October is Pit Bull awareness month

[Formerphobe]

I've never shared my home with any of the 'pit bull' type breeds, but have worked with hundreds, if not thousands of individuals in medical, training and shelter situations. I have a positive appreciation for the breed(s). Any breed from any of the breed groups (Working, Sporting, Terriers, Herding, Hounds, etc) can have the occasional 'bad apple'. Unconscientious breeders can, and have created bad blood lines in ALL breeds. In the right hands, most individuals of any breed have the potential to be 'good dogs'. The reverse, unfortunately, is more often true of the bully breeds - potentially good dogs in the wrong hands.

The average American should probably stick with stuffed animals. High intensity, high energy working breeds require regular, positive, intelligent interaction, socialization and training. In short, they need a job. With regular overtime. It's unfortunate that their current prominence as status symbols among certain factions have also placed them on the front burners as 'most dangerous breed', like their predecessors for the title: GSD, Dobe, Rottie, etc.

Most people couldn't pick a Pit Bull out of a line up if their lives depended on it:
http://mprgroup.net/misc/findpit.html

IME,in the veterinary setting, the most dangerous dogs are usually individuals from the Hound and Non-Sporting Groups. The Small Fluffys tend to be the worst. The most consistently dangerous breed I have encountered in my lifetime in multiple settings is the Chow Chow. But, I have also known a few really nice Chows and cannot say that the entire breed is bad.

 

[The Snark]

I've never shared my home with any of the 'pit bull' type breeds, but have worked with hundreds, if not thousands of individuals in medical, training and shelter situations. I have a positive appreciation for the breed(s). Any breed from any of the breed groups (Working, Sporting, Terriers, Herding, Hounds, etc) can have the occasional 'bad apple'. Unconscientious breeders can, and have created bad blood lines in ALL breeds. In the right hands, most individuals of any breed have the potential to be 'good dogs'. The reverse, unfortunately, is more often true of the bully breeds - potentially good dogs in the wrong hands.

The average American should probably stick with stuffed animals. High intensity, high energy working breeds require regular, positive, intelligent interaction, socialization and training. In short, they need a job. With regular overtime. It's unfortunate that their current prominence as status symbols among certain factions have also placed them on the front burners as 'most dangerous breed', like their predecessors for the title: GSD, Dobe, Rottie, etc.

Most people couldn't pick a Pit Bull out of a line up if their lives depended on it:
http://mprgroup.net/misc/findpit.html

IME,in the veterinary setting, the most dangerous dogs are usually individuals from the Hound and Non-Sporting Groups. The Small Fluffys tend to be the worst. The most consistently dangerous breed I have encountered in my lifetime in multiple settings is the Chow Chow. But, I have also known a few really nice Chows and cannot say that the entire breed is bad.

I'd have to go along with the Chow. They are built just plain bad arsed and they know it. Extremely smart, that ancient lineage thinking ability, coupled to a bear like body with almost impenetrable fur. We have quite a few around here that all act similar. Fortunately they tend to ignore humans for the most part but taking liberties with them, as in veterinarian circumstances, you can have a true monster on your hands. Their speed is uncanny and going from indifference ignoring you to a chomp is up at rattlesnake speed. Training them seems to be beyond the ability of nearly all owners. They will train and be obedient but let the person training them not be present they casually throw out the rules and regulations.
The one that lives next door to mom-in-law, name sounds like coy-yup, exemplifies all the worst in them. He guards the property which is unfenced, completely ignores people and is semi controlled by the owners chasing him with a stick though they can rarely land a hit on him and he doesn't seem to feel it. His entertainment is terrorizing all the other dogs in the village. He makes nightly rounds, entering the yards, tackling the local dogs, giving them a brutal chewing, holding them down for a while, then simply wandering off to the next activity. Sometimes the fur on his chest is matted with dried blood.
What I don't understand is he doesn't show any interest in killing and eating his victims like his akita cousins. He's just a malicious? brute.

 

[Cavedweller]

IME,in the veterinary setting, the most dangerous dogs are usually individuals from the Hound and Non-Sporting Groups.

I didn't know this! Sorry to bring the thread off topic for a moment, but I recently adopted a basset hound mix (the first hound in my family) and it would be great if you could give me some more info regarding their vet difficulties.

 

[The Snark]

I didn't know this! Sorry to bring the thread off topic for a moment, but I recently adopted a basset hound mix (the first hound in my family) and it would be great if you could give me some more info regarding their vet difficulties.

Just feed him/her like a friend did to Millie. At 130 pounds she had 2 modes. Walk sedately or fall asleep. When she jumped up into his car, that was it. Major exertion for the day. Lie down and sound asleep right there on the floor in 5 seconds. He even tried giving her coffee to get her to exercise a little. Just made her twitch in her sleep.

