Pitbulls? Love 'em, hate 'em. Discuss.

[HalfInsane]

Just curious on everyone's opinion of pitbulls and other bully breeds. I personally think they're awesome dogs in the right home. Problem is they are so popular with the wrong people. More challenging and driven than some breeds, but I guess that's part of what I like about them.

I'd love to adopt one from a reputable rescue/shelter once I'm living in my own place; I wouldn't attempt it while renting because of the stigma attached to them.

So, what do the rest of you think?

 

[mcw009]

It kinda bothers me when people claim that they're not inherently more dangerous than other breeds. These are dogs that were bred to grab and hang onto BULLS. They're extremely strong and tenacious dogs. They aren't inherently more likely to be aggressive, but when they attack, they are more dangerous than many, if not most, other dog breeds.

Because they do have the stigma and attract people who want "tough" dogs (who won't train them properly, or will train them to be vicious), I'm somewhat in favor of phasing the breed out. However, then those kind of people will just pick another breed, like rotties.

I personally wouldn't own a rescued pitbull. I volunteered in a canine sanctuary a long time ago, and all the pits we saw had issues. One was wonderful with people but then got loose inside and ripped a kitten to pieces. Another simply attacked me.
Also I don't want a dog. But that's not relevant here lol

 

[Sadie]

[/ATTACH]uh oh...touchy subject with me. if i had the time i would type for hours but i dont. I have rescued and rehabilitated pit bulls for the last 5 years as well as rescued from a gassing pound. Pits were and still are my specialty. i haven't fostered/rescued in a few months but i still have 2 of the rescues here. The media is always blaming a breed of dog whether it be the doberman, rott, gsd, not the pit. the one the media goes after is the one the "tough guys" get and it feeds into the bad rep these poor animals get! For instance, someone was mauled by a pitbull that got loose. Well this pit bull was chained up in someones yard without water and food for a few days and has had little to no socialization. well i can assure you a golden retiever would also be aggressive under the same circumstances yet how scary is a golden at the end of a chain in "tough guys" yard???
My sister was 14 and got attacked by a golden doodle. it tore through the screen door when she was walking in the neighborhood and bit her through her shirt and she needed 14 stitches in her stomach. guy comes out and apologizes. offers to pay for the shirt the dog ruined and said "sorry he gets like this with young people" where was the media coverage for that? none because it wasn't a big bad pit bull ad trust me the news WAS called about this animal that has attacked children before...
i could go on for hours but a dog is as bad as the person at the other end of the leash period! If there are any other facts or stereotypes you would like to throw at me go for it. These were the "nanny dogs" before media and drug dealers got involved!

oh and YES they are terriers and like any terrier they have a high prey drive. So it takes responsibility to keep these dogs from getting to a cat/kitten/small animal. AND proper socialization is a MUST just like any other terrier! My grandmothers beagle will tear a kitten to shreds given the opportunity, but with a bit of control and responsibility the beagle has yet to get a hold of a smaller animal! my neighbors jack russel? killed a baby rabbit just 2 days ago. why? he is a terrier with a high prey drive! it boils down to responsibility and socializing your dog!
PS: BOTH of my pit bull rescues get along fine and ignore both my cat and my parrot. because they are in a responsible home!

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upshot/pit-bulls-surprising-past-nanny-dogs-195612543.html
http://www.pitbulllovers.com/pit-bulls-ten-things-you-should-know.html
also, look into resident/family dogs. most pit bulls are kept as resident dogs and thanks to a few rescue groups they are beginning to seperate the difference when reporting an attack.

 

[luvmytooo]

I agree , the breed has been used to hold onto a bull , and they are a strong breed , hands down. And they can attract the wrong people who use them for other uses other then a companion animal. And many other breeds can and have killed animals , attacked people , etc....
I know the breed has had a bad wrap too. But I still wouldnt want to own one.
We have German Shepherd Dogs and Border Collies and one Beagle
My husband is a retired K9 Officer , he has seen many pits in his career.
He has only had to shoot one dog , and it wasnt a pit , it was a husky.
The dog turned on its owner and was coming for him .
I know they can be just as loving as any other breed.
But I just dont feel comfortable with them. Just thought I would be totally honest.

