Has anyone else gotten protective over their stomachs and such things as dogs jumping on them?
My brother inlaw adopted a 10 month old pit bull puppy and it is so unpredictable and does not listen!! He (brother in law) is the culprit for the whole not listening thing. Gets the dog so riled up that it just runs rampant and then leaves to play xbox. So frustrating when I already have to protect my baby from this dog!!
Any tips on how to get it to stay down, other than not going over there?
Re: Dogs
This has me really concerned. Please stop going there NOW and especially not with the baby once s/he arrives. It sounds like your brother is not training this dog whatsoever, nor does he care how it reacts towards other ppl which is incredibly dangerous especially considering the breed and what they are actually bred for. A dog like this with no training, no matter how sweet they seem, is like a bomb waiting to go off.
Puppies (just like very young humans) are going to have certain undesirable behaviors that take time and training to end. Jumping is definitely one of them! We have two big labs (8 and 4) and their behavior/energy level is so different than when they were puppies. Puppies also teethe so when they are losing their razor-sharp baby teeth, they like to gnaw on things (including arms and legs!) - they are not necessarily biting but it doesn't really matter because it hurts like heck!
If your brother-in-law uses crate-training, you can ask him to crate the dog when he comes over. Other than that, I would say you just might have to stay away until he gets his dog under control. You have a right to set that boundary to protect yourself and your baby.
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This has me really concerned. Please stop going there NOW and especially not with the baby once s/he arrives. It sounds like your brother is not training this dog whatsoever, nor does he care how it reacts towards other ppl which is incredibly dangerous especially considering the breed and what they are actually bred for. A dog like this with no training, no matter how sweet they seem, is like a bomb waiting to go off.
I completely agree with you and said to my husband that we will not be going over there until that dog is trained!! Even then, I won't trust it around the baby. My husband agreed as the final straw was when it bit him pretty good and we left.
Like pps said, you do not have to come over and tell your BIL why. That is the simple solution I feel.
Or... even if you BIL does not want to take care of the dog's behavior that does not mean that the dog should disrespect you or your kid. When you come in the room/house you could project a leadership role and the dog will pick up on that. So even if your BIL plays with the dog the dog will know not to jump on you or your kid because you do not allow that and if your BIL leaves the room you could easily calm the dog. But this requires training and time from you.
Also, there is no wrong choice when it comes to your and you're kind/s safety.
I understand what your saying about not judging a breed, but you need to look at the facts here. PitBulls are responsible for 64% of fatal dog attacks between 2005-2014. That's significant for 1 breed. They were bred for their powerful jaw strength and 'lock-jaw' and to create as much damage to their 'prey' as possible without letting go.
https://www.petfinder.com/pet-adoption/dog-adoption/myths-and-facts-about-pit-bulls/
1. "PitBulls are responsible for 64% of fatal dog attacks between 2005-2014."
“Pit Bull” is NOT a breed, but rather a category in which over 20 breeds are lumped (the term "Pit Bull" is nothing more than a generic term often used to describe all dogs with similar traits and characteristics often known by the public as "Pit Bulls"). You simply cannot compare that many breeds grouped under one label to the rest of the dog population and expect the statistics to be accurate..
In fact, "a 2008 study by the University of Pennsylvania looked at aggressiveness in 30 dog breeds and found that Chihuahuas and Dachshunds were the actually most aggressive toward humans and other dogs." Interesting, no?" 'Pit bulls' were among the most aggressive toward other dogs, particularly those they didn’t know. However, pit bulls weren't more aggressive than other breeds toward strangers and their owners." Which brings me to my next point...
2. "They were bred for their powerful jaw strength and 'lock-jaw' and to create as much damage to their 'prey' as possible without letting go."
American Pit Bull Terriers where ACTUALLY “selectively” bred for hundreds of years to fight other dogs. In the same way that Labradors were bred to retrieve birds, APBT’s were, unfortunately, bred to face other dogs in mortal combat. With that said, animal-aggression and people-aggression should never be confused with each other as they are two different traits. Unless they have been very poorly bred and/or specifically “trained” to attack humans (often through abusive methods by undesirable individuals), American Pit Bull Terriers by nature are very good with people.Also, "lock jaw" is a myth. The jaws of a "pit bull" function the exact same way as all other dogs' jaws, and no dog breed has ever been found to possess a locking mechanism. Pit bulls also don't have more bite pressure than any other dog breed. In fact,
"Dr. Brady Barr of National Geographic found that the domestic canines have an average bite of 320 pounds of force, and as part of his study, he tested the bites of three popular dog breeds: a German shepherd, a Rottweiler and an American pit bull. The Rottweiler had the toughest bite with 328 pounds of force, the German shepherd came in second with 238 pounds of force, and the pit bull bit with 235 pounds of force — the lowest of the group."
3. "There's a reason why there are now laws in states/provinces in which this breed is either banned or must be muzzled when in public."
There IS a reason for this (although breed specific legislation has shown to be unhelpful in aiding this reason, and more states have actually been removing this legislation than adding it as of recent). The reason for these laws are due to evidence that owners of pit bulls and other dogs labeled "high risk" are often high-risk individuals themselves, which could contribute to the breed's reputation.
"A 2006 study published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence found that owners of pit bulls and other "high-risk dogs," such as German shepherds and Rottweilers, were more likely to have criminal convictions for aggressive crimes." Therefore, this legislation was put into affect in an effort to remove these dogs from the majority of people who were using them for unlawful and cruel purposes (i.e. criminals who were more than likely using them for fighting, and abusing them terribly).
With all that said, I COMPLETELY agree with everything else you've said. No dog should EVER be left alone with any child, ever. OP's BIL is a perfect example of why "pitbulls" have such a bad reputation, bad owners. OP, you should definitely stay away from your BIL's house if he has ANY type of large, untrained, unpredictable, powerful dog in his home. That just is not a safe environment for you or your little one.
I have a chihuahua that loves to jump in my lap when I sit down, but since the baby he jumps next to me then slowly creeps across my belly to lay on it. I'm super nervous about how he will be once the baby is born but I'm assuming he will be the same way and jump next to me before he climbs on me.
Good luck!
Yeah, no. The CDC doesn't track breed reports with bite reports, because (A) they're usually wrong, and (B) they give no useful information about WHY the dog bit.
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It's more so the unpredictable behaviour of the dog that scares me. My brother in law was playing with him and then went upstairs. Out of nowhere the dog started sprinting from couch to couch and jumping on my belly. Nobody provoked him to do so. It was actually quite scary.
If the dog was to do this with the baby there, I'd be beside myself in tears. We will be avoiding being there until he is better trained.
Your brother in law needs to get his act together and get his ass to obedience class with his dog, and at least make an effort if he wants you guys over. A little training can really go a long way, but he has to start.