What do I need to know about pitbulls? (pg4 update)

amother

↑ Babyblue

Mon, Sep 23 2019, 3:43 pm

amother [ Babyblue ] wrote:

My coworker has pitbulls and has always been a staunch defender of them . "Theyre misunderstood, they rarely attack, theyre incredibly loyal etc etc etc"

Then one day another coworker of mine let everyone know to be extra nice to Susan (this coworker), because they she had to put down their beloved pitbull of 6 years, who they raised since she was a puppy, because all of a sudden one day she just snapped and tried to kill the husband (who is 6"2 and humongous). It required 2 other adults to get the dog off.

Crazy thing is, the husband was this dog's absolute favorite human in the whole world. They were inseperable. But for whatever reason she decided to attack him and he nearly died.

OP, why dont you go for something like english bulldog?

(Anon because ive said this story in real life)

Im going to clarify that my coworker was no novice when it came to raising pitbulls. She and her husband have been raising pitbulls for the past 20 years. They were very experienced and knew exactly what they were doing. And still, the dog turned on him one day and nearly killed him

amother

Indigo ↓

Mon, Sep 23 2019, 3:47 pm

Teomima wrote:

When I was a kid we went to the JSPCA to choose a dog. An ugly matted thing kept running out to us, despite us trying to look at other options. At one point she ran right out the gate then sat waiting next to our car. We decided she must have chosen us, so we took her home.
Turns out she was a gorgeous [mostly] Australian sheep dog. She had tons of energy and loved to run outside, but was also the most gentle thing in the world. Incredibly playful but would never for real bite anyone, even kids.
The moral of the story is A: don't spend money on fancy bred dogs when there are so many out there already desperate for your love, and B: don't decide what the dog will be like before you discover their personality. You might find what turns out to be a surly pit bull who hates running...or a friendly sheep dog that is a runner by nature. Choose an dog based on their personality more than their breed. Which also goes to reinforce point A, I guess.

It may depend on your location.

When my friend tried to adopt a dog, the only ones available were pits. No nice mutts, nothing else.

amother

↑ Indigo

Mon, Sep 23 2019, 3:49 pm

amother [ Turquoise ] wrote:

The cat was attached to my friend's husband and it took two people to get it off.

I am a total cat person, this cat went from loving to crazy aggreessive one day. True story.

That happened to my cousin as well, so its not a unique story.

amother

Amethyst ↓

Mon, Sep 23 2019, 5:25 pm

Rappel wrote:

I'm looking for advice from any current/past owners of pitbulls.

We currently have two kids, two cats. We're thinking of adding a dog to the household in the next few months.

DH really wants a dog, and I like them too, though he'll be the one taking primary responsibility.

He really wants a pitbull-like dog. He loves their faces, their attitudes, their energy, their size. Everything about them.

I think they're sweet too, but I have reservations about their inbred instincts. I'm from Brooklyn, and roaming dogs were always a problem, and were usually pits. I've read about how a pit can be perfectly friendly, and then turn around and kill another dog in seconds.

I don't know what's hype, what's breeding, and what I would look out for, other than a normal, confident dog. Are my kids at risk? My cats? Other dogs? Until I'm sure of these things, I will not allow a Pitbull in my house or my neighborhood.

Does anyone have experience with the breed? Advice? Tips?

It’s very risky as even the ones who’ve been with their owners for a while, can suddenly turn on them and attack. It’s a big risk especially for kids. I’d say your dh should find another breed that is more child friendly and not a danger. Even Judge Judy who owns lots of dogs says many times that she gets cases all the time with pit bulls biting and attacking!

amother

↑ Amethyst

Mon, Sep 23 2019, 5:26 pm

nchr wrote:

Btw everyone I know with a golden doodle regrets the purchase. They have very bad traits - anxious, hyper, etc. Pitsbulls are easier to train and if you are a good owner they are safe. I wouldn't get one because of the reputstion but that doesnt mean they are bad dogs. I own very happy pit owners. Speak to a vet.

Not accurate at all. Pit bulls have been known to attach even their owners after years of being loyal.

urban gypsy ↓

Mon, Sep 23 2019, 7:49 pm

Rappel, you asked for firsthand experience so I’m only going to offer that, I am not advising you one way or another.

Growing up, we had three dogs: a Staffordshire Pit Bull Terrier, a German Shepard/ Collie mix, and a Golden Retriever. They were all wonderful, brilliant, loving dogs and we had no problems with any of them. I do recall one incident with a neighbor’s dog climbing into our yard and antagonizing the Pit Bull and getting bitten, but not seriously.

My philosophy is to treat every dog the same: like a loaded weapon. When I would take my Golden Retriever for walks, people would start petting him and ask, “Does he bite?” I would always firmly answer YES HE BITES. They would get super scared and yank their hand away. I would explain that though he has never bitten anyone, HE IS A DOG AND ALL DOGS BITE. Just like people can potentially go off their rockers, so can dogs. They are not babies or people, they are animals and need to be treated with respect and caution ALWAYS.

