Anonymous
Post 03/16/2025 14:17     Subject: Neighbors just adopted an 80lb adult pitbull
Anonymous wrote:You have no evidence that this dog is dangerous. All you can do is tell your children to completely ignore the dog and not run around when the dog is walking by. If you do this, the dog will not do anything to you or your kids.


Sigh. People like you are just so stupid. The dog GROWLED. He is expressing intense discomfort with his surroundings, and if the situation repeats itself, despite his attempts are telling the humans around him that he's uncomfortable, he might act to protect himself, or whatever else he thinks he should be doing. The situation is currently very fluid and highly volatile. Anything could happen.

Posters on here should not try to imprint morality on this dog, excuse him or attack him. That's not how dog psychology works. The dog will react in the way he tells you he will, out of long-standing habits he's developed. That's all. Take all judgment out of it.

You can judge the owners if they don't take adequate measures! OP has learned from this encounter. This is a potentially highly dangerous situation because at least some members of this dog's household are not reacting quickly and seriously enough to their dog's signals.

Anonymous
Post 03/16/2025 14:17     Subject: Re:Neighbors just adopted an 80lb adult pitbull
Another day, another anti-pit post in the pets forum.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2025 14:16     Subject: Neighbors just adopted an 80lb adult pitbull
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I foster and train very young puppies for a rescue. Pitbulls, taken early, can be trained to be just as safe as other breeds.

BUT

This one growled at you. That is incredibly concerning, OP. You must contact the neighbor and tell them that on no account must this dog enter your property and go near you or your children. He's 5, so it's going to be very difficult to train him out of his habits.

Get a camera, just in case something happens that you need to document. I'm sorry this is happening to you.


I would rather have a dog growl at me than just go and bite me for no reason! Of course, tell the neighbor what you said but, honestly the op invited the dog over. I can't imagine the dog owner would want to be near op since their dog didn't like op!


PP you replied to. No dog should ever growl at a person, period. I have a dog-aggressive northern breed that we keep a very close eye on and leash at all times, and he loves all humans - he would never even think of growling at a person. It sounds like these dog-owners are clueless so OP needs to tell them directly that this dog should be kept away from them at all costs.


Sure, have the owner keep the dog away. But, honestly some dogs do not like certain humans. Is it ideal? No, but, a growl is a warning which should not be punished. It is the way the dog communicated. Something op did that made the dog uncomfortable. My dog doesn't like kids and I can't train it out of him. That does not make me 'clueless' but, then again I don't put my dog in situations where there are lots of kids. Remember, the op invited the dog into their space. Perhaps the neighbor should have said no because the dog needs to adjust to being out of the shelter.

Point is the dog hasn't really done anything and op is perfectly within her rights to stay away.


This is exactly the sort of new-age dog owner nonsense that gets people hurt.


It isn't new age. Dog was uncomfortable or didn't like op and growled. dog owner moved away with dog and nothing happened ( more seriously)
And now op knows to stay away. If dog wasn't under control dog would have bitten.


If the dog was properly under control, it wouldn't have growled.

Anonymous
Post 03/16/2025 14:16     Subject: Neighbors just adopted an 80lb adult pitbull
Nightmare scenario, clueless dog owner and a large Pitbull! Nothing good comes of it! On my walking route there are two of them always going nuts on the porch when anyone is walking by. I shudder to think what will happen one day when they get loose. Even getting nipped by a dog is frustrating because of bacteria and what not.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2025 14:15     Subject: Neighbors just adopted an 80lb adult pitbull
Anonymous wrote:You have no evidence that this dog is dangerous. All you can do is tell your children to completely ignore the dog and not run around when the dog is walking by. If you do this, the dog will not do anything to you or your kids.


No. This is nonsense. Kids should be allowed to use their own yard without having to moderate their behavior because the neighbor's poorly-trained dog is out. The neighbor is 100% responsible for keeping their dog under control and in their own yard at all times unless specifically invited, regardless of what the kids next door may be doing.

Putting responsibility for the neighbors crappy dog on the kids next door is effing ridiculous. If you own a dog, you own full responsibility for the dog. Don't ever make someone else tell you your business. Damn.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2025 14:15     Subject: Neighbors just adopted an 80lb adult pitbull
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The real problem is the staff at the animal shelter. They are supposed to do some due diligence in ensuring the animal is a good fit for the adopting family and their home. What we almost certainly have here are shelter staff who ignore the statistics and continue to believe that pitbulls are simply misunderstood, and likely guilted the vulnerable adoptive family into taking it home. If there's an attack, the liability should fall squarely on the shelter. These are animals that should be destroyed.


This is nonsense. Nobody in a shelter is doing this, because they'll be the ones to get the dog back if/when it goes wrong. This is nonsense from the anti-pit crowd, talking about "statistics" that have been debunked on this forum time and again. You can tell it's bs because of the last sentence.

