by the way, the only problem there is with Bull Terriers is typically the mentality of their OWNERS and TRAINERS!
All About Pit Bulls and Children
Awwwww. THIS Bull Terrier obviously has an intelligent, caring owner.
An American Pit Bull Terrier raised in a typical family environment should grow up to be a wonderful companion dog because Bull Terriers are great with children.
Harrison Forbes, a behaviorist and dog trainer in Savannah, Tennessee, says that very often the bad rap Pit Bulls receive in the press that focuses on them not being appropriate dogs for children has more to do with the bad element of the [Pit Bull] owner.
“The media reacts to bad incidents involving bad owners,” Forbes says. “But if you look back in time, in the 1970s, the press was highlighting Dobermans as ‘bad dogs.’ In the ’80s it was the Rottweiler, and quite frankly, now the Pit Bull is the [mean] dog du jour.”
But anyone who takes the time and trouble to learn about the American Pit Bull Terrier will realize that unlike Dobermans and Rottweilers, Pit Bulls are known for their people-friendliness. In fact, back in the 1930s, the Pit Bull was the all-American family dog, typified by Petey in the Our Gang/Little Rascals comedies.
“It’s important to purchase a Pit Bull from a responsible breeder who screens prospective owners and who has raised the Pit Bull puppies around other dogs and family members, including children, thus endorsing the Pit Bull’s people-friendly traits,” Forbes says.
Your Pit Bull puppy needs to be properly socialized around children from the moment she becomes a family member. At the same time, all children in the household need to be taught to respect your Pit Bull and cautioned never to tease the APBT puppy with dog toys, or pull her ears or tail.
One of the best ways to teach children to respect their pet is to involve them in the Pit Bull’s routine. This can be done from a very young age. Even as toddlers, children should be shown how to put down the Pit Bull’s dog bowl and make sure there is always fresh water available. And as soon as they are old enough, children can take over these chores. The same applies to brushing and grooming the Pit Bull on a regular basis.
“Proper initial puppy training, followed by more intense obedience training, will teach a Pit Bull how to react to being handled by children and not to respond aggressively to rough play that occurs in a typical household,” explains dog trainer Kathy Santo of Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, who has trained numerous Pit Bulls. “An APBT owner should ensure that any obedience training course will cover these bases.”
Because Pit Bulls are athletic dogs and very powerfully built, it’s unadvisable to leave them unsupervised around children. Pit Bulls are unaware of their own strength and a child can be easily unintentionally knocked over during exuberant play. Also, because Pit Bulls are very food driven and have a high prey drive {just like my Terrier}, children should also be taught never to tease a Pit Bull with either food or toys.
Neighborhood children and friends who visit regularly must also be taught to understand and respect your Pit Bull and treat her as a fun playmate. And the same way children need constant reminders, the Pit Bull will need the same nudges as part of her ongoing training over the years.
“If properly trained and socialized, Pit Bulls have so much to offer a family in terms of love and affection and keeping a protective eye on younger family members,” Santo says. “An emotionally sound Pit Bull who’s been properly schooled will be a perfect match for a child who has also been properly educated in dog behavior. They can be destined to become best friends forever.”
Excerpt from the Popular Puppies Series magabook American Pit Bull Terriers with permission from its publisher, BowTie magazines, a division of BowTie Inc.
Chow Chow, because they are bred to be aggressive. When I was a kid, we had a Chow Chow as a pet. He was a good dog for about 6 years until he tried to attack my little sister when she just walked into a room one day. My dad was there and he grabbed the dog's collar which snapped off, and then the dog started mauling my dad. He tore up my father's arms and bit his thigh. My dad grabbed the dog by the neck and dragged it outside in a burst of adrenaline. We kept the dog outside for the rest of the day. My dad went to the hospital and my Mom and I wiped up the blood. We were lucky because the bite on my father's thigh was a centimeter away from hitting the artery.
The icing on the cake was that the dog acted like nothing happened the next day. When we called him to bring him to the car that would drive him to the vet for his euthanization, he pranced around like he was going on a camping trip, as cute as ever. Our dog, Nick, was a curious being.
Sorry for sharing a depressing story, but you asked about breeds I don't like. Chow Chow is the only one I hold any resentment for.
Wow I'm so sorry you went through that. I don't have any pets anymore, but had them all my life up until a few years ago when they all have passed away. One of my favourites were my chows. I've had experience with four and although I can understand they are definitely potentially dangerous, they were all fine with me. Even when I was unknowingly causing immense pain to one, clipping her nails too short, she didn't hurt me. I still feel horrible to this day that I put her through that. The blood from the quick doesn't come until minutes later, when it's too late. Animals bring joy, but also pain. I can't do it anymore.