 

[Cavedweller]

Just feed him/her like a friend did to Millie. At 130 pounds she had 2 modes. Walk sedately or fall asleep. When she jumped up into his car, that was it. Major exertion for the day. Lie down and sound asleep right there on the floor in 5 seconds. He even tried giving her coffee to get her to exercise a little. Just made her twitch in her sleep.

This was a basset hound?? How could it even get any clearance with its tiny legs at that size?

 

[The Snark]

This was a basset hound?? How could it even get any clearance with its tiny legs at that size?

With great difficulty. A tremendous leap of 8 inches. She was so obese her legs deformed and her feet stuck straight out sideways to help her balance. Seems I've had some friends who have had very strange dogs. A boxer that absolutely refused to stop biting tires of cars, even after he repeatedly managed to get a grip on rolling tires sending him in a spinning roll down the street. A fluff thing sort of poodleish that climbed trees. Hated being up in a tree, howling and yipping incessantly and completely unable to get down, even if on a branch only 4 feet up. A dachsund that insisted on taking a dump on top of the washing machine. Train her, scold her, restrict her, give her own door, a month or two down the road and there's a new pile. And it was no mean feat her managing to get up there, requiring many mighty leaps.

 

[Fyrwulf]

The absolute sweetest dogs I've ever encountered were ABPTs. It's almost a universal trait that when you introduce yourself they immediately do a standing lean on your leg and wait to be petted. The closest I've ever seen a pit bull come to the "vicious" stereotype, and it was actually a APBT/Lab mix, was my friend's dog Champ. He was very protective of his family, to the point of proactivity, but once you were introduced you were family and a potential couch.

And to answer a question from earlier, the king of the bite list in the US is the Golden Retriever and it's not really close. I rather suspect Chihuahuas would top the list if they were taken half as seriously as dogs with the rep of being vicious were.

 

[Julia]

Just feed him/her like a friend did to Millie. At 130 pounds she had 2 modes. Walk sedately or fall asleep. When she jumped up into his car, that was it. Major exertion for the day. Lie down and sound asleep right there on the floor in 5 seconds. He even tried giving her coffee to get her to exercise a little. Just made her twitch in her sleep.

This makes me sad...

 

[klawfran3]

I rather suspect Chihuahuas would top the list if they were taken half as seriously as dogs with the rep of being vicious were.

I honestly think the reason we have so many rotten small dogs and chihuahuas is because nobody takes them serious because of their pitiful size. A snarly little dog the size of a large grapefruit is not very intimidating, so people just laugh at its bad behavior and don't bother to discipline or teach it that biting is bad. The dog grows up its entire life snarling and biting at people and soon that becomes his nature, and people begin wondering why their "precious little puppy" became such a snarling hellspawn that satan himself would think twice before petting it. It's because people don't take these toy dogs serious enough and just reinforce their bad behavior.

 

[Smokehound714]

Meh I'm glad they're banned here, stops the problem for crap owners in the first place, you have to ask yourself do you really NEED a Pitbull?

Pitbull actually came to my aid once when a couple of LABS attacked me. He didnt hurt them, just scared them off. Bought that dog a steak for his troubles, his owners were amazing, like they just understood how to win at life, haha

 

[viper69]

365 days a year is Pitbull awareness, no one wants to be lunch when they are walking down the street!

 

[cold blood]

And to answer a question from earlier, the king of the bite list in the US is the Golden Retriever and it's not really close. I rather suspect Chihuahuas would top the list if they were taken half as seriously as dogs with the rep of being vicious were.

I was just having this conversation with the women I walk my dog with, one mentioned goldens were number one and my first response was exactly yours....if Chihuahuas were reported, they'd likely lead the list. Many small dogs are much more prone to bite as they are easily indimidated and overly defensive....but when a small dog bites its never taken as seriously or reported.

"Napolean syndrome" is common with many small dogs...generally the owners fault, just like mean big dogs.

 

[Smokehound714]

I hate freaking chihuahuas. They're ugly, they're annoying, they bite, and everyone freaking has one >=(

 

[bigjej]

Best dog I ever had or knew. We had to put her down last year at 13 years old. Smart loving and loyal. She was great with kids - mine or strangers. The handful of times she showed human aggression were 100% warranted. Otherwise it was her tail amd tongue you had to watch oit for. Unless you were a cat. She had a strong prey drive for cats and oppossums and a hatred of small yippy dogs that sniffed her butt. Evem then she just gave a growl and of that didmt stop it, a snap, but never bit another dog. This is coming from someone who grew up being terrorized by neighborhood punks with crazy pitbulls and my brother being bitten by one. Would find it hard to own any other breed now.

 

[Julia]

I'm sorry for your loss, bigjej. She was a very beautiful girl with the trademark pit bull smile...and naturally awkward way of sitting. Do you have another one now?

 

[bigjej]

Thanks. My current life situation precludes onr but I hope in another year or so. Have to get the wife to agree. She prefers fluffy white dogs and retrievers.