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I had an Amstaff for almost 14 years. I traded yard work with a breeder for him. The breeder let his children play with the dogs and never had a problem. Morgan was dog agressive only if the other dog attacked, heck, if I were attacked I would be agressive too. I also did not take him to dog parks and he was always on a leash. When he was 9 I finally got another dog and then two others, all three females. He was a butt-head but not mean. He was very affectionate with cats and helped raise the manx kittens when I was into breeding it. I did some small scale farming for 7 years and he never bothered the chickens, rabbits or turkeys and when a neighbors pigs came over un announced, he was just baffled as to what they were. When he was three years old I got a job as a grounds keeper of a private school in the Oakland hills and I told them that the only way I would take the job was if he went with me. I took him on the interview and he was walked around the campus to the different grades and he was a hit, especially with the kindergarten class. The school was Head Royce school and it was 1986, he was the school mascot for that year and was featured in the kindergarten section of the yearbook with pictures of him surrounded by all of the kindergarten class. When he was six his left leg had to be remove due to bone cancer, a few months after the surgery I had him in the front yard in the sun and a neighbor and her son walked by. The boy squated down and took aim at him with his squirt gun and sprayed him, he ran across the yard and jumped up and bit the boy on his side. This boy had been teasing him for almost three years and had been told to stop it. He would squirt him, through rocks at him and bang on the cyclone fence to taunt him. The boys mother grabbed her son and slapped him silly and told him that he got what he deserved and had been told that if Morgan ever got a chance he would bite him for teasing him, she turned around and apologized to me and said that she thought my dog was a nice dog and that I did not have to worry, I thought that Morgan was a goner and only three months after surgery all because some kid would not stop teasing him. I let Morgan go due to congestive heart failure at 13 years 8 months old.
I do think that it takes a strong person to handle any tough or strong breed and have told many friends that they were not suited to pits, staffs, rotts or any of the like. ... BAD OWNERS CREATE BAD DOGS....Ban bad owners, not the dogs.
I had an Amstaff for almost 14 years. I traded yard work with a breeder for him. The breeder let his children play with the dogs and never had a problem. Morgan was dog agressive only if the other dog attacked, heck, if I were attacked I would be agressive too. I also did not take him to dog parks and he was always on a leash. When he was 9 I finally got another dog and then two others, all three females. He was a butt-head but not mean. He was very affectionate with cats and helped raise the manx kittens when I was into breeding it. I did some small scale farming for 7 years and he never bothered the chickens, rabbits or turkeys and when a neighbors pigs came over un announced, he was just baffled as to what they were. When he was three years old I got a job as a grounds keeper of a private school in the Oakland hills and I told them that the only way I would take the job was if he went with me. I took him on the interview and he was walked around the campus to the different grades and he was a hit, especially with the kindergarten class. The school was Head Royce school and it was 1986, he was the school mascot for that year and was featured in the kindergarten section of the yearbook with pictures of him surrounded by all of the kindergarten class. When he was six his left leg had to be remove due to bone cancer, a few months after the surgery I had him in the front yard in the sun and a neighbor and her son walked by. The boy squated down and took aim at him with his squirt gun and sprayed him, he ran across the yard and jumped up and bit the boy on his side. This boy had been teasing him for almost three years and had been told to stop it. He would squirt him, through rocks at him and bang on the cyclone fence to taunt him. The boys mother grabbed her son and slapped him silly and told him that he got what he deserved and had been told that if Morgan ever got a chance he would bite him for teasing him, she turned around and apologized to me and said that she thought my dog was a nice dog and that I did not have to worry, I thought that Morgan was a goner and only three months after surgery all because some kid would not stop teasing him. I let Morgan go due to congestive heart failure at 13 years 8 months old.
I do think that it takes a strong person to handle any tough or strong breed and have told many friends that they were not suited to pits, staffs, rotts or any of the like. ... BAD OWNERS CREATE BAD DOGS....Ban bad owners, not the dogs.
