I'll give my girls loaded shotguns anytime they want. (hopefully the DO want!) Just like with dogs, i'll make sure they know how to handle them. For starters, not sticking their face in the dangerous end.
Let your kid get stiches from rat dogs all day. Funny you admit to that.

Pits were bred to go against animals. Not people. If Cacti had adopted a German Shepard, Rott, or Doberman (bred to attack people for over a century) doubt there would be a discussion.

My old man gave me a loaded shotgun when I was a kid. He taught me how to properly handle loaded weapons and have a healthy respect for them. I still enjoy a little target practice now and then. Thanks pops, I know a lot of people probably thought it gawd awful, I still get crazy looks when I talk about my dad taking me out to ranges when I was a kid. I LOVE the bumper sticker "Guns aren't the problem....PEOPLE ARE" funny how it seems to also ring true about Pits.
Pits aren't the problem. The people that are attracted to having them as 'guard dogs' or 'fighting dogs' ARE. Remember Petey from Little Rascals....the dog was a Pit.
There's a slim chance a lot of things might happen. Any parent who lets a kid ride an ATV or dirt bike is running the slim chance they might have a gnarly wreck. Ever let your little one walk to school or a friends house alone? Gee golly there's a slim chance a whole heck of a lot of terrible things can heppen to them doing that! Obviously don't throw your kid into dangerous situations but frankly being alive is running a lot of chances that something might happen. As has been stated before many precautions have been taken with the dog. He has gone through training, temperment testing, etc

My sister had a small dog go for her face when she was little. It missed her eye by about a 1/4 of an inch. She has a scar across her cheeck that she carries to this day. Minimized greatly by the efforts at the time and with make-up most people don't even know its there. Any dog has the potential of being vicious and doing harm. It is our responsibility as pet owners to ensure that they are trained in such a manner as not to bite, nip, or in my opinion show aggression EVER period.

Cacti - congrats on the staffie. He's a gorgeous dog and is obviously loving his new home. You've done an awesome thing!

Cacti - I saw you were thinking of training Trejo to become a therapy dog. A member of the group I've decided to join has a so-called 'bully-breed' a lot of people immediately shy away. So she has taken to dressing the dog up in ridiculous costumes. Cowboy hats, with a little vest and sherriff's badge. Last visit he had on a St. Patty's day outfit. I'm bettiing we'll see some bunny ears as Easter nears. Anyway this totally relaxes people around the dog. They focus more on the comical outfit then the breed.

Although any dog that has passed therapy dog certification is clearly not something to be afraid of. One of the 'tests' my dog had to go through was being poked and even having his ear pulled on without reacting negatively. Some people you come in contact with just might not have full control of their movements. One of the ladies I visit at the Nursing Home LOVES the dogs. She probably looks forward to it the most. But she shakes alot and when she pets the dogs it's probably not the most comfortable thing for them. But they all understand and sit still and wag their tails. So precious!!

Thanks for the tip, thats real cool! Costumes! So fun for the people. I have to see how he does in time..He is still adjusting to his new home. He minds me well. I have him trained to sit and touich. "touch" is a special command taught by the rescue to teach him its okay to touch people. So I just keep it going. Its men he has shied away from in the past. I make sure to keep him in contact with men to maintain his progress.. He LOVES women and kids and other dogs. What I would LOVE to do is go to the Veterans Hospitals. I have a passion for cheering up wounded people. Tre senses when someone is hurt...he will sniff them to check them. It already happened to my son when he fell off his bike and my cat when he fell off the mantle. He goes over and whines and sniffs...You can tell if a dog has aggressive behavior. I watch him although he has not shown aggressive behavior. His problem was more of a fear of people, mainly men as thats who abused him. He was scared when he first was rescued but not aggressive. He did not trust...

When Tre was tested after rehabilitation time and time again. He was poked, prodded, ears pulles, tail pulled, pushed around, layed on, cats thrown on him...They showed me as well when I was there for one of our visits. All he does is shy off or just stand there.

Thats great you joined a group for therapy dogs, I'd love to hear more about it. I'm not sure where to take him for training for that specific training.

