Pit Bulls - Tell me your experiences

So I've been watching alot of Pit Boss on Animal Planet, and those dogs just reallllly seem like the breed for me. I'm aware that they will need hardcore training, and special-ish care. I'm totally prepared to do serious training. But also, I'm going to wait to actually get a pit bull 'till I move out and own a house, or rent a house, with a good landperson. So I've got a while to prepare myself and learn as much as I can about them before I dive in headfirst.

My friend Alec's family has 2 pits, they love me. My friend Jamie has 4 pits and 2 of them are service/therapy dogs. My friend Sarah just rescued 2 female pits, they're extremely exciteable and need training but I like them alot.

Also, I kinda think they're in the same boat as rats. Alot of misconceptions about them. Like "All rats are smelly stupid gross disease-ridden pests!" where we all know that is a big ol' lie. Just like "All pit bulls are evil bitey vicious killing machines of doom!". I know that's another big ol' lie. But I digress.

So I want to know your experiences with them, please!

In Ontario they're illegal but LJ's two dogs were old enough to survive the ban. I'm a huge dog person and I've trained/exercised alot of breeds but never an APBT, so it was really exciting to meet them.

The first time I walked in the door her boy jumped up to give me a kiss and kept darting back and forth between wiggling around LJ's legs and checking me out. Her little female waited patiently and when I bent down to pet her she rolled onto her back immediately for belly rubs. Sadie has a cute little quirk where she takes you by the hand to lead you to where she wants you, so she took me over to a chair where Brutus wouldn't bounce on her. lol

I learned that both of them excelled in obedience and got a little demonstration, they were mostly too excited to get complicated. :giggle: When we went upstairs to the rat room both of them sat outside the door even if it was open and watched happily. There was no eye-tracking, focusing, or anxiety - just two happy dogs waiting for us to come out and pet them. They were really respectful.

I learned that her dogs were very social with others when they were young but as adults they aren't too fond of them [except each other], so she just doesn't force interaction on them and everyone is happy. Sadie's best friend is a kitty named Tickles but Brutus thinks it's fun to give the cats some exercise from time to time. When we were watching TV Sadie stretched out in my lap, belly up, and cuddled. I was playing with her ears and smooshing her face with kisses and tickling her and she couldn't have been happier. Brutus was jealous so he had to get a slice of lovins too haha.

Honestly, I can't say enough good about them. I volunteered with a pit rescue group all through high school, and even the rescues from awful situations were sweet dogs. In the almost 6 years I spent, they only had to put down 1 dog because he was too aggressive to rehome, and he was taken out of a fight ring situation, so its understandable that he'd not respond to people when people were the ones that mistreated him for so long. A lot of sad stories with that volunteer job, but a lot of amazing ones, too.

I've had 2: a red-nose/mastiff female, Xaida, who was the biggest baby you'd ever meet...scared of thunder, she used to knock over the la-z-boy trying to hide under it, and Buddha who sadly was staying with a friend of mine for a few weeks during a tumultuous move and escaped the yard, getting hit by a car. Xai was shy and quiet, Buddha was rambunctious and a little social butterfly, he never met anything that moved that he didn't like! (and a few things that didn't, too....he had an infatuation with licking my fridge and challenging it to play. Weird little dude.)

I'm waiting on a first floor apartment to get a new pup, as right now I'm on a 3rd floor, and housebreaking would be a little difficult.

Pits are extremely expressive, in my opinion, moreso than most other breeds. Its easy to convey their temperment just by looking at their face. Some of the bigger pits (they cover a spanse of a lot of breeds, "pitbull" is just a loose term that covers them) are intimidating because of sheer bulk, but if you're willing to invest the time and training and assert yourself as master/alpha, they're the gentlest brutes in the world.

Honestly, they aren't -hard- to train, they just need consistancy and repetition like any other breed. It is VERY important, when renting, to make sure the breed is ok to have on the property. I know here, at least, most landlords are worried about the pricejump in insurance on the building, so many places just say no dogs at all. Research and spending time with all the pibbles you know now are a great way to get used to some of the breed mannerisms.

I've never met one. Well I met one at an SPCA walk-a-thon but I didn't get to spend much time with him. He was very sweet and cuddly though. But besides that I've never been able to spend much time with any. With the right training and the right person it seems like they tend to be excellent dogs. =)

There are two pits at the dog park and they are very well-behaved and gentle. But their owners had them in obedience classes since they were puppies and continue their training in adulthood. They also exercise their dogs daily. My dog is part pit-bull and she is a sweetheart but high energy (perhaps because she is also part border collie).

Be prepared to be persecuted by your insurance company, and certainly, if you don't own your own home, you may not find a landlord willing, unless you prove you have insurance.

Personally, I like the breed, I have many that attend my training classes, and they are awesome.

One thing, if I owned one, I would own an American Staffordshire Terrier, I really wish they would get rid of that Pit Bull name...

