So, recently my BF and I got into a terrible argument about dogs. He was talking about his 3 year old female pit-bull, blah blah blah. I merely mentioned that until I was bitten by a pit-bull, I didnât have much of an opinion about them. I have always heard that pit-bulls can be very vicious dogs. Pit bull breeders recommend that they be trained in a special way to combat their natural behaviors. My BD and I live in a densely populated city. He walks the dog outside without a leash, which I think is very irresponsible. I have an older lab-mix with a very mild personality and I would never walk her in this city without being leached. There are a lot of children and adults in our neighborhood, and you never know what may happen. Bds dog is caged all day most of the time, with the exception of going out for walks. She jumps on the beds and couches after being remanded many times for doing so. She jumps on people constantly and sheâs very âmouthyâ(bitting). She has been scolded many times for this, but apparently it did not work bcuz she still does it. She is also a very jealous dog, due to the fact she receives little to no attention. When Iâm in the house and bd lets her out the kennel she is constantly aiming for his attention, but only when heâs paying attention to me.
I believe she would have benefitted from better training. I have a dog who is not a pit-bull and doesnât act this way. My dog is well behaved and is an all around likable dog. We do not own a kennel for her, as she is friendly, housebroken, and non-destructive, there is no reason for one. I donât think any grown dog should have to remain locked up in a small kennel all day, because the owner doesnât have time or hasnât trained the dog. Its not fair to the dog. I believe the dog would be better off with an owner who had the time and could provide the fullest life possible for the dog. Bds dog gets no exercise. He doesnât have a large closed-in back yard where she can run free. He lived in a two-family house, and the dog canât go out a run around due to her behavior. I have been bitten by a pit-bull, but I do not believe that makes me dislike all pit-bulls. I love all animals and believe if you own one you should treat it with respect, and provide it with the best quality of life. Because this dog is caged all day, doesn't listen, is stubborn, jealous and in desperate need of attention I do not trust this dog. Not even a little bit. I wouldnât leave my own dog around a child unattended. For some reason, my bd has so much trust in this dog and is always trying to âproveâ his points to me. I know my child is not here yet but I do not think I would feel comfortable letting bd have the child around the dog. I believe that he will leave the dog with our child to âproveâ a point that the dog is âtrustworthyâ. I do not and would not ever take such a chance. Babies and children are often victims of dog attacks simply because they do not understand each other or know how to interact, sometimes. Bds dog doesnât even get along with him. He feels so passionately about his dog and is always trying to make a point. I do not think he should keep this dog, for all the reasons mentioned, not just my own, but in the best interest of the dog. I do not want him to have my kid around this dog. I feel that he will be offended if I ask him to get rid of the dog. I feel that if he doesnât it will ruin our relationship. I mean he didn't even get her as a pet, he got her so he could breed her and make money off her pups. She has good paperwork so I guess he could have made some money. Anyway he is not a breeder and the dog has not gotten pregnant in the attemps made. He also admitted to me that he used to be very abusive to her. I don't know why. Bottom line, he didn't want her for the right reason. I was raised to respect animals and to never abuse them. My mom also taught me that dogs do not forget who abuses them, and you never know when they will attack you back one day.
I feel like I will be saying, either me and the baby or the dog. I think if he puts the dog up for adoption now or w/e, it will be better than waiting until the baby is here. I feel bad because our relationship was/is really starting to get a lot better. I don't want to ruin that, but I can't shake this feeling. I don't know what to do.
Have any of you been through something like this? What did you do? Any advice on what I can do about bd?
First, i believe Pit Bulls are often waaaaaaaaaaaaay misunderstood, and face a lot of predjudiceness. Any dog has the potential to be viscious. Unfortunately, because Pit Bulls have been abused they face harder challenges of being accepted by society. I believe, like you, that your boyfriend should have trained her and that she could still benefit from a loving, involved family. This dog already has behavior issues, jealousy issues, and lack of understanding how to behave positively. From what you have written, he is an irresponsible owner and would have this problem with any breed of dog.
If he cares about this dog, which i dont think he really does, he would want the dog to be with a family that will be active with her.
If he cant agree on your terms, I think you have every right to protect your child.
