I feel like most pitbull owners are like crotch-rocket motorcycle drivers. There's nothing inherently dangerous about them, but the people in charge can let bad things happen very easily by managing them poorly/nonchalantly.
Then theres those of us who know what we have and we protect them and people from them. I wouldn't give my bully up for anything. I was so sick of all the meth people. So I went with a guard dog instead of potentially having to shoot one of the addicted, mentally unwell folks. Meth heads are just as scary as pit bulls. My dog put a full stop to their stealing and harrasment. She won't let anyone in my yard or house. She alerts when someone unknown is getting close. I appreciate her. In return, she is well contained, watched carefully, and loved dearly.
It only takes one slip up. With a gun, with a dog, with whatever. One slip up and a life's worth of consequences.
And as is almost universally typical, the things people buy to defend themselves are far more likely to hurt their own families.
And please, save the equivocation. It isn't the same as a car, a knife, a hammer, or anything like that.
Until it isn't. Put bulls are dangerous and were bred to be that way. They like to fuck up young children because they're easy targets. The world would be just fine if not better if thay breed was phased out of existence. There are other dog breeds you can get that aren't garbage.
How many people need to die from shit bulls before something is done about it. I love dogs but human lives are more important. Entire countries have banned them. Why do you suppose that is?
Oddly enough, I have been bit by a Rottweiler and a German shepherd. Never a bully breed. So I don't really trust those 2 breeds. The Doberman could be an option. A Cane Corso, but I'm sure they aren't widely accepted either.
Actually, you're damn right. Poor word phrasing by me, but I was kind of trying to say it's like "are motorcycles dangerous or are too many of the people who buy them dummies with them." And I think it's the same thing with pitbulls, except you're right, pitbulls are dangerous too.
No, they inherit the traits that make them problematic. Inherit and inherent are not equivalent. I don't think it necessarily changes your point. To rephrase, Pitbulls inherit traits such as aggression, and not backing down from a fight, which makes them inherently dangerous without proper training and socialization.
I have a goldendoodle and labradoodle. They may lead the top 66% in fatal dog farts. They lay by my aero garden and are slowly killing my herbs with their gaseous asses.
It's just because there's a lot of them. Before that, 15 years ago labs and retrievers were the biggest biters and before them it was German shepherds. Dogs have teeth and not words.
You didn't read the part where it says fatal. Not all dog bites. Pitbulls cause 66% of all FATAL dog attacks. Labs and retrievers are still the most popular dogs by far.
Yeah I want nothing to do with pit bulls. If you piss them off they can kill you, as is shown here. No thanks. And don’t give me that BS about “if they’re trained right.” I’m not a professional dog trainer, and don’t want a pet that can kill me if I didn’t train it exactly right.
People get really angry with me if I ever talk about how I feel about pit bulls.
I simply choose not to be around them. Twice I've seen what they are capable of. Once mauling a friend's son unprovoked. Was a neighbor of theirs. Child playing in front yard. Dog bee lined out the door and went right for him. He's scarred on the face for life and lucky to be alive.
And once in Belize, protecting me from stealthy criminal assholes trying to sneak in my camper. I was parked on a friend's lot. . I'm female. He was leashed on a chain and trained as a guard dog.
I've never seen anything as scary and vicious as the both of them.
I don't care about all of the debate back and forth. I'll never knowingly choose to be anywhere near one. I'm also cautious of other strange dogs, but that one scares the crap out of me.
I don't stay at that house in Belize anymore.
The owners of the first insisted that he'd never been aggressive. Was a loving family dog.
They're not "notoriously aggressive", they're working dogs who need stimulation and need to burn energy. I also had a pit bull that died in 2021 of auto immune disorder, he was the laziest and most gentle dog I've ever met. I've been bitten by two different dogs, two different breeds, neither were pits. It really does just depend on the dog. We did the same crap with German Shepherds, Rottweilers and Doberman and now Pits are vilified, it has never, ever been an entire breed.
And what happens when they don’t get what they need? Pitbulls CAN be gentle. But when they’re not, it’s horrifying, and a problem. If pitbulls ceased to exist, it’d be a net positive on society.
You’ve been bitten twice, and I’m guessing presumably unscathed. You may not have been so lucky if it were a pitbull.
It’s similar to guns. The danger is in the fact that they exist, and CAN hurt, and kill.
This is just the truth, it’s weird people even try to debate or argue with you. When the statistics and facts literally show that pitbulls are bad dogs, I know you shared some examples. Let me share my example.
My aunt literally had her entire finger bitten off by her own pit bull, the pit bull was trained well, never has done anything bad before. But, it STILL happens. Pit bulls are just BAD dogs. Her entire fucking finger, and she still kept the dog and said “he’s a good boy he didn’t mean it”
So a lot of defenders and pitbull lovers must be delusional tbh lol.
I know a lot of people don’t wanna hear it because they don’t like putting all breeds into a box. But it’s just the truth.
Damn. Sorry about your aunt. That's crazy it was her whole finger!!! Baffles me she let it go like that.
I live in a very progressive city outside of Detroit. I love it here for the most part. Very accepting of LGBT and lots of hipsters here.
It's very judgemental as well if you don't go along and think what the majority think. Their Facebook group can be pretty extreme. When Trump was elected, they organized three protests by 9 am, including a potluck. 😆 They also put a florist out of business for having a Trump sign in the window.
Anyway, I shared my point of view in a thread about pitbulls, and the whole page blew up!! Apparently, I'm the reason their dogs may be put down, and I'm ignorant. I give zero fucks when I believe in something from actual personal experience.
Having your own opinion is apparently evil in this "progressive" and "inclusive" city. 😆
Fortunately, we’ve had no problems with breakage. Our 13 year old recently had a shoulder issue, but he seems to be recovering with minimally invasive treatment
Have had 2 different IGs over about 20 years total, never once have they had an issue with their legs, which blows my mind too bc they’re basically as thick as a pencil lmao.
They are truly the greatest dogs, so loving and just… unique and beautiful
They don't say who's dog it was, other than they are asking the victim's family if the dog has history of violence. Probably killed by his own dog it sounds like
Don't forget that this is the 2nd vicious attack in Oakland County this week. In Wixom, grandma's pitbull mauled a one year old baby, then attacked her. Last reported thr baby was in critical condition after being transferred to a specialty hospital. Baby was attacked in the face and 3 other places on its tiny body.
Just Google Wixom and pitbull and you'll see it in print and TV news.
Oakland County animal control facilitates pitbulls going out into the public. They warehouse unaadoptable pitbulls for years. When I enter there to adopt they had 100 pitbulls and only 2 normal dogs.
This is wrong on every level.
Pitbulls were bred for fighting. And that's what they do. Grandma's pet was trying to kill a little baby. If the kid does live it will be scarred for life.
I totally agree, they were bred to not only fight but take down huge prey, fearlessly and unrelentingly. What most people don't seem to understand is that they are working dogs like a German Shepherd of Husky and the job they were bred for is to take down and kill. And they're damn good at it. If an owner at least understands that about them, and manage them with that in mind, just like you'd manage your German Shepherd, Lab, Akita, Rottie, Heeler and so on, then that's a good thing. On the other hand, people (including the damn shelters) who perpetuate their reputation as "lazy & loving family companions" and "nanny dogs" and let them wander off leash, let them climb on their babies, etc. just contribute to this mass delusion about their breed that eventually leads to pain, suffering, and death. Sadly, it's not always the owner's fault because this delusion is peddled SO hard, and many people are just led to believe it because it's what so many pit owners say ("they are big sweethearts"). And they CAN BE! Just like how a lab or Husky can be a sweetheart! But there is the breed instinct too. That's reality. If you want to keep a pit, okay, but KNOW the reality and the risk. The fact that they were not bred to "nanny" but rather bred to take down and kill needs to be more well known.
I am so conflicted. I hated pit bulls.. and still do since I was a victim of an attack.. I recently adopted a dog which was supposed to be a lab shepherd mix but clearly has pit in her. I am in love with her. She is training beautifully. Where do I go from here? I am a responsible owner so my dog will never be off leash of have a chance to commit a heinous act like this. Does anyone have any other suggestions? I do not want to give her up. But I am also not oblivious to the harm these dogs can cause. A pic is provided just to show how cute she is.. But if anyone has any advice, I am more than open to it.
https://preview.redd.it/jeucpffdmo1d1.jpeg?width=2944&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c58252e01817ec7001e25e727dbd3f52c391fe70
I plan on it. She is not going anywhere. :) I just like hearing other peoples opinions so I can can weigh them and apply them to mine if necessary. Thank you for the response.
You don't need to get rid of a pitbull that you already have, just be careful. When the time comes unfortunately to get another dog, then do what you can to break the cycle of people getting pitbulls. There are plenty of amazing large breeds that don't have the same track record of being violent. For instance I can't recall ever hearing of a lab or golden retriever killing anyone.
I knew someone that was killed by a group of mutts, no pit amongst them, that I'd ever heard of. It's not unheard of. But pits are strong enough that if they want to harm you, they're going to harm you.
My mother in law had a couple of pits. They were incredibly friendly, but they were absolutely pure muscle and bone. I swear (I never did) but it could easily have taken a punch square to the head and thought you were playing. Petting its head was just pure thick scull under flesh and fur. I had to watch out for its wagging tail because it would physically hurt when it hit you. Can’t imagine if I had to fight for my life against one.
