Pit Bulls, what do you think?

[Rich McVey]

I've never owned one. I've know some though. Were generally good dogs.

Max, my avatar, is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. A very cool dog, if not a bit mischievous.

Shepards, then Rotts, now Pitts.

They say its the owner, not the dog or the breed.

In light of the attacks this last year, what do you think?

[Pradeep]

I've owned one pit. I picked him up from a guy in Burien when he was 8 weeks old. I did the "test" that I have always done on all my pups and that's take the puppy, roll him over on his back and gently keep your palm on his chest and see how restless he is. If he stays generally calm, it's a good sign. A veterinarian friend of mine told me that trick and it's never failed me.

I love the pit bull breed and just encourage anyone that gets one to socialize the hell out of him. Get him around kids regularly from the get go. I raised him (Zues) around my niece and nephew since they were babies, they pulled his tail, ears, jumped all over him and was gentle as could be. We would feed him stuff that would make him happy as can be and in the middle of eating, I had the kids take the food away from him. Just showed him who was in charge.
No need to train him to be protective cause it's in their nature.

Watch out, most pits like to dig.
Their tail is like a whip! Watch out for toddlers and drinks on like a living room table being around them because it really can hurt or knock down drinks.
They ADORE their owners and really need to be around them. They do not do well outdoors away from their family.
Lots and lots of chew toys.
FEMALE pits are protective. Very much so more than males in my opinion.

Their reputation is bad because humans made it bad for them. The breed itself is awesome and I would gladly own another one.

My opinion of them is that they are an awesome breed of dog.

[Gringo Pescador]

Of course, some of it is the dog, but 90% of it is the owner/training/how the dog is raised. I've never had one, but have dealt with both ends of the spectrum. Like Pradeep says, socialization is key.

The good end - For many years I was a Pet Therapy Team Evaluator for the Delta Society and taught classes on how to do this type of volunteer work with your dog. I have tested a few and they passed with flying colors and have worked in hospitals, schools, and nursing homes with no issues at all.

The bad end - I was walking my dogs one evening in a local school yard. I was stopped talking to a friend who had a male, in tact, golden and another friend came over with his dogs. With him was a was a guy with a big, male, in tact, pit. He told us right off the dog was friendly but less than 30 seconds later it latched onto the neck of the golden. I jumped on the golden and he was bear hugging his pit to get them to stop thrashing and the pit just shut down with his jaws locked - almost like a trance. I knew the golden well so was able to talk to him to keep him calm. Luckily the pit only got a hold of loose skin, the golden's airway was stressed, but not stopped. We tried everything to get that pit to let go and nothing worked. After about 5 minutes I told the owner he better do something as people were going to start calling the cops and I would make sure he dog was put down one way or another. The owner finally wrapped his leash around the pits neck and cut off his airway until he went limp and let go of the golden. The golden lost some hair but didn't even have puncture wounds and we never saw the pit or the owner again.

[wolverine]

The only good pit is a dead pit! The breed is just inherently dangerous. Years ago my son was attacked at a little league baseball game by one. Let me tell you, aluminum bats are good for more than hitting baseballs.
People prattle on about "it's not the dog, it's the owners". Well guess what, it's a combination of both. Currently having a pit is a great way to get sued. Of course the majority of pit owners don't have a pot to piddle in to settle law suits caused by their dogs. Responsible owners who just have to own a pit had better review their insurance liability coverage.

[Anonymous]

Hey Rich,
For me responsible dog ownership is in many ways like responsible gun ownership. Loaded firearms, Pit Bulls, Rottweiler’s, Doberman’s and Shepherd’s are inherently dangerous and only serious training can mitigate the risks. I was a dog handler for a short period of time working with military working dogs in the Navy so I think I’ve got a leg up on the general public as far as dog training goes. I’ve had two Rottweiler’s that I raised from puppyhood and I can say that Rottweiler’s are incredible dogs to have around. My first Rottweiler was a small 110lb female that was truly part of the family as my children were growing up. I spent two to three hours training with her every morning for the first year I had her and it paid off big time when my young children came to live with me after I divorced their mom.

Here’s one of Cleo’s stories from an earlier post.
Below is a photo of my dog Cleo. She protected our house one night from a local tweaker trying to earn an easy buck. Me and my children were away from home at one of my daughter’s soccer games. When we returned home I found a back bedroom window broken with a large rock and a human ear lying on the floor just inside the window. I called the police and they were able to match the ear with the tweaker. He was at a local hospital dog bit, bloodied, beaten and missing his right ear. The doctors were unable to reattach his ear and every time I think about this story it brings a smile to my face. Mike Tyson ain't got squat on my dog Cleo.

