Pit Bull

Does anyone have a pit bull or mix w/children? The news makes them look pretty scary but I believe it's how you raise them and there's just certain things you don't do like bother them while eating. I'm still a bit leary but would love to get one for my daughter. I was hoping some kind soul out there could help me put my fears to rest on this?

Bunkyhead wrote:how you raise them and there's just certain things you don't do like bother them while eating.

Totally agree with but remeber any dog can be agressive too, even those fake dogs the rich people have

If your getting a puppy and your kids are already a few years old it shouldn't be an issue. Most times when there are incidents I think it revolves around dogs that were there before the kids. This excludes of course dogs that were mistreated etc.

Kids can be brutal with animals watch them both carefully.

I agree with the Pit Bull thing. The problem is also in the breeding. Here in New Mexico its a huge problem. The Pit Bulls here are raised to be killers.

I can't see this dopey little thing being vicious to anyone but an intruder. It's 1/2 pit. It was the runt & the others were picking on him when I went to take a look. The poor thing was shaking. So we saved hime & gave him a good loving home. He was tiny when we got him & is very tolerable of my daughter & our other dog. The others were more aggresive & I may have had a problem w/them. This is the best dog I ever had. And free is so much cheaper than the 1,500-2,000 for the bull dogs I really wanted. Of course we stress certain isuues such as wacking the dog or messing w/his food more than we did w/the others as a precaution and will always watch him carefully, but I am extremely comfortable w/our decision to make him part of our family. I believe it's how they're raised as well.

I just saw on Law & Order or something along those lines last night where they had a rotty. They had said that feeding the dog a high protein diet made it more aggressive. Has anyone heard of this being true & for the pits as well by chance? Ours get scraps everyday.

I haven't heard anything about it but I would think their diet would make a difference.

We have a Rottweiler. Our last dog was a 1/2 black lab and 1/2 Rottweiler, he was a great and wonderful dog. Our current dog, Smokey, a pure breed Rottweiler. He is only a year and a half, and is 134 lbs. He is such a gentle giant with us and the kids. But he is very funny when some one comes to the house especially men. I guess that is part of the breed, the protector. I actually sit down and play with him, he loves it and has never been rough with me or the kids. Our next dog will be a Rottweiler as well.

It is all how you raise them. I have meet meaner ankle biter dogs than big dogs.

Every party has a pooper, and I am it at this party.....This was about a year and a half ago. A local family had a pit bull. Owned it since it was a pup. Never was aggressive to anyone. It was about 3 years old when who knows what happened. The owners kids were playing in the front yard, the dog with them as always. The next thing anyone knew the youngest child was mauled and later died.
I'm sorry, this was a loving dog in a loving home. You can't tell me it had anything to do other than the breed. I would not own one, I would never, ever, leave kids with one.

Freddy wrote:Every party has a pooper, and I am it at this party.....

I'll join you as a party pooper. Having owned pure breed Akitas at the same time I had children I would never ever, make that mistake again and our dogs were great with our kids. The problem was how they acted with my kids' friends. I trusted our male completely until the day he bite one of the friends. Then it was too late to rethink the situation. What a nightmare!!!! The boy got real sick and almost died - from one bite - we aren't even talking about mauling. Then the parents sued us and the insurance company got involved. Our rates went up, the list of problems from this dog and the breed just kept growing. I got so nervous about what could happen with this dog I couldn't think of anything else. I put up a large outside kennel to put him in when my kids had friends over but I just couldn't get the risk out of my mind so I had to have the dog put down. When our second Akita died, I replaced that breed with a Golden and a mutt – Sheppard/beagle mix. Yeah, any dog may bite but why start with something you’re unsure about? Don’t do it.

Here is a thought for you – the various dog rescues only work with pure breeds. Why is that? Because mixed breeds are unreliable. You have no idea what good or bad genes the puppies inherited. They are a time bomb… or not – you don’t know. I say don’t take the chance.

