What do you think of Pit Bulls?

[Eeyore'sthebest]

In general, I have no problem with Pits.

In this situation, I agree -- it's a timebomb waiting to blow. I wouldn't let my DD over there either

ITA

 

[minkydog]

All dogs are different. There are pits that have come from shelters/abusive backgrounds and are the sweetest family dogs you'll even meet. Then there are dogs who have been raised to be family dogs, but something goes wrong and the dogs become agressive.

You can't just write off a dog because of breed and background. Well, you can, and I'd never blame a parent who errs on the side of caution. But I don't think it necessary.

My thoughts

1) Teach your kid that *all* dogs can be agressive and dangerous.

2) Be especially careful of this dog until it has proven itself. But at some point down the road, such a dog can prove itself and be trusted.

This is so true. Parents must supervise kids and teach them to respect teh dog's space. I counselled a parent just this week who was stunned because their new toy poodle bit the toddler in the face. Why? The baby took a toy away from the dog. The mom seemed surprised that "such a little dog" would bite. she had apparently done no research, had never owned a poodle(let alone a TOY poodle) and had no plans for training. This was a disaster waiting to happen. So her response? "We're gonna take this dog to the pound."

Idiot

 

[almacdonald]

Funny you should bring this up now....


Yesterday I took my dog (smallish border collie) to the dog park. We go to the dog park quite often and he LOVES being able to run around sans-leash. Well, as we pull up, i notice that there is a guy with 2 pittbulls off leash. I get my dog and walk him away from them. They start following us. We turn around, they follow again. They're both now sniffing my dog and hovering over him. I was very upset with myself that i let him get in this situation. I should have never let him out of the car. Anyway, i was very unconfortable with these dogs and the fact that the owner couldn't control his dogs. I high-tailed it out of there ASAP.

Now, with that being said, I'm not discriminating against pitbulls. I'm discriminating about people who own pittbulls. And before any of you who have owned them start flaming me, listen to what i have to say. Most pittbull owners do not pick their dog saying "Now, i want a nice family pet who will be no harm to the children." No, most of them think "I'm an adult, i want a cool dog that will get lots of attention!" In my experience small dogs tend to do a lot more biting than large dogs do but the power of a pittbulls jaw is significantly larger than that of a small dog. I'm not saying that there aren't responsible pittbull owners becaue I know there are. I'm saying that it really isn't a risk I'm willing to take.

As far as the OP's concern, I think it's founded. I wouldn't let my (hypothetical) kids play around ANY breed (pittbull or poodle or lab or anything!!!) recently rescued shelter dog ESPECIALLY one that has a violent history.

 

[mommy22gurlz]

Thanks everyone for the replies, it makes me feel better about the "talk" that I'm planning on having with my brother and sil tonight. I do think that it's sad that any dog gets stereotyped but I just can't take any chances with my kids. Actually when it was just the one that they've had I was KINDA okay with the idea of her going over there but now with this other one, I definitely am not okay with it.

Infact when I we went to WDW this past December, my brother and sil housesat for us. They brought their pit with them and she was only 6 months old at the time. I have a pug (LIla) and their pit even though she was so young, she really intimidated Lila who is 5 years old. I actually felt bad leaving her behind with them because their pit just over powered her and she was scared. She wasn't being mean, just playing really rough with Lila and obviously she was alot stronger than her so she was not comfortable. According to sil though during the week we were gone they got along fine.

 

[mainewmn]

My family always had dogs, I was around dogs from a very young age always thought to respect the dogs and they would respect me. My family always enjoyed large breeds, such as Rotti’s, German Shepherds, Dobermans, so I never had a small dog, only large breeds. I was never attacked by a dog; I can handle the “meanest” dogs; and to be quite honest cats freak me out more then dogs do because I know dogs and I know how they react. Having said that DH’s friend got a Pit Bull and I refuse to be around that dog. I don’t want my kids, my dog, or myself around him. There is just something about that breed that scares the @&*$ out of me and I prefer to keep my distance from them.

