To want to tell others to do their research before judging!

[Mumzzy88]

I get stopped every day by other dog walkers.i get rude comments about my parenting because of my choice. I get shocked faces and utter disbelief when asked do I have a pet!
I have a pit bull!
He was not my choice of breed and I didn't even want a bloody dog!
But.... a family member was treating him very badly he was under weight riddled in fleas being hit and attacked by other dogs in the house being given just left over food from whatever takeaway they had that night I observed this for a few months until I was invited to a barbecue five years ago in 30degree heatwave I could hear this dog crying in a room upstairs. I went up to see the dog who was in a boiling room with NO water!
I lost it! And took the dog home that moment to mine !
Iv now had him 6 years he's now a confident gorgeous family pet and we all adore him and he's amazing with my children he sleeps with my 10 year old every night as he hates being alone (naughty I know) and even lives peacefully with two cats!
He's not got a aggressive bone in his stocky body
But nearly every day people stop me and demand I put THAT dog on a lead ( in a huge field) or how could you own such a monster!. Or omg how could you allow such a dog around your children!
I'm so sick of this it makes me so upset Because he's so lovely he's and been given a second chance to be a happy pouch.
I feel like I have to explain his story constantly AIBU to think that people should just mind their own bloody business or do some research on the breed!

[ComtesseDeSpair]

Honestly OP I think you're being being an irresponsible dog owner, and it's your dog who will pay for it if your judgement is proven to be off. Your dog might be a lovely docile family pet, but he is also a breed which has been line bred for the specific traits of tenacity in fights and for aggression towards other dogs. It's not about whether he's a banned breed or not but that you are completely ignoring how the breed came to be and the reasons why he ought to be leashed in public or anywhere where he might come across other animals. A responsible owner recognises their breed's lineage and manages the behaviours which may arise from it accordingly.

I used to have whippets and knew full well they couldn't be trusted off the lead - as soon as they saw a cat / squirrel / pigeon they'd be after it and would have it by the neck given a chance. It's what they were bred for and however lovely they were as pets they don't lose the instincts and behaviours they'd been bred to have.

[MaitlandGirl]

We've got a pitty cross and he's a beautiful dog with a great temperament (if a little dumb). To me it's not the breed but the individual dog. His little brother was a nasty creature who was pts before he reached 1 year.

Any dog has the potential to be dangerous - I know a black cocker spaniel who's awful (no cocker rage, just a bad tempered dog) but it's my pitty who people consider to be a potentially dangerous dog. I'm sure a few years ago it was golden retrievers that topped the dog bite lists in the UK but they're considered perfect family dogs.

You did a great thing rescuing him and giving him the home he deserves.

[MorrisZapp]

And no, I won't do any research about other people's hobby. I'll just keep my own child safe.

[Mumzzy88]

Just to add I walk late at night now and when the field is visibly clear il let him run around but he don't go far and stays close to me he seems afraid to be honest
A year b4 I took him away they took him out for a walk and tried to loose him and drove off hoping he would be found and taken to a rescue centre and I think that's why he does not stray far. The poor thing found it's way back home !!!! And slept in their front garden ! This was told to me by her mother!! Shocking ! An when off he responds incredibly well to commands I never had a dog before him so he's taught me a lot

[HeteronormativeHaybales]

Whether you like it or not, your dog is intimidating, and potentially extremely dangerous, and it is your responsibility to behave with consideration and awareness and leash it in public, not everyone else's responsibility to somehow know it's 'harmless' (which it only is, btw, as long as something does not happen, and there is always that potential) and either put up with your dog curtailing their own space and comfort or leave the space.

And I don't want any dogs near me, dangerous or not. I don't want contact with dogs and I don't want to interact with dogs. That is my right and enough dog owners seem to think my rights come second to theirs.

[CaptainMarvelDanvers]

I love dogs and I'm very much blame the owner not the breed, but even I know you can never trust a dog 100%. Even my docile small dog. The difference though is that if my dog lost it, the damage would be insignificant compared to the damage a pit bull could do.

I once was chased by a pit/lab cross, I had to to pick my dog up and try to run home but it kept trying to drag my dog out of my arms. They just don't fucking give up. Luckily the bites on my dog were pretty superficial but only because my left arm was in the way, I still have faint scars from the bite. There were a group of girls who managed to get the dog away from me, then the owner showed up and ended up running away with his dog. Arsehole! Honestly I don't know how I managed to save my dog from being torn out of my hands.

I have had a few other run ins (luckily no injuries) with badly behaved dogs and their owners and unfortunately the dog breed is usually a Staffy or a Staffy cross with the exception of one Jack Terrier. My dog is always on a lead in the public, I don't know why everyone else can't do the same.

[Mumzzy88]

Morris zap he's not a hobby he's my dog

[TeamCersei]

He does sound lovely.
But, if I saw him unleased around young children, I would judge.
I wouldn't be able to help myself.
As a mother, it's instinctive to want to protect my young.

It is unfair on you and your dog.
But you have all the bad owners to thank for that.

[CaptainMarvelDanvers]

Forgot to add - the reason why I think Staffys are the most common culprits is because usually the owners are late teen/early 20's males who just like to walk around with an 'hard' looking dog.

[TeamCersei]

This is interesting.
I'm definitely beginning to think that owners have a lot to answer for.

[TheClaws]

That's just what you have to do if you have a pitbull Mumzzy88.

