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redhotchili83
member
Anyone own a pit bull? Even if you don't, come in :)
redhotchili83
member
Hey!
We are thinking about getting a second dog (we currently have a beagle/dalmatian mix). I LOVE pit bulls.... I think they are sweet, misunderstood dogs. My uncle has one who is the biggest wimp! I talked to DH about this and he said, although he loves them too, he is worried about the reaction of the neighborhood. The last thing we want is someone throwing a poisoned dog treat over the fence because they are afraid of our "vicious dog".
Sadly, I've heard of this happening in uptight neighborhoods.
The reason why I'd want to get one is the shelters are FULL of them around us. We live near a few low-income areas (not judging, I was born and raised in one of them!) where people breed pits and then dump them. Currently, there are 27 pit PUPPIES in the 2 shelters near us (looking online). I'd feel bad for a good dog to get put down simply because of its breed.
If you have a pit, please share reactions you have gotten from family, neighbors, etc.
If you don't have one, please share how you'd feel if your neighbor got one.
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Re: Anyone own a pit bull? Even if you don't, come in :)
In high school my brother got a pit bull and it was not a nice one. He (the dog) grabbed one of our neighbors dogs at the throat and bit another one. We ended up putting the dog to sleep. That being said, my brother now has 2 pit bulls that are huge sweet hearts. Although they are nice dogs, I would never allow them near DS.. I mean I hate to sterotype all pit bulls but experiencing what I did with the one we lived with was horrible. We got the pit when he was around 4 months, and gave him a lot of love and attention. Although I know there are nice pit bulls, they do have an aggressive tendency... I've seen it first hand.
If any of our neighbors got a pit bull, I wouldn't want the dog outside either a) without being fenced in the yard or b) on a leash.
Again, I know there are nice pit bulls (my brother has 2) I just had a bad personal experience with one.
I have a rottweiler and we get very negative reactions to her. She is very sweet and she is older now (8) but because of the negative comments/looks, I would not get another rott or a breed like it.
If I were to get a pitbull, which I would not with small children, I would get an 8 week old puppy NEVER a shelter dog. You just cannot trust a shelter pit because you do not know their past.
I used to work in an animal shelter, so I have quite a bit of experience with pitbulls. We used to have quite a few brought in from dog fighting rings, and while they would be all full of scars and have there ears and tails cut down to nothing. They were usually the sweetest dogs to people, but they would go nuts upon seeing other dogs.
I generally do not have a problem with pitbulls, I have several friends that have them and all of them are really sweet dogs.
On the other hand, I know of people who have had pitbulls since puppies and have had no problems with them and then one day they just turn and do something completely unpredictable.
My advice from you would be to not get a pit puppy from some random source, especially the animal shelter. Most of these dogs do not come from good breeding, and could be descendents of fighting, agressive dogs. If you have your heart set on a pit, do some research and get a puppy from someone who is trust worthy and you meet the pups parents.
Good luck.
From everything I read and seen Its not in their nature to be aggressive towards people. They have been bred that way. They are dog aggressive, which is common of all terriers.
I dont own one, I have a German Shephard. But if my neighbor got one, as long as they were responsible pet owners and took good care of the dog I wouldnt have a problem with it.
These are all some good points! im debating getting a rott, too. My mom has a rottweiler, and I LOVE her. They are very sweet dogs, as well.
More than likely, we will either end up with a dog that falls into our laps (like our first dog did.... dalmatian was NEVER on my list to consider!) or some dog you look at and have NO idea what they are!
We have a boxer. Similar to a pit without the bad reputation. Boxers were originally bred for hunting and then for protection. She is the best dog I have ever had. Very loyal, doesn't run off, protective without being aggressive and fantastic with kids!
My husband's dog is a pit bull mix. We are actually struggling right now with what we are going to do with him. We both love the dog very much but think it may be time for him to go live with his Mom who does not have children in thr house. Prior to the baby arriving, he has never been fond of the children who play in the yard next door. His hair stands up when he sees them. He killed a cat that entered the yard and also attacked my dog (bulldog) two times in the last 6 months over a bone.
Just last week, one of the kids from next door climbed over our fence (which they should never ever do) and didn't realize our dog was in the yard. The next thing I heard was his sister screaming. Stitch had attacked him. Thank god the boy is over 6 feet tall because if it was one of the smaller ones, they more than likely would have been bit in the face. I am petrified. Our daughter is beginning to move on the floor now and I am so scared of the moment he may snap again. I am not saying this is 100% because he is a pit bull but his strength and power frightens me. I do not feel the dog should be in our house anymore, so if I ever had the decision to make regarding a dog in the future, I would not purchase a pit bull.
