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I volunteered at the shelter for a while. Of course, tons of pits and pit puppies.
So sweet. So playful. They were just so happy to get interaction (like most of the shelter dogs).
But I didn't particularly enjoy walking them because they really wanted to tug of war EVERYTHING. Hard. Even the youngest little guys were so aggressive. I have had puppies before. They are all kind of chompy and don't have much inhibition (you have to train bite inhibition - a continuation of their littermates and mom), but this was another level.
We would go get one dog at a time and take them to the shelter yard. I would always walk them a bit (a walk being different then just outside play time) first and then we'd go to the yard to play. Chomp and pull chomp and pull chomp and pull. I started to dread taking them out in particular, but I could not resist the sweet puppy faces.
I never had much opinion of these dogs before working with them, but I am afraid to say I wouldn't want one near my kids.
Then again, I wouldn't want a lot of dogs near my kids. Less because I don't trust the dog and more because I don't trust my kids to make the right decision (baby/toddlers).
But how the dog reacts after the kid makes the wrong decision is of GREAT importance to me. Or how a dog chooses to play (I prefer the running and fetching and herding actions of my collies (NOT border collies - rough and smooth collies) to a breed that worries prey or chews the crap out of things or is bred to hunt or fight or take down animals).
You can teach a dog to play anything or teach it out of resource guarding or teach it to be tolerant or practice handling sensitive body parts, etc. But there will always be the animal underneath and what it is bred to do coursing through its veins. My rough and smooth collie will always try to herd something. That is just their nature.
have you ever even met or had any interaction with a pit bull?? if not, then you have NO room to pontificate on what you think their characteristics are.....
I have handled hundreds, if not thousands of them through my work in rescue and they are the one breed that I can honestly say have given me no trouble AT ALL in my time with them...... oh wait... the beagles have all been pretty good, too....
can't say that about the labs, goldens, spaniels, etc....
Yes......I've been around them. You cant volunteer in a rescue without being around them unless its a specialty breed rescue. I know people who own them and I have one living next door.
But, more than that, I have lived with different kind of terriers my entire life and they all have the same nature/inbred characteristics. Its not rocket science to understand them if you take the time to educate yourself.
If the only thing you know of them is from shelter work, that's a fairly limited knowledge and not the same as living with them day in day out.
As for beagles, yes they are great, but do you understand the breed enough to discourage ownership by people in apartments or without escape proof fences knowing that they are howlers and escape artists due to their desire to follow their nose? Or, do you just tell people they're great and everyone should have one?
This is the problem with pit bull owners. They never acknowledge that many of the dogs traits can be problematic. Most people are not assertive enough to own terriers to start with. Half or more of the people I know who own terriers of any kind have problems because of this.
If you cared about the breed you would be pointing that out rather than trying to encourage more people to own them.
I volunteered at the shelter for a while. Of course, tons of pits and pit puppies.
So sweet. So playful. They were just so happy to get interaction (like most of the shelter dogs).
But I didn't particularly enjoy walking them because they really wanted to tug of war EVERYTHING. Hard. Even the youngest little guys were so aggressive. I have had puppies before. They are all kind of chompy and don't have much inhibition (you have to train bite inhibition - a continuation of their littermates and mom), but this was another level.
We would go get one dog at a time and take them to the shelter yard. I would always walk them a bit (a walk being different then just outside play time) first and then we'd go to the yard to play. Chomp and pull chomp and pull chomp and pull. I started to dread taking them out in particular, but I could not resist the sweet puppy faces.
I never had much opinion of these dogs before working with them, but I am afraid to say I wouldn't want one near my kids.
Then again, I wouldn't want a lot of dogs near my kids. Less because I don't trust the dog and more because I don't trust my kids to make the right decision (baby/toddlers).
But how the dog reacts after the kid makes the wrong decision is of GREAT importance to me. Or how a dog chooses to play (I prefer the running and fetching and herding actions of my collies (NOT border collies - rough and smooth collies) to a breed that worries prey or chews the crap out of things or is bred to hunt or fight or take down animals).
You can teach a dog to play anything or teach it out of resource guarding or teach it to be tolerant or practice handling sensitive body parts, etc. But there will always be the animal underneath and what it is bred to do coursing through its veins. My rough and smooth collie will always try to herd something. That is just their nature.
Exactly and well said. Additionally, it doesn't take a lot to make small children seem like prey to terriers of any kind. Its all fun and games as the child runs and the dog chases and nips at its clothes until the children start screaming, the dog gets amped up and their instinct takes over. Before, you know it someone is missing a chunk of skin.
I volunteered at the shelter for a while. Of course, tons of pits and pit puppies.
So sweet. So playful. They were just so happy to get interaction (like most of the shelter dogs).
But I didn't particularly enjoy walking them because they really wanted to tug of war EVERYTHING. Hard. Even the youngest little guys were so aggressive. I have had puppies before. They are all kind of chompy and don't have much inhibition (you have to train bite inhibition - a continuation of their littermates and mom), but this was another level.
