Pit Bulls in Maine (Bangor, Biddeford: home, live, pitbull)

[retiredtinbender]

Originally Posted by elston

I used to question why anyone would want to have a pit bull terrier.....their rep being so bad...even Judge Judy dumps on them......then I got to know several pitties and realized my "mixed terrier" rescue dog is probably part pit bull...(plus lots of other strains). I must say the pitties I have experience are unusally gentle and loving dogs....perfect family pets! They are sweeties, gentle, loving and loyal by nature........they are also very strong. There rep comes from the horrors of dog fighting and exploitation. Don't blame the pitties, its all in the training.....if you have a pittie....don't tease it with those toys to pull....don't try to lift them and swing them by their jaws....avoid games that teach and promote aggression.

The last time I checked Dalmations were the #1 breed for biting and attacking humans.....but you dont hear the same level of prejudice against them. (I am a little leary of chow dogs.....but that might be prejudice on my part.....I have no experience.)

I agree; I believe that Dalmatians and Chows, too, are the most naturally aggressive. I've seen some very large dogs (Rots, Pits, Shepherds) that were not aggressive in the least. But they had been trained to be the dog, not the owner and not a fighter. They are like kids. They are what you teach them to be.

And I never saw a 2 year old come equipped with a gun or a razor. They need to be taught not to play with those, too.

[Bigfish57]

Some are mean some are not, just like people. I have friends with pits and boxers none are in the least bit mean. My German Short Hair Pointers are sweet as can be, but I have seen some at NAVHDA meets that have no buisness being around people or other dogs. GSPs are know for being loving family creatures. Yes some breeds are predisposed for certain behavior but they all have there own personality as well. If the animal isn't trained socilized or excersized then it is more likely to be "bad"

*edit* wow that was some bad spelling on my part.

[Maine Writer]

If only we loved good news as much as bad news. I bet there isn't a story anywhere in a Maine publication today that tells us how many pits didn't bit someone. Who wants to read that? Is it more satisfying to read about the *one* that did bite someone?

My experience with pitbulls and rottweilers is the same as Elston's. I've never had a bad encounter or met a mean dog of either breed.

Training is important but goes just so far. If you leave out the dog's family history you're overlooking important information. You're unlikely to train a poor disposition completely out of a dog with a violent family background.

[Three Wolves In Snow]

Actually, according to this report done by JAVMA in 2001, mixed breeds are the most common in dog bites.

I strongly urge anyone who thinks pit bulls are dangerous, vicious dogs, to read this entire article.

http://www.k9behavioralgenetics.net/...o%20Humans.pdf

All the way to the end...you'll find that pits get a bad rap because of the media and there is no conclusive evidence that they are "inherently" bad dogs.

I would also point out this page Leerburg | Preventing Dog Bites in Children and this page Leerburg | Dog Bites and Dog Attacks that shows photos of dog bites, (if you are squeamish, don't look), that comes from all kinds of dogs, pits, shepherds, rotts, labs, golden retrievers, JRTs, etc. In every case, it was mishandling and poor or no training on the owner's part.

The majority of people bitten are males between the ages of 5-9. It is important to understand how children react to dogs and how dogs read children. Often times, 'fear' is mistaken for 'aggression' on the part of the dog and they can attack. Other times, the child is not taught how to act around dogs. Other times, (most of the time), the owner has not trained their dog and has not corrected their dog appropriately if it has EVER shown any sign of aggression towards a child. And, many people are bitten by their own dogs either because they have not established themselves as the pack leader or by trying to break up a dog fight.

So, please, let us not paint a broad brush down the "dog bite" paper and say it is solely because of dog breed. It simply is not.

Maine Writer, you have a point in your last statement, sometimes that is true and if that owner decides to keep the dog, it is up to that owner to act responsibly. For example, if a dog has shown any signs of aggression towards a child, that dog should never be allowed to be around a child again. Period. Unfortunately, too many people do not heed those warnings. It is always up to the owner of that dog to train, obedience train, correctly, and to take steps necessary to keep the public safe.

