Pitbulls

[yasha]

it goes a little deeper than just mistreating the dogs imo. You could love your dog to pieces and still end up with a dog that ends up aggressive because you've never disciplined it and taught it the rules, thus the dog, or really any animal, wouldn't see you as their leader and as soon as you do something they don't like.... they get " aggressive "

Discipline is just as important in raising a well behaved pit/dog/animal as giving it love is

[CassandraA]

It makes me so mad when people say that Pit Bulls and Rottweilers are evil. I have a Great Dane/Pit Bull mix and a Rottie and they are both good dogs. I even wrote my research paper for school on this...

[pheddy]

Its definitely the owner. We rescued ours and he is a sweetheart. When we first got him he would bite our pant legs or act aggressively, but after having him for about 10 years we have trained him to be very nice. He's protective, but never bitten anyone. He really just wants to protect me, probably why he always sleeps at the foot of my bed to watch out for me lol.

[fa11ingstar]

Hi there. I have been breeding pit bulls for about 10 years now, my husband longer. We have had a total of nine pits all together in our home. Not at the same time mind you (with the exception of mommies and puppies until they were rehomed). 4 of them were rescued from abusive or neglected conditions. 2 were bought and paid for from a breeder and the other three are offspring of the two from the breeder.

First of all if you are thinking of buying a pit bull or rescuing one you need to consider the following things or you will have issues with your pit bull.
1. Do you have enough space for this animal? They are very cute when they are little but they do get big and have alot of energy. They need alot of room to run. I do not recommend a pit bull or any larger dog if you live in an apartment complex that has little to no yard. Not exercising your pit enough will lead to aggression. They need an outlet for their energy and they love to run.

2. Do you have enough time to devote to this animal? Pits are very emotional animals and attach to their masters like a baby would to its mother. they require about the same amount of attention as a toddler. If you work 40+ hours a week and like to go out on the weekends quite a bit, a pit bull is not for you. You need to spend at least an hour a day just exercising with a pit bull or they can get stir crazy and you will end up with an animal with too much energy that eats the legs off your ktichen table or develops aggressive tendencies.

3. Can you afford to feed this animal? Pits eat alot and generic dog food is not always the best choice. We feed our pits a special formula made for their breed. Even grocery store dog foods are roughly 20 dollars for an 18lb bag that will last about a week for one pit.

Now as for the temperament of pit bulls... All i can say is that i have 4 children under the age of 6 and the pit bull was the best choice of family dog. It is devoted to my kids and myself and extremely protective. The mailman can not even deliver the mail if my dog and kids are in the yard together. I fully believe that my dog would probably attack anyone that came near them or me if he did not know them.This does not make him vicious at all it makes him cautious and for us this is ok. We live very rural and having an overprotective dog is a good thing. We have wild animals that can stray onto the property, and any strangers this far out here are likely up to no good.
Dozer believes he is a lapdog however and loves to snuggle like any animal. He weighs 80lbs though, so you can see how this could be an issue. He is a perfect playmate however. My kids jump on him, pull his tail, and generally harass him the way that kids do and he has never once even growled at them. I can not say the same for grandma's husky.
The only issue i see with people and their pit bulls is that they forget that dogs are a pack animal. When you bring a dog (especially a pit) into your home it sees it as being part of a pack. You need to make sure that you are firm with your pit bull or they will think they are the alpha. Other than that they are the most loyal, loving dogs i have ever encountered.


So if you still want a pit you need to decide if you are getting a puppy or rescuing.....
IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN DO NOT RESCUE A PIT BULL........... it can be potentially dangerous for a child around any animal recovering from abuse and pit bulls are dangerous animals when they need to be. Their bodies were designed with fighting in mind and when an abused animal is in a new situation it can get confused and lash out. THIS IS NOT THE ANIMALS FAULT, this is the fault of the abuser. A rescued pit is going to demand much more of your time as well. It will need to build trust with you because it has been abused. Try to think of them like they are small children, they have about the same mentality. Abused animals will need special care and special bonding time with you. It can be very difficult. It took one of the females we rescued six months before she would come around me and my husband when we were awake. She would hide alot and just watch us as if she were waiting to see us hit one of the other dogs. Another of the rescued ones would freak out completely when you picked up anything that looked like a baseball bat or golf club. you can see how this would be dangerous around children. It never got over the fear of these objects and when i say freak out i am talking about the scary pit bull snarling growling that you see in movies. He would attack these objects if they were left unattended. This did not make him a bad dog. It just made it hard to play golf. Its very sad what some of these animals have to endure.