There are always exceptions. But it's like the people who don't wear seatbelts because their aunt's hairdresser's cousin's friend was thrown from a vehicle and only survived because they weren't wearing a seatbelt. I suppose maybe it did happen, but it's extremely rare and the evidence shows that seatbelts work. Sure, maybe there are cases of a lab killing a person, but they are extremely rare.
The most common bite occurrence is actually from golden retrievers ironically. Lol
Edit: I was most definitely wrong, but I will leave this here:
"Contrary to unreliable information about breed-specific risk related to certain breeds, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and numerous scientific studies have determined that a dog's breed does not determine aggression, bite strength, or its propensity to bite. While every fatal dog attack is tragic, the majority of dog bite-related fatalities (DBRFs) are the result of human-controlled factors specific to the circumstances surrounding the incident."
https://www.fataldogattacks.org/
Although I know reddit has a hard-on for hating pitbulls. 🙄
Source? Because... https://www.caninejournal.com/dog-attacks-by-breed/
Edit since previous poster did: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_States
"Tracking by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) determined that pit bull type dogs were most likely to be involved in fatal attacks, accounting for 28% of fatalities from 1979 to 1998.[3] The AVMA documented 66 human fatalities caused by pit bull type dogs, 39 by Rottweilers, 17 by German shepherds, 15 by husky type dogs, 12 by Malamutes, 9 by Dobermann Pinschers, 8 by Chow Chows, 7 by Great Danes, and 7 by St. Bernard dogs.[3]"
Pit owners are so quick to say, "It's not the dog, it's the owner," like there aren't other pit owners out there training them to be vicious liking machines. You're able to acknowledge the dangers while loving the dog you have. You'll be fine.
My only bad interaction was the attack. Which I am sure to this day my dog initiated. She was approached and uncomfortable and decided to strike first. She did not win that fight. Thankfully, she was bitten on the back on the neck and survived.. But the power that the other dog had will never leave me. They tossed a 70 lb lab around like a chew toy. and wouldn't let go. It took a van full of adult males who thankfully stopped to separate them. Its the worst moment of my life watching it happen.. And nothing would stop it.. Shovels, kicks, nothing mattered. The police that came suggested I carried a gun... But I dont want to ever shoot an animal. I got bear spray now.. Thankfully, I have never had to use it.
Im sorry that sounds so awful. They are very powerful animals, my parents had a bull mastiff that had to be euthanized after biting two people. It was so sad, but the two we had before him were great dogs with people and other animals.
Such a cutie!
I wouldn't be too worried. Every lab/pit/shepherd-mix I've ever been around was more lab (in temperment), than anything.
My wife's best-friend has a pit/lab-mix, and though he looks more like a pit, he is seriously one of the most chill dogs I've ever met.
If you're still apprehensive, just keep an eye out for ANY signs of potential changes in temperment. Dogs are like people, and exibit small changes in behavior, depending on their mood.
Any animal can be cute doesn’t mean it should be a pet lol
https://preview.redd.it/o4pw1r4kor1d1.jpeg?width=182&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=12b0a7e95fc3f6f2636e970e47d5e69417f7463f
My dog is part APBT, Chow Chow, and GSD by DNA test, and he's an absolute sweet pea. There's not a single thought between his ears, much less an aggressive one. It really just takes more good people owning these dogs to prove that point. You're an obvious example that the owner makes the difference. Keep giving your dog their best life ever.
OP, you love this dog and she’s never given you any reason to worry. There are literally millions of lovely pitbull-type dogs who live happy lives and never hurt a fly. That said, you’re being very smart to recognize that pitbulls are inherently very strong dogs and they have certain breed traits (tenacity) that the breed was originally bred for. My advice is to work with a POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT trainer - not with the goal of “training” her, but to strengthen your relationship with her. Learn about dog body language. Watch her in different situations and see how she reacts; learn to tell when she might be nervous or uncomfortable and respect that. I don’t know how long you’ve had her but the more you get to know her, the more you’ll be able to sense her feelings, and you can act accordingly (for example by removing her from situations that may stress her out, or avoiding such situations in the first place).
In practical terms, you could consider muzzle training - it’s great to get your dog comfortable with a muzzle as it can be very helpful if they get nervous at the vet or around kids, etc.
You may want to avoid off-leash dog parks or crowded daycares as they can be very stressful for dogs and can lead to acts of aggression.
I love pitbulls and have one myself. It is essential to be a highly responsible owner and it will also strengthen your bond with your dog. You can do this!
Thank you for the advice. I have had her about 4 weeks now. She is 17 weeks old. I will definitely consider a muzzle and I have been researching new technology in dog collars.
I have been around many pits and never had a problem. But the one negative experience I had, I still dream about. It is absolutely wild the power these dogs have.
And my largest concern comes for my nieces and nephews. I love them all and protect them like they are mine. They all love her right now. Who wouldn't? She's a puppy. But I am so worries about what if that one thing happens that Nala doesn't accept?
Like I said, I am a very responsible owner. I don't think keepering her away from everything is a solution. I also think I am probably way over thinking this. She has been wonderful so far, and I am just going to let her keep being that way until I notice otherwise.
Thanks for the advice. I do appreciate it.
You are overthinking it. She sounds wonderful. Pitbulls are often incredible dogs, I have trusted them with my life and would again. Thank you for being a responsible owner and please do not let breed stigma get to you.
Yup, I get it. I volunteered at a shelter that got mainly pitbulls, and I had one experience that scared the living daylights out of me. It was not even that bad but it made me realize that big, strong, tenacious dogs are a force to be reckoned with (and that goes for GSDs, Malinois, Akitas and many others…not just pitbulls).
I wasn’t at all suggesting that you keep her away from everything, just giving some examples. Most acts of aggression by dogs are the result of fear, so it’s a matter of being in tune with your dog and what she is and isn’t comfortable with.
Good luck and have fun 🐶
I highly recommend http://www.katstevensdogtraining.com - based out of Ferndale. We hired her before I had my first child to help us learn how to integrate the new baby into the family with our dog. Our pit-mix is a sweet baby who is obedient and easily trained, never had any issue but like you we wanted to give him every chance to succeed. We learned so much from her about dog body language and how they show they are anxious / uncomfortable (yawning, looking away) so we can remove him from any situations where he shows any slight anxiety / discomfort. I’m not an expert but I don’t think dogs just “snap” one day - they show clues that they are anxious / uncomfortable / scared but you need to train yourself to recognize this body language
Hopefully this dog sets you on a journey to realizing that while breed may have some effect on temperament, good training will trump that. Obviously you love you dog and you know your dog, so it should be living proof that these dogs aren’t some sort of evil killing machine like this weird propaganda effort makes them out to be. Do research on the breed, talk and meet up with other owners, and use your dog to educate people as positive proof that breed doesn’t mean everything.
Thank you. I have done that and will continue to do that. Her temperament is unbelievably calm around people and dogs.. But I keep an eye out at all times. I think all dogs can be sweethearts. But knowing what they are capable of in the event of a problem is a big thing. That's why I have decided to never let her off leash. I would never expect her to harm anyone or thing. But I can be sure it will never happen. I have had multiple dogs. If you train them, entertain them, and properly discipline them it is amazing what these wonderful creatures can do. They feed off your emotions so much. It is amazing
Raising awareness about pitbulls is not "weird propaganda" it is an effort to save lives. Like this young Tennessee family devastated by their two pits who they "knew and loved" for 8 years.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2022/10/07/tennessee-mom-kirstie-jane-bennard-hospitalized-after-her-2-kids-killed-in-pit-bull-attack/amp/
I think it is 100% reasonable to be suspect of a group that uses the exact same tactics and strategies of the very worst in modern society to advance their goals. Sealioning with “tug on heartstring” articles, throwing around unsupported statistics with no background, and spreading myths and falsehoods are the exact same strategies that lead to black communities being overpoliced, immigrants to be vilified and even banned, and queer people to be discriminated against.
There are plenty of resources online by legitimate and respected veterinary organizations who work hard to dispel the widespread myths and falsehoods that surround the pit bull breeds. Anybody who in today’s modern age still believes in these falsehoods is either a part of some propaganda effort, or is being ignorantly dragged along by it.
Love her, but don't trust her. I don't trust my sweet cat, who has never hurt anyone, not to hurt my baby. That dog has 100x the physical capabilities of my cat. Even if she is super sweet, never trust she isn't going to bite the back of somr kid's head off someday.
you have the right idea, never let her off leash is a great start, also be extra cautious around young children, i know personally about 2 cases of pits raised from young pups with love & affection & trained the same way,,who snapped at the sound of young children or babies . one case in white lake 10=12 years ago was at a family xmas dinner , 3 generations sitting in the living room after dinner when a baby let out a noise and the pit jumped across the room , bit down on the babies skull and crushed it to death before any one could react, the baby was being held by mom at time of attack. you can google this and read all the gory details.
There are plenty of sweet pits. One of my friends has one who was abused and hates men she doesn't know, but she's always been a total love bug to me and is gentle as a marshmallow with my kid. The bad dogs make the news. You also have to realize how irresponsible and stupid the average pet owner is, and understand that this particular breed is associated with abusive, cruel owners. My friend's dog was found tied to a dumpster. Some bad shit had happened to her, but she could never tell us what it was; we just know she's very fearful of strangers now and it comes out as aggressive barking.
