thinking of getting a pit bull

[bodhi_tree777]

..and I'd like some honest, unbiased, experienced opinions of the breed. We found one, a female, she's been fixed, is one year old and spent most of her life as a house pet. She's as sweet as can be. My 2 year old daughter was very drawn to her, and the dog was completely gentle and loving. I've heard all the horror stories, but I'm inclined to believe that they are due to owner negligence. I've searched all over the internet, but I want to hear from any folks here who have actually owned a "pit bull" (actually a generic term, not a specific breed), or known one.I've never actually considered the breed before, and I have my reservations, so please be honest.

[bodhi_tree777]

I should add that my daughter is mildly autistic, and we're looking at a dog as a nice companion animal for her.

[BlueCrush]

I have always heard that Pit Bulls are very loving and great family pets if raised and trained properly. They just have always had a bad rap with the history of dog fighting and owners training them to be mean. I would only get one as a puppy that I could train so I know how it has been from the start and my family is the only thing is has ever known.

[kevera]

I've had 2.Brutus and Thor-both are in heaven now Both were great dogs,very calm and with a good temperament.They were great with kids and other dogs,and even an older cat.I agree with how they are brought up,but a friend of mine used to have one and he could not control it and had it put to sleep,and he was a great owner.So,you really have to make sure they have a good temperament,since you have a little one.Both of mine were puppies when I got them.

[Truckin1999]

I have never personally owned a pit, but my brother in law has one, and all in all she is not a bad dog. She is extremely hyper-active, and I don't think she gets enough attention in the form of walks etc. She is great with kids though, and would never hurt anyone intentionally. She still has her tail and that thing is like a whip and it really hurts when it hits ya. Like others have said its just a matter of the dogs temperament and the way it was raised.

[bodhi_tree777]

thanks guys. This one is barely a year old and is still very puppy-ish. Extremely good natured towards us, our daughter, and the other dogs she saw in the shelter (she's in a shelter right now, so we would be rescuing her. previous family was forced to move and could not keep her). Still has her tail and ears, and lived with children with her previous family.The thought of dog fighting sickens me. Do a google image search for "pit bull" and half your results will be cute, loving dogs. The other half will be maimed and dead dogs. We are definitely a loving family and my wife stays at home with our daughter so she will have plenty of attention. Fenced in (albeit small) back yard, so she'll have some running room as well.

[bodhi_tree777]

another thing I've been reading a lot about pits is that, while originally bred to fight, they were specifically bred to also be gentle towards their handlers and owners. This has developed into a very loyal and protective trait, and they do not tend to be more apt to snap at another animal than any other dog, really. Pit bulls are very tenacious though, and tend not to back down in a fight, which gives them their reputation.

[Kari]

Honestly, I think I would either get a very young puppy who has only known your family and whom you know exactly how he or she was trained and shaped, or I would try to look for another breed, simply because of your child...especially being autistic.It seems too risky to get a dog of a breed that is so often trained to be mean, without knowing exactly how it was trained and played with when it was less than 6 months old (a very impressionable time for a pup).

[kevera]

There are a lot of dogs you can say that about.German Sheppard's,Rottweilers,Dobermans,Husky's,even Dalmations.So narrowing it down to one specific breed is silly.It all depends on the animals behavior with your family.As long as you feel comfortable with the dog around your child,and it doesn't show any aggressive behavior.You should be fine then.

[Wolfman213]

I own an Amstaff (American Staffordshire Terrier) which is in the same family and are often mistaken for a pit bull. He actually came to us as a stray. He ran up to us sat down and look at me like "hey! Here I am. Did you miss me?" he is very loving. I'm just glad no one claimed him from the ads we put in the paper! He is pretty hyper, but has not been neutered yet. Like trucking1999 said, their tails whip pretty good. I have a neice with cerebral palsey and he is pretty good with her. I do have to be careful though bc her bones are bit more brittle and he's just a solid mass of muscle, so i tend to get worried a little.He is pretty protective. He doesn't like people come up to the Vibe when he is in it. Even if I'm in it or standing right outside of it. I think he's just trying to protect "his ride" If you are knocking on the door, he barks like crazy, but once you come in he just licks ya to death!! I've never owned a dog before but my transition with him was very easy and I wouldn't trade him for anything.