That being said, our Staffie was beautiful, clever, good natured, friendly, loyal, and just a wonderful part of our pack. My brother bought him because he wanted a “vicious” dog and he was sorely disappointed LOL. I can’t speak for every case but a dog that is well cared for and well trained will not behave viciously. Our dogs were extremely well trained and never caused any problems.

amother

Aqua

Tue, Sep 24 2019, 1:13 am

Op I’m in a very similar situation!
I know nothing about dogs. My husband and kids really want a dog, he grew up with dogs. An acquaintances lab got pregnant with the pit bull next door and he asked if we wanted one of the puppies. I’m sooo hesitant. Aside from all the work I’m not sure I’m ready for, the fact that it isn’t half pit bull really scares me.
Do you guys know if it’s half pit bull and we adopt it as a baby, if it’s less likely to act like a pit bull?

amother

Burlywood

Tue, Sep 24 2019, 2:27 am

I had a pitbull in college. (My roommate ended up keeping him). Sweetest and most obedient dog I ever had. It's sad they get a bad rap rather than the people who raise them to be violent.
That said, it would be the last dog I'd bring into my home if I were looking for a family pet. First of all, it's social-life repellant. Nobody would ever want to come over. Second, even though my experience was positive and I really believe they are good dogs in loving homes, you just never know about the breeding lines and I wouldn't want to take a chance with my family that we should end up one of those stories where a really good dog, "just snaps". I know it sounds like I'm contradicting myself, but with so many other lovely breeds to choose from, why go this way?

amother

↑ Bronze

Tue, Sep 24 2019, 11:11 am

amother [ Aqua ] wrote:

My neighbor had a half pit bull half lab dog growing up. It was the sweetest most adorable dog and was soooooo mellow. Didn't look like a pit bull at all either so the only reason I knew was because they told me. Loooooooved him!

↑ urban gypsy

Tue, Sep 24 2019, 11:49 am

Amarante wrote:

Pit bulls or dogs that some genetic pit bull in them are not the best choice for people who aren’t really familiar with dogs and dog training. There are some great sweet pit bulls but genetically there are breeds which are much more likely to be great family pets especially for families who haven’t trained a lot of dogs.

As others have suggested, Golden Retrievers make wonderful family dogs especially for those who don’t have much dog experience.

Whatever you do, I would suggest researching breeds thoroughly in terms of which ones are good around children; which ones need lots of exercise and free roaming to be at their best; which are easier to train and use those as guidelines rather than than base your choice of a new family member on what your DH thinks will look good as a jogging companion.

This is excellent advice and as someone who owned both a Pit Bull and a Golden Retriever I co-sign every word of this.

metacognizant

Tue, Sep 24 2019, 12:54 pm

In Brooklyn, pit bulls or pit mixes are 95% of the dogs in the NYC Shelter system. But because their breeding is very informal they are NOT all the same. Some of them are super high energy, more on the terrier side. Some of them are lazy lugs, more on the bulldog side. Some of them are easy to train, some of them are challenging to train. Some are love bugs who adore everyone. Some are really focused on fighting and may attack other animals or even people, chas vesholom. And they come in every single size! Etc. etc. etc. They are all individuals. The good thing is, if you decide to rescue an adult dog, you can spend time with him or her first, and try to asses the dog's personality. IMO the best dog to add to a busy family is an adult or elderly dog who has already lived in a home, with a moderate or low energy level. They are so much easier to handle. Take it from me, I adopted a doberman/hound mix puppy from an organization that brings dogs up from shelters in the south -- they do this because people in NYC want to adopt dogs that are NOT pit bulls, and all the dogs available for adoption in NYC ARE pit bulls. My extended family DIDN'T want us to get a pit bull and we caved to the pressure. While I love my dog, I wish I had just walked into a shelter and taken home a chill adult pit bull. My dog is a nut with his energy level and in my family I don't really have the time to give him suitable exercise. Good luck! Keep us updated!

↑ Rappel ↓

Sat, Oct 26 2019, 3:35 pm

UPDATE:

DH did finally get a dog this week.

She is...a gentle, thin, medium-sized butterball named Alegria, who is sweet to cats and children, and likes to cuddle and snooze.

I don't think there is a hint of Pitbull, Mastiff, or any other tough breed in her. I'm dumbfounded, and very pleased.

Thank you all for your advice and interest. The follow-up conversations we had really helped DH decide what was the best pet to bring into the family home.

Cheiny

Sat, Oct 26 2019, 7:58 pm

Rappel wrote:

Can you post a pic?

↑ Rappel ↓

Sun, Oct 27 2019, 5:12 am

I'll try to post a picture. She looks big in this photo; she's really rather slight.

She's very much a chiller - her only challenge is that she's afraid of men, because some guys in Kfar Iblin tried to beat her to death before a passing animal activist rescued her. She spent two months at the vet, and lost one eye, but they did a very good job patching her up. All she needs is enough time to study what she's seeing, and then she's okay; even in the last few days, she's become much more relaxed around strangers.

Edit: can't make the images function work, so I'm just posting a link.

https://m.imgur.com/a/vUdG7ox

Last edited by Rappel on Sun, Oct 27 2019, 5:42 am; edited 1 time in total