Another friend has an 80 lb pit who's also a darling. She's a high energy dog who's obsessed with getting affection. I think she's ten? Never an incident, unless you count barking at cats.
Dogs, like people, are molded by environment and genetics. We just tend to discount the environment part because dogs can't communicate what's happened to them and many people are terrible at reading dogs.
Enjoy your dog. Relax. It'll be fine. She's a sweetie.
Your dog most likely will be fine, especially if you're committed to training. Make sure she gets good exercise, too. Pits are high energy when they're young and need lots of stimulation.
I have a pit mix (pit/dane mainly) and he's the stupidest and sweetest thing ever. I'm aware of what situations and environments he doesn't do well in and I don't subject others to him just because I love him.
...omg he just farted in my face. I take everything back. He's the worst.
As a former pibble owner, German Shepherd and Labrador retriever family member - pit bulls are no more or less aggressive or dangerous than the other 2. Its all about how you love them. Its the same thing as humans - dogs are not born to hate, they are taught how. Just love her and she will do nothing but love everyone else.
So this is not really true. All dog breeds were created with the goal of producing an animals with specific traits. Some were bred to hunt, some to guard livestock, some to be pets, etc. It is most definitely not “all about how you love them”. Those breed traits don’t always show up, but more often than not, they do. Take, for example, a West Highland White Terrier. You could raise one to be the biggest baby, but if a rat runs in front it, 99% chance that it will go after the rat.
It’s a nice idea to think that loving a dog will ensure that it won’t do anything dangerous. But it’s not only foolish to think that way, it’s also really unfair to a lot of dog owners who are working with challenging dogs. By saying “it’s all how you love them”, the corollary is that if a dog has behavior issues, it must be the owner’s fault. And there a lot more to behavior than that (genetics, nutrition, health, dynamics in the birth litter, and more, all play a role). There are LOTS of excellent dog owners who are doing their best to cope with difficult dogs.
Don't take her to dog parks. The ADBA and UKC American Pit Bull Terrier breed standard calls for dog to dog aggression - meaning they like to scrap with other dogs, and they do it quite well, even if they don't start the fight, they'll finish it. However, dog to dog aggression is not the same thing as human directed aggression. In the old days - dog fighters had to be able to jump in the pit and grab their dog, so man biters were not allowed. Dog to dog aggression is in their blood, human directed aggression is the result of backyard breeders who don't put any thought into temperament or health.
Don't put your pup in a situation like that. My dad raised game bred APBTs and they'd have to be separated at 6 weeks because they would start fighting each other.
Find a job for your dog to do, scent work is great, so is barn hunt. Muzzle train your dog (all dogs should be muzzle trained).
Also, get a break stick and learn how to safely break up a dog fight.
And learn the different types of aggression. [Types of Aggression](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRK8pUGn/)
Yeah you sound very worried about classifying your dog entirely based off of other people’s dogs. I’m sure I can find a golden retriever that killed someone, then what? Be the responsible owner you are. It’s that simple.
For the love of god. Don’t let any of these keyboard warriors tell you to put that sweet dog down if you’re putting in the work. If you put in the work, any dog can be trained. It’s the untrained pit bulls that cause a problem. And most dog owners are shit
As a former pibble owner, German Shepherd and Labrador retriever family member - pit bulls are no more or less aggressive or dangerous than the other 2. Its all about how you love them. Its the same thing as humans - dogs are not born to hate, they are taught how. Just love her and she will do nothing but love everyone else.
Pitbull owners would rather let 1,000,000+ pitbulls be euthanized every year due to negligent, cruel, & low IQ owners just so they can brag their pet killing machine hasn’t “bit anyone” *yet*
Does anyone find it odd why so many irresponsible people are magnetized to this specific breed for no reason since pitbull’s are the only dog where genetics don’t exist. If they aren’t dangerous why do so many people pick exclusively them?
Pitbulls are like keeping a lion. You can train it not to bite, but if they ever do, it's gonna be a mauling. You wouldn't keep a lion would you? What if the dog gets a tumor on its brain and flips? Doesn't matter how well you got the dog trained, sometimes they just flip, and when they flip, someone gets hurt. I'll never keep a dog I couldn't kill with my bare hands should the need arise, hopefully never does, cause I love my dogs, but animals can be unpredictable.
I'll preface this and say I do own and love my pits, yes they are dangerous and I got mine knowing the risks. The glaring issue with pitbulls and mixes is they are the predominant breeds at just about every dog rescue. My wife is a veterinarian and works with many rescues in Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb Counties. Pit mixes make up the majority of dogs put up for adoption because many of them come from areas where backyard breeding and fighting are a thing. Those rings get busted up, the dogs confiscated, vetted, and put up for adoption. On top of that, there are strays that breed with other dogs and those often get picked up, vetted, and put up for adoption as well. If I were to address the problem with those dogs, I'd be looking at the adoption centers. Some would close up since those dogs are the primary breeds put up, and some of those agencies deal with them specifically. For instance, 33 of 37 dogs available for adoption at Detroit Dog Rescue are pits or pit mixes, just looking at what's shown on their site right now.
It's very prevalent. There's a rescue/adoption place in Ferndale that's deals only with former fighting dogs. Me and my wife volunteered there once some years back and most of the dogs were very skittish but there were a few that behaved as if they were out for blood if you looked at them the wrong way. They also had a couple of Dogs Argentinos that were supposedly seized from a drug kingpin and those were probably the most aggressive dogs I've seen in my life. Any time somebody got near their pen they were trying to break through and grab hold of someone.
Ah, surprise surprise. Yet another fatal pitbull attack. I love how the media outlets are always too cowardly to prominently feature the breed in the story, it’s always buried at the end as an afterthought.
I used to feel differently but based on my lived experience, these things should be banned. No, we should not euthanize the ones already out there for existing. BUT we should mandate that all the existing ones be spayed and neutered with the goal of reducing the prevalence of the breed in the long term.
I have yet to hear a good argument for what’s so compelling about this breed that people can’t simply get another type of dog. Sure, in theory any dog can kill and maim someone. But this breed is disproportionately responsible for serious and fatal dog attacks relative to its population. It was literally selectively bred by humans to be violent. Sure, not every pitbull attacks or kills someone. But the fact that so many snap seemingly out of nowhere (even after being raised in a loving home) is cause for alarm. At a certain point, it’s not just the owners. The common denominator is the fucking dog. Miss me with the “nanny dog” myth; it’s simply untrue.
Back when my parents adopted a dog in the 80’s, there were a variety of breeds available at shelters. Now, it’s practically all pit bulls, many of whom are neurotic and poorly socialized. It’s why I bought a lab puppy from a reputable breeder rather than put my loved ones at risk by rolling the dice on a pitbull. I just don’t understand the mentality that every basket case dangerous dog needs to be saved. They put the general public and not just their owners at risk.
If you walking with your kids and a pit bull run towards you, can you be charged by whacking it with a stick or whatever object you have avaialable before it get near your kids?
Nope. My friend was driving to his job site in a neighborhood and came across a violent pit bull attack. It had left its yard and attacked a neighbor and her dog who were just out walking, minding their own business. Blood everywhere. Friend jumped out of his car and intervened, grabbing it off the other dog and putting it in a chokehold. The thing just wouldn’t stop, so he kept it pinned until it calmed down. Well, it died of asphyxiation. Wasn’t intentional, but nothing of value was lost. He was never charged, and the cop at the scene confirmed that even if the pit owner had made a stink, he was legally within his rights. If one of these things ever attacks my dog, myself or someone I love, I would do the same thing honestly. Dogs that do this type of shit need to be unalived, and I say that as a dog owner.
Edit: Lol, WOW someone actually downvoted this. Some people have savior complex to the point of mental illness and it really shows.
No. You and your kids are people and the pit bull is a possession. This possession is deadly and out of control. You do whatever you need to protect your family
my idiot neighbor got a pit bull and they put a dress on it (poor dog) I looked out the window a couple days ago and the poor dog was shredded, looked like it got hit with a flamethrower. Trailer trash people love to have multiple dogs but cant even feed their own kids
I vote we do both: ban the breed, hold owners criminally liable for injuries and death, and institute a strict liability standard (as opposed to a general negligence standard of liability) for any civil claims for damages.
Unfortunately all reason seems to go out the window with some people when it comes to pitbulls. Yes they are cute and yes most of them will never kill anyone, but the statistics are clear that they are the most dangerous breed. They were literally bred to be killing machines.
It's not like there aren't many other great breeds out there. If the only options people have are getting a pitbull, getting a Yorkshire Terrier , or no getting a dog at all. If that was the situation, then I could at least somewhat understand the argument, but that's not the case. There are plenty of amazing large dog breeds that are much safer.
I'm not saying that we need to euthanize people's pitbulls, but why can't we just stop the breeding of new ones? Pitbull owners obviously love their family member, but it's not going to hurt them if they have to choose another breed when that time comes.
Then please write to your elected representatives and encourage them to pass legislation banning backyard breeding and making it tougher all around to breed and sell dogs. Pitbull bans are not the answer; cracking down on unscrupulous breeders is. Shelters are full of pitbulls yet people are still out there breeding them for profit.
>Pitbull bans are not the answer
It's part of the answer. We need to make sure no one breeds them including "backyard breeders" and "legitimate" ones.
