Pit bull Question?

Question

Our neighbor just gave my husband a 6 month old red nose Pit bull.I've heard story that Pit bulls are aggressive dogs and are not good to have around Childern. We have 2 kid ages 1 & 3. My husband says she is a nice dog and not aggressive ,but I still dont want my Kids near the dog.So my question is. Is this dog ok to be around our kids or shoul we give it away?

Answer 1

Owning a pitbull is like playing Russian Roulette, you never know when they will go off. I wouldn't have them around any children. They are banned in alot of countries, what does that tell you?

Answer 2

I do not own a Pit, but I worked for a no-kill shelter for quite awhile when growing up and did quite a bit of training. I honestly believe the temperment of the Pit Bull is a direct correlation to the training and treatment it receives from the owner. Unfortunately, the Pit Bull is largely treated as a status symbol as opposed to a dog or pet. Alot of people that should NOT be allowed within 50 feet of a dog chose to own the Pit Bull because they think it makes them look tough to have one. Not because they love the dog or breed. The end result is an unruly, uncontrollable, and often times abused and vicious animal that has no respect for people. The Pit Bull is a very strong animal, and not respecting people as it's alpha certainly leads to trouble. It is important to remember that any dog that is treated badly is a dangerous dog. The jaw strength of a Pit Bull is much greater than alot of other dogs, making them notorious when they attack because it does that much more damage. The media contributes to the plight of the Pit Bull, also. Golden Retrievers used to have the most bites per year of any breed (not sure if that is still current information or not), but how many Golden bites do you hear about in the news? Or any other breed, for that matter? You don't, unless the attack was especially severe. But when a Pit Bull bites - even if by bites it is a very mild one - it is one of the top news story that evening. My favorite dogs to work with when they came in to the no-kill shelter were our Pit Bulls and Pit mixes - as a whole, in my experience they are easy to train, attentive dogs. It is a shame they do not get the respect or love they deserve. A little bit of time and love in a Pit Bull leads to a wonderful dog.

Answer 3

we have a pit bull and have had her for 7 years and raised her around our daughter who is now 9 almost 10. We have raised our dog since she was a puppy and she is very well behaved. She started off as an inside dog and then got put out back to be a watch dog> She is very aggressive towards strangers, but has never once showed an aggressive side towards myself my husband or our child. I would say keep the dog and train the dog the way you want it. People give pit bulls a bad name. However ANY dog can turn on people and most dog bites happen from dogs other than Pits. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

I live in Toronto Ontario & Pit Bulls are banned in our city, mainly because of irresponsible owners not knowing how to provide the proper environment for their animal and a lack of sensitivity for their neighbours. If this is your 1st attempt at dog ownership I strongly recommend that you try it with a more predictable breed. There is a case in our city where a grown man was killed by three pit bulls in his own home, (he wasn't the owner of the dogs). Many children have been either killed or disfigured for life by this breed of dog, & that includes family members.
Pit Bulls have very large & powerful jaws that can do a lot of permanent damage to a child. If your husband insists on keeping this animal then you must demand that the dog be kept separated from the children until they are of an age where they can dominate & control the dog themselves, although by the time that happens the dog will either be very old or have passed on. The best way to do this is for you to build a separate kennel area where your dog cannot get out of, & your kids can't get into. The only time that the dog should be allowed in the presence of the children is when the family member that the dog recognizes as it's superior (ie: your husband) is close by to supervise any interaction between the dog & the children. My worst fear is that one day one of your kids is going to pull the dogs tail while it's busy eating.
Take Care.

Answer 5

Dogs are dogs. Some are more aggressive than others. The difference with pit bulls and other dogs is that they have a hell of a lot of power if they are aggressive. If getting bit by a Chihuahua is like getting hit by a motorbike, then getting bit by a Pit Bull is like getting hit by a Volkswagon.

You'll have to judge for yourself how comfortable the dog seems around the children. Training classes are an excellent idea, and make sure that you maintain leadership of the house to prevent the dog from ever feeling the need to take matters into its own hands.