@VIVANT No, the Humane Society would not take a dog with that history and would have referred them to Animal Control. Had they called animal control they would have euthanized the animal for the attack. In fact, I am pretty sure Animal Control was contacted about the attack from the hospital itself. At least, that is standard practice in my area because it becomes viewed as a matter of public safety so “proper training” becomes moot.
@VIVANT I cannot speak towards fighting dogs. Only dogs which have attacked humans. More often than not the animal signs its own death warrant when it attacks a human in most jurisdictions. Yes there are exceptions to this such as the animal protecting its Handler or a break in of the ‘home’ (not trespassing on the property, but within the home itself), then they are given a pass.
Mann, you are correct. This is what I would expect in North America. The details of the attack matter, but they will assess properly and carefully based on the circumstances.
@VIVANT I was young when this happened, about ten years old, so the exact details are hazy. My parents acted like euthanization was the only option. Especially, since this was technically his second attack. His first was when he bit my mother about a month before this attack. That bite wasn't very bad though and my family thought it would be an isolated instance. The strange thing was that he wasn't aggressive when he was younger, but he grew more and more aggressive with age. He was around six years old when he attacked my Dad, but we had him for years.
@NorthwestRider@VIVANT A dog that is dangerously aggressive should be put down. I am not one to take joy in anything like that, but no one's life or safety is worth an aggressive dog. Also, it is not just in the training. Certain breeds are more prone to aggression than others, and just like with humans, different dogs have different temperaments and not all of them are good. Also, bringing a dangerous dog to the Humane Society or any other shelter only to be passed off onto unsuspecting new owners, most likely with no discretion of the dog's past, would be extremely irresponsible. There's already a huge problem with that as it is (there are actually dogs who have KILLED people completely unprovoked who were sent away to another state, renamed, "rehabilitated", and adopted out with zero discretion of what happened with them before; an extremely shady practice).
Pitbulls (and pit mixes). The thing about pits is that they've been bred for bloodsport for at least over a hundred years, and they therefore have a natural predisposition to aggression, and the statistics for fatal dog attacks show them as being in the lead by far. Of course, there are pitbulls who go their entire lives without so much as nipping anyone, but why play Russian roulette when you can have a dog with a statistically much lower chance of mauling you?
Sadly, you cannot love or train the genetics out of a dog, and several pitbulls have attacked their own owners who raised them from puppies. The dogs were never abused or trained to attack. The thing that makes pitbulls so potentially dangerous is that they show almost no warning signs before attacking, usually do so unprovoked, and are very game and therefore usually unable to be stopped without lethal force. They will keep going until they're pretty much dead, and they've been bred for generations to do that. They are great for things like hunting boars, but do not make good pets for the average dog owner who is not skilled enough to handle one should things go haywire, and they most certainly should NEVER be around other animals, especially unmuzzled. Because of their history of being bred for dog fighting, they tend to be animal aggressive by nature. Many beloved pets have been killed by pitbulls and pit mixes, including animals they lived peacefully with for years beforehand. It's not fair to an animal to put them in a situation like that, and not a smart idea.
They also tend to be very good escape artists, and like I said, the average dog owner is usually not capable of properly handling or containing one. They seem to get loose often, and can cause peril when they do. I know many people say "any breed can do that", but it seems to be disproportionately pits and pit mixes who do so.
I don't hate the dogs themselves, as I feel sorry for them because they can't help how humans bred them and are only doing what they've been bred to do, but I think the breed should be phased out by mandatory spaying and neutering, other than for use by very skilled handlers for things they excel at, such as boar hunting. The fact that so many shelters are dishonest about them and much of the pits' pasts that they are trying to adopt out, sugarcoat the issues they have, and pass them off as the perfect pets that are great with kids and animals, is extremely dangerous and awful. Not to mention the "nanny dog" myth, trying to rename, relocate, "rehabilitate", and adopt out dogs that have killed and completely neglecting to mention their pasts, and intentionally mislabeling them as other breeds in an attempt to get them adopted out.
Hi well that's a lot and I'm a pit owner but have no prior experience my dog is oddly a baby no matter how I try to toughen her up and no I'm not training her to fight I'm training her to defend herself and her territory I believe dogs will take characteristics of their humans such as fear or aggression. Pits are dangerous yes their bite force is very strong yet not stronger than a Rottweiler. Both of which account for more than 70% of dog attacks and fatalities. Rottweilers are more prone to attacking small children and dogs as well as people with epilepsy or those who are considered epileptic pits are more prone to attacking adults and larger animals as that's what they did ( they were bred for hunting not just fighting) and strangely Rottweiler records only date back to 1882 while Pits date back further in the early 1800's originating in the United Kingdom (at the time bred for bull baiting and hunting) most adults don't really know how to or don't care how to properly care for a pit so the pit will eventually become aggressive to protect themselves.
