has anyone owned a pitbull here?

[Caroline]

i was just wondering, because i was thinking of adpoting one. he is cute as all hell.
and super sweet.
but he is already a year old, and the shelter got him as a stray.
so, no background info.
but again, he was so fucking sweet.

i dont believe dogs are born bad. they are taught to be bad. but is it possible that he could have a weird agression that is hidden because he is a pit bull?

[Juicy D. Links]

i dont suggest getting one unless you are able to beat the dog down if he attacks you.

They are aggressive fuckers that can snap at any moment

[smack]

i've seen alot of nice pitbulls. not knowing that dogs history isn't too good though. if you're going to get one i would suggest getting a puppy. and make sure you get it nuetered!!!! everyone i've talked to says they're 100 times cooler after you get them fixed. they lose alot of their rage.

[Cassie]

i had one and he was a much human as any human i know. if i were laying on the floor watching tv, he would nessle his head next to mine on the pillow and watch tv with me til he fell asleep and then the snoring like a freight train started.

they can be tempermental dogs and its best to get them at 8 weeks cause their personalities develop fast! getting them at a year old, you are playing your cards with that one.

[cherrylula]

I think they tend to like people more than other animals.

I hate to hear those stories of pit bulls killing little dogs and cats. Its just instinct though.

[BJ]

its all in the training... pitbulls require alot of time and attention

[Caroline]

i agree.. with all of this.
it really sucks that they have suck a horrible reputation.
because of stupid owners.
and esp around here.. so close to detroit...
the kid at the shelter was telling us that they are close to passing a complete ban on all pits in detroit in a year or so.

i really hope so.
the michigan humane society.. when they rescue a pit or anything mixed with one, puppy or not, they put them down immediatley. its so damn sad.

i just wanted to make sure this one wasnt put down because no one was adopting him.
they have another poor dog in the same shelter, that has been there so long, she is starting to go actually crazy. sweet as hell, but really nippy now.

so, i am 100% against breeders. too many dogs in shelters.

[jimmyf]

Nope never own one. But I use to puppy set two all the time. I knew them from when they were little tiny puppies, one grew into a 80 lb + puppy the other around 65 lbs. They were big babies, all in how they are raised. The guy that I shared a building with would bring the little shits to work every day.
I love those babies, got to go up to ID and visit them. The smaller one, David told me in an email climbs trees now. he had to get the ladder, the little shit climb up a tree and got stuck.

[Fletch XXX]

Originally posted by Caroline
he is already a year old, and the shelter got him as a stray.
so, no background info.
but again, he was so fucking sweet.

bad idea.

shelters usually fuck up the animal as much as any abuse or things they picked up along the way as a stray.

[Theo]

Originally posted by Caroline

i dont believe dogs are born bad. they are taught to be bad. but is it possible that he could have a weird agression that is hidden because he is a pit bull?

most probably not, but it's one year old pitbull, it won't be easy to deal with it. The dog doesn't know you and it will take serious effort until it starts trusting you. It will be a hell better idea to get a puppy one.

[Caroline]

do you think the fact that it was so damn friendly (and i mean.. he was REALLY friendly) makes a difference?
and the volunteers at this place, were reallllly nice.

[Theo]

Yes that's a good sign. If you can get the dog for a "test drive" for one week or two before keeping it, it will be great. Dog's behavior won't change with no reason and you'll be sure that the dog you'll have is not agressive or huge pain in the ass.

Test drive a dog today, you can!

[Caroline]

Originally posted by Soul_Rebel
Yes that's a good sign. If you can get the dog for a "test drive" for one week or two before keeping it, it will be great. Dog's behavior won't change with no reason and you'll be sure that the dog you'll have is not agressive or huge pain in the ass.

Test drive a dog today, you can!

heheheh im sure i could ask.
since i have another dog, they would require me to take mine to meet him.
but here is my main fear, or concern with him being a pit bull.
assuming he gets along great with my golden....
lets just say a few months down the road.... could the new one just snap?
i mean, do pitbulls freak out for no reason?

