Pitbulls

[alish]

oh dont even start with that comment! pot calling the kettle black?

as for "getting it" when i have my child - ive had babies and kids around those dogs since they were puppies! always supervised no matter what - you know nothing of my situation! AT ALL

even with the dogs ive had that havent been the "high risk" dogs ive always supervised.

i have a right to have faith in my animals.

im out of this thread now.

[PumpkinZulu]

Also, you may be too new on this forum to remember our dear Lucy....but let me tell you a bit about her. She cared about other people. She could also be very blunt. God, the number of times she told people (me included) to pull their heads in!! She clashed with some, but she was never malicious or anything like that. She just believed in non-sugar coated honesty. Not dumbing it down for people. That's what I've done for you. I don't think you're dumb and I don't believe in toning it down with huns and babes, because it's a serious issue. Lu told many people how it was, and those people walked away with something to think about. That was my intention, not confrontation.

[Mum2SweetCs]

Reet whart a tough call hun. Looks like your pitbull is part of the family already.

ok, this is my opinion only. Although your dog has been trained to love your children, how ould you train them to not attack others? There has. Been many incidence where the dog hasnt attacked the owners but other people.

Like this sad story.

I read another one a few months ago where the pitbull attacked another child because the child was play chasing with one of the owners child. The dog saw that as a thrreat.

I hope you make the right decision for you and ur family. Huge

[Rouge]

When did our community get so sensitive? As soon as anyone disagrees with anyone suddenly it's an attack? PZ explained her POV. Swearing at her will only lead to a warning or infraction. This is the second time in 2 days I have seen this kind of response to a different opinion. There is no need. Because someone disagrees does not mean it's an attack. If you are reading it that way maybe it's time to walk away from the computer and come back when you have calmed down.

[ellasmummy]

We have a staffy, and they too have lock jaw. I would never trust him 100% around my babies as he is an animal with animal instincts. At the same time I would never ever think he is capable of hurting them. They are his babies, and he likes them better than me or DH lol. I am a big believer that dogs behaviour is reflective of how they are raised from birth. Sorry I haven't really answered your question, I personally wouldn't get rid of him. Has he been to dog training? I think the owners being in control is so important......gosh its such a tough call......I would also be getting him desexed ASAP. We got our pup done at 6mths and he's fine + he calmed down sooooo much after it was done.
PZ - when we bought DD2 home from hossy I sat on the floor holding her and DH was holding the dog and we let him sniff her for a bit, and let him sniff her blanket for a bit after that. Before I had a dog I could never imagine letting a dog that close to my child.

[Asparagus and Lemons]

I'm not sure that I could get rid if such a lovely dog, I get very attached to our pets so if I had to get rid of a pet because of its breed, knowing that they will most likely put it down, no, I would not get rid of it.
We have 2 border collie cross staghounds, big beautiful dogs. But as others said, just be cautious! Don't leave them unattended with kids!

[Beach Mama]

How hard for you Personally though I would be thinking about getting rid of it. As a PP mentioned, other dogs bite if provoked, and NO animal is 100% safe around kids - I don't care how well you know or trained your dog, they are an ANIMAL and if cornered or threatened you have no idea what they will do.

Problem is with pit bulls, they have a bad rep. for a reason - when was the last time you heard of a mauling/death that wasn't pit bull. Makes me feel absolutely sick that this dog was wandering around, and from the sound of it - entered the house and the owner stood by and did nothing.

As this poor mum said, owners getting fines or putting the dog down are all too little too late to save her little girl and won't bring her back. Prevention is better than cure and IMO they should absolutely be banned. No question for me.

[Babyluv]

Honestly from what I've heard time and time again is that they're a lovely, well socialized family pet etc and one day they just snap. I know you love him but I know you love your daughter more. Personally I would be getting rid of him no matter how hard it would be. Every time there is a mauling it turns out to be a pitbull. It might be hard to get rid of him but you could potentially be saving your daughters life. It's just not worth the what Ifs. I say get another mastiff, they're such gentle giants. I think it is bred into a pitbull to want to kill. They're a killing machine and even if you were there and something happened there's nothing you could do. I've heard of stories where the dog has been shot in the head and that hasn't stopped them because there skull is so incredibly strong. They also have a lock jaw so once they bite down you can't get them off. No judgement here, no offense intended but just my view.

[Marley&Me]

I think the biggest problem is useless owners who are too lazy to build adequate fencing!!
If you choose to own a dog like this, YOU MUST ensure that there is no way possible the dog can escape. And if that means 3 metre fencing, then so be it.
I understand how hard it would be to give the dog up, I don't think i could do it (I loooooove dogs). But also the precautions you must take when owning a dog like this sometimes aren't fair for the dog.