If you are going to a breeder I suggest you research the breeder first. If the breeder does not ask you the first two things i did i would be leery of him or her. Pits have become popular and too often they are being over bred, inbred, and not taken care of when pregnant. Also we have come across breeders trying to get rid of pups long before it is safe. If this occurs you will need to bottle feed the puppy. Puppy formula is like baby formula and available at petco and petsmart. It is just as expensive as baby formula as well.

Pits get a bad rep from the people that raise them. Saying all pit bulls are evil is to me the same as saying (insert whatever race) is evil. There is no such thing as an evil race of any kind. man or animal just evil people.

What is your opinion?

Are they naturally more aggressive or is it all in the ownership?

I've always wanted a pitbull, but unfortunately at a family dinner I had an argument with my parents/grandparents about it. (I live on my own, but it was brought up and immediately I was attacked for this.)

It got me wondering what people honestly think about these dogs. I've heard so many great stories about them.

Here is a trick to get around that whole pit bull thing. The AKC does not recognize pit bull as a breed. It recognizes the american staffordshire terrier and the staffordshire bull terrier. They are both technically pit bulls and the ABDA classes them as such or as American bullies which are mixes of the two breeds. So do what i did tell your mum that you have an Amstaff. They wont know the difference. My mother never has gotten that i have pit bulls. in her mind pits are these evil dogs that will rip your throat out. However she will snuggle with my amstaff on the couch none the wiser. lol.

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[runningbanana]

I've always wanted a pitbull! I've had several friends who own them (one even had four) and all of them were lighthearted and goofy. My parents hate the idea of me ever getting one, so I guess I'll have to find a way to convince them that it's all about how they're raised

[yasha]

I've always wanted a pitbull! I've had several friends who own them (one even had four) and all of them were lighthearted and goofy. My parents hate the idea of me ever getting one, so I guess I'll have to find a way to convince them that it's all about how they're raised

 

Perhaps you can introduce your friends their pitbulls to your parents? Just tell em youre bringing a friend whos bringing their dog with em?

[010_pipsy_010]

I agree it's often the fault of the owner and not the dog. I used to work with dogs at an animal sanctuary and I have been bitten several times! But never by a pit bull or staffordshire bull terrier.

 

In my personal opinion, pit bulls should not be illegal here in the UK and it's the owners who should be punished for their dog's behaviour.

 

:)

[Pookies]

I'll admit that I haven't read the posts...but I pressed ctrl + f to see if anyone mentioned that pit bull were considered "nanny dogs"

 

Before i began this post, I did a quick google search and found some new information. But before I get into that, read this:

 

 

I own an American Pit Bull Terrier, and I did a TON of research on the breed before I bought one (I collected so much info, I was able to give an 18 minute speech for a communications class on them from memory). My sources were both online and books on the breed. I can clear up some things here.

1 Bull Dogs of all types WERE bred for animal aggression (to fight bulls, bears, and other dogs depending on the time period and animal abuse laws in England in the 18th and 19th centuries, where the breeds originally developed).

2 Animal aggression is not the same trait as human aggression. Guarding breeds like German Shepherds and Rottweilers were historically bred to be wary of strangers, and are better choices for Schutzhund (guard/attack dog) training.

3 The reason Pit Bulls were known as "Nanny Dogs" in America was because of the frontier nature of early American life, if you lived on the frontier, you wanted a companion for your children that could handle bears, wolves, snakes, other dogs etc.

4 Modern Pit Bulls vary in their aggressive tendencies, because they are bred for many different purposes (some illegal and some legal). As a general rule of thumb, it is UNNATURAL (i.e reflecting unstable breeding or abuse) for a Pit Bull to be human aggressive, but some will be aggressive towards other animals regardless of how bred or raised.

5 When I see a Pit Bull or "Bully Breed" on the street, I immediately look at the owners, not the dog, to determine how the dog has been raised. Generally if the human is tying to convey menace through his clothing or demeanor, I am wary of the dog as well. The race of the owner is not really an issue, white rednecks like mean dogs as much as black or latino thugs.

6 When dog fighting was legal, one of the rules was the dogs were put down if they bit either owner or the referee of the fight, some Bull dog enthusiasts cite this as evidence that the breed actually had human aggression selected out of them more so than other breeds.

7 I asked my vet about this stuff, she said in general, larger stronger dogs were less likely to bite or be aggressive than smaller breeds, the problem is no one calls the cops wen an ill tempered chihuahua bites someone, but strong breeds do so much damage that hospital/police reports are inevitable.