 

[Crankyshank]

I think pit bulls are overbred, often mislabled, and considered a status symbol by "seedy" types.
I think they are a wonderful dog in the hands of an experienced owner and given lots of training and their place in the pack is constantly instilled in their doggy brains from early on.
Because they are overbred and such a potentially dangerous animal I do not think they should be given to just any home.
I think the shelter should not have given the dog to your brother because of the children in the home and also because he is not an experienced pit bull owner. Having another pit bull doesn't make him an experienced owner since his other dog is still a puppy.

 

[Nana Annie]

I have been showing and breeding dogs for over 30 years. I am also of the mind set that you can never lable an entire breed as bad dogs. Each dog needs to be evaluated on its own. What is it's breeding? Was the dog bred for aggressive tendencies? Did it come from a reputable breeder that works on breeding for stable temperament? The true Pit is actually not an aggressive dog. Bad breeders have selected for aggression and have worked hard to enhance this negative trait in the "fighting" dogs. Was the dog mistreated? Was it socialized as a puppy? Is it neutered?

That said, I would say that this puppy already has some negative strikes against it. However, it is still young, so with the proper training and socializing, it could turn out to be a wonderful family member.

I would caution you to be careful. As I would for any breed of puppy that had been abused.

Some of the things you need to consider: What is the other "half" of the puppy. This temperament could be just as important as the pit half.

Also, I am assuming that the pup is neutered as it came from a shelter? If not, is your brother planning on neutering him? TobysFriend brings up a very good point. Aggression is not usually seen in puppies until they reach adolescence. A dog's personality can change abrubtly as it matures, especially intact ones. For instance, in my breed, you don't usually see the full scope of the "guardy" behavior until about 18 months to 2 years. Think surly teenager in human terms.

Then you need to evaluate how your brother raises the puppy. As an abused dog, he is going to have to go overboard in socializing, socializing, socializing. Will he take the puppy to obedience classes? With some Pit blood, your brother will need to always maintain a calm, alpha presence. All children in the household need to be higher in the pack. And this needs to be constantly reinforced at this young age. The dog should never be allowed to get its way in the house, even as a puppy. What is "cute" now, can be dangerous as an adult.

So, I would advise you to be cautious. Let the dog prove itself. But also keep an eye out on how the puppy is being trained and socialized.

 

[mommy22gurlz]

Nana Annie- Yes, both of their pits have been spayed/neutered. Now as petowners they are great. They absolutely love their animals, (they also have 2 cats). They make sure they have their regular vet checks, walked regularly, they take them on rides, takes them shopping to Petsmart....(my dog would be gealous.... ), so I know that my brother and sil have good intentions, it's just the dogs I don't trust. I just found this article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/06/05/MNGQAD3UJ61.DTL

Okay now that scares the crap out of me.

 

[Jynohn]

I'm a dog lover, and I have Great Danes so I know how it feels to have your dog judged by it's breed (or in my dogs' case, it's size). However I have to admit to feeling a little uncomfortable around pit bulls regardless.

In fact, we're having a problem in our neighborhood because someone's pitbull is running around free and we can't figure out who he belongs to. He's wearing a collar and a bandana and looks very well cared for and friendly, but I still don't like the idea of a strange pitbull in my yard around my kids no matter how friendly he appears to be. I felt bad yesterday because I shooed him off when he came into my yard. If it had been any other kind of dog I wouldn't have minded him hanging around. But fair or not, because of his breed I just don't trust him

 

[gris gris]

I'm a proud owner of a pit mix who is a big ball of mush. We've had him since he was 8 weeks and he is now 6 years old. He's a wonderful guy. However he is very protective of me and our house. I know if someone were to try to hurt one of us, he would hurt that person. He's never shown his teeth or bitten, but I know his lineage. Also my vet told me that the Sharpei in him isn't all that nice - we'd be better off with a pure bred pit. I love bully breed dogs and will always have one in my home.

