Pit Bull Next Door - WWYD?

[Anonymous]

Our neighbors next door recently adopted a young pit bull after their older dog passed away. The neighbors are very nice folks, so I am trying to be open minded about the new pit next door. The neighbors have kept the dog leashed and as far as I can tell are giving the dog plenty of exercise, training, etc.

Today, they had the dog leashed to a pretty heavy wooden garden bench in the front yard. Someone was walking another dog by, and the pit lunged so excitedly at the other dog that it pulled the bench right over. It still stayed leashed though. Then, a few minutes later, a man was walking by and the dog lunged so forcefully at the man that it made the the man jump away out of the dog's range. The dog definitely looked intense, but he was not attacking the man - just being exuberent.

The other two factors: 1) The neighbors did say the pit had been abused in the past. 2) There are tons of young kids on the street.

What would you do in a situation like this? Nothing? Something? We're in Montgomery County, I know pits are illegal in DC and PG County.

[Anonymous]

Actually, pit bulls are not illegal or banned here in DC. While a member of city council introduces legislation to do so every year and has done so again this year, it has not yet passed. Nor should they be -- breed specific bans do not work. There is also evidence that demonstrates, contrary to widely-held perceptions, that other breeds are more likely to bite than pit bulls. But all of that aside, I think it is understandable that you are nervous. As with any strong dog, it is important that the owners are carefully training the dog so that they are always in control, and the more important issue than the breed in this case is the fact that the owners did not seem to be in control in that instance.

Perhaps you might tell your neighbors honestly that you don't know much about the breed but feel nervous. Tell them what you've told us -- that you are trying to keep an open mind, and could use some information from them. (and then listen to what they say). I also think it is perfectly fine to ask them to make sure that the dog is secured in a way that is appropriate for its growing strength. It's fair enough to mention the bench episode directly; obviously, they underestimated how strong the dog is.

The sad facts are, pit bulls get a bad rap. I know many people who have these dogs and have personally only had positive experiences with them. Most of the pitbulls that I know are 70 lb wannabe lapdogs! But most people don't see that side, they see the sensationalized news stories and they are fearful of the fact that the dogs were meant to be "fighters." Bottom line: if the dog is out front without anyone watching out for it, and an excited / exuberent and maybe friendly lunge is misinterpreted as aggressive behavior, it only reinforces negative perceptions of the breed. That is not good for the neighbors or the dog.

Good luck with your conversation, if you go that route!

[Anonymous]

o.m.g.

You call Montgomery County Animal Control immediately and repeatedly. This dog is not under control the owner's control.

Division of Animal Control and Humane Treatment
240-773-5925.

who the hell leaves an abused rescue pit tied to a bench, seriously? in 2009, who leaves ANY kind of dog tied outdoors?

I don't want to hear from 'there are no bad dogs ...' people, either.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Just to clarify - the owner was right there, weeding his garden. That's why the dog was out front, tied up. It usually isn't tied up like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:o.m.g.

You call Montgomery County Animal Control immediately and repeatedly. This dog is not under control the owner's control.

Division of Animal Control and Humane Treatment
240-773-5925.

who the hell leaves an abused rescue pit tied to a bench, seriously? in 2009, who leaves ANY kind of dog tied outdoors?

I don't want to hear from 'there are no bad dogs ...' people, either.

You don't get to dictate who you hear from -- this is an open forum. OP said that the owners were nice people and were training and exercising the dog. I personally don't like the idea of the dog being tied to a bench, but I don't really think OP gave us enough information about it. Sometimes when my husband is out mowing the lawn, we leash our dog (a spaniel mix) to a window gate. The dog doesn't mind, he is not leashed outside by himself, and he is happier to be out there with my husband, running around in the yard, than he would be in the house. Our dog is quite a jumper and can clear the fence in our front yard, so the leash is necessary for his own safety. Would you rather we keep him inside?

[Anonymous]

PP here. See, the owner was right there. Also, what do you propose OP tells Montgomery County animal control that the problem was? The dog was on their property, right? If the dog escaped their property, then that's possibly unwanted contact, but I'm not sure that even applies. It's certainly a stretch. Otherwise, here are the laws:

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/poltmpl.asp?url=/content/POL/districts/MSB/animal/summarylaws.asp

OP, call Montgomery County animal control only if you want to lose all of your ability to discuss this rationally with your neighbors. Animal control will not do anything in this case and your neighbors will understandably be less willing to work with you to address your concerns if you jump the gun with animal control.

