Edited because I didn't clarify things enough and didn't want to offend people
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfMVH4wY5Pg <-- good video on how to get a pit bull to let go once it latches on always carry a break stick

This post is extremely misinformed. It is myths like this that propogate bad breed reputations and are the "reason" for BSL.

1) Pit Bulls were not bred to fight. They were bred as companion animals.

2) "No responsible pit bull owner would bring their dog to a dog park". That is bull. There are just as many dog aggressive other breeds that get brought to dog parks. If they are a responsible owner, then it's likely their dog is just fine, REGARDLESS of breed.

3) Never leave your dog unattended with ANY unfamiliar dog. They are DOGS. Scuffles happen, not just with pits.

It is amazing to me that someone who owns a breed that is under scrutiny a lot (huskies) and know that the scrutiny isn't true can be so judgemental of another breed that has a bad rep. Pit bulls are popular dogs right now, so there is a ton of overbreeding and bad breeding, leading to irresponsible owners and damaged dogs. That is why there seems to be an increased number of attacks, there is an extreme overpopulation right now.

I was going to comment and say that your post contains a lot of stereotyping for a breed that, like our own, tends to get misrepresented by bad dog owners and breeding. Sara said everything I would have wanted to.

Wow, and now you just go and delete your post. Mature. It is not that I was offended. I was simply stating that you are grossly misinformed. Deleting your post makes it so no one else can learn from this thread.

I actually pm'd you because I didn't want people to get offended and clear somethings up

Not to stir the pot but many Pit Bull advocates do encourage others to not bring their dogs to dog parks. It is not uncommon to think that. Personally I agree with it. But that's neither here nor there.

I do think while most may not love Pit Bulls we need to see through their owners eyes: they are being subjected to some pretty harsh laws due to their breed alone. I agree, there are some who are dog aggressive and would be "dangerous" but to try to wipe out a whole breed due to irresponsible ownership and stigma is wrong. Our Huskies get a lot of negative press, we don't want to be the next Pit Bull. We need to stand together against BSL because fundamentally it is wrong.

And if it wasn't obvious, calm down.

arooroomom wrote:

Not to stir the pot but many Pit Bull advocates do encourage others to not bring their dogs to dog parks. It is not uncommon to think that. Personally I agree with it. But that's neither here nor there.

I do think while most may not love Pit Bulls we need to see through their owners eyes: they are being subjected to some pretty harsh laws due to their breed alone. I agree, there are some who are dog aggressive and would be "dangerous" but to try to wipe out a whole breed due to irresponsible ownership and stigma is wrong. Our Huskies get a lot of negative press, we don't want to be the next Pit Bull. We need to stand together against BSL because fundamentally it is wrong.

And if it wasn't obvious, calm down.

I pm'd her I think I just worded it wrong for people and I didn't want anyone else to get offended by it.

No one is worked up. I do understand the deletion of the post now, as the wording of it was not exactly right for what Kim was trying to convey. No biggie.

I did put the link for the break stick back up because I do believe everyone should have one especially if you're going to a dog park the sooner you can get them to let go the less damage they will inflict

Its a good link, he's definitely right, don't ever grab a dog by the back legs (not sure why you would in the first place, that leaves the head with all those teeth free!)

Pit bulls were actually originally bred to be hunting dogs, because of the lockjaw they have. Hound dogs couldn't take on a boar the way a pit could. Its also the lockjaw that made people want to use them for fighting ( I have a friend with a pit, she made sure to inform me of all this.)

One thing to remember, in the 70's we blamed the german shepard, in the 80's we blamed the rottweiler, in the 90's we blamed the pit bull. The only thing all three of those breeds have in common are the owners. When are we going to start looking at the real problem?

cinnamonbits wrote:

Its a good link, he's definitely right, don't ever grab a dog by the back legs (not sure why you would in the first place, that leaves the head with all those teeth free!)

Pit bulls were actually originally bred to be hunting dogs, because of the lockjaw they have. Hound dogs couldn't take on a boar the way a pit could. Its also the lockjaw that made people want to use them for fighting ( I have a friend with a pit, she made sure to inform me of all this.)

