dog question

[wsm]

what is the reason that so many people get pit bulls. as opposed to other breeds. it's just a simple question, no pun intended.

[Phil]

They think it is macho. The dog fits their cool guy image. They think their pot growing friends will respect 'em and the pooch will keep the po po away. They ain't too bright. Just a few ideas for you. I'm sure others will have many more.

[Barracuda]

or Wolf crosses. Wild canis + Domestic canis = ?????????

[wsm]

i just wanted something fluffy that not everyone else had. with a professional trainer at my disposal to help and teach me why not. thats my reason, you dont have to like it wolfhybrid

[Beverly]

Pitties are actually very nice dogs (in the right hands). It's unfortunate that they are used as weapons by scum bags...which is the main reason they are looked down on as freaky dogs. They are not dangerous pets in the right home. The PBT rescues here in BC are quite clear that a dangerous one will never be placed ....they are saving the breed not saving individual dogs. If a dangerous Pitty ends up in rescue they will be put down....it's not what the breed is about. (which is emotionally hard but the right thing to do)

I had to giggle about the wolf dog comment. Thru Malamute rescue I am quite educated in identiying wolf mixes.... 99.9 % of the people who think they own a wolf dog actually own a 99.9% Malamute or Mal mix. The wolf label is highly used by back yard breeders as a selling factor (to ego freaks, which by the way I am not saying you are wsm) but thems the facts :)
A shep x Mal easily makes a wolfy looking dog which the average joe watching disney figures is a wolf. Hybrid is actually not the correct term for a dog/wof mix as they can reproduce a dog/wolf mix ...a true hybrid can not reproduce it's self. In 20 years of doing dog rescue I've only actually seen a couple real wolf dogs...most of just wanna be's, plain old dogs.

[Tinney]

They think it is macho. The dog fits their cool guy image. They think their pot growing friends will respect 'em and the pooch will keep the po po away. They ain't too bright. Just a few ideas for you. I'm sure others will have many more.

I'm waiting for jess to find this :twisted:

[Barracuda]

A shep x Mal easily makes a wolfy looking dog which the average joe watching disney figures is a wolf. Hybrid is actually not the correct term for a dog/wof mix as they can reproduce a dog/wolf mix ...a true hybrid can not reproduce it's self. In 20 years of doing dog rescue I've only actually seen a couple real wolf dogs...most of just wanna be's, plain old dogs.

are you sure that a wolf dog is not a hybrid by definition? yes they have equal Chromasones and are not sterile but by definition it would be a hybrid (Remember not all hybrids are sterile) .
There are a number of wolf dog breeders that have true crosses but in my mind that practice should be abolished as you produce an inconsistant Wild animal . (which is the reason i put "Wild canis + Domestic canis = ?????????" meaning questionable animal as you cannot tell how the genes will be expressed)
I know of one Wolf /Malmute that produced a very majestic looking animal but not one i would consider suitable to keep as a domestic dog. I even offered to make into a rug but they wouldnt go for it :lol: .

[jessbennett]

hey phil that is the most assenine thing ive heard in a while.:mad: . another swift one i see:roll:

one: i dont have a bunch of pot smoking friends who need MY dogs to keep the "po po" away.......

two: i dont think im macho because i have pitbulls.......

three: i dont need a pitbull to fit my "cool guy" image.


i can tell by your "intelligent" (and i use the term intelligent VERY loosely)remarks that you seem to know so much about the pitbull breed. actually makes me understand how smart my dogs really are.

i appologize humbly if i "aint" to bright to you either. :roll:
this is the kind of sterotypical crap the breed doesnt need. maybe try some research before you post your "educated" comments:mad:

[Beverly]

are you sure that a wolf dog is not a hybrid by definition? yes they have equal Chromasones and are not sterile but by definition it would be a hybrid (Remember not all hybrids are sterile) . .

oh be picky lol...By definition yes you are correct...in reality no :)



There are a number of wolf dog breeders that have true crosses but in my mind that practice should be abolished as you produce an inconsistant Wild animal . (which is the reason i put "Wild canis + Domestic canis = ?????????" meaning questionable animal as you cannot tell how the genes will be expressed)
I know of one Wolf /Malmute that produced a very majestic looking animal but not one i would consider suitable to keep as a domestic dog. I even offered to make into a rug but they wouldnt go for it :lol: .

