Questions for pit bull owners

[Gary]

Vick is a horrible person. I can't believe someoen would do somethignlike that to an animal. It's just wrong. In him pleading guilty I can com out an say that he should never ever ever be able to play in the NFL. He broke the rules, and as with any job he should be "fired". Maybe he can get a job in the CFL or something? Or the Arena League. But I don't think he should ever be able to play in the NFL again. A true Disgrace Vick is..

Got a question for pitbull owners... Not trying to be rude or anything so please don't take this the wrong way.

Why do you own a pitbull?

These are my reasons I don't have one..

1. IMO they aren't very attractive dogs.

2. Of all dogs, they do cause the most injuries (forgot where I read it, but pitbull was #1, and on the list also was a chow, akita, wolf hybrid, and I forget the other dog on the list). All of the other dogs have their own beauty about them except for a pitbull.. Aleast in my opinion..

3. Pitbulls are the most aggresive dog "by nature" in the world.

I could list more, but I would like to get your opinions on why you would buy a pitbull, or would buy one when you have children around the dog.

 

[SLAB]

To each their own, then.

I have two pits...One is 100% and the other is half boxer / half pit...The half/half one is 8 years old and the other is just a 8 month old puppy.

1: To me, both of them are the most beautiful dogs in the world...Majestic looking...Which I love...Id post pics, but my comp had to get rebooted and lost all its info...

2: Bruiser, the puppy, is quite the little watchdog...If it catches you getting on our property it will flip out barking, but the second you get near it it will cower in fear...My sister took a video of it the other day cowering and barking in fear at an electrical pig hardly 1/20th its size...Bouy, the older one, doesn't have a mean bone in her body, and you're hard pressed to even hear her bark.

3: It all depends on how you raise them...This is where the bad rap comes from...They need to be kept active...They need they're attention...If done properly with the right discipline where it matters you will have one of the best dogs in the world...If not, you're the one that made the mistake...Not the dog.

Oh, and if you have some properly trained pits, watch out for those damned tails! I've got many a bruises from those things!

 

[VF21]

I think the simple answer is that the breed, because of its popularity with thugs, etc. has indeed gotten a bad rap. Yes, pit bulls have been bred and trained to fight, etc. but that doesn't make them all bad. I've met some wonderful pit bulls, thanks to Kingsgurl, and I think it's a shame this one type of dog (although there are several types actually misnamed "pit bull") has been singled out.

 

[Bricklayer]

Some people truly swear by them, but I always wonder about the possible support-the-underdog factor. Does seem an odd risk to take given all of the many breeds out there, and that particular one's propensity to do damage(whether that be only if improperly trained or not I do not opine).

I understand the macho idiot guy owner who owns them as an extension of his phallus and thinks it makes him tough (also often the problem owner of the problem dogs), but never understood the other owners as much. Don't doubt they are loved by their owners etc. But why intentionally own that breed of all breeds in the first place? Why own a dog where if there is a problem, its notorious for being really really good at causing damage? Seems like a lawsuit waitng to happen. Even if its just perception, always been curious how one gets started owning such a breed if you AREN'T looking to use them as attack dogs/fighters.

 

[Gary]

It all depends on how you raise them...This is where the bad rap comes from...They need to be kept active...They need they're attention...If done properly with the right discipline where it matters you will have one of the best dogs in the world...If not, you're the one that made the mistake...Not the dog.

I think this is a correct statement to a degree. The dog is the most aggressive out of any other domesticated dog. Even more than a wolf hybrid.. You can raise them w/ a great environment/home, yet they are most likely out of any other dog to revert to "feral" state, and haul off and bite someone for no apparent reason. I have no doubt your dogs are wonderful. I am glad you like them.. But the facts are they are the most aggresive, and cause the most injuries from attacks of any other dog tame, or not tame.

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder eh?

 

[Warhawk]

My sister owns two and they seem to be very friendly and well behaved. I am still nervous about them being near our son, and my wife won't be anywhere near them at all. She hates them (she is nervous around larger "guard"-type dogs in general, but especially pit bulls). My sister and her hubby are not the original owners, so we don't know how they were treated/trained growing up. They let my 3 and 1 year old nieces around them all the time.