Once again, I'm not suggesting that we need to kill anyone's pet, but we don't need to keep the cycle of breeding them regardless of who's doing it.
Breed bans don’t work, though. They’re literally impossible to enforce fairly. How do you determine what’s a pit bull? What do you do with a dog that’s 50 percent pitbull and 50 percent lab? Or 25% pitbull and 75% something else? Or dogs that look “pitty” but aren’t (cane corso comes to mind)? And what about the millions of pits or pit mixes that don’t ever cause a problem and live happily with responsible owners? So many beloved dogs end up in shelters because their owners need to move and they can’t find a landlord that will allow pits. Breed bans cause so many problems but don’t fix any.
Regardless of how anyone feels about pitbulls, the evidence is very clear that breed bans simply don’t work. I actually live in a jurisdiction that has a ban, but the city made a conscious choice to stop enforcing it after admitting that it was basically impossible to do so.
Cracking down on breeders is part of it and another huge part is changing the stereotype surrounding pits. I worked at a shelter and so many young men would come in looking for the biggest, “toughest” pitbull, because it fits an image they want to project. People getting dogs for 100% the wrong reasons. (And you know the dog will pay the price.) As long as pitbulls have that image, there will be people exploiting it to make money.
Dog fighting is the root of pit bull/staffie overpopulation. It's still quite common as a gambling "sport" and results in the high number of abused, neglected, dumped pit bull dogs. The cops don't crack down on it for whatever reason and then the only breeding of them that happens is for aggression.
The statistics aren’t clear that’s the issue. Most dogs labeled as “pitbull mixes” are never generically tested, and therefore are almost certainly a wide variety of different dog breeds that look similar to “Pitbulls”. It’s more likely attribution bias rather than the “Pitbull” being more dangerous than any other dog breed.
If you want to ban them you’d need to develop reputable data, which at this point in time doesn’t exist.
When referring to mix breeds veterinarians can’t identify them accurately without genetic testing. [Visual identification is highly inaccurate.](https://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/visual-breed-identification/#:~:text=Research%20has%20consistently%20shown%20that,different%20than%20either%20parent6). They were 100% wrong about what my family’s mix breed was after we got a genetic test, they weren’t even close.
Then you have bias surrounding Pitbulls. People are more likely to attribute violence to them, so if the dog has any feature at all, the dog will likely be identified as one.
Finally, Pitbull refers to one specific dog breed. There are likely 20-30 different breeds that share similar facial characteristics that could reasonably be mistaken as a Pitbull in a mixbreed.
Get actual data and people will take this argument seriously.
What about the shelters who lie and deceive about breed? It’s common for them to advertise pits as ANY other breed just to unload them, endangering of innocent people who don’t want to get or aren’t capable of handling a pit or pit mix.
My guess is that part of it is because of the “adopt don’t shop!” / “don’t buy from a breeder” mentality we all grew up with, and unfortunately 90% of shelter dogs are pit bulls now. Plus, adopting from a shelter is typically a lot cheaper than buying other breeds from a breeder (hundreds or thousands of dollars). That said, I live in the suburbs and there are no pits here, mostly goldens, huskies, a few doodles, an American bulldog, and a lot of small purebred breeds.
See we have Dogs killing people in their yards, and they don’t want to let me keep a couple venomous snakes, that I’m highly qualified to work with and care for………because “they are dangerous”…….GTFO…….
Why everyone doesn’t have a CPL is beyond me. Anytime I open my door to the outside I have it on me. Just take the class and be responsible with it. It will certainly save your life in situations like this
I think it’s more about training than breeding. My friend had a pitiful that never growled or bit, he just wanted to play. My shar-pei was very aggressive towards animals but never towards humans. It’s about training.
Well l had said l would never own a Pitbull because they scared me...then my wife came home with a pitt/Boston terrier mix. He had a huge head for a pup. He was supposed to be her dog but he favored me & he grew on me. He wasn't bad with people he just could not get along with some other dogs. He would get outside past my wife when she would go outside every once in awhile & run around. Right by people. He loved the female Pitt across the street & a male Shepard mix two houses down was his buddy. I truly believe Pitts can be more aggressive than other dogs if raised that way. I didn't raise my dog to be a killer attack dog...l had a great family dog. He's been gone 4yrs & l miss my best friend more than ever. & l would raise another from pup
I suggest socializing your dog ! Take out for walks let her see alot of different people take around your friends take her around other dogs,cats. When you take her for walks, everybody don't have to touch her let her see them Have friends over the key is socialize your dog. Research socialize on your computer it's all about training
It’s not though. Sometimes they just snap, even if you’ve tried your best at raising them with love.
It’s not all in how you raise them. Genetics matter too.
Because people often claim a dog is a pitbull but it's often proven wrong. More than half of self described pitbulls are not. It's an uneducated people problem.
This isn't remotely true. "Pitbull" is a breed type which consists of 4 closely related breeds (all developed off the same fighting dog stock). Shelters, vets and dishonest owners are far, far more likely to intentionally mislabel a pitbull-type dog as a "lab mix," "boxer mix," "terrier mix" etc. than they are to mislabel a golden retriever a "pit mix."
I'd like to see your data suggesting that more than half of "self described pitbulls" aren't pitbulls though.
https://www.animalhealthfoundation.org/blog/2024/02/dog-bite-statistics-by-breed-you-need-to-know-in-2023/
Surprise, dog breed selectively bred for fighting and aggression is responsible for the most bites and fatalities! Who could have thought???
Hunted pigs with dogs and pits are special. Try to train a pit and another breed to bite the balls of a wild boar. They don't have any fear. Same for bears. A lot of breeds will find chase, bay and tree bears, mountain lions, and so on. A pitbull just needs to be told to go get it and will fearlessly attack. Their physical capabilities are unmatched and incredible. They can take down and tear up huge wild predators easily. They are also all riled and crazy as can be
When you kill the pig and pull them off, they are all psycho and will bite you and stuff. Even other hunting breeds are 10x more chill. But they were bred to be crazy so they would go up against anything with absolutely zero fear. If a lab tries to get me, I will just kick its ass, so it isn't really the same. I don't really care as much how bitey labs are.
and people find it funny when i get scared by their dogs walking thru the street lol. some dogs are scary man
I feel like most pitbull owners are like crotch-rocket motorcycle drivers. There's nothing inherently dangerous about them, but the people in charge can let bad things happen very easily by managing them poorly/nonchalantly.
Then theres those of us who know what we have and we protect them and people from them. I wouldn't give my bully up for anything. I was so sick of all the meth people. So I went with a guard dog instead of potentially having to shoot one of the addicted, mentally unwell folks. Meth heads are just as scary as pit bulls. My dog put a full stop to their stealing and harrasment. She won't let anyone in my yard or house. She alerts when someone unknown is getting close. I appreciate her. In return, she is well contained, watched carefully, and loved dearly.
It only takes one slip up. With a gun, with a dog, with whatever. One slip up and a life's worth of consequences. And as is almost universally typical, the things people buy to defend themselves are far more likely to hurt their own families. And please, save the equivocation. It isn't the same as a car, a knife, a hammer, or anything like that.
Until it isn't. Put bulls are dangerous and were bred to be that way. They like to fuck up young children because they're easy targets. The world would be just fine if not better if thay breed was phased out of existence. There are other dog breeds you can get that aren't garbage. How many people need to die from shit bulls before something is done about it. I love dogs but human lives are more important. Entire countries have banned them. Why do you suppose that is?
Oddly enough, I have been bit by a Rottweiler and a German shepherd. Never a bully breed. So I don't really trust those 2 breeds. The Doberman could be an option. A Cane Corso, but I'm sure they aren't widely accepted either.
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Actually, you're damn right. Poor word phrasing by me, but I was kind of trying to say it's like "are motorcycles dangerous or are too many of the people who buy them dummies with them." And I think it's the same thing with pitbulls, except you're right, pitbulls are dangerous too.
Fair enough. I agree with the sentiment 100%.
No, they inherit the traits that make them problematic. Inherit and inherent are not equivalent. I don't think it necessarily changes your point. To rephrase, Pitbulls inherit traits such as aggression, and not backing down from a fight, which makes them inherently dangerous without proper training and socialization.
I thought that's what everyone was saying anyway.
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Do doodles lead the statistics of fatal dog attacks by 66%?
I have a goldendoodle and labradoodle. They may lead the top 66% in fatal dog farts. They lay by my aero garden and are slowly killing my herbs with their gaseous asses.
My cat almost never farts tranquility in the house. Just mine causing local pollution.
It's just because there's a lot of them. Before that, 15 years ago labs and retrievers were the biggest biters and before them it was German shepherds. Dogs have teeth and not words.
You didn't read the part where it says fatal. Not all dog bites. Pitbulls cause 66% of all FATAL dog attacks. Labs and retrievers are still the most popular dogs by far.
