why would you want to have a pitbull? (yorkie, toy, stomach)

[APBT lover]

Originally Posted by APBT_Samara

You are so very right. I have fighting dogs and gamebred dogs but they are not dangerous. One was very abused and is scared but isn't mean/aggressive. She wasn't just fought but physically abused, so it makes her distrusting of new people.

However breeding does play a role, it is true if you breed aggressive dogs you can get more aggressive dogs. It doesn't mean you always will or the entire litter will be, but there is a good chance. The only dog I've had with an off temperament came from a man biter (his dam). However I don't think APBT Lover intention was to say dog aggressive dogs are dangerous to people, I didn't get that out of their post at all. I think they were just making the point that breeding goes into making a dog and plays a very important role sometimes. Its not all how you raise them like some want to believe. This is with any breed of dog.

If you read this part "If not bred or raised right they can be dangerous." it is so true and I get their point.

As far as the background checks well yes thats ridiculous, its just a form of BSL and what can it really tell you? A background check won't tell you if the person really plans to be responsible or not. It won't happen because no one will fund it, breeders check out buyers to make sure they are responsible and capable. Its all about the breeder making sure before they let someone get one of their pups. All the certs for breeding and stuff again won't happen, people are not going to put money into a program like that.

It really doesn't make sense to single out one breed. Many dogs can be very dangerous because of power, size and physically ability. I don't know why people think Pit Bulls are the most potentially harmful dogs out there. Temperamentally they probably have a lesser chance of being dangerous to people compared to other breeds.
Rottweilers, Akitas and Presas can easily be like a gun/deadly weapon if poorly bred or raised. Most APBTs are very friendly, even when not raised so well, other breeds can be the same but more often have some sort of temperament problem. If you let a dominant breed be dominant and bossy and don't know how to control them thats how it becomes. Its not because its a bad breed, just what happens. With APBTs it is possible but less of a risk then other breeds. So why are these things not being proposed for those other breeds? (not just the 3 I listed, but several others out there) Wouldn't it make less problems?

If more bybs and puppy mills could be stopped it would help a lot with many breeds. Good breeders would be breeding and good people would get the pups. This wouldn't work 100% but neither would a background check. I would much rather see bad breeders of ALL breeds cut down then just one breed. The dogs are suffering no matter the breed and people also suffer in different ways. A big problem is uneducated owners too. In many breeds, that is why so many dogs are neglected, dumped off, ect. People don't get breeds that fit their lifestyle. They want a dog that rarely barks but get a breed notorious for barking, they want an active dog but get a lazy breed, they want a dog easy to train but get a challenging breed. Research should be done before getting a dog, for any breed, not just oh that breed looks cute or cool. A good breeder will make sure the breed is right for you. They will also help you with any problems.

Your right about breeders. They need to be more responsible about who they sell their pups to. I'm glad you understood that I was saying aggressive pitbulls are more of a threat to other dogs than humans. if you watch the news on the Michael vick case, the dogs were licking and wagging their tails when the police came to get them. I would never adopt these dogs, because I would never put my dogs I have now in potential danger. There aggression towards other dogs, not people, is the reason they should be put down. It's not fair to other owners to have them alive. Nor is it fair to the aggresive pitbull to be locked in a backyard it's whole life. Your right about background checks. I know its not possible, I would just like to see it done.

[APBT_Samara]

Originally Posted by APBT lover

Your right about breeders. They need to be more responsible about who they sell their pups to. I'm glad you understood that I was saying aggressive pitbulls are more of a threat to other dogs than humans. if you watch the news on the Michael vick case, the dogs were licking and wagging their tails when the police came to get them. I would never adopt these dogs, because I would never put my dogs I have now in potential danger. There aggression towards other dogs, not people, is the reason they should be put down. It's not fair to other owners to have them alive. Nor is it fair to the aggresive pitbull to be locked in a backyard it's whole life. Your right about background checks. I know its not possible, I would just like to see it done.

I guess we just have different views. I'm not going to take my dog to be PTS because of dog aggression. If someone can't deal with dog aggression they shouldn't get an APBT (or certain other breeds) because they can be dog aggressive. Breeding, training and socializing helps a lot but its not a 100% guarantee that the dog will never be dog aggressive or that it will like every dog it meets. Some dogs just don't get a long, the problem with APBTs is even if they are not dog aggressive but are attacked and defend themselves they have the capabilities to do a lot more damage or cause death. So the potential is there.

