Need dog advice....

[jannieC]

Originally Posted by Moony

You're dog is really cute. I love him!

Thank you, I love him too! The funny thing is, I've always been a fan of dogs like golden retrievers, etc. I *never* would have thought I would love a dog like this so much. The only downside of having him is that most people are afraid of him. He's SUCH a love.

[amber]

Originally Posted by jannieC

Thank you, I love him too! The funny thing is, I've always been a fan of dogs like golden retrievers, etc. I *never* would have thought I would love a dog like this so much. The only downside of having him is that most people are afraid of him. He's SUCH a love.

He's cute. It's great you don't take him to the dog park, that's very responsible of you. Because, even great owners with great dogs many times can't stop a dogfight. You're not supposed to get in the middle of them, and it's hard to call them off, and all that. I'm totally haunted now by that poor gray poodle being attacked.
Anyway, he's a cutie.

[jannieC]

Originally Posted by amber

He's cute. It's great you don't take him to the dog park, that's very responsible of you. Because, even great owners with great dogs many times can't stop a dogfight. You're not supposed to get in the middle of them, and it's hard to call them off, and all that. I'm totally haunted now by that poor gray poodle being attacked.
Anyway, he's a cutie.

I think pitbulls tend to be most aggressive with smaller dogs- it's so horrible. I would DIE if Coopie attacked someone's little dog. I have nothing to indicate he would do that, but it's not a chance I'm willing to take.

[Dreammms]

Originally Posted by jannieC

I think pitbulls tend to be most aggressive with smaller dogs- it's so horrible. I would DIE if Coopie attacked someone's little dog. I have nothing to indicate he would do that, but it's not a chance I'm willing to take.

My friend who has the female pitbull Besty also has a male cocapoo (something like that) named Charlie. Besty and Charlie love each other. It's so cute because Besty is so big and Charlie is a little dog. They cuddle and play together.

However, when walking Besty you do have to hold her really tight if another dog or animal passes by. She gets very excited and tries to run towards the animal.

I am going to try to post a picture of them later. They are so cute.


Your dog is so adorable too

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by ThePenguin

I had to chime in-- i work at a 'dog day care' (Camp Bow Wow) and we use water bottles for discipline--

I was about to reply, then I saw there was more than one page of the thread...that's EXACTLY what I was going to post...keep a spray bottle full of water handy.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by chiliD

I was about to reply, then I saw there was more than one page of the thread...that's EXACTLY what I was going to post...keep a spray bottle full of water handy.

I say a squirt gun. The effect of the water is the same, but even dogs know what guns are, and squirt guns REALLY get their attention!

[mylittledemon]

Originally Posted by reebokandlace

I have a neighbor who just bought their 8 year old son a pit bull. I like dogs. It is just that "aggressive" breeds scare me when they are in the hands of the wrong kind of people.

My problem is: the boy in unable to control the puppy. The dog is already stronger than the boy and he can not control him on the leash. When I go outside to get in my car the boy allows the dog to run up my driveway toward me, I always stop in my tracks and back away, and I say to the child "please reel him back in". The boy thinks this is very funny (as he struggles to reel the dog back in). #1, the kid is an assh*le. #2, he is not real bright, not a great combination. I am not afraid of the puppy, but I do not want him jumping up on me and snagging my clothing. Which is what other neighbors tolerate, they all think the little boy and his pittbull are just adorable. I don't.

I tried to speak to the mother (with whom I am civil with) but she says "well there is nothing I can do, I just can't control the boy, and I can't take his puppy away from him." I said, well "if the dog attacks someone you are gonna have a problem". She said, " Pit Bulls have a bad reputation, this is the nicest dog, he is not going to attack anyone and if he does, I am very well insured". Ugh!

What do I do now?

Spray the kid and the dog with mace.

[catinthedark]

Originally Posted by reebokandlace

I have a neighbor who just bought their 8 year old son a pit bull. I like dogs. It is just that "aggressive" breeds scare me when they are in the hands of the wrong kind of people.

My problem is: the boy in unable to control the puppy. The dog is already stronger than the boy and he can not control him on the leash. When I go outside to get in my car the boy allows the dog to run up my driveway toward me, I always stop in my tracks and back away, and I say to the child "please reel him back in". The boy thinks this is very funny (as he struggles to reel the dog back in). #1, the kid is an assh*le. #2, he is not real bright, not a great combination. I am not afraid of the puppy, but I do not want him jumping up on me and snagging my clothing. Which is what other neighbors tolerate, they all think the little boy and his pittbull are just adorable. I don't.

I tried to speak to the mother (with whom I am civil with) but she says "well there is nothing I can do, I just can't control the boy, and I can't take his puppy away from him." I said, well "if the dog attacks someone you are gonna have a problem". She said, " Pit Bulls have a bad reputation, this is the nicest dog, he is not going to attack anyone and if he does, I am very well insured". Ugh!

What do I do now?

Wow - this kind of story makes me so sad. Because what will likely happen is that the dog will never be trained, and never taught what is right and what is wrong. He is going to be a strong, out of control dog. He will eventually be "too much" for that piss of a mother who "can't control her son." The poor dog will wind up in the pound. If he's lucky, someone will adopt him. But he may be too far gone to re-train. He will eventually bite someone - amd eventually be put down. It is heartbreaking.

Why why WHY do people like that woman buy a pit bull? I do not believe that all pit bulls are inherently evil and going to attack. But I do believe that it is all about the owner. There just are some dogs who are more inclined to be aggressive. And there is a big difference between the bite an aggressive pit bull can deliver, than a startled Golden Retriever (Goldens have soft, mushy, weak mouths - pits have incredibly strong jaws and sharp teeth). A pit bull needs a full time owner, one who will nurture it and teach it to trust and be sweet. I do believe they can be mushes - just like Rotties (aw... I love Rotties!). But, as I said, this story just makes me so sad.

I'd actually be really worried if I were you - sorry. I'd try to keep a wide berth of that dog as it grows and gets stronger.

[Miss Vicky]

I think it's a misconception that because the dog is a pitbull, it's somehow more likely to be aggressive than another breed might be. While it is true that many of the dog attacks that you hear about are from pits,
we need to keep things in perspective. For one thing, pitbulls are probably one of America's most popular breeds. In my own hometown I'd say they are the most popular. For another thing, people that buy this breed often do so because it is a status symbol a "tough guy" kind of thing. Often these people intentionally raise the dogs to be aggressive either as a guard dog or for illegal fighting matches. Making the problem that much worse is that more often than not these dogs are left unaltered. Intact dogs (especially males) of any breed are far more likely to be aggressive than those that have been spayed or neutered.

I have personally had many dogs try to attack me (and although I work at a veterinary office, only one of those attacks happened while I was on the job - a maltese bit my ankle). All of them have been purebred dogs, but not a single one of them was a pitbull or rottweiler or any of the other supposedly aggressive breeds. In fact, one of the worse attacks was by a golden retriever - a breed that has a reputation for being a gentle and loving family pet - which bloodied my face. I've also been bitten by a dalmatian, a saint bernard, a cocker spaniel, and an Irish setter.

If you've already spoken to your neighbor and she's refused to do anything about it, you should contact your local animal control and report the problem. At the very least they should be able to send an officer to speak to your neighbor and possibly scare her into compliance.

[WildInTheWind]

Originally Posted by jannieC

Awww he is adorable! I've never seen a pitbull that looks like that. He looks like an american bull dog. Very cute!