Any Pit bull / AmStaff owners out there?

[tangerine911S]

They certainly do get a negative reputation but all I have read says that it is almost always a product of irresponsible owners. I have met a few and they are absolutely the friendliest, coolest dogs I have ever seen. Total hams. I have been thinking about getting one because of the positive experiences I have had and I think they are a very handsome breed. Any Pit bull/American Staffordshire Terrier owners out there?

How bad can they be? Rachael Ray has one.

[Jeff Higgins]

They will devour your children.

[911Rob]

My kid has one and I can vouch that he's a harmless; nice dog.
But he has a very poor effect on the neighbours and others AND rightfully so imo.

[gtc]

Your child is safe, but I don't know about the neighbor kid that comes over to play.

I have a few close friends who have adopted pitbulls in the last few years. Their dogs are all very hyperactive and aggressive towards strangers. Yes, there have been biting incidents.
Frankly, I will never own a terrier of any breed.

Just my personal experience.

[teenerted1]

my next door neighbor has a pair staff terrier/great dane mixes

great dogs my aussie gets along with them great. if they werent so tall they would be easy to catch.
them dogs is fast.

once they get out of sight you always hear a shreek from someone startled by them, but they are harmless. and come galloping home right away

probably their hight. that freeks people out
the only thing that gives away the staff bloodline is their heads. the rest is all giant dane.

[Drdogface]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

They will devour your children.

+1 Not worth the risk. I'd NEVER have one. Can be fine with adults and family members' children. Other kids are food.

[Amail]

I've always been astounded by the percentage of pits in animal shelters. If you want a pit, that's a great place to look.

Sure makes me wonder why they're so prevalent. I've got two theories:
1 - Pits are difficult dogs to own; the owners realized it too late and had to give up the dog
2 - Most people who give up a pit were attracted by the cache, which in many cases mean they don't use good judgement to begin with. They didn't think it thru before getting the dog - didn't train their dog right, couldn't care for them, whatever, and it was easier to give them up.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I'd never own one.

Bred by idiots, for idiots.

[Zef]

No bad reputation...they're so nice...DEAD.

Facts & Stats about Dog Bites & Dog Aggression
There are approximately 4.5 million reported dog bites annually in the United States (nearly 2% of the American population). The majority of dog bites are never reported to local authorities.

According to the American Medical Association, dog bites are the second leading cause of childhood injury, surpassing playground accidents.
Dogs not known to the victim account for approximately 10 - 20% of all reported dog bites.
Of the estimated 4.7 million people who were bitten by dogs in 1994, 800,000 sought medical care. Of these, 332,000 needed treatment in emergency rooms, and 6,000 were hospitalized. The average hospital stay for a dog-bite injury was 3.6 days.
The majority of dog bites to adult humans are inflicted to the lower extremities followed by bites to the upper extremities including the head, face and neck. For children, 77% of dog bite injuries are to facial areas.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, dog bites accounted for about one-quarter of all claims on homeowner's insurance, costing more than $321 million in 2003. In 2002, the latest year for which numbers are available, the average claim for a dog bite was $16,600.

Dog attacks account for one-third of all liability claims on homeowners' insurance policies. According to the Western Insurance Information Service, the insurance industry paid out more than $1 billion in dog-bite claims in 1998 alone.

From 1979 to 1996, dog attacks resulted in more than 300 human dog bite related deaths in the United States. Most of the victims were children
The breeds most often involved in fatal attacks are Rottweilers and Pit bulls.

In the United States, pit bulls make up one to three per cent of the overall dog population and cause more than 50 per cent of serious attacks.

From 1979 to 1998, at least 25 breeds of dogs have been involved in bite related deaths. Pit Bulls and Rottweilers were involved in more than 50 percent of these incidences.

In a study reported by a retired professor from California State University at Chino, Robert Plum, it was found that one dog in 55 will bite someone seriously during the course of a year. With respect to breed differences in the tendency to inflict serious injury, Plumb estimates that when a pit bull bites a human, one in 16 (e.g. 1/16) will inflict serious injury.

[teenerted1]

Originally Posted by Zef

No bad reputation...they're so nice...DEAD.

Facts & Stats about Dog Bites & Dog Aggression
There are approximately 4.5 million reported dog bites annually in the United States (nearly 2% of the American population). The majority of dog bites are never reported to local authorities.

According to the American Medical Association, dog bites are the second leading cause of childhood injury, surpassing playground accidents.
Dogs not known to the victim account for approximately 10 - 20% of all reported dog bites.
Of the estimated 4.7 million people who were bitten by dogs in 1994, 800,000 sought medical care. Of these, 332,000 needed treatment in emergency rooms, and 6,000 were hospitalized. The average hospital stay for a dog-bite injury was 3.6 days.
The majority of dog bites to adult humans are inflicted to the lower extremities followed by bites to the upper extremities including the head, face and neck. For children, 77% of dog bite injuries are to facial areas.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, dog bites accounted for about one-quarter of all claims on homeowner's insurance, costing more than $321 million in 2003. In 2002, the latest year for which numbers are available, the average claim for a dog bite was $16,600.

Dog attacks account for one-third of all liability claims on homeowners' insurance policies. According to the Western Insurance Information Service, the insurance industry paid out more than $1 billion in dog-bite claims in 1998 alone.

