Pitbulls *#@^ Dogs

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

I agree with Chickbea. I have known sweet pitbulls (my mil had one for a very long time. He was aggressive to other dogs, but not at all to people.)

The scariest dog I know was my sister's dalmation Eddie. It is really sad, but so many people breed dogs to sell them, and never give a thought to what sort of temperament they are passing on. My sister got Eddie when he was 8weeks. I knew that dog his entire life, and used to take him for rides in my car. He became unbalanced, and would growl at me, tried to attack a friend of theirs <this was before they had kids, or I think they would have gotten rid of him then>. They talked to the vet, read books, tried everything they could think of. The dog settled down.. and then out of the blue two years later bit their daughter. Thankfully it was a tiny cut, but they had the dog put down the next day. They had owned him for six years.

I do think many owners contribute to aggression in their dogs by not correcting dogs with dominant tendency (my dogs are not allowed on ANY furniture, and I always go first through doorways, etc. They know where they are in the pecking order here), BUT many many dogs are bred with a complete disregard to the personalities of the parents. And this can be ANY breed. I also know of a Golden Retriever who bit kids, and was overall a nervous dog.

-Meghan

 

[chickbea]

edbama2 -
I'm sorry - I meant to open my post with best wishes for your piggie.
What a horrible thing - and happily you got them to release hold. That's no easy trick with a pit bull!

 

[Alleyoops25]

I am sorry two ED.... I hope you get the problem solved. And SOOOON

 

[werblessd1s]

I TOO HOPE YOUR PIGGY RECOOPS FROM THE AWEFUL ATTACK.THE DOGS ARE NOT TO BLAME.THERE ARE NOT ANY BAD DOGS. JUST IRRESPONSABLE DOG OWNERS. PIT BULLS ARE AWESOME DOGS. THE RAP THEY ARE GETTING IN THE MEDIA IS SAD. IF YOU HAVEN'T OWNED A PIT BULL IT'S NOT FAIR TO JUDGE THEM BY THE ACTIONS OF A FEW THAT WEREN'T PROPERLY CARED FOR. PEOPLE ARE TRULY SHOCKED WHEN THEY MEET MY RED NOSE PIT, HE HAS CHANGED A LOT OF MINDS CONCERNING PIT BULLS.
The Breed's Original Purpose
Humans have created specialized dogs through emphasizing desired traits and eliminating unwanted ones. It is no different with the pit bull type dogs. The American Pit Bull Terrier has been "selectively" bred for hundreds of years to fight other dogs. This is the sad "work" these dogs were created for. In the same way that Labradors were bred to retrieve birds, APBTs were bred to face other dogs in mortal combat. Even in dogs that are not recently bred from fighting lines, the urge to fight can arise at any time. Not to strongly emphasize this fact would be negligent.

That said, we can't blame specialized breeds for behaving as they were bred to. Specific traits were bred into the dogs and are now part of the breed's character. It's like the digging instinct of many Terriers, the herding behavior in Shelties, the compulsion to run in Greyhounds, etc. Your Pointer may have never spent a day on a real hunt, but he may still point and flush birds as his ancestors did.

It's a mistake to think that the fighting gene can be trained or loved out of a dog, or that early socialization will guarantee your pit bull will always get along with other animals. There are precautions to take when owning pit bulls, especially in a multiple-dog environment. Unfortunately these precautions are often viewed as acceptance for the sport of pit-fighting when nothing could be further from the truth. Knowing how to avoid a fight, as well as how to break it up if, despite all efforts one strikes, is proof of smart and responsible pit bull ownership.

Never trust a pit bull not to fight...
It is not a hate of other dogs that causes pit bulls to fight, but rather an "urge" to do so that has been bred into the dogs for many generations. Pit bulls may fight over hierarchic status, but external stimulus or excitement can also trigger a fight. Remember that any canine can fight, but pit bulls were bred specifically for their drive, intensity, and determination to win.

Pit bull owners must be aware of the remarkable fighting abilities these dogs posses and always keep in mind that pit bulls have the potential to inflict serious injury to other animals. A pit bull may not even be the one starting a conflict, but he has the genetics to finish it. Remember that pit bulls are almost always blamed no matter who initiated the hostilities, and often end up paying the price...as does the owner!

That said, some pit bulls get along great with other pets and may live happily with other dogs without incident. We just can't assume that this is true for all of them, or take for granted that pit bulls getting along with other pets today will do so tomorrow. Pit bull owners must have common sense and make sure they don't set their dogs up for failure by putting them in inappropriate situations.

Every negative incident involving a pit bull adds to their reputation and jeopardizes our right to own these great dogs. Keep your pit bull out of trouble!

Please remember that animal-aggression and people-aggression are two distinct traits and should never be confused. Unless they have been very poorly bred and/or specifically "trained" to attack humans (often by undesirable individuals through abusive methods), pit bulls are, by nature, very good with people. They are, in fact, one of the most loving, loyal, friendly and dedicated companions one can have.

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

I too apologize for my soapbox! I am absolutely horrified that they attacked your pigs. Really! And I hope yours are ok. Pigs are wonderful.

-Meghan

 

[SpottedCrow]

I'm sorry about your pig...I hope the dogs are worm food by now. I agree about taking pics.

 

[KatM]

I'm very sorry about your pig. As others have already pointed out, you can't condem an entire breed. Apart from the fact that most people wouldn't be able to recognize one if they saw it (http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html).

 

[seedcorn]

you can't condem an entire breed.

It's a breed bred to fight to the death.........There is NO defense for this breed, it's outlived it's usefullness in society. There may be a reason to keep them but the general public should not be allowed to own them w/o permits, training, insurance, and special living quarters.

I like pits but they are a time bomb waiting to go off. When they go off on one of yours, it's nasty as I've experienced.

 

[Kerr]

Oh thats awful!!!!
We have a pit bull law here in Ontario now
not only do all dogs need to be on a leash when
out and about but pitts need to be muzzled
They can no longer be bred and males need to be fixed
Not sure if its the locking jaw or just the
inner-breeding thats the problem

regardless........

what was the outcome?
My husband would dig a hole with his backhoe
and fill it with fur

Kerrey

 

[PurpleChicken]

1 - I am sorry about your animals and would have shot those dogs myself. There is no excuse for what happened. The dogs owners are negligent.

2 - Chickbea, werblessd1s & others gave very objective and balanced responses, I can't add much more but do have to comment further.

3 - The comment "This breed has outlived it's usefullness" is absurd and arrogant. Humans do more damage than Pitts. Have we outlived our usefullness?

Many breeds have problems with poor breeding, treatment and training. You can't condemn an entire breed, actually breeds, based on that.

ALL Dogs are pack animals and behave differently in packs. This is nature.

I have a Pitt mix. He is the most gentle dog I have ever had. Many friends have various versions of this breed and most, not all, have dispositions well above average.

One of the most vicious dogs I know of are nonsense(excuse the spelling). In fact my Pitt is actually afraid of them, even though he can kill them with one bite. My Coon Hound is more aggressive.

Any dog can be dangerous, some more than others. It is OUR responsiblity as dog owners to protect people from our animals.