@LonewolfMeme The thing that is so dangerous about pits specifically is their gameness and the fact that they will not let go until they are almost dead or already there. I just do not think they are safe pets for the average dog owner, or for anyone with any other pets, children, elderly or disabled family members living with them, etc.
Rottweilers are definitely a breed that should only be owned by very experienced dog owners who have a way to keep them stimulated as well. Another thing about both of these breeds is that they're very high energy and there are a surprising number of people who don't know how to deal with an animal like that.
I know this but I fall under all categories that u said people shouldn't own a pit I live with my grandma, my uncle was disabled, we have other pets and children come through here often. Both pits a Rottweilers need to be socialized at a very young age this alone will prevent a lot of aggression in the dogs in the future
@LonewolfMeme I still stand by what I said. Yes, your pit may be well behaved for now, but that doesn't mean you aren't still taking an unnecessary risk. As for whether or not you choose to accept that risk, that is up to you.
Unfortunately, you can't socialize, train, or love the genetics out of an animal. There is always the chance that a dog bred for bloodsport is going to act on instinct and do what it has been bred for hundreds of years to do. To me, playing Russian roulette with a breed statistically known to injure and kill at higher rates than breeds more suitable as pets such as Golden Retrivers, Labs, etc. is not worth it.
Chihuahua are actually very intelligent dogs. Historically they earned their keep buying guarding the Mobistar urs for the monks and getting rid of all the voles. They share many similarities to cars and I think it has to do with the fact they had similar diet for so long.
Chihuahua are clever smart affectionate very very loyal take care of mice and can get exercise just by running around an apartment so they are ideal for people with beauty problems who maybe can’t get out to walk them every day.
Any chihuahua has the potential to be very gentle and awesome. Not their fault their owner is an asshole.
I do. I even got her a matching collar. Hers was breaking.. Her family is nice but a bit oblivious. Well she just risks around anyhow so I guess they feel she doesn’t need a collar lol
Most Chihuahua's are on the aggressive. mean side. Chico was from start. They are guard dogs and very territorial , and see kids as rivals. They don't like to be bothered. My vet said they are aggressive as a natural way to protect themselves from becoming prey.
All breeds. Pure breeding is not a healthy practice for dogs and something invented by humans to sell them. It started (and still happens today) with a ton of inbreeding which led to all kinds of genetic abnormalities that can lead to serious health issues in many kinds of purebred dogs.
If you want a great healthy dog go and adopt a mutt from your local animal shelter. They need your help. Why spend all that money on a dog from a puppy mill or professional breeder that will likely lead to more money down the line in veterinary costs? A loving dog is just around the corner for free or at a fraction of the cost that you will love just as much.
An animal shouldn't be a status symbol but rather a friend and companion.
Well I actually like all dogs, but guess you could say there's some I don't prefer as much. If I see someone with these types of dogs, I will still want to put and hug them but I would probably go for other breeds. So for example, I'm not super into bulldogs, grayhounds, Chinese crested dog, or bull terriors simply because I don't think they look all that cute compared to other breeds. I'm also not into apple head chihuahuas, because some of them tend to look deformed to me. Like the head and eye ratio can look really off. But I think long hair chihuahua are soo cute.
I also like small dogs, my dog was a Maltese before he died so I wouldn't mind getting another one. I also like a shih tzu and pomerian. I also like big dogs too.
I love chihuahua, they are funny and cute. My Chico would bite your face off, but he was a cute meanie. Chihuahua have biggest personalities. You have to be the right sort of person to have one. He was so fun to tease and get riled up. I sure miss him. I will never get over his death.
Agree on the chihuahua.. they are the most annoying dogs on the planet. The incessantly bark, and it's a really annoying bark too, they hate everyone and everything, and act all ferocious and badass towards other people around their owners. They just have really bad attitudes equatable to napoleon syndrome.
Ah, my answer was chihuahuas even before seeing your picture! They're awful. And spoiled. I dislike the owners even more than the dogs. And those hairless whatever they're calleds. So ugly. Grey skin usually.
@Jamie05rhs Sorry Jamie. They've been overbred and toy dogs seemed to be owned by people who like spoiled lap dogs, that get carried in purses and leather logo'd bags, and fed food from the dinner table. I like the working and non-working dog categories. On the floor. I love animals, but they need to know who the pack leader is, and not spoiled like they're running the joint. But basically I just don't like the way they look. I like double-coated dogs, but their coats are a nightmare to maintain. They shed a lot.