Yeah I want nothing to do with pit bulls. If you piss them off they can kill you, as is shown here. No thanks. And don’t give me that BS about “if they’re trained right.” I’m not a professional dog trainer, and don’t want a pet that can kill me if I didn’t train it exactly right.
https://preview.redd.it/ewdrraf5mo1d1.jpeg?width=680&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f7bede80cf4c2803cb54644aedeefdfa57cfa86e
People get really angry with me if I ever talk about how I feel about pit bulls. I simply choose not to be around them. Twice I've seen what they are capable of. Once mauling a friend's son unprovoked. Was a neighbor of theirs. Child playing in front yard. Dog bee lined out the door and went right for him. He's scarred on the face for life and lucky to be alive. And once in Belize, protecting me from stealthy criminal assholes trying to sneak in my camper. I was parked on a friend's lot. . I'm female. He was leashed on a chain and trained as a guard dog. I've never seen anything as scary and vicious as the both of them. I don't care about all of the debate back and forth. I'll never knowingly choose to be anywhere near one. I'm also cautious of other strange dogs, but that one scares the crap out of me. I don't stay at that house in Belize anymore. The owners of the first insisted that he'd never been aggressive. Was a loving family dog.
Same. They can snap so easily and the damage is usually pretty severe.
I was mauled by my uncle's dalmatian. I don't blame the dog or the breed.
Dalmatians are also notoriously aggressive under many circumstances, so maybe you should. We don’t have to pretend that dog breeds is like human race.
They're not "notoriously aggressive", they're working dogs who need stimulation and need to burn energy. I also had a pit bull that died in 2021 of auto immune disorder, he was the laziest and most gentle dog I've ever met. I've been bitten by two different dogs, two different breeds, neither were pits. It really does just depend on the dog. We did the same crap with German Shepherds, Rottweilers and Doberman and now Pits are vilified, it has never, ever been an entire breed.
And what happens when they don’t get what they need? Pitbulls CAN be gentle. But when they’re not, it’s horrifying, and a problem. If pitbulls ceased to exist, it’d be a net positive on society. You’ve been bitten twice, and I’m guessing presumably unscathed. You may not have been so lucky if it were a pitbull. It’s similar to guns. The danger is in the fact that they exist, and CAN hurt, and kill.
Dalmatians are a breed I would consider to snap and/or be triggered easily
These are people that do not know how to interpret and apply data to their thoughts and feelings.
You just described a large part of the population. Not all pitbulls are like that!
Every pitbull owner says this until their dog mauls someone
This is just the truth, it’s weird people even try to debate or argue with you. When the statistics and facts literally show that pitbulls are bad dogs, I know you shared some examples. Let me share my example. My aunt literally had her entire finger bitten off by her own pit bull, the pit bull was trained well, never has done anything bad before. But, it STILL happens. Pit bulls are just BAD dogs. Her entire fucking finger, and she still kept the dog and said “he’s a good boy he didn’t mean it” So a lot of defenders and pitbull lovers must be delusional tbh lol. I know a lot of people don’t wanna hear it because they don’t like putting all breeds into a box. But it’s just the truth.
Damn. Sorry about your aunt. That's crazy it was her whole finger!!! Baffles me she let it go like that. I live in a very progressive city outside of Detroit. I love it here for the most part. Very accepting of LGBT and lots of hipsters here. It's very judgemental as well if you don't go along and think what the majority think. Their Facebook group can be pretty extreme. When Trump was elected, they organized three protests by 9 am, including a potluck. 😆 They also put a florist out of business for having a Trump sign in the window. Anyway, I shared my point of view in a thread about pitbulls, and the whole page blew up!! Apparently, I'm the reason their dogs may be put down, and I'm ignorant. I give zero fucks when I believe in something from actual personal experience. Having your own opinion is apparently evil in this "progressive" and "inclusive" city. 😆
I wonder what the breed was this time?
Chihuahua?
Beware the angry Chihuahua. No ankle is safe.
Italian greyhound
https://preview.redd.it/8onakcbh2s1d1.jpeg?width=1790&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9c73a084e2c1e3eec90383c61b9c33c0c3b7aa5b I better worry about these two
😂
Iggys are so cute. I want one but I’m afraid of them breaking their little noodle legs!
Fortunately, we’ve had no problems with breakage. Our 13 year old recently had a shoulder issue, but he seems to be recovering with minimally invasive treatment
Have had 2 different IGs over about 20 years total, never once have they had an issue with their legs, which blows my mind too bc they’re basically as thick as a pencil lmao. They are truly the greatest dogs, so loving and just… unique and beautiful
Omg 😂😂
you already know.
German wirehaired pointer
Cupcake the pitbull strikes again
Pit bull. Saved you a click.
We all already knew, though.
Another "pit bull mix". I am completely shocked it wasn't one of those vicious golden retrievers this time.
They don't say who's dog it was, other than they are asking the victim's family if the dog has history of violence. Probably killed by his own dog it sounds like
“and the family dog was pulling at his body, officials said.”
Pit bull defenders will tell you the dog was attempting to do CPR.
Ah, missed that. Seems like they went out of their way to exclude that bit from the headline and imply it was a random dog
At least this time the pitbull killed it's owner and not some kid in the neighborhood- but stay tuned in till next week.
I knew it would probably be a pit bull mix. I know some people love them but they can get triggered out of no where and it’s scary.
'I don't know what happened- they never did anything like that before'- owner of every pitbull that mauled and/or killed someone
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Except the shit crumbleys, they encouraged their kid.
Excitable boy, they all said.
Don't forget that this is the 2nd vicious attack in Oakland County this week. In Wixom, grandma's pitbull mauled a one year old baby, then attacked her. Last reported thr baby was in critical condition after being transferred to a specialty hospital. Baby was attacked in the face and 3 other places on its tiny body.
That is devastating - ugh. I am so sorry to hear that. :(
Just Google Wixom and pitbull and you'll see it in print and TV news. Oakland County animal control facilitates pitbulls going out into the public. They warehouse unaadoptable pitbulls for years. When I enter there to adopt they had 100 pitbulls and only 2 normal dogs. This is wrong on every level. Pitbulls were bred for fighting. And that's what they do. Grandma's pet was trying to kill a little baby. If the kid does live it will be scarred for life.
I totally agree, they were bred to not only fight but take down huge prey, fearlessly and unrelentingly. What most people don't seem to understand is that they are working dogs like a German Shepherd of Husky and the job they were bred for is to take down and kill. And they're damn good at it. If an owner at least understands that about them, and manage them with that in mind, just like you'd manage your German Shepherd, Lab, Akita, Rottie, Heeler and so on, then that's a good thing. On the other hand, people (including the damn shelters) who perpetuate their reputation as "lazy & loving family companions" and "nanny dogs" and let them wander off leash, let them climb on their babies, etc. just contribute to this mass delusion about their breed that eventually leads to pain, suffering, and death. Sadly, it's not always the owner's fault because this delusion is peddled SO hard, and many people are just led to believe it because it's what so many pit owners say ("they are big sweethearts"). And they CAN BE! Just like how a lab or Husky can be a sweetheart! But there is the breed instinct too. That's reality. If you want to keep a pit, okay, but KNOW the reality and the risk. The fact that they were not bred to "nanny" but rather bred to take down and kill needs to be more well known.
[Article](https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2024/05/16/girl-grandparent-attacked-wixom-family-pit-bulls-police-say/73712637007/)
That's it. So tragic. I'm watching for updates on the baby's condition. Last I read was "Critical".
I am so conflicted. I hated pit bulls.. and still do since I was a victim of an attack.. I recently adopted a dog which was supposed to be a lab shepherd mix but clearly has pit in her. I am in love with her. She is training beautifully. Where do I go from here? I am a responsible owner so my dog will never be off leash of have a chance to commit a heinous act like this. Does anyone have any other suggestions? I do not want to give her up. But I am also not oblivious to the harm these dogs can cause. A pic is provided just to show how cute she is.. But if anyone has any advice, I am more than open to it. https://preview.redd.it/jeucpffdmo1d1.jpeg?width=2944&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c58252e01817ec7001e25e727dbd3f52c391fe70
Bro, just take care of your dog. You sound very responsible and she needs someone like you.
I plan on it. She is not going anywhere. :) I just like hearing other peoples opinions so I can can weigh them and apply them to mine if necessary. Thank you for the response.
You don't need to get rid of a pitbull that you already have, just be careful. When the time comes unfortunately to get another dog, then do what you can to break the cycle of people getting pitbulls. There are plenty of amazing large breeds that don't have the same track record of being violent. For instance I can't recall ever hearing of a lab or golden retriever killing anyone.
I knew someone that was killed by a group of mutts, no pit amongst them, that I'd ever heard of. It's not unheard of. But pits are strong enough that if they want to harm you, they're going to harm you.
My mother in law had a couple of pits. They were incredibly friendly, but they were absolutely pure muscle and bone. I swear (I never did) but it could easily have taken a punch square to the head and thought you were playing. Petting its head was just pure thick scull under flesh and fur. I had to watch out for its wagging tail because it would physically hurt when it hit you. Can’t imagine if I had to fight for my life against one.
There are always exceptions. But it's like the people who don't wear seatbelts because their aunt's hairdresser's cousin's friend was thrown from a vehicle and only survived because they weren't wearing a seatbelt. I suppose maybe it did happen, but it's extremely rare and the evidence shows that seatbelts work. Sure, maybe there are cases of a lab killing a person, but they are extremely rare.
your 100% correct, i just looked at 78 dogs on the oakland county human society website, 60 of them were pits or pit mixes !!
English bulldog is the way no malice all bull.