I fully agree that breeding the two should not be happening.

[Phil]

hey phil that is the most assenine thing ive heard in a while.:mad: . another swift one i see:roll:

one: i dont have a bunch of pot smoking friends who need MY dogs to keep the "po po" away.......

two: i dont think im macho because i have pitbulls.......

three: i dont need a pitbull to fit my "cool guy" image.


i can tell by your "intelligent" (and i use the term intelligent VERY loosely)remarks that you seem to know so much about the pitbull breed. actually makes me understand how smart my dogs really are.

i appologize humbly if i "aint" to bright to you either. :roll:
this is the kind of sterotypical crap the breed doesnt need. maybe try some research before you post your "educated" comments:mad:


I am sure my off hand comments won't ruin the name/reputation of the breed. The dog and the owners have secured the name/reputation of the breed long ago. At no time did I make personal attack on you or your intelligence. I am entitled to my opinion on any breed of dog I choose. I did make an attempt to answer the question in the original thread starter and did not include any refference to you personally. If you have something intelligent to add than do so. Since your an expert on the breed give us some factual info to redeem its reputation that make it so appealing to the masses.

[jessbennett]

ignorance is a painful thing. and when you lump the breed and the all owners with the scuz that own half breed $hithounds that may resemble a pitbull, is no doubt ignorance:mad: .

and yes sir you are absolutlely entitled to you opinion, but could you give us(the masses) some factual evidence that the only people who own pitbulls are pot smoking,drug dealing, macho,cool, criminal people?i strongly doubt it, but please ammuse me and try:roll: when you say that pitbull owners are all pot smokers and drug dealers yes you did personally
stereotype me.

i have been putting factual info on pitbulls and staffies(staffordshire terriers) for a few days now. never have i said that i am an "expert" on the breed but believe me i've done my homework on them and live with them everyday.

the masses in which you speak of, all have their opinions of this breed. some good, some bad. alot of the bad is due to ignorance, and stereotyping like you did earlier. people who know nothing of the breed, blasting out uneducated comments to infact make themselves"experts".


yeah as my kids run around playing with the dogs in the yard, snuggling on the couch, sleeping with them at night, jumping on the trampoline, it makes them look macho and cool too.8)
oh id better go, i hear sirens and i should hide my pot from the po po........:roll:

[Phil]

Lets not have a pissing match. Just demonstrate why the dog breed is so popular as asked in the thread starter. I have no doubt that you are a good family man and a responsable dog owner. That fact was never in question. Just because you own one of the breed you and your dogs are are not necessarily lumped into the steriotype. There are and always will be exceptions to the norm. Try and keep your comments less personal. I don't think calling someome ignorant and unintelligent or uneducated is a good way to sell your breed to the masses.

[Tinney]

Lets not have a pissing match. Just demonstrate why the dog breed is so popular as asked in the thread starter. I have no doubt that you are a good family man and a responsable dog owner. That fact was never in question. Just because you own one of the breed you and your dogs are are not necessarily lumped into the steriotype. There are and always will be exceptions to the norm. Try and keep your comments less personal. I don't think calling someome ignorant and unintelligent or uneducated is a good way to sell your breed to the masses.

Well common Phil, you opened the ball, now get up and dance. You stereotyped every pitbull owner in your post and you got fairly called on it.
Both jess and my cousin have pitbulls, and while I may not be particularly fond of the breed, I've been shown on more than one occasion that they are not a 'bad breed' Heck, you should see my cousin's pitbull in his little sweater :lol: real tough lookin dog for sure :lol:

[Phil]

I am willing to dance but I'm not about to start trading insults over dog breed prefferences.

I don't deny that my original comment is a steriotype and that all pitbulls or pitbull owners don't fit this steriotype.

I am willing to be proved wrong about my perception but that can't be done by insulting me because of my opinion which many others obviously share.