 

[cdog]

I have an English mastiff, the largest breed of dogs. Its the sandlot dog. I personally love pitbulls, my aunt has a pit mix and she is the sweetest dog ever. I wouldn't rescue one from a shelter though because there is no telling what the background on the dog is. If you want a pitbull then I suggest getting one from a breeder so you can raise it the way you want to.

 

[Sadie]

I have an English mastiff, the largest breed of dogs. Its the sandlot dog. I personally love pitbulls, my aunt has a pit mix and she is the sweetest dog ever. I wouldn't rescue one from a shelter though because there is no telling what the background on the dog is. If you want a pitbull then I suggest getting one from a breeder so you can raise it the way you want to.

while i understand your concerns and i do believe shelter pits need experienced homes, most shelters make them go through extensive behavioral examinations before making them available to the public.
Most of the mike vic dogs were even able to be adopted out and a few even moved on to become therapy dogs.
hope you take the time to read this

Can You Teach a Bad Dog New Tricks? | Parade.com

i met leo (rip), one of the vic dogs, on a few occasions and all he had was love for anyone and everyone he met

 

[Lesa1211]

I personally think they are great dogs, just like any other dog. It's some of the people that raise them and breed them. More than half of them just do it for money. They raise them to fight and when their done with them they kill them or it's up to the shelters to rehab them. 99% of the dogs in the shelters in my area are pitbulls. They have a bad rep because of the owners. I dont believe any puppy is born mean. The owners make them mean. I grew up with pitbulls, not one ever bit anyone or was ever aggressive in any way. Because we didnt raise them to be that way. I have a English Bulldog now, she's 5yrs old and wouldnt hurt a fly, because it's how we raise her. I just believe you get out what you put in. On the other hand I would be cautious adopting from a shelter because you dont know what the dog has been thru, but thats any dog, not just a pit.

 

[HalfInsane]

I have an English mastiff, the largest breed of dogs. Its the sandlot dog. I personally love pitbulls, my aunt has a pit mix and she is the sweetest dog ever. I wouldn't rescue one from a shelter though because there is no telling what the background on the dog is. If you want a pitbull then I suggest getting one from a breeder so you can raise it the way you want to.

I'd prefer to adopt rather than buy from a breeder. There's actually a great pit rescue located in Vancouver, BC (bit of a drive but hey!). They not only very carefully evaluates all of their dogs, but they are all fostered rather than kept in a kennel (better to get an idea of personality), and many go and get their CGC (Canine Good Citizen) certificate while in the rescue's care.

 

[HalfInsane]

Oh, and Sadie, the dog in those pictures is beautiful. Is she your dog or a foster?

I'm guessing your household is not always that peaceful! lol

 

[KatherineI]

I think Pit's are great! They can be absolute sweethearts. Yes, some have had the "vicious" bred in to them a little too much and really aren't a good fit for a home. Some have had bad experiences and again, aren't a good fit for most homes. But the large majority are fantastic dogs. My husband has said that we won't be getting any 4-legged animals that don't live in aquariums/habitats, but when I said "what about a Pit?" He immediately changed his tune

I think the excuse "they were made to take down and hold on to bulls" is a cop-out. Many other dogs were bred for very similar reasons; German Shepards, Mastiffs, Dobermans and Rottweilers are just a few of the breeds that were developed for means that aren't necessarily "home friendly". Yet, no one seems to have it out for those breeds (currently) and want to ban them.

