Anyone else have a pit mix?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I do t think I am back tracking. I’m just trying to explain the situation accurately. He’s not a bad dog. He actually has a lot of great qualities. I’ve met way worse dogs. He rarely barks, he’s not clingy, he doesn’t have separation anxiety, we can easily leave him home for 4-6 hours, he’s not destructive in the house, he doesn’t have onerous exercise needs, he doesn’t shed much, he doesn’t beg or jump up in our counters. He doesn’t even come up our stairs. He has utterly *fantastic* recall. He has great bite inhibition. He’s snapped at all of us but very gently with his mouth. He’s never nipped or bitten, he must have been trained about how much pressure to apply by someone else.

The main drawbacks are: he doesn’t like strangers in his house (not a big deal to me personally) but he’s fine with people outdoors at the park or on the street or even in our backyard. And he’s not open for pets and affection 24/7. Now that we‘ve known him for a while, we can usually tell by his body language. You know how sometimes dogs will curl up in a tight ball to sleep? If he’s like that on his bed or “his couch” in his room he might give a very low, soft growl if you approach hand out to pet. But just as often he’ll stretch out and invite tummy scratches. We let him lead and have not had problems since we started doing that. When we leave the house and come home, he’s excited and happy to see everyone and get pets from everyone including the kids. He runs up to them as soon as they get home from school for pets. Then he goes back to doing his thing (he really likes to sit on the couch and look out the window).

He’s a very regimented dog. He likes to eat and do the same things at the same time every day. He likes to play in the evening and will play tug of war with the kids. But he ants to be asleep and left alone by 9 pm. I don’t feel like it’s that hard to respect this boundary?

Does this really sound so bad?

Would it sound less bad if he weren’t half pit?

Him being half pit is important though. The dog's behavior is overtly not friendly and to a certain extent difficult ("it has to be on his terms"). Him being a pit is important because if, God forbid, he does snap one day it can be lethal.

Just out of curiosity, does it matter that he doesn't have the typical pit head/jawline/musculature? OP described this in the first post. I am curious about pit mixes and safety issues as well.

While important, it's not just about the dog's physical make-up. It's also the instinct and drive and viciousness they attack with. Pits and bully breeds are bred to kill -- they aren't deterred by pain or other typical counters. I'm not sure how his % of pit is a factor here but that would be my concern.

The dog that OP describes is afraid of its own shadow though. According to her, he is afraid of people, stairs, and the kitchen (hardwood floor I'm assuming?). He runs and hides in his bed when he gets scared or wants space. I think they're fine to keep the dog as long as they observe his boundaries (such as not petting him in his bed). He doesn't sound like a vicious dog. He sounds aloof/reserved. Which, granted, is not the cuddly friendly family dog most people want. But unlikely to snap and bite out of the blue either. Sounds like the dog just wants to be left alone most of the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I do t think I am back tracking. I’m just trying to explain the situation accurately. He’s not a bad dog. He actually has a lot of great qualities. I’ve met way worse dogs. He rarely barks, he’s not clingy, he doesn’t have separation anxiety, we can easily leave him home for 4-6 hours, he’s not destructive in the house, he doesn’t have onerous exercise needs, he doesn’t shed much, he doesn’t beg or jump up in our counters. He doesn’t even come up our stairs. He has utterly *fantastic* recall. He has great bite inhibition. He’s snapped at all of us but very gently with his mouth. He’s never nipped or bitten, he must have been trained about how much pressure to apply by someone else.

The main drawbacks are: he doesn’t like strangers in his house (not a big deal to me personally) but he’s fine with people outdoors at the park or on the street or even in our backyard. And he’s not open for pets and affection 24/7. Now that we‘ve known him for a while, we can usually tell by his body language. You know how sometimes dogs will curl up in a tight ball to sleep? If he’s like that on his bed or “his couch” in his room he might give a very low, soft growl if you approach hand out to pet. But just as often he’ll stretch out and invite tummy scratches. We let him lead and have not had problems since we started doing that. When we leave the house and come home, he’s excited and happy to see everyone and get pets from everyone including the kids. He runs up to them as soon as they get home from school for pets. Then he goes back to doing his thing (he really likes to sit on the couch and look out the window).

He’s a very regimented dog. He likes to eat and do the same things at the same time every day. He likes to play in the evening and will play tug of war with the kids. But he ants to be asleep and left alone by 9 pm. I don’t feel like it’s that hard to respect this boundary?

Does this really sound so bad?

Would it sound less bad if he weren’t half pit?

Him being half pit is important though. The dog's behavior is overtly not friendly and to a certain extent difficult ("it has to be on his terms"). Him being a pit is important because if, God forbid, he does snap one day it can be lethal.

Just out of curiosity, does it matter that he doesn't have the typical pit head/jawline/musculature? OP described this in the first post. I am curious about pit mixes and safety issues as well.

