Pets are people, too

Hey Bud,
Thank you for sharing. I’ve been a soup sandwhich without my mutt Wheeler. Totally get it. Like J said. These critters got a lucky break finding us. Where would they have been otherwise.
Hang in there.

 

Sorry to hear that Sam. Sounds like you gave the dog a good home and made her a part of the family.

 

Incredible. Thanks for sharing.

 

@siata94, condolence for your family’s loss. Thanks for your great remembrances and thoughts. And for taking in an animal that was almost out of time and luck. Peace to you.

 

@siata94 Thanks for sharing... Terribly sorry to hear you lost a family member so suddenly.

 

And in a huge way, you got a lucky break finding her...where would you have been otherwise? I have had all kinds of breeds and currently have a staffy (another pit breed) Hands down, THE best dog I've had in my life. Sorry for the loss. Mourn her and then when you are ready, rescue another. It's a good thing.

 

My mistake, my original post is #25, not #24.

I really really appreciate, and need, the kind responses.

I must add... the lady that saved Emma... she is a part of our extended family, we were at her engagement party. She was also the first person that I'd notified while at the vet. An amazing amazing person!!!

Sharing some of our fav pics...






My son calls this The Bark Knight...

 

Allow me to introduce our newest family member Toby.

Toby came home with us this past Saturday. He's about 3 years old, super duper calm and incredibly friendly. The litmus test before he came home with us... he had 2 small very defensive dogs repeatedly snapped at his face and he just ignored them, while they were all off leash for about 20 mins. He seemed to enjoy getting bathed and having his ears cleaned (completely black), let's see when I brush his teeth and use the dental instruments to remove plaque... He greets new people by just sitting down and letting them pet and kiss his face, he loves tummy rubs. Walking on leash requires near zero corrections. He's about 45 lbs, prob can gain 5 more lbs. The wife/kids already absolutely adore him.

I should add... Our "requirement specs" was female, medium sized, must be people/dog friendly. We spent 6 hours visiting 10 pups, first 8 were females (as requested) and we very much liked 2 females with one leading candidate. Then the 2 boys came and we're thinking we were done already ... Until Toby derailed everything and stole the show and hearts.

As Jeremy Clarkson/Top Gear is fond of saying, "Ambitious but rubbish".

Some backgrounds on Toby... Apparently he was "rolled over" with a vehicle by an angry spouse due to infidelity and survived the last 2+ years in the shelter/rescue. He seems perfectly normal now though altho there might be a slight hitch in his steps. We haven't ran him yet...

 

An absolute gentleman and a beautiful addition to your crew, @siata94. Big congratulations! And a salute to you and your family for opening your home to a new member. Everybody wins. Enjoy!

 

And I was coming to this thread to post that my puppy just ate the headphones that came with my new phone. I like your post better... Congratulations.

 

@siata94 Congrats! Good on you for choosing a Pit! As a Lab/ Pit owner I know how people can look down on the Pit breed, but when they’re raised in a loving, healthy and disciplined environment they’re just amazing family members(pretty great running companions too)!

 

I really don't want people to hate me for saying this... but you can't unbreed 10 generations of behavior just by keeping a dog in a loving home.

There is a reason why pit breeds are the #1 shelter dog in SoCal. It's because they are a favorite of immigrant families who use them for guarding (in the best case) or fighting (in the worst). These dogs have been bred for generations for the work they do, and you can't assume that if you get a pup from two aggressive guard dogs you will end up with an "amazing family member". If you don't know a dog's genealogy, you are rolling the dice. Sometimes you will get lucky, and you will end up with an exception. Sometimes, however, you will end up with the rule. This isn't personal bias, it is biological science. It takes about ten generations to breed aggression into (or out of) a dog line. I worked with attack dogs in the military (not bomb dogs - attack dogs) and also worked in the pet food industry where we sponsored the national obedience dog trials. You can't fool Mother Nature.

Get a pit breed from a reputable breeder who can show positive disposition and intelligence for at least four generations - and you will probably have an excellent pet! But a shelter pit from SoCal... I wouldn't have one around a child... ever.

 

The breed scares me to death. I hope Toby is the exception he appears to be.

 

I wonder how many generations it takes to breed aggression out of a human lineage.

 

I can trace 13 generations in one of my lines, and the aggression ain't going anywhere.

 

That's sad. For the nearly 30 years I've been at UPS I've never seen an aggressive pit. It's usually the Rottweilers and German Shepherds that show aggression. Not saying they can't be trained to be mean AF. I've just never seen it in person.

 

You're not a frolicking child...

I am glad to hear you have never had issues with a Pit Bull in your line of work.

 

If you are interested, this is a great read. Check out the first two videos of "aggressive" versus "tame" behavior.