Any dog can be a vicious dog, any dog can attack you given the right circumstances, background and temperment. I was scarred for life in my face by a Yorkshire Terrier when I was 7. I did NOTHING to the dog, either, to warrant the attack. I had been taken by my older sister (a teenager) to one of her friends houses. The Mom had flat out said "Don't touch the dog, he doesn't like kids", to which I obediently listened (never mind the fact that I couldn't get near it any way because it was growling at me and I refused to go near a growling dog even then). While sitting on their couch reading a book, the dog jumped up next to me. I called to my Sister, her friend and her friends mom, not daring to move a single inch because I was so scared. Before any of them could remove the dog, he bit across my face, at an angle, from my left eye down to my right lower chin. He narrowly missed my eye, but I had a teeth mark so deep on my nose that it is clearly visible to this day. I've never been bit by any pitbul I have ever encountered, and I have encountered several. I have met nasty Chow's, Chow mixes, Shepard's (My aunt's GSD used to be really friendly and then suddenly, she was the meanest, nastiest dog on the planet. Literally, they had to set her up outside in a kennel because no one could get near her. And that's the same dog that wouldn't let anyone near me if she thought that I was going to get a spanking, a hand smack or any kind of punishment). So I don't buy anyone's BS about it being breed specific. It's not.

We have discussed and will continue to do so, adding a Pitbull to our family. I would like to get one from a very reputable rescue that does extensive behavioral testing, home inspections, and the like. Most likely a place like Villalobos.

 

[Ginkai]

I train dogs everyweek so I've met a lot. Mind you pit bulls are actually band where I live but there are staffies here which are very similar. My opinion is that they are high prey drive stubborn dogs, that in the hands of anyone but an experienced bully owner or trainer who knows how to control them, can be very bad. If socialized from young they can be and often are the sweetest gentlest most gorgeous dogs youll ever meet. But if left to their natural built in instincts and left in a yard turn into very dangerous dogs.

My two cents worth there

 

[Sadie]

Oh, and Sadie, the dog in those pictures is beautiful. Is she your dog or a foster?

I'm guessing your household is not always that peaceful! lol

thank you Thats my Joker, He is a rescue. We got him when he was 3 weeks old along with the rest of the litter that were abandoned in a dumpster. We were just originally fostering the pups until they were 8 weeks, but he stole our heart so we adopted him. Acts more like one of the kids than a dog!
And of course not! thats them AFTER they terrorized my home all day lol.
sorry i'll be fair, here is a pit bull in action

He was so thrilled with his stocking lol![/ATTACH]

 

[Sadie]

ugh ok one more cause i am a pic nut! lol
The brown one is daisy. We adopted her from the shelter i use to foster for. She was found emaciated and required emergency surgery to remove aluminum fol she ate to try to survive. Daisy is a very sweet girl and is very close with her "pack" she always needs to find someone to plop down next to and if the couch is full she will lay across the top like a cat. She has some very bad scarring on top of her head which leads us to believe she was either a failed fighter or a bait bull. Whatever the reason she is terrified of dogs she doesnt know. Because of this she doesnt get to go for walks with us because some people can be rude and let their dogs approach her too quickly. She always tries to run as her first option but if she cant she will get into a fight and of course the pit bull would be considered the aggressor. She gets plenty of exercise in the yard but we make sure we dont put her in a situation she isnt comfortable with. She isnt a mean or bad dog, she just got traumatized at one point and we work with it. She is very close with my other 2 dogs but we did have to do a few meeting in a controlled environment before bringing her home with us. If she meet a dog slowly she is fine, what scares her is when dogs run up to her. I would definitely recommend adopting from a breed specific rescue, they know more about the breed and they go trough very good behavioral programs before being adoptable. Another wonderful rescue is hello bully. they are located in pittsburgh though. They can tell you if a dog has quirks so you know how to handle it (daisy), or if you do go for a puppy you will only get what you put in and you wont have any issues unless you make them (joker).
My joker was attacked in the face by a friends pomeranian because he wanted to sniff her, he yelped and ran! He still wont go within 10 feet of that dog lol! With any dog they react and learn what they are taught. Sadly pit bulls have more issues than most because they are the ones typically put in these situations.

if you have any question about them feel free to pm me. ive worked with pits for a few years with fostering and rehabilitating after fight raids. and i have been through some classes about them just to educate myself more and find out more about the myths and stereotypes associated with these dogs.

