pit bulls

[CatsMeow]

I am sorry I was mean toward Pitbulls..... I don't know what got into me. Please forgive me of my sins toward PetTalk. And here's a gift I made:

[CatsMeow]

I believe that pit bulls don't deserve such a bad reputation. I absolutely love pit bulls & am trying to open a no-kill pit bull rescue sometime in the future. They truly are a beautiful breed, & they deserve a chance to go to a good home! Anyone with me?

I do. My favorite breed is a Beagle, I don't literally ADORE pitbulls, but they deserve a chance to go to a GREAT home!

[charlie116]

wow, a little disagreement, huh? well, seeing as i started this thread, let me set the record straight. as it's been said before, pit bulls are not the breed for everyone. they are a breed that should be treated with great respect. when trained correctly from a young age, they can be absolutely wonderful dogs, very loyal & protective of their family. however, most pit bulls are dog aggressive. i'm not saying all of them. i know plenty of pits that aren't, but it's a thing to consider when you're getting one. they are very strong-willed & determined breeds, so training that aggression out of them can be tricky, & some of them do revert back to it.
on the note of pit bulls attacking people, i have also had a bad experience with one. i was in a bad neighborhood & a pit bull came out of nowhere & took hold of my pants leg & started jerking its head back & forth. i was terrified because i was only about 8 or 9 at the time. eventually the owners called the dog off. i realized that they had been standing there the whole time laughing at me! i soon realized that it wasn't the dog's fault at all. it was the stupid ignorant humans who didn't train him, & then let him out into the front yard without a leash.
the fear against pit bulls is sad. i own a 110-pound pit bull mix. he is dog aggressive, but he gets along great with our 3 other dogs. i taught him how to walk nicely by my side when he was a puppy, so he never pulls. he gets a little on-edge when he sees a dog, but he never ever pulls me. so, anyway...he's very friendly to people. he does get a little timid at times, but if you just respect his space, he won't bother you. so, one day, we had the front door open, but the screen door was shut, but someone didn't latch it, so if you just leaned on it, it would open. my dog was out by the door, & a woman with a baby in a stroller walked by. suddenly, he jumped on the door, opened it, & ran outside, & can you believe what that woman did??? she ran from him & left her baby!!! i'm fairly sure that my dog wouldn't have hurt her, but seriously?? leave your baby?? the fear is ridiculous!
i am determined to change the rep of pit bulls!!!!!!

[charlie116]

also, my aunt owns 4 pit bulls, & she has 2 small kids, & a baby on the way! her dogs are fantastic! they're very beautiful, & they've never bitten anyone. sometimes they don't know their own strength, but my aunt definitely is able to get them under control.

[Tango]

I believe that pit bulls don't deserve such a bad reputation.They truly are a beautiful breed, & they deserve a chance to go to a good home! Anyone with me?

Agreed.

[charlie116]

ok so, i got really upset in one of my classes today because one of my teachers said something stereotypical about pit bulls . she was trying to define the word "inherent" & said "pit bulls are inherently aggressive". i wanted to say something about it so badly, but i shut my mouth because i didn't want to start a scene or argument. it just makes me so angry!!! any breed of dog can be aggressive! not just pit bulls!

[charlie116]

