Anyone Have a Pit Bull? Not Looking for a Pit Just to Talk About Them

My friend had one before she had her baby. The dog was very territorial. It snapped at everyone--even it's owners sometimes. When their daughter came along, the dog was very protective of the baby. It would sometimes not let the mother (my friend) around the baby. They would have to take a stick to push the dog out to the backyard sometimes to get the dog away from the baby. They did not hit the dog--it was merely put between the dog and the person trying to get it outside. My friends had to give the dog to a shelter for adoption because they feared for the baby. I would not recommend getting a pit bull. I would also not recommend getting a puppy while you have a baby. It's too hard to take care of a baby while you are trying to train a puppy.

personally i love pits!they are verry protective.ppl rember all the bad stuff about pits and not the good.it is all on how you raise them tho.the can be verry stubborn.my first pit died and now i have a 7 month old pit and it happens to be my first pits littermate.but i also have two other dogs to.right now im trying to train mine just to listen to me and since i have only had him for 3 days he is doing extreemly well.there is a chance that a pit could turn on you but so can any other dog.it gets on my nearves when ppl talk bad about pits but all the other dogs randomly biting ppl it seems ok.if you want a pit i say get one.just dont ever hit them and as puppys dont play rough and shake therre face and stuff like that cause that could make it a higher chance for them to grow up mean.oh onemore thing.they lovgoing on walks so try to find plenty of time for that:)goodluck

BF has good advice. Adding a dog to your life is last thing you need! I know a ton of moms who hardly have time for their children, much less a dog.

We had a wonderful Pitt/Boxer mix that we got when my daughter was almost a year old. She was a sweet dog and never showed signs of aggression. My daughter and two older kids could do anything with her, in fact my daughter used to crawl on her.
Then one day when she was juat about three years old she grabbed out female chih mix and snapped her back. Our little girl had to be put to sleep, the vet could not help her. I thought that maybe our pit acted out against her cause they were both females. Well, one month later for some reason she went after our male terrier and tore him from stomach to back. Unfortunately my son, 12 at the time saw this happen and completely freaked out cause the terrier was his dog. Our vet saved our little guy, his fat pad saved him, but he explained that her bitting him around the waist is an attack move meant to cripple the dog before they go for the throat. In fact, it is considered a more aggressive attack then just a lungle for the throat.
Being pregnant with our fourth child, the vet recommended we try to place the dog elsewhere cause even though she was extremely gentle with us, he feared she would not continue to be. My vet is great and has seen our pets for years and I completely trust him. No rescue group would take her, not even theone we got her from, because she has bitten. The hardest decision we ever made was to give her to the shelter and they ended up having to put her down because she became extremely aggressive there. I cried for weeks over the loss of my dog whom I loved so much. She was a part of our family, but I could not risk my kids.
Pits can be gentle, but the vet did explain that at the age of 3-4 they mature and they can become aggressive. Now, not all do, it depends on their breeding, but I will never take that chance again.
I wish you luck with whatever you decide.

Hi E.,

I saying this from past experience that I have seen and heard from other families that have suffered due to injuries or death.

I just wanted to send you my 2 cents worth. You can take it or leave it. I would NOT RECOMMEND you getting a Pit bull puppy. They grow up to be Pit Bull dogs. These types of dogs are very unpredictable and so are children.

I would not put any child, much less my own around anything that is so unpredictable. Kids are this way anyway and you just never know if they touch, pull, hit or make any movement towards this type of dog, what it will do.

God Forbid that anything would ever happen to your child. It would be devestating and you would never recover or forgive yourself from this type of trauma if you were the cause of it happening to you child.

Get a golden retreiver, a lab or german shepherd if you want you child around a dog. They are the safest.

Thanks!

G. B.

I have a red nose pit bull as a family dog.I got him when he was a puppy as well as my son they are the same age (6 yrs). We lived at a small apartment also when we thought we should get him house trained. He's great, no problems never ever snap at my son when he was a little babe, and you know how kids are pulling on thier tails sitting on them everything you can think of my son did to him.Are dog knows that my son is he's master and my son plays and tells him what to do.He's a real good dog.

I am familiar with pit bulls and I also like them. They are very protective of children in the home and would never harm them (at least the two I was around). They are, however, very destructive dogs that will eat walls, furniture, etc., if left alone uncaged.