8 According to the Center for Disease Control, the reproductive status of the dog(fixed or unfixed), sex of the dog (males are more aggressive), presence of other dogs, and age of the victim were all greater factors in dog attack fatalities than the breed involved.

9 Pit Bull attacks tend to go over reported for a variety of reasons. There are over twenty breeds of dog that can be easily mistaken for "Pit Bull" type dogs. Can you find the American Pit Bull Terrier?http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

 

 

Now onto "pit bulls were considered to be nanny dogs"

new information (to me) is that people might be mistaking dogs in vintage pictures to be pit bulls (they may be a different breed or mutts) and that the term "nanny dog" is pretty recent, but the idea of having dogs like pit bulls were used to protect the family is not new at all.

 

Personally, i think a dog's (or any pet) behavior has to do with how it was raised.

[kennielee]

What is your opinion?

 

Are they naturally more aggressive or is it all in the ownership?

 

I've always wanted a pitbull, but unfortunately at a family dinner I had an argument with my parents/grandparents about it. (I live on my own, but it was brought up and immediately I was attacked for this.)

 

It got me wondering what people honestly think about these dogs. I've heard so many great stories about them.

 

I'd argue that they have a tendency to be naturally animal-aggressive. Human aggressive, no (or at least they SHOULDN'T be - awful breeders nowadays don't care at all about proper temperament), though there are those dogs in every breed that are just wired wrong. I own a bully breed dog, wouldn't trade him for the world.

[HomuraAkemiTheHero]

I think it depends on how the pitbull is raised and how much care they get because my aunt when she moved into a neighborhood there was always a group of pitbulls that belonged to some woman that had 4 young children and she would just let the pitbulls and children roam around freely. The group of pitbulls were really aggressive and I know that animal control was called repeatedly because they almost attacked several people including children. The children that were almost attacked didn't belong to the woman but the woman didn't do anything abut the pitbulls she just let them roam free all day long even though many people tried to do something about it nothing changed. It might be because pitbulls are aggressive in packs but I think if you don't give them a lot of attention or any at all they start becoming aggressive but if you love the dog they should be fine. I think people think pitbulls are dangerous due to them not taking account of their owners or they believe the stereotypes it's like saying all blond cocker spaniels are mean but they aren't i got one from the local pound and she was abused but never once had she tried to bite me to be honest she's really timid and if someone's not in the room with her or if someone goes outside with out her she starts to whine. That being said you should get a pitbull because if you give them love and train them they should be fine and not show bad aggression.

[kennielee]

That being said you should get a pitbull because if you give them love and train them they should be fine and not show bad aggression.

 

If you're willing to be responsible and understand their needs, they are wonderful dogs!

Plus you gotta have a pretty thick skin to own a bully breed - my dog "looks like a Pit Bull" so I get all those wonderful, nasty comments about it. He was about four months old and we were out for a walk, minding our own business, when a woman across the street just started screaming "Oh my god, it's a Pit Bull!" So... there's stuff like that to deal with, haha.

[somekaitlin]

Hi, just thought I'd post another personal anecdote - I'm a recent pit bull (mix) owner. I grew up with shelties and lab mixes, so I had similar preconceptions about bully breeds that I hear people throw around, that they're naturally more aggressive than other dogs, they bite more, etc. That is, until I found out that I owned one.

 

I went to the shelter looking to adopt a dog, and I immediately fell in love with this white-all-over puppy with huge ears, a big smile, and a playful attitude. She was really emaciated, as they had just picked her up off of the streets, and labeled as a "hound mix." A few weeks after adopting her, she started filling out, and the next time I skyped my mother, she noted that she looked a lot like a pit bull. Since her head isn't shaped like a typical pit bull's, the main characteristic that she shares with the breed is her build, which didn't develop until after she had filled out more. Much to my surprise!

 

She had already won my heart; there was no way I was going to take her back. That said, however, there are some things I noticed while training her that were different from the other dogs I had trained in the past. The first thing I noticed was how incredibly smart she was. I'm not entirely sure whether this may be typical of the breed, but she seemed to pick up tricks faster than I could teach them, and is always eager to please. The second thing is how strong she is, but she doesn't seem to realize it. When we're roughhousing around, sometimes she playfully bumps into me hard enough for me to lose my balance momentarily, and teaching her not to pull on a leash was challenging at first, since she could accidentally pull so hard I'd fall down (I'm not that big of a person). She learned really quickly, but I'd just want you to know, if you're wanting to adopt one, that pit bulls (in my experience) are as strong as they are affectionate. Which is to say, very! She's also the biggest cuddlebug dog I've ever met, which I love. All in all, I'd say that perhaps she was challenging to train, but maybe not any more so than an australian shepherd or a terrier (I suppose pit bulls count as part of the terrier category?), just challenging in her own way. I've found living with her to be very fun and rewarding. I suppose this should be true for every dog, but I think it's important to make sure that ones' dogs are good ambassadors for their breeds, and maybe especially important for dogs whose breeds currently have such negative reputations. Anyway, good luck with your decision, I hope my little rambling story helped some.

