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Does anyone else have this issue? Shes not so aggressive that she wants to kill everything she sees or anything- on a leash she will walk by any other dog with no issues- but if you let her approach another dog she will initiate a fight. I'm just looking to connect with someone else who has this issue. This is the first pit I have owned, and she's a shelter dog, adopted a year ago at 2 years old. Shes SO sweet to people- its just a shame. Anyone else with a pitbull- do you have this issue also?
(Just wanted to throw in the disclaimer that she has only been in a few fights, mostly when people ignore me while walking her when I say "shes not friendly" and approach me with their dogs anyway)
I have had a couple pits, and both were dog aggressive while at the same time being extremely people friendly. I also did not get either as puppies. It is a natural trait in those dogs IMO. If you get one as a puppy and raise it around other dogs and cats it will most likely not be animal aggressive, but otherwise it usually will. My best friend in Arizona got a pitbull as a puppy, and it is very loving to him and his kids, but it literally wants to kill any other animal whether it be dogs or cats when he takes her out.
There are a lot of pitbull owners who have this issue.Like the other poster said,it's part of the breed.I've raised my two pits in a house full of small and large dogs,also cats,my one female pit is pretty good around strange dogs(although I have to watch her when she plays because she can get pretty rough,shes got a lot of energy and tends to redirect it to whatever dog is standing there).My other male pit is terrible with strange dogs,it takes awhile to introduce him to other dogs,and hes been socialized like crazy with other pets,even strange ones.I believe with the right behaviorist and the right owner they can be desensitized but that takes a lot of work and time.Thanks for adopting a pitbull!
pit bulls (as well as amstaffs and staffordshire bulls) have been bred to have a terrier tenacity and are HIGhlY prone to dog agression (which is why they made such perfect dog fighting breeds)
most people with pitbulls find a spay or neutered pit can sometimes be kept with another spay/neutered dog of the opposite sex, but even that isnt a guarenttee..
this goes back to og fighting days...pitbulls were meant to be inCREDIBLY dog agressive...and INCREDIBLY human friendly...this meant a human could climb into the dog fight ring to seperate 2 fighting dogs with little risk of being bitten and was a very importaint trait in fighting dogs...and why to this day a pitbull that is human agressive is a very badly bred pitbull...)
they can be de-sensitized to some extent (though id NEveR consider a dog agressive dog to EVER be fully 'cured" especially a breed in which its so ingrained in their nature...
but with alot of work you could teach her, mabe not to be friendly with strange dogs but to at least ignore them...
i like the look at me trick for this...
if you see a person with a dog aproaching and crossing the street ect is not an option put her in a sit/stay and have a treat handy...put this treat infront of her face and then move it towards your face when she looks at you she gets a good (or a click) and a treat. the idea being that if a dog is passing by you can be in full control of her. if distraction doesnt work IMEDIATLY remove her from the situation...dog aproaches the moment you feel her even tense a little bit walk away, croos the street ect. inconvenient yes, but getting into a fight with a passing dog is even less convenient...
i realy do hate people that insist on comming towards you even if you tell them your dog is not dog friendly...like they have some god given right to prove you wrong (or right as the case often is) or that their dig is soooo special that theres no chance in heck your dog could be dog agressive with it...*ugh* those are also the idiots that will try to take legal action should your dog actually attack 9despite being warned) and it simply adds to the bad rep of the breed unfortunatly...
so my suggestion, work on training her to pay 100% attention to you when asked to,
and untill shes doing rock steady with ignoring distractions when given the look at you comand just avoid other dogs.
I have a hybrid and it does the same. I;ve seen just about every breed of dog do it so if its any consulation, its not just because it a pit. When this happens, is it a straight out vicious attack (ready to rip the head off the other dog) or is it a vicious looking action but without real attacking? I found out that DickWeed is not attacking but nuclear dose of Alpha dominance. Its hard to explain but its not attacking to harm but an immediate one-punch explosive beating the other dog into submission.
Sadly, if it was a poodle and did that, people will think your dog is just a nasty little bugger, but since its a Pitt, the immediate thought will be a killer Pit Bull. Give people a wider spread and you may have to ake major adjustments to your outdoor travels to compensate for the potential over reactions until you know if the dog is a fighter or just exerting dominance. remember several dogs can attack other dogs and the only one people will remmeber and be afarid of is if a Pit was involved.
It's not part of being a pit. I have one and he is friendly to other dogs. I got him at about 1 y/o from a shelter. He lives with an older pair of dogs, a male and a female. He is the low man on the totem pole here.
