OT - Anyone have any experience with Pit Bulls?

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Tonya and Tiki

Tonya and Tiki

Member Since 2011
So in addition to my stubborn kitty (Tiki) who doesn't want to budge on the 300's I have a sick dog today and a roommate that wants to adopt a Pit Bull.

I normally don't have issues with pitties until I am faced with having to live with one and now I'm not so sure how I feel. He came to the house today and met my dog, a 14yr old Husky Mix, and they got along great. The cat bolted as cats will do but he didn't engage in a chase which was good. They estimate he is about a year and a half old (an energy level my dog will have little tolerance for as time goes on). But I have to say he is pretty mellow. His foster mom says the worst behavior he displays is tugging on his leash when he is on a walk. Frankly I don't think my roommate has the proper experience to own a pit. She has NEVER owned a dog on her own in her entire adult life, she's 36, let alone trained one. And I assume you really need to know what you're doing when training a pit bull. But who am I to judge. Does anyone have any thoughts on the matter or experience with pitties? My concerns are can you really trust them. The foster mom separates him from her dog when she leaves the house as she's only had him a month. My dog is definitely an ALPHA and has been her whole life. She growls at my mother when we go to HER house on vacation! The foster mom says while he is mellow he also exhibits alpha characteristics but has never (yet) acted towards another dog with any aggression. Why cant she want to adopt a nice golden retriever, a lab or a beagle??? Uuuugh, trying my best not to be judgemental but I really think she's getting in over her head. From all that I saw of this dog today, he is a real sweetheart. I wouldn't hesitate to take him on in a heartbeat. But ya never know. Do the benefits outweigh the risks in adopting this breed? With that said....you never know anything about any dog you adopt. She could bring home any breed and it might act aggressively. The common sense in me is fighting with the open minded dog lover in me. Just don't know what to think.
 
would your roommate agree to obedience training.... right away... if you agreed to her getting this dog....
it helps them bond....
it helps with socialization and learning how the dog reacts to many other dogs ( i hope there would be at least 4 or 5 in the class)
and just sets up a better experience overall.

I"d say set up a written agreement.. such as if the dog bites one of us... it goes... etc... whatever rules you need....

My little american eskimo scared me early on with leaving her alone with Shadow.... and we made sure to teach her that Shadow was alpha and to respect the cat....
I would totally freak out if a dog attacked Shadow.
I've never experienced any horrible freak accidents like that so I don't know what I would do.


pit bulls... aren't very pretty.... my dogs are are fluffy and pretty and I call them arm candy. :lol:
 
LOLOL!!! He's not the most handsome thing. I've seen some beautiful pits, he's not one of them. BIG head (HUGE jaws!!!) Small, skinny body.

She's already said the existing kids (pets) have priority. I just dont want her to go through any level of bonding just to have something bad happen and have to get rid of it. She owns the home and I feel she should be able to have whatever pet she wants. If I don't like it, I can move out. I just can't help but wonder are my fears legit or is my over acting imagination running rampant.
 
I think your fears are legit....
there are lots of horror stories....
and there are many stories of how sweet a dog was and then one day.... New Mexico has a lot of those stories on the news..... doesn't have to be a pit bull but they often are.

You are making me feel lucky that I don't have to think about such things....
 
Another thing...I fear if I actually tell her that I think she is biting off more than she can chew - she will want him more and want to prove me wrong above anything else.

Working reverse psychology as best I can....
 
Sorry about the sick dog and the stinky pinkies. That's Neko's favorite colour too. :roll:

I have a friend who does pit bull rescues. A lot depends on how the dog was raised. Unfortunately a lot of people get them as guard dogs to make themselves look tough. It'd be interesting to know why the dog is in foster at this young age. Pitties are "young" and active for a long time. My friend's dog at age 6 is starting to slow down. Having an older female as a role model would be a good match for the dog. Because pitties as a breed were created to fight other dogs, it's good to test reaction with other dogs. Anyway to test his reaction to a male dog? I knew one female pit cross who got along great with other males, but not females. Pitties can also be very cuddly. When I worked at a shelter, we had one who insisted on being a lap dog. But they are physically strong dogs too, so they need someone who can control them. Our local pit bull rescue group does courses for new pit owners. You could always see if there is a rescue group near you who can provide info.

FWIW - my brothers small dog was savagely attacked by a golden retriever and caused a $1800 vet bill.
 
Yep, I know a family who's dog (small schnauzer) was killed at a doggie day care center by a LAB and a RETRIEVER. Such a sad story. I still can't believe those breeds did such a thing!

He was found as a stray on the streets of DC. They suspect he had been with a family as he acclimated immediately to being in a house, seemed to be house broken blah blah blah...here is his "profile" link:

http://www.petango.com/webservices/....net/whsdc/assets/css/pettango.css&PopUp=true
 
I'm scared of pit bulls, and gave my opinion to my next door neighbor who's son brought home a deaf pit bull and asked his dad if he could keep it. Luckily, he did not. I was just worried about my cats.

My thought was obedience training, too. It would be really good for your room mate to learn how to do it. It does create a bond between dog and owner. I have seen so many people who get dogs and never train them, and then give them back or get rid of them because they get to be too much to handle (because the poor dogs were never trained, and don't know what is right and what is wrong).

That the big pit bull puppy ignored Tiki is a good thing.
 
I have no hands on experience with pits but from what I understand, the risks with him turning are no greater than with any other dog and they can be very loving and great family pets. The only thing that makes them more dangerous than other large dogs is their strength and jaws and the possibility of them being abused.

I would look for experienced pitbull training classes also for the dog and owner and make sure he doesn't have that instinct to chase small animals that a lot of them do and likes cats and kids. I definitely understand your concern but also don't like to paint an entire breed because of some who have been abused and don't know any better. I think it's usually the fault of the owner when something bad happens. Your friend would have to make sure she learned how to train & discipline large, strong breeds like a pit if she adopts him. Bully dogs need proper handling to be sure they do become that wonderful member of the family.

Good luck,
Melanie & Racci
 
I had a Staffordshire Bull Terrier - 1 of the crosses used to breed pit bulls - growing up.
I also had cats.

We got the dog as a puppy and already had a cat. We could never train the dog but he was very loving and affectionate - he just hated any other dog!
He was great with the cat and after she died and we got a kitten, would let the new kitten sit on his back, jump on his face, bite his nose etc... He just wanted to be loved :smile:

Despite having a dog, I'm not a dog person and I would never have another one. I do think that sometimes the bull terrier breeds get a raw deal but they are a difficult breed to train.

Like most animals, it depends on how they are treated and cared for as to how they behave.
 
Please look at Pit Bulls & Parolees onAnimal planet or their facebook page, also Villalobos Rescue(pit bull rescue) The organization is originally from Ca. & has relocated to New Orleans. I personally have owned 2 pit mixes, & have seen neither animal or people aggression from eiter of them. Proper obedience training is a "Must" as a lot of times, they just don't know their own strength!!! :o The breed gets a bad rap, they are considered fighting dogs because of their jaw strength & are animal aggressive if trained improperly.....have your roommate educate herself on the breed.................. :smile: Happy droolers! Cindy & Sabrina cat_pet_icon
 
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