I also know that this can happen with any breed and I would feel the same. I am currently struggling with my DH to have him agree that it is a danger for our daughter. It truthfully isn't worth the risk for me and I pray he agrees.
First I'd like to say bless you for wanting to adopt a shelter dog. Second I think that pits and pit mixes are wonderful dogs! It totally depends on the owner and how the dog is raised...with ANY breed. We have a pit/whippet mix and a HUGE chocolate labrador. Both dogs are excellent with our son and completely sweet and gentle. I do think it's a wise idea to adopt a puppy so that you have control over the socialization and training of the dog. With any animal the rule is to use common sense. NO animal should be left with a child unattended...period.
Unfortunately the media and irresponsible pet owners have given the breed a bad name. By nature, pit bulls are extremely affectionate towards people. It's other animals that they can be aggressive with, but that can be controlled with spaying/neutering and proper training and socializing. The other thing that I would caution you about is announcing the breed of your pet. People are not properly informed and can pass incorrect judements on your pets so it may be best to publicly proclaim your new addition a "lab mix" for the neighbors and your insurance company. Good luck! I see a new puppy in your future.
Having worked for several years in an animal shelter, I couldn't agree with you more - they are very misunderstood dogs.
That being said, if your local shelters are full of ones that were bred and dumped (and possibly mistreated in the process) you will want to be very careful to work closely with the shelter to understand the history and what steps have been taken to test their temperaments. (This is true for ANY dog, not just pit bulls.)
My neighbor right now has a very vicious untrained shepherd mix. And I'm scared to death of the dog. We will never allow DS even near the fence out of fear for having his finger bitten. I personally wouldn't have a problem with my neighbor having a pit bull, I feel like this untrained dog that is already next to us is more dangerous than a pit bull would be.
I have a pit mix (he's also black lab mix). He's definitely got the face of a pit, so I'm sure people know that he is. People have commented on that he was a handsome pit before.
Honestly, I don't get any bad reactions from neighbors surprisingly, and I live in a middle class/upper middle class suburb. Funny, the only thing I've noticed is that we have 2 dogs-a yorkiepoo and our pit mix. Occasionally they find a way to break out of our fenced yard and it seems that if the neighbors see the 2 dogs, they will grab our yorkiepoo and call us but they don't go near our pit mix (who is the friendlier of the 2 dogs). Luckily, he's a really loyal dog and usually when he breaks out we find him sitting on the front steps of our house.
Do you know your neighbors? Do you think they're the kind of people who would do such a thing? If so, I'd probably avoid getting that type of dog. Otherwise, I think people just get nervous over the horror stories they here. I'm sure that doesn't happen as often as you think.
GL!
I am a complete dog lover - any kind and no matter what kind of dog it is you have to take it on a case by case basis.
With that said good friends of ours have a pit and she was the sweetest dog until they had their daughter. Ever since they had her something went off in the dog and she is very aggressive towards their LO. They are currently trying to find a new home for her because they don't have much other option. Of course this is only one instance but it is just something to think about.
Our old neighbours had a pit bull and often had it out without being tied up (yard not fenced in but he rarely left it). He was a great dog and our German Shepherd, Cajun, loved to play with him. (Cajun was about 4 months old when we moved in). The pit bull was very gentle with our dog and let him jump and climb all over him as a puppy. I had no issues letting Cajun play and run with him, even after finding out that years before the pit bull had killed a deer (the owner did not see so he is unsure if the deer was injured when the pit bull took it down). The pit bull was 11 years old when we moved in so that may have been part of the issue. We moved away before LO was born but I did not have a problem with the pit bull - more that he was allowed to run off-leash with no supervision - he would show up at our house on the deck or in the garage looking for Cajun to play. As far as I know the other neighbours (family neighbourhood) only had an issue with the pit bull if he was off leash.
After that ramble I think that my point is that I would not have a problem as long as the owners were responsible and I got to know the dog myself. However, I would be nervous until I knew that this was the case.
To add to the other side of this, we have 2 dogs, a pit mix and a yorkiepoo. Our pit is great with the baby. Our yorkiepoo is horrible and we actually have to separate them since he tends to growl at the baby if he crawls near him while he's sleeping.
Our pit has actually been attacked (and hurt) by other dogs on 2 occasions and didn't fight back. He is not dog aggressive (or people aggressive) at all.
I think a lot of it is the way they're raised. I might not adopt an older pit from a shelter if you didn't know a history on the dog, but a puppy is a different story IMO.
I typed a very lengthy response that was eaten my by my computer. Grrrr...
