dog breeds as pets

[rock n roll kid]

only got cats now. my 115 pound akita has been gone for quite sometime
forever missed. got a chance to get a 2 month old pit bull mix , free. ( do not remember what breed or 2 she has but lets say she is mostly american bull terrier ) 2 month old . have heard so many stories about these dogs being able to turn bad on people . but she would be brought up with loving care & disepline . what is the truth ? ! we had to work with our akita because she had only been around college students when we acquired her . made her safer around kids & other pets . i always thought if we would have had her from a pup she would have had a much different personality.
hey ! judge judy does not like pit bullies .... possibly unjustified ? !

ok you pet owners who know these dogs can help me .
and that puppy sure is cute !

 

[6518John]

I think the bully breeds are the finest, most loyal, dedicated pets one can have. Breed bans, regulations and stereotypes are akin to "reasonable" gun control regulations. You can take the rifle used to shoot Bin Laden and in the hands of our service men and woman it's an instrument of defense. In the hands of one of us it's a great farm and ranch rifle, or varmint gun, or ATV/tractor gun. In the hands of a gang banger it's an instrument of criminality. It's all in how the firearm is used.

Same with bully breeds, you abuse and mistreat them you can wind up with a problem (just like with you do with young people). You raise them with love and kindness and socialization, you won't have a more loyal pet.

 

[Fishinfool]

I believe it is wrong to put hard labels on dogs, by breed. Generalities, by breed, yes. But each dog is different in personality, and it's thinking process.

Having owned a number of "problematic breeds", I have found the most important factor is that the dog be well socialized with people and other animals at an early age, and be interacted with, and corrected when necessary, not screamed at and punished. In the end, you want your dog to listen to you, and behave as you want, and do it because he wants to please you, not out of fear. Some take more work than others, but barring an animal with real mental disorders, all can get there in time.

Two GSD's, a Rottie, and a St. Bernard, (all known as problematic breeds) and all were oversized lap dogs that actually looked you in the eye, and wanted to please you, and would hang their heads when you noticed they had done something they shouldn't have, without me having to scream and yell. What more could you ask from a dog?

I guess simply put, you have to talk to them, spend quality time with them, interact with them, and form a bond.

Larry

 

[Rodan]

Over the last 24 years, we've had 5 pit mixes:

Pit/lab
Pit/??
Pit/Shar Pei
Pit/cattle dog
Pit/Boxer

All were rescues from the local Humane Society except the Pit/??, who we adopted after a friend found him and his litter mates in a dumpster.
Unfortunately, we had to re-adopt him because he refused to remain in our yard, and was an escape artist.

The Pit/Shar-Pei was the only one we had real problems with, and it was dog-aggression. She was also re-adopted, to a single dog home. Given the breed combo, I wasn't surprised at the outcome, though I had hoped it would work out.

The others were all great dogs. Our current dog is the Pit/Boxer. She's a wonderful dog, and loves everyone, people and dogs. She got all the Pit stubborn, and all the Boxer goofy.

Pits require a firm hand, but properly trained and socialized, usually do just fine in my experience. They can be dog aggressive, and when people are harmed by Pits, it's often when they are getting between a Pit and another dog. That said, dogs are individuals, just like people... some of them aren't nice.

But most of them are.

 

[Rpg]

Folks forget that the various breeds are separate breeds because they've been bred over generations for specific personality characteristics, not just appearance.

Pit bulls are fighting dogs. Some of the characteristics that are enhanced in this breed are possessiveness and territoriality. Physically, they have the wherewithal to do a lot of damage.

If I wanted a pit bull, I'd want a pup no more than 8 weeks old to maximize my chances of properly socializing the pup and getting an early start on obedience training.

Unless you're willing to devote a good deal of time and effort into systematic training, it's not a good choice.

 

[arjay]

I've had a few bad experiences with Pits. I wouldn't want one myself.

 

[9mmPatriot]

We're a Boxer family. Great with kids, loyal and tremendous protectors.
And goofy beyond belief.

 

[Waxster60]

Also may want to consider that the breed chosen can impact your homeowners/renters insurance. Regardless of individual experiences with particular dogs or breeds, certain breeds may raise your premiums or preclude coverage - best to check first. Average settlement for a dog bite is over $40K. If you're renting, some leases may exclude certain breeds, too.

 

[JcMack]

I've had a few bad experiences with Pits. I wouldn't want one myself.

I got about 8 sentences into a reply to this post but I thought you all would think I was BS'n. So I deleted it. Ive seen PB's in action. They are not all like Petey.

 

[TeamPB]

I always knew my pit mixes were dangerous

We have been lucky to have had 5 five great PBs over the last 20 years, but Dan the Grey and Eddy "aka the Chicago kid" are currently the most dangerous:

 

[Greyman50]

Cocker Spaniels are either laid back and nice or vicious varmints, had one my friends named " Beast from the East", had to put him down mainly because he came from a pet store( ex and daughter's fault)
Next was a Dalmatian, very sweet dog but took 5-6 years for her to calm down. Still find her fur after 20 years.
Next was first Greyhound, was sold on them, perfect. No dog smell ( unless real hot) do not over eat, fur easily vacuums up unlike Dalmatian fur, do not need lots of exercise but love to walk and cut loose and run once and a while. Very social with people and most other dogs. Greyhound Rescue can get you a Hound after they check you out. Grey's know you have rescued them and are very loving dogs, 70some pound lap dog, lol. Sadly they only live 7-10 years, friend had one 13!
OTOH, ex SIL has had Pits since the 80's, every one just a big fun loving playful dog, even the ones that were rescues , so it depends on the Owner and how they treat the dog

 

[Doug M.]