It seems unfair to condemn them because they are dog/animal aggressive. There are several other breeds which are dog aggressive or have high prey drives too. Breeders stress this and make sure the buyer understands and is ready for that type of commitment. If not dogs end up killed or dumped because of the owner.

I think the personal choice to not adopt such a dog is the right one for someone who doesn't feel comfortable owning a dog with that history. The same choice should be there for others who would take such a dog. It shouldn't be up to someone else to say they should be PTS. People have the option to adopt them or not adopt them. Since there are plenty of fighting dogs that get along with other dogs (even small animals) the threat seems no more then any other Pit Bull in some cases. I love my dogs and do not wish to see them dead because they don't have a perfect history. I don't see how I am being unfair to other owners?

[APBT lover]

Originally Posted by APBT_Samara

I guess we just have different views. I'm not going to take my dog to be PTS because of dog aggression. If someone can't deal with dog aggression they shouldn't get an APBT (or certain other breeds) because they can be dog aggressive. Breeding, training and socializing helps a lot but its not a 100% guarantee that the dog will never be dog aggressive or that it will like every dog it meets. Some dogs just don't get a long, the problem with APBTs is even if they are not dog aggressive but are attacked and defend themselves they have the capabilities to do a lot more damage or cause death. So the potential is there.

It seems unfair to condemn them because they are dog/animal aggressive. There are several other breeds which are dog aggressive or have high prey drives too. Breeders stress this and make sure the buyer understands and is ready for that type of commitment. If not dogs end up killed or dumped because of the owner.

I think the personal choice to not adopt such a dog is the right one for someone who doesn't feel comfortable owning a dog with that history. The same choice should be there for others who would take such a dog. It shouldn't be up to someone else to say they should be PTS. People have the option to adopt them or not adopt them. Since there are plenty of fighting dogs that get along with other dogs (even small animals) the threat seems no more then any other Pit Bull in some cases. I love my dogs and do not wish to see them dead because they don't have a perfect history. I don't see how I am being unfair to other owners?

I understand your offended by me saying these shelter dogs should be put to sleep(and yes I am talking about more breeds then just pitbulls), because you own some. I just have an opinion from my personal experience, that you should never own a pitbull unless you see the parents of that dog and what kind of temperment they have and you should see what kind of pitbulls the breeder has produced in the past. I have 5 pitbulls and if they ever snapped and became dog or human aggresive I would get rid of them immediatly. You mention if a person can't deal with dog aggression they shouldn't own a pitbull. That is one of the worst statements I have ever heard concerning this breed. If your a responsible pitbull owner there should never be one dog aggresion or people aggresion instance with your dog. And if there is they should be either evaluated by a professional or put to sleep right away. If you think being able to deal with dog aggresion makes you a responsible pitbull owner you are sadly mistaken, and I highly recommend you look into another breed.

[APBT_Samara]

Originally Posted by APBT lover

I understand your offended by me saying these shelter dogs should be put to sleep(and yes I am talking about more breeds then just pitbulls), because you own some. I just have an opinion from my personal experience, that you should never own a pitbull unless you see the parents of that dog and what kind of temperment they have and you should see what kind of pitbulls the breeder has produced in the past. I have 5 pitbulls and if they ever snapped and became dog or human aggresive I would get rid of them immediatly. You mention if a person can't deal with dog aggression they shouldn't own a pitbull. That is one of the worst statements I have ever heard concerning this breed. If your a responsible pitbull owner there should never be one dog aggresion or people aggresion instance with your dog. And if there is they should be either evaluated by a professional or put to sleep right away. If you think being able to deal with dog aggresion makes you a responsible pitbull owner you are sadly mistaken, and I highly recommend you look into another breed.

FYI its Pit Bull not pitbull and I don't have any shelter dogs either.

I understand your personal experience. It only makes sense. This should be something practiced with all breeds, getting a dog from a reliable source.

