Pit bull questions

[dogsarebetter]

I have always thought that pit bulls were one of the coolist looking dogs around. I do not think I have ever met one that was anything but a big sweetie. I always make the comment "I love them, but I dont think they are for me" I think that comment is based on me not understanding a few things about the breed.

Since pit bulls were bred to fight other dogs, dont they have lots of trouble with dog aggression? The dog park I go to is actually mostly pit bulls, and I have been going to that park nearly every week for over a year now. I have NEVER seen a pit bull start a fight. So this leads me to beilve that they do not have dog aggression issues. I dont understand how a breed that has been bred so long for fighting doesnt have dog aggression problems! just like my shelties were bred to herd and herd other dogs at the park, then wouldnt you think a pit bull bred for fighting would fight other dogs?

Dont they have a strong prey drive also? Would they be more likely to attack small dogs or cats?

A pit would be for me if....
I could trust it enough to take it everywhere (dog park, petco, family gatherings(with toddlers), vacation, etc)
I could take him to the dog park weekly with no issues
If I could trust him with little dogs (under 10lbs)

 

[elegy]

dog aggression is common in pit bulls. you'll be hard pressed to find a responsible breeder or rescue that condones taking them to dog parks. a lot of people do and i wish they wouldn't. often they'll be fine when they're young, but that very frequently changes. they're also extremely unlikely to back down in a fight that is started by another dog. like you said, fighting is what they were bred for generations to be good at.

and yes, many of them have high prey drive as well.

 

[milos_mommy]

Whenever I get a pit, I plan on rescuing an older (3 or 4) year old one. Granted, DA can stem at any time, but I feel like once the hormones are settled you can tell their personalities better.

 

[Maxy24]

If you want a Pittie but want to avoid DA I'd aim for a 3-4 year old Who has been fostered for a good chunk of time with other dogs and has shown no issues. I still would never bring him to a dog park or other densely dog populated areas. Even if he's not down right DA he will most likely not back down when challenged by another dog and may not tolerate rude dog behavior well.

 

[MrPitBull]

Owning a number of Pitbulls and having been to a number of Dog shows with hundreds of Pitbulls in close quaters... they do very well. Yet, if a dog were to charge at them even out of curiousity as they sometimes will, you better be ready. As mentioned, they don't back down. They take a firm hand, and so aren't for everyone.

 

[dogsarebetter]

Nope, not for me! Thanks guys.

 

[mrose_s]

I like them more and more as time goes on, I won't have one in teh near future at all because of the DA thing, its somethign I want to avoid until I have more experience with dogs so that even if I have a DA dog, I can teach it early on what is okay and what is not.

Considering my favourite breed also commonly has DA issues, its something I want to learn to deal with. I imagine managing Pitbull DA would be different to managing kelpie DA though.

I have no interest taking any of my dogs to dog parks and such, and I don't need a dog that is friendly to everything and everyone, atleast you recognise it isn't a good match for you. So many people get them withouth having an understanding of what they are.

 

[stace1319]

other dogs

have you considerd maybe a pitbull mix? My childhood dog was a pit and Boxer mix. She was abused as a pup before we got her so she did have issues with certain people and other dogs if they wanted to fight, so you might want to try for a pup so you know they will be properly socialized or like you mentioned earlier, at least one that has been evaluated for a long period of time and passed with flying colors. I love pits too, but I would never bring an older one into my home ( i have 2 dogs, a toddler, and cats) that I didn't know the history of. Thier ar other bully breeds that you may be interested in that are a little less intense then a pit such as American Staffordshire Terriers ( some people say they are pits some don't I'm really not exactly sure, american bulldogs, boxers, and so one. I think the dogo argintinos are beautiful but a bit too expensive for me. Those are just a few breeds you may want to look into if you like pits

 

[Maxy24]

Unfortunately you can't raise a dog with genetic dog aggression to not have dog aggression. They are not dog aggressive due to lack of socialization or fear, they actually WANT to go fight the other dogs, some almost look as though they are just super excited at the sight of another dog and wag their tail like crazy. They really do like other dogs, but they like them like they like chew toys. They are not like the dogs who lash out at other dogs to make the other dog go away.

So you would be MUCH safer getting an adult dog to avoid genetic DA. Once a dog is an adult he is much more likely to have shown DA if he is going to have it. if you got a pup you would have no way of knowing whether or not his genes tell him to be DA or not until he decides to try and attack another dog one day out of the blue (or if his genes tell him not to be DA he never will).


