STRICT RULE no pitbulls Period

[bumpershoot]

I have had pits and when I first got them my extended family thought I was nuts. Now they all have them. Still, this is really not about whether nor not we all think pits are ok, it's about honoring your mothers rule. When you own the house and you pay the bills you can pick. There are plenty of other dogs out there.

 

[chickenlover54]

Thanks for all your opinions! but there not really helping because every single opinion is different!!!

 

[TexasVet]

Quote:
Every opinion about Pitts and other breeds is different, based on our personal experiences with the dogs. But everybody said "your Mom makes the rules, honor them." So get over it and do what Mom says... she knows best.

Kathy, Bellville TX
www.ChickenTrackin.com

 

[redhen]

Yup..mom knows best.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Quote:
Well, none of us here can tell you what to do. Only offer advice based on our own reasoning, logic, and experience. If we all gave the same advice, BYC would be a very boring place. And while none of us can tell you what to do, your mother can and has!

As you grow up, you learn to make your own decisions. You can ask for advice and even if we all told you to do the same thing, it is still very much up to you to decide your course of action. Whether it is, to plead with your mother for this dog, or to pass them up and get a dog you all agree on. But know this, if you plead and beg your mother to get one of these puppies and she reluctantly relents, she WILL hold you solely responsible and it WILL be an uphill battle for as long as you live with your mother. Anytime the dog does ANYTHING wrong or questionable, she will pull the "I told you so". So, in my opinion, drop it and find something the whole family can agree on.

-Kim

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Well, none of us here can tell you what to do. Only offer advice based on our own reasoning, logic, and experience. If we all gave the same advice, BYC would be a very boring place. And while none of us can tell you what to do, your mother can and has!

As you grow up, you learn to make your own decisions. You can ask for advice and even if we all told you to do the same thing, it is still very much up to you to decide your course of action. Whether it is, to plead with your mother for this dog, or to pass them up and get a dog you all agree on. But know this, if you plead and beg your mother to get one of these puppies and she reluctantly relents, she WILL hold you solely responsible and it WILL be an uphill battle for as long as you live with your mother. Anytime the dog does ANYTHING wrong or questionable, she will pull the "I told you so". So, in my opinion, drop it and find something the whole family can agree on.

-Kim

A classic case of be careful what you ask for, you may get it.

Several things still come to mind, after tracking this thread all day:

It is your mother's house, and you should respect her wishes. When you start paying the bills in your own home you can do what you want.

Regular exercise and training takes 4 to 8 hours a day for a high energy dog. That's just what it takes for my Lab and my hound mix- EACH. It's a full-time job. And I still would NEVER trust them around a chicken or kitten. Prey drive is conditionable but not curable.

Can you throw a tennis ball as far as possible for 4 hours straight, without a break? Can you give up weekend and evening activities for training classes for you and the dog?

Do you have a strongly fenced yard? One that cannot be climbed, dug under or breached any other way?

Can you mother afford the rise in the homeowner's insurance premium? They WILL spot the dog and come to their own conclusions. Ours went up $500.00 a year because we had a husky mix and the guy heard it bark- once. He then wanted to see the dog or no insurance.

I'm not being mean, but I am awfully blunt when it comes to dogs. I have seen too many bad matches over the years, and it seems the dog always suffers the most. I just want you to really think through the situation.

Hopefully you will find a dog who feels right, not just cool.

 

[debilorrah]

It's all in how they are raised. However, you mom stated what is not allowed. Keep looking - you will find the perfect puppy for you out there that IS ok with mom.

 

[jjthink]

It's all been said, and very well, by everyone else. Will just echo about training being crucial with virtually any dog. The high energy, high prey drive dogs require more training and time investment. And careful guardianship 24/7.

I have had dog trouble this past year with 3 different 'neighbors', whose dogs were loose and found my yard and my birds. Thankfully I was able to save my birds but each was a nightmare situation. One incident involved 2 pits from the same household - they rammed the bird pen - they were sooooooo strong - and were tearing my hen Ellie up. Immediate discovery and intervention saved her, but surgery was required, along with a month of medication and intensive TLC. I missed a lot of work that month.

Another incident was with a husky who came barreling into the yard out of 'nowhere', and whose prey drive was so strong she mowed me down (I got multiple fractures), mowed another person down and in a wild frenzy went after my cats and birds. She only made contact with Ellie who I had been standing literally right next to to protect while she was sunning (had her out of the pen for a few minutes to get some sun as it was cold and shady in the pen that day)- my close guard of her (I was standing guard not 10 inches from her) made no difference in being able to stop this dog from grabbing her - the dog moved that fast. What a lesson that was in the speed at which a husky can move and how standing right next to your birds thinking they will be safe with you by their side is a false security. Thankfully because there were 2 of us on the case, we were able to separate the dog and Ellie before she sustained life threatening injury. She does however have a permanently disfigured foot from a dislocation that several weeks splinting by the vet did not remedy.

The third dog incident did not result in bird injury (the birds hid when they heard commotion) but I got bit by a Rhodesian Ridgeback accompanied by a Jack Russell from the same household. They stood their ground with me, snarling and barring their teeth.

The owners in all 3 cases underestimated the prey drive and energy of their dogs and clearly did not have them well trained or properly restricted to a fenced area at home. In all 3 cases their yards were not fenced. Now I am on a panic red alert all the time and my birds are almost always confined to their fenced run, even though it is sad they can't frely enjoy the yard I pay more than $10,000 in property taxes annually to own (humble house, humble property, high taxes!).

Long story short, major commitment in time and energy to do it right so that the dog gets the love and attention it needs and so that no innocent beings ever get hurt.
JJ

 

[RabbitMage]

From personal experience I'd worry much more about the Husky half of that cross than the Pit Bull.

 

[SarahBeth9394]

Your mom said no to that particular pup. She didn't say you couldn't get a pup just not that mix. If the pup has to be free go online and find your local newspaper and check out the classified ads. You could also call a few of the local vets as they may have clients with pups. You could find a good pup that mom will like in just a matter of a couple of days.

There was a suggestion someone made to read some website and that might change your moms mind. Sorry but I have to completely disagree. Being thankful that your mom is willing to let you have a pup is best. Trying to discuss that pitt/husky when she has said no is just starting an argument no matter how nicely you try and it could backfire into no pup at all. There are so many pups in shelters and for free out there that you could get that is really is pointless to get upset over those particular ones.

So start looking for a pup that will be a good fit for your family and your mom. She'll be the one caring for it when you're at school.