[TheJimmy]

my mother owned one

a sweet but wirey female...

just make sure not to feed it tooooo much red meat (even my dogs act strange around it, esp my male LOL)

...treat it right (like a part of the family)

...don't 'yard dog' it....



I have two rotties that I've treated like my kids for years, and they're awesome....but if you treat a dog/person etc like shit they may just snap...that's part of the "DUH theory"....

but also recognize that an animal is an animal and the possibility of ANY dog of ANY breed can snap potentially....that is also part of the "DUH theory"....

[Brad Mitchell]

Get a cute 'lap dog' instead!

Brad

[Caroline]

Originally posted by SinEmpire
Get a cute 'lap dog' instead!

Brad

does that really mean a "little"dog?

[laura]

i met this woman in LA last week who trains them....check out her site www.turnaroundtraining.com

when a pit bull has bitten another dog or a child or something she gets the dogs and re-trains them. People pay her to get the dog to an acceptable social level again. If you look at her site it answers a lot of your questions and concerns. I had a lot of the same fears and believed the rumors about pits "turning" on their owners. You should call her and talk to her !! If her contact info isnt on the site, let me know I have her phone number.

GOOD LUCK

[Marcus]

I used to walk dogs and had a female pit bull who was the sweetest dog and got along with the other dogs fine.

I had another female pit bull who was a rescue dog and she had problems with men. She'd only let females walk her. She was probably abused by a male when she was younger.

But most of the dogs I had that were rescue dogs had behavioral problems. They'd attack other dogs, growl at strangers, bite me when I'd try to put them in their crate.

I definetely would avoid a male pit bull with an unknown history. He could have been abused as a pup. They could be fine with people but if they see another dog or a small kid they could get very nasty.

And you could have problems taking him to the dog park to play cuz the other dog owners will just grab their dogs and leave as soon as they see a pit bull coming into the park.

[m4tt]

Originally posted by Caroline

Is that the dog?

I've owned 3 pitbulls.. just a little warning.. pitbulls will chew/eat anything and everything they possibly can.

[Caroline]

Originally posted by laura
i met this woman in LA last week who trains them....check out her site www.turnaroundtraining.com

when a pit bull has bitten another dog or a child or something she gets the dogs and re-trains them. People pay her to get the dog to an acceptable social level again. If you look at her site it answers a lot of your questions and concerns. I had a lot of the same fears and believed the rumors about pits "turning" on their owners. You should call her and talk to her !! If her contact info isnt on the site, let me know I have her phone number.

GOOD LUCK

awesome! thanks!

[Caroline]

Originally posted by m4tt


Is that the dog?

I've owned 3 pitbulls.. just a little warning.. pitbulls will chew/eat anything and everything they possibly can.

yes that is him
and while we had him outside, he really did eat whatever was around him.. silly guy

[dig420]

I have two right now, and they both think they're lapdogs.

Pits used to be far more common than they are now in the old days and there were no complaints about them being vicious. Petey from the Little Rascals is a Pit Bull. The rep has come mostly from gangbangers trying to raise dogs for fighting and then abandoning them in the street after their career is done or when they just can't take care of them, the media also hypes anything to do with Pits. Even a Collie can get out and fuck things up if he's raised poorly...

[goBigtime]

I had one that I got from the pound like that.. he was about a year old when I got him. Really nice dog to his loved ones... very intimidating to those he didn't know.

But he had a big problem with other animals. Liked to try to kill them Couldn't really walk him anywhere public without him acting like a killing machine so we would walk him down by the river.. away from everyone. Even out there these 3 hound dogs jumped him (he was on the leash) and he tore them all up... I mean can't really blame him there, but he was talking shit to start it all up no doubt.

He finally got the neighbors cat... & that was the end of him -- Unless someone adopted him again anyway. Sort of sucked..had him for few years

[Triple 6]

:::sigh:::

My first dog I got when I was 15, bought off some kids I hung out with from time to time, she was 3 months old then, they named her 'Gotti'... they said she was a pitbull, and thats what everyone believed.. my friends had another dog from the same litter.... it was a male brendel, looked similair.... but anyway, I think she was mixed with a shepard. But she was a pretty smart, loving dog. Very cool, very protective.

