ATTN: American Pit Bull owners.

[coffeemama]

I have to say that pits aren't really my favorites-BUT-my father-in-law has the sweetest pit named Roscoe. He does eat opossums and did kill a cat, but to people he is really sweet and gentle. I would never own one just because I hate the negative outlook that society as a whole has on them, and my own experiences with pits owned by irresponsible people. That's just me though. If you have the time and resources to spend with your puppy, you can end up with a wonderful companion. There are plenty of rescues with puppies too, so maybe look into that. Good luck

 

[punkin]

This is Cocoa. In my signature, she is the dog that found us. When she first came she was starving and covered in ticks. After about 3 months, she was in great shape. She is one of the sweetest and smartest dogs I have ever owned. One Fourth of July party, my neices and nephews were rolling around with her. Only having her about 4 months then and not being around young children, I was a little worried at first. She loved it and was so gentle. She is great to have around the house, because most strangers will not pull into the driveway when they see her. Little do they know, all she has ever mangled was a paintbrush.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

And also, Pit Bulls are dog aggressive. That is in their breed.

Lack of proper socialization and strong training can result in a dog with aggressive tendencies. Under the care of an overly-permissive or uneducated owner, Pit Bulls can become very dangerous dogs​

 

[can you hear me now?]

I have a female brendle pitt bull and she is one of the best dogs I own. I have seen it in this thread quite a few times and I agree. All you have to do is show them who is the dominent one and they are your loyal companions. Here are a couple of pictures of Giada, she weighs about 50 lbs and like I said is a great dog.

 

[fowltemptress]

I personally dislike pit bulls, but you will never hear me spreading the hateful propaganda about them. Despite my preferences, there is no denying they are one of the sweetest breeds out there.
We live near a dog park, and pits outnumber every other breed, including mutts, that I see there. They are always very friendly, and my little terriers run off and play with the pits as readily as with any other dog. I suppose an irresponsible pit bull owner would not think of bringing their dog to such a heavily trafficked park. They are bundles of energy and affection, just like any other well cared for dog.
The dogs at the park that cause the most trouble are the small terriers. They can be monsters on short legs . . . the owners seldom seem to think twice about it. I'm assuming it's because terriers are small, and people don't realize they can cause quite a bit of damage. The only truly aggressive dogs I've seen at the park were a golden retriever and a standard poodle. I'm not saying those are bad breeds, they're just not breeds people suspect aggression from, and these two at the park were terrifying.
The point is, every dog has the potential for problems . . . and the potential to be the greatest companion ever. I have yet to meet a pit with even the slightest bit of dog aggression, let alone aggression towards humans.

 

[WisconsinChick]

I work at an animal and am more afraid of the little toy dogs than any large breeds! chihuahuas bite more people every DAY than pitts do in a year but pitbulls are more powerful so they can do more damage....just a thought.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Where I board my horses at, the owners have a pit bull named Anvil (the guy is a farrier) and he is the friendliest, calmest (if not most intelligent

) dog. Their two sons and my daughter are always hugging and leaning on him. When I take my lab/husky out there, he licks her jaw but has never been aggressive with her. When confronted with a coyote, he ran away.

I recently saw a survey done by the University of PA and the top ten most aggressive dog breeds are as follows:
10. German Shepherd
9. Border Collie
8. Springer Spaniel
7. Beagle
6. Pit Bull
5. Australian Cattle Dog
4. Akita
3. Jack Russell Terrier
2. Chihuahua
1. Daschund

The springer spaniel was the only one that surprised me. I thought most hunting dogs were pretty mellow

 

[purplebaby]

Quote:

each dog is different. start preparing now by watching cesar milan, there is also a forum on yahoo forums for him
there is a lot to do b4 u get a dog. learn all u can.
btw my 3 rescued pits live in peace with my 9 lb terrier mix and my 7 lb shiba inu
mb


edited to say that it all depends on the dog, owner and how much prey drive each dog has also. my saint bernard had to be rehomed as she had very strong prey drive and dog aggression, but was amazing with people.

 

[Chicken_Lover4567]

I went down to visit my Aunt Ronda, and she had a female pit bull. I freaked out, but she was the sweetest dog I'd ever met! Her name is Little Momma. She was fighting over a tug rope with a tiny Daschund, and she wound up on the floor, her ear in the tiny dog's mouth. She is a big push over, and the cutest, sweetest dog around. She sleeps with my Aunt in the water bed.

 

[key west chick]

We had a pit when I was in high school.BEST dog we ever had. He was so gentle he would take a piece of pizza crust from my lips. Friends would come over and be scared of him and I would show the pizza thing and they were amazed. Most thought all pits were bad so they left my house with a different view of them.Bo's best friend was our 4# yorkie terrier. Any dog has the potential to be dangerous. A 5# toy breed can be more unpredictable than a pit, it's all how you raise them.