That being said - I would not adopt a rescue bully if I had a child. Actually my vet told me I shouldn't adopt any rescue when a child is in the house because you just don't know where they come from. Also, I do not ever leave my child & my dog alone together. I know that all dogs can snap and I won't take that chance. Also, I'm hesitant to have DD friends over because I don't want the other people to be uncomfortable. As the dog's mom, I know he'd be fine, but if I were in the visitor's shoes, I wouldn't be so sure.

So to the OP, no I would not have your kids over that house.

 

[andromedaslove]

Honestly, although the article is scary, you can't really use that as an example(when I say that I mean that this isn't the "standard"). Just my thoughts here, but those people didn't seem to be acting very responsibly. First, they had a male and female who were unaltered, the owner (dominant male was out of town), the female was in heat, and the mother left her son there with the dogs alone. That is trouble waiting to happen. Secondly, there were witnesses who said he saw the kids hit the dogs in the head on previous occasions, what kind of person allows their kids to do that? Even my 18 month old is taught that we don't EVER hit the animals.

I used to have 4 dogs (until this past week, when I found a wonderful home for my puppy). I had 3 labs (two adults 6 yrs old, and a 2 year old), and a foxie-doxie. One day while outside playing fetch with all 4 of them my little foxie-doxie decided he was going to fight the lab over the ball (we all know about the little dog syndrome, right?!) and the lab attacked him right back. My first reaction was to hit my 2 yr old lab to get him off the little dog, and when I did so my lab turned at me like he was going to attack me too. Now, let me start by saying that as soon as he saw it was me he immediately changed his tune (I am the dominant in our house and he knows it). The reason for this story is to explain that even the "BEST" dogs can attack under the right circumstances.

Let's say that these Pitts got into a bit of a scuffle because she was in heat and the male wanted to do the duty but the female wasn't ready yet, and the boy tried to break them apart he could have easily been in the wrong situation at the wrong time and that could be the reason he was attacked. Things like this happen all the time. It wasn't too long ago that here in Jacksonville a 6 week old baby was killed by 2 labs. The grandparents were watching the baby, she was sleeping and they had laid her down on their bed, and stepped out of the house for a moment. When they came back in the baby was screaming and the dogs were all over her. She later died at the hospital. The biggest part of preventing attacks is to be a responsible parent, and a responsible owner. OK, done rambling now!!

I completely agree that your little girl should probably not be over there with those dogs, at least until you have had time to gauge the animals yourself, and have had time to witness how your brother handles the animals and children while they are together. I am still not sure that under the circumstances that the dog should have been adopted out at all because that is just taking such a big risk with a dog that has been in a fighting situation. It mainly comes down to the fact that you have to do what you feel comfortable with.

 

[HOGFAN]

There are naturally occuring predators and aggressors in the animal kingdom. why do some people deny that this can occur with "domestic" animals, good owners or not?

 

[poutytink]

I used to agree that pit bulls were given a bum rap...that as long as they were brought up right they were great dogs. My thoughts changed when my husband was walking my 2 shelties..one male one female. A pit bull had gotten out of its yard and came up to my dogs. He sniffed my female Brandy..no problem. Then he turned to my male Champ..one sniff and latched his mouth right on his throat. My husband was literally body checking the pit bull onto the concrete to get him to stop. He finally came off and my dog was ripped open and his right front leg was hanging. If Champ was any other type of dog he would have died. The cops came and read the dog tag of the pit bull. The guy lived around the corner and didn't know he got out. He was a nice guy, knew him from the neighborhood. He lives w/his GF and she has a pomeranium(sp) ,no problems. The guy paid for my dogs medical bills. Champ had to have 43 stiches. I no longer trust pit bulls...no matter WHO owns them now. I think they all have a screw loose in their heads and they will suddenly snap for no reason.

 

[Kycha]

There are naturally occuring predators and aggressors in the animal kingdom. why do some people deny that this can occur with "domestic" animals, good owners or not?