While important, it's not just about the dog's physical make-up. It's also the instinct and drive and viciousness they attack with. Pits and bully breeds are bred to kill -- they aren't deterred by pain or other typical counters. I'm not sure how his % of pit is a factor here but that would be my concern.

The dog that OP describes is afraid of its own shadow though. According to her, he is afraid of people, stairs, and the kitchen (hardwood floor I'm assuming?). He runs and hides in his bed when he gets scared or wants space. I think they're fine to keep the dog as long as they observe his boundaries (such as not petting him in his bed). He doesn't sound like a vicious dog. He sounds aloof/reserved. Which, granted, is not the cuddly friendly family dog most people want. But unlikely to snap and bite out of the blue either. Sounds like the dog just wants to be left alone most of the time.

Not out of the blue, but if it gets cornered or there is some sort of other accident, it will. Like something I brought up before, tripping and falling near its bed, or roughhousing etc. I can absolutely see an accident triggering this dog.

[Anonymous]

A dog can have a bed and safe space like a crate but a whole room...gtfoh.

[Anonymous]

OP, you know he’s a problem or you wouldn’t have asked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I do t think I am back tracking. I’m just trying to explain the situation accurately. He’s not a bad dog. He actually has a lot of great qualities. I’ve met way worse dogs. He rarely barks, he’s not clingy, he doesn’t have separation anxiety, we can easily leave him home for 4-6 hours, he’s not destructive in the house, he doesn’t have onerous exercise needs, he doesn’t shed much, he doesn’t beg or jump up in our counters. He doesn’t even come up our stairs. He has utterly *fantastic* recall. He has great bite inhibition. He’s snapped at all of us but very gently with his mouth. He’s never nipped or bitten, he must have been trained about how much pressure to apply by someone else.

The main drawbacks are: he doesn’t like strangers in his house (not a big deal to me personally) but he’s fine with people outdoors at the park or on the street or even in our backyard. And he’s not open for pets and affection 24/7. Now that we‘ve known him for a while, we can usually tell by his body language. You know how sometimes dogs will curl up in a tight ball to sleep? If he’s like that on his bed or “his couch” in his room he might give a very low, soft growl if you approach hand out to pet. But just as often he’ll stretch out and invite tummy scratches. We let him lead and have not had problems since we started doing that. When we leave the house and come home, he’s excited and happy to see everyone and get pets from everyone including the kids. He runs up to them as soon as they get home from school for pets. Then he goes back to doing his thing (he really likes to sit on the couch and look out the window).

He’s a very regimented dog. He likes to eat and do the same things at the same time every day. He likes to play in the evening and will play tug of war with the kids. But he ants to be asleep and left alone by 9 pm. I don’t feel like it’s that hard to respect this boundary?

Does this really sound so bad?

Would it sound less bad if he weren’t half pit?

Him being half pit is important though. The dog's behavior is overtly not friendly and to a certain extent difficult ("it has to be on his terms"). Him being a pit is important because if, God forbid, he does snap one day it can be lethal.

Just out of curiosity, does it matter that he doesn't have the typical pit head/jawline/musculature? OP described this in the first post. I am curious about pit mixes and safety issues as well.

While important, it's not just about the dog's physical make-up. It's also the instinct and drive and viciousness they attack with. Pits and bully breeds are bred to kill -- they aren't deterred by pain or other typical counters. I'm not sure how his % of pit is a factor here but that would be my concern.

The dog that OP describes is afraid of its own shadow though. According to her, he is afraid of people, stairs, and the kitchen (hardwood floor I'm assuming?). He runs and hides in his bed when he gets scared or wants space. I think they're fine to keep the dog as long as they observe his boundaries (such as not petting him in his bed). He doesn't sound like a vicious dog. He sounds aloof/reserved. Which, granted, is not the cuddly friendly family dog most people want. But unlikely to snap and bite out of the blue either. Sounds like the dog just wants to be left alone most of the time.

The whole point of my post though is that his current behavior should not give her complete relief when there are intrinsic factors (breeding, instinct, physical characteristics) that can make this dog more dangerous

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Man, you can really tell who hasn’t had any experience with rescue dogs in here. You don’t get rid of a traumatized dog over minor issues like this. I mean you can but it’s really shitty. Putting the dog back in a shelter will traumatize it even more.

Well, I think the possibility of finding the bloody limbs and entrails of their torn and dead children strewn around their beloved "pittie" should be traumatizing for the owners. It sure is extremely traumatizing for many of us who don't have dogs. I think it is fine if psychopath parents are willing to subject their kids to this possibility but I am afraid that pitbulls can attack strangers too. They are a menace to society.

