*Pit bull is NOT a breed. It's a generic term often used to describe all dogs with similar traits and characteristics often known by the public as "pit bulls".
That quote is from this website about pit bulls. (DISCLAIMER: THE PICTURES INCLUDED ARE NOT MINE - THEY WERE FOUND ON THE WEB AND ARE NOTED AS SO IN THE PHOTO CAPTIONS)
They are officially known as American Pit Bull Terrier. Let me state from the beginning that I do not own one of these dogs. I stated in Cami C's article that I would not, in my current situation, "rescue" one of these dogs because of the other animals I have. I would not take the chance and put them, or my neighbor's small grandchildren in danger.
However, If I lived out where there were no small children and no other animals or cats or would have better control over where the dog has access to, then yes, I would take one in.
I think most all of us have heard or read about the woman that was mauled and killed by pit bulls on Wednesday. It is a tragic thing, and it makes me angry on so many levels, but not at the animals themselves - at the owners. I believe the owners of the animals should be charged for the woman's death. Why? Because first of all they let their animals roam free, and second, there is no way you can own a pit bull and not know how aggressive it is or isn't. Anyone who owns one and says they "didn't know" their dog was aggressive is lying out their a-hole.
But it is NOT THE DOG'S FAULT. They cannot help how they are. I'll explain in a moment.
I have had a personal experience with aggressive dogs running wild in our neighborhood, and given that I live in a very small county, until recently we did not have an animal control agency. We were pretty much on our own, so aggressive animals weren't caught - they were shot. That saddened and hurt me every time I found out about it, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do in order to protect your family - especially after a woman in my neighborhood (just two streets away, actually) was attacked by a small pack of aggressive dogs. Thankfully, her physical wounds were superficial. The fear may never go away.
Just the mention of Pit Bulls can strike terror in the hearts of those already afraid of dogs, and sometimes, even in the hearts of those of us most die-hard animal lovers. But I think a lot of that is because this breed of dog is very misunderstood.
This is what you need to understand about these dogs:
First, these dogs are like "Super Dogs". Anything your dog can do, these dogs can do better. That's not an exaggeration. That is how they were bred. They are superior in strength and in intelligence over a number of other breeds. Given that, they are not the sort of dog one who has no experience with dogs needs to get. This is not the breed of dog you need to get for your 10 year old who has the attention span of a gnat (my apologies to all 10 year olds - my attention span isn't much better!). It is also not the breed of dog you ned to give your grandmother unless she's a weightlifter and can handle the sheer strength of this breed.
Second, they are, overall, very eager to please their owners and therefore very responsive to whatever training they are given. So, if you are training your dog to be a sweet, loving companion, they need to receive lots of love and positive reinforcement. On the other hand, if your intention is to train your dog to be mean, aggressive, and a fighter, that's exactly what he is going to be, and by the way, if you are training one that way, I hope when he turns on you (and eventually he WILL) he takes your family jewels first. Stupid people should not breed. That being said, when you decide that a pit bull is for you, enroll your puppy in obedience classes immediately. You will regret it if you don't.
A pit bull with the proper training will be a most loving, loyal companion. He'll be a couch potato with you, but he will also be high-energy at times, playful and mischievous. As they say on the Pit Bull Rescue Central website (noted above), they are really clowns at heart and you'll have the most wonderful time with them IF YOU ARE A RESPONSIBLE OWNER.
Other Characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed:
Positive Traits of a PROPERLY TRAINED Pit Bull:
They are very intelligent and most enjoy training very much due to all of the positive attention their clown hearts are receiving. They love humans, especially children, and will tolerate so "playful abuse" from children that a lot of other breeds will not. This does, however, make them poor "guard dogs" for your property. They are just too dang friendly for their own good. They are however very loyal to their owners and would give their own lives to save the humans they love.
Their athletic bodies also makes them great dogs for agility competitions, Frisbee competitions, obedience, etc.