Personally I wouldn’t own a Pit because they tend to be hard headed and even harder to train with a more powerful bite than any other dog. People are generally afraid of them and when a dog senses that fear it can be very dangerous for anyone around them. You own a Chesapeake Bay retriever so I’m sure you understand how hard headed and driven a dog can be. Put your Chesapeake into a smaller package give it some serious bite power and a bad attitude and you’ll have a Pit bull puppy that you’ll have to train the bad attitude out of to end up with a good dog.
Good luck in your choice and if you do go with a Pit double check with your insurance carrier and increase your coverage just in case it's needed. Better safe than sorry.

[Rich McVey]

Lots of good input.

Im not looking for a pit. My wife HATES pits with a passion, none are good. I dont feel the same. I think the dogs environment has a lot to do with how they turn out. The same is said for humans too.

We are moving to Woodenville in 2 weeks and after we get settled, we are getting a little girl Chessie for Max. Hard headed is about right, but he is just a big lap dog to me. Literally. He has also prevented at least one known break in attempt. I would love to come home to an ear or nose laying on the carpet. I know that sounds weird but.. I have a bunch of scum that lives near me.

[rjn cajun]

I think it`s a 50/50 deal also owners and pits. They scare the hell out of me and I would never own one. But I do know people that swear buy them. I wouldn`t know cuz I don`t go around them when they have the dog. We own minniture dauchsunds:-" I know laugh[laugh] . It was the wife and kids idea but after having them for awhile they grow on ya. Now one of them protects me like a pit would[huh] .

[hanapaa808]

i totally have to disagree with wolverine.. i have owned pits all my life and have never had a pit be aggressive to a human... yes it is totally on the owner.. if you socialize your pit from the start you will have no problems.... with that said, yes some pits are dog aggressive, and that is on the owner to understand that and make sure that their dog doesnt not get out. and if you guys do your research...especially mr. wolverine, pitbulls arent even in the top 10 of dogs that bite humans. springer spaniels and the spaniel type dogs do bite the most people per year... its just unforturnate that the pits bulls and rotts and akitas get most of the megative publicity. to say all pits are baby killers or always attack people is just an idiotic and ingnorant thing to say. before you judge the breed maybe you should own one. like i said, ive been a pit owner all my life and have never have problems. they are very smart and very protective of there property. so to answer your question, pits are very loyal, loving, smart and protective companions. if yoiu treat the right and train them right you will have a very awesome dog. just remember when and if you get one, be ready to get evil looks and deal with ignorance.many people are quick to judge before doing research or actually being around one.

[saltyseadog]

nice we have a female brindle pit. "Lucy" has been around toddlers since birth. every every thing you said is what i see in are dog. and she loves the water too

I've owned one pit. I picked him up from a guy in Burien when he was 8 weeks old. I did the "test" that I have always done on all my pups and that's take the puppy, roll him over on his back and gently keep your palm on his chesttttt and see how restless he is. If he stays generally calm, it's a good sign. A veterinarian friend of mine told me that trick and it's never failed me.

I love the pit bull breed and just encourage anyone that gets one to socialize the hell out of him. Get him around kids regularly from the get go. I raised him (Zues) around my niece and nephew since they were babies, they pulled his tail, ears, jumped all over him and was gentle as could be. We would feed him stuff that would make him happy as can be and in the middle of eating, I had the kids take the food away from him. Just showed him who was in charge.
No need to train him to be protective cause it's in their nature.

Watch out, most pits like to dig.
Their tail is like a whip! Watch out for toddlers and drinks on like a living room table being around them because it really can hurt or knock down drinks.
They ADORE their owners and really need to be around them. They do not do well outdoors away from their family.
Lots and lots of chew toys.
FEMALE pits are protective. Very much so more than males in my opinion.

Their reputation is bad because humans made it bad for them. The breed itself is awesome and I would gladly own another one.

My opinion of them is that they are an awesome breed of dog.

[saltyseadog]

nice we have a female brindle pit. "Lucy" has been around toddlers since birth. every every thing you said is what i see in are dog. and she loves the water too

I've owned one pit. I picked him up from a guy in Burien when he was 8 weeks old. I did the "test" that I have always done on all my pups and that's take the puppy, roll him over on his back and gently keep your palm on his chesttttt and see how restless he is. If he stays generally calm, it's a good sign. A veterinarian friend of mine told me that trick and it's never failed me.

I love the pit bull breed and just encourage anyone that gets one to socialize the hell out of him. Get him around kids regularly from the get go. I raised him (Zues) around my niece and nephew since they were babies, they pulled his tail, ears, jumped all over him and was gentle as could be. We would feed him stuff that would make him happy as can be and in the middle of eating, I had the kids take the food away from him. Just showed him who was in charge.
No need to train him to be protective cause it's in their nature.