I like big dogs that act like they fit on a lap. They’re hilarious and cute. When I was growing up for a few years at one house we had so many cats (and 3 dogs - one malamute and two huskies; a horse; two rabbits) that there were too many to count. We lost track. Mostly they lived outside, we had a big yard/orchard and they kept breeding and having kittens all over. My stepfather would let them in the house, come up on the dinner table while we were eating, and he’d feed them off his plate, and put food in his mouth that they would grab. He did this in front of guests all the time. They acted entertained somewhat, but I later found out they thought it was disgusting. It was chaos at our place. What with the dogs, getting into the neighbour’s hobby farm, stealing the chicken eggs (and sometimes the chickens), harassing the goats... So yeah, I don’t let dogs on beds or cats on countertops. (Plus, when they do get or steal food, they get diarrhea in the house... on the floor, carpet, bedding... yuck.)
And I have Pitbulls and a rottweiler in my neighborhood, and I can tell the stereotypes are false, sure, they have potential to be aggressive, but if you raise them right, it's all fine. In my neighborhood they are the most beloved dogs and the most friendly.
French bull i know lots think they are cute but i dont. And I feel bad lots of time on animal planet there is some bulldog needing emergency C section and then they have to worry about the pups not breathing its nerve wrecking i may not think their faces are cute but i don't want them to come to any harm or have little pups be still born
I agree chihauhaus look like spoiled brats that blonde rich girls have. I prefer a doberman, great dane, husky, or malamute, like strong big dogs to protect you. I hate tiny fluffy showdog types. I wouldn't want a terrier (they're cute though), shih tzu, bulldog (ugly), boxer, maltese, or those french dogs.
My Sheps just do not like poodles. I am not sure why but when they see one they go crazy in attack mode. Just about any other dog is fine. It's embarrassing when we go to the park. I think they do not see them as fellow dogs. More like cats with curly hair.
Dislike chihuahuas, they look like rats to me. The just yip constantly and they shiver all the time because they're nervous. I don't particularly care for prissy arm accessory dogs, and generally not the people who carry them as such. I had a blue healer mix and she was an amazing dog. I'm quite fond of my family's miniature schnauzers. They bark a lot but they have fun personalities.
Pitbulls are gorgeous amazing dogs I don't know who the hell said they don't like them probably just don't like dogs in general. I love all dogs but my least favourite are Yorkshire Terriers, funny cause I have one! But I love her still... Just annoys me a lot, very stupid and always pees and poos everywhere. But cute as hell. I think Pomeranians and Chihuahuas are along the same line.
not a single breed but a series of breeds, ankle bitter sized pooches. they all seem to have a degree of that chiuaua ferociousness/napoleon complex going on. there are occasional exceptions of course. also not really a fan of any normal breed of house cat, with individual exceptions there too. i do however like the great cats (lions, tigers, bobcats, etc).
for those talking bad about pit bulls, sorry you have seen, heard, or experienced the stereotypical bad apple minority of owners who do not know how to properly raise and care for them (probably any breed with that certain type of owner). i have 1 that is so nice, that a neighbor lady used to be deathly afraid of the entire breed till she met mine.
My aunt owned a chihuahua and now ones a Siberian husky. Never got along with the chihuahua, little ankle humping, biting little spawn of Satan. The husky tho is beautiful and friendly 😍
I can't stand poodles. Means little shits and very high maintenance. My favorite breeds are pit bulls, german shepherds and golden retrievers. Also, while I love both, I tend to prefer the females over the males.
I never see any news stories about pugs mauling and killing a toddler. Pitbulls, on the other hand, are responsible for several such stories (that make the national news) annually.
Exactly. The reason they have that reputation is because of the reputation itself. People who want aggressive dogs will get pitbulls and treat them like shit to make them more aggressive.
@doggylover64 Why is it that those who always insist pits are the "breed of peace" and "wouldn't hurt a fly" always wish for one to bite those who don't like them, or threaten to sic theirs on them, or victim blame those who have been attacked?
Also, I'm sorry to say that it really isn't all about how they're raised. The fact that they've been bred for hundreds of years for bloodsport has a lot to do with it as well. You cannot love or train the genetics out of an animal, and although of course there are pits that are fine their whole lives, there's definitely a much higher chance of being attacked by a pit than by the vast majority of other breeds.
I'm sorry you were attacked by a pit, that must have been traumatizing! I have had a close call with one in my neighborhood and have known of people who have lovingly raised them from puppies only for them to turn on them and become so dangerous they had no choice but to put them down.
Chihuahuas would be really high on my list of breeds I don't like, along with most other inbred toy breeds. I like good ol' dogs that aren't whiny and yappy and have character and soul. 🐕