E.,
I have had two pit bulls and when they were in their mid years my husband and I had two children. Both of our pitbulls were indoor dogs and had never been around children. I was suprised as to how well they adjusted. I ran the Humane Society Dog program for 7
years and actually rescued some pits. I have counceled many people wanting to get dogs and the best type of dog that would work for them, If you would like to chat let me know. Pitbulls are wonderful dogs for people who know terriers and their potential but in the wrong hands they can be quite terrible (as the media doesn't allow us to forget). However, this is true with any dog. I have seen as many aggressive golden retrievers and even a couple of beagles but these dogs don't make the news even when they almost take their owner's arm off (this happened in Lewisville!)

We have a pit bull mix. She was a rescue pup and we've had her for about a year and a half - she's prob 2 yrs old. We have a 3 mo. baby girl and so far so good. She is very submissive and very gentle (except for that tail!) :) She lies next to the baby's swing and licks her head and sniffs her when she's in her bouncy seat. We also have a 10 yr old schnauzer and she loves him dearly! She's one of the best dogs we've ever had. She was extremely laid back when we got her and of course you want a dog with a good temperment. We could pick her up while she was sleeping in mid air and she could care less (alot of dogs freak out ya know!) Lemme know if you have any questions!!! Good Luck!

My husband and I have dear friends who have pits. Their first dog was tragically killed several years ago before their daughter was born, but I have no doubts that he would have been wonderful with kids. Their current pit is a little hyper, but other than that, one of the sweetest dogs I have ever known. I have two small children and have no problems letting them play with pits that have been properly socialized, like any other dog. What people fail to realize is that pits can be animal agressive, but are rarely people agressive, unless socialized poorly. We have an American Bulldog, which is sometimes mistaken for a pit, but he is a sweetie, too. The pits I have been around are all family pets and very good with children.

Hi E.,

As someone who has no experience whatsoever with Pit Bulls (only the horror stories that you mention), I'm just curious why you would want a Pit Bull (especially given their tendencies). I only ask because we just moved and have two neighbors earby who have Pit Bulls and, honestly, they scare me - especially since one of them lets hers off the leash on the way back from the park in our area. My daughter is only 6mo right now, so she would never be outside without me, but there will come a day when she is and I worry.

Is there a quality about pit bulls that make them great pets that we just don't hear about (amid all the ugly stories)?

I'm not posting this for others to see because I don't want to start a flame or anything, I was just curious.

My husband had two beagles when we got married and it was a bit of an adjustment getting used to them. Hounds are much different than the german sheppards and labs I grew up with.

Good luck in your search!

P.

Personally never owned a pit bull, but would NEVER consider getting one with children. We have 2 beautiful labs and they are wonderful with my girls. Pit bulls have an aggressive character by nature, and I know it's all about how you raise/train them, but they are still animals and will respond as such. Why chance it? Go with a much milder dog...

I don't have a Pit Bull, but I have a Rottie. Before making my decision, did lots of research on the breed. Most breed descriptions will say whether they're good with kids. My Rottie has been wonderful...much to my friends' disbelief! Just Google Pit Bull and go from there.

Good luck!

To be blunt - this is the WORST idea I have EVER heard in MY WHOLE LIFE. I am an aminal lover myself, grew up with horses, cats, dogs, birds, fish ... you name it. When my husband and I married he had a pit bull that had been "socialized" throughly. Was around people, children, other animals regularly since he was a pup. When I discovered I was pregnant, though I absolutely adored his dog, I felt immediately that he (the dog, not my husband :)) had to go. I plead with my husband citing the fact that if the animal did turn on our baby it'd be a life altering incident and not a wee scar. He said it'd be fine. Long story short - when my daughter was almost 8 months old, the dog picked her up by her tiny little skull and ran off with her. He crushed the back of her skull, left check bone, tore her beautiful face to peices and placed an inate fear of all animals in my daughter. She is now almost 4 and has recovered, physically, quite well. She however still has scar tissue in her skull cavity that causes communication delays. Has had surgeries to correct the bone placement in her face and skull. And still will not go anywhere near animals. I am forced to plead with you to consider a less aggresive breed. If you have any doubts as to what a very socialized, very protective dog can do - I have pictures of what my daughter looked like in the aftermath I'd be willing to share with you.

Well I'm sure this could happen with any dog but my parents have some friends that had a pit bull. The little girl next door came over to pet him. The dog was eating when the little girl reached over to pet him and he turned around and ripped her whole bottom lip off. Good Luck.