The Truth About Pit Bulls:
“It was of great personal significance for me to adopt a pit bull puppy as a role model, to be right by my side as I work to rehabilitate unstable dogs. The bad rap that pit bulls get here in the United States is, to my thinking, a crime. First of all, pit bulls are dogs first. They’re not wild animals; they’re domestic dogs like any other domestic dog. Of course, pit bulls are not always the right dogs for every family-but in blaming pit bulls as a breed for all those horrendous incidents we read about in the news, we’re forgetting the basic fact that we humans have created the very characteristics we vilify in pit bulls, simply to fill our own needs. We are responsible for them. Over the centuries, we have genetically engineered these dogs to have strong jaws, relentless staying power, and a high tolerance for discomfort or pain. Those are plain, unvarnished facts of their DNA. But even in the dog world, DNA isn’t destiny. Pit bulls are not born aggressive to dogs or to people-we make them that way. Hundreds of thousands of pit bulls languish in kennels and shelters across the United States because they were originally conditioned by their owners to be “tough”, but then they became too much for their owners to handle. Many of those dogs, destined for euthanasia, were bred to fight in the illegal dog-fighting culture, then abandoned on the streets when they didn’t prove profitable for their hard-hearted owners. Properly socialized and raised with the same consistent rules, boundaries, and limitations that their natural pack would instill in them, it’s been my experience that pit bulls make the most amazing pets. The very pit bull attributes so often maligned by society can actually be rechanneled into the most positive outlets. For instance, the inborn characteristics of determination and staying power can be transformed into unwavering loyalty and patience. A balanced pit bull has the ability to wait calmly and respectfully for long periods of time, until its owner gives it a new command or direction to follow. With children or smaller puppies, pit bulls can be the epitome of the indulgent babysitter, because their bodies are built to easily withstand the climbing, pushing, and pulling that playful juveniles of both species can inflict. A well-socialized, balanced pit bull will put up with all sorts of childish antics and show stoicism and good humor. I am raising Junior to be much more “dog” than “pit bull”, and between him and my senior pit bull, Daddy, I believe I can change the mind of anybody who harbors blind prejudice against the breed.”
-Cesar Millan aka The Dog Whisperer

[sana]

ok so, i got really upset in one of my classes today because one of my teachers said something stereotypical about pit bulls . she was trying to define the word "inherent" & said "pit bulls are inherently aggressive". i wanted to say something about it so badly, but i shut my mouth because i didn't want to start a scene or argument. it just makes me so angry!!! any breed of dog can be aggressive! not just pit bulls!

That is plain rude, you should have told her this sentence, its quiet nice and perfect for such a teacher;
"My teacher who says pit bulls are inherently aggressive is extremely rude and mostly illiterate about animals."
I mean, every animal can be aggressive at one point or another. Pit Bulls can be the sweetest animals on earth if they are taught to be nice. They can be the wildest on earth if they are treated badly and angrily. German Shepherd can attack its own carer, like mine did, he attacked my gatekeeper who cared for him nearly all his life!

She should think before speaking, really look before you leap...Think before you speak..

[luvofallhorses]

Pit Bulls can be the sweetest animals on earth if they are taught to be nice. They can be the wildest on earth if they are treated badly and angrily.

The part I underlined is not true. I have seen APBTs and bully breeds bounce back from being abused and not showing any aggression towards humans. Their love is unconditional as with any dog, but I see more so APBTs and bully breeds being hurt bounce back from it. That doesn't mean every bully breed out there is going to bounce back.

Also genetics plays a huge role in a dog's life, not the way they are treated.

Any dog can be aggressive not just pit bulls and GSDs. GSDs are much different than pit bulls as GSDs are a guardian breed, but a stable dog of any breed should not go after a human unless their person is being threatned I do not consider that aggression.

Human aggression shouldn't be tolerated in bully breeds, they should welcome everyone and make horrible guard dogs. Like I said the only exception I would make if the home or family was being threatned but that does not mean the dog should lash out. It depends on the situation. GSDs however are more aloof because they are a guardian breed and that is tolerated but they should not attack a person unprovoked nor should any dog.

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/pospress.html

Also there are a lot of pit bulls being therapy dogs, service dogs, etc. GSDs are search and rescue dogs, bomb sniffing dogs, and mainly in K9-Units.

I hope that made sense!

From atts.org passing temperament tests -

American Pit Bull Terrier - 86.0%

German Shepherd Dog - 84.2%

[sana]

The part I underlined is not true. I have seen APBTs and bully breeds bounce back from being abused and not showing any aggression towards humans. Their love is unconditional as with any dog, but I see more so APBTs and bully breeds being hurt bounce back from it. That doesn't mean every bully breed out there is going to bounce back.

Also genetics plays a huge role in a dog's life, not the way they are treated.

Any dog can be aggressive not just pit bulls and GSDs. GSDs are much different than pit bulls as GSDs are a guardian breed, but a stable dog of any breed should not go after a human unless their person is being threatened I do not consider that aggression.