<------- WHAT DID I MISS, MORE HATERS ON GD AGAIN

Bansh88 ... you left out the most important part when you quoted me. I was comparing the damage factor between little rat dogs and Pit's

" Here Son...have a loaded shotgun go out and play........if there is a 1% chance that that dog will bite your kid then you should get rid of it. Bansh made a comment about 2k rat dogs...the difference is when they bite you it hurts for a few minutes heck you might even need two stitches. When you get lit up by a Pit it's GAME OVER ! "

BTW i don't have a little rat dog...I a have a 100lb lab ( that is not around young children while off a leash ) I have also owned rattlesnakes, guns and knives....i just don't let kids play with them.

WOW!

I never called anyone's parenting into question, I only stated IN MY OPINION, a dog with a history may not be the best choice.
Rhino guy has been a member for less than a month and seems to think all I do is insult people.
Not the case, and I did not intend to in this situation.

Pit bull or bunny rabbit, I don't care. If it has an agressive past I'm not bringing it into my home.

Now I'll just "shut the fack up".

Cacti - You'll know when he is ready. My therapy dog was also a rescue. I had him for nearly 2 years before I started getting him into this. We still aren't certified rather going through the mandatory probation period. Basically means supervised visits for his first 10 hours of work then we'll be certified

I didn't take my dog anywhere for training. I'm really lucky in that he is EXTREMELY treat motivated and it's definitely a double-edged sword that he is also smart I'm constantly coming up with new ways to make him think just to keep him from getting bored and then into trouble!

I researched different groups, their standards, what types of visits they tended towards, and then insurance policies that my membership bought him access to. Most groups will insure your dog as long as he is a member (at no cost above the membership fees which are usually minimal). I ended up going with Love on A Leash because they're the only group here in Yuma but they are great group to belong to. Eventually I want him certified under the Delta Society. Once you find a group you like and has a presence where you live, start contacting them. They'll be able to list any behaviors and commands the dog needs to know. Before visiting there's an aptitude test. You'll just show that the dog knows his commands and they'll do other things to test his behavior. This part usually includes loud noises, quick movements, and something to make the dog physically uncomfortable. With Scrappy they yanked on his ear, put their hands in his mouth and shoved him around a little. Nothing where they'll actually injure the dog but just make sure he isn't nippy.

One tip. Many sites talk about a "Paws up" command. DON'T teach Trejo this. Most groups don't actually use this command. It's supposed to be where you tell the dog to put his paws up on something to be more reachable. Problem is you have to be extremely careful not only of where the dog's paws are at all times - for instance never on a bed, or wheelchair - but you don't want them putting their paws up on anything just for sanitory reasons. I re-tooled the command to a mark command. I point and say "paws" and he has to put his front paws there. The mark is always an object or spot on the floor never a person, and usually on a visit it's a dowel that I brought with me. I'll raise the dowel up so he has to stand to get his paws on it and then people in bed or in a chair can easily reach out to pat his head. The dowel also seconds as something he jumps over to show off how cute he is to the patients

Then you'll go through what I call the "probation period" just means you work with a certified member for x hours before becoming official. Right now I visit with most of the local LOAL group and visit a Nursing home and Rehab center every other week. Once we become certified I want him to work with kids coming out of abusive situations like in safe-houses.

cant we all get along !!!!!!

No wonder you're bitter. You know, dogs are supposed to be fun.

I'm bitter ?

My kids are teenagers, my dog has free run of our home....very fun.....very cool. He just gets put on a leash or outside if LITTLE/YOUNG children are around. Go ahead and defend that breed all you want it is your right just like it's mine to slam it.....God Bless America !


Bansh88 next time can you please just send me a PM ? i'm getting sick of checking back with this thread.

So don't check back.

Put your vehicles in storage by the way. They probably have a 10x greater chance of killing and mauling someone than Cacti's dog. *just so you don't feel like you're defending yourself, that goes for everyone here with those evil, mean and vicious automobiles.

bansh88 you are always the king of "stir it up" and now you sound like an idiot. You mentioned having girls. Would you be happy if they married a guy who has a troubled past .....maybe drugs.....gangs....murder....abuse towards women and a family of people who act the same way just because this guy might be different ?

If you answer yes........That's a whole new topic.