If you have a well bred APBT it won't be people aggressive. I would cull a man biter without a 2nd thought.
If you do have a people aggressive incident it doesn't mean you are an irresponsible owner. As you agreed breeding plays a part in a dogs temperament. If a responsible owner gets a dog from a bad source or takes in a dog with unknown history the dog might have a temperament issue. This would be unknown to them. Even if they are doing the right thing it doesn't mean the dog will be right. Many irresponsible owners do have man aggressive dogs, some even want that. Others just end up with a poorly bred dog.

There are dogs with obedience titles and even do demos with other dogs but they still don't like every dog they meet.

Pit Bulls don't just snap, no breed of dog does!!! If a Pit or any other breed attacks there were warning signs before. Either people don't recognize them or ignore them.

Some breeds show aggression to humans this is natural to them, just as natural for Pit Bulls to be dog aggressive or have a high prey drive. There is a reason it is recommended that an APBT shouldn't be left unsupervised with other pets. You can have your views but shouldn't put down others for the dogs they chose to keep or say they should have them killed. Of course that is offensive. I think the only dogs that shouldn't be kept are dangerous dogs for a good reason (obviously because they are dangerous). I can only imagine all the dogs who would see death for the other reason. Do all the owner/breeders of Akita, Central Asian Ocharka, Shiba Inu, Airedale, Ca De Bou, Jindo, Tosa Inu, Bully Kutta (should really probably say many spitz) need to kill their stock/pet who doesn't like another dog.

You haven't given a good reason to put them to death or how it is being unfair to other owners. My dogs don't effect what they chose to have or do. They are more then welcome to not adopt a dog or not have one that is a challenge. I wouldn't recommend hardly any of the breeds I own/have owned to most people. They take a lot of commitment.

I find it very disheartening a Pit Bull would be PTS for not liking another dog. It is unnatural for canines in general to get along with all others, the domesticated dog has been bred away from its roots. Certain traits have been concentrated. If you don't want to handle the negative traits I think its unfair to own that breed. Its like having a Fila PTS for growling at someone or a Bluetick put to sleep for barking because they smell prey, running off when set free and trying to find/tree the prey.

Part of breeders being responsible is informing owners of breed traits, good and bad. Most Akita breeders will not sell you a pup if you are a first time owner, don't know how to handle a dominant dog, don't realize they could escape a fence, might be dominant/dog aggressive and a high prey drive, they also give the recommendation about not leaving them unsupervised with other pets, even if they get along. You must accept that there is a possibility for a negative trait. Having the dog PTS isn't a good solution. I really don't understand how that is one of the worse statements? If someone doesn't know how to deal with, train, handle and control a dog that might be dog aggressive (or anything else really, so many problems come from irresponsible owners who let their dogs do whatever they want) they shouldn't have one. Could end up very bad, not just the dog getting PTS, but the owner being sued, their own household pet being injured, a person being injured, bad rep for that breed, ect.

I think being responsible is accepting breed traits. I'm currently looking into Kangals and I realize they have a defense and territorial drive. They are very protective. I know they are not going to be nicey nice with everyone/animal and of course I wouldn't want them to be. To expect that would be highly unfair on my part and going against their breeding. A Kangal would be culled for not being protective and showing aggression or acting upon it. There are times when LGDs will have to engage, other times they are an effective enough deterrent but not always. For them to not engage would be a failure and a cull, not the opposite. When I got into my recent guardian breeds the breeders knew my past experience with dogs and that I was capable however they still went through the routine. They made sure I was knowledgeable in the traits of the breeds.

There are a lot of dominant breeds and you can't take out BREEDING. As you admit yourself it plays a role. They have been bred for 100/1000s of years with dominant personalities (some will also challenge their humans) and you must be able to train and control them. Some dogs would be culled if they were not human "aggressive" depending on the breed. In the Fila ring the dogs are allowed to show distrust and even growl at the judge. In the APBT (and other breed rings) the dogs are allowed to make a little noise as long as they don't disrupt the class. No facing of dogs is allowed of course. If you have a rowdy dog that you can't control you might be asked to leave the ring/DQ. However they know not all dogs will like every other dog and if challenged might not back down. Especially Terriers, they are often prey driven and "protect" their territory from outside dogs. Many were bred for hunting which ended in kills. Not just baying or treeing. Terriers are tenacious and courageous. Even the smallest won't back down from a challenge that they could never win.