We would go get one dog at a time and take them to the shelter yard. I would always walk them a bit (a walk being different then just outside play time) first and then we'd go to the yard to play. Chomp and pull chomp and pull chomp and pull. I started to dread taking them out in particular, but I could not resist the sweet puppy faces.
I never had much opinion of these dogs before working with them, but I am afraid to say I wouldn't want one near my kids.
Then again, I wouldn't want a lot of dogs near my kids. Less because I don't trust the dog and more because I don't trust my kids to make the right decision (baby/toddlers).
But how the dog reacts after the kid makes the wrong decision is of GREAT importance to me. Or how a dog chooses to play (I prefer the running and fetching and herding actions of my collies (NOT border collies - rough and smooth collies) to a breed that worries prey or chews the crap out of things or is bred to hunt or fight or take down animals).
You can teach a dog to play anything or teach it out of resource guarding or teach it to be tolerant or practice handling sensitive body parts, etc. But there will always be the animal underneath and what it is bred to do coursing through its veins. My rough and smooth collie will always try to herd something. That is just their nature.
That's interesting, I've known some young dogs that always wanted to pull on the leash with their mouths when walking, but just as many of other types of dogs as pits. And regardless of breed, I'd say less than 5% of the dogs I've dealt with do it. I'm pretty patient with untrained dogs (or I wouldn't keep going back to the shelter!) but leash pulling is one of the hardest things for me to be patient with, I have to say. I try to look at it as an opportunity to teach "drop it". Still it's very annoying.
There are pit bulls that are too much for kids, until they've had some good training, but it's the knocking over and high energy thing that I worry about.
Yes......I've been around them. You cant volunteer in a rescue without being around them unless its a specialty breed rescue. I know people who own them and I have one living next door.
But, more than that, I have lived with different kind of terriers my entire life and they all have the same nature/inbred characteristics. Its not rocket science to understand them if you take the time to educate yourself.
If the only thing you know of them is from shelter work, that's a fairly limited knowledge and not the same as living with them day in day out.
As for beagles, yes they are great, but do you understand the breed enough to discourage ownership by people in apartments or without escape proof fences knowing that they are howlers and escape artists due to their desire to follow their nose? Or, do you just tell people they're great and everyone should have one?
This is the problem with pit bull owners. They never acknowledge that many of the dogs traits can be problematic. Most people are not assertive enough to own terriers to start with. Half or more of the people I know who own terriers of any kind have problems because of this.
If you cared about the breed you would be pointing that out rather than trying to encourage more people to own them.
yes, I know the beagle breed, as well as many others... and no, I don't sugarcoat ANYTHING about a dog and its breed characteristics or the particular dog itself....
GOOD pit bull owners do acknowledge the breed's characteristics .... GOOD pit bull owners are prepared to handle their dogs in a responsible manner.... you are stereotyping ALL pit bull owners as the low-life rednecks or gangsta' wanna-bes..... as so many do....
I don't encourage anyone to own any breed they are not interested in or feel comfortable with.... I just am BEYOND tired of uninformed people spouting off about a breed that they OBVIOUSLY know less than nothing about.....
Exactly and well said. Additionally, it doesn't take a lot to make small children seem like prey to terriers of any kind. Its all fun and games as the child runs and the dog chases and nips at its clothes until the children start screaming, the dog gets amped up and their instinct takes over. Before, you know it someone is missing a chunk of skin.
same can be said for my heeler mix girl or any of the bc mixes I have fostered.....
yes, I know the beagle breed, as well as many others... and no, I don't sugarcoat ANYTHING about a dog and its breed characteristics or the particular dog itself....
GOOD pit bull owners do acknowledge the breed's characteristics .... GOOD pit bull owners are prepared to handle their dogs in a responsible manner.... you are stereotyping ALL pit bull owners as the low-life rednecks or gangsta' wanna-bes..... as so many do....
I don't encourage anyone to own any breed they are not interested in or feel comfortable with.... I just am BEYOND tired of uninformed people spouting off about a breed that they OBVIOUSLY know less than nothing about.....
Nope....low life rednecks and gansta wanna-bes are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to problem pit bull owners.
There are lots of well meaning owners/breeders who don't understand their breed who are also a big part of the problem.
That's what happens when dogs of any breed become to popular. They are then overbred and the breed becomes unstable both mentally and physically.
So what? We are talking about a breed that is part of the terrier family.
The point should be that both breeds are perhaps not the most suitable to be around small prey like children lol. Unless of course you are some rare breed of human with eyes in the back of your head and can have your eyes on the children and/or dogs 24/7.
Instead, pitt bull owners talk only about how great their dogs are with their children.
My Scotties were great with my children when they were old enough to control the dog. But, I am under no misconception that Scotties are in general good with small children and in fact would never trust one around a small child.
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