 

[luvmytooo]

I think Pit's are great! They can be absolute sweethearts. Yes, some have had the "vicious" bred in to them a little too much and really aren't a good fit for a home. Some have had bad experiences and again, aren't a good fit for most homes. But the large majority are fantastic dogs. My husband has said that we won't be getting any 4-legged animals that don't live in aquariums/habitats, but when I said "what about a Pit?" He immediately changed his tune

I think the excuse "they were made to take down and hold on to bulls" is a cop-out. Many other dogs were bred for very similar reasons; German Shepards, Mastiffs, Dobermans and Rottweilers are just a few of the breeds that were developed for means that aren't necessarily "home friendly". Yet, no one seems to have it out for those breeds (currently) and want to ban them.

Any dog can be a vicious dog, any dog can attack you given the right circumstances, background and temperment. I was scarred for life in my face by a Yorkshire Terrier when I was 7. I did NOTHING to the dog, either, to warrant the attack. I had been taken by my older sister (a teenager) to one of her friends houses. The Mom had flat out said "Don't touch the dog, he doesn't like kids", to which I obediently listened (never mind the fact that I couldn't get near it any way because it was growling at me and I refused to go near a growling dog even then). While sitting on their couch reading a book, the dog jumped up next to me. I called to my Sister, her friend and her friends mom, not daring to move a single inch because I was so scared. Before any of them could remove the dog, he bit across my face, at an angle, from my left eye down to my right lower chin. He narrowly missed my eye, but I had a teeth mark so deep on my nose that it is clearly visible to this day. I've never been bit by any pitbul I have ever encountered, and I have encountered several. I have met nasty Chow's, Chow mixes, Shepard's (My aunt's GSD used to be really friendly and then suddenly, she was the meanest, nastiest dog on the planet. Literally, they had to set her up outside in a kennel because no one could get near her. And that's the same dog that wouldn't let anyone near me if she thought that I was going to get a spanking, a hand smack or any kind of punishment). So I don't buy anyone's BS about it being breed specific. It's not.

We have discussed and will continue to do so, adding a Pitbull to our family. I would like to get one from a very reputable rescue that does extensive behavioral testing, home inspections, and the like. Most likely a place like Villalobos.

There is always a reason for what a dog reacts to. ALWAYS.
We tend to miss their signals and take for granted that we know best.
There are many things that we do to our dogs unknowingly that cause them to react in a bad way. Chaining a reactive dog will cause the dog to become worse. Letting a child play near that dog is a invitation for disaster .
There are so many more instances that would make a dog bite , some dogs do get a bad wrap because of we , the smart humans , miss their clear as day signals to either stop , back off , stand up and get your face out of mine , etc....
Just saying......

 

[KatherineI]

There is always a reason for what a dog reacts to. ALWAYS.
We tend to miss their signals and take for granted that we know best.
There are many things that we do to our dogs unknowingly that cause them to react in a bad way. Chaining a reactive dog will cause the dog to become worse. Letting a child play near that dog is a invitation for disaster .
There are so many more instances that would make a dog bite , some dogs do get a bad wrap because of we , the smart humans , miss their clear as day signals to either stop , back off , stand up and get your face out of mine , etc....
Just saying......

While normally I would agree with you, I actually disagree about this particular case.

1. I was sitting on their couch, in another room, reading. I wasn't being a loud child, I wasn't terrorizing the dog, I wasn't anywhere near the dog.
2. The dog came in to where I was, and without invitation from me, jumped on the couch. I immediately froze except to call to my Sister.
3. How could I have possibly provoked the dog when I didn't move, touch, invite, harrass, etc, the dog? It was a completely unprovoked attack. Period. Unless you want to sit there and argue semantics about how I was in the dog's territory (with his owners approval) and that alone is grounds for an attack, to which I'd say, well, EFF ME I couldn't win, I guess I deserved a scar and to be bit despite not doing anything wrong.

It is rare that an attack is unprovoked. Normally, you are correct, something was done to provoke the dog into attacking. I have been bit since then, and every single time I can look back and go "Yeah, here's where I went wrong" and I don't blame the dog. I blame that Yorkie because it was indeed the Yorkie's fault. The owner even said she didn't understand because I hadn't done anything. Trust me, I get what you're saying, but that really wasn't the case in this situation.

