Seanette

Reminds me of a Pharoah Hound (similar to a greyhound) my parents had. His tail could leave welts, but he was a pretty nice dog (a bit neurotic, but otherwise OK).

CraftsByRobin

I had a pit bull mix and he was the biggest baby ever ... it's all in how you raise them ...

grammyp

I'm cautious, but they do get a bum rap. Not only does it depend on how they are raised, but the temperament of the parents. They do not do well if stuck in an enclosure and left to their own devices. They do require a lot of attention and not everyone is willing to give it. I would pay close attention to how the owner handles the puppy, check local ordinances, and make sure I had a good fence.

littlehud

I have a friend that has two dogs. One is a retriever mix and the other is a pit bull. Her pit bull is the friendliest dog I have ever met. The other is scary. Don't believe everything you read.

Chasing Hawk

*”Pit bull” is NOT a breed. It's a generic term often used to describe all dogs with similar traits and characteristics known to the public as "pit bulls." When we use the term “pit bull” here, it should be understood to encompass American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Remember: in most cases, we usually know little about the background of rescue dogs. Some may be gamebred APBTs (from fighting lines), some may be registered show dogs, some may be American Staffordshire Terriers, some may look like APBTs but might be mixed with other breeds, etc.

Moonpi

That's the problem. I live in an area known for dogfighting, and my neighbor used to adopt psycho dogs and ignore them until they got meaner and meaner. I still cannot hang my wash in the back yard because one of them jumps the fence like nothing. It just took a few close calls for me to learn.

Some of the pounds in Florida refuse to adopt out pit bulls because of tragic results in the past. Few landlords allow them, and some insurance companies will cancel policies if you own a "problem breed".

Any dog can be trained to be mean, Unfortunately, some breeds have the ability to kill and maim humans that they perceive as a threat. I generally hear about these horror stories being carried out by unaltered animals, owned by individuals who feel powerful because they own a mean dog.

CAROLJ

We had Pitbulls for years with no problems, my current one is 15 and our Wirehair Terrior is meaner than he is. It just depends on how they are raised. They have a greater potential for problems than a poodle due to their strenght, but I've had 4 or five PBs and not one mean one in the bunch.

sewnsewer2

I agree. My brother had one that was very gentle. She was even good around my son that was 3 at the time. It is how they are raised.

tigger5464

I have a son that has 2 pit bull's who are the biggest babies you ever wanted to meet. Last summer I was walking one and a lady that I know was really enjoying petting him. She finally asked what breed he is and when told she immediately jumped up...sort of screamed and went back inside the building. The next day I saw this lady and told her that she was really "loving" the dog until she found out what breed he was...so I don't understand the problem??? Pit Bull dogs really do get a bad rap...Look at what Michael Vick was in on with dogs? Were they all pit bulls??? They really do get a bad rap.

An ex neighbor of ours had a Lab who was severly neglected and was vicious. He put his head thru our window screen trying to attack my dog while my dog was in his own home. Later the Lab got into my back yard where my border collie/shepard mix was tied and did attack him. My dog ended up with emergency surgery on a sunday and my vet would not accept payment from us...she demanded it from the Lab owners. Because of this should Labs have the same bum rap that Pit bulls get? I really don't blame the dog...my opinion is that the owners have to be smarter than the dog in order to train them to be well behaved at all times. Just my own humble opinion....thanks for listening.

bibiche

I would be cautious, particularly if you have a dog. I adopted a pit bull mix from a shelter when he was about 3 or 4 months old. He had been neutered, of course. He and my other male dog, a gentle border collie, got along great until Bone was about 6 months old and then Bone started attacking my border collie. We took him to months of behavior therapy at U of Penn vet school, put him on puppy Prozac, etc. but nothing worked and he was insane around other dogs. The two dogs had to be kept separated at all times. Bone was extremely lovable with people - particularly children - had a great sense of humor (really!), loved to sing (I promise this is true!), and lived a long and happy life, but even as a senior citizen he was vicious around other dogs. He did come to me with some scars on his face so perhaps he had been pre-trained as a fighting dog as a little puppy, I don't know. I do think, though, that no matter how conscientious the owner some dogs might be hard-wired to fight.