I'd have a big problem. Would I have a problem if the dudes parents or grandparents, maybe great, great grandparents were trouble? no.
If the dude had been put into slavery and forced to fight to survive? (the comparison you seem to be trying to use yet making zero sense) I would not want her to marry the man.
But then again, I may be sounding like an IDIOT for not getting the human/dog comparison. Even thought the life of a fighting dog and at risk youth are so, so similar.

You're here stirring the pot in this chicks topic about her new dog. I'm the nice guy here

Bansh you said

"You're here stirring the pot in this chicks topic about her new dog. I'm the nice guy here "

Actually we are BOTH stirring the pot. That is why i asked you to send me a PM rather than adding to this post.

Bye

So I have been following this thread with some interest. Not only cause I watch the show occasionally but because I love pits. I love the "bull" breeds - hence why we have two boxers. We have the boxers because I didn't like what having pits would do to my home owner's insurance and to be perfectly honest - I didn't want to deal with people's reaction's. I get enough people crossing the street with just my silly boxers.

Here's where I'm going to comment - when Chappy says that when when you raise a dog from an early age it wouldn't be an issue. Let me tell you - it's an issue - no matter what. I got our male boxer at 6 weeks. Raised him myself. Last year he broke my finger from a bite. Damn finger still hurts when it gets cold. The short version is that he was triggered by something I didn't know was even a trigger and unfortunately my hand got in the way. He won. Serious puncture wound and a broken knuckle.

My point is that even if they are raised from infancy - they are animals - you never know what is going to trigger them - you can guess - but you don't know for sure. Even a "rat" requires watching because they can hurt children or anyone for that matter. Owning a dog is a risk. No matter what. The risk varies based on a lot of different factors.

Does this make anyone a bad parent - no. It just means that they have weighed the risk and found it acceptable. Some weigh the risk and find it isn't acceptable. It's a personal decision.

Do I understand where each side is coming from yes. I've been cornered by a pit - its isn't fun. It's damned scary. I've also wrestled and snuggled with a pit that our friends have - so what do you do?

Sharon I commend you on your adoption - no matter what kind of dog. You're a better person than I am - I didn't adopt because for me - the fear was too much. Good luck and let us know when the show airs - I'll be watching.

Again, thought you were "leaving" badgas. Your a rude SOB...

Anyhow, back to what i MEANT this thread to be about....

We took Tre for another walk today came home and boy that dog just let loose! Ran like hell all over the back yard. I'm pretty sure they did not have this kind of space at the rescue. He looks so happy...Tristan has him sitting and "touching" on command.

Its funny though, he ate like a mad man at first and the last couple days he doesn't seem as hungry...I would think that after all the exercise we have got the last 3 days he would have MORE of an appetite.. Maybe just a phase...

DONE thats great info thanks so much

SCHG you hit it on the head...and if you clink those links I posted you will see so much history and info on APBT...And of course I'll be posting the show info

Bansh, you just rock!

Oh and I want to add...before I adopted I called my home owners ins and talked to them about getting a pit bull they said no problem and no raising of insurance. Said there is something new that certain breeds can NOT be discriminated against. They cover 1 bite per dog no matter what type.

that's a pretty good insurance company. i think mine had a list of dogs you couldn't have. what company are you with?

Sharon you obviously did your homework. I think that's all a responsible parent/adult can do and then you make a decision!

I'd like to know who your HOI is too - ours had a list as well. Luckily boxers weren't on it. Ha!

Cesar Milan's best therapy for other dogs and pack type dog was Daddy.....a "Pit Bull"
He now has Junior who is also a "Pit Bull"

Great quote from his website.

'Hilda' from Farmers told me this...about 1 month ago. She is my agents aide. I was pretty surprised as I have heard many say they don't have coverage. I am in the process of combining my home and car insurance for a discount. Mercury ( my car ins) said no coverage for certain dog breeds, BUT will cover home. I would have to sign a document saying I would personal take liability for any dog bite before they would insure my home.

So Farmers it is....