Ignorant people should also be destroyed, for the good of humanity and the planet.


Thank you pp. Well said
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2025 14:15     Subject: Neighbors just adopted an 80lb adult pitbull
Anonymous wrote:You have no evidence that this dog is dangerous. All you can do is tell your children to completely ignore the dog and not run around when the dog is walking by. If you do this, the dog will not do anything to you or your kids.


NP. And you have no evidence that it is not. The dog is a 5 year old rescue. I would talk to the neighbors in person and ask them if they know the history of the dog. Tell them the dog growled at you and you are concerned about the safety of the children in the neighborhood.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2025 14:13     Subject: Neighbors just adopted an 80lb adult pitbull
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I foster and train very young puppies for a rescue. Pitbulls, taken early, can be trained to be just as safe as other breeds.

BUT

This one growled at you. That is incredibly concerning, OP. You must contact the neighbor and tell them that on no account must this dog enter your property and go near you or your children. He's 5, so it's going to be very difficult to train him out of his habits.

Get a camera, just in case something happens that you need to document. I'm sorry this is happening to you.


I would rather have a dog growl at me than just go and bite me for no reason! Of course, tell the neighbor what you said but, honestly the op invited the dog over. I can't imagine the dog owner would want to be near op since their dog didn't like op!


PP you replied to. No dog should ever growl at a person, period. I have a dog-aggressive northern breed that we keep a very close eye on and leash at all times, and he loves all humans - he would never even think of growling at a person. It sounds like these dog-owners are clueless so OP needs to tell them directly that this dog should be kept away from them at all costs.


Sure, have the owner keep the dog away. But, honestly some dogs do not like certain humans. Is it ideal? No, but, a growl is a warning which should not be punished. It is the way the dog communicated. Something op did that made the dog uncomfortable. My dog doesn't like kids and I can't train it out of him. That does not make me 'clueless' but, then again I don't put my dog in situations where there are lots of kids. Remember, the op invited the dog into their space. Perhaps the neighbor should have said no because the dog needs to adjust to being out of the shelter.

Point is the dog hasn't really done anything and op is perfectly within her rights to stay away.


This is exactly the sort of new-age dog owner nonsense that gets people hurt.


It isn't new age. Dog was uncomfortable or didn't like op and growled. dog owner moved away with dog and nothing happened ( more seriously)
And now op knows to stay away. If dog wasn't under control dog would have bitten.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2025 14:12     Subject: Neighbors just adopted an 80lb adult pitbull
Anonymous wrote:The real problem is the staff at the animal shelter. They are supposed to do some due diligence in ensuring the animal is a good fit for the adopting family and their home. What we almost certainly have here are shelter staff who ignore the statistics and continue to believe that pitbulls are simply misunderstood, and likely guilted the vulnerable adoptive family into taking it home. If there's an attack, the liability should fall squarely on the shelter. These are animals that should be destroyed.


This is nonsense. Nobody in a shelter is doing this, because they'll be the ones to get the dog back if/when it goes wrong. This is nonsense from the anti-pit crowd, talking about "statistics" that have been debunked on this forum time and again. You can tell it's bs because of the last sentence.

Ignorant people should also be destroyed, for the good of humanity and the planet.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2025 14:11     Subject: Neighbors just adopted an 80lb adult pitbull
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I foster and train very young puppies for a rescue. Pitbulls, taken early, can be trained to be just as safe as other breeds.

BUT

This one growled at you. That is incredibly concerning, OP. You must contact the neighbor and tell them that on no account must this dog enter your property and go near you or your children. He's 5, so it's going to be very difficult to train him out of his habits.

Get a camera, just in case something happens that you need to document. I'm sorry this is happening to you.


I would rather have a dog growl at me than just go and bite me for no reason! Of course, tell the neighbor what you said but, honestly the op invited the dog over. I can't imagine the dog owner would want to be near op since their dog didn't like op!


I'd prefer neither, thanks! Control your damned dog.


Of course, but dogs are not robots and growling is communication. Humans yell and scream at each other quite frequently and while we don't like it IS communication and better than a blow to the head.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2025 14:10     Subject: Neighbors just adopted an 80lb adult pitbull
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I foster and train very young puppies for a rescue. Pitbulls, taken early, can be trained to be just as safe as other breeds.

BUT

This one growled at you. That is incredibly concerning, OP. You must contact the neighbor and tell them that on no account must this dog enter your property and go near you or your children. He's 5, so it's going to be very difficult to train him out of his habits.

Get a camera, just in case something happens that you need to document. I'm sorry this is happening to you.


I would rather have a dog growl at me than just go and bite me for no reason! Of course, tell the neighbor what you said but, honestly the op invited the dog over. I can't imagine the dog owner would want to be near op since their dog didn't like op!