 

Edit: just re-read your first post. No, she's not even a little bit aggressive :) . She's growled once or twice at noises outside my door, but I despair of her ever greeting someone that comes inside without trying to get some ear-rubs from them. When she used to pull on the leash a lot I think people thought she looked aggressive, but she's only ever been friendly to strangers. About biting (one of my personal preconceived negative biases), she was a little "mouthy" at first (meaning she liked to put things like hands in her mouth, at least more than my other dogs had), but she never bit down and I was able to train the habit out of her quickly. I don't know if this is something to watch out for or if it's particular to my dog, but I just thought I'd mention it. Like everyone else has said, a dog develops based on how you treat and train them. :)

[agrinwithoutacat]

I have an American Staffordshire Terrier, which looks like a pit bull. Her name is Molly, and she is the most loving, mellow, non-aggressive dog I've ever owned.

She's never tried to hurt a person or creature (except one time she ate a bug right out of the air :P). One time she walked up to a smaller dog at the vet to say hi, they sniffed for a minute, and then the other dog snapped at her and bit her on the nose. I guess he was blind, and Molly being so close made him uncomfortable. All Molly did was tuck her tail under and walk away. No aggression whatsoever. Similar things have happened with other dogs, and she never responds with anything but submission. She's very strong, but would probably lose in a fight because it's just not in her personality to be aggressive.

I think ANY dog's aggression level is highly connected to how they are raised. This isn't always true; dogs have their own personalities and some can be crazy even with an owner who knows what they're doing (I've had it happen to me). However, proper training plays a huge role.

That being said, sometimes a specific breed or color (such as blue pit bulls) have problems with inbreeding, for example, and that makes them more prone to aggression. That's the breeder's fault, though, not the animals'. Too much inbreeding causes problems in any species, and aggression is a common outcome. You see the same thing in albino hamsters. Are all of them going to be aggressive? No, but it is more likely in those circumstances.

In the end, I guess what I'm saying is that it isn't either nature or nurture but a mix of both.

[thatlauralass]

At the end of the day, a dog is a dog. They're animals, not living cuddly toys for people to "own". They're part of the family and need to be brought up and trained. Like already said, if you put in the right amount of time and effort, you'll get a wonderful dog out of it, but you need to apply the time.

 

It's the same with many breeds, not just with pits. :)

[blender]

I have seen both spectrums of pit bulls.

I grew up in an area where dog fighting and owning dogs for the purpose of them guarding your property - we just always called them attack dogs. Generally the dogs kept in such conditions were treated horribly, kept on chains and taught to hate humans who weren't their owner. My brother was mauled when he was a young child by such a dog, who was a pit bull, and my parents have been chased and bitten by other such dogs. On the other hand, I have friends who have the sweetest pits who probably wouldn't hurt a fly.

I know they are more aggressive, but so are many other species such as rotts and German Shephards; it's all in the training I think.

[Batgirl]

a lot of good input going on, on all sides

 

i agree that much of the responsibility for how a dog turns out lies with the owner. however, all purebreeds are bred for desired qualities - to imagine that the stereotype is totally without basis seems a bit wrong. thats not about blaming the dog, its just about being realistic about what breeders were seeking. maybe its all 'bad' owners making them aggressive - or maybe their natural aggressiveness is appealing to 'bad' owners.

 

almost without exception when the question is 'nature or nurture?' the answer is both.

[Navy]

I'd like to mention a documentary worth watching called Beyond The Myth it's about breed discrimination against pit bulls and why it is wrong. My neighbors have a teddy bear pitty appropriately named Tank. The dogs run free because we're very sheltered and on many acres of land. Occasionally Tank and his Great Dane buddy Belle will come over to say hello and my mom is terrified of both of them but more so of Tank. No matter how much affection I give him, let him lick my face, or play with him she's certain that one day he will " turn"

 

It's sad such great dogs get put down all of the time based on misplaced emotions

[Desertfreak]

Personally, even the nicest dogs, have a dark side, it's like a defense instinct, some dogs have stronger instincts then others, the Pit Bull has one of the strongest. I have friends on 2 different sides of the spectrum. I believe, the rougher and bigger the dog, the more precaution you should take. It's alright to own one, but they are rough so you should do more to protect people then you would for a poodle, for example, walk them somewhere quiet or empty, so they can't attack other dogs or people (Sorry, I've been watching too many court cases about this) , use higher precaution leashes instead of just ropes, keep them in a place where they can't escape when someone visits, and stuff like that. It will also protect you from getting hurt or sued as well. (and yes i'm bringing this back :P)   

[Hidden Oracle]

The only difference between a pitbull and a chihuahua is that when pitbulls have problem behaviors, people get scared.  When chihuahuas have problem behaviors, suddenly it's cute because they're small and relatively weak.  A dog's behavior is mostly training.