I also think that maybe you could try some positive reinforcement with this dog. When youre around, bring her a treat, praise her, maybe you could even take her for a walk. But I really just think if you started praising her it could help. I , like you, was raised to respect animals. You cant expect a dog who has had violence used on it to not use violence themselves.
i think that the behavior that pitbulls have is already bred into them. we have bans all around here and i approve of them wholeheartedly. i certainly dont believe that all pitbulls are bad and that most of the fault lies with the owners and the breeders, but until things change, i wouldnt allow my kid around one at all.
we have a german shepard, who went though extensive training and she is STILL very protective of riley and I... they are just born that way. and she is in a crate as well. crates are great tools for dogs, as our feels very safe in hers. she goes right to it when its time for bed, and even when we leave the door open she will stay in there. that being said about our dog, i try to keep her out of stressful situations that lead her to be protective, and socialize her as much as possible, but always with caution.g
maybe I am making more out of this than it is, but i am very concerned. The kennel the dog stays in is used as a punishment, so the dog never wants to go in there. So the fact that the dog is in there all day is like constant punishment, to her. I know some dogs love their crates and it's like their own little home, just for them. However, this dog doesn't like the fact that she has to be caged. When she is told to go in there after being out for only a short while, she puts her tail between her legs and hangs her head down low, like she is depressed. :( I feel bad about the whole thing, because it's such a sad situation for the dog. I find that when BD and I talk about the dog he gets very defensive. I think its sort of like parenting practices, everyone has their own way. I am not her owner, so he feels like I should stay in my place, as long as he's not "abusing" her.
I would like for the dog to be treated better, but as I am not the owner, my hands are tied. He believes that what he's doing is good for the dog and it's not. I haven't and probably won't witness any abuse, as he says that he no longer abuses the dog. :?: I do not feel he has the right mind-set to be a pet owner to this dog. She needs more than he can give, and deserves a better life. His mother feeds the dog things that make her sick. When she vomits or has an accident in the house from this, my bd scolds her and punishes her in the kennel for very long periods of time. I don't think this is right because it's not her fault.
I will bring her a treat next time I see her. :wink:
I don't believe that a dog's breed has much bearing on it's personality.
My grandparents breed Dobermanns, another sterotypically "vicious" attack dog. Of the dozens of dogs my grandparents have had, the only dog that ever attacked a human ( my one and a half year old cousin and nearly killed him ) was a black labrador/golden retriever that they had taken in.
A odg will behave as it is treated. Every dog also has a unique personality and the method you use to train it must be tailored for it. You can never train two dogs exactly the same way and get the same results. Some dogs like to push boundaries, some are very submissive. It doesn't depend on breed, it is just the individual animal.
For your BF's dog, I would try to convince him to find it a new home. If the dog is already four years old and has suffered abuse in the past ( even minimal abuse), there is little chance her behaviour will change dramatically. Dogs, like people, revert to automatic subconcious behaviour in situations of panic or fear; usually the behaviours are learned when the dogs are very young.
If your gut tells you not to trust the dog, DON'T. Not because she is a Pit Bull, but because she has shown you that she is unpredictable/poorly trained ( not a fault of hers ) and you never know what might frighten/anger ANY animal. You babe is not worth the risk.
ugh.
my babydaddy has a pitbull too. it makes me really uncomfortable to have my daughter around the dog, but we are not together and there is no getting around her being around the dog when she is with him. i'm not sure the pitbull is worse then the gigantic snake he used to have though. a snake i saw bite his friend in the face! ugh.
he sounds like he's not going to be open to getting rid of the dog but from what you've said it doesnt sound like it will be safe to have this dog around the baby. what happens when the dog gets jealous of this new person in his life?
i'm sorry. i really have no advice. during one of our court visits i expressed my concern over the snake my bd had and the judge said, if the snake hasnt hurt her yet, there's nothing you can do!
good luck.
I have a lab, pit bull, rot mix. Trust me she sounds way worse then she is.
We used the crate as a punishment and a time out of sorts for her when she was little but then like erinn said it became her place and she would go in there for everything. I believe that if you don't have the time to commit to a animal you probably shouldn't have one. I think that it might be better for the animal to be out of the apt just because she isn't getting all she needs.
Our dog is extremely protective of DS. We were worried in the beginning as to how she would take to him and shes been fine. But if I am chasing him around and playing with him she can be ovely protective. Use your judgement on this one.
You are totally right and justified in your feelings, and I don't think you are overreacting AT ALL.
This is coming from someone who loves pit bulls, is against breed bans, who was raised around Dobermans, and who used to foster/rehabilitate dogs for the ASPCA. I have also had a really bad bite from a pit bull, so I can understand that view as well!
Your BD is a horribly irresponsible pit bull owner and this particular dog is eventually going to bite.
Huge red flags:
-at 3 years old, the pit bull should NOT be "mouthing" anyone. This is acceptable for puppies, but should be trained out of them early on. Mouthing shows a disrespect for human flesh and is a good indication of future vicious behavior.
-Your bd doesn't exercise the dog. I actually believe that letting a dog run around in a yard is NOT conducive for training pit bulls and a terrible idea; pit bulls need walks with their owner-long ones- several times daily. I'm talking like five miles. Walking ON A LEASH shows the dog who is in charge and gets rid of their energy. A pit bull's energy just gets built up more when the dog runs around the yard. I really can't stand Cesar Milan's ideas ( the dog whisperer) but he is absolutely correct on his points about walking and exercise with pit bulls.