I then got a real pit pup when I was workin at a pet store and some kid came in with an all white pit pup with the hugest, blockiest head I ever seen. I asked where he got it and he told me the breeders got no more... but his friend but one but couldnt keep it....a nice red male.

So I saw the male and bought him right there. I named him Lucifer. Him and Gotti was always going at it. Im surprised Gotti didnt bite his head off, but I guess it was some mother instinct. Alas, when it was time to move out, I couldnt bring my dogs with me, so I gave them to some nice people my Mom knew. Oh well.

[Brad Mitchell]

...yes, a little dog... for real

[Caroline]

i dont think i could own a little dog.
i have cats for that

i have always had big, huggable dogs.

[dig420]

[dig420]

the only caveat I would add is this:

Pits are rough, strong, active dogs who will chew on and destroy anything unless you teach them to stick to thier chew-toys. If you're a shrinking violet or don't like being mauled for affection you'll be better off with a smaller less active breed.

also - and this may be common to many breeds of dog - my dogs are usually pretty nice to other dogs unless the other dog shows aggression. When that happens they generally attack with no further threatening or warning, so you have to be very careful with them around other animals, they do have a fighting instinct.

[dig420]

Originally posted by Caroline
do you think the fact that it was so damn friendly (and i mean.. he was REALLY friendly) makes a difference?
and the volunteers at this place, were reallllly nice.

yes. if he's a nice dog he's just a nice dog. Buster was about 8 months when I got him and he's the nicest dog I ever had, to me and everybody else. He even loves my cats lol

if he leans on you it's a good sign, Pits tend to lean on people they like

[chodadog]

Pitbulls are like any other dog. You treat them like shit, they're going to be agressive. You take care of your dog, give it the attention and training it needs, and it will be calm.

We used to have a staffy x pitbull bitch. She never ever attacked any of us. She attacked plenty of assholes that tried to get into our yard, though.

[Anthony_A]

Originally posted by dig420
the only caveat I would add is this:

Pits are rough, strong, active dogs who will chew on and destroy anything unless you teach them to stick to thier chew-toys. If you're a shrinking violet or don't like being mauled for affection you'll be better off with a smaller less active breed.

also - and this may be common to many breeds of dog - my dogs are usually pretty nice to other dogs unless the other dog shows aggression. When that happens they generally attack with no further threatening or warning, so you have to be very careful with them around other animals, they do have a fighting instinct.

I agree with Dig on this one. His male pit is the most loving thing in the world. His female is a fighter. She ran into my room and almost tore out my Jack Russel's throat last weekend since they don't get along.

If you get a pit, be prepared for that sort of thing.

[aflex]

this crazy russian i know has 2 female pits, and theyre loving as hell to him and people that he brings around them.. but strangers are subject to an ass kicking cuz theyre protectvie as hell..

he made a point though about getting a female over a male..

a male dog would be more likely to chase some female dog pussy or be distracted.. compared to a female dog who would always stay close to home

[SleazyDream]

Skufty could take him
<img src=http://www.sleazydream.com/banners/yard/016.jpg>

[dig420]

the female (Baby) is a mix I think, whereas Buster is a full-on Pit. I think that's why she's more unpredictable and probably more dangerous. You just have to realize that she has limitations regarding other animals and keep your eyes wide open. I generally try to not expose her to strange animals when it can be avoided. I had Buster since he was very young, I think I am his first (and last) owner, so he was raised with love and is very loving. I got Baby because a content girl who was staying with me couldn't take care of her anymore, and I don't think she was well taken care of before I got her.

The funny thing about the male (Buster) is that he'll put up with almost anything from a cat, human or small dog. There's nothing you can do to him he won't take as a joke. If a large dog threatens him though, he'll attack in a millisecond.

With ANY large dog, it pays to be careful. They're animals and they can go off. People tend to underestimate how savage a dog can be and you have to be a responsible owner.

[Rictor]

Owning a pit bull is asking for trouble. I just got done suing a pitbull owner. He let his two pit bulls get loose and they attacked me and my dog when I was walking him on his leash. Both pitbulls were put to sleep and my dog's medical bills (about $1500) were paid by the owner's home insurance.

