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The bottom line is, as a Parent, your first priority is to protect your children and if that somehow offends someone else, the hell with them. I would have done the same thing.
I'm sure there are some wonderful, gentle pits out there, but they don't have a bad rep for no reason at all........they have earned it.
Pit bulls are a street cred status symbol with all that goes along with it, including the attitude. You know what else is a street cred status symbol? A reputation for overreacting to perceived disrespect. Hating on their dog is disrespecting on part of their family. Can't let people get away with that.
Different social circles see pit bulls differently. For example, the very concept of "street cred" would be laughable in my social circles - but I know several families who have pit bulls or pit bull mixes as pets. They are generally rescued dogs - I don't actually know any family who has gone out and bought a pit bull, and I also don't personally know any family who has a pit bull as some sort of status symbol, or who has raised the dog to be aggressive.
In fact, in my vet's office, EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE THERE has a pit bull or pit bull mix puppy as a pet (and I promise you, they aren't concerned about "street cred"). This is because in their line of work, they have the opportunity to rescue/adopt dogs and there are many pit bull and pit bull mixes who are abandoned or rescued due to mistreatment. And also, it's because the vast majority of pit bulls who are raised properly and in a loving environment are - just like the vast majority of other breeds - sweet and loving themselves.
In fact, one reason why pit bulls have been so popular for so many decades is because their natural temperament is so appealing. One aspect of their personality that's so appealing is that they are a breed that is usually very fun loving and demonstrative - when raised with love. I think that's one reason why, if they are neglected, penned or kept on a chain, they become so aggressive. They crave human interaction and play and if they don't get it, they get frustrated and develop personality disorders.
A pit bull or pit bull mix who has been raised with love is a delightful pet. They are so funny! They are super playful and affectionate when properly raised. Just as some breeds need a daily run, or are natural "lap dogs" or are naturally independent, pit bulls are naturally very affectionate and they need loving interaction from their family on a daily basis. When they're consistently mistreated, they are still very expressive - but they are expressing frustration instead of love.
It makes me furious to see any dog neglected, chained, or forced to fight. Don't even get me started.
Different social circles see pit bulls differently. For example, the very concept of "street cred" would be laughable in my social circles - but I know several families who have pit bulls or pit bull mixes as pets. They are generally rescued dogs - I don't actually know any family who has gone out and bought a pit bull, and I also don't personally know any family who has a pit bull as some sort of status symbol, or who has raised the dog to be aggressive.
In fact, in my vet's office, EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE THERE has a pit bull or pit bull mix puppy as a pet (and I promise you, they aren't concerned about "street cred"). This is because in their line of work, they have the opportunity to rescue/adopt dogs and there are many pit bull and pit bull mixes who are abandoned or rescued due to mistreatment. And also, it's because the vast majority of pit bulls who are raised properly and in a loving environment are - just like the vast majority of other breeds - sweet and loving themselves.
In fact, one reason why pit bulls have been so popular for so many decades is because their natural temperament is so appealing. One aspect of their personality that's so appealing is that they are a breed that is usually very fun loving and demonstrative - when raised with love. I think that's one reason why, if they are neglected, penned or kept on a chain, they become so aggressive. They crave human interaction and play and if they don't get it, they get frustrated and develop personality disorders.
A pit bull or pit bull mix who has been raised with love is a delightful pet. They are so funny! They are super playful and affectionate when properly raised. Just as some breeds need a daily run, or are natural "lap dogs" or are naturally independent, pit bulls are naturally very affectionate and they need loving interaction from their family on a daily basis. When they're consistently mistreated, they are still very expressive - but they are expressing frustration instead of love.
It makes me furious to see any dog neglected, chained, or forced to fight. Don't even get me started.
So they are big, strong, affectionate and needy. If all of their needs are not met, they can become aggressive and dangerous but if they get everything they need they can be the best pet imaginable. I can definitely see why they are so popular with people who have dedicated themselves to saving unwanted animals, but can you see why so many of them need rescuing in the first place? I'd be willing to bet that many of those rescue dogs started out as street cred status symbols before finding their way to you and people like you.
A breed of dog that is "a great pet if..." or "potentially a dangerous pet unless..." is a breed of dog that should only be raised by a certain type of person but it seems that type of person is not the type they are most popular with(before becoming rescues of course). This is one reason they end up with a bad reputation and a parent is not being unreasonable if they have reservations towards letting their children be exposed to them without thoroughly checking out the situation first.
I'm not even sure I know what a "street cred status symbol" is. Pretty sure they're not found in my town.
Our dog was not a rescue. We got him as a puppy, 6 weeks old, from my husband's co-worker. He owned both the parent dogs and had one litter before the female was spayed. We treated him like any other puppy. I'm not a fan of crates or tie-outs. He was with us in the house almost all the time. We took him for walks and allowed him to socialize with other dogs from the beginning (no "waiting until he has all his shots"). We took him to a puppy training class. We played with him a lot, taught him commands which he learned very quickly, and made a point of desensitizing him to common aggression triggers by taking toys out of his mouth, removing his food bowl while he was eating, etc., He was an extremely good-natured dog. Everyone who met him loved him--unless they hated dogs already. Several people independently called him a "pit bull ambassador."
