I have a Pit Bull that is a sweetheart,?

Question

my mother likes to bring up bad new about pits every chance she gets. I try to remind her that environment & training will have a lot to do with their behavior & any breed of dog can attack. I have a 9 yr old daughter & honestly, I am not afraid my dog will hurt her,ever. How do I respond to these constant attacks?

Answer 1

My brother had a pit....I was scared to death, cuz of my kids.
Until....I went to check on my youngest son who was playing vedio games in the bedroom....when I walked in their....my son was up on the bed with his remote playing his game and underneath his head was this pit (he was using him as a pillow)....I have a pic. but dont know how to include it....whish I did....

Answer 2

I agree that environment and training plays a very important role in a dog's behavior. I've had a Pitt and they are sweet dogs but they are also incredibly powerful and deserve respect on that premise alone. From a Pitt, a little nip could become a serious wound. I have to admit that I would not leave any child (I have two) unattended with a Pitt or any large breed dog (I have two boxers and a dobie) for that matter. My dogs are also very gentle, but I know that any dog can turn without provocation whether from temperament, illness, or whatever. As much as you love your dog you need to accept that there is a potential for danger despite a world of training. Your Mom is just concerned about the safety of your child and as her grandmother she has that right. She probably just doesn't want you to develop a false sense of security regarding your dog and the safety of your child. I'm sure your dog is a big ol' teddy bear, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

You need to keep in mind that there is an underlying truth behind any dog breed that has a bad rap'. Like I said, I have a Dobie. Dobies are known for their loyalty to family, however, Dobies also have a bad rap because they are territorial and will attack strangers if threatened.

Answer 3

I have a 9 year old pit and I have 3 children, honestly I would prefer my dog to babysit my kids than any adult! JK. Show your mom the # of tiny dogs that bite in comparrison to the pit bull. Training and upbringing makes a great dog. Be consistant and your mom will have to come around. Everytime she brings up a pit that bites bring up an ankle bitter! She'll get the picture.

Answer 4

Pitbulls have a bad rep because when they do attack they do the most damage. I have had pitbulls all my life.They have never attack my sibling nor myself. Pitbulls do have high tolerance for pain . So they won't snap at just a tug on the ear or a little ruff playing. There are people out there that raise them to attack like a golden retriever is trained to fetch. maybe you can educate her on the breed.My kids have been around my pits and never have been bit once. He was petting a wiener dog and he had to get 5 stitches in his face. Good luck

Answer 5

i have the same situation as you but in reverse my mom is okay with my female pitbull(she is such a gentle little sweetheart) along with a great dane 5 month puppybut my dad is another story he is very apprehensive around her and him and i tell him time and time again that they could pick up on your negativety. it's the stigma that people hav3e on this breed. have your mom watch the dog whisperer especially that episode where this lady needs help for her dog sparky to become a service dog but sparky is aggressive around dogs and so he takes them to he's center, and there we find out that the owner is afraid of certain breeds like pitbulls etc, well so i won't ruin it for you check it out its very moving and it sends a clear message, that all dogs could go bad if not properly train and socailize at an earily age..and seriously i've been bitten more by smaller dogs than larger ones, because the owners of smaller dogs that i know think that its so freakin cute that thier little dogs are aggressive.....

Answer 6

We have a pit bull that we have had ever since he was 5 wks and he is now 1 year old and he loves my kids.

My mom works at a vet. and ALL I hear is the horror of pit bulls and how they turn on their owners and they are the worst dogs to have.Like you I explained to her with proper raising and training they are good dogs.

The reputation that these dogs have is what everyone is conforming to and not giving the dogs a chance.

Reassure your mom that your dog is not a malding beast and explain that you really don't want to hear anything negative about it anymore because your pit bull is not like all the horror stories you always hear about. No one ever tells about the good of pit bulls and so everyone assumes that they are all bad.

Not true!!

Answer 7

Tell her it's your choice, not her's. And if she doesn't like it, that's a sad conclusion for both of you, but the dog is a part of your family now and she doesn't ever have to interact with the dog if she doesn't want to. Your life, your daughter, your home, your money. She no longer has the final say. Be as tactful and respectful as possible. But you need to convey your feelings on this and be firm while doing it.

Maybe you want to dig up some good publicity and information on 'pit-bulls' to give her. She doesn't have to read it if she doesn't want to, but still give it to her.

Answer 8

Pit bulls have a bad rep. thanks to the idiots out there that make them mean and fight them. I also have a friend that has a pit bull that not only is super gentle ...he doesn't even realize he is a dog. There's not much you CAN do except just ignore the remarks....
I seriously doubt that your dog would ever hurt your daughter also...but god forbid anybody that might try to hurt your DAUGHTER....they will have a dog attached to their butt. They make excellent babysitters and are very protective of their family.

Answer 9

tell her that not all pit bulls are bad and the only ones that are bad are the ones that are trained to be bad and dont know what they are doing is wrong also tell her that if she thinks you are the type of person who would train there dogs like that that she has no clue of her own daughter

Answer 10

I don't know the relationship you have w/ your mother but you need to be honest with her. Tell her what you think and how you feel. Tell her not to disregard your feelings and though you value her advice and opinion you don't agree with it.

Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_bull and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Pitbull_Terrier

They provide some external links and great information concerning that breed including legislation, history, bite statistics, etc. Give that to your mom to solidify your claim that they are not horrible dogs when raised properly.

Ask your mom to spend time w/ your dog. My mom was the same when my brother brought daisy home (his pit). She was terrified. When she saw how gentle and calm daisy was I found out that she insists the dog sleep on her bed every night, she sneaks it treats, and takes it shopping!

Maybe she needs to see first hand what your dog is like and how it interacts w/ your daughter.

If that doesn't work tell her you're going to make idle threats for your dog to bite her in the bum by taping dog treats to her pants.

Good Luck

Answer 11

you probably cant do much about it. I have a 120 pound mastiff and i hear the same thing from my mother. People have misconception's of certain breed due to what they see in the media. The main thing is if the dog is sweet and you train it right it will be a loving pet and remain one no matter what anyone says.