I sort of understand getting a puppy to raise with children so they are used to them, with an unknown history it can be sketchy, but I think an adult dog can be tested pretty well and I have met so many adult dogs that were adopted and were great around children that I have faith that a puppy is not a must to ensure your kids are safe. But if you are not comfortable with a dog with unknown history around children I'd understand that, but I really, REALLY hope you apply that philosophy to ALL breeds not just pit bulls (who are inherently one of the greatest breeds around children due to their high tolerance for pain).

rabbitsarebetter: I'm glad to hear you know what you want and are not afraid to turn down an awesome breed if he is not what you want. If more people were like you we would not have so many dogs dropped off at shelters because they were "too active" or "didn't like dogs" or "was a bad guard dog" when they were pit bulls who are just like that.
And FYI Mr.PitBull does not own pit bulls, he owns dogs that have some pit bull in them somewhere (along with some other things somewhere) and look like English Bulldogs. I don't think I'd trust his dogs as a good example of the true pit bull's temperament since they are not true pit bulls.

 

[stace1319]

;-)

I wouldn't let any breed around my child unsupervised.

 

[bubbatd]

I admire them ...but just aren't my type of dog .

 

[Squishy22]

I've been to dog parks many times with my last dog, and most of the pit bulls were bullies and instigators. Over dominating and looking for fights. Part of the reason why I stopped going. One male snapped reggin in the face WHILE my fiance was holding him in his lap... he was only 12 weeks at the time. Completely unprovoked. The unaltered males seemed to be a problem. On the other hand, there were a few pitties that acted very well and had some manners. Rotties and american bulldogs were huge problems to the park as well as far as DA goes.

They do have very high pray drives. That was the most surprising to me when I got reggin. Very hyper active. One track mind when I pull out his ball. My last dog was a rottie and she wouldn't even play fetch, lol. Reggin is a complete opposite and its nice to have a dog that is so active and loves to play and do things.

I have a 6 pound chi mix as well. I am getting a pure bred chi that will max out at 4 pounds. He is coming home in a week. Reggin does very well with small dogs. In fact, my chi tends to be a bitch and has lashed out at reggin on several occasions and he doesnt even take her seriously, which is good. He does like to push her buttons just for the fun of it . But the best part is how well he does with my toddler. He loves her and is even protective of her. I couldn't have asked for a better dog for my kids. His high pain tolerance comes in handy. A pulled ear, poked eye, and pinched tongue does not phase him.

 

[Miakoda]

DA runs in the 'pit bull.' Now, the level varies in each dog and the length of time it can and does lie dormant also varies. But that's not to say it isn't there and it can rear it's head at any given time.

The 'pit bull' definitely isn't for anyone and everyone. And I bet that every single 'pit bull' owner has had the day where they question themselves for owning one (or in my case, several). I know I have. But that's only because it's a lot of work and can be exhausting.

I have to crate and rotate my dogs. When they are all out in the backyard, they must be on chains to keep them separated. For the most part, I don't currently have a single one that likes other dogs and 1 of them will only just tolerate another dog.

In the past I have had some that would get along with another dog so they were allowed to have 1 v. 1 playtime in the backyard, but be aware that fights did happen. And of course they always happened when I was home alone. And the average length of time it took me to break up 2 fighting APBTs loose in a yard almost 3/4 of a acre is 30 minutes. You can't just pull them apart and many actions some people do (i.e. screaming at them to make a loud noise, water house, kicking/beating on them, etc.) just serve to intensify the fight.

And I'm with elegy that no responsible 'pit bull' owner takes their dog(s) to a dog park. Yes I see it. Yes I've heard people have had no problems. But then again, I get the pleasure of reading about '"it bull viciously mauls poor innocent poodle" headlines in the paper and all across the internet on an almost daily basis. And there have been some highly publicized 'pit bull' incidents at dog parks including one in which the 'pit bull' was NOT the aggressor however once the fight started he didn't back down and the other dog's owner fatally stabbed the 'pit bull'.

Owning a dog is all about setting it up for success. Putting a DA breed into a situation such as a dog park is not doing right by the dog.

With that said, if your 'pit bull' is dog friendly at the time, I don't have a problem with meeting up with another 'pit bull' owner and his/her dog and setting up a play date where it's only those 2 dogs and there are 2 knowledgable people there. But just always be prepared.