ITA. And they are not always "big" dogs. I have encountered more aggresive terriers and poodles than pit bulls or rottweilers. I wish people would be more responsible pet owners. Numerous times I have been told by pet owners that their dog is a sweetheart, only to have the dog nip, bite, growl and snap at me. All dogs should be leashed and muzzled regardless of size when out of their home.

OP hopefully your brother will understand your concerns. I don't think they are unreasonable at all. Maybe he can put the dogs in a locked room or crate when your children are visiting.

 

[LittleRydia]

I think they all have a screw loose in their heads and they will suddenly snap for no reason.

actully by the sounds of your story, that pitt bull did not just "snap" for no reason. your female dog was there, and your other was a "challenge" for the female. any male dog would of done that to get the female dog. i dont think thats a way to judge a pitt bull since any dog would attack like that

 

[poutytink]

I would agree but she is fixed. So I don't think that this was it. Besides, at the time Champ had his back turned ,was about 3 feet away and was sniffing at a fence.

 

[poutytink]

also...my dogs have been around all breeds..male & female at the same time...they have NEVER been attacked because one wanted my female. My male wouldn't do that to another male for a female either so you cannot say that ANY dog would have done that. Its simply not true.

 

[C.Ann]

I've never been around one that wasn't growling and snarling so it's safe to say I don't like them..

I wouldn't let my child near those dogs in a million years!!!

 

[LittleRydia]

It does not matter if your female was fixed, a male dog can still smeal she is female. what happened is he looked at your dog at a challenge for the female. even if he could not mate with her.

so you have come across some dogs who did not attack yours. but was those dogs all fixed? if a male is not fixed which im betting the pitt bull was not they are more agressive around other males. it just did not help the situation he smelled a female dog standing there.

im not saying all dogs will attack like this, but you can not rule out he attacked for "no reason at all"

 

[MeanLaureen]

I had always been one to preach there are no bad dog breeds, just bad breed owners - but - sadly to say my view on this has changed lately with Pit Bulls.

Pit Bulls has been bred so recklessly, inbred, temperment issues bred into temperment issues.. you just have a hard time knowing the true personality of the dog you are getting. Especially from a shelter.

I've seen first hand what these scums do to these dogs and it sickens me. Matthew and I personally took out one dog fighter who was stashing his dogs at his girlfriends father's house behind us. You would see them out there everyday, giving the dogs injections. Every weekend they would pick the dogs up and take them to fights. The dogs would come back cut, bloody, with broken legs. The female was kept chained up in dirt and pregnant. THe poor dog wanted out of that situation so many times that she would jump over our chainlink fence (they had her chained nearby) and would be hanging there. I would have to go out there in the middle of the night and pick this poor malnurished dog up, climb over the fence with her and put her back. I would normally smuggle her some dog cookies. The males, however, you didn't come anywhere near.

I vowed that these scums weren't going to get away with this and I got a TV station, the animal control and the county police involved. Our neighbors backed out for fear of retaliation but I stuck fast, right up to videotaping the car that picked the dogs up with a good closeup of the license plate. After I gave the tape to the police, they came and took the dogs away and we never saw those scumbags again.

Since then, Richmond has been plagued with Pit Bull attacks. Just recently one of these scums was walking his Pit on a rope, yes, a rope, in a park in Richmond. The rope gets lose and 4 people get mauled by the dog. Then just a few days ago a little boy was mauled just 2 subdivisions over from me when playing in his backyard - the pit jumped the fence and attacked him. If it wasn't for the family dogs diverting the Pit's attention, the little boy probably would have been mauled to death.

Virginia is cracking down on dangerous dog owners and laying felony charges on owners of dogs that kill people and stiffer punishments for owners of dogs that maim or hurt someone - The Dorothy Sullivan Memorial Bill I'm glad to see they are making the owners pay for what is happening.

So as I said before, I used to be in the camp of there are no bad breeds, just bad owners - but sadly, I have to wonder if the Pit breed has been so poisoned by ill meaning breeders and fighters that we will never see it get back to the breed it used to be.