Negative Traits:
This breed of dog was bred to fight. That's the sad truth of it. As much as it is the urge of the Labrador to retrieve (they were breed to retrieve birds) or the Min Pin to dig and sniff out small animals (they were bred to kill rodents hundreds of years ago in Britain) it is the urge of the Pit Bull to fight. The difference is how you train the dog in how he reacts to that urge. I urge you to click on the link above and read more information there.
Some information about this breed's history.
TWO Very different experiences I have had with this breed:
Growing up, I had a friend who had a pit bull as a pet. This was the most wonderful dog! The Hulkster (yes, that really was his name) was a beautiful creature, but he weighed as much as I did when he was full grown and LOVED to play football. We, as kids and teenagers would play football in the field near my friend's grandmother's house and this dog would run and play with us the entire time. We fought over who was going to have the Hulkster on our team. None of us were afraid of him. The only thing we were afraid of was how much slobber we were going to have to get off of us when he was done with us!
His favorite treat was Nutter Butter cookies and he would literally lay his head on his paws and pout and whine if you were eating them and didn't give him one. But once you did, oh my he was the happiest dog on the planet. He slept with us, played with us, would lay in the floor and watch our silly antics as we danced and pretended to be Madonna.
The only time I EVER saw Hulkster be aggressive toward was a stray dog that growled at us one day. Even then, he showed his brute strength, ran at the dog and knocked it down, nipped at it a time or two and when the dog ran off, that was the end of it. He came running back to us wagging his tail, tongue hanging to one side, begging to be loved. The Hulkster was 16 when he died of old age. The only thing he ever killed besides his dinner was a stuffed animal or two because he would forget just how strong he was when he would get excited.
On the other hand, I had to help another friend bury a very broken and mutilated cat because it made the terrible, terrible mistake of getting too close to the neighbor's property line, their son's pit bull jumped the fence and ripped this cat to shreds in seconds. The dog had to be shot because the boy's father tried to stop him and he turned on the father. Two animals died needlessly that day because the son was secretly fighting the dog and the dog did not know it wasn't supposed to be aggressive.
As children, the dogs were were most afraid of were my great-grandmother's chihuahuas (to this DAY I still do not care for these dogs and will do my best to avoid them) and the neighbors 20 pound poodle named Gilgamesh (I am not making that up, honest). That dog was the meanest thing in the neighborhood until my grandfather had to shoot him for killing chickens. I hated that dog. I had nightmares about that dog! He tried to attack me once simply because I walked past his yard - on the OTHER side of the street! and the owner just sat his drunk @ss on the porch and laughed about it.
In short:
It is all in how you raise an animal, whatever the breed. Hate the irresponsible owner - not the breed.
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Comments: 43
I wouldn't own a chihuahua. Ever. I won't even babysit one. LOL
(OK, just teasing folks put down the bricks.)
On the other hand, I've been over at homes where dogs were taught to be suspicious, and it was only a matter of time before they would bite or attack their owners. So definitely, the owners are not free of fault when dogs attack!
All THAT said, there are conditions that can cause a dog to attack without warning or provocation. Usually it has to do with an infection that confuses the dog, or in my case - a brain tumor. I think it's Dobermans(?) have actually been bred where their skulls can be too small for their brains in some rare cases, causing them to go mad. Again - the breeders should bear some of the blame for these problems if they're known!
Dogs are terrific - with a little responsibility on the owner's part and some good training as a puppy, your dog can easily be a lifelong member of your family with no problems.
Chihuahuas were the breed of choice at the 4th annual puppy punting competition. :)
Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~
And you're dead on about what happens. We have the same problem here, and it is so very sad for the dog.
That's the only way they have to tell you when something is wrong, unfortuntely.
Petey, in the Our Gang comedies was a pit bull.
And yes, we are the proud companions to three of these wonderful dogs. We would never have any other breed.
One of the biggest downfalls to the pit bull is that willingness to please. This is how this great dog (which was once known as the Nanny Dog), came to be used as a weapon. In the wrong hands, they will go against their natural instinct of being completely NON-HUMAN AGGRESSIVE.
Another problem not mentioned are owners who do not spay or neuter their pets. Most attacks are by intact males.