Morgan sounds like he was an amazing dog! It also sounds like he was very lucky to have you as an owner! I love hearing stories about "pit bulls" and children. I think that more good stories should be told! People don't seem to understand that these three breeds were bred to be family dogs! Yes, they were bred to fight animals, Staffordshire Bull Terriers (Staffies) were originally bred for bull baiting and American Pit Bull Terriers (APBTs) and American Staffordshire Terriers (AmStaffs) were originally bred for dog fighting, but at the same time they are three of the only breeds that were bred specifically to be human friendly! Because these breeds were originally bred to fight animals they do tend to be animal (specifically dog) aggressive, but that doesn't mean that all of them hate all other dogs no matter what. We have three APBTs right now and all three of them get along wonderfully and they love everyone and everything, especially children! If these breeds are well socialized starting at a young age, properly trained and cared for and properly controlled, as all dogs should be, they make some of the most stable, trustworthy, tolerant, gentle, loving, friendly, family pets you can get! It's so sad that so many people have gotten these dogs jut to abuse them, neglect them, torture them and fight them! If it wasn't for people like that, these dogs would still be the most popular dogs in the US today! You really can't get a more loyal, loving companion than a "pit bull" and people that own them or have owned them know exactly what I mean! I'm not just saying that because I own three of them either. I have owned a chocolate lab, a fox hound, a cocker spaniel, a black lab, a rodesian ridgeback/ rottweiler mix and two mini schnauzers.. They were all wonderful dogs that I loved to death, but honestly, none have even held a candle to our three APBTs. They are just all around amazing dogs, and so are Staffies and AmStaffs. I just wish that more people would be a little more open minded and do some real research on these breeds instead of just believing everything that they hear in the media and all of the crazy myths! APBTs are American heros! They were once the quintessential icon of American family life and now they are one of the most abused, feared and hated breeds in the world! Why? Not because of the breed, because of the heartless morons that have destroyed these amazing dogs in the eyes of ignorant people. It's just all so sad.. If these breeds do end up getting killed off, it will really be one of the biggest mistakes ever made! It's such a shame that people can't see these breeds for how they really are!
I tried to give you rep. points, but it says that I have to spread the love first. I'll give you rep. points as soon as I can! Thanks for the positive post! We need more posts like that!
Here are some pictures of Morgan when he was around three and again when he was around 11 with O'shota the golden and Turkey Lurkey and of him when he was about 13 and a half. Here is one of my dog Chelsea, she is the white McNab/JackRussel with Goldie a brown and black McNab/Bordercollie, Mollie a black and white McNab/Bordercollie and Milly who is a pit cross? , Milly and Chelsea have known each other for 5 of their six years, they love to play chase around the yard and snap and snarl at each other viscousy, it sounds like they are killing each other. They have been doing this ever since they have met and love each other to death. They are only playing and Milly has never bitten anyone or anything including her 76 year old owner, Anne, or her dog mate Molly. Milly and Molly are in their owners will to us should Anne pass on. Milly leaves our cats alone and never bothers my chickens and rabbits, I trust here thouroughly.
Oh, I forgot to mention that when I got Morgan the breeder told me that he spent a lot of money to research through the AKC the records of his dogs and that they were traced to Petey from the series " Little Rascals ", yes Petey was an American Staffordshire Terrier and he loved children as my Morgan did. When I find my pictures I will scan the one I have of him with the kindergarten class at Head Royce School Class of 86 for their year book. He was the first dog to ever be allowed on their campus in over 100 years of their operation. Morgan was like a giant panda and kids treated him like a big stuffed toy and he would be in heaven, they could do anything to him and he would take it all. It was just that one kid that teased him for three years. He never turned on a kid after that and that kid never teased him again, lessoned learned on both their parts.
I do think that it takes a strong person to handle any tough or strong breed and have told many friends that they were not suited to pits, staffs, rotts or any of the like. ... BAD OWNERS CREATE BAD DOGS....Ban bad owners, not the dogs.
I think you've made the most important point here.....the so-called "bully breeds" are not for everyone. If you can't consistently discipline yourself or your child, for the love of pete don't get one of the working dogs.
In rescue I saw it all too many times - someone wanting a Rottie male puppy or younger male, and then neglecting the very important step of consistent training and working with the dog. If they got a puppy, inevitably people would call back in a year and say the dog was crazy, they couldn't take it, he was bullying them, yada yada. Truth is, they had a teenaged hell child on their hands from lack of consistency and firm discipline. Rottweilers are a working breed - for the most part, they need a "job" to do every day, be it obedience, flyball, agility.....something to hold their attention and help them work their mind and expend their energy. Otherwise you end up with a bored brat on your hands that doesn't listen to anyone.
