Pit Bulls and their bad rap

[PitOnTheProwl]

This is always a long debate that turns into a heated one
My passion runs deep for my breed of choice BUT I will never deny my dogs history either.
"Pit Bulls" were NEVER bred by anyone EVER to be a baby sitter.
They were bred for several reasons that make them the champion gladiator of the animal world
"Game" in the dog is genetic and there is nothing you can do to curb that other than know your dog and how to keep him/her out of a bad situation.
This breed was bred to hold and kill (Game). People dont realize that human aggression was KILLED out of them. Original fighters had huge standards to meet with their dogs. There were always 3 humans and 2 dogs in the ring. Any of these humans could handle either dog at any time during the fight. If either dog growled, snapped, or bit one of the humans IT WAS KILLED ON THE SPOT.
A good bred bully is not and should not be considered a guard dog, they should love any and all human contact. Depending how deep the game runs in them depends on how they will react with other animals. I dont EVER trust one of my bullys alone with any other animal!!!!! This is because I dont ever want to give my dogs a chance to fail
The biggest problem is you have too many people that want a penis extension and others that want easy money. They dont care what happens after they get the cash. They dont explain how much WORK this breed really is.
A bored bully is a dog fixing to get in trouble. Their energy level is the highest of all dog all the time. A tired bully is a great dog but you can almost kill yourself trying to tire one out.
I could go on all day about my dogs and I am a wealth of information that no one wants to hear about them but I will cut this short because mine are telling me its time to poo
People need to do two things:
1-Know and accept what their dogs are for, quit denying and set them up for success NOT FAILURE.
2-Realize everything on TV/Media is not REAL!!!!!!! (San Antonio's "pit bull" definition is a muscular short haired dog!!!) (Last year SAPD shot and killed 2 pit bulls that photos later revealed were BOXERS!!!!)

[rabernet]

My neighbor has two of the sweetest pit bulls. However, he's new to my neighborhood, and I don't know them well enough to trust them with MY dog.

One day he came home and they were off leash and came running up to my dog to sniff her.

Well, she's a grumpy old (12 years old) golden retriever mix and she does NOT like feeling like another dog might try to dominate her, so she gives a warning snarl and snap.

In fact, usually when she meets new dogs, I usually drop her leash, because she feels like she can't get herself out of an uncomfortable (for her) situation when she's leashed, and I've learned that makes her more likely to snap at another dog. When she does not on leash or has a dropped leash, she feels like she can get away and less likely to snap.

Anyway - because I didn't know if his dogs were dog aggressive or not (well, they obviously weren't when they ran up to her to meet her). I didn't know how they'd respond if she snapped at them.

That's MY primary concern around pits. I know my dog's limitations, so it's difficult when I don't have any control of the situation, like my neighbor's two dogs running up to mine, while she's on leash and they are off.

When my dog isn't with me, I love up the pits. When my dog is with me, I do give them a respectable distance, simply because I don't know how THAT particular dog was raised. And it's not their fault if the respond to my dog, but they pack a much bigger punch.

[TheSnakeEye]

Good grief,.. this again don't get it twisted,.. there's more to pit bulls or any breed for that matter,..than how they're raised. It's a combination of the owner as well as the dogs genetics and what they were bred for. You can't simply over ride their DNA and Instincts because they were brought up in Never Never Land. You can manage unwanted behavior but the drive is still there.

Why do herding breeds herd, scent hounds track, pointers point, retrievers retrieve with out being trained how? Because it was bred into them to do so. Back in the day they picked the best dogs with what ever traits they were trying to enhance, sight, sound, scent, instincts, aggression what ever and bred them together. Pit bulls or any bully breed for that matter are no different. People do the same thing today with Bps (animals) regardless of the defects some of them carry and pass on.

We have thieves, serial killers, rapists and pedophiles who were raised right, never neglected or molested and look how they turned out. Don't get me wrong, some dogs as well as people do need to be put down in the quickest way possible. But their actions are not always because of how they were raised.

Regardless of whether or not they have a sob story to make you believe it.