It can be a big gamble going to a shelter. However the dog isn't just going to snap. They should be given a chance.

Meeting the parents can help but its not everything. Dogs are governed by genetics which goes past the parents - health, conformation and temperament problems can come from grand parents and so forth. Knowing the pedigree and bloodline will give you a better shot. You can see 2 parents that seem to be great but the genes behind them will affect what they produce. My youngest girl is 7th generation from the bloodline and will almost certainly live up to the pedigree. Well rounded, balanced, stable dogs. I know who had the dogs before that (not that its too relevant so many generations back) and farther back I learned as much about the foundation lines as possible. If the pedigree is right and the bloodline is known for producing proper dogs and consistently then that would be enough to ease my mind. I won't buy a Pit from a questionable source or from someone I don't know, whether the parents are on site as they like to say or not.

I see it as a lost cause to make a mission to change so many owners, breeders, judges minds. Most will not be convinced. In some of the breeds breeding the traits out (which would take so many generations anyway) would make their breed just the same breed in appearance only and of course they wouldn't "really" be that breed anymore. So they would see it as pointless.

If I'm coined an irresponsible owner because my dog displayed aggression then so be it. It doesn't effect me or my dogs and I won't kill them. Just one incident when the other female went to mount her, she growled and turned to pen that female she didn't do anything wrong. Why should she have to roll over or be dominated? Of course I told her stop and she immediately took her paw from the other female and just wagged her tail. Another time when we were walking along a black GSD jumped the fence and attacked her. Of course she fought back. Again she didn't do anything wrong. Once they came to get their dog, which I wasn't going to get bit by, I told her to stop and they apologized and acted as if it would never happen again. Apparently after this the dog jumped the fence a few more times attacked dogs and PEOPLE. (They own a Lab/Dal mix that is just as bad). Since then we've been charged by a few different dogs (Lab, Rott mix, Aussie mix, another GSD), she is ready to defend herself but I tell her no. Since the dog isn't aggressing, I stand still, she changes her posture when told no (to non threatening/non defensive) and just comes to my side to stand or sit. So the dog leaves us alone since we don't act threatening and nothing happens. She still plays with other dogs, male or female, pup or adult, a 3rd of her size or twice her size. Still gets bossed around by the cats. The only way to avoid confrontation would be to isolate dogs from one another. While I think certain social situation are bad (dog parks) playing with house dogs or known friends dogs shouldn't be a problem. I didn't let her play with that specific female my friend has again after that session, although she would still play with her, because she doesn't need to play with a dog that wants to take opportunities to be dominant since that obviously offends her. I don't see a need to put her to sleep and think I made the most responsible decision.

[APBT lover]

Originally Posted by APBT_Samara

FYI its Pit Bull not pitbull and I don't have any shelter dogs either.

I understand your personal experience. It only makes sense. This should be something practiced with all breeds, getting a dog from a reliable source.

If you have a well bred APBT it won't be people aggressive. I would cull a man biter without a 2nd thought.
If you do have a people aggressive incident it doesn't mean you are an irresponsible owner. As you agreed breeding plays a part in a dogs temperament. If a responsible owner gets a dog from a bad source or takes in a dog with unknown history the dog might have a temperament issue. This would be unknown to them. Even if they are doing the right thing it doesn't mean the dog will be right. Many irresponsible owners do have man aggressive dogs, some even want that. Others just end up with a poorly bred dog.

There are dogs with obedience titles and even do demos with other dogs but they still don't like every dog they meet.

Pit Bulls don't just snap, no breed of dog does!!! If a Pit or any other breed attacks there were warning signs before. Either people don't recognize them or ignore them.

Some breeds show aggression to humans this is natural to them, just as natural for Pit Bulls to be dog aggressive or have a high prey drive. There is a reason it is recommended that an APBT shouldn't be left unsupervised with other pets. You can have your views but shouldn't put down others for the dogs they chose to keep or say they should have them killed. Of course that is offensive. I think the only dogs that shouldn't be kept are dangerous dogs for a good reason (obviously because they are dangerous). I can only imagine all the dogs who would see death for the other reason. Do all the owner/breeders of Akita, Central Asian Ocharka, Shiba Inu, Airedale, Ca De Bou, Jindo, Tosa Inu, Bully Kutta (should really probably say many spitz) need to kill their stock/pet who doesn't like another dog.