Where would you take it if you did give it up?

[Floweryfields]

Unfortunately I'd say get rid of him too. Yes all dogs have the potential to be or turn agressive. However it is in the genetic makeup of these dogs, they've been bred for years to be agressive and it does still pass on genetically to the breed.

PP have said they supervise their dog/children always - but there is always going to be the chance that you turn your back for that second. No one can say their dog will always be locked in, always supervised, always say - no one, because we are all human and accidents happen, gates get left open, tragedies occur.

[Jennifer13]

I would get rid of it too. It is not worth the risk. Plus, you will have difficulties if the law is changed as your vet or anyone who knows dogs might report you.

I had two Jack Russells up until we lost our girl to a snake earlier this year, and the kids can get unintentionally rough with them. They've had their ears brushed and put in dolls' clothes, amongst other things. our girl had been abused before we got her and was funny about a few things. She had bitten each of us at least once. But she weighed about five kilos and barely left teeth marks!

ALL dogs can bite and you should expect them to. You cannot predict what strangers or other children will be like to them. They may either protect themselves or if they are a dog that's bred to attack, yes, one day they might turn around unprovoked and attack someone. I would not take my children to a house where any breed of bull terriers lived, or certain other breeds. I take my dog on our own to the dog park, just in case. I know friends who loved their gentle staffys to bits but did not keep them once they had babies, because the breed is known to hurt children.

It would be heartbreaking, but I think you should listen to that nagging voice that prompted you to ask on here. Good on you for having the courage to put yourself out there to get others' opinions while this is still a hot topic.

PS While I agree with supervising dogs with children, the reality is that while you can do this when you have babies it is impossible to always be with both as the kids get older. And if you have more than one child then they often won't be in the same place. You can't be with all of them 100% of the time.

[njon2]

Wow, that got a bit intense for a while...

I don't think any pet, whether it is dog, cat, bird or fish, really can be 100% safe regardless of your feelings for them. Everything needs to be considered from breed history, behavior, care and handling, etc. when choosing a pet regardless of children/no children.

What you need to think about is if your dog ever attacked someone (not that I am saying it is inevitable but what if). Could you live with the knowledge that you were the owner of a dog that mauled or killed someone?

But again, my opinion is that some breeds of animals, in this instance pit bulls, should never have been allowed in Australia.

[Emma09]

Can I just add that whilst people might read in the media that dog attacks are mostly caused by pitbulls, this is not the case.
Council rangers and the like will often call any mixed breed dog that looks dangerous, a pit bull.
Often this is not the case.
Not sure what state you are in, but in VIC and I believe, most other states, there are strict laws about owning a "pit bull" which are classified as a dangerous dog.
If your dog is a pure pit bull, I would encourage you to take a look at the restrictions placed upon owning them.
In my previous place of work, we saw dogs classified as dangerous, as many different breeds.
It is surely something to think about.
I'm not saying you should get rid of your dog, but like any dog owner, you should definitely be cautious.


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- Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Beach Mama]

Emma I understand what you are saying and I think all dogs can be dangerous, but I read something that sums it up a bit for me

if a labradoodle attacks someone... you kick him in the head and that is the end of it. If a pit bull attacks.... he won't let go until he is done.. and there is no way to stop him. Unless you own a gun.

Ok so that is super harsh but somewhat true - substitute labradoodle for most other breeds and there you have it.

[Babyluv]

Alot of PP have said supervision is really important, and to never leave your child alone with a dog etc
You could be supervising your child when an attack happens out of the blue and once a pitbull attacks they don't let go.
I think you've been given some really good advice here for the most part, I don't agree that it's the way they are raised, the time you put into socializing them etc though when it comes to pitbulls, the killer instinct goes far too deep into their genetic makeup.

[forshelby]

Alish, I understood what you were getting at.

It is a tough call. I get so attached to my animals. We have an 8y.o cat and a 2y.o little foxie cross something. I can understand how conflicted you must feel.

Instead of thinking in absolute terms............. is there any way you would consider putting a muzzle on him at times? Maybe there's a solution that keeps everyone safer, and means you don't have to say goodbye to your pooch?

[Beach Mama]

You could be supervising your child when an attack happens out of the blue and once a pitbull attacks they don't let go.

Exactly. The child was holding onto the mother while being attacked in this particular case.

[Artechim]

Perhaps I am a crap parent then, because I left my kids alone with my dog all the time. It is incredibly impractical to remove the dog or children from the room every time I left. As much as everyone says never to leave kids and dogs unsupervised ever, I am sure it is done a lot more than people will admit to.

Personally if the dog has shown no aggressive tendencies and will be neutered shortly then I would keep him.

And PZ, maybe you were trying to imitate Lulu, but you fell far short and that was plain insulting!