Not everyone is cut out for the stronger personality dogs, yet if shelters are still adopting these dogs at all, anyone with the bucks can have one. And that's where we get into problems...these dogs need training and their keepers need training. It truly is a lifelong commitment and one not to be taken lightly.
Thanks for helping bring this all-important fact to the front. If you want a footwarmer, buy an electric lap quilt....but please don't take home a strong-willed dog if you cannot make the commitment to working with it. And believe me, even a Shih Tzu can have a strong will, but the working/herding class is hardheaded by virtue of their genes.
If you are considering adopting a working dog from a shelter and know virtually nothing about that breed, please acquaint yourself first with their known general traits. If the dog or it's raising is an unknown to you, please contact your local breed specific rescue or a certified trainer, for help with an evaluation prior to adopting the dog. Temperament tests are not fool proof, but they provide good basic information that the average adopter may not find out until after the dog is in their home, or even think to test for (food and resource guarding comes to mind). Fortunately, the working breeds are all very smart and can learn quickly what is expected of them...they are not hard to train....but please choose carefully if choosing a teenaged or older working dog that has been surrendered or found as a stray. Sometimes there's a reason - like the previous owner did nothing with the dog and now it's a holy terror.
I think you've made the most important point here.....the so-called "bully breeds" are not for everyone. If you can't consistently discipline yourself or your child, for the love of pete don't get one of the working dogs.
In rescue I saw it all too many times - someone wanting a Rottie male puppy or younger male, and then neglecting the very important step of consistent training and working with the dog. If they got a puppy, inevitably people would call back in a year and say the dog was crazy, they couldn't take it, he was bullying them, yada yada. Truth is, they had a teenaged hell child on their hands from lack of consistency and firm discipline. Rottweilers are a working breed - for the most part, they need a "job" to do every day, be it obedience, flyball, agility.....something to hold their attention and help them work their mind and expend their energy. Otherwise you end up with a bored brat on your hands that doesn't listen to anyone.
Not everyone is cut out for the stronger personality dogs, yet if shelters are still adopting these dogs at all, anyone with the bucks can have one. And that's where we get into problems...these dogs need training and their keepers need training. It truly is a lifelong commitment and one not to be taken lightly.
Thanks for helping bring this all-important fact to the front. If you want a footwarmer, buy an electric lap quilt....but please don't take home a strong-willed dog if you cannot make the commitment to working with it. And believe me, even a Shih Tzu can have a strong will, but the working/herding class is hardheaded by virtue of their genes.
If you are considering adopting a working dog from a shelter and know virtually nothing about that breed, please acquaint yourself first with their known general traits. If the dog or it's raising is an unknown to you, please contact your local breed specific rescue or a certified trainer, for help with an evaluation prior to adopting the dog. Temperament tests are not fool proof, but they provide good basic information that the average adopter may not find out until after the dog is in their home, or even think to test for (food and resource guarding comes to mind). Fortunately, the working breeds are all very smart and can learn quickly what is expected of them...they are not hard to train....but please choose carefully if choosing a teenaged or older working dog that has been surrendered or found as a stray. Sometimes there's a reason - like the previous owner did nothing with the dog and now it's a holy terror.