The dog breed is notorious for its steriotyped dispostion and one has to wonder why so many people choose to own one despite this. We have all heard the examples of its devastating bite and the surprise of the owner who swears up and down that his/her dog has "never shown any sign of agression untill now".

Having said that, I checked the number of adds in the Buy and Sell and without scanning every breed variation I found five adds and one in the Vancouver Sun classifieds. They are obviously very popular despight the steriotype. Why?

[loki]

Well I'd think that they would be excellent hunting dogs.

Most pits I've met are well trained, small stature, and love to chase game. My thought here is a good use for them could be a replacement for the scotties and Jack russels in chasing varmints down holes. The BIG advantage that these dogs would have is that they are powerful enough to hold their own should a coyote decide not to go out the back way.

All stereotypes aside, how could people on a hunting forum not see the use to this magnificent breed?

[jessbennett]

phil, i am not trying to sell my breed to the masses,or get into a pissing match with you. im just trying to point out to YOU that your comments were ignorant and blatantly stereotypical to both pitbulls and pitbull owners.

quite frankly, if you are going to post comments like your first few, you better balls up and post some factual statistics yourself:mad:

the only thing YOU and your "masses" hear about are the instances in which something bad my have happened. the breed is popular because contrary to "your" belief they are good dogs. you here about the bad ones, because it makes good news. half the time when there is a "pitbull attack" it turns out to be a half breed mutt or not a pitbull at all. can you tell a pitbull by looking at it every single time?? i would guess no.:| you seem to have the theory "if it looks like a pitbull, well heck..... IT MUST BE A PITBULL then.... you dont really hear about other dog bites because quite frankly they arent news worthy. really how controversial is "****er spaniel tears mailmans leg to shreds"? but i gurantee you this type of dog attack happens everyday and im sure the owner says" geez my dog hasnt shown any signs of aggression until now". :confused: but hey that doesnt make news and it doesnt fuel the uneducated stereotypes like the ones you stated earlier.

but to answer your question why do people want these dogs? well i cant answer for everyone, but im sure there are hundreds of thousands of people who would agree that they are one of the most loyal, loving dogs there is. there is rarely a more tolerant dog towards children out there today. i wish we could ask all of them what they thought of your factual comments.

and yes unfortunately there is scuz that take advantage of the breed all the time. but believe me pitties arent the only ones taken advantage of. german shepards, rotweilers, dobermans, akitas, etc. do you feel the same way about these breeds as you do about pitbulls? and be honest now.

it just gets a little old when people belt out these comments when they really dont know what the hell the are talking about.and

do you own a dog? if so what kind of dog do you own?

and lastly if they are so popular despite the sterotypes that you and your masses share, it means two things

1: your stereotypes are wrong and people actually like the breed and want one in their lives
2: most people who love them and lown them dont give a rats a$$ about the ignorant stereotypes that exist.

good day:mad:

[jessbennett]

oh yeah tinney, ty looks like a killer in his sweater and booties huh???hahaha:lol: :wink:

[wsm]

The ancestors of modern pit bulls come from thelusk (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thelusk&action=edit). The English White Terrier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_White_Terrier), the Black and Tan Terrier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_and_Tan_Terrier) and the Old English Bulldog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_English_Bulldog) are supposedly extinct breeds, this occasion stems from their forced retirement. However, in their own time the English White Terrier, the Black and Tan Terrier and the Bulldog were prized animals.
At one time every county in England had its own terrier. Many still exist, however, many have also come to pass or have mutated into a modern breed; such is the case for the English White Terrier and the Black and Tan, whose descendants include the bull-and-terriers, the Fox Terrier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Terrier), and the Manchester Terrier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Terrier). Terriers served a very real purpose in England. Vermin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermin) threatened people in more ways than just providing an unpleasant scare or as unwelcome guests; at their best, vermin ruined crops and damaged property; at their worst they served as a vehicle for fleas that carried the Black Plague (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Plague). Dogs destroyed vermin efficiently and were easy animals to care for. As time went on the sports of badger and rat baiting — among others — caught on. It is from the terrier that pit bulls get their kind nature and juvenile behavior; it is also where the instinct to kill came from.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2f/Ww1.jpg/180px-Ww1.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ww1.jpg) http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ww1.jpg)
United States (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States) propaganda poster used during World War I (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I) depicting a Pit Bull


