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12-22-2010, 04:24 PM | #1 |
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I have a quick question on what you guys think. From the moment I told everyone I owned a pit bull, I have had people ask me why because of the bad rep they have. In the back of my mind, it was to prove all of these people wrong. I am responsible with all of my dogs and would never be stupid enough to put my 100% trust into any of them. They are in fact, animals and would not be at fault if something were to happen due to my stupidity. I do find it very concerning on some of the discussions in this forum what people agree with while owning these unique breeds. I thought most cared that they wanted to show people that pit bulls are just like any other dog when raised correctly and with the right training. Yes, they do have certain characteristics and things that set them apart from other breeds of dog, but every dog has that. I was one to do my homework before acquiring my APBT and now I realize with the proper reinforcement, love, and care that these dogs have a very bad reputation from their history and what still some people refer to and let go on today. It still baffles me when I hear someone say, "my dog has fight in him" or "my dog would kill another". This does not help the label when saying this. Any breed dog can and will do this if not cared for and trained in the right way. Enough with what I have to say. Any one else care to post their opinion?
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12-22-2010, 04:37 PM | #3 |
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12-22-2010, 04:37 PM | #4 |
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It still baffles me when I hear someone say, "my dog has fight in him" or "my dog would kill another". This does not help the label when saying this. they are an individual breed of dog, that was created for a certain task. hounds track, retrievers retrieve, and so on. when people arent realistic and dont accept the truth, then we all have a problem. im not out to turn new people on to the breed, in fact i do the exact opposite. i explain how much of a pain in the ass this breed can be, and that owning one isnt like owning a poodle. you cant just leave for vacation and trust your dog with a friend. im guessing you havent had this breed for long, correct? |
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12-22-2010, 04:48 PM | #5 |
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You're correct Lee. I have seen my friends retreiver fight and not let go of another submissive mutt(didn't know the breed). I've seen small dogs fight, almost to the death. I was just wondering why some believe that out of all the working ability pitty's have that they are different than any other animal's instinct.
I have had my APBT for 5 months now and he has been accepted by both of my other dogs and no fights have occured that does not mean i will ever let my guard down. Yet, I am not going around yelling, "my dog will never kill" because I do not know that. The only dog I own that i would say has DA would be my Jack Russell when eating his food, therefore, I crate him during this time. I am new to the breed but I did not just go out and get a pitty. I read up on them and was aware of what care and precautions will have to be taken. But, yes, it does baffle me when i hear certain things said by owners that don't help the label. and fyi, not everyone should own a pit bull, agreed. |
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12-22-2010, 04:55 PM | #6 |
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You're correct Lee. I have seen my friends retreiver fight and not let go of another submissive mutt(didn't know the breed). I've seen small dogs fight, almost to the death. I was just wondering why some believe that out of all the working ability pitty's have that they are different than any other animal's instinct. |
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12-22-2010, 04:59 PM | #7 |
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I was just wondering why some believe that out of all the working ability pitty's have that they are different than any other animal's instinct. we all have probably seen other breeds of dogs fight, (like you mentioned) but an APBTs mentality is so different. when theyre winning, they arent winning enough, and when theyre losing, they got that dog right where they want it. these are things you hopefully wont have to experience, but for me growing up in multiple dog household and having been around these dogs for 30 years now, ive seen the ugly. |
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12-22-2010, 05:02 PM | #8 |
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tjgilroy - It isn't that we are out here shouting "My dog is aggressive. My dog is a killer and will kill your dog." It is that when we speak about our breed, we are honest about them and what they were bred to do. I love my boy to the ends of the earth, but I am the first one to say that "He is not good with other dogs and would rather fight, than play with them." Of course this to me is no different than telling someone that my collies loves other dogs, cats and children, but get them into a group of any of any of the above and they are going to try to herd the group together and keep them together. It is what they were bred to do. It can be controled to a certain extent by training, but given the opportunity they will always revert back to what they were bred to do.