[Kari]

The key is comfort around the child, yes...which is why I personally would not be comfortable not knowing the dog's complete background. If he knows that or can find that out and be comfortable, that's fine. Heck, my step-aunt had a dachshund who couldn't be trusted around children...it was all in how she was raised and played with when she was younger...aggressive play, where snapping was play...children often don't understand the dog's body language or when to back off, which is what makes it so important to make sure your child knows how to behave with the dog in addition to knowing how the dog was raised and trained.For the record, I don't have an anti pitbull bias at all...I completely recognize that they can be a great family pet, but I think the key to that is how they are trained and treated during their early puppyhood, as I said earlier. The same is true for any breed, but I think more important in breeds that people historically trained to be aggressive...simply because that history makes it more likely that the dog may have been treated roughly or aggressively when it was a pup.

[bodhi_tree777]

Quote, originally posted by Kari »The key is comfort around the child, yes...which is why I personally would not be comfortable not knowing the dog's complete background. If he knows that or can find that out and be comfortable, that's fine. Heck, my step-aunt had a dachshund who couldn't be trusted around children...it was all in how she was raised and played with when she was younger...aggressive play, where snapping was play...children often don't understand the dog's body language or when to back off, which is what makes it so important to make sure your child knows how to behave with the dog in addition to knowing how the dog was raised and trained.For the record, I don't have an anti pitbull bias at all...I completely recognize that they can be a great family pet, but I think the key to that is how they are trained and treated during their early puppyhood, as I said earlier. The same is true for any breed, but I think more important in breeds that people historically trained to be aggressive...simply because that history makes it more likely that the dog may have been treated roughly or aggressively when it was a pup.Excellent points, I didn't take it as being anti-pit or biased at all. Actually, I appreciate the concern and it's well-founded. It's funny that you mentioned a Dachshund. At the shelter yesterday, the only two dogs who struck us as really mean or dangerous were a big golden retriever and a little snarly dachshund. I appreciate the opinions, keep em coming (but in a calm way, guys, as this is a positive thing for us, yknow? A new member of the family).

[Kari]

Yes, smaller dogs can often be more aggressive than larger dogs...with many, it can be because they were played with roughly or handled roughly...and a lot of times it's small children that are doing the handling, and the dog is small so it's scared and feels like it has to protect itself. Our yorkie acts like this. He hasn't been around alot of small children, but he would not be good with them...this we already know.

[Truckin1999]

Was google-ing images and came up with this one: Pretty crazy. Really doesn't have anything to do with the topic other than the fact its a pit bull (sorry) just thought it was an interesting picture.

[ColonelPanic]

What happened to that poor thing? never mind, found it... that's a bull terrier according to this:http://urbanlegends.about.com/...e.htmI'm glad that dog made it through OK

[Truckin1999]

Ya I'm not sure what exactly is the true story on that dog. It can be found on several different sites with different stories. I saw claims that the vet removed over 1,000 quills and the dog lived. I also read that it caused infections and the dog had to be put to sleep. The lines of its face do look more like a bull terrier than a pit but its hard to tell. My parents dogs have gotten into it with porcupines before. Our Akita had to go to the vet once and have like 50 removed from his face. Crazy pooches! Sorry for thread hijack.

