Stigma behind pitbulls

SC Unlimited

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Mar 13, 2009
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Shaw AFB SC
I dont understand the huge stigma behind Pitbulls. People will comment on my dogs about how sweet they are and ask what type of breed they are and as soon as I tell them APBT and Beagle Bull "Pitbull mixed with Beagle" their whole perspective changes. I feel any dog can be mean and any dog can be a great dog it is all on how YOU "THE OWNER" raise them. For instance I had a neighbor that would pet my dogs all the time and feed them treats over the fence until one day they asked what they were because they wanted another dog and loved the temperment of them. When i told them they said "Oh...... I didnt know that was a Pit because Pits are normally aggresive." REALLY??? I am not trying to start a huge argument here but if someone could explain why people feel this way about Pits to me and the other Pit Lovers on the site it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
 
My parents have a pit/lab mix and I have a black lab. I raised them both. My black lab is the sweetest dog, never hurt a fly, great with kids, etc. I never hit either one of them, raised them like kids.

My parents dog is sweet until she gets a wild hair. She has pinned people against the wall, attacked other dogs out of the blue, and generally been very unpredictable. We don't let our kids around her most of the time, unless we are right there with them. That sure as hell isn't the lab in her doing that.

That is my experience with pits.

The way I see it, there are so many other breeds of dogs out there that are so much less unpredictable and you can always count on them being calm, why take the chance. I know my kids can jump all over my black lab and she will sit there and take it. I never have to worry about her acting out, EVER.
 
I remember white fang


I've a shepherd chow mix and have had 2 of ~15 people that have met him ask me "that a pit?" :rollyeyes:


Chock that one up to a hard molded stereotype.
 
I 100% believe dogs are only as good as their owners. However, I also believe some dogs have a higher probablity and predisposition to violence. Some traits are bred into dogs. Hell, look at circus animals or exotic animals kept as pets...they may be generations out from their 'free animal instinct', but there are still attacks and deaths every year from these animals. Not because they weren't trained well and not because they were active killers/fighters...but because that's how they were born to act. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing pits, I think they're a cool dog and have met some really sweet ones...but I still prefer my more mellow predictable dogs. But I get what you're saying, because I would get similar reactions about my doby and my chow.
 
I've got a cat that's meaner n sheet, but everyone thinks she's just the sweetest thing..till she bites them.. :D good kitty... Reputations go both ways I guess.
 
i mean i guess i grew up with a chow and 2 pits when i was younger and i could grab them pull there ears and they would be ok with it im not saying all pits are that way but typically a dog will give signs of wether or not it can be played with or not, like when dogs play fight as puppys you can tell when play turns real a dogs ears turn back and they no longer wag there tail it stands rigid that happens with any dog.
 
The problem with pits is that they are "owner loyal" dogs. of course the owners never have problems with them. Its those moments when they have gotten off the leash or outta the fence and gotten a hold of a neighbors dog or a neighbor that you dont know about!
 
My pit has jumped the fence and was gone for over 10 hours i drove around looking for her in the neighborhood and anyone who saw her said she was sweet but wouldnt come to them when they called. but yes pits are owner loyal i will say that they are protective of their owners and their owners property. But on the same key I would rather have a dog like that if someone breaks in my house and im not there!
 
SC Unlimited said:
But on the same key I would rather have a dog like that if someone breaks in my house and im not there!
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Just playing devil's advocate, but there are in fact other breeds out there that are just as loyal and just as protective that are more predictable and docile in social situations.
 
UTfball68 said:
Just playing devil's advocate, but there are in fact other breeds out there that are just as loyal and just as protective that are more predictable and docile in social situations.
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That may be.... in theory other dogs can turn to. and I personally havent had a bad experiance with the pits i have owned in my life. I take them to a dog park every weekend where there are lots of breeds of dogs. I will say I have been attacked by a Pit but on the same note I have also been attacked by a Lab.
 
its because of what happens when they are put in the situation just like everything else, how many labs have you heard of that just absolutly mauled another dog or human for no reason. to me pits just have that instinct like every other animal their reaction to fear is to fight instead of flight or just have a pissing match. and its always the owners who say they are the best dogs until that one random day they just snap and kill someone
 
UTfball68 said:
Just playing devil's advocate, but there are in fact other breeds out there that are just as loyal and just as protective that are more predictable and docile in social situations.
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A fullsize mastiff would be my dog of choice if the ole lady would just approve, lol.

Extreme family loyal. Great with Kids. Does not like strangers entering house!

Rather than maul and bite like a pit, the mastiff will use his 300lbs frame to hold the offending stranger down or block entrance to home. Biting for a mastiff is instinctively a last resort.

Mastiffs are best kept indoors as they require little activity, and emotionally needs to be around peope. Not a dog for someone who is just gonna chain him up outside.

and of course.......you have to be able to afford to feed the big SOB
 
BigRedB2 said:
A fullsize mastiff would be my dog of choice if the ole lady would just approve, lol.
Extreme family loyal. Great with Kids. Does not like strangers entering house!
Rather than maul and bite like a pit, the mastiff will use his 300lbs frame to hold the offending stranger down or block entrance to home. Biting for a mastiff is instinctively a last resort.
Mastiffs are best kept indoors as they require little activity, and emotionally needs to be around peope. Not a dog for someone who is just gonna chain him up outside.
and of course.......you have to be able to afford to feed the big SOB
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That is actually my dog of choice. I have one currently named Bobo. I've got some pics of him around here somewhere when he was 8 months old and 150lbs. Gotta get some more pics now that he's 2.5 and around 230lbs.
 
yall mastiff lovers would love our old dog ill see if i can dig a few pics up. we never could figure out what he was but now i think he was part mastiff and lab because he looked like a giant lab. he was the most friendly dog and smartest dog i've ever seen he knew exactly what you meant when speaking to him and he let you know with his expressions. he also kept everyone away because he was huge, the ups man actually called us one day to come pick our package up becuase he coudn't get out of the truck, even with dog treats. i'll see if i can find a pic.

it was funny to because he was attached to my step-dad like a kid where ever he went the dog was laying there even when he was inside he would lay on the outside of the building where he was.
 
Pit is just todays "gangster" dog of choice. It used to be the German Shepard, Doberman etc. Some people get thes dogs and take advantage of their loyalty by training them to fight etc. Some people get these dogs to look like a gangster but find out the dog has a stronger personality than they do. These are the dogs that cause most of the problems and give the whole bread a bad name Thye are big strong dogs and need to be well trained and know their place in the pack. I have had Pits and Dobermans but hands down the meanest dog I ever had was a Shit-zu. He was the only one I was hesitant to let people pet when we were out in public. He was grown when we got him and I believe he had been mistreated before we got him.
 
mbalbritton said:
just the same, I don't get the big infatuation with Pit bulls.
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Seems to be *the* rage over in the hood... :rolleyes:

- Purchase/steal pitbull pup
- Have ears cut
- Make it mean as hell
- Chain it to the back door of the house you occupy this week, will be different next week...
- Take it out for "walks" using a 5/16 welded chain for "leash"
- Parade it thru the streets to intimidate all the other "residents"...IOW, let them know "I've got a pit, so you'd best leave my stash/ho's alone!"
 
plott hound.
 
fighting is in their blood and no matter how they are raised it can be triggered at any time although how they are raised makes all the diffrence in the world it don't garuntee they will never attack. ever time someones pit attacks they always say the same thing." he's never done anything like this before"
 
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