I like the breed. We had a lot of nice ones come through our shelter. Strong, energetic, intelligent....can be very prey driven. NOT the dog for everyone....not a breed I would want for myself. To much baggage comes with them......you have to be so careful. What any other breed of dog would get away with...such as accidentally knocking down a child, getting into a small scuffle with another dog a pit bull and its owner would be in HUGE trouble.
I would say look at local shelters and don't concentrate on the breed but on the temperament. You can find a pitty looking type dog with a great temperament

I have very little experience with the breed, and it's sad they have such a bad reputation. I will just emphasize though, that they are terriers and as a breed were bred to catch and kill rats. I have friends that have rats and a Wheaten Terrier and although he's a very nice dog, sometimes he can't help himself. One night when everyone was asleep, he knocked over the rat cage. He's not aggressive and well trained but he cannot be trusted around the rats so they have to keep him off the third floor (where the rats live) with a baby gate. He's happier because the temptation is no longer there and half the family sleeps on the second floor so he is not lonely either. I'm sure not all terriers are like that, but it's something to keep in mind if you have rats and a terrier, or any other pet that could harm a rat.

Pit bulls were not bred to catch rats, they were bred to fight

Marylou Mader said:

Pit bulls were not bred to catch rats, they were bred to fight

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victoria is referring to the terrier breed in general not the pits in particular ie the rat terrier.

Yes, like I said I have little experience with American Staffoordshire Terriers, but they are terriers, and I do have experience with terriers and rats - the friends I mentioned are a family I used to babysit for and spent a lot of time at their house, both as a babysitter and guest. I just wanted to make sure Zoe was aware of the possible incompatibility between a terrier and her rats.

Marylou Mader said:

Pit bulls were not bred to catch rats, they were bred to fight

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Actualy, they werent bred to ight they were originally a bull bating breed, made to hold off bulls so that humans could safely escape. The agression was bred in by people who noticed potential for a good "fighting" dog. Over the centuries, humans have chosen the agressive ones, for fighting and gaurding and such. Bully breeds are actually supposed to have even temperments, and be good dogs. a good pit can be housed with other animals and trained not to attack. any breed can be viscious.

thats my two cents ill shut up now.

http://www.akc.org/breeds/american_staf ... e_terrier/
Until the early 19th century, the Bulldog used for bullbaiting in England was more active and longer-legged than the breed as we know it today. It is thought that the cross of this older Bulldog and a game terrier breed created the Staffordshire Terrier. Originally called the Bull-and-Terrier Dog, Half and Half or Pit Dog, it became known as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier in England. When accepted for AKC registration in 1936, the name changed to American Staffordshire Terrier to reflect the heavier American type and to distinguish them as separate breeds.

I have not owned a pitty (yet) but I have owned another "aggressive" dog, a rotti. He was the sweetest, gentlist dog, a great big smooshy. He died 4 years ago at the age of 16. I have been around animals all my life and the only time I was attacked was by a miniature black poodle! I've also grown up around cops and sheriffs and they always told me it's not the big dogs you need to worry about, it's "those damn ankle biters" .

pitbulls are some of the sweetest dogs i've met my brother i got him a pure breed blue nose pitty puppy he ccame from a not so great home ( we got her for free of CL) we get her she was tiny and her little belly was bloated we think from not being fed regularly and now almost a year later she's the most beautiful little girl and just sweet she grew up with my bostons and my cats and my nephew rough houses with her all the time my moms boyfreind also has a pit and there super smart yabut willon his head till his owner says to take it off lol i want one someday but not now lol but if you think there the dog for you Get one!

I never seen a Pitbull before I brought home my Sasha Bear in 2003. I didn't even know what a Pitbull was. My Sasha is half Pitbull, half Pointer. Since I brought her home from the petstore (not bought, but rescued) I decided to look up this breed and do my homework on it. I didn't realize what I got myself into!! Thankfully Sasha is a very calm big oaf, without a lick of Pitbull personality. She would be a good beginner dog to someone new to the breed. Anyways, after learning the most about the breed that I could find in this noggin of mine, I decided to go out in search for a pure bred to add to our home. I ended up getting Fate, a Staffordshire Terrier. BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER was having 2 females. I ended up loosing my Sasha, I had to rehome her because they were fighting. Thankfully my mother adored her. Fate stayed with me, it was hard to choose but I just couldnt see someone taking on such a problamatic dog and honestly my mother would have sent her on her way to the vet haha She was hyper, barked a lot, seperation anxiety, distructive, dog aggressive, people aggressive.... you name it, she was.

Flash fowards 6 years and A LOT of work, Fate is the most loving dog. She is calm, she is purely amazing. She loves everyone, sometimes I bit too much (hehe) but overall, I am proud to show her off to people. You would not believe the ammount of people who have avoided my home because I have a 'Pitbull' only to be forced into meeting my dog (muhaha) and now they come here purely to visit Fate.

What I am saying though, Pitbulls are not a dog you go out a get on a whim. Don't do what I did, learn learn learn and prepare yourself for everything! Pitbulls are a little bit of extra work, but they are soo worth it. Be prepared for dog agression, personally I wouldnt have two dogs of the same sex with one or both being Pitbull. They just happen to be the wrong breed for us, but I made a commitment to my dogs. We wont own another sadly, at least not another puppy! But I take every chance I can to give a Pitty a kiss.