One thing to remember, in the 70's we blamed the german shepard, in the 80's we blamed the rottweiler, in the 90's we blamed the pit bull. The only thing all three of those breeds have in common are the owners. When are we going to start looking at the real problem?

someone told me a long time ago that it "throws the dog off balance and makes them let go" Before I knew about break sticks I tried it it seemed like it made them hold on tighter if anything. They've actually studied the pit bulls jaws and found no locking mechanism they believe it's just sheer stubbornness that helps them hold on

also there was dobermans "their brain swells and they go crazy"

amora wrote:

They've actually studied the pit bulls jaws and found no locking mechanism they believe it's just sheer stubbornness that helps them hold on

You're right about that. Pitt bulls just happen to have a larger jaw muscle, making theirs jaws a bit stronger and therefore, able to hold on tighter and longer.

Quote :

someone told me a long time ago that it "throws the dog off balance and makes them let go" Before I knew about break sticks I tried it it seemed like it made them hold on tighter if anything

Kinda like grabbing a gator by the tail huh? Not a good idea.

And I totally forgot about dobbie's.  

Wait really? Who would possibly believe that? Brain swelling is just silly...

They seriously used to believe because a dobermans head was so small their brain kept growing and one day they would just snap...they've also tried to say this now days about pit bulls

Wow. That's ridiculous! What about greyhounds? They have even smaller heads.

their brains are in their legs???
I find it funny because Stryker's head is HUGE lol his brain could swell and swell and there would still be room

Yeah, that's funny about pits, I can't say I've ever seen one with a small head!

Also this is why I believe responsible pit owners usually will not bring their dog to a dog park
(going to copy and paste)
"More often than they should, pit bull owners wonder about the dog park issue, finding themselves explaining to others that their dog is not a "killing machine," it is not "one of those pit bulls" and there is no reason that their dog can’t enjoy off leash time with unknown dogs. Some will even insist that "you only add to the misconception toward this breed when you don't allow your friendly pit bull to go to the dog park.” After all, these people argue that it is all about "how we raise them" and providing socialization is the key to no problem dogs. Unfortunately, that’s not true.

Dog aggression in our own dogs should not be a problem. Good management and knowledge prevent trouble. Responsible and caring pit bull owners have done their homework and know what to expect from the breed. This breed's genetic traits involve dog aggression, to varying degrees. Even the most well socialized pit bull can one day decide that other dogs are not play buddies. It happens most often when the dog reaches maturity between two and three years of age, and it can happen without apparent reason.

Here are some good articles for basic breed information:

http://www.pbrc.net/breedinfo.html
http://www.realpitbull.com/fight.html

Because of the breed's background, it is unfair to expect dogs to behave the way we want them to when it comes to dog aggression and dog to dog relationships. We set our dogs up for failure when we decide to let them off leash in a public place and allow them to romp with other dogs. Dog parks are a place where people like to chit chat with each other, paying very little attention to what happens around their dogs. Posturing, body language, subtle looks and even vocalization are often misunderstood or overlooked by dog owners. Even when dogs let us know what is about to happen we might not see what is happening until it is too late. Most dog owners have no idea of what body language means, and don’t know how to intervene if things go wrong. They panic, scream, yell, and hit the attacking dog; all of which often just makes things worse. A fight between two dogs can be hard enough to stop; now imagine a fight among 4 or 5 of them. In fights like these, pets and even people can be seriously injured.

Dog parks are also a place where unknown dogs are present. We don't know if they’re fully vaccinated or in good health. They can be sick and our dogs can get ill as well.
We don't know if they are truly friendly dogs or if they may be aggressive. Everybody's dog is friendly, according to their owners. When the "friendly" dog decides to snap at ours, a fight starts.
Who is going to be blamed for that fight? Will it be the pit bull or the cute little fluffy dog? The answer is obvious.