And yes, they need a lot of exercise and discipline and are certainly not for inexperienced people.
Thanks for getting the word out that in the right hands, these dogs CAN and DO make wonderful pets!
The only one of my animals not spayed is Daisy and that's because she's not old enough yet. February it will be time for her to go, and go she will.
We stick to Kongs- expensive but worth it.
One thing Bob Barker got right: the spay and neuter announcment he used to make.
And chicken jerky. We discovered this chicken jerky made out of 100% chicken ( NO fillers) that we buy for our dogs and they LOVE this stuff. It's like cocaine for dogs. They just sit and look at the jar with that junkie look on their faces, begging the jar to open. LOL
Even the cats love that stuff.
There's a woman I know who breeds them, and if one even shows the slightest sign of aggression, no matter how beautiful he might be, he doesn't breed, he's immediately neutered. That's the only way to rid this beautiful breed of dog of that need to fight.
you should see their faces! Hello!, they are terriers, with every bit the energy and drive of a pit. However, people don't even let these little demons walk. How are they ever going to get discipline and exercise. Their feet don't even touch the ground!
When pitbulls attack, there is a common thread of lack of exercise and discipline. The recent story locally was of a 7 year old boy attacked and killed by the families pitbull - which was CHAINED UP IN THE BASEMENT! Has anyone out there ever known a person that got in solitary confinement in prision??? They say it drives you insane. Now be a dog that needs a lot of activity, and add in a little torment at the end of the chain. You know these people thought it was cool to get the dog all fired up at the end of the chain. Then, the 7 year old probably copied daddy - and then got too close. The unfortunate end is media bliss. They love it.
When I worked in the "big city" - I actually got to talk to some "gangstas" about fighting pits. They were amazingly forthcoming. I was pretty suprised. I guess they thought that since I owned pits, I thought fighting was okay too. Can't say much for brain cell counts. But, they actually had 3 week old pups firing up and growling and attacking with such conviction that I couldn't believe it! The things they do to these dogs - well any of these idiots deserve to be attacked. Unfortunately, they often are not the victims.
Chihuahua's probably bite 10 times more often than any pitbull, but it will never be reported or in the news because it is a tiny bite, and people think it is "cute". Gag me.
Melissa
Don't fear the breed - fear the deed.
Katherine, that's my kind of dog. :)
I belive in punshing deed, not the breed.
I am the only person in my neighborhood that owns two large dogs and yes, I live in a Condo (I am absolutely fascinated by large breed dogs, including Pit Bulls). Now, I must say that having two large highly energetic dogs and living in a small Condo is no "walk in the park", but they are rescued dogs and the only options for them at the time was to live with Milady in a small apartment or Euthanasia?
Having said that, I had made it my personal mission to send them to obedience training and walk my dogs every single day for at least 45 minutes (even when it is raining or I really don't feel like it). I also make sure that they are always walked on an extra heavy duty leash (as required by law) and staying away from other dogs and children. Have I bored you guys yet?
This morning I get a unannounced visits from, "SURPRISE" Animal Control Authorities because they received an anonymous complaint about a " Spanish girl walking with menacing looking, dogs which by the way look like Pit Bulls" The real issue as I explained to the authorities is that my neighbors totally refuse to obey the existing "leach laws" and they continue to keep their toy dogs running around the neighborhood thinking that the real danger relies on my large dogs.
Mind you, I have gotten bitten three times in one week by these small terriers for attacking my so called "aggressive dogs." Then once the dog fight is on, trust me; It is On!!! "All Hell Breaks Loose!" Have you ever attempted to break up a dog fight? It is Suicidal!
Knowing that these small dogs are no match against my giant dogs, I do everything in my power to break the fight at the expense of getting bitten by both dogs. Not only do I comfort the sobbing dog owner by telling them not to worry because I would not call animal services or press charges for getting bitten by their unrestrained dogs, (no se preocupe senora yo no voy a llamar a la policia), but then they turn around and call the authorities on me for having what appears to be "vicious and menacing dogs." So much for being a Good Samaritan…. And yes, I am fuming!!!