I just wanted to thank you for adopting a pit. I have had 3 and all were either given to us because someone could not take care of it or the latest my brother found in a park in a box. I believe that how a dog acts depends a lot of who raises and trains it and it looks like your dog is going to have an amazing life with a wonderful new family!!! CONGRATS

This is my first pit when I was in high school.... Her name is Giggles! My brother brought her home when she was about a month old. Amazing girl
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I'm amazed nobody has asked a certain question yet......

In a box at the park?!? WTF? How messed up. Cute pic of Giggles...

most likely is coming to terms that there will always be food there now, hungry animals usually gorge not knowing when the next meal is coming from is a good looking dog, congrats.

Wonderful choice!!! I guess most would also be surprised that the American Staffordshire Terrier is also highly reccomended for being around children! But no, its an evil man eater!!!lol Some of you just can help but broadcast your insecurities, and athletic ability to jump to conclusions..........

I myself have about 20 years experience with the breed-two have been adopted, and the wife and I purchased the most recent. That website that one of our wonderful "members" put up is nice.....about on the same level as the eco-nazi websites that are put up with lies and inaccuracies about the sport we all love. And, just like we do as people in the know about our sport-it makes us angry that there are so many close-minded people out there that just take things written by idiots, and spewed by the media as the honest truth.....

Thanks for that link though......when I read the "MOST POWERFUL JAWS OF ANY CANINE" quip, I almost spit coffee all over the computer!!!!!!lol

I always love hearing about positive situations with APBT and Staffies. Staffies are known (correct me if I'm wrong) as the "nanny dog" or something because of how they are with children. I believe the My Gang or whatever those kids in the 40's were, that their dog was actually a Staffie and not a APBT (correct me if I'm wrong again).

As I stated, I think they are beautiful dogs that are highly misunderstood - both by people who want them as pets and those who don't. I see this a lot with a lot of different breeds. People who are not necessarily the best / most equipped to have certain breeds get them, don't know how to deal with them and then they end up with reputations.

I'll use boxers cause that's what I have. Boxers have a notorious reputation for being high strung, very difficult dogs. IF they aren't trained, exercised and handled correctly they can be dangerous. I can't tell you how people hear we have boxers and I get the - "oh they are just too hyper" or whatever. Well, for people who aren't prepared to be a dominant figure in the dogs life, then yes they are. My male at almost 5 yo still will challenge my husband for dominance - and its only gotten worse since I've been pregnant.

I guess my point is that there are two sides to everything. IMHO I believe there are three sides, each view point and then the unbiased truth - which no one ever seems to find.

Just as I don't believe its fair to pass judgement on Sharon because of the choice she made, its also not fair to pass judgement on those who disagree - I am one who disagrees - but that's ok - because the choice isn't mine and Sharon is a capable adult who can make her own rational decisions.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of incidents with APBT & Staffies. We had an ABPT terrorizing our neighborhood not too long ago. Was he a result of his ownership - I'm sure he was - but that doesn't negate the fact that he cornered several residents walking WITHOUT animals who were alone as well as ones walking their dogs. This ABPT ended up killing two of my neighbors dogs. Luckily, the owners were renters and due to the nature of the animal they are gone.

I was one who was cornered just walking without my dogs. I went for the mail - and he cornered me. My neighbor saw it and came out with a bat to hold him off and get me home. Completely unprovoked. Does this impact my association with the breed. Of course it does. How can it not?

FWIW - I believe that certain breeds should have ownership requirements. But then I also believe that people should have a permit to have children and be able to meet certain standards too!

Anywhoo - Both sides have valid points - there is sufficient "fact" to support both sides of the argument. That is the problem. This particular breed and some others are destined to have these reputations because of the actions of their so called "owners". So unfortunately a very good breed gets a bad rap.

Until we as a society can control those who are wanting them for "status" - those who would want one as a family member have to deal with the negative reputation. I'll be very honest - as I said before - this is exactly why we didn't end up with one.

As long as the Michael Vicks of the world are out there and idolized - this breed has a rough road in front of it.

Thank you, I have no problem with you disagreeing, because you do it respectfully. Unlike others in previous posts.




