| Author | Message | ||
     Wolfridgerider |
I just put down the first dog I owned as an adult yesterday. It was pretty hard, but it was time. He left behind two dogs, two cats and two owners that miss him. Laying in bed last night, listening to the dogs do their nightly howling from their room in the basement my wife turned to me and said "If ya wanna get another puppy" I didn't think much of it at the time, but as the day has gone by... its all I can think about.... I have wanted a Pit Bull for a long time.... What do ya know? The good, the bad.... | ||
| Skinstains |
Great dogs (I had two, Butch and Cassidy)but they come with a lot of "baggage". There are also some city ordinances that prohibit the keeping of Pits. Others here know more than me so I will digress. | ||
| P_squared |
Great dogs when in a good home. Gentle, loving & protective. Very intelligent & loyal breed. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
I live OUT of town and don't have a neighbor issue.... big fenced back yard... deer, rabbits and squirrels to bark at.... | ||
| Skntpig |
Check with your homeowners policy. Most won't allow the breed, or will not cover the liability. I have boxers and like them for most of the same reasons people like pits. | ||
| Cyclonemick |
From my experiance males do not get along well with other males! Very smart, loyal, and love to please but they are territorial! | ||
| Spectrum |
I am a dog lover, but will never have a pit in my household. The problem with pit bulls is they can have a totally unpredictable nature. Even after years of living with them, than can completely surprise you with unexpected aggression. I have heard of a number of reports of them turning on their owners. One just a week ago on the news here in Charlotte. I personally knew an elderly couple and their two pit bulls when I was growing up. I used to play with the dogs an a regularly basis. From my interaction, I would have described them as sweet loving playful animals. Late one evening the dogs were in the back yard and became upset by another animal or human passing by. The wife walked out the back door to see what all the commotion was and the dogs literally tore her to pieces in a mature of seconds. The dogs were well trained and the couple treated them well. These dogs were members of the household and had never shown any signs of aggression to the couple or any of us neighbors that frequently visited. The aggression was total unforeseen and unexplainable. | ||
| Danger_dave |
Get some guns and leave them laying around the house loaded. Safer than most Pit Bulls. | ||
| Bads1 |
Don't buy a dog especially a Pit without both patents on the premises to see and intereact with without any aggressiveness. Pits are good dogs but I have seen far many bad then good temperment wise. I have Boerboels and they are quite protective but only when they sense a problem. That is something they are bred for. A pit is not that way. Usually half cocked. I don't mean it in a bad way just means much much more training and you be responsible. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
I'm not going to discourage you from one breed or another, since I don't know a whole hell of a lot about dogs. I will say that there are many dogs in shelters looking for good homes. Mixed dogs are usually hardier and healthier due to good genetic variability, and are not as susceptible to problems from inbreeding as is often seen in pure breeds. Just a thought. | ||
| Bads1 |
I can agree there. Thats why I said look at the parents. Also the contract that a good breeder will have from there breeding stock. Read it carefully!!!! My breeder of my dogs I still hear from her every couple months at latest. Shes always seeing how my pooches are doing but she only breeds a couple times a year. So not as many pups to keep intouch with. | ||
| Hammer71 |
Great dogs if trained properly, also check with homeowners insurance as some wont cover pitbulls | ||
| Skinstains |
I got my new dogs from "Noah's Ark' a rescue organization here in the NYC Tri-State area. Three cheers for the mongrels, mutts rule. | ||
| Firebolt32 |
I'm a PitBull owner...they get a bad rap. She has never showed aggression towards anyone or any other animal. She always has her tongue going. Licks the hell out of anyone. Except squirrels...she hates squirrels. Any animal can be unpredictable. Rotties, Pinchers, Saint Bernards and Bulldogs can be just as dangerous. Basically any breed. Dogs are hunters and aggressive by nature. I've owned many types of dogs my entire life and only one has ever turned on me. It was a Dalmation. You teach it to be aggressive (Mr. Vick), it will become aggressive. But again...it's an animal...again they're unpredictable. Also...I have 5 dogs. 2 females (Pit and Shepard) and 3 males (Boxer, Boxer Mutt, and Choc. Lab) I've socialized them all when they were pups except the Boxer Mutt. If you socialize them at a young age anyone can walk into your house and be fine. I didn't socialize the Mutt because I needed one dog that would tear your ass up if you walk in my house and I'm not home. When I leave the house the Mutt stays in, the rest go out and I leave the doors unlocked. You want something from my house that bad that's not yours, you gotta get through Riddick first. | ||