At the same time, Mastiff (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastiff) type dogs have existed in England for millennia. Their origins are somewhat uncertain, particularly because of myth. It can be assumed, however, that the Celts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celts) brought the Mastiff to Britain from the continent. It also known that the Normans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normans) introduced the Alaunt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaunt). Mastiffs of varying size existed in England for years, but it was not until the Renaissance that formal distinctions were made. These dogs were used in battle and for guarding, but they also served utilitarian purposes, such as farm work. Specifically, these dogs accompanied farmers into the fields to assist with bringing bulls (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle) in for breeding (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breeding), castration (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castration), or slaughter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaughterhouse). The dogs, known generally as bulldogs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulldog), protected the farmer by subduing the bull if it attempted to gore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gore) him. Typically a dog would do this by biting the bull on the nose and holding on until the bull submitted. Because of the nature of their job, bulldogs were bred to have powerful, muscular bodies, and the resolve to hold onto a violently-struggling bull, even when injured.
Eventually these dogs' purpose inspired the widespread practice of the bloody sports of bull-baiting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull-baiting) and bear-baiting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear-baiting). In Elizabethan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabethan) England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England), these spectacles were popular forms of entertainment. However, in 1835 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1835), bull-baiting and bear-baiting were abolished by Parliament as cruel, and the custom died out over the following years.
The sport of dog fighting, which could be carried out under clandestine measures, blossomed. Since Bulldogs proved too ponderous and disinterested in dog fighting, the Bulldogs were crossed to English White and Black and Tan Terriers. They were also bred to be intelligent and level-headed during fights and remain non-aggressive toward their handlers. Part of the standard for organized dog-fighting required that the match referee who is unacquainted with the dog be able to enter the ring, pick up a dog while it was engaged in a fight, and get the respective owner to carry it out of the ring without being bitten. Dogs that bit the referee were culled.
As a result, Victorian fighting dogs (Staffordshire Bull Terriers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staffordshire_Bull_Terrier) and, though less commonly used as fighters, English Bull Terriers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_Terrier)) generally had stable temperaments and were commonly kept in the home by the gambling men who owned them.
During the mid-1800s (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1800s), immigration to the United States (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States) from Ireland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland) and England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England) brought an influx of these dogs to America, mainly to Boston (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston), where they were bred to be larger and stockier, working as farm dogs in the West as much as fighting dogs in the cities. The resulting breed, also called the American Pit Bull Terrier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Pit_Bull_Terrier), became known as an "all-American" dog. Pit bull type dogs became popular as family pets for citizens who were not involved in dog-fighting or farming. In the early 1900s (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1900s) they began to appear in films, one of the more famous examples being Pete the Pup (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_the_Pup) from the Our Gang (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Gang) shorts (later known as The Little Rascals).

[30-06]

my sister use to have a rotwieler bull mastif and it is the nicest dog ever..

and she now has a pit bull yellow lab that was beaten for a while from the past owner and it to is the nicest most energetic dog ever.it is 50/50 pit bull /lab

[Phil]

Here are a few facts that me and my "uneduacated masses" can base a few common sense steriotypes on, not to mention wise desicions when purchasing a family dog.

According to the Clifton study, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks that were included in the study, 68% of the attacks upon children, 82% of the attacks upon adults, 65% of the deaths, and 68% of the maimings. In more than two-thirds of the cases included in the study, the life-threatening or fatal attack was apparently the first known dangerous behavior by the animal in question. Clifton states:

If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a pit bull terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed--and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs as well as their victims are paying the price
http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html


I'm sure you'll dispute these facts in the method you have used previously although I have tried to be diplomatic about this debate and demonstrate a willingness to accept facts which prove me wrong. So far all you have provided is YOUR opinion. I don't have to defend the dogs reputation, but it would seem that YOU do for your own personal reasons. I have more productive/constructive things to do than carry on in this manner so unless you have facts to prove me wrong I'm done.

