why would you want to have a pitbull? (biting, collie, best)

[TheLongestJourney...]

If you want to read two good books on the subject read Fatal Dog Attacks: The Stories Behind The Statistics and The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media, Myth and Politics of Canine Aggression. Statistics can be twisted to support one's viewpoint and fears. These books look at the statistics, and, more importantly, the contributing factors to fatal dog attacks.

Also check out the American Temperament Test Society's (a non-profit organization that performs temperament testing) website: ATTS - American Temperament Test Society, Inc. - Home Take a look at all the test results for various breeds. Pit bulls do quite well compared to a lot of "non-aggressive" breeds.

I have a pit bull and I love him. He is now a part of my family, and, yes, having him is causing me a lot of problems with finding a place to live. I can see why the shelter's are full of pits; society makes it very difficult to own one and many people have to give them away even if they want to keep them because places will not rent to them. When I adopted my pit over 3 years ago (he was 5 months old) from a NYC shelter my housing situation was radically different then it is now. I had a rent stabilized apartment in NYC where I was allowed a dog. Due to gentrification and several other factors I am leaving my apartment in NYC which I had never thought I would do (topic for another post) - now I am faced with finding housing in WA state that allows pits and it is VERY VERY difficult. I do sometimes regret getting a pit bull for that reason and that reason only. It is causing me a lot of stress and costing me a lot of money I don't have to spare - but then I look at him laying down and watch the cat come up to him and nuzzle him or walk with him down the street and see him get all excited and happy when he sees kids and I know there is no way I can get rid of him and risk him being destroyed or adopted by some idiot who will try and fight and/or abuse him. Pit bulls are not in the shelters because they are bad dogs - they are a challenge to own due to ignorance and fear making it difficult to have one even if you are a responsible owner and your pit bull has a good temperament.

My sister just watched my dog for a week - her husband was apprehensive because he is a pit bull. The have 4 children and the kids just loved the dog and he was great with them. They also have two cats and a very small elderly dog and there were no problems. When the week was up her husband's view of pits had changed radically. Spending time with a pit bull is the best way to overcome fear of the breed. You very well may become a pit bull lover yourself if you try it.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by Sam I Am

Brian, get that dog in the house before they take him! That's just plain weird...wow...I would be so freaked out...

Absolutely! Whatever happened that they couldn't grab the dog on the first or second attempt, they might succeed on the third attempt.

I would not leave him outside unsupervised at all - you will be heartbroken if he's gone and you don't know what becomes of him .

[BrianH]

TBH I dont think that they are trying to take the dog. Ithink theyre sending a message to me.

[Mom2Five]

Originally Posted by BrianH

TBH I dont think that they are trying to take the dog. Ithink theyre sending a message to me.

That may be so but what will the next "message" be? My God, I would be so afraid

[riveree]

Originally Posted by BrianH

TBH I dont think that they are trying to take the dog. Ithink theyre sending a message to me.

So you know who it is?

Still.....they are trespassing on your property and touching your dog, you can't say for sure how far they'll go.

There are a lot of people who fall under the profile of being sociopaths (plenty of everyday people) and will do things you never thought imaginable.

I know you're being careful, but please be ridiculously careful, okay?

[BrianH]

Ill be careful. And as I said. I am ready for them to come onto my property.

[citybythebay]

Originally Posted by TheLongestJourney...

If you want to read two good books on the subject read Fatal Dog Attacks: The Stories Behind The Statistics and The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media, Myth and Politics of Canine Aggression. Statistics can be twisted to support one's viewpoint and fears. These books look at the statistics, and, more importantly, the contributing factors to fatal dog attacks.

Also check out the American Temperament Test Society's (a non-profit organization that performs temperament testing) website: ATTS - American Temperament Test Society, Inc. - Home Take a look at all the test results for various breeds. Pit bulls do quite well compared to a lot of "non-aggressive" breeds.

I have a pit bull and I love him. He is now a part of my family, and, yes, having him is causing me a lot of problems with finding a place to live. I can see why the shelter's are full of pits; society makes it very difficult to own one and many people have to give them away even if they want to keep them because places will not rent to them. When I adopted my pit over 3 years ago (he was 5 months old) from a NYC shelter my housing situation was radically different then it is now. I had a rent stabilized apartment in NYC where I was allowed a dog. Due to gentrification and several other factors I am leaving my apartment in NYC which I had never thought I would do (topic for another post) - now I am faced with finding housing in WA state that allows pits and it is VERY VERY difficult. I do sometimes regret getting a pit bull for that reason and that reason only. It is causing me a lot of stress and costing me a lot of money I don't have to spare - but then I look at him laying down and watch the cat come up to him and nuzzle him or walk with him down the street and see him get all excited and happy when he sees kids and I know there is no way I can get rid of him and risk him being destroyed or adopted by some idiot who will try and fight and/or abuse him. Pit bulls are not in the shelters because they are bad dogs - they are a challenge to own due to ignorance and fear making it difficult to have one even if you are a responsible owner and your pit bull has a good temperament.

Thanks for listing the books.

As far as renting with an APBT, it is difficult to find landlords that will put down the negative stereotypes for a moment
and open their eyes to the possiblity that they are wrong.
It does take time to find property owners who do not buy into the stereotypes that all dogs of certain breeds are dangerous and scary.


I know of a couple that is going through this right now with their APBT and trying to find a place to live.
I'll share some of the things that have helped them and maybe help someone else in the same situation.