I agree! I'm definitely not a dog expert, but I know about the breed that I own and I am willing and able to do what needs to be done for them (and I enjoy every second of it! Well, maybe not every second!). You know, I think that one of the main problems is people that get bully breeds (or any working breed for that matter) and they don't exercise them properly or give them a "job" to do, etc. A lot of people do get these breeds just to abuse them, neglect them, torture them and fight them, but when someone gets these breeds for the right reasons, but doesn't know how to properly care for them it turns out to be just as big of a problem. These are amazing dogs, but they need to be exercised and challenged. They need to be doing something. Our dogs don't really have jobs, we are planning on getting them involved in some kind of agility or obedience soon though, but they do go for three walks a day, they go to the beach a couple times a week, we bring them with us when we go see friends and family and we play with them a lot. We like to play things like hide and seek to keep them thinking and busy because that's what their breed needs. If more people would just do some research on different breeds before they get a dog we wouldn't have a lot of the problems that we do. Terriers aren't for everyone, working dogs aren't for everyone, dominate breeds aren't for everyone and strong, determined and sometimes stubborn breeds aren't for everyone. The "pit bull" breeds are all of that and I really don't think a lot of people understand that. People call them "pit bulls", but their American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. I love helping to educate people on these breeds and trying to get the truth out, but I would never ever suggest any of these breeds for anyone that I don't personally know and know that they can and will do what needs to be done for them. As I always say, these are amazing dogs, but they are definitely NOT for most people! They are a lot of work! For someone that understands breeds like this and someone that knows what to do for breeds like this, these are wonderful dogs that will bring you a lifetime of joy and happiness, but for someone that isn't the right fit for the breed it's just the opposite.
This is my first post on here and I wish ppl could learn to judge the owners of animals and not the animal. APBT's were and still known for their love and loyalty, often called the Nanny dog because of their loving disposition and gentleness with kids. They have gotten such a bad rap because of irresponcible owners, media and hype. I presently own two and can't imagine having to give them up because elected politicians sign a bill. There are currently 75 Dog Breed Bans in effect, including Newfoudlands, Boston Terreirs, Airdales and Pugs. Do any of you want your beloved pet to be next? You really need to stand up for your rights to own and fight BSL in any way you can. "Pitbull Type Dogs" covers a lot of animals and they are being taken away from owners everyday just because they look like a pit. This is absurd and ridiculous. This breed is not for everyone, and the ones that are using the APBT for ill gain are the ones that need to be banned, Not The Breed!
I haven't heard about Bostons and Pugs being banned, but I do know there are a lot of breeds that are considered "dangerous"! Here is one of the longest so-called "dangerous" breed lists I have seen..
I have only included 1 or 2 cities/states where the breed is affected by BSL so that the breeds can be verified as targets.
1. American Pit Bull Terrier (Note: Laws dealing with “pit bulls” also state any mix of the 3 breeds AND the MOST important line, anything that has the characteristics or appearance of these breeds. There are 20+ breeds that are commonly mistakenly identified as “pit bull” dogs. ) (Denver, CO)
2. American Staffordshire Terrier (Note: Laws dealing with “pit bulls” also state any mix of the 3 breeds AND the MOST important line, anything that has the characteristics or appearance of these breeds. There are 20+ breeds that are commonly mistakenly identified as “pit bull” dogs. ) (Denver, CO)
3. Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Note: Laws dealing with “pit bulls” also state any mix of the 3 breeds AND the MOST important line, anything that has the characteristics or appearance of these breeds. There are 20+ breeds that are commonly mistakenly identified as “pit bull” dogs. ) (Denver, CO)
4. Rottweiler
5.Doberman Pincher (Fairfield, IA) (Sisston, SD), (Westfield, IL), (Travelers Rest, SC) Shar Pei’s (Smithfield, UT)
6.German Shepard (Fairfield, IA)
7.Belgian Malanois (Fairfield, IA)
8.Siberian Huskies (Fairfield, IA)
9.Alaskan Malamutes (Fairfield, IA)
10.Great Danes (Fairfield, IA)
11.Irish Wolf Hounds (Fairfield, IA)
12.Scottish Deerhounds (Fairfield, IA)
13.Mastiffs (Fairfield, IA)
14.Boerboels (Fairfield, IA)
15.American Bull Dog (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA), (North Little Rock, AR)
16.Akita (Ulyssas, KS)
17.Chow Chow (Travelers Rest, SC), (New Port, RI)
18.English Mastiffs, (Yale, IA)
19.Tosa Inu (Aurora, CO)
20.Presa Canario (Aurora, CO)
21.Dogo Argentino (Aurora, CO)
22.Cane Corso (Aurora, CO)
23.American Bulldog (Aurora, CO / North Little Rock, AR)
24.Bull Terrier (Grandview, MO - Akron, OH)
25.American Bull Dog, (North Little Rock, AR)
26.Presa Canario (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA), (Lanett, AL)
27.Wolf Hybrid (Huntington WV)
28.Canary Dog ( Akron, OH)
29.Perro De Presa (Akron, OH)
30.Old Country Bull Dog (Akron, OH)
NOTE: These are breeds that are typically over 100lbs. If your dog is less than 100lbs than they are safe in Fairfield.