But, where I live... 80% of Pitbull owners are not worth the air they breathe. Most Pits around here are not taken care of properly, tied out, not socialized. It breaks my heart. But, I have yet to meet one here that is not approachable. Everyone of them greet you with a floppy tongue and waggin' tail. I love me some Pitbulls!

Great dogs! BUT Not for everyone.

Be prepared for dirty looks and nasty comments. People can't seem to keep those to themselves when it comes to pit bulls.

Be prepared for possible problems finding a house. Many landlords and insurance companies won't serve families with pit bulls.

Be prepared for intense obedience training. Pit bulls can be stubborn and need a LOT of training.

Be prepared for intense exercise programs. Pit bulls are very high energy and need LOTS of exercise to wear them out. A tired pittie is a good pittie.

Be prepared for adjustments. In my experience, they aren't quite the same as other dogs.

Pit bulls are loyal, loving, friendly, intelligent, high energy, strong-willed, and sometimes stubborn and bull-headed. A good pit bull will NEVER raise a lip to a human, that is, they are NOT supposed to be human aggressive, period. However a pit bull CAN be dog aggressive. You need to be careful about this. I have heard of many pit bulls who were great with other dogs for years, then one day decided they didn't like other dogs any more. Be prepared for this. They were developed from terriers, and many DO have a high prey drive. I would not trust a pit bull around small animals, particularly rodents.

My dog is very subtle in her body cues too. I have heard many pit bulls are like this. If you are used to reading body language on other dogs, forget it with a pit bull - you will have some learning to do. For example, my dog can be standing there, everything seemingly fine, then suddenly lash out at the dog standing next to her. She gave signals, but most inexperienced people didn't catch them. Her fur is so short you can't see her hackles, her growl is so low you can't hear it, and she'll curl her lip only ever so slightly so you can barely see it. I can see all these signals now, because I know her. I can also see "the look", the tension in her body, how she holds her tail, her ears, etc. I now know how to read her, but when I first got her, it was HARD. Most other people who aren't used to the subtle body language can't ready her.

Sorraia said:

I can also see "the look", the tension in her body, how she holds her tail, her ears, etc. I now know how to read her, but when I first got her, it was HARD. Most other people who aren't used to the subtle body language can't ready her.

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This is my dog to a T... the "look" is the best way to describe it

I agree with everything you said, and yes a tired Pit is a happy Pit for sure! And a happy Momma!

Sorraia said:

Great dogs! BUT Not for everyone.

Be prepared for dirty looks and nasty comments. People can't seem to keep those to themselves when it comes to pit bulls.

Be prepared for possible problems finding a house. Many landlords and insurance companies won't serve families with pit bulls.

Be prepared for intense obedience training. Pit bulls can be stubborn and need a LOT of training.

Be prepared for intense exercise programs. Pit bulls are very high energy and need LOTS of exercise to wear them out. A tired pittie is a good pittie.

Be prepared for adjustments. In my experience, they aren't quite the same as other dogs.

Pit bulls are loyal, loving, friendly, intelligent, high energy, strong-willed, and sometimes stubborn and bull-headed. A good pit bull will NEVER raise a lip to a human, that is, they are NOT supposed to be human aggressive, period. However a pit bull CAN be dog aggressive. You need to be careful about this. I have heard of many pit bulls who were great with other dogs for years, then one day decided they didn't like other dogs any more. Be prepared for this. They were developed from terriers, and many DO have a high prey drive. I would not trust a pit bull around small animals, particularly rodents.

My dog is very subtle in her body cues too. I have heard many pit bulls are like this. If you are used to reading body language on other dogs, forget it with a pit bull - you will have some learning to do. For example, my dog can be standing there, everything seemingly fine, then suddenly lash out at the dog standing next to her. She gave signals, but most inexperienced people didn't catch them. Her fur is so short you can't see her hackles, her growl is so low you can't hear it, and she'll curl her lip only ever so slightly so you can barely see it. I can see all these signals now, because I know her. I can also see "the look", the tension in her body, how she holds her tail, her ears, etc. I now know how to read her, but when I first got her, it was HARD. Most other people who aren't used to the subtle body language can't ready her.

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I agree!!
They are certainly not the dog for everyone....and not a first time dog IMO

I have met a lot of Pit Bulls and I absolutely adore them! They are some of the most well behaved dogs that I have ever met. They are extremely loyal, affectionate and loving companions. But I have to give credit where credit is due - the ones I have met have had the most loving and responsible owners that you will ever come by.
Having said that, they are also higher maintenance and, like any other large breed dog, people need to do thorough research and cover ALL the bases. They HAVE to be properly trained, social and non fearful in order to be well adjusted companions. If you cut corners, you risk having a dog that the media just loves to give attention to.
My biggest concern about Pit Bulls is what we do to them and not the other way around. Thousands of them are being destroyed in shelters in areas that don't have bans. Thousands more are used to fight and are trained to be aggressive and angry. We have no real respect for them in North America, and the number of aggressive Pit Bulls in North American shelters and animal control facilities illustrates that.
I just hope that one day we will have actually earned their companionship.