But you know what? We would have done the same for any breed of dog. Pit bull puppies need the same things all dogs need: love, discipline, and responsible owners. Human aggression is not in their DNA, quite the opposite.
The fact is, many people do want a pit bull because of its image, and they don't raise them or treat them right. As a result, they don't get what every dog needs. Of course, a few become aggressive and dangerous. And it's a fact that they can exhibit dog aggression--though ours never did, and dog aggression does not translate to human aggression. But in the vast, vast majority of cases, a pit bull puppy that is raised as ours was, will be an amazing pet. Call me blind or self-deceived if you will, but when I hear that a pit bull who attacked someone was a "family pet," I have a very hard time believing that it was a dog raised as Amos was. It was either a rescue with an unknown background, possibly abused or used for fighting, or it was kept chained in the backyard, or in some similar environment.
There are very, very few other breeds, if any, that are so consistently abused and mistreated as pit bulls. And somehow, the blame then goes to the breed.
The pitbull has a bad reputation as a dangerous dog that is prone to attack people and so therefore its common for people to be apprehensive about pitbulls especially if they've got children. Not all pitbulls are like that but people who own pitbulls should know and understand this. The same thing with people who keep guns in their house. A responsible gun owner and a responsible dog owner will make sure that their homes are safe for children if they ever have children in their house. With guns you keep them secured an inaccessible to children and with certain dogs same thing.
Keep in mind the pit bull doesn't know the new child. Kids can make rash moves or do something that freaks out the dog or causes the dog to be aggressive.
Many kids are afraid of dogs, and it's a valid fear.
You chose to have a pit bull....you are comfortable with the dog and breed...but everyone else doesn't have to be, especially when they don't know your dog. And by your questioning people's comfort zone, you are potentially making others trust you less.
I said that it is a parent's responsibility to teach their kids what to do around dogs, which is exactly what I did and it just happened to be in the moment it was happening. If you're going over to a friend's house that has dogs you teach them what to do if they've never been around dogs. I prepare and prep my kids all the time if it's a new situation. I tell them what they can expect and let them ask questions.
This is what you said and I quoted: Originally Posted by iluvmycuties
Because I don't believe that a parent can successfully prepare a small child to have an appropriate reaction to an inappropriate action from an animal. And to put it on the parents is not responsible. Basic human nature is fight or flight.
This is what I disagree with the most. If parents don't teach their kids nor prepare them then who's job is it?
My husband feels the same way about the pit bull breed. He would rather our kids not be around them. I pet sit for a family that has a lab and a pit and because he feels that way I don't let the kids come with me. The pit is always nice to me though I know it could turn on me the same way a lab could. The lab has just as strong a jaw as a pit.
And there are actually more bites by labs than by pits. Unfortunately, the media and everyone else jump on the bite by the pits. I have had 2 people I know who have been bitten by dogs - one was bitten by a bassett hound who bit her while she was on a public sidewalk and the other was the family beagle who bit the 14 yr old daughter on the face - both were without provocation.
I can lay claim to having been bitten once by a dog - a new adoptee who bit my finger while I stuck it in his mouth to remove the chicken bone he had found in the trash. He was a terrier but not a pit bull terrier.
I am involved in rescue and there are always animals at my home. I have a friend who is deathly afraid of 4-legged critters. She learned to relax around my kitties but the dogs are another issue. I want my best-friend to visit so the dogs have to be elsewhere when she comes even though one of the dogs is my service dog.
The pitbull has a bad reputation as a dangerous dog that is prone to attack people and so therefore its common for people to be apprehensive about pitbulls especially if they've got children. Not all pitbulls are like that but people who own pitbulls should know and understand this. The same thing with people who keep guns in their house. A responsible gun owner and a responsible dog owner will make sure that their homes are safe for children if they ever have children in their house. With guns you keep them secured an inaccessible to children and with certain dogs same thing.
I agree. So as a responsible dog owner, how do you respond to someone who says, "I don't care how responsible you are--I don't care how locked away and secure your pit bull is--I'm never coming to your house."
Does anyone get how that is just a teensy, tinesy bit offensive?
I agree. So as a responsible dog owner, how do you respond to someone who says, "I don't care how responsible you are--I don't care how locked away and secure your pit bull is--I'm never coming to your house."
Does anyone get how that is just a teensy, tinesy bit offensive?
The subject is a child, not an adult. As an adult, if I was concerned about the animal, I would suggest meeting elsewhere. If the dog owner was offended, that's on them.
The subject is a child, not an adult. As an adult, if I was concerned about the animal, I would suggest meeting elsewhere. If the dog owner was offended, that's on them.
Okay, let's quibble. "My child is never coming to your house."
We have guns, too. The guns are locked in a safe. "Sorry, you have guns, my child is never coming to your house."
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"My child is never coming to your house." 