I am sorry, but the breed is so well known for "flipping out" (very rarely, but it happens) that I will not ever own one or have our son near one alone as a child. Just too much risk with the breed for whatever reason. Justified or not, pit bulls, along with a few other breeds, have a bad rap. That alone will keep us from getting comfortable around them, especially with our son.

 

[VF21]

You're not correct in some of your assumptions, Gary. While the pit bull may be animal aggressive because of unethical breeding practices, they've been bred by responsible breeders for decades to be human non-aggressive. You're stating facts that are simply NOT borne out by those who truly know the breed. Spend some time looking around at www.badrap.org reading about their work.

If you haven't ever really known pit bulls, you're not really in a position to speak with much authority about them.

I'll wait and hope Kingsgurl, who is very active with BADRAP, can answer some of your questions and correct some of the myths you and a lot of others tend to believe.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I don't own a pit bull but I have always admired the breed and thought they were wonderful looking dogs, especially compared to poodles, pugs and chihuahas. My sister in law has a pit mix that is one of the sweetest dogs in the world - it is my brother's adorable little beagle that will bite you if you touch it the wrong way. I can understand why a parent would keep their kid away from one as it would generally be smart if parents kept their kids away from all dogs that are unfamiliar to either the dog or the child - even the "good" dogs can bite or knock a small child over in a way that might cause serious injury. But these were once the All-American family dog - don't believe me go check out Our Gang. They were plastered all over American imagery from the turn of the 20th century to the 50's when the poodle took over (thankfully they had a short reign). Don't blame the breed or the people that genuinely care about the dogs for the actions of a few owners.

 

[Bricklayer]

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder eh?

As an aside, name gets applied to at least three types of dogs:

AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER

BULL TERRIER

MINIATURE BULL TERRIER

And ironically I think that most people associate the term "pit bull" more with the Bull Terriers and Mini-Bull Terriers than they do the actual Pit Bulls. Also think that those breeds have had the more problems of hyper-teritoriality/dominance/aggression, although could be wrong there.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

As an aside, name gets applied to at least three types of dogs:
And ironically I think that most people associate the term "pit bull" more with the Bull Terriers and Mini-Bull Terriers than they do the actual Pit Bulls. Also think that those breeds have had the more problems of hyper-teritoriality/dominance/aggression, although could be wrong there.

Don't forget the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Bull Terrier which are probably the two closest breeds actually recognized by the AKC. As far as I know Pit Bulls are still not officially recognized by the AKC but are by lesser known kennel clubs.

 

[VF21]

Brick - You're forgetting about the American Staffordshire Terrier, which is often referred to erroneously as a pit bull.

Oops. Sorry. Didn't see pdxKingsfan's post before I posted the picture.

 

[Bricklayer]

Brick - You're forgetting about the American Staffordshire Terrier, which is often referred to erroneously as a pit bull.

Oops. Sorry. Didn't see pdxKingsfan's post before I posted the picture.

Actually was under the impression that that was essentially the same breed, only the show dog branch. But what do I know.

 

[Alacron]

Purely hypothetical question... if I were to meet someone who has a pit bull, and I couldn't help but notice the dog has cuts on its side where it was obviously in a fight, and the owner says, "he was attacked by a raccoon"...

Is that likely?

Purely hypothetical, of course.
~~

 

[Bricklayer]

Purely hypothetical question... if I were to meet someone who has a pit bull, and I couldn't help but notice the dog has cuts on its side where it was obviously in a fight, and the owner says, "he was attacked by a raccoon"...

Is that likely?

Purely hypothetical, of course.
~~

What??

 

[VF21]

Purely hypothetical question... if I were to meet someone who has a pit bull, and I couldn't help but notice the dog has cuts on its side where it was obviously in a fight, and the owner says, "he was attacked by a raccoon"...

Is that likely?

Purely hypothetical, of course.
~~

Possible? Yes. Likely? Well, my first question would be "where does he live?"

 

[Alacron]

Possible? Yes. Likely? Well, my first question would be "where does he live?"

The raccoons in the Fair Oaks area get pretty big, and most every yard gets them. No doubt, if one really wanted to, it could inflict injuries. The question is whether any of these raccoons would actually go after a pit bull in the night. A mama protecting its babies? I dunno. Doesn't sit well.

I guess if there's any dog owners here who know of such things happening, that would go a long way toward making the story more plausible.
~~

 

[VF21]

If there are raccoons in the area, then it is possible. I know from ongoing personal experience that raccoons can be quite aggressive.

