Hey all you dog people...

[dirty~d~]

Since people want to drag in the history of the Pit Bull, you may want to read up on the TRUE history behind this breed...

Pit Bull history

I strongly suggest you read the entire page.

 

[Chili]

ok ~d~ don't start clouding up the issue with facts ;)

 

[Bill Hibbs]

He asked what it was BRED for and I answered the question (according to the article, accurately). My dog was bred to retrieve in cold water. I didn't have to teach it how to retrieve or swim. It's true though, it was bred to fight other animals and not humans.... I'm still not going to recommend buying one. There are a LOT better options out there.

 

[Thump]

Thanks D, I thought I was the only ony that enjoyed reading factual data.

Bill, your talking out of your ass and to compare a Pit with a Tiger silly. Have you ever seen a tiger eat food from a bowl? Compare that with the way a Pit eats from the same bowl. Big difference my man. The tiger still thinks it needs to kill its food, even the most addapted tigers do it.

 

[Patman]

I live out in the sticks and so I have lots of different neighbors. From old hippies to country music stars it's a diverse area. One of the guys down the road ("road" is being generous) happens to be a known dog fighter, he also happens to wear white bed dressings when he gets together with some of his like minded friends but that's his gig. Before we moved out there he had over a dozen of them along with a giant doberman. Well he now has the dobie and 2 pits and recently they attacked a neighbors mixed breed that's about one of the easiest going dogs I've ever seen. One of the pits then turned on the lady that owned the dog being attacked. Scary? Yup. My wife wants nothing to do with walking down the road now and will not let our son either unless they are with me. For some reason one pit bull always wants to play with me and the other runs away and hides. The doberman and I have yet to meet when I want in my truck and he was yapping at it so I don't know how a face to face would go. Do I like that he abuses his dogs? Nope, but until I could prove it there is not much I can do to change it. Am I concerned that he has these dogs? For the saftey of my family yes since they are know fighters but until they attack a human again there isn't much that can be done about them according to the police. Would I feel the same if the dogs we just normal pets? Yes, I'd feel much more at ease. Why? I'm an Aussie kind of guy and my previous one was a very loving and well temprements dog. At one point I was feeding him raw cubed steak and rice and guess what. He became much more aggressive. When he would previously chase cats and bark he would now try to kill them. He even attacked a large opposum that scratched him up gretty good but he finally bit it so hard he broke it's neck! When I switched him to a cooked chicken and rice diet he settled down after a couple of months. He was still more aggressive than before but much more "normal" and he did settle down over the years anyway (I now only feed a quality breeders food). I believe pit bulls CAN be good pets just like any other dog could just as easily become a bad dog. I think they do require a strong personality and commitment to trainning but I'd take an obediant pit bull over an ill trained lab/golden/etc... any day.

Come to think of it dogs are a lot like kids. Train them well and give them the love and attention they deserve and chances are very good they will turn out just fine. Neglect them and they turn into the kid everybody wants at somebody elses house. Guess I better keep an eye on Little Patman because he does enjoy a rare steak :think:

 

[Bill Hibbs]

I was trying to make the point about instincts. Dogs that are bred to point, point. Naturally, from a pup! Dogs that are bred to retrieve, retrieve naturally, again, as pups. Pits were bred to fight. This is why they have the physical characteristics they have now. It just kind of makes you wonder. THIS is what I'm trying to say out of my ass. Maybe it's all coming out as Hot air.. ;)

 

[Jon K.]

I'm pretty much done with this . . . . . . but . . . . . .

How does everyone feel about wolf hybrids?

 

[XRpredator]

well, technically, all dogs are a wolf hybrid, if you go far enough back . . .

 

[Patman]

:scream: OMG! Aussies herd! Wolves do the same to cut out their prey! CRAP! I have a wolf in my house!!! :scream: :scream: :scream:

 

[Smit-Dog]

I bet they were cute as pups though...

http://www.msnbc.com/news/1000250.asp?0cv=CB10

 

[truespode]

officials said the dogs were well known in the rolling ranch land

I am betting the problem is more with the owners than the dogs. The owners should be charged with manslaughter in my opinion.