I would have the same reaction about parents of young children who have unfenced pools or keep ball pythons or venomous snakes as pets. These individuals should not have had kids. I would be ok if CPS took away their children from them.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I do know that the situation is not ideal. But, aside from giving up the dog, which we're nowhere near ready to do, what else can we do besides what I already described?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Man, you can really tell who hasn’t had any experience with rescue dogs in here. You don’t get rid of a traumatized dog over minor issues like this. I mean you can but it’s really shitty. Putting the dog back in a shelter will traumatize it even more.

Well, I think the possibility of finding the bloody limbs and entrails of their torn and dead children strewn around their beloved "pittie" should be traumatizing for the owners. It sure is extremely traumatizing for many of us who don't have dogs. I think it is fine if psychopath parents are willing to subject their kids to this possibility but I am afraid that pitbulls can attack strangers too. They are a menace to society.

I would have the same reaction about parents of young children who have unfenced pools or keep ball pythons or venomous snakes as pets. These individuals should not have had kids. I would be ok if CPS took away their children from them.

OP's kids are not young though. They're all tweens or teens.

[Anonymous]

I also hate when people use the “but this dog is different!” argument especially when young kids are involved. Do you let your kids swim in waters with sharks or play with black bears or raccoons if you know this particular one has never killed anyone before? No because you know they can kill and have the higher propensity to do so.

[Anonymous]

I have a pit mix and I never wade into these threads because...well obvious reasons. But one thing I will say to you OP is that if you have not already figured out how you will defend yourself if your dog decides to attack you should figure that out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I do know that the situation is not ideal. But, aside from giving up the dog, which we're nowhere near ready to do, what else can we do besides what I already described?

Re-home the dog to a home with no kids. The dog will be happier and less stressed there. And your family will be happier too.

[Anonymous]

My behaviorist vet says growling is very polite. She told me never scold growling, because you don't want to create a dog that skips the warning growl and goes straight into attack. Dogs only have so many ways to communicate. Growling is scary for humans but the dog doesn’t necessarily mean it to be.

The best kind of reactive dog is the one that barks or growls the moment he starts getting uncomfortable and then keeps his distance. He's making his boundaries crystal clear, he's starting at the lowest level of escalation, and he's heavily telegraphing a desire to avoid conflict. He might be loud and unhappy, but safely navigating his issues is easy.

This is exactly what OP is describing.

The worst kind of reactive dog is perfectly fine right until he isn't and stands his ground the entire time. You can't predict a dog like that. He's also leaving you no choice but to play chicken about which one of you is more dangerous. Unfortunately, training away a dog's signals of discomfort and then "dominating" him is a fabulous way of producing such a dog.

[Anonymous]

A bite might actually be less likely in OP’s house compared to some other posters in here because they are being so careful about noticing the dog’s warning signs and respecting his boundaries.

All dogs will bite if pushed to their limits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’ve had him 13 months. He’s very bonded to DH and I and let’s us get away with stuff I wouldn’t trust him to tolerate in the boys (like hugging him or spooning him when cuddling). He’s also very tolerant of our 11 year DD.

He’s given the boys more warning growls. So that’s why we read up on dog body language and taught them to approach hand first, turned backwards for a sniff, before reaching out and to scratch his chest, along his ears, or his back instead of patting the top of his head.

I’m making it sound like he doesn’t like or trust them and that’s not true. He is happy to see them in the morning and after school. He’s happy to see them if we come upon them outside on one of his walks. He runs over to actively solicit pets.

I guess the thing with the dog is, it has to be on his terms, especially with the boys. He does have a defined personal space and is not shy to protect his boundaries.

OMG OP. There are so many glaring red flags here that I don’t know where to start. Why are you making your children live this way? What lessons are you hoping they absorb by putting them through this?

Your dog needs a new home, without kids. And your sons need to understand that you care about their safety and that their safety is important to you.

+1 I cannot imagine why you would feel comfortable having an animal like this living in your home. Take a step back and think about your real priorities

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My behaviorist vet says growling is very polite. She told me never scold growling, because you don't want to create a dog that skips the warning growl and goes straight into attack. Dogs only have so many ways to communicate. Growling is scary for humans but the dog doesn’t necessarily mean it to be.

The best kind of reactive dog is the one that barks or growls the moment he starts getting uncomfortable and then keeps his distance. He's making his boundaries crystal clear, he's starting at the lowest level of escalation, and he's heavily telegraphing a desire to avoid conflict. He might be loud and unhappy, but safely navigating his issues is easy.

This is exactly what OP is describing.

The worst kind of reactive dog is perfectly fine right until he isn't and stands his ground the entire time. You can't predict a dog like that. He's also leaving you no choice but to play chicken about which one of you is more dangerous. Unfortunately, training away a dog's signals of discomfort and then "dominating" him is a fabulous way of producing such a dog.

She also called him snappy and he has a bite warning at doggy daycare. (I can't imagine what doggy daycare would agree to take a snappy dog. I hope ours wouldn't.)