 

[Bricklayer]

The raccoons in the Fair Oaks area get pretty big, and most every yard gets them. No doubt, if one really wanted to, it could inflict injuries. The question is whether any of these raccoons would actually go after a pit bull in the night. A mama protecting its babies? I dunno. Doesn't sit well.

If anything went after anything the pit bull went after the raccoon. But a raccoon can be a feisty beast so always possible it did a little damage and then escaped.

 

[Alacron]

Yeah, well I lean toward believing him. But especially with the issue so prominent right now, seeing a pitbull with fight wounds on him brings the obvious question to mind.

I'll be seeing the dog again and if there's any other signs then I'll get worried.
~~

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Interesting... I see the occasional raccoon in my neighbors' yards but have yet to hear of any attacking a family pet and my Lab can't resist sticking his nose where it doesn't belong so he'd be a prime candidate.

 

[kennadog]

I tried to find some info that seemed reasonable balanced and a couple of sites were quite interesting and may surprise some folks. (Covker Spanieals are pretty dangerous. )Both are sites run by lawyers. Both seemed failry balanced to me.

http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/danger.htm

http://lancaster.injuryboard.com/dog-bites/dog-is-shot-dead-after-he-attacks-a-child.php

My ex's family used to raise boxers (decades ago). The family pet was an adorable and loving female, who had never shown any signs of aggressive behavior until one day she almost tore the face of my ex's 2-yr-old nephew. They spent a harrowing night in the emergency room and it required quite a few surgeries to fix his face, which looks fine.

I currently have a pit bull mix I'm taking care of for an extended period, who is absolutely one of the most loving, delightful dogs I've known. Many years ago, I owned a american staffordshire mix I adopted from the shelter. She was quite timid, but never a problem. On the other hand, my mini-daschund bit my boyfriend and an intruder in the backyard. Feisty little beast.

Terriers might not cause serious injury, but they tend to nip at the ankles. When I was in elementary school, I was literally terrified of my neighbor's two chihuahuas. They would corner me and snap, growl and bark, until called off. And they bit. Just can't cause quite the damage a big dog can.

Aggression is not the only problem. There are timid, shy dogs who will "fear-bite."

There's no guarantee that any dog won't bite you, your child or someone else.

Pitbulls are cursed with being popular amongst certain people right now. When popularity hits a breed, people start breeding tons of dogs, without regard to health or temperament. Then to exacerbate the problem, the dogs are often bred in confinement and kept confined with little or no socialization. A sure formula for a "bad" dog.

I cry when I go to shelters and see the abandoned dogs who were obviously fight dogs. Ears gone, scarred and just worn down and out. The females are often bad, too. Bred over and over in captivity until their bodies give out at 3, or 4 and then abandoned.

If you want a dog around children, do the reserach. Certain breeds are supposedly known to be better with children than others and more tolerant of kids pulling, pushing, tugging and poking. Unfortunately, the experts don't seem to necessarily agree which breeds those are. Of course, going for smaller dogs would at least limit the damage. (Elderly and children are often injured unintentionally by rambunctious big dogs that aren't well-trained.) Mostly, I think temperment, socialization and training of the individual dog is what matters the most.

 

[Rockmeister]

I'll wait and hope Kingsgurl, who is very active with BADRAP, can answer some of your questions and correct some of the myths you and a lot of others tend to believe.

Speaking of Kingsgurl, I haven't seen any of her posts in over a month.

 

[kennadog]

Interesting... I see the occasional raccoon in my neighbors' yards but have yet to hear of any attacking a family pet and my Lab can't resist sticking his nose where it doesn't belong so he'd be a prime candidate.

My friend's cat was nearly killed by what the vet suspected might have been a raccoon.

 

[kennadog]

I'll wait and hope Kingsgurl, who is very active with BADRAP, can answer some of your questions and correct some of the myths you and a lot of others tend to believe.

The second site I posteed, VF, cites some statistics about why the danger associated with pit bulls is over blown.

 

[VF21]

Speaking of Kingsgurl, I haven't seen any of her posts in over a month.

She's very busy at work and her dog, a rescued pit bull from Hurricane Katrina if you recall, had to have surgery on his knees. She's promised me she's gonna make a point to get back to us more asap.