You haven't given a good reason to put them to death or how it is being unfair to other owners. My dogs don't effect what they chose to have or do. They are more then welcome to not adopt a dog or not have one that is a challenge. I wouldn't recommend hardly any of the breeds I own/have owned to most people. They take a lot of commitment.

I find it very disheartening a Pit Bull would be PTS for not liking another dog. It is unnatural for canines in general to get along with all others, the domesticated dog has been bred away from its roots. Certain traits have been concentrated. If you don't want to handle the negative traits I think its unfair to own that breed. Its like having a Fila PTS for growling at someone or a Bluetick put to sleep for barking because they smell prey, running off when set free and trying to find/tree the prey.

Part of breeders being responsible is informing owners of breed traits, good and bad. Most Akita breeders will not sell you a pup if you are a first time owner, don't know how to handle a dominant dog, don't realize they could escape a fence, might be dominant/dog aggressive and a high prey drive, they also give the recommendation about not leaving them unsupervised with other pets, even if they get along. You must accept that there is a possibility for a negative trait. Having the dog PTS isn't a good solution. I really don't understand how that is one of the worse statements? If someone doesn't know how to deal with, train, handle and control a dog that might be dog aggressive (or anything else really, so many problems come from irresponsible owners who let their dogs do whatever they want) they shouldn't have one. Could end up very bad, not just the dog getting PTS, but the owner being sued, their own household pet being injured, a person being injured, bad rep for that breed, ect.

I think being responsible is accepting breed traits. I'm currently looking into Kangals and I realize they have a defense and territorial drive. They are very protective. I know they are not going to be nicey nice with everyone/animal and of course I wouldn't want them to be. To expect that would be highly unfair on my part and going against their breeding. A Kangal would be culled for not being protective and showing aggression or acting upon it. There are times when LGDs will have to engage, other times they are an effective enough deterrent but not always. For them to not engage would be a failure and a cull, not the opposite. When I got into my recent guardian breeds the breeders knew my past experience with dogs and that I was capable however they still went through the routine. They made sure I was knowledgeable in the traits of the breeds.

There are a lot of dominant breeds and you can't take out BREEDING. As you admit yourself it plays a role. They have been bred for 100/1000s of years with dominant personalities (some will also challenge their humans) and you must be able to train and control them. Some dogs would be culled if they were not human "aggressive" depending on the breed. In the Fila ring the dogs are allowed to show distrust and even growl at the judge. In the APBT (and other breed rings) the dogs are allowed to make a little noise as long as they don't disrupt the class. No facing of dogs is allowed of course. If you have a rowdy dog that you can't control you might be asked to leave the ring/DQ. However they know not all dogs will like every other dog and if challenged might not back down. Especially Terriers, they are often prey driven and "protect" their territory from outside dogs. Many were bred for hunting which ended in kills. Not just baying or treeing. Terriers are tenacious and courageous. Even the smallest won't back down from a challenge that they could never win.

It can be a big gamble going to a shelter. However the dog isn't just going to snap. They should be given a chance.

Meeting the parents can help but its not everything. Dogs are governed by genetics which goes past the parents - health, conformation and temperament problems can come from grand parents and so forth. Knowing the pedigree and bloodline will give you a better shot. You can see 2 parents that seem to be great but the genes behind them will affect what they produce. My youngest girl is 7th generation from the bloodline and will almost certainly live up to the pedigree. Well rounded, balanced, stable dogs. I know who had the dogs before that (not that its too relevant so many generations back) and farther back I learned as much about the foundation lines as possible. If the pedigree is right and the bloodline is known for producing proper dogs and consistently then that would be enough to ease my mind. I won't buy a Pit from a questionable source or from someone I don't know, whether the parents are on site as they like to say or not.

I see it as a lost cause to make a mission to change so many owners, breeders, judges minds. Most will not be convinced. In some of the breeds breeding the traits out (which would take so many generations anyway) would make their breed just the same breed in appearance only and of course they wouldn't "really" be that breed anymore. So they would see it as pointless.