Pits weren't bred to hunt people or fight each other. So I FIRMLY believe that when they become aggressive towards strangers and other dogs it is the OWNER's fault. Pits were bred as game dogs, so granted I would expect them to naturally want to hunt small animals. But the aggressiveness most of us see on TV or on the news is the owner only. The power they produce is a main reason why people use them, so the power they have is what has put them in the negative spot they are in now. People don't fight Labs or Golden Retreivers cus they weren't bred to hunt, but not only that they don't pack the power that pits do. It's unfortunate that scumbag people have abused the real reason the American Pitbull Terrier was created for and used them for negative things which have put a natural fear of them in people's eyes.


As for your comment on the theives, serial killers, and rapist. I can almost guarantee you that for the most part, serial killers and rapist had something happen to them growing up that effected them so much that it caused mental harm. Just about every serial killer fits a certain profile. They just don't become serial killers over night. And if for some reason they do, I can almost guarantee you that there is some sort if chemical inbalance that lead them to be like that.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Pits weren't bred to hunt people or fight each other.

You better check your history from back in the 1800s
Both Irish and Scottish

[jason_ladouceur]

You better check your history from back in the 1800s
Both Irish and Scottish

I’m going to have to go with Pit on this one. the modern APBT are without a doubt descended from "pit dogs". first used for bull baiting during the renaissance, then later for fighting against other dogs. in fact there gentle nature with people was breed into them specifically to allow handlers to separate to riled up animals during one of these pit events more safely. there is some evidence that the breed was used to hunt vermin and even act as a baby sitter for children while the parents were in the field. but without a doubt the primary reason this breed was bread was for the ring.

[bubblz]

Pits weren't bred to hunt people or fight each other. So I FIRMLY believe that when they become aggressive towards strangers and other dogs it is the OWNER's fault. Pits were bred as game dogs, so granted I would expect them to naturally want to hunt small animals. But the aggressiveness most of us see on TV or on the news is the owner only. The power they produce is a main reason why people use them, so the power they have is what has put them in the negative spot they are in now. People don't fight Labs or Golden Retreivers cus they weren't bred to hunt, but not only that they don't pack the power that pits do. It's unfortunate that scumbag people have abused the real reason the American Pitbull Terrier was created for and used them for negative things which have put a natural fear of them in people's eyes.

It's not just small animals, size has nothing to do with it. The aggression you see on tv is not just the owner but the media (for only covering pit bull stories) and their genetics as well. Bred to be aggressive yes DA not HA but People Pleasers. So that aggression can be redirected towards anything the owner wants.

They weren't bred to hunt people (I don't know of any animal that was) but they were bred to be DA and to fight. There's only one breed that even has Pit bull in its name and very few people would be able to pick that dog out of a line up. According to BSL a lot of dogs fit the profile of a Pit Bull or Bully breed but does that mean they should be banned too,.. No.

As for your comment on the theives, serial killers, and rapist. I can almost guarantee you that for the most part, serial killers and rapist had something happen to them growing up that effected them so much that it caused mental harm. Just about every serial killer fits a certain profile. They just don't become serial killers over night. And if for some reason they do, I can almost guarantee you that there is some sort if chemical inbalance that lead them to be like that.

I could kill how ever many people I want then claim PTSD. Does that make it so, No but just because I tell you a few things about what I saw, may or may not have done while deployed most people would believe it.

People are too quick to take full responsibility for something that's positive and point the finger when something negative happens. Even though they may be at fault on both ends.

"It's a combination of the owner as well as the dogs genetics and what they were bred for. You can't simply over ride their DNA and Instincts because they were brought up in Never Never Land. You can manage unwanted behavior but the drive is still there."

All they need is the opportunity to prove it and it's the owners job to make sure that doesn't happen.

[SilverDemon]

I've never met an aggressive pit bull. My uncle had two while I was growing up, first Bruiser (who was HUGE for a pit, big enough that 6 year old me could ride him like a horse), then Josie. Your biggest threat from Bruiser would be if he left bruises on your legs from wagging his tail so hard, and the biggest threat Josie ever posed was licking you to death.

They were both powerful dogs and sometimes didn't know their own strength, but they didn't have a mean bone in their bodies. Sadly Bruiser was stolen out of my uncle's backyard, and Josie passed away last year at the ripe old age of 15.

On the other hand, the only dog ever to maliciously bite me, including leaving bruised and broken skin: A labrador.

I fully believe that it's the owner, not the dog.

