Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
An actual conversation from last Thursday with a young-ish guy (as Kizzy was in the midst of doing his business):
Him: Hey, what kind of dog is that?
Me: I don't know really. He's probably a hound mixed with pointer.
(At this point, Kizzy sees the guy, stops in mid-poo and starts barking and pulling toward the guy)
Him: He looks like he has pit bull in him.
Me: No, I really don't think so.
Him: Stop lying, he definitely has pit in him.
Me: (shrug) Ok then.
I will preface the rest of this by saying that I have nothing against pits, per se. But, with that being said, anyone with any real knowledge of dogs who has seen Kizzy has never even mentioned the possibility of pit. And, fact of the matter is, I couldn't live in my current apartment with a pit, and the municipality has a dangerous dog ordinance.
This is the second person who has mentioned pit when seeing Kiz as I've walked him around my place. The other person is a self-proclaimed "off-duty police officer". And, actually, when he mentioned it, I was truly expecting to come home the next day to a notice on my door. Then, I would have to prove that he is *not* a pit. Seriously, like I don't have enough drama in my life?
Even though I find the idea of Kizzy being a pit mix humorous, to the point of saying to my bf that his maltipoo has about as much pit in him as Kizzy, I know that it would only take one person to "report" him to make my life needlessly complicated. According to my vet, he's a lab mix, which is cool, but I just want to ask people like this if their lives are so miserable that they want to cause needless trouble for others. And, in the case of this guy, to actually *argue* with me about it?
Here are some recent photos of my "pit bull":
Last edited by mishigas73; 07-23-2011 at 11:41 AM..
Reason: Couldn't get my c-d album to display... :(
Regardless, I would carry around a statement from your vet just to be on the safe side. I would also stay away from people who seem hellbent on insisting that your dog is a Pitbull and, therefore, potentially dangerous. It's a little disturbing that the one guy called you a "liar" when you stated that your dog wasn't a Pit.
I've never had someone try to villify my dog. But, then, I make a point of avoiding such people. If it were me, I wouldn't live in an area with people like that; they are acting "dominant"--it is especially telling that the people you have had problems with are both men--and appear to be just looking to start trouble and/or assert their dominance (i.e. themselves and their opinions.)
If they keep harassing you and insisting that your dog is a Pit, then call the police and report them. If you can be evicted and/or arrested and your dog impounded b/c of what these people are saying, then it is grounds to get the cops involved. Have a statement from your vet with you to prove that your neighbors' actions constitute slander and harassment. I guarantee after a chat with the popo that these goons will back off.
Hound/pointer sounds right on the money. Next time ask them what features they see as "pit bullish". I don't see any. I swear some people think any short haired dog of 50 lbs or more is a pit bull.
Does Kizzy normally bark at strangers on walks, or was it that this person was standing too close too long? If his behavior makes people uncomfortable, you could run into problems whatever his mix.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,013,815 times
Reputation: 28903
Kizzy looks NOTHING like ANY pit bull that I've EVER seen. Puh-leez!
You know what disturbed me most about your conversation with this dude, who I assume you had never met before? That he said "Stop lying..." Seriously, that would have had me boiling mad.
To add a bit of levity, the phone rang while I was reading this "...to the point of saying to my bf that his maltipoo has about as much pit in him as Kizzy" and I thought that I'd read "...to the point of saying my bf is a maltipoo has about as much pit in him as Kizzy." LOL!
Anyway, Kizzy looks nothing like a pit bull and that guy needs to learn how to talk to people.
i would get a letter form your vet (and if hes a rescue keep a copy fo the shelter papers with you (they usually state predominant breeds)) that way if you do get pulled for it you can say "not according to my vet, or the place i got him.
if you adopted him form an accidental litter ect simply state "well his mother was a pointer and his father was a hound dog..." and leave it at that.
hes a beauty.
also next time anyone assumes hes a pit in a simialr situation say to them "nawh...if he had any pitty in him hed be licking you to death rather than barking at you"
Yeah, it's disconcerting that people around here are so hell-bent on insisting that he's a pit. If it comes down to it, I can carry his rabies cert with me, which indicates in black and white what the vet thinks he is, but I'm obstinate enough at this point to say "why should I HAVE to?".