My daughter was bit by a Greyhound. 100% not the dog's fault, as she and I were to blame. Her for getting in the dog's space after being repeatedly told not to and mine for not being more diligent.

 

[KatherineI]

If socialized from young they can be and often are the sweetest gentlest most gorgeous dogs youll ever meet. But if left to their natural built in instincts and left in a yard turn into very dangerous dogs.

My two cents worth there

Seriously??? That can be said for any dog, of any breed. You can't leave any dog in a backyard, and not expect them to let their natural instincts take over. Leave a dog to themselves long enough, and they all revert back to their wild-dog state. Breed doesn't matter. I've seen it numerous times, usually with large breeds because those are the breeds most people assume they can leave in a yard and not have to do anything with.

 

[luvmytooo]

There is always a reason for what a dog reacts to. ALWAYS.
We tend to miss their signals and take for granted that we know best.
There are many things that we do to our dogs unknowingly that cause them to react in a bad way. Chaining a reactive dog will cause the dog to become worse. Letting a child play near that dog is a invitation for disaster .
There are so many more instances that would make a dog bite , some dogs do get a bad wrap because of we , the smart humans , miss their clear as day signals to either stop , back off , stand up and get your face out of mine , etc....
Just saying......

While normally I would agree with you, I actually disagree about this particular case.
L

1. I was sitting on their couch, in another room, reading. I wasn't being a loud child, I wasn't terrorizing the dog, I wasn't anywhere near the dog.
2. The dog came in to where I was, and without invitation from me, jumped on the couch. I immediately froze except to call to my Sister.
3. How could I have possibly provoked the dog when I didn't move, touch, invite, harrass, etc, the dog? It was a completely unprovoked attack. Period. Unless you want to sit there and argue semantics about how I was in the dog's territory (with his owners approval) and that alone is grounds for an attack, to which I'd say, well, EFF ME I couldn't win, I guess I deserved a scar and to be bit despite not doing anything wrong.

It is rare that an attack is unprovoked. Normally, you are correct, something was done to provoke the dog into attacking. I have been bit since then, and every single time I can look back and go "Yeah, here's where I went wrong" and I don't blame the dog. I blame that Yorkie because it was indeed the Yorkie's fault. The owner even said she didn't understand because I hadn't done anything. Trust me, I get what you're saying, but that really wasn't the case in this situation.

My daughter was bit by a Greyhound. 100% not the dog's fault, as she and I were to blame. Her for getting in the dog's space after being repeatedly told not to and mine for not being more diligent.

No matter who's fault , NOBODY deserves to get bit !
I didn't mean to use anybodys experience as a example either.
You were there , you understand dog and I believe you.
Think about this....could freezing up have been a perceived threat ?
When a dog wags his tail very slowly and stands very still what are they saying ?

Some of the smaller dogs do have the " Napoleon complex" , and sometimes bite
without provocation , which would be a perfect example of the Yorkie that bit you.
I'm enjoying this thread , it's a good conversation and I don't want it to take a turn for the worse and start to go sour .

It's also refreshing to converse with other dog people

 

[KatherineI]

There is always a reason for what a dog reacts to. ALWAYS.
We tend to miss their signals and take for granted that we know best.
There are many things that we do to our dogs unknowingly that cause them to react in a bad way. Chaining a reactive dog will cause the dog to become worse. Letting a child play near that dog is a invitation for disaster .
There are so many more instances that would make a dog bite , some dogs do get a bad wrap because of we , the smart humans , miss their clear as day signals to either stop , back off , stand up and get your face out of mine , etc....
Just saying......

While normally I would agree with you, I actually disagree about this particular case.
L

1. I was sitting on their couch, in another room, reading. I wasn't being a loud child, I wasn't terrorizing the dog, I wasn't anywhere near the dog.
2. The dog came in to where I was, and without invitation from me, jumped on the couch. I immediately froze except to call to my Sister.
3. How could I have possibly provoked the dog when I didn't move, touch, invite, harrass, etc, the dog? It was a completely unprovoked attack. Period. Unless you want to sit there and argue semantics about how I was in the dog's territory (with his owners approval) and that alone is grounds for an attack, to which I'd say, well, EFF ME I couldn't win, I guess I deserved a scar and to be bit despite not doing anything wrong.