The pup is the right age for adoption, socialization, and training. Go for it. I have seen wonderful dogs of many breeds, and awful ones of many breeds too. It is true that breeds were developed for certain purposes, and in this case, pits can be dog aggressive if raised poorly.

My avatar, Bozo, was a Rott X Fila. Rescue had no idea what he was, and he failed out of a couple of adoptions because of the Fila temperament. At our house, he was fine, because 1) I saw the signs of his Fila ancestry, and 2, we are not social. He had to be walked in a muzzle because he HATED strangers, consistent with the Fila - but also like a Fila, loved us and would let us do anything needed.

We had a RottXPit for roughly 10 years, who was brought to us as a young adult runaway after our prior rott died (he was well known as a social dog in our town). She was a sweety. She loved her cat; loved us and kids, and ended up well bonded to a (Rott) pup we adopted shortly after her. She was ok with other dogs most of the time, but took no guff, and protected her cat from other cats and dogs. Her amazing muscularity eventually did her in - as a senior dog, she blew out a knee because she was way too big for her frame.

The current dogs of the house were both adult rescues. They have varying degrees of baggage and weirdness. Ted is fascinated with other dogs and loves to meet them. We have a neighbor with a young and wild American Bulldog that seems to dislike some dogs, but LOVES Ted - he cries every time he sees us. All we get from him is wagging and dancing and jumping (because he is ... young and wild as I said). Ruby is ... difficult.

Get the pup. Take lots of modest walks. Try to meet 100 people or more in 100 days (or less). I teach my young dogs words and phrases like "people", "kid", "go say hi" and "give 'em a nose". I'm not a training purist, but I want the dog to walk reasonably well on a leash, sit at corner and for meals, etc.

 

[dasnake]

I've dun a lot of........

Research into history and breeding and changes involved with the progression of dogs over history and these pictures pretty much explains their journey, from their wild in the woods day to their acceptance today.

 

[Rolex28]

For me all puppies no matter the breed are all born cute and good dogs. Dogs breeds do not just happen to turn bad just like people don't just happen to turn bad.. The environments people and animals grow up in is what reflects in their behavior..
I suspect ones lifestyle is important but if I were 20 years younger I would get a Herding breed dog and train it for competitive obedience and herding trials.. Great hobby..

 

[steelslaver]

There are far and away more bad dog owners than bad dogs.

 

[elca86]

ive got 2 full pits and one pit dogo mix all three are the most loving dogs ive ever owned their worst behavior is wanting to lick you to death no dog is born aggressive its the owner that creates the behavior you have to prove to any dog youare the pack leader and they will behave

 

[tnmandpshooter]

Most home owners insurance will cancel your policy if they find out you have certain breeds. Bully breeds are on that list.

Sent from my SM-A515U using Tapatalk

 

[Rammer Jammer]

Most Pits are good. Any dog can snap...but when a Pit does you're in serious trouble.

I have a buddy who adopted a seriously neglected pit bull. His dog has gotten along well with my dog on several occasions. But his dog has gotten into it several times with other people's pups. Knowing this I gave him a heads up that if his dog were ever to attack mine I would not hesitate to shoot his dog. Obviously he didn't like my warning so I laid it out this simply.

1. Your dog is more dangerous than mine.
2. My dog is definitely a beta, well trained and responds to my commands.
3. Your dog has been violently aggressive multiple times to the point of drawing blood.
4. Your dog doesn't respond to your commands even when not fighting.
5. With that track record I won't hesitate to shoot him, he's a danger and you know it and have done nothing to reign him in.

Needless to say his pup hasn't been around mine since.

 

[PALADIN85020]

We've owned a Pit Bull mix - his daddy was a pitty, and his mom was an Australian cattle dog.

Joe was an exceptional dog in every respect. Loving, intelligent, loyal and gentle.

I've personally had over a dozen dogs over the years - only had two purebreds - a German Shepherd and a Dachshund. Probably the purebreds were a bit more challenging than any of the mixes - I guess because of inbreeding.

We thought our pitty mix Joe was one of the top dogs it's ever been our pleasure to have around. I think the bad rap given some of the Pit Bulls over the years were the fault of their owners, not the dogs. As the twig is bent, the tree's inclined. Nurture, in my book, trumps nature in nearly every case. Don't be afraid of a Pit mix - ours turned out wonderfully! When Joe got cancer and had to be put down at age 11 in 2018, our sense of loss was incredibly hard. We miss him still.

John

 

[OLDSTER]

Would these be the ultimate guard dog ?? Although very possessive, scary, and potentially dangerous. The Caucasian Mountain Dog; 240 pounds, the dog used by the Soviet Army of the north and Russian prisons in Siberia. Yikes, but gorgeous.