Ivan

 

[Smit-Dog]

I agree 100%. Considering the previous attack in the spring, I can't believe the dogs hadn't been shot already.

 

[Jon K.]

This one was close to home. About five miles actually.

http://2theadvocate.com/livepages4/396.shtml

I got a little bit more of the story locally, the dog was a family pet. Never showed the first inclination of aggression.

The family had just gotten rid of a Yellow Lab, as it had shown some aggression toward the baby.

Good family, good people. I personally know some of the Stricklands, though I am not close to this family. They are in my prayers.

Edit:
The link is dead; here is another one: http://2theadvocate.com/stories/021...itbull001.shtml
Thanks Smit-dog

That last link is to an early story with some errors. The victim is Aaron Strickland, a three year old boy. It turns out that I know the grandmother quite well, she and my sister are very close friends. As I said; very close to home.

 

[redramhemi]

Pit Bull + Kids = Tragedy. These dogs are bred for fighting. Something about a child may (or may not, but do you want to risk it?) trigger the instincts. And the dog invariably goes for the face! Instincts are very deep, and can not be easily overcome by a proper upbringing.

Smit-Dog nailed it; the Dahmner thing is right on!

Pit-bulls are responsible for the majority (24%) of fatal dog bites in the US, followed by Rottweilers (16%) and German Shepherds (10%). These figures are raw, and don't account for the disparity in the population figures for the different breed. They come from the American Pediatric people.

Oh, and 10% of fatal dog attacks involve SLEEPING INFANTS! :whiner:

Zio, If kids were not in the picture; I would agree with the majority. But as you have indicated that you have kids, please, please, do not keep that animal.

does anyone know what the #1 biter actually is? GOLDEN RETRIEVER!!

 

[redramhemi]

Grandma's toy poodle can't remove an entire face in 3 microseconds.

an infants easily

 

[zio]

We're done dog shopping. The PitBull is gone. Long story, but we now have a sweet little Yellow Lab named "Putty". "kona", our chocolate lab puppy that replaced the pitbull, just died two weeks ago. I have never cried over a pet before. This time, I bawled my eyes out as I burried her in a field near where I ride. I'm glad we didn't keep the pitbull. In hindsight, I'm just not 100% sure she never would have done anything. If I had known the parents, maybe. But the other day, I saw a kid walking a pitbull down our street, and my instant reaction was to grab my kids and haul them inside immediately. That made me realize I didn't want a pet that would scare our neighbors.

 

[MelloYello]

I'm sorry to hear about "kona". When "Canyon" died, I couldn't stop crying either.:whiner:

 

[Jaybird]

Zio,
I'm glad to see you no longer have the pit. It's just not worth a risk to have an animal with the potential to cause harm, especially to a kid.
Sure folks will argue they are fine, and may well be...but the one instance when they aren't fine (for what ever reason) can lead to catastrophe.
Any sort of dog that has a breeding problem ie inbred, bred with known mean types, etc...can have a genetic disposition for trouble. I'd much rather myself or a kid take a little bite from a known good domestic dog as to get completely mauled by a pit having a bad day.
The potential for disaster is there, and it's not worth the risk.

 

[Smit-Dog]

This one was close to home. About five miles actually.

http://2theadvocate.com/livepages4/396.shtml

That link appeared to be dead; try this one...

http://2theadvocate.com/stories/021604/pol_pitbull001.shtml

And in case you missed this one...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4276426/

 

[joereitman]

Mixing large breeds and small children worries me. It is a size/strength issue. I favor small dogs, combined with good training, and LOTS of gentle play/socialization.

We keep our little guy inside with the kids, lounging and relaxing, as much as possible. He clearly knows that if he wants to play, he goes outside to terrorize I mean socialize with the cat. j/k, he and the cat love each other and play very well together. :)

When the kids play with him we emphasize non-aggressive games, such as throwing the ball, or just traipsing around the property.