[wsm]

it seems to me after doing some reading pits arent really a purebred there a mix of dogs. but i guess most dogs are. and as far as wolves being bread with other dogs,and the comment that it shouldn't happen. what is the difference between this and a blue heeler wich was the result of a dingo, and a border collie? i would trust my my child to be in the presence of domesticated wolves before malamutes and i like malamutes, but dont trust them.

[Beverly]

wsm- Wolves are wild animals not domestic pets. I did not comment on Dingos...I have no experience on which to base an opinion on them.

Personally I do not like wolf-dog breeding for many reasons, the breed I love is used #1 as the source of wolf-dog breeding (and upping the fatal bite stats with this mix!)....perhaps having spent many years taking Malamutes (aka back yard bred wolves lol) into rescue might do that to a person. I also do not like malamutes portrayed as wolves in film...I do not like to walk down the street with my malamutes and have mothers with small children cross the street thinking my Malamutes are wolves because Disneys makes it so lol.

Also wolf-dog even whispered in a shelter situation is a death sentence for dogs...which is very unfair given that most are nowhere near being anything but a Malamute or Siberian x Shepherd with a label provided by an idiot back yard breeder as a sales tactic for ego maniacs wanting to own a wild wolf. Most so called "wolf mixes" have no more wolf in them then a Corgi does.

BTW...I have a purbred papered Malamute that looks fairly identical to your wolf :roll:

[jessbennett]

you never answered my question phil...... do you own a dog??:confused:

your so worried about stats that prove your wrong.... show me stats in which you prove you are right?:-|

in this study that you have posted, how many dog attacks were there total?just curious.and in this study how many attacks were pitbulls???you said 74% were pitbulls,rotties,presa canarios, AND their MIXES. does this study have a breakdown of the percentage per animal? id like to see it. which breed was responsible for the highest percentage of "deaths" and "maimings"?? im also not talking about mixes just the pure breds please.
is there somewhere that i can see this report or could you post this info please?

[Elkhound]

I will let this thread go on even though I am pretty sure all it is doing is going over the same stuff as the other thread. Just remember to keep things civil or it will be closed. Pick on someone's dog and it's like picking on one of their children. Tempers are easily aroused with this topic....

[wsm]

dingos were used to get a blue heeler. without the dingo you would have no blue heeler. and yet they are considered to be a decent family dog

[Phil]

I posted the link to the information I quoted below my reply for you to read. Yes I own a dog. I don't feel compelled to defend my dog's breed so it is irrelevent to this discusion. Besides, I have extracted all of its teeth to make it family friendly:) . I think it is relevent that dogs mixed with pitbulls are responsable for bite stats because when you compare the other purebread breeds to pitbulls the incedents of bites are not as high or as damaging. When any other breed is mixed with a pitbull it would seem to have the bite tendancy. I under stand you care for your dog and the breed in general and know a lot more about the dogs than I do. My feeling is that all dog breeds can bite, kill, maim ect. but I don't think all the stats are bunk. I think they are a good guideline for a desicion making process because they show a pattern of breed tendancies. Would I live with a pitbull? No. Do I think others should? Yes, as long as they are responsable care givers to the animal and raised in a manner that discourages it from agressive behaviour and as long as the owners are willing to except the consaquences if it does hurt someone. I can see that you are passionate about the breed and in your mind I will always be wrong in this discussion so lets end the madness and agree to dissagree. I will keep an open mind regarding pitbulls in the future.

[Elkhound]

one thing to keep in mind Phil is the stats are not quite right either. There are more than a dozen breeds that people have confused with Pits. Report to the police is a pit bull attack when in reality it's a different breed all together. Something to think about.

[wsm]

bev would you say that your more or less qualified to make the distinction between a wolfdog or other , than a wildlife biologist, a conservation officer, or a vetrinarian? i've had all three concur to as to her breed including one very upset vet. who didn't like the idea of me having one either. maybe he was upset that i lied to him about the breed dont know wich one, dont care much .

