WARNING: You may end up with a loyal new best friend in a Pit!

by Anonymous
(Illinois)

I have grown up with dogs of all different kinds all of my life. Most of them were mixes, mutts, and the occasional unidentifiable "heinz 57".


The first dog that I grew up with from age 4 to 14 was a pitbull/black lab mix named Skylar. He was the first pit type dog we ever had, and honestly he was the BEST dog my family ever had as well. He was loyal, sweet natured, friendly, great with kids... I could go on and on listing his fantastic qualities.

This dog was my best friend growing up, and he went just about anywhere that I went. He tolerated the normal idiot child behavior like tail and ear pulling, being dragged around by the collar, and all the general rough play that young children engage in. He dealt with it like a true champ and he never once growled, bit, snapped, or even looked at me or other children the wrong way either.

My family lived on 80 some acres in the country when I was twelve. I used to take off on my own into the woods, with my dog in tow of course (no leash required)and I would be gone all day and not come home till the sun went down. My dog NEVER left my side. He was never more than twenty feet from me at all times and I was always within his line of sight.

My parents always told me that they never really worried about me because they knew that Skylar was with me watching out
for me. This dog was literally my "nanny" when I played outside as a young child. I can definitely believe the stories about Pits being left to watch over young children during the early half of the twentieth century. I believe that he would have fought to the death for me if he knew it was necessary.

Skylar was proof that Pits and Pitt mixes have the potential to be fantastic, fiercely loyal family members. I would recommend these types of dogs to any responsible, knowledgeable dog owner as a great family pet.

In fact, I recently adopted a pitbull/boxer mix from a local shelter. I am proud to have her in my pet family. She is another great example of a dog with fantastic potential, a great temperament, and lots of love to go around.

She gets along great with my cocker spaniel and great big Maine Coon cat. I've never had a Pit mix that was aggressive with other dogs or cats either. I hear and read about so-called aggressiveness with other animals out of Pits/Pit mixes a lot, and I don't know where this information is coming from because I have never had this experience.

I guess this goes to show that there is A LOT of misinformation about these wonderful dogs, and it really is a shame that so many people are willing to just believe everything they see and hear.

Either way I don't care what I hear; I still love them based on my personal experiences, and it is doubtful that my feelings will ever change.

Comments for WARNING: You may end up with a loyal new best friend in a Pit!

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Mar 04, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Peaceloveandpitbulls
by: Anonymous

Well said. or should I say well written. Well im not really saying anything I'm writing so what I mean to say, dammit! I mean write, aww forget it...
Peaceloveandpitbulls . Com

Mar 04, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Well said, however...
by: Anonymous

Saying that you don't know where the information that pit bulls can be aggressive with other animals lends the idea that this is misinformation, which is dangerous, especially when trying to convince well meaning people of the joys of adoption of pit bulls.

While pit bulls are wonderful with children, generally speaking, it is still essential, although distasteful, to remember the origins of the breed. It is a fact that terriers have an innate animal aggression, be it towards other dogs, cats, or furry things in general. Does this make them bad dogs? Certainly not. But when looking for a suitable breed, it's always wise to take the dog's original purpose into account.

For example, don't get a lab and be upset when it dives in the pond and chases your neighbor's ducks. Don't get a German shorthair and expect it not to point at things, or a Husky and be astounded that it takes off running at first opportunity. These were WORKING dogs - dogs with a purpose. And whether that was all around farm dog and general critter getter, as most terriers' express purpose was, or fighting dogs, like pit bulls were created to be, there are still certain genetic behaviors that are hard wired into the dogs.

