My dog was recently attacked by a pitbull terrier Do you think that pitbulls are instinctivly aggressive?

Question

My dog weighs 12lbs and the pit bull weighs about 60 pounds. My dog barely lived. We took all the measures and contacted animal control, and the people we rent from. the owners of the other dog did not have their dog on a leash. Did we do the right thing? How would u have handled it. Do u think the dog will attack again or go after a human?

The owners of the pitbull have agreed to pay the vet bill.

yes my dog was on a leash, and interesting fact is that the dogs have seen each other in the area before and never payed each other any mind but for some reason on this particular night when we took our dog out to use the restroom this dog just came at my dog right in fornt of the owner. the owner tried to pry his dogs jaws aprt and was bitten and was unsuccessful, and a guy out of nowhere came and punched the pitbull in the back of the head and the pitbull finally released my dog but tried to attack again. the owner dragged the dog back to his place.They are being cited for having the dog off the leash, and it acting aggressively toward another dog, they apartments we live in are making them find a new home for the dog as well.

both dogs are female and spayed the pit bull is 2 years old and my dog is 6 months old.

Answer 1

They do tend to be aggressive towards smaller animals. But they are NOT bred to be aggressive toward people at all. I would have handled things the same way you did, and I would have made the owner of the Pit pay for all of the vet bills. They also should have been fined by the city for not having the dog on a leash, as that is illegal. Was your dog on a leash? That would make some difference in the eyes of the law, the responsibility would then be place on both parties. Most likely you would then have to split the vet bills since you were both at fault.
Please don't blame all Pits for what this one did. It has an extremely irresponsible owner! This was not the dogs fault at all, it was just doing what comes naturally. I have a Pit and 2 Rotts who are the sweetest dogs ever, my Golden Retriever is the one I have to worry about biting someone. Regardless of that fact, NONE of my dogs are ever allowed outside alone, even in my own yard. I never take them off leash at the park or anywhere else, and I never allow strangers to pet them.
If you own a large breed dog you are responsible for the dogs well being and safety, as well as the safety of everyone that the dogs come into contact with. The owner of this dog should be punished!
I'm sorry your dog was attacked and I hope that it will be okay.

Answer 2

No they are not. I have a Pit Bull and he is the biggest baby alive. I got him for my dying brother and then adopted him when my brother passed away. I have a young Lab who was brought into the Pit Bulls home with no problems. Trust me my Lab terrorizes him day and night and the Pit Bull loves him. They chew on the same bones, eat from the same bowls and groom each other every day. I constantly have friend's dogs in and out of my home with no problems. I got the Pit from a shady breeder but he has never ever shown any aggression toward anything. You did the right thing you have to protect your dog and you. Its the other dog's owner that is at fault. If the Pit has been raised wrong or improperly socialized he probally has problems. Dogs are a product of their owners. And I can tell you stories of several dog attacks that did not involve a Pit Bull. Stay on top of the situation and make sure the other dog is controlled at all times, if not report the owner again, it will be for your safety your dogs and believe it or not the Pit Bulls too.

Answer 3

SOME Pit Bulls are naturally animal aggressive.


I am sorry to hear about your dog. Just keep in mind that most Pits are not aggressive at all. Sadly due to dog fighting they have a high prey drive and can attack. (However Any dog of Any breed can attack) Dogs who are not fixed are 10 times more likely to attack another dog or human. Dogs who are chained outside are more likely to attack.
Pit Bulls are not the only dogs who bite. I am sick of people acting like they are. Pit Bulls are not a breed that should be owned by just anyone. However that does not mean they are vicious or dangerous. They just need special care and guidlines, because they are very powerful. Sadly that is why many people own them and in the end either the dog or the owner ends up suffering. That is why BSL does not work. Put responsibility into the owners hands rather than banning an entire breed.

Does this mean this dog will attack a human? NO. animal aggression is not the same as human aggression. Actually sense Pits had to work very closely with there owners they were bred to be very responsive and obdient to their owners.
Is it possible for this dog to attack another dog? Yes. If the owners are that irresponsible (which is a scary thing) then yes.

It was the owners of this dog who are at fault and they should be punished with fines or jail time. I would certainly expect the owners to pay your vet bills etc. Yes you did the right thing.


"Why anyone want to own a Pit Bull is beyond me, unless it's a reflection of their own personality"

I personally am offended by this comment. Pit Bulls are great dogs. You obviously do not know what you are talking about. I am a Pit owner and lover. I do not fight my dogs nor do I abuse them. I do not hide behind them for power. I love the breed and that is why I own one. No other reason.


Please check out this site to learn the truth about this breed. The good and the bad.
http://www.badrap.org/rescue/

Fight BSL! It is breed discrimination.