The dogs have a natural instinct to attack smaller animals. A lot of dogs get agressive and snap at other dogs or children, but when a pitbull does it, they can kill the other dog or a child. Very dangerous.

[Gutterboy]

Is it possible pit bulls are an aggressive breed? lol

Look at a picture of a pitbull.

Look closely at the size and musculature of its jaws.

Now tell me, what do you think those are there for?

[Dragonsxxx]

don't do it, i have had several pitbulls, no matter how well trained they are, they will still kill cats, it's their instinct.

and if you plan to have children it's not a good dog....

I have samoids now, much better dog.

[C_U_Next_Tuesday]

i adopted a pit bull form a firend of mine that was going to prison for a while... her name was Kitty kitty and she was a hog dog..
she was a animal death machine..but so fucking sweet to humans..we would keep her on the running line outside and that dog would sit there as still as could be and wait for strays to come along and she would snap them...quite a scene..and we had a burial ground for animals going in the corner of our yard.

I knew the background of the dog and i knew both parents.. but if i didnt and it was a male that was already older..i say no way..its your judgement and depends on how well you can handle a dog if it attacks.. you or someone else...they can snap, and its not easy to break their jaws without getting bit up yourself..

[UnseenWorld]

I know nothing about you, but my problem with pit bulls is that they are often owned by people who shouldn't own one. They are buying to dog to compensate for their own feelings of inadequacy. (These are the same people who freak out when they think they have been dissed, and now, instead of getting you into a verbal altercation, can now order their dog to kill you.)

Besides, if you want a tough dog, there are dogs that have pit bulls for breakfast, such as the Presa Canarios and Cane Corso.

[Theo]

i have heard that rottweilers are more aggresive than pitbulls

i dont know how valid it is

[Theo]

good puppy good

[funkmaster]

Originally posted by Caroline


i dont believe dogs are born bad. they are taught to be bad. but is it possible that he could have a weird agression that is hidden because he is a pit bull?

... that´s exactly what my neighbor thought too ... until his terrier ruined his 4 year old boys face.

[adamneve]

i thought pitbulls are for drug dealers

[BJ]

[Xplicit]

I have a pit and shes the nicest dog i've ever seen in my life. Don't believe the myths. If you raise the dog right it'll be fine.

[dig420]

Originally posted by UnseenWorld
I know nothing about you, but my problem with pit bulls is that they are often owned by people who shouldn't own one. They are buying to dog to compensate for their own feelings of inadequacy. (These are the same people who freak out when they think they have been dissed, and now, instead of getting you into a verbal altercation, can now order their dog to kill you.)

Besides, if you want a tough dog, there are dogs that have pit bulls for breakfast, such as the Presa Canarios and Cane Corso.

I don't fight dogs or allow my dogs to get into a fight, but you come across dogfighting pages researching the breed. Every few years there's a new 'tough' dog, but it always comes back to the Pit. You just can't top centuries of breeding to fight. These type of dogs, like the Rottweiler before them, are big and bad enough to win against some Pits, but the badass Pits take down any breed. Size isn't always helpful, the Pits were bred down in size in England to make them faster and better in the ring.

[dig420]

Originally posted by funkmaster


... that´s exactly what my neighbor thought too ... until his terrier ruined his 4 year old boys face.

could just as easily have happened with a bad tempered border collie. There are dogs known to be less friendly to people than Pits, notoriously German Shepards. It just doesn't make the front page when they freak out.

[Caroline]

Originally posted by UnseenWorld
I know nothing about you, but my problem with pit bulls is that they are often owned by people who shouldn't own one. They are buying to dog to compensate for their own feelings of inadequacy. (These are the same people who freak out when they think they have been dissed, and now, instead of getting you into a verbal altercation, can now order their dog to kill you.)

Besides, if you want a tough dog, there are dogs that have pit bulls for breakfast, such as the Presa Canarios and Cane Corso.

trust me.. i dont want a 'tough' dog.
and i dont have feelings of inadequacy.
i want a 'friend'.
and i have never been anything but wonderful to my animals.

and those dogs you mentioned, as well as pitbulls, are only mean and vicious because people have made them that way.