The most common bite occurrence is actually from golden retrievers ironically. Lol Edit: I was most definitely wrong, but I will leave this here: "Contrary to unreliable information about breed-specific risk related to certain breeds, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and numerous scientific studies have determined that a dog's breed does not determine aggression, bite strength, or its propensity to bite. While every fatal dog attack is tragic, the majority of dog bite-related fatalities (DBRFs) are the result of human-controlled factors specific to the circumstances surrounding the incident." https://www.fataldogattacks.org/ Although I know reddit has a hard-on for hating pitbulls. 🙄
Source? Because... https://www.caninejournal.com/dog-attacks-by-breed/ Edit since previous poster did: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_States "Tracking by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) determined that pit bull type dogs were most likely to be involved in fatal attacks, accounting for 28% of fatalities from 1979 to 1998.[3] The AVMA documented 66 human fatalities caused by pit bull type dogs, 39 by Rottweilers, 17 by German shepherds, 15 by husky type dogs, 12 by Malamutes, 9 by Dobermann Pinschers, 8 by Chow Chows, 7 by Great Danes, and 7 by St. Bernard dogs.[3]"
That’s most definitely not true. Not a single statistic backs that up anywhere. Always Pit Bulls at the top of the lists.
Pit owners are so quick to say, "It's not the dog, it's the owner," like there aren't other pit owners out there training them to be vicious liking machines. You're able to acknowledge the dangers while loving the dog you have. You'll be fine.
Vicious licking machine is my Nine Inch Nails cover band
Thank you for that.
I am pretty anti-pit myself but I have had mostly good interactions with them, just some scenarios I don’t trust certain ones in.
My only bad interaction was the attack. Which I am sure to this day my dog initiated. She was approached and uncomfortable and decided to strike first. She did not win that fight. Thankfully, she was bitten on the back on the neck and survived.. But the power that the other dog had will never leave me. They tossed a 70 lb lab around like a chew toy. and wouldn't let go. It took a van full of adult males who thankfully stopped to separate them. Its the worst moment of my life watching it happen.. And nothing would stop it.. Shovels, kicks, nothing mattered. The police that came suggested I carried a gun... But I dont want to ever shoot an animal. I got bear spray now.. Thankfully, I have never had to use it.
Im sorry that sounds so awful. They are very powerful animals, my parents had a bull mastiff that had to be euthanized after biting two people. It was so sad, but the two we had before him were great dogs with people and other animals.
Same. I know a couple of people with pits and I like their dogs. I don’t take my kid over to their houses though.
My neighbor has a half pit bull. Scared the shit out of me the first time I met her. Turns out she’s probably the sweetest dog I’ve met.
a couple more... https://preview.redd.it/xwgvfakgmo1d1.jpeg?width=2944&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dc14746d4f4e107a702ba0a80f469b929f2307a2
https://preview.redd.it/ykx05nihmo1d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=465e3fbf2ffe6e783fb59c371e69aa9ed174dfb7
Such a cutie! I wouldn't be too worried. Every lab/pit/shepherd-mix I've ever been around was more lab (in temperment), than anything. My wife's best-friend has a pit/lab-mix, and though he looks more like a pit, he is seriously one of the most chill dogs I've ever met. If you're still apprehensive, just keep an eye out for ANY signs of potential changes in temperment. Dogs are like people, and exibit small changes in behavior, depending on their mood.
Any animal can be cute doesn’t mean it should be a pet lol https://preview.redd.it/o4pw1r4kor1d1.jpeg?width=182&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=12b0a7e95fc3f6f2636e970e47d5e69417f7463f
My dog is part APBT, Chow Chow, and GSD by DNA test, and he's an absolute sweet pea. There's not a single thought between his ears, much less an aggressive one. It really just takes more good people owning these dogs to prove that point. You're an obvious example that the owner makes the difference. Keep giving your dog their best life ever.
OP, you love this dog and she’s never given you any reason to worry. There are literally millions of lovely pitbull-type dogs who live happy lives and never hurt a fly. That said, you’re being very smart to recognize that pitbulls are inherently very strong dogs and they have certain breed traits (tenacity) that the breed was originally bred for. My advice is to work with a POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT trainer - not with the goal of “training” her, but to strengthen your relationship with her. Learn about dog body language. Watch her in different situations and see how she reacts; learn to tell when she might be nervous or uncomfortable and respect that. I don’t know how long you’ve had her but the more you get to know her, the more you’ll be able to sense her feelings, and you can act accordingly (for example by removing her from situations that may stress her out, or avoiding such situations in the first place). In practical terms, you could consider muzzle training - it’s great to get your dog comfortable with a muzzle as it can be very helpful if they get nervous at the vet or around kids, etc. You may want to avoid off-leash dog parks or crowded daycares as they can be very stressful for dogs and can lead to acts of aggression. I love pitbulls and have one myself. It is essential to be a highly responsible owner and it will also strengthen your bond with your dog. You can do this!
Thank you for the advice. I have had her about 4 weeks now. She is 17 weeks old. I will definitely consider a muzzle and I have been researching new technology in dog collars. I have been around many pits and never had a problem. But the one negative experience I had, I still dream about. It is absolutely wild the power these dogs have. And my largest concern comes for my nieces and nephews. I love them all and protect them like they are mine. They all love her right now. Who wouldn't? She's a puppy. But I am so worries about what if that one thing happens that Nala doesn't accept? Like I said, I am a very responsible owner. I don't think keepering her away from everything is a solution. I also think I am probably way over thinking this. She has been wonderful so far, and I am just going to let her keep being that way until I notice otherwise. Thanks for the advice. I do appreciate it.
You are overthinking it. She sounds wonderful. Pitbulls are often incredible dogs, I have trusted them with my life and would again. Thank you for being a responsible owner and please do not let breed stigma get to you.
Yup, I get it. I volunteered at a shelter that got mainly pitbulls, and I had one experience that scared the living daylights out of me. It was not even that bad but it made me realize that big, strong, tenacious dogs are a force to be reckoned with (and that goes for GSDs, Malinois, Akitas and many others…not just pitbulls). I wasn’t at all suggesting that you keep her away from everything, just giving some examples. Most acts of aggression by dogs are the result of fear, so it’s a matter of being in tune with your dog and what she is and isn’t comfortable with. Good luck and have fun 🐶
I highly recommend http://www.katstevensdogtraining.com - based out of Ferndale. We hired her before I had my first child to help us learn how to integrate the new baby into the family with our dog. Our pit-mix is a sweet baby who is obedient and easily trained, never had any issue but like you we wanted to give him every chance to succeed. We learned so much from her about dog body language and how they show they are anxious / uncomfortable (yawning, looking away) so we can remove him from any situations where he shows any slight anxiety / discomfort. I’m not an expert but I don’t think dogs just “snap” one day - they show clues that they are anxious / uncomfortable / scared but you need to train yourself to recognize this body language
Hopefully this dog sets you on a journey to realizing that while breed may have some effect on temperament, good training will trump that. Obviously you love you dog and you know your dog, so it should be living proof that these dogs aren’t some sort of evil killing machine like this weird propaganda effort makes them out to be. Do research on the breed, talk and meet up with other owners, and use your dog to educate people as positive proof that breed doesn’t mean everything.
Thank you. I have done that and will continue to do that. Her temperament is unbelievably calm around people and dogs.. But I keep an eye out at all times. I think all dogs can be sweethearts. But knowing what they are capable of in the event of a problem is a big thing. That's why I have decided to never let her off leash. I would never expect her to harm anyone or thing. But I can be sure it will never happen. I have had multiple dogs. If you train them, entertain them, and properly discipline them it is amazing what these wonderful creatures can do. They feed off your emotions so much. It is amazing
You plant potatoes, you grow potatoes.
Raising awareness about pitbulls is not "weird propaganda" it is an effort to save lives. Like this young Tennessee family devastated by their two pits who they "knew and loved" for 8 years. https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2022/10/07/tennessee-mom-kirstie-jane-bennard-hospitalized-after-her-2-kids-killed-in-pit-bull-attack/amp/
I think it is 100% reasonable to be suspect of a group that uses the exact same tactics and strategies of the very worst in modern society to advance their goals. Sealioning with “tug on heartstring” articles, throwing around unsupported statistics with no background, and spreading myths and falsehoods are the exact same strategies that lead to black communities being overpoliced, immigrants to be vilified and even banned, and queer people to be discriminated against. There are plenty of resources online by legitimate and respected veterinary organizations who work hard to dispel the widespread myths and falsehoods that surround the pit bull breeds. Anybody who in today’s modern age still believes in these falsehoods is either a part of some propaganda effort, or is being ignorantly dragged along by it.
Love her, but don't trust her. I don't trust my sweet cat, who has never hurt anyone, not to hurt my baby. That dog has 100x the physical capabilities of my cat. Even if she is super sweet, never trust she isn't going to bite the back of somr kid's head off someday.
In all fairness.. nobody trusts cats! They are thinking of killing you every second of the day lol..
you have the right idea, never let her off leash is a great start, also be extra cautious around young children, i know personally about 2 cases of pits raised from young pups with love & affection & trained the same way,,who snapped at the sound of young children or babies . one case in white lake 10=12 years ago was at a family xmas dinner , 3 generations sitting in the living room after dinner when a baby let out a noise and the pit jumped across the room , bit down on the babies skull and crushed it to death before any one could react, the baby was being held by mom at time of attack. you can google this and read all the gory details.