Breeding for behavioral traits in silver foxes

That first fox will kick your ass Tell me you can watch that second video and not want a friendly silver fox for a pet

 

The majority of guard dogs we used at the nuclear sites in Germany were shepherds, though there were a few rottweilers mixed in. Super smart. Super strong. Zero fear of humans. Most weren't mean - they just knew their job was to take bad people down, and they weren't afraid to do it. There were a few mean ones though, that despite coming from the same lines and going through the same training, decided they just didn't like people. At best you could hope for an equal partnership with a handler. In some cases they would outright reject, or attack, their handler. These were not dogs you would want to walk up to and reach out to pet. They wouldn't growl. They wouldn't bark. They would just bite. Sadly... they could never live in residential society, even though I have heard of some bomb dogs (mainly Belgian malinois) being allowed to "retire" with their handlers and return to the states. The big guard dogs... no way.

 

I grew up with big dogs, three Rottweilers, an Aussie Shepherd, Labs, and my favorite dog was a Lab/German Shepherd mix. They were all super sweet and never once snapped at me or anyone in my family, but they were protective for sure and my parents did not let little kids get in their faces.

In high school and part of college I was a pool cleaner so I had a lot of interactions with dogs, my favorites were the big ones. Little ankle biters were more dangerous to me and I only had incidents with those little freaks. There were a few bigger dogs that had to warm up to me but I think my experience around bigger dogs helped me give off an “ok, this guys cool” vibe to them.

I never, nor will I ever, let my kids get close to dogs we do not know. Big or small, doesn’t matter to me. People that think their dogs will never snap at someone they are not familiar with are blind to reality. Don’t tell me that your dog has never been aggressive or would never be, you don’t know until it happens which is too late.

Too many stories like this recent one where the owner told the family the dog has never been aggressive.

https://www.today.com/parents/4-year-old-boy-mauled-death-pit-bull-his-home-t166128

 

Just like the day I got bit by a dog out at Blackstar. 2 ladies walking with 3 dogs.....off leash. Dogs were easily 50-100’ ahead of the owners. A lab, an ankle biter and a medium sized dog. The lab and the ankle biter just ignored me....the medium sized dog ran right up and snapped at my ankle.

I stopped, while looking at my bloody ankle, the owners started to pass by not even paying attention. She was almost passed me when she asked how that happened. I said your dog bit me. “That can’t be, my dog doesn’t bite people”. Well my ankle didn’t start bleeding on it own. I did berate her about dogs being off leash.

i went to Continue i my ride but was kissed off and turned around. When I passed those same ladies again, all 3 dogs were on short leash.

I didn’t report it. Hindsight...I should have.

 

I didn't go looking for this story, but it is in the national news:

Woman killed by her great danes

I got bit by an aggressive boxer outside my daughter's elementary school. I ended up going to the emergency room to have them clean the bite wounds (on my arm). The Police checked out the dog, and since its shots were current, I didn't press any charges and let the matter lie (though I incurred some nice medical bills). About a year later I got a call on the phone from ANOTHER person bitten by the same dog - who got my name and contact info from the Police report of my attack. In this case the boxer was on a leash, but still attacked someone who was on the sidewalk coming towards the owner. I think the only way you get someone's attention is to sue them for punitive damages because they continue to take their dangerous dog out in public.

 

@siata94 , sorry this seemed to turn into a bash your breed thread. Hope it doesn't detract from your new dog stoke. Hope the new pup works out for you and your family and good on you for saving a shelter dog.

 

You just reminded me. There are no bad dogs, just bad dog owners. I think Cesar Millan said that. I have to agree.

 

No worries Paul, I appreciate the conversation. It's divisive, like so many topics. It's good to hear different sides with an open mind.

Truth is I'm also terrified of pits (read post #25), as well as any other breeds, large and small, with irresponsible owners. Who knows if it's been vaccinated or not. My nephew had a 120lb pit, insists it's the sweetest dog, but it's way too powerful and even with 20+ years with pits, I just couldn't read its personality at all, and I have never interacted with it, nor would anyone else in the family. My MTB buddy also has a 120lb pit, he is as sweet as they come, lives in the home with kids and he used to be Emma's best buddy.

We all have different experiences... I have been bitten by a pit, an Irish Setter and various mutts... My inlaws had several Cocker Spaniels and they bit, punctures and blood, everyone in the family many times over the years. The CSs were bought as puppies from pet shops, no doubt inbreds w/ serious issues. Irresponsible owners (breeders in this case). Personally I'd have euthanized those dogs, they were not fit to be pets.

I've been fortunate with our 4 pit rescues the last 20+ years. For sure I'm not the only one...

 

That would be me! And as thrashed as I may end up, I will have any dog for breakfast if necessary.

 

Nobody going to bring up the lady strangled by the python?

Pets that hurt other animals are not people, too.

 

That is hilarious!!! Thank you for the Post of the day!!!

 

Replace "immigrant families" with "irresponsible owners"... many of which are neither immigrants nor family folks...

 

I'd be interested to know how you draw the conclusion that a pit that will not maul it's owner is the exception. I guess the millions of people with pits that have not eaten their children's faces are just super lucky.....

Coo-laid.....