Human aggression shouldn't be tolerated in bully breeds, they should welcome everyone and make horrible guard dogs. Like I said the only exception I would make if the home or family was being threatened but that does not mean the dog should lash out. It depends on the situation. GSDs however are more aloof because they are a guardian breed and that is tolerated but they should not attack a person unprovoked nor should any dog.

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/pospress.html

Also there are a lot of pit bulls being therapy dogs, service dogs, etc. GSDs are search and rescue dogs, bomb sniffing dogs, and mainly in K9-Units.

I hope that made sense!

From atts.org passing temperament tests -

American Pit Bull Terrier - 86.0%

German Shepherd Dog - 84.2%

I'm not sure if I get your point, you mean, if they are treated badly, they instead turn out to act like how salves act, depressed and sad yet they gotta obey what their masters tell them. You mean that?

Their love is unconditional as with any dog, but I see more so APBTs and bully breeds being hurt bounce back from it. That doesn't mean every bully breed out there is going to bounce back.

Also genetics plays a huge role in a dog's life, not the way they are treated.

Any dog can be aggressive not just pit bulls and GSDs. GSDs are much different than pit bulls as GSDs are a guardian breed, but a stable dog of any breed should not go after a human unless their person is being threatened I do not consider that aggression.

This part I agree. Some dogs get angry when they are mistreated others they still love their masters and obey them, even if they are unhappy with their treating. They stay patient. Some attack when they are treated badly and are beaten or the masters are angry at them a lot. And, yes genetics do play a major role in a dog's life. But when they are mistreated, beaten etc. their patience ends in the end at times. Their earlier behavior might be soft and nice. But that can't stay forever in some cases. I agree to what you say, though. You are correct about what you say.

Thanks for correcting

[luvofallhorses]

I mean that their love is UNCONDITIONAL.. owners do not have to push them to be that way they just ARE. And no problem. I adore bully breeds so much.

[wallyblue]

I have two pitbulls and they are both amazing pets. Neither of them were rescues, but I feel for any animal who is suffering especially pitties. I hate the fact that when I take them places people are automatically scared and don't want to pet them. dog obedience

[charlie116]

I have two pitbulls and they are both amazing pets. Neither of them were rescues, but I feel for any animal who is suffering especially pitties. I hate the fact that when I take them places people are automatically scared and don't want to pet them.

that makes me sad too . whenever i see someone walking a pit bull, i ask to pet it . i just love them so much

[Marley07]

Saw this and thought it was neat:

Top Ten Reasons Why You Can't Trust Vicious Pit Bulls

10. They will steal your spot on the couch while you are up getting a soda.
9. They will take the treat you give them and bury in the back yard like a paranoid crack head hiding their stash.
8. They will jump on your bed with muddy feet. Making you do the laundry...again!
7. They will lick visitors with an uncontrolled passion only they understand.
6. They will cause children to smile.
5. They will make you feel horrible for not walking them by looking at you with deep sad eyes.
4. They will look at you like you committed a crime against them if you don't let them lick your ice cream bowl.
3. They will cause wide spread happiness in large group settings.
2. They will crack you up by shaking their butts so hard you think they are going to snap in half.
And the number one reason why you can't trust vicious Pit Bulls...
1. They will steal your heart like a thief in the night, showing you complete and pure love that only a Pit Bull can show.

- Jason Mann

This is so true. I have a purebred American Stafford-shire Terrier (which is somewhat like a pitbull) Some of my family hasn't really met her yet to know that she is a sweet loving dog, so I can't really bring her to see that part of the family because they think pitbulls are just attack dogs that fight anything they see. I think its so wrong to think that about JUST pitbulls. Any other dog could attack you just as well, but people don't realize that if you train ANY dog the right way, they will be loving and your best friend for life.

[JennyEspo]

The thing about pitbulls is that they are people pleasers. If the owner wants it to fight, it will do its best to do what the owner wants. It is not the pitbulls fault!!

I fell in love with a female pitbull at the local shelter but, they wouldn't let me adopt her because I have children in my home I ended up adopting a boxer/pitbull mix. As long as she had "boxer" before "pibull" they let us adopt her. I am not new to dogs and would consider myself an expert having managed a kennel in the past. She was much more mellow then the dog we did adopt.