Watch out, most pits like to dig.
Their tail is like a whip! Watch out for toddlers and drinks on like a living room table being around them because it really can hurt or knock down drinks.
They ADORE their owners and really need to be around them. They do not do well outdoors away from their family.
Lots and lots of chew toys.
FEMALE pits are protective. Very much so more than males in my opinion.

Their reputation is bad because humans made it bad for them. The breed itself is awesome and I would gladly own another one.

My opinion of them is that they are an awesome breed of dog.

[saltyseadog]

sorry and what was the kid doing to upset the dog????#-o ill take that back she's half golden retriever and brindle pit so...

The only good pit is a dead pit! The breed is just inherently dangerous. Years ago my son was attacked at a little league baseball game by one. Let me tell you, aluminum bats are good for more than hitting baseballs.
People prattle on about "it's not the dog, it's the owners". Well guess what, it's a combination of both. Currently having a pit is a great way to get sued. Of course the majority of pit owners don't have a pot to piddle in to settle law suits caused by their dogs. Responsible owners who just have to own a pit had better review their insurance liability coverage.

[jbball50]

Definitely think it's more of the owner more than anything. If a dealer or someone like that has a dog, it most likely is a pitbull. They train the dogs to attack people. My friend has a pit and the dog is one of the nicest dogs I've seen. Has never snarled at a person. I've seen him go crazy over other dogs though. He'd probably attack another dog if let loose and he doesn't like the dog.

[sickbayer]

The way i see it is a yorkie tried to attack you, you simply kick the thing off. If a pitt tried it good luck getting your foot back. Yes there are good ones bad ones and some really retarded owners too. I would LOVE to see compulsory liability insurance for all pitt bull owners as I believe it should be weighed like the faster car insurance the high the premium.

[wolverine]

Hanapaa, I'm glad that you have taken the responsibility to train and control you pit. Most owners do not and innocent people and other pets pay the price. Sure other breeds can bite but they don't have the destructive power that a pit has. Laws are continually being written and rewritten regarding this breed. The courts and insurance companies have about reached their limits in dealing with the issue. People need a special license to carry a handgun and its too easy to obtain in this state. Most states require training before issuing CC permits. If responsible pit owners want to keep the right to own a pit they should develop and support a training and licensing program for owners and their dogs.

[Rich McVey]

i totally have to disagree with wolverine.. i have owned pits all my life and have never had a pit be aggressive to a human... yes it is totally on the owner.. if you socialize your pit from the start you will have no problems.... with that said, yes some pits are dog aggressive, and that is on the owner to understand that and make sure that their dog doesnt not get out. and if you guys do your research...especially mr. wolverine, pitbulls arent even in the top 10 of dogs that bite humans. springer spaniels and the spaniel type dogs do bite the most people per year... its just unforturnate that the pits bulls and rotts and akitas get most of the megative publicity. to say all pits are baby killers or always attack people is just an idiotic and ingnorant thing to say. before you judge the breed maybe you should own one. like i said, ive been a pit owner all my life and have never have problems. they are very smart and very protective of there property. so to answer your question, pits are very loyal, loving, smart and protective companions. if yoiu treat the right and train them right you will have a very awesome dog. just remember when and if you get one, be ready to get evil looks and deal with ignorance.many people are quick to judge before doing research or actually being around one.

This may be true for BITES, but for the case of HUMAN DEATHS BY DOG, the Pit ad Rott are on the top of the list.

Unfortunatly, any large dog has the ability to kill if not raised properly.


Just a little research: http://enhs.umn.edu/current/6120/bites/ ... fatal.html

Summary

The number of dog bite fatalities has remained fairly constant over time in the United States. In the twenty-year period between 1979 and 1998, the number of fatal dog attacks ranged from 5 to 17 per year.

Between 1979 and 1998, severe dog bites resulted in at least 332 confirmed human deaths. Twenty-five breeds of dogs were involved. Seventy percent of dog bite fatality victims were children.

Although rottweilers and pit bulls were responsible for 60% of the 1997-1998 dog bite fatalities, these breeds have accounted for far fewer fatalities in past years.

The proportion of deaths attributable to pit bulls has varied over time from 20% in 1979-1980, to 62% in 1987-1988, and down again to 22% in 1997-1998.10,

Dog bite fatalities are reported to occur less often in other developed countries such as Australia and Canada.