Here is the story of one accident at a dog park, involving a pit bull.:

http://www.badrap.org/rescue/dogpark.cfm

Below is an article about a pit bull named Nettie that attacked a police horse, in San Francisco, in 2003. Nettie was let off leash at a public park by her irresponsible owner. The dog did nothing wrong, but she was set up for failure by the person who should have protected her. Nettie belonged to an SPCA volunteer and she was often taken to senior centers to comfort the elderly. Nettie was a good dog. This pretty pit bull female paid the price for her owner’s ignorance and irresponsibility with her life. Many dogs have lost their lives the same way, due to the same kind of irresponsibility. It took her life for her owner to "get it.” Like most situations of this sort, the events that ultimately resulted in Nettie’s unfair death were totally preventable.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2003/11/23/horse23.DTL


Each time a pit bull is allowed to harm another pet all pit bull owners and their dogs suffer. One common defensive reaction of dog park lovers is "the dog is mine and it is nobody's business where I take it.” This is not true. It is every pit bull owner's business as well. We are surrounded by BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) all over the Country. The news media report dog to dog attacks or dog to cat/cow/horse/sheep attacks almost every day, and with the same attention as if Osama Bin Laden had been captured. Reporters often compare human aggression to animal aggression. How many times do we hear "it was a dog but it could have been a child"?
It is ridiculous but it happens every day. “There goes another vicious pit bull attacking an innocent dog or cat!” What happens after a pit bull attacks another dog in the neighborhood or at the local dog park? It is like we suddenly own wild animals that have no right to exist. Our friendly neighbor suddenly stops talking to us and no longer lets her children come around our dog. The person we used to walk our dog with is no longer available because she fears for her pet. The two men down the street no longer come and pet our dog when we walk by their homes or rush into the house if they have their dogs with them. People ask for a ban. We did not change and our dog is the same as always but this is the result of one mistake, caused by someone who obviously did not care about the rest of us. It is a sad situation to be in.

This breed doesn't need any more accidents, we can't afford them. We are in this situation thank to those who failed their own dogs. When a whole breed suffers because of someone's action it is our business as well. No doubt on that.
Vet bills aren't cheap, emotions can be overwhelming, the guilt stays, so why to risk it? It isn't fair that only one breed is targeted when dogs of other breeds have killed or attacked other dogs. Today, a dog behaving like a dog has become a sin. Fair or not that is how the situation is and every pit bull owner needs to understand it.

The point of socialization is for a dog to have positive experiences with other dogs. When people take their dogs, perhaps puppies, to a park and something happens, they are responsible for the consequences. A young dog that is attacked for no reason won't be so willing to be friendly the next time it meets an unknown dog. An experience like that is a bad start and can often lead to problems in the future. There are no guarantees on what can happen at a dog park because dog parks are often full of different dogs with different personalities and tolerance levels. Even an easy going adult dog can change its approach after an attack. It is hard enough for a dog of this breed to tolerate other dogs and it is a big mistake to contribute to bad experiences. Dogs should always rely on us to defend them--the trust factor is important. We are responsible for protecting our dogs from harm. A dog that has no choice but to defend itself loses its trust in the owner and knows that in the future it needs to take care of itself. It then becomes fearful of other dogs and not so willing to behave like a well-balanced dog that was socialized in the appropriate way.

How can we socialize around other dogs then? Good question. Socialization is a must but it has to be done with common sense and in a controlled environment. Perhaps a friend has a mellow dog of the opposite sex and he/she is willing to let the dogs play together. Both owners should know that there is the possibility of a scrap and will intervene immediately and with the appropriate tools/techniques. Both owners will watch their dogs closely and never leave them unsupervised.
Every pit bull owner should have a breaking stick available, even when on a walk, hidden somewhere. It is a quick and effective way to break a hold.

What is a breaking stick and why it is an important tool to have:
http://www.pbrc.net/breaksticks.html

Some information on how to break up a fight:
http://www.pbrc.net/breakfight.html

Obedience classes are an option too. In obedience classes, the dogs are leashed and can learn to control themselves in the presence of other dogs. It is not necessary for a pit bull to be dog friendly, but it is necessary for us to help them learn to control natural behaviors. Dogs that are exposed to this kind of environment can learn to behave with some time and work.

The local feedstore/petstore is another way to socialize our dogs, because they are another place where dogs are leashed. It’s important to remember that it doesn’t mean we don't need to pay attention to the surroundings. Respect the comfort level of your dog and move away from other dogs if necessary. Face to face interactions can quickly end badly, even when both dogs are leashed.