[Elkhound]

unless they took a dna test I wouldn't consider them experts either. I had one vet tell me my purebred was a mixed breed cause of his size and another vet tell me he was an Akita:lol:

[Beverly]

unless they took a dna test I wouldn't consider them experts either. I had one vet tell me my purebred was a mixed breed cause of his size and another vet tell me he was an Akita:lol:

Right...:)

There is no dna type test available to prove wolf content in dogs. The only current valid / recognized way is to provide a "Clean" (meaning dead) skull for measurements and even that has some flaws. The rest simply opinions.

And yes actually having spent the last 10 years or so helping to identify possible wolf content in dogs (plus doing both wolf-dog rescue and Malamutes Rescue) I'd say I was near or better in qualification to your vet / c/o or other ...none of which are trained directly/specifically in wolf-dog identification. I've had a number of shelters here in BC over the years send pictures of possible wolf-dogs in shelters so that I could help them establish if the dog should be adoptable/what the content might be or not be. (mostly this happens because a persona surrenders that dog and tells them it's a wolf-mix...why they would do that I don't know because the SPCA is not allowed to place them) If I can not be certain based on my own experiences I have an aquaintance of mine who worked at Wolf Park for 10 years look at the pictures for me. She is one that helped write the wolf-dog identification section of the wolf park web site.

Other than an experienced guess on all physical/behavioral characteristics of a wolf-dog mix there is no way to tell. There are however some real wolf-dog reputable breeders who can and do keep detailed pedigrees. (these are not the average back yard breeder types either)

There are a number of ways one can provide an experienced opinion on wolf content in a dog. Such as what time of year they were born / color at birth / nail color / coat color / coat length / ear set / eye set / tail set / behaviours / eye color / coat changes with age.....many variables.

[happygilmore]

Breed is way less important than ownership, I've bread Boxers (often confused with pitbulls) and I've seen pitbulls I would allow my kids around and yellow labs I wouldn't have my kids in the same room as. People are the determining factor in 99% of cases. A Breed can determin a propensity twards a trait. ie. water dogs like water, Retrievers like to fetch, but if you beat the dog with the stick he won't like it anymore.
People make bad dogs!!! 99% of the time, end of sentence.

[loki]

A Breed can determin a propensity twards a trait. ie. water dogs like water, Retrievers like to fetch, but if you beat the dog with the stick he won't like it anymore.
People make bad dogs!!! 99% of the time, end of sentence.
Agreed x2. Fact is if owners teach their dogs agression, the dog will show it, no matter what the breed. A beaten dog will show agression or pee when cornered, etc.

I wonder in all of these statistics what is the percentage of people that shouldn't own an animal? I don't care what breed it is, some people are incapable of owning a dog.

[000buck]

are you sure that a wolf dog is not a hybrid by definition? yes they have equal Chromasones and are not sterile but by definition it would be a hybrid (Remember not all hybrids are sterile) .
There are a number of wolf dog breeders that have true crosses but in my mind that practice should be abolished as you produce an inconsistant Wild animal . (which is the reason i put "Wild canis + Domestic canis = ?????????" meaning questionable animal as you cannot tell how the genes will be expressed)
I know of one Wolf /Malmute that produced a very majestic looking animal but not one i would consider suitable to keep as a domestic dog. I even offered to make into a rug but they wouldnt go for it :lol: .

just because one breeds a shitzu and a greatdane does not make the mutts hybrids

[jessbennett]

phil: lets agree to disagree then..:lol: thank you for kepping somewhat of an open eye to the breed. they really are a great dog.

[Barracuda]

Hard to believe but Canis lupus familiaris (domestic dogs ) are more closely related between the breeds then a Canis Lupis (gray wolf) is to a domestic dog . The closest wild canine to the dog is the Dingo (canis lupis Dingo) but even that in theory could be considered a Hybrid.