My buddy and his wife had their 1/2 pit 1/2 dobie before their two kids were born. Kids are 3 and 5 now. Sweet dog and never a problem. However, Mika would be happy to fetch literally all day long, always begging to play outside.

I just don`t think that I would take the chance, I`ve had freinds that had pit bulls with no problems but with the power & reputation why take the chance. I`ve always had mutts, all different sizes & mixes & had great dogs.

I will join the party poopers, why take a chance. Choose a different breed.

Bk

My opinion for what it's worth. Any dog can and will bite. The most vicious dogs I have seen have been small dogs. I have also seen Weimariners, black labs, goldens, spaniels all bite. I believe it is more in the training they receive than the breed. Although the exception would be dogs whose parents were bred specifically because they were nasty. for fighting.No dog should EVER be left alone with a small child EVER. They are not babysitters,The best thing to do is train your dog. Take it to puppy obedience classes if you can, but most of all be consistent in your training. There is a program called NILIF or nothing in life is free. Basically, your dog gets nothing without doing something to earn it. Want to give it a treat, make it sit or down.
At feeding time do the same thing. YOU control how your dog reacts when it's being fed. From little on let it know that you can take it's food if you want to. Our 11 year old Rotti rescue will let me take food out of his mouth and will sit at his bowl until I tell him to eat. He's not perfect but came from an ugly situation and I know what his issues are. I have had many dogs and this Rottie is my favorite. I wish I had gotten him when he was younger and in better health. He is loyal, intelligent and protective. My next dog will be another Rott.

Pitts, Rotties, German Shepherd Dogs, all are highly intelligent and need to be challenged. They need exercise and to be worked. Any dog who spends its time in a crate for hours while people are at work will be a little crazy. Also, a tired dog is a good dog.

If you are feeding a good quality puppy food and adding table scraps, I don't believe that will affect your dog temperment. I'm currently feeding a raw meat diet to our Springer to try to alleviate allergies. No issues to speak of.

I would have taken the poor thing too.

Bunkyhead On: Sat Feb 12, 2005 9:30 am

OK....so I just looked at the date of the original post on this subject. I guess the pup is now over four years old.

Hey Bunky....how's he doing???

Our neighbor has two dogs - one a male Black Lab and the other a female Bull Terrier mix - the mix looks like Black Lab to me. While they both could use a little obedience training (the female is also barely a year old), they are both really sweet dogs. They have a young boy, almost 3, and twins on the way.

The two dogs will run around their yard - almost an acre - all day chasing each other, wrestling, playing tag, tug of war, etc. Sometimes you'd think they are going to kill each other by the way it sounds. She (Eve) will come up and chomp on his (Jack) tail and then run off and so it goes. It's hysterical to watch, especially when they are both busy digging up a shrub.....(hence the obedience part). Glad they are not my dogs....but then our two English Cockers aren't exactly perfect either...

But, getting to the point - our neighbor was worried about having a Bull Terrier around kids, but aside from beating up on her "big brother", she's a big marshmallow and loves people, strangers, etc. I've seen absolutely no aggressive tendencies whatsoever. I think the mix of Black Lab makes the difference.

But, I firmly believe that aside from simply poor breeding, there are no "bad dogs", only "bad owners". German Shepherds had a bad wrap from poor breeding as well as American Cockers. I don't think there is anything "wrong" with Bull Terriers except being bred/raised for aggressive behavior. I'm not a fan of terriers in general, or Schnauzers, but have known some really good examples (and poor) of both.

Chris

We have always had dogs on the farm,our kids w/ thier pits,goldens,rotties, black & tans,2 black labs currently--Just one old guys thoughts,but,if one of our small kids got near a dog & his food bowl & the dog went off behavior wise,or for any other situation--they would be shot--I am the king of my domain--well,when Momma lets me be & if I've got a dog I don't trust because of his behavior,he's got the problem,not me--use your common sense--pit or golden,if you can't use em,lose em