Pit bulls not safe?

[Estevan]

Ok, I know pit bulls are cute little doggies unable to do any harm and we should not discriminate against them. But after reading that article on these dogs, I think I might change my mind.

I mean, people used to report pit bull attacks and they were the worst animals on the planet. Then all of sudden, after some kind of massive advertising campaign, we don't know what to think anymore.

Any personal experience with them?

 

[Ebla]

I have been around several. Two pits were owned by two different friends. Both of those were good dogs if you were with their owner, but I wouldn't want to hop into their yard with no one around. One half pit I knew was perfectly fine with adults, but it didn't care for small kids much. A last pit encounter I had was with a neighbor recently who let it run loose. It came into my yard and lunged at my leg, but backed off when I stood my ground and commanded it "no".

 

[Lisa]

Yes, gorgeous dogs. It's not the dogs that are the problem it's the owners. Raise a dog right and it'll be great, raise a dog wrong and it won't. Any dog has the potential to be dangerous, they're animals, after all but treated well you have nothing to worry about.

I have a rottweiler and a staffordshire bull terrier - both claimed to be vicious dogs. Want to see how vicious they are?



The staffie is an ex-bait dog, who we rescued. He was skin and bones when we got him and we worried that he wouldn't be able to assimilate into the family, but.. as you can see... he's so chilled out

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I had a labpit, very awesome dog. Nice dog too and you could see the pit in him very well. He was the biggest baby you'd ever seen. I have friends with full blooded pits, neither of them are mean or have ever shown sign of it and some are quite old dogs. People who say the whole breed of pit bulls are bad are just as bad as racist people - folks we could live without in this world...

 

[Estevan]

Cute pictures. Yeah it's the owners. But when you buy a new dog, don't you want one that has some previous training by an expert?

 

[Lisa]

Cute pictures. Yeah it's the owners. But when you buy a new dog, don't you want one that has some previous training by an expert?

I've never bought a dog that's had training, but then I generally get puppies - 8 weeks old and full of attitude. I like to train a dog myself. Our staffie is the first dog we've owned that we got full grown.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Cute pictures. Yeah it's the owners. But when you buy a new dog, don't you want one that has some previous training by an expert?

I wouldn't. You don't usually know how they trained them - what if the training was cruel and there is something that has then essentially snapped in the K9?

 

[Ebla]

Cute pictures. Yeah it's the owners. But when you buy a new dog, don't you want one that has some previous training by an expert?

I would say train it yourself. It is part of the bonding process, and when done right is a "game" to the dog...most want to please. If you need help there are plenty of experts who give classes and guidance.

 

[Goodfella]

Yes, gorgeous dogs. It's not the dogs that are the problem it's the owners. Raise a dog right and it'll be great, raise a dog wrong and it won't. Any dog has the potential to be dangerous, they're animals, after all but treated well you have nothing to worry about.

I have a rottweiler and a staffordshire bull terrier - both claimed to be vicious dogs. Want to see how vicious they are?

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The staffie is an ex-bait dog, who we rescued. He was skin and bones when we got him and we worried that he wouldn't be able to assimilate into the family, but.. as you can see... he's so chilled out

Do you have a yart where they run around, or you keep them inside just walk them daily?

 

[Lisa]

Do you have a yart where they run around, or you keep them inside just walk them daily?

Both. My back garden is huge - they have free run there. But I also live in the countryside, so they get walked every day too. Although, Myka (the rottie) doesn't appreciate it very much. She's very lazy.

 

[Ebla]

Although, Myka (the rottie) doesn't appreciate it very much. She's very lazy.

That is funny...I had a dog in my youth that we couldn't use the word "walk" in conversation because he would expect/demand to be walked.

 

[Goodfella]

Both. My back garden is huge - they have free run there. But I also live in the countryside, so they get walked every day too. Although, Myka (the rottie) doesn't appreciate it very much. She's very lazy.

Have been looking into getting a dog but considering i live in a apartment now and travel quiet a bit it may be difficult =/

 

[Lisa]

That is funny...I had a dog in my youth that we couldn't use the word "walk" in conversation because he would expect/demand to be walked.

Bobbie (the staffie) loves going for walks. You only have to look in the direction of his leash and he's up and ready to go. Myka hides. Have you ever seen a rottweiler try to hide? She shoves her head behind the sofa (the rest of her doesn't fit) and assumes you can't see her. She occasionally tries to hide behind the cat, that's not very successful either.

 

[Cassius]

I think some breeds of dogs are more susceptible to aggression than others....A Poodle for example is likely not going to be an overly aggressive breed but i do think for pitbulls that their breed is susceptible to such unfortunate claims. I'd never want to own one personally or be around one.

 

[Ebla]

Have you ever seen a rottweiler try to hide?

LOL...no on the Rottweiler, but did know a Great Dane that would do something similar. Now the dog I mentioned above also knew the word bath/understood the activities that preceded it and would hide. However, being a scottish terrier he was more successful at it.

 

[Lisa]

.A Poodle for example is likely not going to be an overly aggressive breed

Poodles are horrible dogs

Applied Animal Behavior Science Journal did a study a few years ago. They found the most aggressive dog breed to be the daschund, followed closely by Chihuahuas with third place going to the Jack Russell.

The report goes on to say:-

One of the study’s researchers thinks that bigger dogs were thought to be more aggressive because past research looked at bite statistics—but most bites are not reported. Bigger dogs have bigger bites, which makes it more likely that those–not Dachshund bites—are the ones being medically treated and therefore reported. This study, however, surveyed 6,000 dog owners instead.

The least aggressive breeds included Basset Hounds, Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Siberian Huskies, and Greyhounds. Pit Bulls and Rottweilers scored about average to below average in the study.

 

[Ebla]

Poodle for example is likely not going to be an overly aggressive breed

Actually most poodles, at least the toy kind, I have known have been biters. Of course they can't do the damage of a pit.

 

[Lisa]

Actually most poodles, at least the toy kind, I have known have been biters. Of course they can't do the damage of a pit.

And therein is the biggest issue - because of the nature of the bite, people are less likely to report a bite by a poodle, or a smaller dog than they are by the bigger dogs. It doesn't mean the bigger dog is more aggressive, just that it can do more damage when they do bite.

 

[Ebla]

Poodles are horrible dogs

I have known a couple of Standard sized poodles that were good dogs, but I would not have a toy poodle.

 

[Digital Doctor]

Pitbulls are banned in Ontario, Canada.
Since 2005.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/pit-bull-ban-begins-1.522388

Prostitution is not illegal now. Sort of.
Weed will be legal in a few years. For now, getting caught with it is a fine, not a criminal offence. And my cop friends say they charge 1/200 people because they dont care.
But pitbulls are banned.