And please, don't think we're out training to paint a negative view of these dogs. Because that's not our agenda at all. 'Pit Bulls', more specifically the APBT, are wonderful and amazing dogs. They are beautiful athletes in motion, clowns, loyal friends, an ear to talk to when things are down. To me they are the complete dog. However, due to the raging BSL devouring our country, we as 'pit bull' owners MUST start keeping these dogs out of the situations that are helping to fuel BSL. We have to be super-vigilant. That's the point we are trying to make. And some people just aren't willing to go to those extra measures or there home isn't set up to allow them. And we don't fault anyone for that.

Oh, & as for having them around small dogs, my dogs LOVE to kills squirrels, opposum, raccoons, armadillos, & any other small creature that runs (& preferably will give some sqeaky action). This goes for small dogs and cats.

 

[dogsarebetter]

Thanks for all of the info guys! Big help

 

[Squishy22]

Reggin HAS chased skittles, my cat. If he runs, Reggin chases. And sometimes reggin will nudge skittles just to get him to run. This is quite annoying. As far as reggin hurting skittles (full out attack), I have a hard time seeing it. And if that were to happen, I am almost certain it would be a result of Skittles going on the defense first and then reggin finishing it. Thankfully, they have gotten along really well so far. The thing about reggin is that he likes to pester. Pester the other animals just to get a reaction out of them. Its a game to him, even when the other animals are down right serious... he doesn't care. I have to remind him to knock it off or else he will be removed. He does listen. Its like having another toddler in the house. lol.

With Pebbles, I have been AMAZED at how well he has gotten along with her and put up with her bullcrap. She is not afraid of Reggin. She has no problem telling him to back off when she doesnt want bothered. Having a pit bull, I assumed he wouldn't be as lenient with her as he is. Maybe I just got lucky. He snapped at her once and that was when she tried stealing a bone he was chewing on.

 

[DaVinci]

My Mikado is a a very laid back boy. Yes he has started his fair share of fights but usually if you are paying attention those can be stopped before they start. It is usually some loud noise or someone pulling unexpectedly into the yard that gets him going. My son APBT has never fought with another dog she is great around small dogs, cats, rabbits even the fowl. She wants nothing more than to please you. My son is training her in agility and doing well. It all depends on the dog if they have a high prey drive or not. Like stated before APBT's not for everyone.

 

[SisMorphine]

I agree with everything Miakoda said.

I ADORE the APBT. They are fantastic little dogs (yes, I do consider them little ), EXTREMELY happy-go-lucky with people, which is simply fantastic. But all owners need to understand that their dog has the propsensity to fight bred into them, and it could show up at any time. Whether that time be at 1.5 years old when they turn DA or at 8 years old when some other dog starts a fight and your pit bull finishes it.

The DA is one of the reasons that keeps me at arms length from the breed as far as ownership, and the reason that I was drawn to another bully breed (the Alapaha), instead. But I do believe that the APBT is one of the greatest all around dogs out there (except for the DA thing ).

 

[SisMorphine]

And FYI Mr.PitBull does not own pit bulls, he owns dogs that have some pit bull in them somewhere (along with some other things somewhere) and look like English Bulldogs. I don't think I'd trust his dogs as a good example of the true pit bull's temperament since they are not true pit bulls.

From looking at his website his dogs' lineage (and physical structure), suggests that he has American Bullies. Granted, a good portion of his Bullies have decent structure, but yeah, definitely not small little APBTs.

 

[BigDogs]

Pitbulls are very popular in the city 20 miles north of me. It seems that they are most popular with human males, who think they "look cool".
And yes, plenty of drug dealers keep them because of what they are and because of their reputation.

If a person wants a dog who might at anytime decide it doesn't like someone, or their dog, and attack,... a dog whom he/she must constantly protect from idiots who will purposely provoke the dog,... and doesn't mind the neighbors thinking that they are drug dealers,....sure get a pitbull.

 

[SisMorphine]

Pitbulls are very popular in the city 20 miles north of me. It seems that they are most popular with human males, who think they "look cool".
And yes, plenty of drug dealers keep them because of what they are and because of their reputation.

If a person wants a dog who might at anytime decide it doesn't like someone, or their dog, and attack,... a dog whom he/she must constantly protect from idiots who will purposely provoke the dog,... and doesn't mind the neighbors thinking that they are drug dealers,....sure get a pitbull.

:yikes: