Looks like soemone got a pit bull for Christmas?

We have a cockapoo and we adore her. She is loving, cuddly, tender, devoted, adorable, and the list goes on. But we have to watch her around little children because when they make quick, jerky moves it scares her and she snaps. It's so out of character for her, but we've seen it through the years.

This doesn't look like a Pit bull pup but it is a cutie whatever breed it is. My grandaughters Pit Bull Prince, he's 4 years old was in the middle of all the confusion at my sons on Christmas playing with my sons new puppy who is now 3 months and already 40 pounds, a Mastiff. I would trust Prince anytime, anywhere, he is a wonderful pet and always has been. I also know of and have been with many other loving wonderful Pit Bulls. So YES lius, you are correct in saying its the jackass's that make them mean and brutalize them from birth to fight them that should be euthaniuzed and not too gently either...Teach and give a dog, any dog nothing but love and they will give love back.

we have had a long line of german shepherds, also a very intimidating dog. we usually have two of them but right now have a shepherd and a border collie.

we like the fact that people back away from our dogs and property but would never keep a mean dog on the place. one night this fall, a young guy who deer hunts here, came to the house to talk to me. he was petting Sage, the shep., when i opened the door and he said, "this is the nicest scary looking dog i've ever seen!" she is 3 years old, a sable with gorgeous markings (tiger stripes on the shoulders)and a little on the spooky side to those who don't know her. she is also one of the gentlest dogs we've ever had but will growl at strangers when i'm in the house alone.

bottom line is, though, that i will never tell anyone that my dog will not bite. i prefer to let most people think she really is scary. if they keep their distance, she is less likely to have enough contact with them to get defensive or startled into a biting situation. i always keep a very close watch on children with her and hold her when they pet her because kids can do things unintentionally that will scare a dog into defensive action. it is always better to be cautious with any breed of dog and people they don't know. they are all pack animals and will take action when their "pack" is under a perceived threat.

[ December 28, 2005, 03:31 AM: Message edited by: flipperjo ]

I agree that any animal that is raised with a lot of love and kindness will turn out just that way no matter what breed of dog they are.

That sure is a cute puppy that made me smile just seeing the picture of it.

Thank you for your response.
I think that baby is a pit-bull, I think
she or he will look like this when grown up



If you love your dog, you will receive back nothing but love. That's true.. When I first saw my brother's amstaff I thought he was very cute while he was still a puppy. But when he got bigger... I thought like - OMG - this dog IS scarry, what if smth gets into him and he bites me with those crocodile looking jaws.... but you know all those fears vanished as soon as I saw Dan in action. What a kid! That "monster" was chasing his tail, singing along with the radio,
racing, jumping - and his eyes were sparkling with happiness. Ohhh I felt such a shame to think bad of him. Sorry, Dan !

well, with 5 pages of posts there probably really arent any other points that need to be made here, but i'll put my two cents in anyway...a pitt is not neccesarily a dog breed i would go out & get for myself, but i also dont agree with legislating people's pet choices. i spent about 20 years working with animals for a vet clinic, a boarding kennel & a show/breeding kennel(german shepherds). the owner of the boarding kennel owned 2 pitts & they were very friendly towards people...wouldn't put them in the yard with another dog tho. one thing about a boarding kennel is you get to work with almost every breed there is. i've been bitten by more dachshunds, chihuahuas & cats than any of the pitts i worked with ever even thought about...and to this day i wont trust a chow as far as i can throw him(sorry to any chow lovers...)
pitts have a bad rep because of the types of people that own them. early training is a must, as well as getting one from a reputable breeder who breeds family & not protection/fighting dogs. how you raise the dog goes a long way, but you cant discount genetics.

I would trust my granddaughters nine year old Pit Bull, Prince with visitors in my home before I would trust my own Yorkie Reeta. Pricne is a big baby, good watch dog and the little dogs climb all over him. My two Yorkies are from the same litter, sisters, raised the same way but their personalities are very different. You just have to be careful and do the best you can with whatever breed you have. Love goes a long way in molding a dogs character. Or a persons character for that matter.

[ April 13, 2006, 04:35 PM: Message edited by: chatty lady ]

I know little about dogs, but I wonder if some of the problem with pitts and other large breeds is that people fear them and they sense it.

I know from growing up on a farm that even the calmest of animals will attack if they sense panic. There have been several children killed and maimed around here lately. I wonder if the dog starts out playing with the child then accidentally frightens it and sensing the child's fear, injures or kills it.

But that does not explain the baby in a carseat on a front porch dragged off and killed as the grandmother tried to get it away from the pitt. Or child that stuck his arm through the fence to pet a pitt bull and the dog tore his arm completely off before the mother could get him out of the fence.

Oh well, it was just a theory. The owners of both of those dogs were on TV telling how gentle their dog had always been. And how good they were with kids. ??

smile

well i think they definately sense any fear or other emotion you may be feeling. and large powerful dogs seem to bring that out in people, especially if the dog considers himself the alpha & has never been made to see otherwise. thats why training & establishing your position as leader of the pack is so important early. i should also add that neutering goes a long way too, especially if you dont wait past about 6 months of age or so to do it. once they have the idea that theyre top dog, they can be a bit harder to deal with.
when i worked for the dog breeder we had a Malinois in for some show training. if you dont know, they are one of the belgian shepherd breeds becoming a little more popular in the US due to the increase in their use in protection work and as police dogs. theyre about the size of a german shepherd but he males tend to be a little more muscular (esp if not nuetered), almost but not quite like a pittbull. anyway, i had this dog out in the yard one day while i cleaned his run, then he refused to go back in when i was finished. well i did what i always did with the german shepherds when they wouldnt go where i wanted them to, got him by the scruff of the neck with both hands & started guiding him back to the run & he just kinda flipped out on me. my forearm looked kinda like hamburger when he was finished gnawing on it. they actually found a baby tooth in my arm when they cleaned it out at the hospital. he was only about a year old. BUT he had never been treated like anything but the alpha dog, and he sure didnt like it when i tried to assume that position. thats what his owner kept saying "but he's a dominant male"...plus he (owner) was kind of an ass about me even going to the hosp because he had to jump through hoops to keep the dog from going into quarantine at the pound....just goes to show ya how much of it really has to do with the owners & not so much the dog.