Those who are still convinced that a pit bull belongs to a dog park would benefit from reading these links. Their dogs and all of us will benefit as well.Please, don't set your dog up for failure."

http://www.pbrc.net/dogpark.html
http://www.pitbullpress.com/ARTICLES/DOGPARK.html



It's what I was taught and why I don't take Stryker to dog parks to me it's a liability

My sister has a little pittie mix and she freely plays with my two, we had been looking into going to a dog park but found that honee is dog aggressive. Its hard to try working with her on that right now because my sisters pregnant and has a three year old so we dont bring the dogs out much with us. But we are hoping to try working it out of her in the future. In the mean time we get honee bella and jasper together for their play time, and they all go out together for shots and such. I am supposed to bring Jasper to a training class in september but I'm thinking of skipping it with him and bringing Honee for her instead to see if that helps any because we plan on living together and adding one more dog eventually. I would like to foster at some point also but we'll see. I think people views on pits are ridiculous personally, they can be the sweetest dogs honee's great with my nephew taking everything he doles out and thats alot! My aunt had a lab pit mix that looked more pit as me and my sister were growing and she was the sweetest thing only growling when there was a threat, grabbed my sister by the butt once for trying to climb a tree she was told not too. As for dog parks... the more i think about them the more they terrify me, i just cant bring myself to trust the other owners incase did happen. I have no problem doing what i can to break up a fight ive pulled my two apart at least twice and stopped a fight between jasper and my moms dog once but i dont think others will do the same, i feel many people thinknyou dont get involved and leave it alone which i just cant do, no one hurts my family and i wont allow anyone to hurt my dogs their like my kids including another dog. And likewise if mine started something im not going to allow them to hurt another dog. So we dont go either but i am thinking of checking out one near my house because no one seems to go there so maybe its a place where my two can run around at least.

Quote :

Dogs should always rely on us to defend them--the trust factor is important. We are responsible for protecting our dogs from harm.

This right here. Owners should pay attention to their dogs at the park. We were at the park yesterday talking about this. The other issue is owners bringing their little dogs to the big dog side and expecting them all to play nice together. You have to know your dog and you have to watch them closely. My friend has a pit who is the sweetest dog and she does play well with other dogs, but when they got a second female (a pit mix) after about six months the girls started fighting a lot. So it depends on the dog and how they feel about certain dogs. One pit at the park, Lola, used to be a terror. She would never let Karli get up, she'd get her on her back and just hold her there. Now, she openly runs and chases Karli, but that's because her owner started working with her and anytime she did something inappropriate to another dog, he'd put her in timeout there at the park (he got the idea from one of the other husky owners actually.) Any dog could get in a fight, using that thinking no dog should ever go to the dog park. Karli could get too rough with a little dog and hurt it, not on purpose, but it would be my fault for not watching her and stopping her. So I don't like generalizations when it comes to breeds. We had a puppy come to the park yesterday for the first time and every owner was diligent in making sure that it was a good first time experience, we let our dogs sniff the puppy then sent them out to play. The puppy even started trying to wrestle with Karli and another smaller husky female, so it was a good experience. But owners have to pay attention to their dogs. And if a dog is dog aggressive, don't take it to the park. Dogs are going to defend themselves, you can't blame them for that. Its on the owners to pay attention to them.

Can you explain how they did a timeout? I need to do that with Dizzy, because he just gets too wild and rough sometimes or fixates on one dog and won't leave them alone.

Alaya used to do that too (she's one of the female huskies) with Karli. What her owner does is grab her and make her lay down til she calms down. Once she's calmed down she lets her back up (at the same time the rest of us have to keep our dogs away because Alaya is in timeout, which Karli thinks is a good time to lick her face lol). She told Lola's owner about it and now he does it as well, so that Lola knows that what she's doing is unacceptable and she has turned into a well rounded, nice playing pit. I think they also recommended it to another owner this last week who was having issues with his pup.

Awesome. Thanks for the tip. I will definitely start doing that. I have started grabbing him and holding onto him to calm down, but I like this idea, because it helps teach self control! Thank you.