How do people react when they find out your dog is a Pit?

Michelle - posted on 12/14/2011

I have a pit bull and a boxer and my boxer would worry me first before my pit bull. Before I got these two clowns and had Boston terriers and Pekes. Now they were worse around my girls then any dog I have had. I love my pit and will never have any other kind of dog again. He is my bog goof ball and I adore him. He is laying on my lap as I type this!!

Jane - posted on 04/25/2011

I actually don't own any pit bulls. I have American Bulldogs, which is a different breed altogether. They love people and never met a stranger except under one circumstance. If you are not a family member and you put your hand on the outside knob of the front door and try to open the door before I welcome you, then oh, my!

This is actually a good thing because one summer evening someone attempted to invade our house. The dogs were sleeping in the front hall. They leapt to their feet and took off out the door after the would-be invaders. The dogs came back about 15 minutes later looking very pleased with themselves.

However, if I bring someone into the house and they behave themselves the dogs think they are wonderful and a new opportunity for belly rubs.

I often use people's ignorance of the breed to start a conversation about dogs. Most of these folks either don't own dogs or own little dogs that behave very badly. However, because the dogs are small these people consider them to be cute. In all truth, they shouldn't have dogs at all because they don't know how to train them.

In any case, they are always shocked to learn that a 3 month old puppy killed a human baby. It was a black lab, not a pit. Another baby was killed by a pug and yet another by a 4-pound Pomeranian. What these cases have in common is that the babies were left unattended with the dog in the house and that is something no one should EVER do.

Any dog can bite. Any dog can injure a person. Bigger dogs are stronger and so more likely to cause serious injury, but all dogs need to be supervised around children.

Any dog can be turned into a dangerous dog. The owner or handler most often is responsible for making a dog into something dangerous. Any individual dog may be a good, loving pet, even though its breed is considered to be potentially dangerous.

A responsible owner can win the love and respect of a dog, no matter its breed. One cannot look at an individual dog, recognize its breed, and then state whether or not it is going to attack.

Sonja - posted on 04/25/2011

Actually, I've had several comical enconters. There was the lady who was loving on my girl, face to face, kissing her nose who asked me what kind of dog she was. When I told her, she stepped 4 steps back and asked me if I was sure. Then she asked me if she was friendly. It took every ounce of control not to say, "No honey - she was about to rip your face off."
Then I've had the lectures about how irresponsible I am to have my 2 pits around my son. I would trust those 2 dogs around any kid before I would trust my other 3... (a Weimaraner, a Beagle/Golden mix and a Pekingnese).
I've also had people try to "teach" me about Pitbulls... quoting all the misinformed studies, statistics, etc. What? Do they think that I'm stupid? I then go into a lesson on statistics and explain to them that most people couldn't point a Pitbull out of a lineup if they tried.

Lynsey - posted on 12/08/2010

I hate how people judge us based on the fact that we own pitbulls... We have a 10 year old and a 16 month old and those dogs are SO much better with the kids than any other dogs we have!! I'm more worried about our German Shepard than out pitties!!!