Just my .02. :)

 

[CR Swade]

I'm the same way w/ my three sons. I don't like any breed that has had a lineage for fighting or protection around my kids. The simple truth is this: ANY dog has a natural instinct to chase after anything that runs from it, although certain dogs have more of a benign quality to them with regards to this. We have a golden retriever (our 2nd) and he is completely gentle. I wouldn't be anywhere near as comfortable w/ a shepard, a rot or any more aggressive dog. Once a child runs w/ a large protection type dog, it's almost always potentially a grave situation. Especially now that certain breeds are being bred for size (I actually came across a 200lb rot on a service call a few months ago) I don't see how anybody can take that chance w/ their kids.

Another dog type that is not good around kids is the herding type dogs. Blue Healers, a great dog on our old farm, can be downright mean around kids as the dog gets older.

 

[joereitman]

Kids running and aggressive dogs are a bad combo. We have a grumpy German Shepherd next door. He likes to "playfully" nip at me while I am riding by on my bike. I have learned that the best thing to do when confronted by an aggressive alpha dog is to look away from him and walk away VERY slowly. Any eye contact will be seen as a challenge, any running makes you prey.

 

[ob1quixote]

I guess I will be real popular with this post!!
I have 2 "dogs", a shepard/irish setter mix, and a shepard/timberwolf (75%}.
I also have a 13 yr old and a 22 month old kid.

I grew up with dobermans, the largest 115lbs. Never any problem, they were quality bred. Big smart babies.

I do not allow the little one to solo in the yard, but I do take her out there. As they give her "doggie kisses" and she whines, they get the same forceful command as if they were chewing on a brand new inner tube. They realize her whine means trouble. Any stranger is escorted if they need to be in the yard, or the dogs are put in the garage. They are very territorial.

I fully understand the "alpha" concept, and any animal I own comes to learn who is at the top of the chain! I also know how to kill one barehanded, and I'm not under any illusion that I would do so without injury to myself.

And I have been attacked, twice, by dogs. The only thing that saved them is that I knew the owners. A strange dog would have been pushing daisies. In both cases the dogs received a beating only us "large scale" guys can deliver. They cower when I pass by. For the record, 1 malmute and 1 setter.

I really only worry about them attacking 5 things; cats, rats, squirrels, possums, and folks interested in my dirtbike fleet. So far they have killed 4 out of 5 of those targets{all within their well fenced yard, and they dont get out}, and the last group has to walk 120ft just to inspect the fleet. 120 more feet to leave with their selection....


For the most part, dogs are what you make them, and you always have to keep an eye on them, instinct is as old as dirt, and you never know when it will surface.

I watch ALL dogs for aggressive signs, period. I fully trust none of them, some more than others.

As far as I'm concerned, they all have the possibility of attack, and the larger ones will be more effective if it happens. I have almost 200lbs of dogs in my backyard, and I constantly assert the alpha position, and am quite comfortable with them. Yet I watch them like a hawk.....

Robert

 

[Jon K.]

I have 2 "dogs", a shepard/irish setter mix, and a shepard/timberwolf (75%}.
I also have a 13 yr old and a 22 month old kid.

Robert

Robert; I gotta say; thats some scary stuff!

You indeed seem to have a good understanding of the behavior and potential for problems.

And by your account, I do believe that no incidents will occur under your watch. That Alpha thing is really good stuff. I have my own dogs completely convinced that I am God Almighty. . . . of course, one of them is Princess the Tongueless Wonder . . . .no big trick there! :laugh:

My concerns would lie in the possibility that the baby could somehow be exposed without benifit of your presence. Even then; perhaps no problem, but damn, it could be bad.

Jonny

 

[Jaybird]

I'm with you 100%, Jon.
It just aint worth it, I don't care how alpha male smart you are.