[Beverly]

Breed is way less important than ownership, I've bread Boxers (often confused with pitbulls) and I've seen pitbulls I would allow my kids around and yellow labs I wouldn't have my kids in the same room as. People are the determining factor in 99% of cases. A Breed can determin a propensity twards a trait. ie. water dogs like water, Retrievers like to fetch, but if you beat the dog with the stick he won't like it anymore.
People make bad dogs!!! 99% of the time, end of sentence.


Your comments made me think also about those oh so important "parenting skills" when it come to dogs. When someone asks me how my dogs are with children I ask "How are YOUR parenting skills?" lol!

[mapguy]

something people are forgeting is that dogs can do a lot of damage even when there just playing and playing can get out of hand just like roughousing
if there's 2 or 3 involved

[ryanhuntslots]

11 years ago I took the familly to the pound to get a dog, I always had a dog growing up ( St bernard, Akita, Rotty, wow I even survived) and wanted the same for my son. At the pound were the usual run of the mill mixed breed and one pure bred red nose pitbull. I wanted nothing to do with the breed, thought they should all be shot, but the Wife liked her. The SPCA said they would be putting her down the next day because she had been there to long, so I brought her home for a 7 day trial. To lump the next 11 years into short order, Tess was the best dog I've ever had, and the best dog I've seen anyone else with either( my opinion of course).
Very eager to please, listened and obeyed every command, find downed game like a hound, best dog ever. But as all good things come to a end , age caught up with her, and I lost her last Feb. I wont get another dog because I know I will just be disapointed in it, not because it's bad but I'll always comparre it to Tess. If you want a great dog, give a pitty a try, from a reputable breeder, not some rubbydub down town

[jessbennett]

tess was a beautiful dog ryan.

[mapguy]

jessbennette a little touchy
I think your missing the point
Pitbulls were bred for fighting they can be aggressive
they can and do attack
when they do it can often be fatall
So why would anyone want one
Why should children be put at risk
Just to say mines friendly listens and obeys . untill it doesn't

[happygilmore]

There is no point continueing this thread if we keep repeating the same thing. Those who have had experience with the (so called agressive) breeds try to explain the dogs are not bad through their personal experience and those who DON'T know any better go by what they have experienced through the media. A few years ago Pitbulls were in the news on a nightly basis "Pitbull ATACKS Again". Alot of ****** drug dealers and men with compensation issues had big mean dogs to boost their ego's and when they attacked like their owners had tought them to, the results were deadly. Since that media frenzie most people have shyed away from the breed, and thats the gap here folks. Some people like to believe the media slop that it is streamed into their homes, me I look for the truth.

[Elkhound]

Since that media frenzie most people have shyed away from the breed, and thats the gap here folks. Some people like to believe the media slop that it is streamed into their homes, me I look for the truth.

And thats why Firearm owners have it so rough. Damn media.:mad:

[happygilmore]

People need to start reading between the lines when it comes to what we hear the news is not above sensationalism or political bias. I hear stories on the news "armed man baracades himself in house" and "Guns siezed after standoff" the real story, Cops show up guy won't come outside to be arrested so cops call in ERT to forcibly go in and arrest him. His guns were locked in his gun safe and at no time did he open it, but they siezed them anyway. I'm sure he had knives in the kitchen and if it would sell papers the headlines would have read "Knives siezed in standoff w. police".

[jessbennett]

mapguy, im sick and tired of repeating myself. i didnt ask YOU to put YOUR kids around my dogs did i? no..... my kids, my friends kids , hell neighbors kids come to play with my dogs all the time. my dogs have been taken to school for show and tell. people know what my dogs are. its their choice to be here or have my dogs around. not mine. why do people want my dogs around? good question. im sure you have your own little opinion on that. my dogs were raised in a loving home and socialized with everyone and everything(cept cats) they dont like cats. they were raised to be gentle and friendly. they were not beaten abused or had their drive and determination taken advantage of. they are treated like any other dog. better than most im sure. i know what thier potential is blah blah blah/.......once again........... i knew about all the "critics" when i got a pittie and quite frankly could care less. ive changed alot of peoples minds with these dogs because they are stellar examples of the breed. not in size and in "toughness", but in what the breed truly is...... magnificent, loyal and very social.