I am very discouraged by some of these responses. First off, pit bulls do not even constitute a single breed, and the general public is extremely misinformed about them. Pit bulls are the breed currently villified by the media, as German Shephards and Dobermans have been in the past.
We have a pit mix that we rescued when she was eight weeks old. I could not imagine having a better dog. She has a rock-solid temperament and has accepted DS into our lives better than I ever could have imagined. The vast majority of people look at our dog and say what a beautiful dog she is, and have no clue she has any pit in her.
Please do your research and make an informed decision. The pp that stated humans have done this to pit bulls is correct. They are extremely smart and loyal dogs. They want to please their masters and that is why they were chosen by thugs to be fighting dogs. Animal aggression and human aggression are two completely different things. Yes, there are some unstable pits out there, but there are many, many, many that are not!
This is one of my favorite websites about pits.
This chills me to the bone - is he really arguing to keep the dog around your six-month old when he's already attacked another child?!? I really hope you win this argument.
My brother has a pit and it is the sweetest dog. She is the biggest baby and loves kisses and she constantly tries to climb in our laps. She was bought from a good breeder with sweet temperment dogs. Having said that, she is extremely dog aggressive. She tried to attack my dog on multiple occasions. She is very smart and very well trained, but given a chance to do something w/o my brother watching or if she wasn't on a leash (god forbid) she would attack another animal in a second. I love her, but do not trust her around my son.
I would feel nervous about a neighbor having that dog. A responsble pet owner would always have the dog on a leash, but somethings happen to even the best owners and I wouldn't want to risk the dog attacking my child.
Also, check with your homeowners insurance. Some will charge very high premiums for that kind of dog.
my neighbor has 2 and if they are outside I take Emerson inside I love dogs & think that in most cases, Pits are ok if they are trained & well socialized, But it's bred in them genetically to attack! I have seen them turn, with my own eyes. These dogs were well socialized & trained, as well. It's sad, but in my experience & opinion they are a time bomb waiting to go off. I would NEVER hurt an animal though & would never ask someone to get rid of a dog unless it has a history of attacking people or animals
I WILL NOT take the chance of something happening.
That being said...I'm very cautious of my own dogs around Emerson. She isn't left unattended with them...even though I know they would never hurt her. Freak accidents happen & like I said before it's not something I am willing risk.
"But, I would prefer to get a young pup at a shelter vs an adult because you never really know the temperament of the dog."
Actually, the opposite is true. With an adult dog, you can observe their temperament and get them temperament tested. Dogs don't show their true temperament as puppies, and aggressive dogs do not usually "turn on" until adulthood.
Here is an interesting website about temperament.
it breaks my heart to see some of these responses... I grew up with a pitbull and he was the absolute sweetest dog ever (he was my grandparents so it's not like he was even around kids ALL.THE.TIME) but whenever we came over to visit we'd sit on the floor and he'd come over to us and give us kisses on our faces with no hesitation and not an ounce of fear on our parts (or my parents/grandparents)...I have a couple friends with Pits and they too are the sweetest dogs...
I am a believer in how they are raised and treated. You can take a Lab and turn it into a MEAN AGGRESSIVE dog if you treat it poorly and raise it to be aggressive...
do you research on the pups background, parents etc...
We have a pit who is 2 months younger than Gabriel. They absolutely LOVE each other. The only reason I regret getting one is because of the breed restrictions that most houses/apartments have. But that's not his fault! And we love him like a son, so there's no way we will get rid of him unless he displays aggression towards DS.
We lucked out with our pit, and our neighbors love him. He's a wonderful dog, and they really are just misunderstood.
And PP is right, it's all on how they are raised. I was bitten by a pitbull when I was 16, and I turned around and adopted one. I've seen a vicious yellow lab. It's ALL in how they are raised.
I also have a rot & have had a pit bull..the pit was sweet but at times it would be agressive out of nowhere.. I would recommend a rottweiler though. They truely are great dogs.
This. Sorry Chili. I am a lover of dogs, but not so sure about pits--especially a shelter dog who may or may not have had a violent past. I'd say the same thing about ferrets and I have one of those who has never shown any aggression toward my children.
FYI-many dogs, no matter what the breed, would attack if an over 6 foot tall stranger is breaking into their yard. Dogs will protect their family. I wouldn't necessarily correlate this with a dog being a danger to children.
I can't stand when people talk s**t about pitbulls. Aggressiveness comes from how the owner takes care of it and if it has bad blood lines. You need to work with dogs and make sure they have space to run and play/work. They are VERY sweet dogs when they are in the right environment.
