Would you date/marry someone if they owned a pitbull or other dangerous breed?

[Anonymous]

I’m not in favor of pit bulls (the world has a lot of dogs already and it’s not worth it) but it would depend on the individual dog because a lot of them are perfectly lovely. But it would make me question the person’s judgment and I’d want to know more about why they had it.

[Anonymous]

No. They are unpredictable (as any animal can be) but because of their physical characteristics that have been heightened with breeding them to fight, this can be very dangerous.

Plus I find pitbull owners to be trashy. Sorry, not sorry.

[Anonymous]

If only people put this much thought into the person they date, there might be more successful marriages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Myths vs Fact: Pitbulls
THE TRUTH: Aggression is not a breed characteristic or personality trait, and is not specific to any one breed of dog.
THE TRUTH: Breed has nothing to do with it.
THE TRUTH: There is no such thing as a dog with a locking jaw.
THE TRUTH: Pit-bull-like dogs are actually some of the most popular types of dogs in America.

I'm a PP who basically wrote a longer version of "it depends - on the dog and the owner" - but I want to respond to this because I hear these comments all the time from pit bull lovers who are COMPLETELY missing the point.

The issue is not that pit bulls are "more aggressive than other dogs" and yes, the locking jaw thing isn't true.

This issue is that pit bulls are STRONG dogs. If a tiny little yappy dog gets mad and comes after me, worse case, I'm looking at a few stitches. If a pit bull gets mad and comes after me - I could DIE. And particularly, my child can die. It's not about the likelihood of an attack - it's about the severity of an attack. And while no, a pit bull does not have a locking mechanism in their jaw - their jaws are insanely strong.



The majority of fatal dog attacks are from pit bulls. Source:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2018/09/13/americas-most-dangerous-dog-breeds-infographic/#53a60a9562f8

+1 million. Pitbulls have "gameness". This was bred into them. It means that when they DO attack, they fight to kill. They will not be stopped, no matter what pain they are in, or what is done to them. THAT is what makes them so dangerous. Comparing these attacks to a bite from a Golden Retriever or a Pomeranian is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

I’m already married. I’d be really reluctant to even be friends with a pit bull owner. People who have pit bulls usually have them so they can talk about how misunderstood they are. I have better things to do.

[Anonymous]

What about a pet chicken? They can peck pretty hard

[Anonymous]

No, I think owning a pit bull (or any other dangerous pet) shows poor judgement. There are probably other areas of their life that are similarly questionable.

[Anonymous]

We have a rescue dog that we are pretty sure is a 50/50 Lab/Pit mix. He is the biggest doofus on the planet. You do need to be careful coming to my house, though, because when you sit down all 80lbs of him will sit on your lap. He might crush you. You also should be careful because his wagging tail is pretty strong and might leave a bruise on you leg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I'd live on edge due to the results of attacks in patients I have cared for.

What?

If my post was unclear in some way, I have cared for post-surgical patients who have needed initial and follow-up reconstructive surgery post dog attack from pit-bulls. There are bites and then there are maulings. The pit-bulls mauled the children and even the adults. So much physical and emotional trauma and these were both dogs of strangers/neighbours (so no proof of fight-training/abuse) as well as beloved family dogs (no fight-training/abuse). This is just my .02 and experience.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t date anyone who couldn’t set limits with their dog, pit bull or not. And that’s what matters - raising a dog appropriately.

Also, I find those videos of toddlers and babies snuggling with dogs disturbing rather than cute. I have had very loving dogs my whole life - from Irish Setters to pit mixes - but dogs get spooked and accidents happen. I don’t care if you have the most loving Golden Retriever in the world. Don’t let your toddler hug him around the neck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t date anyone who couldn’t set limits with their dog, pit bull or not. And that’s what matters - raising a dog appropriately.

Also, I find those videos of toddlers and babies snuggling with dogs disturbing rather than cute. I have had very loving dogs my whole life - from Irish Setters to pit mixes - but dogs get spooked and accidents happen. I don’t care if you have the most loving Golden Retriever in the world. Don’t let your toddler hug him around the neck!

Thank you! Someone else with common sense about children and dogs, no matter what breed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. They are unpredictable (as any animal can be) but because of their physical characteristics that have been heightened with breeding them to fight, this can be very dangerous.

Plus I find pitbull owners to be trashy. Sorry, not sorry.

You’re trashy...

[Anonymous]

I would never have children with a pit in the house. I have heard a pit owner defend her dogs who nipped at a friend because they were spooked by the doorbell. She says they are such sweeties and giggles how they hide under the bed during storms. Hon, those bitches still gonna bite your face off one day when they snap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends on the guy, depends on the dog. The vast, vast majority of time, no I would not have dated/married someone with a pitbull, particularly as I wanted children.

However, there are some pitbulls that are great with children, and some that are so well trained that I would feel comfortable with them, and some owners that are beyond responsible. I'd need all three to consider it. However, I would also make it clear that once his pitbull had lived out his (hopefully long and happy life), our next dog would not be a pit, as I was not interested in the kind of commitment it takes to range such a strong and potentially dangerous dog responsibly.

For example - a friend adopted a pitbull from another friend who died. That dog was so unbelievably safe. Not only was she trained from puppyhood to be extremely calm, obedient, and safe, some of her training was even designed around people's feelings - for example, she specifically kept her nose/mouth away from strangers. When the doorbell rang, she would bark twice, then walk away from the door to a little mat about 10 feet away and sit (so as not to ever startle or scare a new arrival) and then only come when called. She was also wonderfully sweet and a great pet. But I think that's rare and takes a level of pet-training commitment that few can muster.

Carolyn Hax, the advice columnist, FWIW, is a supporter of not judging by breed and has in fact posted pictures of her very young toddlers snuggling with her ex-husband's pitbull.

Lol, I’ll take my advice from my ER doc uncle who sees people come in with dog bites, most of them from their own dogs. Carolyn Hax shouldn’t be your source of wisdom.

[Anonymous]

Could you forgive when the pit bull attacks or maybe kills your child?