-a history of abuse
-he got the dog to breed, so obviously she is not spayed
-Clearly, if he got the dog to breed and they did not require neutering at six months, he also obtained the dog from an irresponsible breeder, who likely did not pay any attention to behavior traits when breeding the dog.
-jealousy problems
If the dog hates the kennel, that is also not good. I am all for crate-training, I think this is the best way to train dogs and is not cruel, but I also train dogs to LIKE the kennel. It should be regarded as their den and home. Dogs also sleep when they are not entertained, and that is the best way to train them when it is time to sleep ( i.e.- when YOU say so) and when it is time to wake up. If she's pissed off about going in there, one of three things is happening:
1. She's not getting enough exercise
2. She feels she is in charge and should dictate when she goes to sleep
3. The kennel is used as punishment ( no one should ever do this with an adult dog!)
All of this dog's history really worries me for the safety of your child. I would absolutely not let your child alone with your BD and the dog without your supervision ( since from your post I can clearly tell you are a responsible pet person and will likely be able to read the dog's cues)- especially if you think that BD may leave an infant in a room alone with this dog. I wouldn't leave an infant alone in the room with my BEAGLE. Dogs are hunters, naturally- all small things are prey unless they are trained to see that an infant is also human and not easy game.
Here are some things you can do:
1. Get the animal spayed, if you can talk BD into it. Convince him that this dog will produce puppies of poor temperament quality anyway, if necessary.
2. this dog can be rehabilitated and trained at this point in time. Once she bites, she's probably going to get put down. Take her to a trainer, or convince BD to! If he won't, this dog needs to be rehomed.
3. If this has to ruin your relationship with BD, so be it. Your child's safety should come first, - it does already with you, but it doesn't in the eyes of your baby's father. If he cannot respect his baby's safety, well, too bad for him.
4. I hate saying this, but I do think that if BD isn't willing to train her or rehome her, or let you hire a trainer or find a new home (because of the clear signs of the potential for danger this dog poses) you should call animal control and have the dog taken away. I can't say this enough- this pit bull is displaying clear pre-attack behavior.
And this is no way the dog's fault- this is your BD's fault. Pit bulls are not inherently vicious, but like any dog, they can be made that way by a bad owner. They are a strong-willed breed, and they need a specific kind of owner. Pure pit bulls need responsible, educated owners that are willing to be dominant without abuse every moment spent with the dog. If they haven't got that, and they are not going to get that, it is better to put the dog down.
Good luck, I hope this situation finds a good resolution for you. Update us on what happens!
Thanx so much for all the responses and support.
After reading all your posts, doing some research, and spending some time around the dog, I've come to the conclusion that it will not be best for this dog to be around my baby when s/he gets here. I wanted to get this whole thing resolved as soon as possible so that when the baby does arrive there will be no misunderstanding as to why I will be not be allowing the baby over his house without me.
One major problem I already see is that this dog, when not caged, has free roam over the entire house. BD has a fairly large bedroom that he shares with the dog. Her cage is inside of his room... in the corner. Once my baby is born I want to have a least one room, in my home, that I will feel comfortable leaving the baby in while s/he naps alone for a short period, and currently my dog is trained not to enter my bedroom. In my house the baby's crib will be in my room and and I know that is not only the best place for it, but also the safest as this point. I know BD will no doubt lay the baby on his bed while s/hes sleeping, giving the dog easy access(trusting the dog).
If he does not do something with the dog, get her some serious training, or adopt her out, I believe our relationship will fail. And if it does, so be it. I will not take that chance. And if he does not budge that will further let me know
1. how he feels about our relationship
2. the importance he places on our child's safety
3. his general stubbornness and selfishness
Three things that won't make me want to be in a relationship with him anyway.
So right now we have a little time on our hands until the baby comes. I'm trying to figure out ways to effectively communicate my wishes, as to where and how the baby will be cared for if nothing is done about the dog. I don't want the baby to be over at his house without me. I know that he and his family will want to spend some time with the baby over at their house. However I don't think I'll be comfertable leaving my infant alone with them, moreover, I won't feel at all comfortable about leaving my baby with them and THEIR DOG!
BD will be able to come over to my ouse at anytime to see and visit with the baby. I seriously doubt if he will take me to court because that is something I know he wants to avoid by any means. But on the off chance he does, u never know(his mom might talk him into it). I really don't know what would happen then. Like Rosie said, the judge will probably dismiss it because the dog may not have done anything...yet!
Any advice on how, if no changes are made, I can make arrangements as far as visiting and spending time are involved. Also any advice if and in the event we end up in court over visitation. I want to gain as much information now as possible so I can be fully prepared before the baby comes. I want to get all this straightened out.