 

When I used to have a dog, 90% of the "problem" dogs were small dogs because their owners don't train them.  These little rat dogs would harass everything in sight and their owners would do nothing.  And then if one of the bigger dogs would react (growl), suddenly the owners would be like "your dog is bullying."  Uh, your dog has been running around being a jerk and all this dog did was say "back off."  Sorry this turned into a rant...

[Chanyeoli]

I think it depends on both.

I knew an old lady with a pitbull, seriously! He was the sweetest thing ever. He frequently barked though, but never bit anyone.

[Neko-Tan]

I think it greatly depends on the owner, but remember that animals have their own personalities as well.

 

You could have a great owner who is kind and treats his pitbull right, but if its in the dog's nature to be mean, sometimes he will snap. 

 

It also depends on age, too. The older the dog the grumpier, and while I never met an old pitbull, I have met other old dogs and their prone to biting. 

[aetherealhobnobs]

I'm quite nervous near dogs, but I don't think that any breed is inherently bad.

[Munchies]

It's how they're raised in my opinion, but instinct will kick in if they feel like they're being threatened. I have a pitty and he's the sweetest thing on the planet and very tolerant too. He's chased coyotes out of my backyard but won't snip at flies, he even lets out other dog clean out his ears his back molars. He also feels super guilty when he accidentally bites you ( like when he gets treats or playing). Yes, he has his limits of what he can tolerate but he usually growls or pushes you away. Spuds is deathly afraid of my cat, which I find funny because he's so much bigger than her.

[Rainymittens]

Ah, dogchat :)

 

I'm pretty into animal related things--I'm studying to be a vet tech and I volunteer at a local SPCA.

 

A lot of the dogs that come in are, unsurprisingly, Pitbulls and American Staffordshire terriers (a similar breed that usually gets lumped in with pitties).

 

Each dog has its own personality...and some breeds tend more towards a certain personality type. I'd say most of the pitbulls/amstaffs I have met are rather energetic and friendly dogs.

 

But they are EXTREMELY powerful. They're stout, heavily muscled, and built like tanks, with massive heads and jaws. If they're poorly trained, it's a disaster. They'll pull your arm out of its socket on a walk, bowl you over when they're happy to see you (which is usually), if they get too excited and play rough they can seriously hurt you, and getting whapped by their wagging tail is pretty ouchy, too.

 

Truthfully, of all the puppies that come in, in my experience pitties/amstaffs are the worst. They're strong, stubborn, and they REALLY like to nip. They're like little alligators, and they have excellent instincts for biting weak spots. When they play with other dogs, they immediately go for the loose throat skin, and they latch on good.

 

But gosh, they can grow up to be so nice. If you train them well and don't encourage bad behavoir, good golly are they sweet doggies. And they really love their people, so they're good learners :)

 

Of course, with any dog, and any human if you think about it, there will always be circumstances under which they will feel pressured to attack, but...that's just natural.

 

Ehehe. I'm not any kind of expert, but I guess those are my experiences.

[Jeanie]

I to, have seen both sides. I'm currently caring for a pitbull of my sisters, who is food aggressive. My sister found this dog as a puppy roaming in the road close to cars and brought her home. We named her Grimm. We soon noticed that she was aggressive with the other dog when she was eating. Very pushy at first and it slowly developed into fighting. We got her fixed, and it didnt help. This dog is very distrustful of strangers, especially men. But she is also very fearful of everything from bushes to cars. We are very careful with Grimm, and have to work with her to control her fear daily. 

 

Grimm's brother, was found with her. And he is a mellow dog, a male. Never had aggressive issues at all, he has been fixed now, but it wouldn't have mattered either way I don't think. He was given to a friend. 

 

I think dogs are like people, some of them are mean, some lazy, some slow, some aggressive. They can be trained just like we can be taught. Some need more work than others. If you really want a pitbull, I would recommend getting one at a shelter, or rescue center. They work with the dogs and people and find good matches.