I have had a run in or two with dogs myself...I was bite hard once by a pit/chow mix. Although it left a bruise from my inner thigh around to the back of my leg I could not blame the dog really. I would NEVER have gone to the local pound like this couple did and bring the dog directly to the dog park without even so much as going to the vet OR testing and training the dog myself. Uneducated owners putting a dog in a social situation to set it up for failure. NOT SMART. The chow/pit was trying to hump my sis in laws rottie whom I was dog sitting. The beestard was not letting up and the rottie was getting very upset and whimpering..I tried to pull her away from him with no luck...then I tried to shoo him..thats when I got bit. (Next time I will splash water or something instead haha.) But in reality what I did should not have had the effect that it did. I really did nothing to provoke him he was just out of control and put into a situation by his new owners that was a set up for disaster. ( I ended up getting all the details about the dog after I was bite.) I suggested they take their dog, get it fixed, shots, train with him THEN think about socializing him...MAYBE! Then I went home and tended my wounds

Anyway point to story is putting the dog in wrong settings will end up in trouble. That dog at the dog park needed a lot before he was brought to the park. He did not have responsible owners. THATS the problem 9.9 times out of 10. Dogs that roam have negligent owners. Its sad really. With training and love a dog can be wonderful.

Yeah I most recent one, Tiger, was in a box in the park with his sister and they had empty food and water dishes. If my brother and his friend were not walking by they most likely would have died. He is now so happy to just have people to call his own and the only threat he has is his tail because his butt fully wags back and forth when he is excited.

This situation happened with me, but it was with my neighbor's German Shepherds. There were three of them and they had escaped their yard. They surrounded me and attacked me unprovoked while I was going to get the mail. One was behind me preventing me from escaping and the two in front of me bit me repeatedly. I had puncture wounds on my hand, my thigh, and my forearm. I screamed for help, but nobody came. Then I started screaming at the dogs, "NO!, NO!, NO!" and "STOP!" They finally let up and I was able to get back inside my house, but the dogs followed me and stayed right outside my front door sniffing around. I was crying and in a lot of pain. I was in shock. The dogs finally left the yard. I ran out to my car and drove myself to the emergency room for my puncture wounds. They had to clean them out, give me a tetanus shot, and wait until my body recovered for shock.

It was a horrible experience and made me scared of dogs, even my own dogs. The ER contacted animal control and the dogs were quarantined. The neighbor came to talk to me and it was pretty evident that these dogs had a history of aggressiveness and she knew it. She tried to make excuses for them by asking me if I was wearing a hat, because apparently they didn't like people who wore hats. And no, I was not wearing a hat. The thing that angered me the most was that these dogs regularly escaped their yard and the owner knew it and knew they were aggressive. I can only imagine what would have happened if it was my little brother who was getting the mail. He was only 5 or 6 years old at the time. Would those dogs have attacked him? Would they have killed him? In retrospect I should have called 911 so the sheriffs could have come out and shot those dogs on site. The neighbor happened to move to Florida the following week, so the dogs became somebodyelse's problem.

I used to love German Shepherds and always thought they were wonderful dogs. I always wanted one, but my incident soured my opinion of them. Do I think they are all bad? No. Do I blame the owner on my incident? Yes. She knew they were aggressive, she knew they were escape artists, but she did very little to protect others from her dogs. I still think the breed is beautiful as a whole, but I'm scared of them

I had to go to the ER for a cat bite. Anyone remember my cat Tommy? Before he was with me he was yet another random stray in my yard..I decided to catch him...the wrong way haha. I cornered him from behind and when I grabbed him he swung around a layed his teeth into my finger. Totally my fault. The next day I was feeling VERY weird and my finger was swelling up more...so off to the er I went fun fun...That cat later after time I had him tamed and he was a great cat. I lost him to cancer oct 08. Miss that guy...

Were these pure bred german shepherds or were they mixed with something??

he is a beautiful pooch. they come around it just takes a while. I have a rescue dog as well, and i wouldn't trade her for anything.

Thanks, he is great. Tristan LOVES him....such a gentle dog. He sure has me busy though I tell ya..haha

I would ask the same question of those in the media, and those in general that have had negative experiences with so called "pit bulls." My years of experience with the breed centers around my dogs which have all been pure bred, champion bloodline american pit bull terriers. I have just seen too many pictures of lab and other mixes that were labeled Pits........