| 4cammer |
Here is an idea. Instead of getting an American Pit Bull Terrier, get an American Staffordshire Terrier (look them up on google.....). Then when people ask what kind of dog you have you can say "AmStaff" and none of their irrational media driven fears will spout out. There is nothing wrong with a properly bred and trained Pit Bull or AmStaff. What you see on the news are inbred, mistreated and abused canines. All breeds of dog, just like humans, have the ability to snap for no reason. It just makes better news when the dog looks like Mike Tyson and not Richard Simmons. I have had my AmStaff Maxine for 9 years and she is the best pup that I have ever had. She sleeps with my kids, but at the same time makes me feel comfortable if I know I will be getting home late at night. To me that is what a dog is for. Love and protection. Pit Bulls and AmStaffs are for those that can train and enjoy a fantastic, strong, intelligent and hard headed breed. They thrive on love and make their place in the pack. It is all in the breeding and training folks. | ||
| Hr_puffinstuff |
sorry to hear about having to put your dog down. no way around it...that sucks. we had to do that twice in less than a year. one of them was 1/2 pit, and was a VERY good dog. so much so, that shortly after we put her down, we picked up a full-blooded version. great breed. part security system, part security blanket. we've never had a dog so "attached-at-the-hip" as this one. the dog endlessly follows my wife around the house, and is her 75lb. lap dog. we joke that there was a problem, and that she is somehow one and a half dogs crammed into one ... and the extra 1/2 is hyperactive and mentally deficient. we named her Murcielago, (not for the Lambo) but shortened it to Murci for daily use. i can't imagine what my neighbors must think when my wife stands on the front patio yelling "NO MERCY!!" if there is an issue, (not for me, it's why we feed the mutt in the 1st place...) it's that she's VERY territorial. she owns the house, the yard, the garage, the street and the river ... and if you don't think so, just ask her, she's quite vocal about it. let's just say i haven't seen a single issue of The Lighthouse in about three years. (in my defense, if the guy wasn't so POSITIVE the dog was going to bite him, i prolly wouldn't have let her out) the dog is tremendously strong for her size and weight. so much so, that my wife had problems walking her. Murci knows that all squirrels are secret ninjas, and i guess it's her sworn duty to destroy them all. so far, only of one of them, but the battle was short and brutal, to say the least. we "solved" both these problems by installing a chain link fence around a large portion of our yard. the dog runs wild and free, but the ass-hat next door feels safe. (as if, wait till he figures out she can jump over it) | ||
| Bads1 |
}It is all in the breeding and training folks. Couldn't agree more. But on the same note. To many pit breeders. To most people looking for a dog they have no idea what they are getting. They think they are getting a good dog from a breeder with a good rep and they aren't. Like I said I've seen some good Pit Bull's but 98% I would n't trust. | ||
| Spatten1 |
Buy a dog your are confident will get up and walk away when a toddler steps on it and pulls its ears as hard as they can. Any dog can get wacky, and pit bulls have very strong jaws, can crush an infant. You cannot always control the behavior of a dog, they are sentient independent animals that can make bad "decisions". We specifically asked for a submissive puppy from a gentle breed. I'm not going to be the cause of an "accident" because some frigging dog with jaws like a vice gets pissed when an infant pulls it's bone away. | ||
| Skntpig |
Any dog that your wife can't control enough to walk sounds a bit dangerous. If you can't train it to not attack a squirrel if you don't want it to, then it sounds like it isn't trained that well. | ||
| Bads1 |
My two dogs are protectors. They were bred for it. You can't take out of them. But..... anyone is welcome in my home. They know the difference of what belongs. I also though will keep my dogs from visitors if they are afraid or do not like my dogs or dogs ingeneral. But back on topic you and your family need to justify what type of dog is best for your home and lifestyle. If you want a Pit Bull then read up as much as you can. Talk to several breeders (Not Forum's in this case).Go visit them and mingle with dogs and breeder. Then make the ultimate decision. Is a dog that can be more dominate then alot of breeds be what you need or want??? | ||
| Johnnymceldoo |