Just down the road from me, I was walking the dogs, (well, the boy), and about 5 houses down, a golden retriever came flying out of his yard towards us, growling and ready to fight. In a small sense, I can understand that he thought the sidewalk was part of his property but that comes from the owners not teaching that dog where "his" property ends and where others are allowed to walk. Plus, if your dog does not come back when you call it, that dog should not be off leash, at all. However, that dog came at us when we were ACROSS the street as I knew this dog was unleashed and aggressive. I was actually in the middle of the road, in front of my dog, (between my dog and the golden), telling that golden to back up and go. Not a fun time and not safe at all. I should be able to walk my dang dog down the fricken sidewalk and not have ANY dog come barrelling out of their yard towards us, threatening us. Even Golden Retrievers.

[elston]

I just knew their was an outlaw golden some where out there. Owners need to train their dogs.....AND parents need to train their kids not to move in fast on a strange dog and particularly not to put their face right up to the dogs face and mouth. Dogs hate that and their natural defensive response is to snap.


I am not sure this is a Maine topic.....except I did see another pittie shot by a policeman in Biddeford in the evening news today. Got to ask....why was it loose and since its owners were there when it happened.....why didnt they call it.....if it wasnt on leash or voice control....they were asking for trouble....unfortunately it was the dog that paid for it.

[OutDoorNut]

Originally Posted by Three Wolves In Snow

I should be able to walk my dang dog down the fricken sidewalk

I don't know how it is in Maine, but down here in New York City, sidewalks are for people (not that dog owners respect the law by walking their dogs in the street, like they're supposed to).

[elston]

People and Dogs pretty much share the amenities....here in Maine...sidewalks are by no means to be taken for granted. Peace!

[OutDoorNut]

Originally Posted by Bigfish57

Some are mean some are not, just like people.

And some dogs snap and some dogs do not, just like people.

How many times do the friends and neighbors of some human serial killer comment that the killer had been such a quiet and nice man, that they would never have thought he could ever hurt a fly?

Same with dogs.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

"there is no conclusive evidence that they are "inherently" bad dogs."

They are absolutely strong dogs. I don't think anybody will dispute that. Their strength makes them far more dangerous in the event that they do snap from some behavior they don't like on the part of a visitor or passerby.

I was the first registered Maine guide to guide with a sled dog team. A sled dog must be approachable because strangers are going to handle the dog at camp sites or at races. I used t0 play a game with my lead dog named Allagash. He would be in his dog box on the truck and he would reach out and grab my hat. I would yell, "Allagash, Gimme that hat!" and he would hold it outside the door for me to collect.

We were in a restaurant on the way back from a race once and stopped in a restaurant. A lady came in and rather timidly asked, "Does somebody in here own that truck full of dogs?"

I said I did. She said that a dog had taken her son's hat and she didn't dare to reach into the box for it. I went out and said, "Allagash, Gimme that hat!" He came out with the hat. It was undamaged. The lady was pleased and the kid had an unprecedented show and tell for school.

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by Three Wolves In Snow

Oh for God's sake, it's not the dog breed, it's the way the dog is raised and trained.

I absolutely 100% believed this as well... right up to last year when one of my sisters pitbulls killed the the one while out for a walk one evening. Both raised from puppies in the house, both together all the time from puppies to adulthood. Both treated the same way as well (to be household pets and almost members of the family, not aggressive in any way shape or form.) A walk every evening; then one evening the one just snapped and grabbed the other by the neck and held on until it died, no matter how hard my sister and her husband tried to get them apart. He wouldn't let go until my brother-n-law ran to the house, grabbed his gun and came back and shot the dog who still had a hold and tearing it apart.

Sometimes it IS the dog and there is NO warning when dealing with Pitbulls.

As a side note, I guess the one that was killed, never tried to fight back just get away. He was as gentle as a lamb right to the end.