Katt, you have a really understandable view on Pitties, and you definitely have the experience to back it up.I totally used to think of Pitties as any other dog, but over time I have realized that they are still sweet dogs but every breed has it's certain characteristics... especially since animal aggression has been bred into them for so long. Still, I think of English Bulldogs, who used to be notorious fighting dogs and are now the most mushy lovable dog-friendly pups.
My Flyball trainer has 3 Pittie girls, one is a Staffy, and they are wonderful dogs but the 2 Pit Bull girls will not take crap from any other dog. She controls them VERY well, and I always make sure Gonzo stays out of their way (just like every other dog when they're doing runs, basically), and if they are greeting each other it's always with her controlling her dogs and me controlling Gonzo. Honestly, I KNOW if Gonzo was snarky to another dog, he just wouldn't bite them, at all - but I really don't want to risk him getting hurt, because those powerful dogs could and would throw him down if he was being a jerk. I really didn't understand your point of view before getting to know those girls, they have rock-solid temperaments and they're very obedient, but definitely not dog park dogs. Personally, I feel that only Labs, Goldens, and maybe a few other breeds are suitable for dog parks, anyway
Edit to add: Also, about King's statement, I do think it's only responsible to exercise your dog on your private fenced property, or walking/running them yourself, if there is any doubt about aggression. It's sad, but Pit Bull owners have to take much more precautions than, say, a Lab owner, because of the poor reputation of their dogs and because they are a strong breed. Muzzling a dog at a dog park, to me, is really risky because if another dog were to attack yours, they could be badly injured with no way to protect themselves. Just being muzzled could also aggrivate dog-aggression.
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Originally Posted by lute
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