They appeared to be pure bred shepherds, although I didn't inspect their AKC papers.

The pit that was in our neighborhood was a pure blood AKC Blue Nose according to the owners who were very "proud" of the muscel quality and size of their pit. This came from a conversation with the male owner of the dog on a previous occasion. I encountered him walking the dog - just fine - even petted the dog and he was "showing" him off.

I am confident that the majority of the personality disorder as I'll call it with the dog was a direct result of its owner. They were very much the negative stereo typical APBT owner. I'll leave it at that.

Given that I had an encounter with the dog once before I wasn't the least bit afraid of the dog until it cornered me against a fence.

Unfortunately through incorrect breeding practices, which this particular breed is a victim of frequently, negative traits get past down and sometimes cannot be overcome with training/love/good handling. Like every breed - they just have personality "traits" that lend to certain behaviors. Its why there are specific breeds and why some breeds are better suited for different tasks than other breeds. Unfortunately its no different than an inherent ability to herd animals that is seen in sheep dogs. That's why I believe that inspite of training, there are just certain breeds that need to be watched more carefully. I know my boxers are one of those breeds - because of their size and strength and their propensity for guarding their people. My male is not the most friendly when we're walking until such time as he gets a cue from me. He can be pretty intimidating.

I see it in all of the so called "protection" dogs. My FIL has a pure bred GS who is not trained well and is aggressive toward people even in his house. He bit me on the arse one day as we were leaving and I was hugging my FIL. Of course I turned on him and grabbed his muzzle and dealt with him. I didn't get too much of a fight as he knows me and I was in his house so he wasn't on complete guard but I can only imagine what he'd be like if he felt truly threatened. It's the breed and it has certain propensities. Of course this is the WRONG dog for my FIL but that's another story.

I think sometimes that we forget that our "pets" are actually animals and we can't read their minds. They have animal instincts and behaviors. They aren't our "kids". I'm guilty - I will make comments to hubby and say - hey check out the kids or where is the boy (our male) or look at the baby (our female). But the bottom line when it comes right down to it. They are animals - they aren't people, they won't react or think like people and no matter what anyone says they are animals and need to be treated with respect as animals.

Bump for Airborne

That one picture of them all sleeping is funny, the cats are taking up the center of the bed while this big dog is over on the edge. Guess the cats still have senority.

Thats awesome! A member here rescued a pitbull & founf him a home with me. I never had a prob with any of my pets, they never had a prob with fam or kids. I raise the dogs right, don't mistreat them and they won' mistreat you.. Had this new dog for some 3 yrs now & he's my daughter's best friend.

ahaha look at his tongue thats a great pic

The kid also has a tarantula and no it doesn't attack and kill lmao!

Thanks bldrinker...I'm glad I did adopt him. My dog rocks....

I have been bit three times by German Shephards. Two regular size and one King German Shephard. I also owned one of the nicest friendliest pit bulls I have ever known. I had the unfortunate luck to be present when it decided to attack my chesapeke that it had shared my yard with. My dad tried everything to stop it from killing my other dog. The hose, a shovel broke over its head and finally a baseball bat did the trick. Thank God my dad is a big man and my Chesapeke had went for the throat first. Although she lost half her ear, had a hole bitten through the top of her nose and almost bled to death, she never let go. It's not just how they are treated, it is just as important to know how they react. There is nothing that will stop that dog if it is set off. Rub your kid in meat and hope you picked a vegetarian. Some are great and any animal can attack. Little dogs bite all the time. Probly ten times more often than pits, but you don't here about it because they let go. I wish you and all your friends and family and visitors a safe happy life. Know what sets them off and how to react with them before it is to late. They are beautiful dogs and loyal to the end. Best of luck to you.

Thank you...I take precautions to avoid any possible conflicts. My dog reacts by hunkering down and turning around.

Update...Next sat we start our training. Working towards therapy work. If everything goes well one day we will be showing love to old lonely people and Veterans on special occasions.

Here is the big guy....I love his missing teeth Well not really but gotta make the best of it.

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Hoooray for Trejo! I bet he'll look so cute in a therapy dog vest or bandanna!

I bet the injured vets would love to give Trejo attention!