 

[Rockmeister]

She's very busy at work and her dog, a rescued pit bull from Hurricane Katrina if you recall, had to have surgery on his knees. She's promised me she's gonna make a point to get back to us more asap.

Good to hear. Thanks.

 

[JoMama]

I can't figure why somebody would have a pit bull either - especially with the threat of big-time lawsuit hanging on every little incident. It's like hanging a sue-me sign around your neck every time you walk your dog.
And how could you trust one around any child? You always hear the "shocked" owners saying, "He never hurt a soul before." And serial killers and child molesters always seem to be "the nicest guy" to the neighbors, too.
Not to mention the crack-head image pit bulls project for their owners.
Go to the animal shelter. Adopt another dog. There's so many great breeds and mixes that need homes. Why take a chance on a dog that has the reputation, real or otherwise, of being a real-life nightmare????

 

[VF21]

A dog of ANY breed can be a major problem. The bottom line should be that regardless of the breed you're selecting, you should both do your homework and pick an individual dog that will meet your family's needs.

 

[Kingsgurl]

Gee, so many things to address, where to start. Maybe I will work backwards from JoMama's post. Very few, if any, in fact, incidents involving dog bites or fatalities involve dogs who truly have shown no signs of aggression before. They instead involve dogs whose owners either ignored or excused escalating aggressive issues. "oh, he doesn't like men" "Oh, she doesn't like it when you pet her like that" "Don't go near him when he is eating, he is protective of his food" Then those same people are shocked when a dog follows the warnings it has given (which have been ignored) with an actual bite. This applies to all breeds, across the board, though you rarely read about many attacks other then the ones involving 'pit bulls' as they just aren't sexy enough to sell. For instance, did you happen to hear about the 16 month old boy who was killed today in his own yard by a dog (chow mix) his family had chained in the backyard with her pups? A VERY tragic event, that, unfortunately, will not get the attention it deserves, nor the focus on education (ALL dogs can bite and children should always be supervised when with dogs, chained dogs are often more aggressive then non-chained dogs etc.) because, well it didn't involve a 'pit bull' after all.

The first ever face transplant occured very recently because a Lab ate his owners face off.

 

[Kingsgurl]

The term 'Pit Bull' actually encompasses many breeds when used in a media context. Short haired dogs with powerful build are almost invariably labeled as 'pit bull' either in the shelter or in any incident involving a bite. These breeds include many 'guardian' breeds selectively bred (as the original Pit Bull was bred for dog aggression) for actual human aggression/mistrust of strangers. These breeds include Mastiffs, Dogo's, American Bulldogs etc. These dogs, though similar in looks are far different, temperament wise, from the American Pit Bull Terrier.
Despicable and horrifying as it's more recent roots are (bred to not back down from a fight, no matter what, to persevere and keep scratching (return to the fight) no matter how obvious it will loose, or has already lost) certain other traits remain just as strong in a WELL BRED Pit Bull. Those traits include a gregarious love of people and a willingness to do whatever is asked of it. Fighting dogs of old (and even recently) were washed by the opposing handler prior to matches to make certain no poisons were on it's coat, strangers, people this dog had never seen before, nor would again. Then, in the pit, they were matched much like boxers in timed matches. You had to be able to wade into the midst of a full scale dog fight and out your dog, without getting bit. You could not do that with a dog that would redirect it's aggression onto the wrong target, or onto a person. Pit bulls were bred for over a hundred years to NOT bite people. They are one of the only breeds in existence whose hard wired genetics SHOULD include an inhibition to this, no matter what the stimulation level of the dog is.
Then came the SI article, back in the 80's (when Dobi's and Shepherds ruled the roost as 'demon dogs') with a snarling Pit Bull on the cover. Instantly, people thought these dogs were 'bad ***' 'protection' dogs and had to have one. Along came the people who thought 'bigger has to be better' and began crossing in dogs know for similar LOOKS but different function (ie. dogs BRED for human suspicion/aggression) and Viola! You have the present hodge podge of genetic traits presenting itself that you do today. Pit Bulls were never intended to be large dogs, they are a medium breed, yet today, around here, it is hard to find them under 70 pounds. They were never supposed to exhibit human aggression, yet now, many do, though they are far closer to their 'other' heritage then they are to the APBT side of it.