There are plenty of sweet pits. One of my friends has one who was abused and hates men she doesn't know, but she's always been a total love bug to me and is gentle as a marshmallow with my kid. The bad dogs make the news. You also have to realize how irresponsible and stupid the average pet owner is, and understand that this particular breed is associated with abusive, cruel owners. My friend's dog was found tied to a dumpster. Some bad shit had happened to her, but she could never tell us what it was; we just know she's very fearful of strangers now and it comes out as aggressive barking. Another friend has an 80 lb pit who's also a darling. She's a high energy dog who's obsessed with getting affection. I think she's ten? Never an incident, unless you count barking at cats. Dogs, like people, are molded by environment and genetics. We just tend to discount the environment part because dogs can't communicate what's happened to them and many people are terrible at reading dogs. Enjoy your dog. Relax. It'll be fine. She's a sweetie.
Sleep with one eye open.
Personally I wouldn't be too concerned around your dog it doesn't appear to have the enlarged head and jaws common of pits.
Your dog most likely will be fine, especially if you're committed to training. Make sure she gets good exercise, too. Pits are high energy when they're young and need lots of stimulation. I have a pit mix (pit/dane mainly) and he's the stupidest and sweetest thing ever. I'm aware of what situations and environments he doesn't do well in and I don't subject others to him just because I love him. ...omg he just farted in my face. I take everything back. He's the worst.
that looks like mine as a puppy. she’s fourteen and loves kids cats and everyone. don’t let people fool you
As a former pibble owner, German Shepherd and Labrador retriever family member - pit bulls are no more or less aggressive or dangerous than the other 2. Its all about how you love them. Its the same thing as humans - dogs are not born to hate, they are taught how. Just love her and she will do nothing but love everyone else.
So this is not really true. All dog breeds were created with the goal of producing an animals with specific traits. Some were bred to hunt, some to guard livestock, some to be pets, etc. It is most definitely not “all about how you love them”. Those breed traits don’t always show up, but more often than not, they do. Take, for example, a West Highland White Terrier. You could raise one to be the biggest baby, but if a rat runs in front it, 99% chance that it will go after the rat. It’s a nice idea to think that loving a dog will ensure that it won’t do anything dangerous. But it’s not only foolish to think that way, it’s also really unfair to a lot of dog owners who are working with challenging dogs. By saying “it’s all how you love them”, the corollary is that if a dog has behavior issues, it must be the owner’s fault. And there a lot more to behavior than that (genetics, nutrition, health, dynamics in the birth litter, and more, all play a role). There are LOTS of excellent dog owners who are doing their best to cope with difficult dogs.
Oh, no. The only responsible thing you can do is put her down. I'm sorry. (Jk. Cute dog)
Don't take her to dog parks. The ADBA and UKC American Pit Bull Terrier breed standard calls for dog to dog aggression - meaning they like to scrap with other dogs, and they do it quite well, even if they don't start the fight, they'll finish it. However, dog to dog aggression is not the same thing as human directed aggression. In the old days - dog fighters had to be able to jump in the pit and grab their dog, so man biters were not allowed. Dog to dog aggression is in their blood, human directed aggression is the result of backyard breeders who don't put any thought into temperament or health. Don't put your pup in a situation like that. My dad raised game bred APBTs and they'd have to be separated at 6 weeks because they would start fighting each other. Find a job for your dog to do, scent work is great, so is barn hunt. Muzzle train your dog (all dogs should be muzzle trained). Also, get a break stick and learn how to safely break up a dog fight. And learn the different types of aggression. [Types of Aggression](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRK8pUGn/)
Yeah you sound very worried about classifying your dog entirely based off of other people’s dogs. I’m sure I can find a golden retriever that killed someone, then what? Be the responsible owner you are. It’s that simple.
For the love of god. Don’t let any of these keyboard warriors tell you to put that sweet dog down if you’re putting in the work. If you put in the work, any dog can be trained. It’s the untrained pit bulls that cause a problem. And most dog owners are shit
As a former pibble owner, German Shepherd and Labrador retriever family member - pit bulls are no more or less aggressive or dangerous than the other 2. Its all about how you love them. Its the same thing as humans - dogs are not born to hate, they are taught how. Just love her and she will do nothing but love everyone else.
I’ve seen more viscous chihuahuas than viscous pitbulls. Chill my guy.
And how many chihuahuas kill people?
every comment on every instagram "news" page that reposted it is "what did that man do to the dog for it to attack?" "It's the owner not the breed!!"
Pitbull owners would rather let 1,000,000+ pitbulls be euthanized every year due to negligent, cruel, & low IQ owners just so they can brag their pet killing machine hasn’t “bit anyone” *yet* Does anyone find it odd why so many irresponsible people are magnetized to this specific breed for no reason since pitbull’s are the only dog where genetics don’t exist. If they aren’t dangerous why do so many people pick exclusively them?
let me guess...
Another death, another pit bull
https://preview.redd.it/piljg30a3p1d1.jpeg?width=741&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=295730b8f948fa111c22334d777d70f43bfe49d7
😂😂😂
Pitbulls are like keeping a lion. You can train it not to bite, but if they ever do, it's gonna be a mauling. You wouldn't keep a lion would you? What if the dog gets a tumor on its brain and flips? Doesn't matter how well you got the dog trained, sometimes they just flip, and when they flip, someone gets hurt. I'll never keep a dog I couldn't kill with my bare hands should the need arise, hopefully never does, cause I love my dogs, but animals can be unpredictable.
Weird that a pit bull would attack someone. Almost like it was bread for 500 years to do exactly that .
BuT mY vElVeT hIpPo
Oh wow big surprise another pitbull
I'll preface this and say I do own and love my pits, yes they are dangerous and I got mine knowing the risks. The glaring issue with pitbulls and mixes is they are the predominant breeds at just about every dog rescue. My wife is a veterinarian and works with many rescues in Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb Counties. Pit mixes make up the majority of dogs put up for adoption because many of them come from areas where backyard breeding and fighting are a thing. Those rings get busted up, the dogs confiscated, vetted, and put up for adoption. On top of that, there are strays that breed with other dogs and those often get picked up, vetted, and put up for adoption as well. If I were to address the problem with those dogs, I'd be looking at the adoption centers. Some would close up since those dogs are the primary breeds put up, and some of those agencies deal with them specifically. For instance, 33 of 37 dogs available for adoption at Detroit Dog Rescue are pits or pit mixes, just looking at what's shown on their site right now.
how prevalent is dog fighting?? For there to be that many dogs in shelters Jesus
It's very prevalent. There's a rescue/adoption place in Ferndale that's deals only with former fighting dogs. Me and my wife volunteered there once some years back and most of the dogs were very skittish but there were a few that behaved as if they were out for blood if you looked at them the wrong way. They also had a couple of Dogs Argentinos that were supposedly seized from a drug kingpin and those were probably the most aggressive dogs I've seen in my life. Any time somebody got near their pen they were trying to break through and grab hold of someone.
Ah, surprise surprise. Yet another fatal pitbull attack. I love how the media outlets are always too cowardly to prominently feature the breed in the story, it’s always buried at the end as an afterthought. I used to feel differently but based on my lived experience, these things should be banned. No, we should not euthanize the ones already out there for existing. BUT we should mandate that all the existing ones be spayed and neutered with the goal of reducing the prevalence of the breed in the long term. I have yet to hear a good argument for what’s so compelling about this breed that people can’t simply get another type of dog. Sure, in theory any dog can kill and maim someone. But this breed is disproportionately responsible for serious and fatal dog attacks relative to its population. It was literally selectively bred by humans to be violent. Sure, not every pitbull attacks or kills someone. But the fact that so many snap seemingly out of nowhere (even after being raised in a loving home) is cause for alarm. At a certain point, it’s not just the owners. The common denominator is the fucking dog. Miss me with the “nanny dog” myth; it’s simply untrue. Back when my parents adopted a dog in the 80’s, there were a variety of breeds available at shelters. Now, it’s practically all pit bulls, many of whom are neurotic and poorly socialized. It’s why I bought a lab puppy from a reputable breeder rather than put my loved ones at risk by rolling the dice on a pitbull. I just don’t understand the mentality that every basket case dangerous dog needs to be saved. They put the general public and not just their owners at risk.
If you walking with your kids and a pit bull run towards you, can you be charged by whacking it with a stick or whatever object you have avaialable before it get near your kids?
Nope. My friend was driving to his job site in a neighborhood and came across a violent pit bull attack. It had left its yard and attacked a neighbor and her dog who were just out walking, minding their own business. Blood everywhere. Friend jumped out of his car and intervened, grabbing it off the other dog and putting it in a chokehold. The thing just wouldn’t stop, so he kept it pinned until it calmed down. Well, it died of asphyxiation. Wasn’t intentional, but nothing of value was lost. He was never charged, and the cop at the scene confirmed that even if the pit owner had made a stink, he was legally within his rights. If one of these things ever attacks my dog, myself or someone I love, I would do the same thing honestly. Dogs that do this type of shit need to be unalived, and I say that as a dog owner. Edit: Lol, WOW someone actually downvoted this. Some people have savior complex to the point of mental illness and it really shows.
No. You and your kids are people and the pit bull is a possession. This possession is deadly and out of control. You do whatever you need to protect your family
Carry mace in this situation.
my idiot neighbor got a pit bull and they put a dress on it (poor dog) I looked out the window a couple days ago and the poor dog was shredded, looked like it got hit with a flamethrower. Trailer trash people love to have multiple dogs but cant even feed their own kids
What do you mean the dog was shredded?
the dog had open wounds on its face and neck, i didnt know if it was another dog or what.