31.Bull Mastiff (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
32.Neopolitian Mastiff (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
33.Tibetan Mastiff (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
34.New Foundland (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
35.Anatolian Shepherd (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
36.Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
37.Great Pyrenees (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
38.Komondor (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
39.Kuvaz (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
40.St. Bernard (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
41.Tosa Inu (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
42.Dogo Argentino (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
43.Cane Corso (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
44.Fila Brasileiro (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
45.Spanish Mastiff (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
46.Italian Mastiff (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
47.Dogue De Bordeauxs (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
48.Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
49.Akbash (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
50.Leonberger (Other dogs in excess of 100 lbs - Fairfield, IA)
It's unbelievable to me how people can think that only a few breeds will be affected by this! It started out with one or two cities banning "pit bulls", "pit bull" mixes and any dog that resembles a "pit bull". Once one city enacts BSL, another one will, and then another and another! It's like a wild fire! Now that cities are starting to add other breeds to the so-called "dangerous" breeds, another city will follow suite, and then another and another! This doesn't just affect American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Chows, German Shepherds, Huskies and the other breeds that are commonly at the top of the list. This is affecting many, many, many breeds as well as mixes of those breeds, any dog that resembles those breeds and even any dog that is over 100 pounds in some places! People need to open their eyes and see that this isn't just about "pit bulls" anymore! This is affecting a lot of different breeds and it won't stop until we stop it!
Hey PBM, me and you need to set up a "Danger Dog Owners" list hehe. List all the idiots and socialites that should be allowed to own ANY breed of dog.
That's a great idea! lol! I would love to do something like that! I can think of a few people just off the top of my head, like the morons that live across the street from us that own the two Lab/ Shepherd mixes (one of which ran into our yard and attacked Brooklyn!) that are aggressive and allowed to just roam the neighborhood!
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I love hearing stories about "pit bulls" and children. I think that more good stories should be told! People don't seem to understand that these three breeds were bred to be family dogs! Yes, they were bred to fight animals, Staffordshire Bull Terriers (Staffies) were originally bred for bull baiting and American Pit Bull Terriers (APBTs) and American Staffordshire Terriers (AmStaffs) were originally bred for dog fighting, but at the same time they are three of the only breeds that were bred specifically to be human friendly! Because these breeds were originally bred to fight animals they do tend to be animal (specifically dog) aggressive, but that doesn't mean that all of them hate all other dogs no matter what. We have three APBTs right now and all three of them get along wonderfully and they love everyone and everything, especially children! 
Well, maybe not every second!). You know, I think that one of the main problems is people that get bully breeds (or any working breed for that matter) and they don't exercise them properly or give them a "job" to do, etc. A lot of people do get these breeds just to abuse them, neglect them, torture them and fight them, but when someone gets these breeds for the right reasons, but doesn't know how to properly care for them it turns out to be just as big of a problem. These are amazing dogs, but they need to be exercised and challenged. They need to be doing something. Our dogs don't really have jobs, we are planning on getting them involved in some kind of agility or obedience soon though, but they do go for three walks a day, they go to the beach a couple times a week, we bring them with us when we go see friends and family and we play with them a lot. We like to play things like hide and seek to keep them thinking and busy because that's what their breed needs. If more people would just do some research on different breeds before they get a dog we wouldn't have a lot of the problems that we do. Terriers aren't for everyone, working dogs aren't for everyone, dominate breeds aren't for everyone and strong, determined and sometimes stubborn breeds aren't for everyone. The "pit bull" breeds are all of that and I really don't think a lot of people understand that. People call them "pit bulls", but their American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. I love helping to educate people on these breeds and trying to get the truth out, but I would never ever suggest any of these breeds for anyone that I don't personally know and know that they can and will do what needs to be done for them. As I always say, these are amazing dogs, but they are definitely NOT for most people! They are a lot of work! For someone that understands breeds like this and someone that knows what to do for breeds like this, these are wonderful dogs that will bring you a lifetime of joy and happiness, but for someone that isn't the right fit for the breed it's just the opposite. 