When people ask me why I choose to have one of these dogs with the bad reputation they have, I respond. "The reputation is brought about by people who do not know and understand the breed, both owners and the public in general. I choose the have this breed because I admire the strength, loyalty and personality of the breed." I will also say that although Jake is a rescue from the shelter, he was gone over by both myself and my bf with a fine tooth comb for any possible issues that we felt we might not be able to work with, before bringing him into our family. Now, we are hooked on the breed and can't imagine not having one in our home. |
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12-22-2010, 05:10 PM | #9 |
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DA is mentioned quite a bit on here, for good reason. The APBT has more of a predisposition towards it than most other breeds. Yes, other breeds can be DA, this is true, especially of terriers. But we get a lot of people coming on here thinking its all in how you raise the dog, or that just because their dogs get along right now, that nothing will ever happen. More often than not, when an APBT matures, they become DA. That is something to understand when owning this breed. No amount of training or love will ever change that. Just like a border collie will herd, herd, herd, many of these dogs will fight, fight, fight, when given the chance. When you have a multi dog household, it is advisable to crate and rotate, or learn how to for when you need to. I've got two dogs in my house right now that can absolutely never ever be together. They take turns being out. Stick around the forum, read, and see some of the threads we see all too often about how "oh, my dogs got into a fight, I never thought it would happen" or "my dog got into a fight at a dog park" or other crap like that.
BTW, WTF is a "pitty"? |
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12-22-2010, 05:14 PM | #11 |
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12-22-2010, 05:20 PM | #12 |
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12-22-2010, 05:21 PM | #13 |
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I think the pit bull community as a whole has become so accustomed to covering it's ass that the dog aggression mantra is almost subconscious. "DA" encompasses many behaviors, in many dogs of all breeds.
Is aggressive behavior towards other dogs more prominent in a tenacious breed of dog bred for the pit? Of course. Is there any excuse for your dog to ever act like an asshole in public? Not a good one, IMO. But don't mistake a well-controlled dog for one with no fight. At the end of the day, these dogs are still bulldogs. As far as public image is concerned... Well, I'd rather JQP admire from a distance. No breed of dog is one-size-fits-all, and it's a concern to me that many "pit bull" folks try to claim otherwise when it comes to these dogs. |
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12-22-2010, 05:26 PM | #14 |
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12-22-2010, 05:32 PM | #15 |
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12-22-2010, 05:35 PM | #16 |
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I struggle with how to present my thoughts on this breed. I got into the breed with rescues because I thought that BSL was insane. I was running a shelter that euthanized all pit-bull type dogs. ALL of them. By policy. So I took 3 of them home. I put CGCs and TDIs on them and started showing them. I got the policy of euthanizing all of them repealed.
However, when I started, I just didn't "get it." Now, I have 5 years in the breed and I have seen what can really go wrong. These dogs aren't like other dogs. Their level of aggression when fighting looks nothing like most other breed's. Until you see it, it's hard to understand the difference. Now that I know more, I will never get another. I do too much, go to too many places. Wrong breed for my lifestyle. However, I will love and adore and take care of the ones I have until they die of old age. They are really incredible dogs. They were just a poor choice for me. I love mine utterly. They are different. They should be rare. Most of the people that have them just shouldn't. (I include myself in this number.) Many of the people who have them shouldn't even have dogs at all. The breed is in real trouble. It's easy to blame the legislators, but the truth is, the owners of this breed have failed to contain or maintain them well enough to keep them beneath the radar. If we, as pit bull owners, prevented all insanely stupid and preventable incidents from happening, we wouldn't be on anyone's radar. That's why policing ourselves is critical. They aren't like other dogs. They just aren't. And with all of the horseshit breeding going on, I worry that pretty soon, we can't defend them as utterly human friendly anymore despite that that's the breed standard. Horrible breeders aren't paying just a ton of attention to that detail, the one that really matters. |
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12-22-2010, 05:38 PM | #18 |
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says the one with a sig pic of a dog on a 4 inch thick chain link... |
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12-22-2010, 05:44 PM | #20 |
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I struggle with how to present my thoughts on this breed. I got into the breed with rescues because I thought that BSL was insane. I was running a shelter that euthanized all pit-bull type dogs. ALL of them. By policy. So I took 3 of them home. I put CGCs and TDIs on them and started showing them. I got the policy of euthanizing all of them repealed. Fortunately, none of those breeds are nearly as popular (yet). Our dogs are so literally f*cked that sometimes you really cannot blame novice owners for assuming that these dogs are low-key and easily-managed: because so many of the "pit bulls" out there now, in fact, are. I don't see an end in sight. Even in my few short years in these dogs, I've noticed a monumental shift in popularity and in how these dogs are portrayed. It's "cool" to crusade for "pitties". Now "pit bull mauling" headlines are replaced with "VICKTORY DOGS" and primetime cable television shows. |
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