From 1979 to 1996, dog attacks resulted in more than 300 human dog bite related deaths in the United States. Most of the victims were children
The breeds most often involved in fatal attacks are Rottweilers and Pit bulls.

In the United States, pit bulls make up one to three per cent of the overall dog population and cause more than 50 per cent of serious attacks.

From 1979 to 1998, at least 25 breeds of dogs have been involved in bite related deaths. Pit Bulls and Rottweilers were involved in more than 50 percent of these incidences.

In a study reported by a retired professor from California State University at Chino, Robert Plum, it was found that one dog in 55 will bite someone seriously during the course of a year. With respect to breed differences in the tendency to inflict serious injury, Plumb estimates that when a pit bull bites a human, one in 16 (e.g. 1/16) will inflict serious injury.

cat person

[Jeff Higgins]

Where is Mule when you need him? Did his Pit finally devour him?

[Drdogface]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Where is Mule when you need him? Did his Pit finally devour him?

I thought I heard he was banned.... If so = bad move ...IMHO

[tangerine911S]

Of the people who repsonded that they dont like or would never own a pitbull, do you have personal experience or is it based on what you read/hear. My theory is that that a certain demographic sees pitbulls as the dog to have as a status symbol to look tough. These are the dogs that are neglected and/or trained to be mean. These are not socialized dogs that are real pets in a loving household.

I am really trying to get a better idea of the real nature of pitbulls. Like I said, my experiences have been totally positive and I think the name "pitbull" immediately stirs negativity. Please dont "knock" them without backing it up. But if you have a real reason to hate them, that I want to hear. Thanks

[Don Plumley]

We have a pit mix and I am a very strong breed advocate. Mine has never shown the least bit of people aggression. He has a little bit of dog aggression for some un-neutered males. Jealous they have balls I guess.

Here is a good source on myths

Owning one is not for everyone. They are energetic, tenacious, demanding of attention dogs. Here's a good summary of pros and cons.

Chip says "don't fear me, feed me!":

[Amail]

It's true that you can't paint them all with the same broad brush. Just how broad a brush you can use is the question.

We've got a Australian shepherd/? mutt mix. We've had her since she was about 7 weeks old, so I know exactly how she's been treated. Although she's a very sweet dog, she's scared $hitless of men, scared of the cat, nervous around anyone she doesn't know. I haven't the foggiest idea how she got that way, and assume it's just luck of the draw.

Whenever anyone comes to the house, we start her out in the back yard and gradually introduce her to them, on terms she's "comfortable" with.

One of the best things you can do before deciding on a dog is to spend some real quality time with them alone, with other animals, with other people, in high-activity environments, to get a good sense of what their disposition is. I've heard both good and bad about pits, so I know there are good ones out there. If you're lucky/tenacious enough to search out one that's confident but not overbearing, with a really sweet disposition, and you spend the time and energy to train and socialize them, you'll probably be way ahead of the curve.

[Dave Nordhoff]

Taking a Pitt Bull out in public will make you very popular.
Theres nothing like a cute doggie at the park or playground.

Seriously.....Think about what these dogs were breed for...........

Dave

[tangerine911S]

Dog agression is something that I am very familiar with. Our dog who is 16 years old has never met a dog she liked. She loves every person she has ever met and you could not get her to bite you if you tried. However, I have had to save her a few times from large dogs that she thinks she can take. She will die but she tries anyway.

[BlueSideUp]

We adopted an American Staffordshire from the pound and she was a great dog. Initially she had some separation anxiety due to her previous living conditions but once we were over that she was really well behaved. She was not friendly to other dogs so we never took her to the dog park but she was excellent around all people.

Like any dog they need a lot of training. Pit bulls and AmStaffs have an instinct that ignores their pain receptors allowing them to fight. Unfortunately that aspect combined with their strong jaws result in bad injuries when not trained or when neglected.

I have been bitten more times by my puggle than I ever was by the Staffy. Ours passed away last year to cancer after 13 years.

[Don Plumley]

Originally Posted by Dave Nordhoff

Taking a Pitt Bull out in public will make you very popular.
Theres nothing like a cute doggie at the park or playground.

Seriously.....Think about what these dogs were breed for...........

Dave

As a breed expert, can you tell me what these dogs were bred for? Not what the idiots in the 'hood do, but what they were bred to do - just like German Shepherds were bred to do, what Retrievers were bred to do, et al?

[Drdogface]

Originally Posted by tangerine911S

Of the people who repsonded that they dont like or would never own a pitbull, do you have personal experience or is it based on what you read/hear.

I have experience of nearly 40 years practice as a Veterinarian, most in Calif. I'm retired now but my last part time gig was at the county animal shelter. I'd say about 1/3 to 1/2 at times are Pit Bull type dogs.

While it's true that much of the aggression that they show is due to the way they were (or were not) trained and why the previous owner chose that breed....i.e, many as a macho status symbol. In my experience I have not had much problem with them personally as patients but they do often show aggression, sometimes wildly so, towards children who are not family members. IMO, it's because they see the young children as other 'animals' to be dealt with in the manner they know best. As I said before, I'd never have one. Who needs the insurance risk not to mention remorse if your dog seriously hurt a child.