Gosh, this reminds me of something that happened several months ago, when my bf and I stopped at our curling club on the way back from the dog park. Both Kizzy and his dog were in the car. It was sunny out, no more than about the low 60's. As we were sitting in the bar, there was a PA announcement that there was a "dog in distress" in a car in the parking lot. I went out to check on Kiz, put my hand through the crack in the window, noticed how cool it was, and walked back in. No problem, right? Nope. Had a woman on my case, saying "there wasn't a spot in the shade you could park in?". As politely as possible, I explained to her that it wasn't the heat that was causing him to go nuts, it was the people walking by the car. But, she continued her "I know better" diatribe, to which I responded, "if you're so concerned about his welfare, why don't you call Animal Control then?". She left in a huff.
It's people who think they know better and want to push others around that get to me. Fact of the matter is, I'm just the average person who is doing the best she can, and that includes my relationship with my dog. If it weren't for the red tape involved, I would welcome all of this. In fact, my joke is, when Kizzy starts whining, or one of the ASPCA commercials comes on TV, that I would dial the number for him (considering that "no opposable thumbs" thing") and let him air his complaints.
I guess I'm a fairly easy target. Aside from my "vicious dog", I'm non-threatening...and people feel that they can take advantage of it. I honestly wish all dog owners were as irresponsible as I am.
Hound/pointer sounds right on the money. Next time ask them what features they see as "pit bullish". I don't see any. I swear some people think any short haired dog of 50 lbs or more is a pit bull.
Does Kizzy normally bark at strangers on walks, or was it that this person was standing too close too long? If his behavior makes people uncomfortable, you could run into problems whatever his mix.
The only thing I know is that he's definitely a hound (as he demonstrates every time he gets excited). The vet has called him a "lab mix", which I guess is their default. LOL But, that's as official as it gets at this point, so that's what I'm going with.
As far as his behavior goes, we are planning on starting to work with a trainer (now that I've gotten my long-overdue promotion at work). He tends to be overwhelmed at new experiences, and I believe that it's just his nature, as he has been socialized from the start. Once he gets to know someone, he's their best friend. But, in any new venue or with new people, he seems just to get completely overwhelmed. So, we'll work with a trainer for this, and I think that he'll come around quickly.
Your dog has that random, unique look of a mix/mix to me - lots of different breeds all rolled into one adorable dog. Couldn't make a duplicate if you tried and way too much of a mix to label the dog as any given breed. My grandma used to call them "farm dogs." Now they're often referred to as "lab mixes".
People who like (or fear) a particular breed will often see traits of that breed in a mixed breed dog. Maybe that breed is there but maybe it's not - it's impossible to know if you've never seen the sire or dam.
Mutts like your Kizzy are enigmas which is part of their wonderful charm .
Kizzy looks NOTHING like ANY pit bull that I've EVER seen. Puh-leez!
You know what disturbed me most about your conversation with this dude, who I assume you had never met before? That he said "Stop lying..." Seriously, that would have had me boiling mad.
Yeah, that's what got to me too.
Since I've had him, I've had many people say, "oh, I see X, Y or Z breed". That's fine. But to be so argumentative about it? I wonder what in the world these people are thinking.
And, LOL about what you read. I give my bf SO much crap about having a foofy dog. But, this little guy who gets around on three usable legs (after being hit by a car) gives Kizzy a run for his money. So, maybe, seeing my bf as a maltipoo is not so far off?
I found Kizzy tied to a tree when he was about 10 weeks old. So, no papers of any sort. When I initially brought him to the vet, they saw some cattle dog in him, but that was probably just from his ticking.
I suppose I should come up with a plausible story for these idiots that confront me. I like yours...that his dad was a hound and mom was a pointer. Like these sorts of people would know any better...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
.