[Pradeep]

Good conversation on both sides of the fence on this subject. However, as a former pit owner, I disagree hands down that pits are naturally a bad breed. Pits and Rotties have the bad rap given to them because of irresponsible owners that destroyed this breeds quality. If you take a breed of dog that has god given characteristics to want to be around their owners and protect their family, then you have a dog that will love you unconditionally. Any dog can be taught to be mean and nasty. Then you step that up a notch by training a powerful dog such as a pit or Rottie to be that way, well, now we have a problem. Some of the nastiest and meanest dogs I have ever run into are Chihuahuas. They nip and bite and weigh all but 5 lbs but on TV and news media, they are a tiny dog that intimidates no one. Read some of the stuff above, there is literally justification for one breed of dog to bite you versus a pit or rottie and the difference. Really? Are we really going down that road? I disagree with the argument that a pit bull owner should have to have "training", if that's the case, do it for ALL dog owners. German Shepard's and Dobermans went through this same problem years and years ago. Look at Rich's information above. 60% in 97/98 dog bite fatalities from rotts and pits. From the mid 90's on, pits and rotts were put on music videos, movies, covered by news media as the latest fad (again, by humans). Pits and rotts didn't just magically appear in the mid 90's, they have been around for a long, long time. Their reputation was ruined and forever cast as "vicious" dogs by people that choose to put blame on an animal that does not deserve it and hides behind ignorance. Look at the sentence in the research that Rich posted. These breeds do not have the problems that we have here in other countries, probably because they are not being vilified as some monster you should keep as a pet and train to be mean. If your dog kills another human being (other than an intruder in your home or someone who is causing harm your family), then that owner should face murder charges. Lock some of these idiots up. Lets do the right thing and put blame where it should be. EVERY breed has bad dogs in it. As a Pit bull and Rottweiler lover, I also believe that it is the responsibility of those that share that feeling with me that if we ever end up with a dog that shows characteristics of possibly being mean, you have to put the dog down. That's a tough decision to make but we have to look at the bigger picture and realize that we are putting down 1 dog to try and save a breed. It's also our responsibility to make arguments such as mine and others above on behalf of the pit and rottie breeds because it's too easy to say that the breed is naturally mean. No it is not. Rotties and pits if trained and socialized properly would allow a baby and toddler to do literally anything to them unlike your so called "family dogs". Believe it or not, these breeds are amazing and love children but you have to train, socialize, train, socialize.

[racfish]

I dont mind pitbulls in someone elses yard. The only reason they scare me is even when they play they have that locking jaw.Even if playing that can crush bones and tear ya up real bad. My friend has a Blue Nose pit and hes a puppy. It still bugs me.I think for the most part I think Wolverine is correct. If I see a loose one I'll kill it if it comes in to my domain.Ear cropping makes a dog very aggresive. They have allready very sensitive hearing. To crop them makes their hearing way too sensitive.

[rjn cajun]

I dont mind pitbulls in someone elses yard. The only reason they scare me is even when they play they have that locking jaw.Even if playing that can crush bones and tear ya up real bad. My friend has a Blue Nose pit and hes a puppy. It still bugs me.I think for the most part I think Wolverine is correct. If I see a loose one I'll kill it if it comes in to my domain.Ear cropping makes a dog very aggresive. They have allready very sensitive hearing. To crop them makes their hearing way too sensitive.

Rac you crack me up.:bounce: Not afraid to speak your mind.

[reigndawgs]

THey are monsters and should be put down -every one. How many other breeds do you read about killing people?

[dicinu]

I have owned and bred American Pitt bull terriers most of my younger life. I agree with most it all depends on the training of the dog and the capability of the owner to spend the time to train and spend time with the dog that is for all breeds.... now mind you their are different breeds so to say of Pit bulls you have them in classes hunting working and game bred if you have the choice hunting working class is best for you as they have bred most of the agreesiveness out of the dog over time. A true breeder puts and matches dogs like a puzzle to get the best out of the dog. sad to say but this also goes for game bred dogs ask Mike Vic...... working hunting is what I mostly breed these dogs from the mid 90's until 2004 then I gave up tired of finding good people to care for them and make sure they had a good life and made sure the dogs did what they love to do chase wild boar and pull sleds. they are great dogs if trained. I am by no means a dog trainer by profession I was just dedicated to my dogs as a part of my family and did not blink twice when my son was born. as for protecting a house good luck with that they will bark and possibly help the perps carry your stuff out of the house. my pitts would only protect humans as my family and the neighborhood kids..... and ran the streets with out an issue a simple whisle and they would come running. this is when I would be out side never left a dog outside by themselves.....

worker or hunting class....

less agreesion over game bred towards other animals.

game bred class.....

most cases they see another animal they are fighting and usually do not go towards humans


but just like another dog you will have to train them as they do not come pre trianed and with pitts they are easy to train if you have the patients to do so....

all mine pee'd and pooped in once section of the yard as I hated cleaning up I trained to use the bathroom in the areas. I may still have my book on them as it is like a over the counter medical guide and trining guide for pitt bulls .....

and 2 of my females got thier first boar with their dad in South carolina back in 97 good times they caught on and followed daddy to the T I saw great dogs if you have the patients to train them properly.

I know have a chichiuaua and I think this breed is worse then a pit bull lol fiesty little dogs


and pitt bulls do not have lock jaws they have bitting power like no other dog exept the terrier breeds...