It is rare that an attack is unprovoked. Normally, you are correct, something was done to provoke the dog into attacking. I have been bit since then, and every single time I can look back and go "Yeah, here's where I went wrong" and I don't blame the dog. I blame that Yorkie because it was indeed the Yorkie's fault. The owner even said she didn't understand because I hadn't done anything. Trust me, I get what you're saying, but that really wasn't the case in this situation.

My daughter was bit by a Greyhound. 100% not the dog's fault, as she and I were to blame. Her for getting in the dog's space after being repeatedly told not to and mine for not being more diligent.

No matter who's fault , NOBODY deserves to get bit !
I didn't mean to use anybodys experience as a example either.
You were there , you understand dog and I believe you.
Think about this....could freezing up have been a perceived threat ?
When a dog wags his tail very slowly and stands very still what are they saying ?

Some of the smaller dogs do have the " Napoleon complex" , and sometimes bite
without provocation , which would be a perfect example of the Yorkie that bit you.
I'm enjoying this thread , it's a good conversation and I don't want it to take a turn for the worse and start to go sour .

It's also refreshing to converse with other dog people

It is possible, but being 7, and even then knowing as much as I did about dogs, I didn't know that at the time. Bottom line though, is that the owner should have removed the dog when I entered the home, because she invited me in, knowing full well her dog didn't like children.

I think you're right though, I think this was more of the "Napoleon Complex" than my freezing up. Which is a shame. This is why I'm a big believer in crate training. Much like a parrot cage, it's a dogs "safe haven". When you can't supervise them, when you can't keep them safe from others or themselves, you put them in the crate. Much like you put a parrot away or place an infant or toddler in a play yard or crib

This was also 23 years ago, so I don't even know if they did crates back then . I know I didn't hear about crate training until I was in high school.

 

[luvmytooo]

Absolutely !!!!! Crate training is ideal for all dogs. The crate is a safe zone , a quiet place for a dog to retreat to when it's had enough. You can also assign a room to the dog and make it known that when the dog is in there , leave it alone.

And yes , I agree that the person should have put her dog away knowing full well it didn't like children . I would have NEVER put a child at risk ! Dogs teeth have no business on human flesh , period.
Unless your a jerk and a PO sends his dog after you , lolol.

 

[caliopi]

I really respect everyone's opinion here as many of you are involved is rescue/rehoming of many animals but I will never be swayed in my opinion of Pit bulls. I witnessed an horrific attack of my sisters Pomeranian nearly 20 yrs ago as we were walking on the beach. Chookie was on a leash and out of nowhere this PB just charged and grabbed her around the neck ripping the leash from my sister in laws hands. It took seven men to get the dogs apart and the only way they could was to take them to the water and hold its head under risking the death of both dogs. When we finally got chookie out she was mauled. It cost over $2000 to save her and she was never the same again.

I also know of a neighbours sister who owned a PB for 8 years and that dog was her baby. She was very involved in dog obedience and was the principal of a very exclusive private school and lived on site. She went to give Monty his breakfast one morning and as she put the food down he jumped her and grabbed her right on her throat. Had the caretaker not been outside she could have been killed. As it was she had some dreadful injuries including irrepairable damage to her vocal chords and terrible scarring to her face. Monty was put down the same day.

Here in Oz all dog attacks make the news not just the PB's but they are by far the leader and we have had several children killed or badly mauled to the point they are trying to legislate banning ownership. I do agree that people are responsible in a lot of cases but in the two examples I have both dogs were owned by people who were responsible pet owners. In the first instance it was supposedly a rehabilitated rescue that had been with it's current owners for 2 years. We found out later that it was given up by it's original owner at 5 mths old after it killed their neighbours cat. It was at the pound for 6 mths undergoing extensive rehab. It was eventually adopted by one of the volunteers at the pound.

I know there are lovely dogs out there who have never and will never attack but as others have said, people get them for image and do not do the right thing and this is where the problems arise.