PP you replied to. No dog should ever growl at a person, period. I have a dog-aggressive northern breed that we keep a very close eye on and leash at all times, and he loves all humans - he would never even think of growling at a person. It sounds like these dog-owners are clueless so OP needs to tell them directly that this dog should be kept away from them at all costs.


Sure, have the owner keep the dog away. But, honestly some dogs do not like certain humans. Is it ideal? No, but, a growl is a warning which should not be punished. It is the way the dog communicated. Something op did that made the dog uncomfortable. My dog doesn't like kids and I can't train it out of him. That does not make me 'clueless' but, then again I don't put my dog in situations where there are lots of kids. Remember, the op invited the dog into their space. Perhaps the neighbor should have said no because the dog needs to adjust to being out of the shelter.

Point is the dog hasn't really done anything and op is perfectly within her rights to stay away.


This is exactly the sort of new-age dog owner nonsense that gets people hurt.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2025 14:09     Subject: Neighbors just adopted an 80lb adult pitbull
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I foster and train very young puppies for a rescue. Pitbulls, taken early, can be trained to be just as safe as other breeds.

BUT

This one growled at you. That is incredibly concerning, OP. You must contact the neighbor and tell them that on no account must this dog enter your property and go near you or your children. He's 5, so it's going to be very difficult to train him out of his habits.

Get a camera, just in case something happens that you need to document. I'm sorry this is happening to you.


I would rather have a dog growl at me than just go and bite me for no reason! Of course, tell the neighbor what you said but, honestly the op invited the dog over. I can't imagine the dog owner would want to be near op since their dog didn't like op!


I'd prefer neither, thanks! Control your damned dog.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2025 14:07     Subject: Neighbors just adopted an 80lb adult pitbull
You have no evidence that this dog is dangerous. All you can do is tell your children to completely ignore the dog and not run around when the dog is walking by. If you do this, the dog will not do anything to you or your kids.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2025 14:07     Subject: Neighbors just adopted an 80lb adult pitbull
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I foster and train very young puppies for a rescue. Pitbulls, taken early, can be trained to be just as safe as other breeds.

BUT

This one growled at you. That is incredibly concerning, OP. You must contact the neighbor and tell them that on no account must this dog enter your property and go near you or your children. He's 5, so it's going to be very difficult to train him out of his habits.

Get a camera, just in case something happens that you need to document. I'm sorry this is happening to you.


I would rather have a dog growl at me than just go and bite me for no reason! Of course, tell the neighbor what you said but, honestly the op invited the dog over. I can't imagine the dog owner would want to be near op since their dog didn't like op!


PP you replied to. No dog should ever growl at a person, period. I have a dog-aggressive northern breed that we keep a very close eye on and leash at all times, and he loves all humans - he would never even think of growling at a person. It sounds like these dog-owners are clueless so OP needs to tell them directly that this dog should be kept away from them at all costs.


This. If the dog is growling at you because you're too close (e.g. sticking your head in its crate), that's a human problem that shouldn't be happening. But if the dog is on leash and growling, that is 100% a handler issue. And since the handler in this case was a child, this is a major problem that needs to be addressed directly, right away, ideally in writing so there's a record.

So many newer dog owners are, as pp said, clueless. It falls to those of us who know and do better to educate these noobs for our own protection, and to protect our dogs and families. It shouldn't be that way, but it is.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2025 14:06     Subject: Neighbors just adopted an 80lb adult pitbull
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Do you have an HOA?

Suggest going thru HOA to express your concerns. If not, yes, immediately put your concerns in writing - especially detail the dog growling-then deliver letter to the family in person. I’d begin the conversation with, “this is a very awkward thing to mention and I do y want it to harm our neighborly relationship, but I have some serious concerns about your new dog. I’ve had to put it in writing.”

My then preschool son was knocked over and attacked by a neighbors’ off leash dog that had wandered into our front yard. I was pregnant, and inside the door putting on my shoes and getting ready to walk to the school bus stop when I heard my son scream - it happened that fast! The dog was running away but I so wish I could have either been witness to the attack and intervened and or killed the dog. Horrific experience and this was a small spaniel, older family dog. My son had 15 stitches on his face and lip. Absolutely brutal.

Long story, but now that I think of it, get a few other neighbors on your side. This dog must never be allowed off leash, must be walked in a short leash (and possibly muzzled) and must always be supervised (never allowed to be at large either not even accidentally) and never allowed to be behind an “electric fence.”


If you brought this over to me it would harm our 'relationship' This dog is a living being and allowed to show discomfort ( growl) If the dog had bitten than sure you would have a fair argument. Obviously your experience pp was a horrible one but, op's situation is not the same


How many pitties do you have?? ❤️