So much misinformation in this thread, it's truly sad to see that so many people have these ridiculous stereotypes about such an awesome, loving breed. Any dog can attack, regardless of breed. It's poor training on the owner's part 99% of the time. Both of my dogs have been attacked by every single husky they have ever come across. Pit Bulls? Not so much.
They are not bred to attack, they are not all vicious and they can live in homes with other pets. I know many people that own them, and they live happily in homes with cats and other dogs. It's the owner, not the dog that's usually an issue. Some breeds need an owner willing to train and work with a strong breed. These dogs are some of the easiest to train, if you just take the time, since they love to please their people.
Best Friends in Utah actively works to debunk these ridiculous myths and stereotypes and they have rehabilitated many of Vick's fighting dogs, many of who are now living in homes with other dogs.
You can un-ring that bell if you are committed. Find a VERY good dog behaviorist to help you with this issue it will make your life and your dogs life much happier. The dog trainer will evaluate WHY this dog is acting that way, many times its fear, it can take a long time of consistant work, but in the end you can have a dog you can take anywhere, anytime without constant worry.
Heck, I don't think that behavior is limited to Pits. I have a Westie that HATES to have strange dogs approach him. If I see someone approaching me with a long lead (or worse, no lead at all); I simply say . . He's not friendly.
I did seek the help of a trainer so that we could go on peaceful walks. If I remains very focused (as in, not on the cell phone or something); we can pass by another dog with no problem. I do not allow Ringo to go up to strange dogs or to allow strange dogs to approach him. It's just not something that he's able to handle well.
I'll bet you could improve your dog's skills with a little training though he may never be completely comfortable with strange dogs. That's not terribly unusual.
I have this experience with some of mine. Some people have to learn the hard way. It is your responsibility to keep others safe from your dog though people should have common sense as well. I typically have no problems out of mine unless there is a loose dog. Your dog doesn't sound too outwardly aggressive which might be why some still don't listen. I get a few who see my dog wag the tail and think they want to play and be friends or think whining means they are scared or want to play. I understand they don't know better.
I have raised a lot of my dogs from pups but have got older dogs too. Some ex fighters or abused dogs also and no they were not vicious.
MAK802 No one here has tried to give a negative stereotype from what I've read. The OP asked for others experience. Most the replies are from Pit owners actually. They gave their experience and advice too.
It is up to the owner to train and control their dog, but the owner shouldn't be blamed for the manifestation of natural behavior. They are at fault if they are irresponsible so don't get me wrong. Just the same as Amy other breed owner a herding breed that runs around nipping neighborhood children or a Patterdale that kills the neighbors cat. I don't take tje stance dogs will be dogs, owners need to be responsible though one step of that is recognizing behavioral traits.
No said they were bred to attack or that they can never live with other animals.
They were bred for dog fighting and though they were NOT bred for dog aggression it goes hand in hand with fighting. Without the will to fight there would be no fighting dogs or reasons for specific breeding.
Any serious breeder (or even breed fancier) among breeds recognizes genetic temperament and behavior traits. Which is why selective breeding and culling is important. Owners should be responsible, but why give a new owner a mess to start with. (Though they have responsibility to be educated about good breeders or adopting a dog that they can handle/fits their lifestyle)
Yes any breed can attack or fight. It is actually part of canines and not isolated to one breed, though the DA seen in the APBT is typically different then most other breeds. It is without threat display and can even be seen in young pups at times. That is not to say that they never fight for the same reasons and ways as other breeds of dogs. But either is very apparent by body language, fighy initiation, actual fight, ect.
Environment, training, socialization are all important. Though the reaction to situation, environment, ect are linked to genetics anyway. There are interesting canine studies going on that delve into genetic behavior. Finding out what genes control what behavior, what stimuli certain certain behavior (including aggression).
Quote:
Originally Posted by ReturningWest
You can un-ring that bell if you are committed. Find a VERY good dog behaviorist to help you with this issue it will make your life and your dogs life much happier. The dog trainer will evaluate WHY this dog is acting that way, many times its fear, it can take a long time of consistant work, but in the end you can have a dog you can take anywhere, anytime without constant worry.
Most often fear aggression is NOT the cause in the APBT. Fear aggression could be seen un this breed but not in the majority of causes. It will take work and the suggestion of the behaviorist is a good one. I'd only like to further recommend if they can find one with experience in bully breeds that would be great.
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Any dog can attack, regardless of breed. It's poor training on the owner's part 99% of the time. Both of my dogs have been attacked by every single husky they have ever come across. Pit Bulls? Not so much. 
