pit bull.. bull dog.. labradoodle..

Question
I've heard so many horror stories on how picking out a dog can be a daunting task, there is so much research and training tips. I was reading some questions on your website and couldn't help but ask. Are people really concerned about pit bulls and bull dogs etc.? I, for one, see dogs as dogs.. a friend and one of the most loyal ones also. I've heard of pit bulls "turning on their owner" but I had a pit bull that we hadn't known what it was other than a "mutt" as it was heading to the animal shelter if we didn't want to take one. Well we took him home and treated him well, he turned out a great dog and I don't understand why people are so afraid of them. Seriously people it is the owners fault if a dog is "bad" since they didn't take the time to teach the dog right from wrong. Dogs are like children and need that love and support and to be pushed towards the right direction. Which leads me back to my question.. why are people so afraid of certain breeds of dogs? ...people do bad things and so do humans..we are animals and we are entitled to make some mistakes aren't we?
A REAL Pitbull owner,
Tasha

Answer
Tasha -

I gather that you already have an opinion about the breed !

Here's my take on the issue.

While I agree that most of the problems with the "bully" breeds are caused by people not understanding the breed, failure to properly train and socialize their dog, I also believe there is a factor that many people on both sides seem to forget.

These dogs have been specifically bred for some of these characteristics and behaviors.  In some cases for centuries.  Just as I cannot train the prey instinct out of my jack russell - making the breed often a terrible combination with cats - so the underlying levels of assertive and potentially aggressive temperment won't disappear from the bully breeds without long efforts of breeders.

My personal experience:  I had a housemate with a pit. He lived in my house for 3 years and was a wonderful dog.  he lived with my foster cairn terriers, my cat, my own gordon setter - all completely without incident.

Then, completely out of the blue, I came home to a shredded cat.  I mean blood streaks all over the walls of my entire house... It was just disgusting and heartbreaking.  It had to be that dog since all the other dogs were crated.

I was very upset, but the final straw was the next evening when I went out to grab some milk. I came home to find him attacking my gordon setter. I don't know if you are familiar with setters, but they are weenies and she never would have started anything.

At that point I became scared of him.  If I could not trust him to live safely with other animals with whom he has loved the past 3 yrs, how could I sleep at night ?  If he went after me, there is no way I could have fought him off.  He went to live with my housemate's mother for a couple of months, and later was PTS after he killed 2 more cats and another dog and then went after his owner.

This was a loving well behaved dog.... who seems to have returned to his breed's underlying breeding at the age of 7 yrs of age.

I don't trust that particular breed anymore...Between my own experience and the knowledge that I'm not alone in that. But of course, that's just my opinion.

-Beth