If your looking for a guard dog consider the Cane Corso. A little bigger than a pit but pretty unknown to alot of insurance companies. Mine is my own shadow. Hes 11 months now and 106 pounds. When I go to the bathroom he lays by the door. When I work in the garage he often stands still at the door looking outward in the yard as if hes waiting for something to come through the fence. When I get on the computer he lays outside the room. He's really a like a personal guardian and the bond we have is amazing.  | ||
| Johnnymceldoo |
This is a pic I took of him standing in the garage waiting for something to happen. Its funny almost just how zoned out he gets:  | ||
| Teddagreek |
What about another bully breed? If you like Pits but want better temperament I'd suggest An American Bull Dog.. +1 checking your Insurance Policy, Pits aren't covered a lot of the times.. Good link... American Temperament Test Society... http://www.atts.org/index.html | ||
| Damnut |
I've had 2 Pits and they are the the one of the best breeds I have ever owned. I hate hearing about the bad rep these dogs get. I firmly believe that it is mostly the owners fault and how some of these dogs were raised more than the breed itself. Mark if you get one you will not be disappointed. Do check with your home insurance policy though. I had 2 American Staffordshire Terriers, 1 was brindle and 1 was 1/2 Rednose 1/2 brindle. | ||
| Danger_dave |
Yeah - you might get a good one. But what if you don't.  | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
He or she will be a "MUTT" if anyone asks... I've got two guys that need alot of attention for now and I don't think it would be fair to them to put a puppy in the mix for awhile... I'm sure I'll know when its time. Until then, I am going to do some research and enjoy these two guys. | ||
| Bads1 |
Damnut, You are 1/2 correct. The Pit Bull in recent years has been bred and bred and for more then 50% of time the wrong reason's. Like for instance... A guy has a Bitch and his buddy has a Stud. So lets put them together and make some money. They are very popular among many people that have no idea as to what they are or what they are capable for there small to average size. So as far as breeding.... many are aggressive and that aggressivness is bred in them. My breeder of my dogs was a well known breeder at one time of Pit bull's. She got out about 8 years ago because the breed was to difficult to perfect in her breeding stock. I don't mean to discourage anyone from purchasing one... just really,really do your homework. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
An AMSTAFF would be a great alternative if you don't want an APBT. Warning though, any ordinance or homeowners policy i've ever heard of having a problem with pit bulls doesn't care what specific breed the dog is. There are 4 breeds that fall under the general category of "pit bull". American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Bull Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. As for any type of bully breed having a reputation for being unstable or unpredictable, that's just not true. If you know how your dog's (any breed) instincts work and train it keeping them in mind, you should never be surprised. Many people think that since bully breeds have the physical potential to be dangerous, they should not be trained using any physical punishment. I have found this to be far from the truth. I have 2 APBTs and have used physical punishment with them on a regular basis to train them. I'm not saying abuse the dog, but these are dominant breeds by nature and if you don't make it clear that YOU are the dominant creature in the house then they will take on that role. Spend time with them, lots of love and affection, and beat their ass as soon as they do something wrong. It's worked like a charm for mine. Since my oldest was 6 months old all I have to do is say his name and give him a look and he knows what it means. | ||
| Bads1 |
beat their ass as soon as they do something wrong I guess I find you to be mean and cruel. I've had Doberman's,Rottie's,Old English Mastiff and now Boerboel's. I didn't think that breaking there spirit was needed. Love and repatition (Message edited by bads1 on November 17, 2008) | ||
| Trw |
I have a great Pit named Zeus, they are good, loyal dogs. I got him from my brother in law so I knew what I was getting. Pits are a sensitive bunch raising your voice to them is far more effective than whipping them. Like most other Bully breeds they are very tolerable of pain. My brother in law has been breeding them for about 10 years with zero bite marks or any kind of attack. I am amazed at how many people think they have a Pit Bull and do not. My dog is about 70-75lbs and is considered a large Pit, bordering to large. Still everyone has a friend who's is twice his size. If the dog is over 75lbs it is a mix that possibly has no pit bull in it. A lot of mutts with any kind of Bully breed in them looks like a Pit to most folks. If you get a Pit Bull spend time with it and train it. I have no regrets this dog is by far the best I have ever had. By the way don't put a lot of stock in statistics. Just know your dog whatever the breed.  |