[BallsUnlimited]

My baby who is turning 9 next month. Love her to death and after owning several other types of dogs I will never not own a Bully. Mix or pure bred Im a bully guy at heart. Ive grown up with them a huge portion of my life and have even been bit in the face by one and that is still not enough to change my mind. I have never met a more loving animal then my pits. Anyone thats from around my way knows both my dogs and falls in love with them. Anything with the wrong owner can end up bad the bullys you just need to stay on top of and keep them outta situations that could lead to something bad. My dogs will get along with different sexes from themselves but put my female with a female or male with a male and it will be bad news. While most go out and spend a ton of money for a pit I will always go to the local shelter and adopt. Here in nyc there are more bullys in shelters than anything else. A lot of people get them for the tough guy look, i get them bc there the best dogs around.

[Homegrownscales]

My baby Zeus:


I have had Zeus since he was 8 wks old. And he is 7 now. He is my one and only love. In the whole world. I've never had an issue with this dog from day one. Hell he was the one attacked by a Scottie and he didn't even fight back.

Now that was a mean crummy little dog. Zeus has been around children of all ages, puppies, all other types of animals. He's terrified of our ferrets. Lol. Poor baby.
I truely beleive just that just like any dog. They behave badly if they don't have a pack leader. Cesar Milan is my man! Any dog needs to be given exercise, boundaries, and limitations and then love. Any dog should be walked daily, taught daily and loved daily. If they are given too much of one thing they lack in another. Zeus has been and will continue to be the best dog I have ever had. If you have a chiuahua that behaves like crap and bites someone...well it's a tiny bite. But obviously a larger dog is going to do more damage. Pet owners just like with any animal need to do research before they bring any pet into their home. Do they match energy level? Do they match space requirements? How about training ability? The thing I've seen about my boy is he needs that training, he needs his exercise and he needs his love. Just like with a child too much freedom he'll do whatever he wants. Too little and he's frustrated. I know for a fact I will never own another type of dog. Zeus has changed many minds about pitts and I look for more minds to change daily.

I do like to show my baby off.
Cheers to all those pit owners out there! All your pups are gorgeous!


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

[Lana's_mom]

It is such a sad thing that people are so judgemental of this breed. I am a dog trainer and groomer and I have been bit my more labs and cocker spanials than any other breed. I love the Pit Bull breed. I do believe that this breed along with the other strong breeds, German Shepherds, Rotts, Mals, ect.... should only be owned by people with experience in handling the stronger dogs. And if a first time dog owner wants one of these breeds they need to work closely with a good breeder who can pick out a soft tempered and easy going personality puppy for them. But the truth is that what made me fall in love with this breed is simple. In 2003 a large intact male Pit Bull was hit by a car in front of my business. He was in really bad shape, and it took me and 2 other people to move him onto a blanket and put him in my car so I could take him to the vet. Than the vet tech lost her grip on the blanket that we were carrying him on and dropped him broken rear end on the ground. Never once did this dog growl or snap at anyone. He was muzzled for safety and the only thing that he ever did was I tripped on his broken leg trying to get the blanket under him and he jerked his head at me yelped. I felt horrible about that. Sadly He was to broken to save and the vet put him down. Than in 2009 I found this little Pit mix on the side of the interstate after being hit by a car. 1 back leg was clearly broken, and she had fire ant ridden road rash. Got her to the vet, the x-ray showed that both back legs were broken and her hip was fractured. I had to resplint her legs every other day and tend to her for a couple of months, and even tho I know that everything I had to do to take care of her had to hurt more than any pain I have every felt, she too never once growled or snapped. She is a wonderful member of my family now. And than today a 6 month old Pit Bull was hit infront of my house this morning. She too was busted up, road rash, and clearly her back end was broken. When I found this sweet baby under a bush the first thing she did was wag her very broken tail at me. And everytime I came near her she wagged it, even tho it had to hurt. We got her to the vet and they informed us that her hip, tail and back were broken and she was beyond repair. And guess what, she too never growled or snapped. I feel so horrible that I couldn't save this sweet little girl.
But after 3 seperate Pit Bulls/Pit mix dogs reacting the same way when in such an extreme amount of pain, no one will ever convince me that this breed is vicious. I loved Pits even before these events, but these proved to me what this breed is really like. All 3 of these dogs were strays and had never met me before, and they were all the most sweetest even in the face of horrible pain. Sorry for the length of this message, but it is a subject that I care about deeply.

Here is my little Pit mix right after getting her to the vet. We named her Dusty.


And here is what she looks like today, 2 years later.