I had a rescue Doberman dog. Sweetest dog ever but … he was unpredictable. Certain things (known only to him) would set him off and then you saw that 104lbs of attacking dog was unstoppable. We loved him and didn’t really see all the danger. Fortunately for us he had a genetic problem and died young. But we were CRAZY about that dog. Young. We were very young.

I’d be putting up a solid, tall fence.

Neighbors/acquaintances had a pair of rescue pit bulls years ago. DH and I agreed our kids would never be over there, but never told the neighbors.

We had them over for dinner one night, and they took our kids over for dessert while we were cleaning up. They meant well and had no idea we absolutely would not have not allowed this.

One pit was "nice" and the other was mean and unpredictable. Found the "nice" one of the pair pinning our early ES kid to the ground and then watched the two dogs "wrestle" to the point where one was left with a bleeding ear.

Trust your instincts and insist that the fence is fixed. Consider communicating to your kids there are dogs to steer clear of, and they should never go near the neighbor's new dog or go to the neighbor's house (do you even want to go to the neighbor's house any more?).

I have no doubt some pit bulls are wonderful animals. I wouldn't be willing to take the chance on having a pit bull that is also a rescue anywhere near my kids.

Friends had a rescue pit bull that was “a total sweetheart” and “would never hurt anyone.” They came home one day and the dog had literally torn off their front door and molding from the inside.

Anonymous wrote:Most of the tragic stories in the news about pit bulls are about dogs who were "total sweeties" until the moment they weren't.

Sorry, OP. I would be really upset as well. The broken fence doesn't exactly scream Responsible Dog Owner, either.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My best friend in college raised a pit bull from puppy to adult. Sweet as can be until it absolutely unprovoked bit my 18 month old DDs cheek. Luckily did not break skin. My friend-pregnant at the time-was heartbroken but immediately and responsibly sent to her parents who had rural, fenced in property. You are right to be cautious OP and the pit bull defenders are just wrong.

Sure it was.

Um, I was severely bitten by a family member’s sweet dog. I was on the other side of the room when he attacked. Never, ever was I afraid of him.

My dog and I were attacked by a “family dog” pit bull while walking by its yard in the other side of the fence, on a public sidewalk. It was completely unprovoked (I had a Golden retriever who had never met a dog she didn’t like), and the dog wanted to get to us so badly it broke through part of the fence to get to us. If the dog had not had a chain collar on for me to somehow grab and nearly strangle it, he would have killed my dog. I an so thankful I didn’t have children yet, and I was only walking my spry younger dog and not my senior.

Pit bulls have no place among modern society. All the training in the world won’t be enough to reliably overcome genetics. I’d be disappointed, too. Fix your fence. Brush up on local ordinances related to bully breeds. Some cities and HOAs have rules related to those and some homeowners/liability/umbrella policies will drop you if they find out you have one. Why is that???

When I periodically check the humane society, most of the dogs are pit bulls, why do you think that is?

Anonymous wrote:My best friend in college raised a pit bull from puppy to adult. Sweet as can be until it absolutely unprovoked bit my 18 month old DDs cheek. Luckily did not break skin. My friend-pregnant at the time-was heartbroken but immediately and responsibly sent to her parents who had rural, fenced in property. You are right to be cautious OP and the pit bull defenders are just wrong.

Sure it was.

Yuckkk… tell them you don’t trust the breed and only play dates at your home without the dog. Some people are just ignorant, OP. You may have to end hanging out, I also wouldn’t trust the dog around my kids. You’re not crazy.

Anonymous wrote:Does it hurt from clutching your pearls so hard? Dogs are only as bad as their owners…as are children. I don’t think the neighbors will be losing much by losing you as “friends”.

dogs are as bad as their owners. no one knows who the owners are. it's a rescue.

Anonymous wrote:They are idiots. You are absolutely right OP. I am sorry.

Team OP. I wouldn’t let my kids play there either.

Fence in your own yard and let the kids get together at your home. Be honest that you don’t trust that breed.

They are idiots. You are absolutely right OP. I am sorry.

Anonymous wrote:OP you are obviously correct.

Wrong.