[Mumzzy88]

He's always leashed
I would never allow him to run wild around children as I know he looks intimidating and I wouldn't like it to happen to me or my children I fully respect people's fears so wouldn't allow it and he's never done that he loves kids and I know him running up to play would certainly shake up a child so I wouldn't put anyone in that position

[CaptainMarvelDanvers]

You should be keeping your dog on a lead OP. All it takes is one incident and your dog would be put to sleep, even if he didn't start the incident.

[SapphireStrange]

I think people who actively stop you on your walks to tell you they think your dog is a disgrace/monster/etc need to get lives, TBH.

Well done for rescuing him, OP.

[GruffaIo]

I had a very public, loud argument with another dog owner two weeks ago about keeping dogs on-lead.

We have two dogs - both rescue; one is an older, large mutt, after lots of work she's very friendly with every friendly dog we meet, but has a degenerative muscle condition that means we keep her on lead at almost all times to try and protect her from doing anything silly; the other, medium-sized mutt, we've had for a year, and we're still working on his confidence, he's muzzled and on-lead for his own protection when in situations where he might meet other dogs with no 'escape route', eg. narrow footpaths.

Anyway, an off-lead collie was stalking us as we walked through the park, then ran at us, hackles raised, and began circling and barking. Owner, with headphones on, just kept walking and did nothing. Our two got agitated and barked and lunged back. Collie eventually gave up.

OH walked our two away, whilst I said to the owner that he needed to control his dog. He said - as ALL such owners do! - that his dog was the friendliest dog in the world, and just wanted attention. I said that his dog was not under control as it ran at our dogs and he didn't intervene. He said our dogs must have been the problem for being on-lead, and asked why they were on lead anyway. It went on like this for a few minutes! Other people tried to avoid looking as they walked past! I gave up trying to reason with the guy and just reiterated that all he should have done was have said sorry because his dog was not under control. Trying to have the last word as I walked away, he called out that that was my opinion but I was wrong. During this raised-voice discussion, the collie got between us and started fixing on me. Not at all friendly, and quite unnerving, especially with an ignorant owner who can't tell the difference between friendly signals and non-friendly signals.

OH was upset at me for making a scene. I explained to OH that I was upset because we were working hard to build our newer dog's confidence only for idiots like the other guy and his dog to undermine our efforts. OH then quite rightly pointed out that irresponsible owners can't be reasoned with and that, whilst I was upset for hours afterwards, the other owner likely hadn't given it a second thought.

So, my point is, as a responsible owner of a dog that others perceive as dangerous, your job is to be an ambassador for the breed - muzzled, on-lead at all times, regardless of proximity to others, so that you always know that you've done your best and there's never ever going to be any opportunity for a mishap. Ignore the ignorant and be beyond reproach.

[ChrisPrattsFace]

You say in one post that you let him off and he comes back, then in another that he is always leashed?
Regardless of i people are around, if he is on the list he MUST be muzzled whenever out of your private property, home and secure garden (including in the car!) and ALWAYS on a lead.
If you are reported or seen with him not secure you will be fined/imprisoned and he will be euthenised. Simple as that, it doesn't matter how friendly he is but unfortunately that is the law.

[TheClaws]

So you say "he loves kids" and he's always leashed, but is he always muzzled out in public? What if a child happened to approach him unexpectedly, from behind, trying to pat him, and he was unmuzzled?

[Mumzzy88]

Can I please point out that my dog is ALWAYS LEASHED

[Rufus27]

OP Your dog is so lucky to have you as an owner. You sound caring and responsible. What you did in terms of offering a home is heart warming.

I wonder whether research has explored whether the type of people to own one of these breeds is less likely to be a responsible owner, therefore slightly flawing the statistics? It feels wrong to even suggest this, but I wonder whether there is a correlation?

[ChrisPrattsFace]

Op, you just said Just to add I walk late at night now and when the field is visibly clear il let him run around but he don't go far and stays close to me - which implies you let him off.

[Mumzzy88]

The claws... lots of people fuss over him he just happily accepts this and plays up to it he's a little attention seeker lol! Yes always muzzled he has to be and leashed. Iv removed the muzzle only when he tries to get a stick in his mouth and it gets caught or full of mud but I carry my spare

[Willow2017]

When put bulls first came to the attention of UK press every dog attack for years was labelled 'pit bull' 'pit Bill type' dog because it got headlines. Pet Jack Russel or pet collie cross didn't quite hit the mark. Then a few days later there would be a line in the follow up article saying it wasn't actually a pit bull at all but by then it was too late. Nobody cared.

All dogs have the potential to do huge amounts of damage to a child. If a dog is looked after by a responsible owner who understands thier dog and had trained it properly the risk is minimised. OP has not said anywhere that she lets it run amok when others are about.

I notice nobody has commented on the Jack Russel that attacked her dog and injured it yet her dog didnt retaliate. Should we let Jack Russell die out too? (Some of the most annoying, yappy, badly behaved dogs I have ever known)

[CaptainMarvelDanvers]

OP, you said the following:-

Just to add I walk late at night now and when the field is visibly clear il let him run around but he don't go far and stays close to me he seems afraid to be honest

That sounds like he is off his leash, I understand it's unfair and a pain in the ass but it's your duty to keep your dog on the lead.

[DearMrDilkington]

Can I see a photo of him? He sounds like a sweetheart. I have a soft spot for that breed, they really get a bad time of it and end up with shit owners.

Good on you for rescuing him, you sound like a brilliant owner and he sounds really happy with his new family.

[Floggingmolly]

When I see people in the distance I leash him
So, he's not always leashed. Presumably he is also somewhere in the distance when running around off leash, and may well be closer to the approaching people than he is to you?