I am another with zero use for any pitbull. I knew the stats, but never understood the kill switch mentality, until we got a JRT. He was the absolute scariest dog I have ever known. He would go from zero to full blown killing machine in two microseconds. All it took was sight of a furry creature moving. The yard cats all survived because they learned all they had to do was roll over on their back, then the dog would ignore them. But the stray cat that ran, had better be fast. As long as a cat was running, he was fair game.
The dog was death on squirrels, rock chucks, and pocket gophers. His favorite thing was fighting raccoons trying to raid the cat food dispenser. Once in attack mode, he was totally oblivious to anything in the world. He got in with a dozen turkey poults (about three pounds) in the yard one day, and set about killing the entire flock. My wife heard the commotion and got to him just as he was finishing the second bird and headed for a third. She was screaming and beating the dog about the head with her fists, But, at that point, he was oblivious to anything but his need to kill. He did not bite or attack her, he was just oblivious to her presence.
I was the only human he ever acted aggressively toward. As a half grown pup, he growled at me for pushing him off my place on the couch. I immediately grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and spanked his butt with my hand. Then he snarled and snapped at me. I grabbed him by the throat and threw him onto his back with all four feet in the air, and kind of half choked him for a minute or two. That was the only time he ever acted aggressive toward a human. But we remained wary.
The dog was a wonderful pet. He loved both of us and the grandkids. He would wear himself absolutely ragged wrestling and playing with the grandkids. But we never let the kids play with him outside our immediate reach. If I had not known I could drop kick him over the fence at the slightest indication of need, he would have been dead and buried as a pup. He was a terrier, and he did what terriers have been bred to do for centuries.
Last I heard, they are still known as pit bull terriers. There are very few of us who could kick an adult pit bull over a yard fence. If I was king, pit bulls would rapidly become extinct.
Yes, malinois, german shepards, collies, rotties, boxers, dobermans, etc can all turn aggressive occasionally. And abuse can turn any dog aggressive. But these are all herding breeds, bred and selected for protective instincts for hundreds of years.
There is a basic difference in brain function between a herding dog and a terrier, born and bred to attack and kill. The herding dog does not, as a rule, become oblivious to his handler during a fight. He will fight to the death to protect his charges, but will break off the attack/pursuit on command.
There is not that instinctive drive to kill. I never heard of the need for a "breaking stick" when handling herding breeds.
Anyone ever see a K9 unit use a pit bull as a hold dog? Why not? Possibly a difference in brain function?
