People with disabilities are one of our most vulnerable demographics. It would be so easy for the villainous mastermind that is the inherently violent pitbull to take their master out.
melita
Dog temperaments are very difficult to predict based on genetics alone. You can incease the odds but not guarantee results. The Pittbull breed has been ruined by irresponsible back yard breeders mostly. Most bull dogs are really great dogs. Let's face it, if you put an agreesive personality or temperament in a dog that strong then you have a real hazard. Put that dog in the hands of someone who hasn't finished high achool, can't hold a job and got the dog to compensate for their own sense of personal inadequacy and voila' you have instant problems.
Elaine M
They buy the purebreds, not the back yard inbred dogs. However the 'type' of dogs that pits are have come from a fight background. Just like collies and herding dogs can't stop herding, and terriers cant' stop getting crazy about mice and rats -- pit type dogs are bred to attack other animals, hence the issue with the. In the 1920's nobody was doing continual back yard breeding, but in the past 25-30 years these types of dogs are being churned out continually, to the point where they're the #1 kind of dog at ever shelter in the USA. The dogs are bred to their mothers and fathers, with no regard for genetics or mental stability. That is why they are known to suddenly 'attack without warning'. They are not the kind of dogs we saw 40 years ago.
Service dogs are generally the purebred American Staffordshire Pit Bull Terrier or one of the other 4 types of pit breeds. Purebreds haven't had the two decade slide down into bad genetics.
daniel g
You bet they have and PB have always been too stubborn to train for service dogs. Professionals that train service animals won't work with them, and what very few might,,it is going to cost you plenty.
Ocimom
Pitbulls are NOT and NEVER will be legit service dogs. They are just too unpredictable and most places ban them. So why would anyone want to have them as a service dog.
Julie D.
I have never heard of a Pit Bull being used as a REAL service dog such as a seeing eye dog for a blind person. REAL service dogs are specifically bred and professionally trained to do tasks as such as stated above, and many of the pups produced in such specifically bred litters never even meet the criteria they were bred for. Dogs that are REAL service dogs are taken out in public everywhere with their handlers, and Pit Bulls are genetically hard wired to be dog/animal aggressive. A REAL service dog must be able to be trusted under ALL circumstances, including being able to come in contact with other dogs or animals and to ignore them, because their first priority IS their handler. While it is possible for a Pit Bull to be trained to do certain tasks, it's highly unlikely that those tasks would be tasks that were needed out in ALL public places such as the task of a leader dog for the blind.