Owning a pit bull and adopting a child

[mickeysgal]

Interesting thread. I would say that the agency is posing a very valid question.

As a side note, just read my son's college apartment rules and it specifically disallows the breed's: Akita, Doberman, Rottweiler, Dalmation, Pit Bull, Chow, Wolf Hybrid, or Bull Mastiff. And it specifically says that your dog cannot be a mix of any of the above breeds. No mention of German Shepards...but no Dalmations?

Problem that I see locally here is that a lot of the dogs in rescues/animal control facilities seem to have a lot of mixes that have a pit bull look to them. There has been a lot of cross breeding. I personally don't want anything to do with pit bulls and I wouldn't even want a mutt with any Pit in them. But really, how do you know?

 

[Pigeon]

. But really, how do you know?

You don't. We volunteer with a dog rescue every week. One of the high school students brought in a research project he'd done for school. It included photos of probably 40 dogs, about half of which were pit bull crosses and half of which were not. There's absolutely no way anybody would figure out which was which.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Thanks for all the replies.

In an interesting turn of events, the pit bull puppy was attacked by a dachshund. The dachshund bit the puppy above the eye and held on, and wouldn't let go, while the owner of the dachshund screamed and yelled and kicked her dog (). Per the dachshund's owner, she'd never seen him do anything like that before.

I saw on FB recently that an acquaintance of mine was bitten on the lips by her own dog and needed stitches. Not sure of the breed tho. But I look at our German Shepherd a little differently (he's a sweetheart with us...not with other people...WAY too protective and we made a HUGE mistake not socializing him enough as a puppy). I trust him completely with US, but I guess you never know.

Meanwhile, the pit bull puppy is growing on me. He's cute and funny and affectionate. But he's a puppy.

 

[Oh Hia]

German Shepards are not bred for fighting the way Pits ahve been in recent years. They are porblematic without proper training, but are great family dogs when they are properly trained and exercised. I have seen bad Shepards, but typically they are the product of someone leaving them penned in the yard all the time. Without a "job" to do they get bored and act out. If their needs are met they are great dogs.

Again Rots are not fighting dogs. My DH had several as a child. One in particular thought sahe was a 98 lb lap dog. I have neverseen a rot just be aggressive without being taught that behavior, every pit I have ever met has had aggressive tendancies. I think Pit bulls are restricted because they present more danger than other breed because of the pervasive dogfighting done with them. They have been bred for aggression over and over to the point that it is no longer a risk worth taking.

LOL, I have a 150lb one of those right now!

When we adopted 6 years ago we had 2 inside Rotties. Our DD's guardian ad litem (I think that's right) and the social worker, who did our home study, never said a thing about the fact that we had 2 adult Rotties living inside.

They both met the dogs, at different times, while they were at our home for various things during the adoption.

Honestly, it never crossed our mind that it could have been an issue and I'm glad it wasn't.

 

[C.Ann]

I would not be surprised if it was an issue, but I don't know that for a fact..

 

[snarlingcoyote]

It all depends on the location and the agency.

Exactly. It wouldn't be a big deal in some places and with some agencies but would with other agencies and in other places, I would guess.