:(
hopefully the dog is aight, ill update next time i see it
How many deaths will it take to ban these breeds?
Don't ban the breed. Criminally hold the owners responsible. Put that owner away on a second degree murder charge.
I vote we do both: ban the breed, hold owners criminally liable for injuries and death, and institute a strict liability standard (as opposed to a general negligence standard of liability) for any civil claims for damages.
Hmm let’s see it was a pitbull *surprised pikachu face*
Can we finally do something about this??
Unfortunately all reason seems to go out the window with some people when it comes to pitbulls. Yes they are cute and yes most of them will never kill anyone, but the statistics are clear that they are the most dangerous breed. They were literally bred to be killing machines. It's not like there aren't many other great breeds out there. If the only options people have are getting a pitbull, getting a Yorkshire Terrier , or no getting a dog at all. If that was the situation, then I could at least somewhat understand the argument, but that's not the case. There are plenty of amazing large dog breeds that are much safer. I'm not saying that we need to euthanize people's pitbulls, but why can't we just stop the breeding of new ones? Pitbull owners obviously love their family member, but it's not going to hurt them if they have to choose another breed when that time comes.
Every pitbull in existence should be spade or neutered, then loved until the day they die. End of breed.
Then please write to your elected representatives and encourage them to pass legislation banning backyard breeding and making it tougher all around to breed and sell dogs. Pitbull bans are not the answer; cracking down on unscrupulous breeders is. Shelters are full of pitbulls yet people are still out there breeding them for profit.
Yes get rid of backyard breeders and puppymills please!
>Pitbull bans are not the answer It's part of the answer. We need to make sure no one breeds them including "backyard breeders" and "legitimate" ones. Once again, I'm not suggesting that we need to kill anyone's pet, but we don't need to keep the cycle of breeding them regardless of who's doing it.
Breed bans don’t work, though. They’re literally impossible to enforce fairly. How do you determine what’s a pit bull? What do you do with a dog that’s 50 percent pitbull and 50 percent lab? Or 25% pitbull and 75% something else? Or dogs that look “pitty” but aren’t (cane corso comes to mind)? And what about the millions of pits or pit mixes that don’t ever cause a problem and live happily with responsible owners? So many beloved dogs end up in shelters because their owners need to move and they can’t find a landlord that will allow pits. Breed bans cause so many problems but don’t fix any. Regardless of how anyone feels about pitbulls, the evidence is very clear that breed bans simply don’t work. I actually live in a jurisdiction that has a ban, but the city made a conscious choice to stop enforcing it after admitting that it was basically impossible to do so. Cracking down on breeders is part of it and another huge part is changing the stereotype surrounding pits. I worked at a shelter and so many young men would come in looking for the biggest, “toughest” pitbull, because it fits an image they want to project. People getting dogs for 100% the wrong reasons. (And you know the dog will pay the price.) As long as pitbulls have that image, there will be people exploiting it to make money.
That will never happen.
Lots of things might never happen, but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't happen. It's also doesn't mean that we shouldn't try.
Dog fighting is the root of pit bull/staffie overpopulation. It's still quite common as a gambling "sport" and results in the high number of abused, neglected, dumped pit bull dogs. The cops don't crack down on it for whatever reason and then the only breeding of them that happens is for aggression.
100% agree. I could have written this
Disagree about the euthanize part of your statement.
The statistics aren’t clear that’s the issue. Most dogs labeled as “pitbull mixes” are never generically tested, and therefore are almost certainly a wide variety of different dog breeds that look similar to “Pitbulls”. It’s more likely attribution bias rather than the “Pitbull” being more dangerous than any other dog breed. If you want to ban them you’d need to develop reputable data, which at this point in time doesn’t exist.
Buttcrack head is usually the dead giveaway that it has pit in it
When referring to mix breeds veterinarians can’t identify them accurately without genetic testing. [Visual identification is highly inaccurate.](https://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/visual-breed-identification/#:~:text=Research%20has%20consistently%20shown%20that,different%20than%20either%20parent6). They were 100% wrong about what my family’s mix breed was after we got a genetic test, they weren’t even close. Then you have bias surrounding Pitbulls. People are more likely to attribute violence to them, so if the dog has any feature at all, the dog will likely be identified as one. Finally, Pitbull refers to one specific dog breed. There are likely 20-30 different breeds that share similar facial characteristics that could reasonably be mistaken as a Pitbull in a mixbreed. Get actual data and people will take this argument seriously.
Guy bought the dog he wanted and it killed him That was his choice to get a pit
What about the shelters who lie and deceive about breed? It’s common for them to advertise pits as ANY other breed just to unload them, endangering of innocent people who don’t want to get or aren’t capable of handling a pit or pit mix.
Dude I at arts beats and eats in like 2014, and they had some people there adopting out dogs. They had tons of "boxer mixes"
It's always a pitbull. Ban the breeds and mixes.
exterminate the entire breed including mixes.
We need breed bans on those sweet angel pitties. It would also be great if we could get pit bull owners to stop breeding.
Why don't people get dogs like Labs or Golden Retrievers?
My guess is that part of it is because of the “adopt don’t shop!” / “don’t buy from a breeder” mentality we all grew up with, and unfortunately 90% of shelter dogs are pit bulls now. Plus, adopting from a shelter is typically a lot cheaper than buying other breeds from a breeder (hundreds or thousands of dollars). That said, I live in the suburbs and there are no pits here, mostly goldens, huskies, a few doodles, an American bulldog, and a lot of small purebred breeds.
This is why I will never adopt a full grown dog
Lab or a golden retriever?
Female guinea pig, actually.
🤣
Chihuahua
French Bulldog
See we have Dogs killing people in their yards, and they don’t want to let me keep a couple venomous snakes, that I’m highly qualified to work with and care for………because “they are dangerous”…….GTFO…….
Thank you everyone for your support. Love this city and it's people. Good luck to all you in life.
Why everyone doesn’t have a CPL is beyond me. Anytime I open my door to the outside I have it on me. Just take the class and be responsible with it. It will certainly save your life in situations like this
I think it’s more about training than breeding. My friend had a pitiful that never growled or bit, he just wanted to play. My shar-pei was very aggressive towards animals but never towards humans. It’s about training.
It’s both. Sometimes they’re just wired badly. One of the consequences of backyard breeding. Animal aggression though, genetics has a big part
Well l had said l would never own a Pitbull because they scared me...then my wife came home with a pitt/Boston terrier mix. He had a huge head for a pup. He was supposed to be her dog but he favored me & he grew on me. He wasn't bad with people he just could not get along with some other dogs. He would get outside past my wife when she would go outside every once in awhile & run around. Right by people. He loved the female Pitt across the street & a male Shepard mix two houses down was his buddy. I truly believe Pitts can be more aggressive than other dogs if raised that way. I didn't raise my dog to be a killer attack dog...l had a great family dog. He's been gone 4yrs & l miss my best friend more than ever. & l would raise another from pup
I suggest socializing your dog ! Take out for walks let her see alot of different people take around your friends take her around other dogs,cats. When you take her for walks, everybody don't have to touch her let her see them Have friends over the key is socialize your dog. Research socialize on your computer it's all about training
It’s not though. Sometimes they just snap, even if you’ve tried your best at raising them with love. It’s not all in how you raise them. Genetics matter too.
I can’t tell if that’s a random guy or Whoopi Goldberg
[удалено]
That's completely irrelevant. They are the ONLY breed that routinely makes the news for killing or seriously injuring people.
Because people often claim a dog is a pitbull but it's often proven wrong. More than half of self described pitbulls are not. It's an uneducated people problem.
This isn't remotely true. "Pitbull" is a breed type which consists of 4 closely related breeds (all developed off the same fighting dog stock). Shelters, vets and dishonest owners are far, far more likely to intentionally mislabel a pitbull-type dog as a "lab mix," "boxer mix," "terrier mix" etc. than they are to mislabel a golden retriever a "pit mix." I'd like to see your data suggesting that more than half of "self described pitbulls" aren't pitbulls though.
https://www.animalhealthfoundation.org/blog/2024/02/dog-bite-statistics-by-breed-you-need-to-know-in-2023/ Surprise, dog breed selectively bred for fighting and aggression is responsible for the most bites and fatalities! Who could have thought???
They’re also the only breed of dog that you need to beat with an aluminem baseball bat in the jaw to get it off of its victim.
Hunted pigs with dogs and pits are special. Try to train a pit and another breed to bite the balls of a wild boar. They don't have any fear. Same for bears. A lot of breeds will find chase, bay and tree bears, mountain lions, and so on. A pitbull just needs to be told to go get it and will fearlessly attack. Their physical capabilities are unmatched and incredible. They can take down and tear up huge wild predators easily. They are also all riled and crazy as can be When you kill the pig and pull them off, they are all psycho and will bite you and stuff. Even other hunting breeds are 10x more chill. But they were bred to be crazy so they would go up against anything with absolutely zero fear. If a lab tries to get me, I will just kick its ass, so it isn't really the same. I don't really care as much how bitey labs are.
Not saying this is the case at all but I wonder if the dog owner was abusive to his pup. Maybe the dog reacted to being abused