Mar 05, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
The Disposition of a Pit
by: Heather W

I have owned two pit bulls in my life. Lady was a pit my family owned when I was a teenager back in the 1980's. Holly is my current dog, a three-year-old pit we bought as a puppy at a flea market. Both dogs are/were very loyal, loving, and sweet to people. Lady did not show aggression towards other animals. Once my mother was gardening and disturbed a small shrub. Out hopped the tiniest baby rabbit, one that would fit in the palm of your hand. In a flash Lady gingerly scooped it up in her mouth and trotted off with it. Mother had to chase her to get her to put it down. But the rabbit was not harmed. Lady only wanted to keep it for her own pet! We also had two guinea pigs that lived in a large cardboard box with the sides cuts down to about 5 inches in height. The box sat on the floor in our den. Lady often looked at the pigs, and several times sampled their food, but she never made a move to hurt them.

Holly was raised with my husband's old cat around. She tolerates the kitty just fine but is a little touchy when it comes to other animals. I would not trust her to have unfettered access to the other animals in our neighborhood. She is submissive when we meet other dogs at the park and pet store. But her demeanor changes a bit when she is not on her leash while meeting new animals. I have no doubt that Holly would give her own life to protect my 12-year-old daughter if need be.

My SIL rescued a pit bull she named Molly with a history of abuse and dog fighting. Molly absolutely cannot be allowed to meet other animals without being on a leash. She shows aggression towards strange men as well. No doubt her anxiety comes from her violent past and brutal treatment by men.

So while I do agree that there is a stereotypical component to the belief that pits are "dangerous" around other animals, there can be a kernel of truth there. But I believe it is more dog dependent than breed dependent. However, with the strength and tenacity most pits possess, the owner should err on the side of caution and get to know his dog very well before trusting it with other animals.

Mar 05, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Pitti Lover
by: Raju Ray

My 5 years old Pit Bull is named Sancho. I named him Sancho because I thought he looked big and goofy (In my language, that's what Sancho means). I later found out that Sancho is actually a term used by prisoners to describe the guy their partner may be cheating with while they are serving time (Well, you're probably better off looking that word up). Anyway, a few years after buying Sancho off from a couple of crack heads in my neighborhood, I moved to Hawaii to finally get married and be together with my long term fiancee. The two loved each other from the start. He follows her around every corner of the house. He never likes to be any further than two feet away. The most gentle dog I know but at the same time, when it's time to play, he does his sprints right in the middle of the living room. He also learned how to swim in the ocean on his first try.

I didn't know what to expect when we brought our first born son to the house 7 months ago; I was really nervous. Sancho was very curious about the little creature we brought home but after smelling him for awhile and seeing how much we carred for the baby, he understood this was something very important to us. S0, naturally, he became the world class nanny he is meant to be. He's very gentle with our son and always near by.

I can never say enough good things about this breed. I don't think I'd ever settle for any other breed other than my pitties. Love my Pitties. To see how gentle and smart these dogs are, go to @peaceloveandpitbulls.org and check out his videos.

Aloha,


Jul 15, 2014
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
best dog NEW
by: don d

We adopted our pit 10yrs ago,best dog I've ever had

Nov 28, 2016
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
My baby Yoosung!!! NEW
by: Angel

I recently rescued a 3yo american pit bull terrier and i have to say he is an absolute sweetheart! At the shelter they told me he wasn't leash trained and that he had a habit of urinating when he was frightened. Turns out he doesn't do any of that and he actually knows a few tricks!
I literally rescued him a day ago and I would most likely go back and rescue a few more if my place could hold them all!!

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Are Pit Bulls Dangerous?.




Are you enjoying this site? Finding it useful?
Your donation in any amount can help us reach out to more people
who want to know the truth about pit bulls.


Thank You for Your Support!

Return to Pit Bull Homepage








Free Bully for You! E-zine
Email

Name

Then

Don't worry -- your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you Bully for You!.
[?] Subscribe To This Site

XML RSS
follow us in feedly
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines








Follow PitBullMaven on Twitter




| Homepage | Contact Us |About Us| Return to top

Page copy protected against web site content infringement by Copyscape
Copyright© 2006-2012. The-Proper-Pitbull.Com. All Right Reserved.