*Housing the pet in a kennel while you are doing the foot work of finding a place to rent is something that my friends did--- for a short time.
It's probably a good idea to start looking way ahead of time, not waiting till the last minute.*

The best thing to do is bring the dog to meet the landlord in person.
Show that that you are a responsible owner and that the dog is well behaved.
If you have any paperwork on obedience/basic or specialized training that you and the dog participated in, have all that documented and in order.
Bring along your vet records for the dog, showing that you are up to date on all shots. If the dog has been spayed/neutered, bring that paperwork too.
In other words, create a pet résumé.

Keep a record of what kinds of places your dog has lived in, as well as statements from veterinarians, trainers,
former apartment managers and current neighbors attesting to positive interactions with your dog.
*Ask if you could use their name and numbers for reference.*

Be ready to answer potentially ignorant questions about your dog's breed without getting offended or discouraged.
Arm yourself with general information and pamphlets about the breed.
There are many, but one online site that I suggest for info is:
Bad Rap : Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit bulls

Landlords will rent to people if you have proof that you are a uber responsible dog owner and your dog is uber behaved.
It's been my experience that landlords will be more willing to rent if you show that you will be there for the long haul and not a short stay.

*Landlords are primarily concerned with liability, so the more you can do to highlight the positive and nonviolent tendencies of your dog, the better.*

I will also add don't lie. If a building or property manager does not allow pets or aggressive breeds, it is not a good idea to try to evade the rules.
Tell the truth about your dog and find a place that will welcome you and your pet. Lying about having a dog is difficult to pull off and will probably bolster the negative stereotypes that your dog and its breed encounter.
IMO, these are the irresponsible kinds of people that don't deserve to have a pet to begin with....I digress on that subject.

Side story to the above^^^ I had a neighbor renting in behind my house and she totally lied about having an APBT.
Long story short...she and her five kids were just evicted Nov 1st.
The landord mentioned to me that he would have considered renting to her if she did not hide the fact about having the APBT.


*Good luck to anyone facing this situation*

[Sam I Am]

One reason a landlord may not allow an APBT or other so-called aggressive breed is insurance...there are companies that simply won't cover some breeds no matter what. It always is a good idea to have a renters policy anyway, but if the landlord is on the fence, maybe offering to up the personal damages coverage while you live there? Of course, if their homeowners won't cover your breed of dog, well - it just won't cover it and all the paperwork in the world won't help...and you have to respect that, they can't change their insurance just for you...

True story - we were moving to the Virgin Islands and were worried sick about finding a place for our (then) 5 Rottweilers and a muttsky...everyone told us it couldn't be done. I kept hammering away at the phone - usually no one will even talk to you about renting until you are on island - and I found a great girl and her husband who said they'd rather have my 6 dogs than a couple of kids! They had dogs - loved dogs - I was SO nervous when I told her 5/6 of my clan was Rottweilers - turns out she had two pit mixes she'd rescued on island and a GSD mix, also a rescue. I sent the terrier muttsky with my husband early to the island and our dogs all played beautifully together. Best landlord I ever had and we're still in touch with one another.

In this day and time I'd be tempted to answer "terrier" if they asked what kind of dog I had, then take the dog with me to look at the place if it's really well behaved. LOL! A picture is worth a thousand words...most landlords are more impressed by what they can see, which is why they want to see YOU before renting to you...if your dog is an ambassador, you could end up with a new homestead AND promote the breed at the same time...what a great deal! But do respect their insurance and be prepared to walk away if they don't have coverage - you don't want to jam them up, or yourself either.

[deegers]

Originally Posted by BrianH

Ill be careful. And as I said. I am ready for them to come onto my property.

I'm curious, Brian, when you say you are ready, what does that mean???

[TheLongestJourney...]

citybythebay: Thank you for the suggestions!!! They are very good and I am actually following them all. I have two letters of reference in my dogs resume so far - one from a previous neighbor and one from the last apartment community I rented from while I sublet my NYC apartment. I don't move until January and I have been researching places to rent like crazy for months now. Unfortunately the apartment community I last rented from while in WA was sold to a new management agency; the new agency will not rent to me even though I lived in the community for 1 1/2 years with my dog and have a letter from the previous management saying I was a good tenant and my dog was very well behaved. The will not even meet my dog if he has any pit bull in him. I also do believe honesty is the best policy and I am very honest about my dog with potential landlords.


Sam I Am: I understand the landlords will often times have insurance issues to contend with and may not have a choice in the matter. It is very frustrating and I wish the insurance companies would be more amenable to making exceptions if the dog is temperament tested, have passed the good canine citizenship test, or you could otherwise prove that your dog has a good temperament and you are a responsible owner. I recall reading somewhere that some insurance companies may take these things into consideration, but I am not sure which ones. The last apartment community I lived in I left the apartment so clean that the management said I did a better job then their cleaning service. My dog and cats caused no problems in the apartment or community yet the new management will not rent to me because of my dog. I am an ideal tenant that does not create noise, cleans up after myself and my pets, and pays my rent on time; it is a loss for both myself and a landlord looking for a good tenant.

Although it is a bit deceptive I am tempted to follow your line of thinking and tell a landlord my dog is a "terrier" mix just to secure a pet interview and hopefully win over the landlord in person. I would be honest at the interview or over the phone is asked specifically what sort of "terrier," but at least this might get my foot in the door and get the opportunity to have a pet interview where I could show off my dog and his resume.

Also, great story about your move to the Virgin Islands. :-)