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Pit bull terriers

381 replies

Freckle · 01/01/2007 11:32

Can anyone explain to me the attraction of owning a pit bull terrier? Why would you choose that breed over any other? Especially when there are children around and the breed has a reputation for unpredictable behaviour - and don't forget that the breed was developed to take on bulls, so it's not going to be a pussycat in any circumstances.

Another child has been killed by one, apparently owned by her grandmother - here . I don't like flagging up bad news on here, but I'm struggling to understand the mentality of people who choose to own such dogs.

OP posts:
Boobooroastingonanopenfire · 03/01/2007 16:54

I think one thing about all bull breeds is that not only do they have particularly strong jaws, the shape of them means that it's virtually impossible to unclamp them.

I can open my dog's mouth however desperate she is to hold onto whatever she's picked up, but you physically can't do that with my Mum's French Bulldog.

Boobooroastingonanopenfire · 03/01/2007 16:56

Caligula: my vet said she sees lots of cases where dogs get depressed if muzzled too much.

This may sound funny to non-dog-owners, but actually a depressed dog is much more likely to have behaviorial issues.

MummyPenguin · 03/01/2007 16:59

That was my pont too.

(formerly sameshitdifferentyear)

MummyPenguin · 03/01/2007 16:59

That should have been point not pont

Boobooroastingonanopenfire · 03/01/2007 17:01

I thought you were being chic and French MP.

MummyPenguin · 03/01/2007 17:04
Grin
Caligula · 03/01/2007 17:05

But booboo, what is "muzzled too much"?

I'm not suggesting muzzling them all the time, just when they are in public.

Are most dogs in public most of the time?

From what I see, most dogs don't get enough exercise - a couple of hours a day at the most. Is a couple of hours a day wearing a muzzle really going to depress them? If so then I wouldn't advocate it, but I suppose it depends on how many hours the dog is out per day.

nothercules · 03/01/2007 17:06

When I was growing up we had a bullterrier who could not be walked due to its aggression to other dogs apart from ones it knew whilst our jack russell used to frequently nip other peoples ankles.

You cant blame a dog if you get bitten whilst trying to separate them fighting.

Boobooroastingonanopenfire · 03/01/2007 17:07

It depends entirely on the dog. Some are more sensitive than others.

Anyway, most of the muzzled dogs in my park can get them off in seconds. Not sure how you'd get 'round that one...

geekgrrl · 03/01/2007 17:07

at 6 months our golden retriever puppy showed signs of considerable posession aggression and had nipped the children in the face aggressively several times, as well as plenty of growling, nasty barking etc whenever they came near him and his bedding/toys/whatever.

We consulted the canine behaviourist who had known our dog since we got him at 7 weeks (done puppy classes, advanced classes etc) and she said that he shouldn't be in a family with children, and that this is sadly a problem they see quite frequently in goldies.

He now lives a very happy doggie life with a childless couple and another goldie.

I dare say though that whilst I am obviously quite sure that he would have gone on to bite one of the children properly (hence the rehoming), I really don't think he would have ripped them to shreds, which I think is the difference between the behaviour you see from a breed bred for fighting and one that is quite docile but obviously displays quite normal dog behaviour.

MummyPenguin · 03/01/2007 17:20

I really am surprised what the canine behaviourist said about Goldies, geekgrrl. I must be very lucky with my Alfie. He is devoted to my DC. He's currently slung up on the sofa right in the middle of them happily watching cartoons. I've only ever met nice ones like my one.

As for the muzzling issue, yes, a lot of dogs who aren't used to wearing one would become depressed. When my Labrador was 6 months, I tried to get her used to a Halti (headcollar fitted around her nose and mouth) to prevent her pulling. But she just really couldn't accept it, and became very depressed whilst wearing it. Also, quite a few people thought it was a muzzle, and she began to get a bit of a reputation as a potentially dangerous dog, when she's anything but.

ruty · 03/01/2007 18:36

of course northercules. Now i know that if i ever own a dog again, i shouldn't get attached to it too much as if a bull terrier decides to attack it, I'll have to choose it die horribly rather than end up in hospital myself.

lanismum · 03/01/2007 18:39

A lot of people would refuse to muzzle their dogs as the dog would not be able to defend itself from other dogs, the neighbours I mentioned in my earlier post on this thread, both refuse to muzzle their dogs for this reason.