Did you know that Pit Bulls are the number one abused dog breed in America.
Over 1 million Pits are euthanized every year.
Only 1 out of 9 Pit Bulls will live out there natural life
According to the American Temparment Society Pit Bulls have a higher passing rate for temparment than many breeds to. They scored at 83.5% passing.

Please do not let this cloud your judgement on this wonderful breed.

Answer 4

In recent years, pit bulls have gained more than just a foothold in the public awareness. Unscrupulous breeding and negative media attention have resulted in many apartment complexes, neighborhoods and even counties imposing bans on the breed, citing them as "inherently dangerous" to the public.
But did you know that pit bulls, despite the fact that they were originally bred to fight with each other, were also bred to be trustworthy and friendly to people? These dogs actually earned the nickname "nursemaid's dog," because they were so reliable with young children.

Today, however, the breed often attracts the worst kind of dog owners--those who are only interested in them for fighting or protection. It's a shame what has happened to this loyal and affectionate breed-but as the pit bull population has increased so rapidly, shelters are now struggling to deal with an overflow of image-plagued, hard-to-place dogs. And despite its illegality, people are still training and breeding pit bulls to participate in dog fights in cities and towns across the country.

It is the owners that make this an aggressive breed. Yes you did the right thing. Any breed no matter what once it attacks or bites another animal or human it needs to be known to the county in case another incident occurs.

Answer 5

First off...I'm glad your dog is O.K. Now, I must say there are NO BAD DOGS ONLY BAD OWNERS! Yes pitts are scary, yes they can draw blood, and yes they have killed however that can be said about many breeds. Facts state that more people are bitten by Collies than Pitts and Rotts. The dog will attack again, especially if it bit its own handler, whether it be human or dog because that was how he was trained probably or just wasn't trained at all.

You did the right thing. Officials should be made aware before anyone else is harmed. If it were me I would have done the same thing.

Again I'm sorry this happened to you but don't judge the entire breed. The owners are to blame.

Answer 6

You don't mention if they are two males or two females? I do think they are instinctively aggressive and is up to the owner to socialize them from the get-go and have the animal know that the owner always has the upper hand - but still remains loving. This applies particularly to the males. They should always be on a leash when outdoors and muzzled if there is any question of aggression. They're great dogs (we have three) but because they originally had fighting bred into them, they need more attention than the average dog.

Answer 7

Pitbull is the most emotianally stable dog of all, so the answer is Pitbull is not an agresive dog by nature, it's ussually trained.

But in this case, probabbly because they're the same sex.
The age of your dog (6 months) is the time to enter te 1'st puberty (she will get her 1'st period) and probably the pitbull smells it and attack her because instinctively she take her as a rival, more over if this is the mating season (or close to).

If the pitbull is not trained as a fighter, then she just want to show who is the boss, but their size differents make it fatal

The pitts will probably attack again, even toward human.
this is depend on the pitt's master, he must teach/train the Bull not to attack human.
But she still potentially attack another *****, since it's natural to put a rival on their knees

Answer 8

Some of these answers are really dumb. "Pit bulls" which isnt even their correct name were not bred to fight other dogs. Their orginal purpose was "hog dogs". They were bred for hunting. They are not instinctly aggressive towards people. They will however show dominance over other dogs. If they feel them, their pups or owner is in danger they will protect. Ive had my pit 2 years and she is a baby. Ive only seen her attack twice. Once was a pig and the other was a male dog who jumped the fence to get to her litter. They are sweet animals and with proper training can be the best pet you ever owned.


You did the right thing though. Some owners are not responible people and will train their dogs to attack anything. Its not the dogs fault but by calling animal control you have protected someone who may fall victim to this abused animals wrath. I cant stand to see pits that are abused and hurt by their owners. There isnt any bad dogs just bad owners.

Answer 9

I think that aggressive pit bulls are the result of environment and expectations/desires of the owners. In major cities, people don't look to buy pit bulls because they want a lap dog. They get a dog that, with proper love and care, would make a happy companion. However, because the would-be owners want a "tough" guard dog, they train it to be tough and to guard. There are also people that engage them in dog fighting where they must fight for their lives. Why does it surprise us when they become aggressive in response to these demands? This is where responsible breeders are so important...they screen out people who do not have the dog's best interest at heart.

There are leash laws and, in your instance, the other dog should have been on one. This was not the dog's fault...it was the owner's. Instead of deciding whether to euthanize the dog, we should be deciding what punishment to impose upon the owners after the dog is removed from their irresponsible care. I strongly believe that not everyone who wants a dog should be allowed to own one.

Answer 10

NO they are not instinctivly aggressive, i have 2, and my female was 6 months old and never been around cats and guess what shes 1/12 yrs old now and her best friend is a cat, they will play with each other and massage each other, never had a problem, i just got a male pit he is 8 months old, had him about 2 wks and same situation, haven't had a problem,

u show pits love thats what they give back, however as with ANY dog if they have never been around other dogs then they may not get along with them,, but that is any dog and not just the breed