[chiluvr1228]

I may be moving into my own single family house in the next few months and when I do, I want to get a medium size dog (around 50 pounds). I've been browsing through the local shelters websites and it seems like the majority of dogs in them are Pit Bull or PB Mixes. However I have a cat and an 8 year old granddaughter who visits frequently and I just won't take that chance that a dog with a powerful bite will be around any of us. Especially with a shelter dog because it's impossible, in most cases, to know how the dog was raised.


It's a shame that a dog that was once referred to as the "nanny dog" has become so unstable.

[hellob]

Originally Posted by chiluvr1228

I may be moving into my own single family house in the next few months and when I do, I want to get a medium size dog (around 50 pounds). I've been browsing through the local shelters websites and it seems like the majority of dogs in them are Pit Bull or PB Mixes. However I have a cat and an 8 year old granddaughter who visits frequently and I just won't take that chance that a dog with a powerful bite will be around any of us. Especially with a shelter dog because it's impossible, in most cases, to know how the dog was raised.


It's a shame that a dog that was once referred to as the "nanny dog" has become so unstable.

A lot wind up in shelters bc the owners can't find rentals with them. It's sad. That's why I'm buying my dad a house.

[Prosze]

Originally Posted by chiluvr1228

I may be moving into my own single family house in the next few months and when I do, I want to get a medium size dog (around 50 pounds). I've been browsing through the local shelters websites and it seems like the majority of dogs in them are Pit Bull or PB Mixes. However I have a cat and an 8 year old granddaughter who visits frequently and I just won't take that chance that a dog with a powerful bite will be around any of us. Especially with a shelter dog because it's impossible, in most cases, to know how the dog was raised.


It's a shame that a dog that was once referred to as the "nanny dog" has become so unstable.

Pictures of kids and dogs together doesn't make any breed of dog a "nanny" dog. Even pit bull advocacy sites discourage calling pits "nanny dogs." I absolutely hate when people post pictures of any breed of dog with their kid and then say it would never hurt a fly. The parents of the baby killed recently released a picture of that dog with the baby. We all think our dogs are sweet..until they aren't.

[lvmensch]

My German Spitz was an inherent killer. It was baked into his genes. His prey was small rodents...he was a ratter. But make no mistake he practiced killing things constantly and would kill anything he could find in the desert. And once on the case of a ground squirrel the squirrel had better hit a hole in a second or two or he was done for.

And I believe that genetic coding also was part of the fierce response if you attempted to remove a piece of meat or a bone from him. All of a sudden the instinct kicked in.

I would think you run into this with some of the large protective breeds. If you trigger that instinct no amount of training will stop the dog. You have to do it physically. Mildly difficult on a 25 lb spitz. Virtually impossible on a heavy animal.

[BBMW]

As to #2. There's a dog run in a park near me. I always see any number of Pit looking dogs in there. There as well socialized as any of the other dogs. I've sat in there, and the pits come up to me and are as friendly, if not more so, than any of the other dogs.

Originally Posted by hellob

I think it's a 2 part issue
1- a lot of people are scared of them. They sense that fear and it agitates them.
2- a lot of people are scared of them. Therefore, they don't get socialized the way other dogs do. They have less exposure to strangers and other dogs.

[Hughie]

Originally Posted by lvmensch

My German Spitz was an inherent killer. It was baked into his genes. His prey was small rodents...he was a ratter. But make no mistake he practiced killing things constantly and would kill anything he could find in the desert. And once on the case of a ground squirrel the squirrel had better hit a hole in a second or two or he was done for.

And I believe that genetic coding also was part of the fierce response if you attempted to remove a piece of meat or a bone from him. All of a sudden the instinct kicked in.

I would think you run into this with some of the large protective breeds. If you trigger that instinct no amount of training will stop the dog. You have to do it physically. Mildly difficult on a 25 lb spitz. Virtually impossible on a heavy animal.

Yeah, but pit bulls were bred to bite on the necks of bulls and bears and not let go. Could this be bred out, if it was bred in?

[Clarkcty]

Yes it's a violent breed that has been passed on for a few decades to thousands if not millions of dogs. I don't remember seeing them in the 80's then all of a sudden a surge in the 90's.

Where did these violent dogs came from?

[clutchcargo777]

Originally Posted by Clarkcty

Yes it's a violent breed that has been passed on for a few decades to thousands if not millions of dogs. I don't remember seeing them in the 80's then all of a sudden a surge in the 90's.

Where did these violent dogs came from?

Great question! I remember in the 70's the Doberman and German Sheppard were the "mean" dogs everyone knew about. Then The Omen showed us Rottweilers. Then, like you say, the 90's the Pit explosion occurred.

[Clarkcty]

Originally Posted by stan4

The owner thing goes so far.
Lots of bites from pits with nice, normal owners.
Dog breeds come with innate characteristics. You can try to shape them and give them direction. But that's it.

I didn't train my collies to herd. But they do it. And I can't train them not to. That's what they do.

Exactly Stan! It's the nature of the beast and yes pitbull is a beast. It's in its bloodline regardless of how many people defend this type of dog.

As I have said, these dogs were never around in the 80's at least from my experience and then a surge during the 90's.

[BBMW]

^
That's hysteria, not fact.