If I'm coined an irresponsible owner because my dog displayed aggression then so be it. It doesn't effect me or my dogs and I won't kill them. Just one incident when the other female went to mount her, she growled and turned to pen that female she didn't do anything wrong. Why should she have to roll over or be dominated? Of course I told her stop and she immediately took her paw from the other female and just wagged her tail. Another time when we were walking along a black GSD jumped the fence and attacked her. Of course she fought back. Again she didn't do anything wrong. Once they came to get their dog, which I wasn't going to get bit by, I told her to stop and they apologized and acted as if it would never happen again. Apparently after this the dog jumped the fence a few more times attacked dogs and PEOPLE. (They own a Lab/Dal mix that is just as bad). Since then we've been charged by a few different dogs (Lab, Rott mix, Aussie mix, another GSD), she is ready to defend herself but I tell her no. Since the dog isn't aggressing, I stand still, she changes her posture when told no (to non threatening/non defensive) and just comes to my side to stand or sit. So the dog leaves us alone since we don't act threatening and nothing happens. She still plays with other dogs, male or female, pup or adult, a 3rd of her size or twice her size. Still gets bossed around by the cats. The only way to avoid confrontation would be to isolate dogs from one another. While I think certain social situation are bad (dog parks) playing with house dogs or known friends dogs shouldn't be a problem. I didn't let her play with that specific female my friend has again after that session, although she would still play with her, because she doesn't need to play with a dog that wants to take opportunities to be dominant since that obviously offends her. I don't see a need to put her to sleep and think I made the most responsible decision.

I have never had a problem with my dogs being aggresive with another dog outside of my home. Of course they ruff house with each other, but in my opinion that is not aggresive behavior. I'm glad you are a responsible breeder and that you took my post seriously enough to write a short novel in responce. To answer your question I think the majority of people who rescue dogs from the shelter are bad owners and are not up to the challenge and when they take their dogs out their dogs attack other dogs(AND THAT IS NOT FAIR TO OTHER OWNERS). I also know that it is a statisical fact that the vast majority of dogs in shelters are APBT and Rotts. I have an uncle who works for the San Francisco animal control department, and he told me 90% of these dogs in America are un adoptable because of there temperment. Only 10% of these dogs get adopted and even then he told me you can never be sure how they are going to turn out.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by APBT lover

I have never had a problem with my dogs being aggresive with another dog outside of my home. Of course they ruff house with each other, but in my opinion that is not aggresive behavior....To answer your question I think the majority of people who rescue dogs from the shelter are bad owners and are not up to the challenge and when they take their dogs out their dogs attack other dogs(AND THAT IS NOT FAIR TO OTHER OWNERS). I also know that it is a statisical fact that the vast majority of dogs in shelters are APBT and Rotts. I have an uncle who works for the San Francisco animal control department, and he told me 90% of these dogs in America are un adoptable because of there temperment. Only 10% of these dogs get adopted and even then he told me you can never be sure how they are going to turn out.

I wonder where I would fit in .

I have 3 dogs - 1 pit bull and 2 pit bull mixes. 1 dog is from the shelter and the other 2 are off the street/strays. The most recent one was brought in off the street as an adult dog, no less.

I didn't see any of their parents, obviously. I have no idea what their backgrounds are, or what their true breed makeup is.

My oldest is 9 yrs old and he's never put a scratch on another dog. My 6 yr old plays rough, but she's never drawn blood or done any damage. The 2 yr old is brand new to us - we've had her roughly 2 months now - so far, so good.

I know I'm a responsible owner and I go above and beyond to supervise my dogs to be sure they don't become a menace to another person or dog. I also know that I'm not alone, there are plenty of other people like me who can adopt a dog from a shelter or take one in off the street and have a happy ending.

I run a pretty tight ship here - no one is allowed to kill anyone else ! I work hard to keep the peace between the dogs and between the dogs and my other animals (cat and parrots). Of course, there are no guarantees in life and something could happen, despite my best intentions. But I don't think that's a legitimate reason to not give a dog a chance .

I'd hate for readers of this thread to feel that they can't go to a shelter and find a good dog - they can! Pet overpoulation is one of the great tragedies in our world today and it doesn't have to be. Shelter dogs should be given consideration if you're looking to add a dog to the family.