[pick41]

had just a little time around Pits. Never had a problem with them, my cousin had a male (Monster) super sweet dog only scared me when I would wake up to him licking my face wanting me to get up to play then run and hide from my Cocker. The other is my buddy's female. She's a pretty sweet girl too, gets along with his family of a boston, American Bully & 3 little girls. Like others were saying, it can be any breed that has problems, my only experience with rescues is my brother's Boxer. They got her at about a year old, she was neglected and not treated right. Boy how that dog hated me for some reason. That was 5 yrs ago. Now she's a really sweet loving girl who won't leave me alone when I'm down there. Will just have to make sure to develop that bond with the new pup.

[KNINE]

I've known people that had pits that were just fine. It really boils down to trust. If the dog is good with kids and you trust it, then go for it. If there's any doubt, don't. My Shepherds are sweet as can be, but they are rarely around children, so I would never leave them unsupervised with kids. Good luck buddy. Let us know how it turns out.

[bodhi_tree777]

Quote, originally posted by K-NINE »I've known people that had pits that were just fine. It really boils down to trust. If the dog is good with kids and you trust it, then go for it. If there's any doubt, don't. My Shepherds are sweet as can be, but they are rarely around children, so I would never leave them unsupervised with kids. Good luck buddy. Let us know how it turns out. I will, most definitely. We spent another hour or so with her today, played with her, walked her, etc and found out that she's also very obedient and patient. We decided to go for it, and put paid our adoption fee. Found out that the shelter's paperwork was wrong and that she wasn't spayed, but they offered to do it for free and also gave us a voucher for a free first physical exam at a local vet. So she's being fixed tonight, and we will pick her up tomorrow evening. Pictures to come. Thanks to everyone for their opinions. We considered it very carefully, but the truth is that we do trust this dog. I grew up with dogs, so I'm no stranger to recognizing threatening behavior and we never saw any with her. Believe me when I say that we didn't pick her so I could fluff up my tough guy image or anything like that, and we feel good about this.

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by bodhi_tree777 »Believe me when I say that we didn't pick her so I could fluff up my tough guy image or anything like that, and we feel good about this.Hmm, I wonder what that says about me, I have a Yorkie. (removed) Although it sounds like he's more vicious than your new pit bull. Congrats on the new family member.. If she's patient, and you trust her, that's a great thing... Looking forward to pics!

[bodhi_tree777]

So we picked her up today and brought her home. She's adjusting well, but she's kinda tuckered out from the surgery. We got a crash course in canine post-op side effects when she threw up on the drivers side door window & lock controls in the vibe on the ride home (another thread on that one coming soon), and then threw up again on the rug once she was here. Anesthesia will do that to you. She's resting comfortably, though, and is as sweet as ever. .

[BlueCrush]

She's a cute one! Best of luck with her.

[ColonelPanic]

Hope she gets feeling better!And aww, she does look sweet.

[2002sportside]

Good looking dog. I hope you have many happy years with her. I have never felt as bad for anyone or anything as when I brought home my Sheltie after she was spayed. The poor thing could barely walk, got sick a couple of times, and smelled quite foul. She came home the same day though...Car sickness is pretty common in dogs too, a lot of them outgrow it.

[brbo]

Glad to see you got the dog... I've not had much experience with the breed however so many people have opinions of the dog before even knowing them,,You hear things like they will snap for no reason on occasion after years of loyal friendship, I find that hard to believe unless it's from an illness but that could happen to any dog or breed,,, What I was going to recommend was to get down on the ground at her level and play with her almost to the point of ruff and see what kind of temper does she have... because if you have lots of kids around you know they never quit and this would at least give you an idea how she'd react in a situation like that.She looks lovely I'm sure she'll be a great pet..Cheers

[2002sportside]

Testing her to see if she has any food guarding is a good idea too. A lot of dogs do not like being bothered when they are eating. Trying to take the bowl away is a good test, though it may not be a good first one. I've seen pet evaluations where they use a stick to poke around in the bowl while the dog is eating to see how they react. You don't want to find out the hard way that she needs to be left alone with dinner or any treats/chews you give her.

[KNINE]

I take treats right out of my dogs mouths, just to remind them who is alpha. I never hear a protest from either one.