't simply excuse his behavior in the months afterword.
Dude, your dog went from being the sole pet to in a house where it was welcomed inside to being chained outside through inclement weather where it was forced to compete for food with another dog. You're acting like that's a minor thing but that's pretty fucking huge lol. I believe I've already made a post in this topic about owners that just refuse to understand why their pets snap "for no reason". ---