MummyPenguin · 03/01/2007 18:51

Yes, that brings me to another point about Halti's (and muzzles.) During one of the times that my Lab was wearing the Halti, we were walking past a couple of oldish ladies, and one of them had a greyhound, possibly a whippett, and as my dog passed it, the greyhound/whippett went for my dog, bit her, leaving a gash on her cheek. My instinctive reaction when I saw the other dog lunge, was to pull back on the lead, causing the Halti to tighten around my dog's mouth, therefore preventing her from defending herself. It was then that I stopped using it, not only was it making her miserable, it was leaving her vulnerable.

ruty · 03/01/2007 19:04

and the dogs weren't fighting, in each case the bull terrier just ran up to my dog and latched onto its throat. hardly a mutual thing.

winestein · 03/01/2007 19:18

A Staff did that to my Staff Ruty. Dispensed with any formal hello's and the like and just went straight for his neck. I was 7 months pregnant at the time and managed to roll around on the floor with them both and thankfully got him off. He was quite clearly trained to fight (he was a rescue dog - I had just been talking with his new owner who was lovely incidentally), whereas mine isn't. Sad to say it's owners again, or ex-owners in his case. He later killed a dog and was put to sleep.

As soon as I got him off, he looked at me and wagged his tail. Sad to say perfect to the breed really. Depends what the owner does with the fighting instinct towards other dogs.

Did you live in an area with a lot of bull terriers when you were younger? Your experiences are quite alarming.

Caligula · 03/01/2007 20:08

That's the same argument for carrying guns and knives isn't it. "I have to carry them because everyone else is."

winestein · 03/01/2007 20:10

What is Caligula? Having a Staff as "everyone" else has one?

Caligula · 03/01/2007 20:12

No, not letting your dog be muzzled because other people's aren't and therefore your dog wouldn't be able to defend itself.

(The people who wouldn't obey a law on muzzling, btw are exactly the same people who don't do the training, socialisation, picking up shit etc., now - at a guess!)

bluenosesaint · 03/01/2007 20:13

I have an almost 8 month old Goldie and she is absolutely adorable

We did a lot of research before going for a Goldie including personal recommendation (other Goldie owners), vets, dog trainers and breed books ...all of which had nothing negative to say about Goldies.

In 'real life' I have never encountered anyone who has been growled at/attacked by a Goldie. My Goldie bless her heart can't even look at us for longer than a second such is the submissiveness (is that a word? lol) of her nature. We were very clear from the beginning as to her place in the pack and had to work particularly hard on ensuring that she saw her place as below my youngest daughter, but she DOES know her place at the bottom of the pack and is a wonderful friend and companion to my children.

Obviously I know that not all Goldies are like this, but i haven't actually met anyone who has said different - dog owners and 'experts' alike. I'm not suggesting that anyone is lying about it, i'm just replying to the post regarding has anyone 'known' any Goldies to attack.

I can't honestly say hand-on-heart that she will never attack, because as i have said before, she is a dog! But i think it would be unlikely given her temperament.

xx

Caligula · 03/01/2007 20:14

I'm really surprised about the goldie thing as well. Have never heard anything but good about them, until this thread.

winestein · 03/01/2007 20:18

Oh, I see! That's why I didn't understand it...

I'm not sure I agree with the muzzling thing, primarily because my dog is 99% on the lead and only goes off when doggy pals are around with no-one else to be seen so there is no opportunity for him to hurt anyone even if the inclination took him (and I still maintain that is unlikely, but nevertheless....). However, you are right that if muzzling were enforced it would be the shit-leavers and the pitbull owners that disregarded it, making it pretty pointless.

SparklyGothKat · 03/01/2007 20:19

We took our dog to a large market, and we muzzled him because there was a lot of people there and he was a jumpy puppy who was still into mouthing. One man had a go at us for having him muzzled, asking us if he was nasty, and that he shouldn't have been at the market with us.

winestein · 03/01/2007 20:21

bluenose.. my dog has been attacked by a goldie and he was always bloody awful and downright nasty. His owner was as thick as 2 short planks of wood though, so IMO there's your answer...
You are a responsible owner who gives your dog constant leadership. This one was owned by the type you'd normally see with a Pit Bull.

nothercules · 03/01/2007 20:25

My sister's golden retriever was bought from a pet shop who are known to get dogs from puppy farm. Sadly as these dogs are so popular they can be over bred, no thought put to inbreeding and no socialisation in the first few weeks. We looked into a golden retriever (too much exercise for us in teh end) and did come across warnings about where you get them from due to over breeding by some.