[Anonymous]

I don't think pits are inherently bad, but they do tend to have dog aggression issues more than the average dog would. Add to that a history of abuse, and that could be serious trouble.

I wonder who they got the dog from? Was it from a rescue organization? I'm not sure who in their right mind would give an abused pit bull to someone who wasn't a very experienced dog owner. Leaving a dog tied to what seems to be a flimsy bench in an area where other dogs might walk by is just insane. Pits will have dog aggression issues before they have people aggression issues. Was the dog evaluated for that? Was the owner screened by the rescue organization? Told of these issues and how to handle them?

I'd keep my kids away, and I'd talk to them about properly restraining their dog if it happens again.

[Anonymous]

OP:
How old is your child?

[Anonymous]

Pit bulls are bred for aggression and violence. I would be very alarmed about this. Certainly talk to your neighbors as a first step.

[Anonymous]

Is it a fe/male and has it been spayed/neutered?

[Anonymous]

Is there a fence separating your yard from that of your neighbors? I understand that technically this is not required in MoCo so long as the neighbors keep the dog leashed, but I think any responsible dog owner would ensure that the dog has some room to maneuver on their own territory. If there isn't a (tall) fence between your properties, I'd consider investing in one. We're doing that b/c of neighbors' whose German Shepherd repeatedly relieves himself in our yard... a fact that horrifies all the other dog-owning neighbors as much as it does us.

[Anonymous]

OP, I have a similar situation. I live on a cul de sac with four houses and one of the home owners got a pit bull. Two of the neighbors, me included, were afraid of the dog, so we talked to the neighbor honestly about it. They have been more than gracious. Whenever I or my kids come outside, even just to take out the trash or get the mail, they put their dog in the house. It has been several years now and I am so comfortable with the way they respect our fear and concern that I don't worry at all when my kids to play at their house - they are just not in the house.

I hope things work out so well for you as they did for me.

[Anonymous]

CaveatsL I'm not a dog owner. I'm not a "pit bull lover." I'm not an advocate for anything.

As I read your post, you seem to be saying that there is an exuberant puppy next door that is pulling on its leash/lead when strangers approach. This could be a puppy of any breed because frankly, that's what puppies do. I'm not sure what Animal Control could do, or why this is a dangerous situation.

OP, you seem to be spooked by the presence of this breed next door to you. You could have a talk with the owners, and ask how they plan to raise their dog. Is it to be a family pet? Is it to be a watchdog? What steps are they taking to ensure it is a loveable, neighborly dog?

Frankly, I think your best bet is to have your child spend MORE time with this dog, not less time. Have the dog consider your child one of the family, not a stranger. Introduce your child to the dog.

[Anonymous]

I am the owner of a 15-month old exuberant dog who falls under the preconceived 'dangerous breed' heading (Doberman). As such, I totally feel your concerns ARE valid to the extent that any large dog needs to be under control. I love my dog, but I recognize that not all people a) like dogs or b) care to have them bouncing all over. My dog is NEVER permitted around children unless he is closely leashed. He just likes them too much...and at 65 pounds, can easily knock a child over. Additionally, the last thing he needs is to frighten someone - his breed makes him appear frightening enough without bad behavior added to it. While I know that he adores children and people in general, others don't know that on first glimpse.

I think your approach is fair - you understand that there are biases, and that the dog has not acted in an overtly aggressive manner. However, if the dog is able to get out of the yard, even while leashed, I think this gives you room to discuss it with the owner. Some tactics that may work well would be to address your concern that the dog is strong and could potentially get out. I think, as a responsible dog owner, I would want to acknowledge and within reason accomodate my neighbors concerns, especially if they were posed in a reasonable manner. I know that I'm sensitive to concerns about aggression, but I try to be reasonable. If you pose arguments without bringing the aggression/breed thing into it, the owner may be more open-minded. But I definitely think you should air your concerns - I had a similar discussion with one of my neighbors recently, and appreciated knowing that there were things I could do differently to make them more comfortable.

[Anonymous]

My brother has a pit bull and its a very sweet dog. My kids love her. She is getting a bit older now and she pretty much ignores my kids when we are there.