Answer 6

Ok there is a common misconception with pitbulls. People think that every pitbull is going to be this monstrously mean animal. It's not true. It really depends on how the person brings them up. They can be some of the sweetest dogs if you train them right. It's the people that make the dog mean not the dog. If you got the puppy from a breeder that was not using the dog for fighting or another aggressive reason you should have no problem. If his mother was an aggressive dog most likely the puppy will want to be aggressive as well but you can still break it. Don't keep the kids away from the puppy you want him to get used to the kids. It's actually very good for the dog to be around children at a young age. So I would let you kids play with him unless of course he's huring them. But I think you should be ok. They really can be great dogs. Good luck!

Answer 7

Well, I grew up with pit bulls all my life. No problems. Any larger dog can be a potential threat to humans.

Do you know how this dog was treated before you got it? If raised with care, the dog should be fine. If you are this concerned, then find another home.

Honestly, pit bulls don't have the potential to be any more aggressive that any other dogs. They are often raised to fight which is why they get a bad rap.

Answer 8

Everyone needs to end the ignorance and prejudice that surrounds Pit Bulls.

Pit Bulls, as any dog, do not "turn" on a human being for no reason. Any dog will react to threatening behavior. Children, even when told not to, will grab at dogs, run up to them, try to take their food/treats/toys any of which may seem threatening to ANY dog.

In a study of 100 dog breeds, Pits were rated #96 in likely to bite. Golden Retrievers were more likely to bite - but Goldens don't end up on the nightly news.

Aggressiveness is a taught trait. I have taught my Pit to bark aggressively when someone knocks at my door - when I say "It's OK" she stops and wags her tail. If you take the time any dog will be obedient and well-mannered.

Pits (or any dog for that matter) do NOT have locking jaws. That is a silly myth. If they did there would be anatomical proof - there is none.

Pits do not see children as submissive or as "prey". In England they are nicknamed "Nanny Dogs" because they are such good dogs around children.

I work with dogs all day and I would love to work in a clinic that only dealt with Pits. I am much more weary when working around "family" dogs like German Shepherds, Dalmatians, and Cocker Spaniels.

Do an Internet search on "the truth about pit bulls" you will find alot of good information.

Love this Pit it will reward you in so many ways.

Answer 9

Some of my best students are Pit Bulls! It is all nurture over nature on this one. These dogs are generally only aggressive when trained to be or due to lack of socialization. Otherwise, they are very sweet dogs who make excellent family members. I would highly recommend taking him to a training class as pits tend to be very energetic dogs. With good direction and Positive Reinforcement training (a MUST for a Pit), they do extremely well in training. My top student is a pit and she took her CGC test yesterday wonderfully well.
Pits have a bad rap, but in the proper environment, they thrive and are fabulous pets.

Answer 10

Any dog can be aggressive. I've seen many "designer" fluffy dogs snap and bite at kids.
All dogs need to be socialized and trained properly. Some breeds are natural protectors. Idiots take advantage of this and this is how Pitts got such a bad image.

A Pitt Bull that has the proper training and care will be a great family pet.
Some dogs have dog aggression which is not human aggression.

We grew up the the "dangerous" labeled dogs (Pitts, rotts, etc) as kids. They were great around us and would stand right by us if stranger came around us. We were also taught at a very young age on how to act around dogs.

So enjoy your new puppy. Get it enrolled in puppy class.

Answer 11

A friend of mine had a pit bull that he raised from a puppy. It was a four year old adult. This dog was the most gentle, kind, affectionate, dog you could imagine. Great around adults and kids. When my brother and I would go over to his house to watch football on TV the dog would come over and lay his head on your leg. He was happy as long as he could make contact. He just wanted to be loved.

EVERYONE who knew this dog WAS SHOCKED and amazed to learn that it jumped the fence, crossed the street and attacked and mauled a nine-year old little girl who was minding her own business, not anywhere close to the dog, not doing anything that should have provoked the dog.

Pits are simply not to be trusted. There is too much mental instability in the breed. If you love your children you will give the puppy back and start looking for a place to move where you don't have neighbors who keep dangerous animals in their yard.