so im missing the point? dont think so ,i understand the point completely.....:frown: im missing the point because YOU dont like them. have you ever been around one?


now sir, this is where i get a little touchy. my families safety comes first. i would never jeopardize their safety. so if i thought for the slightest secand that they would or could be in harms way, i would never risk it.... period.....
anyone who gets ANY dog when there is children around is taking a risk.
i know pitbulls can bite really hard, they have lock jaw, their brain grows to big for their skull and they go crazy... blah blah blah. believe me ive heard it all.

i can honestly respect your opinion, your allowed to have one last time i checked, i can tell you dont agree with mine...... oh well.... could care less really. do you have a dog????? children????? simple question.....

by the way, pitbulls were not bred for fighting, that was just one way in which the breed and their drive was taken advantage of.

so to make you "feel better", i understand the risks in having them, i know what they "can" be capable of. am i going to get rid of them???? not a chance.

[wsm]

The sport of dog fighting, which could be carried out under clandestine measures, blossomed. Since Bulldogs proved too ponderous and disinterested in dog fighting, the Bulldogs were crossed to English White and Black and Tan Terriers. They were also bred to be intelligent and level-headed during fights and remain non-aggressive toward their handlers. Part of the standard for organized dog-fighting required that the match referee who is unacquainted with the dog be able to enter the ring, pick up a dog while it was engaged in a fight, and get the respective owner to carry it out of the ring without being bitten. Dogs that bit the referee were culled.
As a result, Victorian fighting dogs (Staffordshire Bull Terriers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staffordshire_Bull_Terrier) and, though less commonly used as fighters, English Bull Terriers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_Terrier)) generally had stable temperaments and were commonly kept in the home by the gambling men who owned them.

[ryanhuntslots]

Very true, any aggresion toward people and the dog was banned, so it was bred out of them, but, they are so eager to please that it can be instilled into them by any turd with a bad case of little big man. A pitty is what everyone wants out of every breed of dog, the willingness and eagerness to do what its told. be it good or bad thats up to the owners.

[ryanhuntslots]

By the way, living with my pitty was the wifes miniture dachund. And before that a shitzue. crazy as it is Tess didnt kill either of them

[jessbennett]

my post kinda came out the wrong way. i didnt mean for it to sound like i know that they have lock jaw, brains to big etc....... i meant for it to be some of the stupid things ive heard. sorry.........

[LeverActionJunkie]

The first few pages of this thread had too much piss flyin around them for me. So I just posted with a quick reply. I used to have a beautiful pitbull that was given to me one day on the Kamloops Indian Reserve, I saw this guy punch his dog in the head a few times at the gas station because it wouldn't lay down. So I told the guy I was going to phone the SPCA he told me to mind my own business and F-off. Long story short we got in an argument and I wound up with his dog. After removing the flees and treating a skin resh on her ears she became a beautiful healthy dog. I've never owned a dog so obiedient or loyal in my life.

I didn't really want a pitbull but I wasn't about to leave it with her owner, was happy with the way it turned out. I would readily accept another one someday. I believe as with all dogs it's all in the owners hands.

Also Malamutes are beautiful dogs my friend has one that looks more Wolf-like than the North Alberta wolf rug on his wall. Also a very great pet he got from the SPCA when she was two, after going through two families which couldn't handle her constant paceing and howling. She just needed attention, but I've never heard her bark she just lets out a lonesome howl now and then.

[mapguy]

jess you have missed the point
it doesn't matter that your dogs are friendly
i think the points is why would someone go looking for an agreeeive breed and there's a lot of them and people call them all pitbulls because of the heavy bone crushing jaws
Wasn't there a child just mauled to death in vancouver last year

[jessbennett]

mapguy, unless you have something different to post(basically same as your first) , i dont really have to much else to say. you dont like them, i get the point. you never answered any of my questions that i had for you.


i couldnt really care that you dont like them at all:mad:. but answer this do you have a dog?? kids????im not talking about my dogs now, im asking about YOURS

[Elkhound]

well I think it's a merry go round here. Same stuff over and over. Lets move on. locked