[AnyDayNow]

So the fact that someone didn't pay $2000 for their dog like you did--someone who gets a dog from a shelter--means they are probably a bad owner? Elitism and snobbery exist, then, especially when there is so much money at stake.

So someone took a good breed--that used to be the nation's favorite because of its love for people--and sold you a line that just because they can point to a certain lineage it is worth it to pay them $2000 for a single dog? Now there's someone who knows their marketing!

Thanks for sharing your opinion. For the average individual, $2000 for a pet would be out of reach and unnecessary, but I'm glad you're happy with what you feel you got for the money.

(Edited to add: If you look at the 10 other posts--all about pit bulls, coincidentally-- from this person, that is where I read he paid $2000 for a dog.)

[BrianH]

Originally Posted by APBT lover

I have never had a problem with my dogs being aggresive with another dog outside of my home. Of course they ruff house with each other, but in my opinion that is not aggresive behavior. I'm glad you are a responsible breeder and that you took my post seriously enough to write a short novel in responce. To answer your question I think the majority of people who rescue dogs from the shelter are bad owners and are not up to the challenge and when they take their dogs out their dogs attack other dogs(AND THAT IS NOT FAIR TO OTHER OWNERS). I also know that it is a statisical fact that the vast majority of dogs in shelters are APBT and Rotts. I have an uncle who works for the San Francisco animal control department, and he told me 90% of these dogs in America are un adoptable because of there temperment. Only 10% of these dogs get adopted and even then he told me you can never be sure how they are going to turn out.

Thats funny, because the majority of owners I met taht got dogs from the shelters are loving people, and a great with dogs. Ive rescued from the shelter in the past, and I am PROUD to be a "Bad Owner" as you so delightfully put it.

[APBT lover]

Originally Posted by riveree

I wonder where I would fit in .

I have 3 dogs - 1 pit bull and 2 pit bull mixes. 1 dog is from the shelter and the other 2 are off the street/strays. The most recent one was brought in off the street as an adult dog, no less.

I didn't see any of their parents, obviously. I have no idea what their backgrounds are, or what their true breed makeup is.

My oldest is 9 yrs old and he's never put a scratch on another dog. My 6 yr old plays rough, but she's never drawn blood or done any damage. The 2 yr old is brand new to us - we've had her roughly 2 months now - so far, so good.

I know I'm a responsible owner and I go above and beyond to supervise my dogs to be sure they don't become a menace to another person or dog. I also know that I'm not alone, there are plenty of other people like me who can adopt a dog from a shelter or take one in off the street and have a happy ending.

I run a pretty tight ship here - no one is allowed to kill anyone else ! I work hard to keep the peace between the dogs and between the dogs and my other animals (cat and parrots). Of course, there are no guarantees in life and something could happen, despite my best intentions. But I don't think that's a legitimate reason to not give a dog a chance .

I'd hate for readers of this thread to feel that they can't go to a shelter and find a good dog - they can! Pet overpoulation is one of the great tragedies in our world today and it doesn't have to be. Shelter dogs should be given consideration if you're looking to add a dog to the family.

I'm glad the shelter dog situation works for you. But It's not for everyone, and most people are not responsible enough to handle that situation. So I would encourage most people not to do it.

[APBT lover]

Originally Posted by AnyDayNow

So the fact that someone didn't pay $2000 for their dog like you did--someone who gets a dog from a shelter--means they are probably a bad owner? Elitism and snobbery exist, then, especially when there is so much money at stake.

So someone took a good breed--that used to be the nation's favorite because of its love for people--and sold you a line that just because they can point to a certain lineage it is worth it to pay them $2000 for a single dog? Now there's someone who knows their marketing!

Thanks for sharing your opinion. For the average individual, $2000 for a pet would be out of reach and unnecessary, but I'm glad you're happy with what you feel you got for the money.

(Edited to add: If you look at the 10 other posts--all about pit bulls, coincidentally-- from this person, that is where I read he paid $2000 for a dog.)

And thanks for sharing your opinion. When your looking for your foundation stock to start a breeding program 2000 dollars is actually not that much. I got the 3nd female of the litter. The first female went for 5000 dollars. I'm not being arrogant I'm just being responsible with what bloodline I want to breed. Moderator cut: edited for personal attack