My best friend owns blue pits and one half pit/rotty and they are the SWEETEST dogs ever and are good around kids and my animals when we visit. She has the room for them tho. If my neighbor (i live in the inner city) got a pit I would not be afraid of it.
There are alot of pit bulls who are tortured (Baltimore is known for animal cruelty especially towards cats and pit bulls) where I live. Its sad and I see cases on the news almost every two weeks. I swear people have it out for them for no reason.
If you (A HUMAN) bit someone would you be put to sleep? If you were born in a breeding mill/puppy mill and were mistreated wouldn't you be cranky? I hope you adopt a pit or any other dog that needs a good home. with the right training, love and affection they are awesome pets.
Just make sure you have the right household for a pit bull.
By "attack", do you mean the dog actually bit the person? Barking, and even showing teeth, is not "attacking", it's protecting. It's the dog's way to send a warning. It makes me sick that dogs are sometimes shot by police for "attacking" someone, when in fact they were just being protective.
As a former pit bull owner and now a mastiff owner, one english which are sweet and generally have great dispositions, we also have a neapolitan mastiff...whole different animal very dominant.
With dominant breeds you have to be careful especially with children around. Getting a pit from a shelter I do not recommend. If you were going to get a pit I would only get one through a highly recommended breeder due to temperament issues that could come about.
I know and I understand some have been adopted from shelters that are great, mine was. But with kids I would never do it too risky imho.
With these types of breeds you need to be a dominant person. With our Neo we had to learn to be alpha, not something that is easily learned. Going through doorways first, not letting them eat until I say ok, owning my space in the house, just all kinds of things.
Good luck!
My dog (mini schnauzer) can act vicious at any given moment (she would not hurt a fly and has small dog syndrome lol). and I was bitten by a cocker spaniel (known for being good dogs) does that mean I am going to go around saying mini schnauzers and cocker spaniels are dangerous?
I am done reading this thread. It makes me sad.
This exactly!!!
Pits, just like any terrier breed, need alpha's in the home or they WILL run the house. It doesn't matter what kind of environment they came from, (Did you see the Pits that came from Michael Vicks house, all rehomed except for one that now lives in the Dog Town community).
I have a 20 lb Cairn and he DOES NOT respect DH because DH has always treated him like a child instead of an animal. Me on the other hand, he respects me and will always do what I say. I love him like he was my child, but respect is #1.
Terriers have strong tempers and need strong people to care for them. Unless you are willing to put the TIME and ENERGY into caring for a Pit, do not get one. Because training is a lifetime commitment, not just something you do when they are puppies and then put on the back burner. They need tons of exercise and discipline. When you meet those requirements on a daily basis you will have a loving, caring, sweet pet.
ETA: took out the extra "ts"
Any dog can be aggressive. Like another poster said, they are animals. Yes, we train and domesticate them, but we have to remember they all have instincts. That said, I don't think that Pits are naturally more aggressive than other breeds. Those traits have been bred into them by nasty and irresponsible humans.
Some of the nastiest dogs I've known have been totally "normal" breeds. My DH just got bit in the as$ by a lab a couple weeks ago. Conversly, the pits, rotties and german shepards I've known have been some of the sweetest dogs I've ever encountered. Individual dogs all have personality, just like people do.
That said, if you are looking to adopt a shelter dog, make sure its from a shelter that does a lot of work with the dogs and can tell you the dogs personality traits. Consider adopting from a rescue, as they foster the animals first and usually have a good idea what the temperment fo the dog is going to be like. Rescuing a breed like a pitt (or a rottie, or other "aggressive" labeled dog) can be risky because of their previous owners. They can require a lot of rehab, but can turn out to be the sweetest and best pets you'll ever own. You just have to know what you're getting into and how much work it will be.
Annelise 3.22.2007 Norah 10.24.2009 Amelia 8.7.2011
i personally don't see the problem. If you are getting the dog as a pup and train him/her properly then you shouldn't have an issue.
DO you ever watch the Dog Whisperer? He shows that they are so misunderstood and if you train them right, they're just fine. Little dogs can be just as aggressive and big biters but people don't have an issue with them b/c they're so "cute"
Save a puppy! do it!
I have one! When I moved out of my mom's house she stayed there because I dont have a big back yard. She is the sweetest dog I have ever met. She used to sleep in my bed with me every night. She loves Gage! She is so gentle and protective with him. She is always very careful around him. The only problem is that sometimes her tails will whack him if she gets overexcited.
We got her from a shelter when she was 8 months. She was very shy at first. She does not like African American men at all. She was rescued from an apartment where they were fighting her. She is getting better about this as she gets older though.