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Re: Pit bull in my Yard

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 9:27 am
by JustaShooter
Double3 wrote:
Stryker74 wrote:
ArmyAndNavyVet wrote: Pit bull owners need to be put on official notice that it's not okay for such a potentially dangerous dog to be loose. If a pit bull comes into my yard, I will assume it's coming for me and protect myself. I will not allow it to get close to me.
This is a tender spot for me. I am a firm believer that breeds are not born "dangerous". The temperament of an animal is based on its environment, and how it is treated. Any dog, and any breed, can be vicious if they have been mistreated or abused.

I have seen Chihuahuas that seem darn near rabid in nature to strangers - but you probably wouldn't consider shooting one of those if it came toward you.

My dog is part Mastiff - and the biggest sweetheart around. (Chuck can attest to it!)

I have friends that have Pit Bulls - and they are completely docile and loving pets.


You might as well be saying that everyone that owns a gun is going to go shooting into a crowd when you draw those type of conclusions.

Edit to add: Anyone else remember when German Shepherds were the dangerous breed? Followed by Dobermans, then Rottweilers got the bad rap....
Oh no a scary looking dog. Better pull out my gun!
Until you've been charged by a snarling, growling pit bull you have no idea. I've not only had that happen (and darn near had to shoot it) I've also seen the aftermath of a mauling by a dog. I will *not* let that happen to me or my loved ones.

Re: Pit bull in my Yard

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 10:49 am
by Stryker74
JustaShooter wrote:
Double3 wrote: Oh no a scary looking dog. Better pull out my gun!
Until you've been charged by a snarling, growling pit bull you have no idea. I've not only had that happen (and darn near had to shoot it) I've also seen the aftermath of a mauling by a dog. I will *not* let that happen to me or my loved ones.
Not dismissing your sentiment at all JustaShooter, but the OPs statements were based on breed - not actions. Actions speak volumes to me - be it people or animals. Dogs have no hidden agenda to "stab you in the back". If they are not pleased with your presence or are fearful - their actions will generally expose that.
Now to be honest, she was excited and growling but was wearing a harness with some pink on it and wasn't showing teeth. I start screaming at my dogs and they run back into my yard ( city lots so we're talking a few yards ) with the pit still coming towards us by this time. It would go at them and then me. I'm backing up the whole time and finally it was close enough to me I pulled my Glock 42 and was preparing to fire.
...

She got out and the dog started to take off but she hollared and was able to grab the harness.
I told her," lady I almost shot your dog". She's like " please don't do that ". I told her I watch at least two court shows a week where a pit has mauled small dogs. I eventually approached her dog when she said it was a sweetheart and it was. I asked if she knew the laws in our town pertaining to pit bulls ( which are really an attempt to ban ) and she said she did. She said they recently rescued the dog.
...
I'm not looking for a critique concerning my dogs being leashed and I know that you the law says you can't shoot to protect your dogs or cats but these are my babies and even if an animal is not threatening me, if it is going to harm them it will be shot.
I didn't call the police because I'm confident no one saw my gun and the lady was so apologetic but her one " get out of jail card " is used up.
Looking for a critique or not, had the OP fired on that dog - they would have gotten one heckuva critique. From the responding officers.

Re: Pit bull in my Yard

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 12:17 pm
by tbrew85
Stryker74 wrote:
ArmyAndNavyVet wrote: Pit bull owners need to be put on official notice that it's not okay for such a potentially dangerous dog to be loose. If a pit bull comes into my yard, I will assume it's coming for me and protect myself. I will not allow it to get close to me.
This is a tender spot for me. I am a firm believer that breeds are not born "dangerous". The temperament of an animal is based on its environment, and how it is treated. Any dog, and any breed, can be vicious if they have been mistreated or abused.

I have seen Chihuahuas that seem darn near rabid in nature to strangers - but you probably wouldn't consider shooting one of those if it came toward you.

My dog is part Mastiff - and the biggest sweetheart around. (Chuck can attest to it!)

I have friends that have Pit Bulls - and they are completely docile and loving pets.


You might as well be saying that everyone that owns a gun is going to go shooting into a crowd when you draw those type of conclusions.

Edit to add: Anyone else remember when German Shepherds were the dangerous breed? Followed by Dobermans, then Rottweilers got the bad rap....

I have always felt this way as well, but...

My son had a pit bull. Very sweet dog. He came to stay with us for about 3 weeks, and brought his dog with him, with my permission. "Roxie" got along well with my 2 8 month old mini schnauzers and my 12 year old mini schnauzer. Until she didn't. I was watching TV and heard a yelp. I looked down and saw Roxie latched onto the 12 year old dogs head. I leapt up and kicked Roxie in the ribs as hard as I could. She let go and ran off. Tara, the 12 year old schnauzer had 2 puncture wounds. One to the side of her head, one to her neck. She did survive. Roxie almost didn't. I put the dog in her crate and told my son the dog had to go.

Roxie was a sweet lovable dog that has been treated very, very well. I have no idea what her breeding background was, nor do I care. I never bought the breed specific arguments until I literally watched the flip of the switch so to speak.

I wont trust another pit bull around my small dogs again.

My daughter has a very large Chocolate Lab named Titan. I have zero such fears with Titan.

Re: Pit bull in my Yard

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 12:35 pm
by WeinerDog
Stryker74,

Did you completely miss the parts where the dogs is growling and coming at me ? It was much scarier than I alluded to. I didn't want to come across as pit bull paranoid but I was in fear of severe bodily to to MYSELF. I backed up a good 20 yards and the dog was like 3 yards from me when I made it to the breezeway.

Re: Pit bull in my Yard

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 12:53 pm
by Stryker74
WeinerDog wrote:Stryker74,

Did you completely miss the parts where the dogs is growling and coming at me ? It was much scarier than I alluded to. I didn't want to come across as pit bull paranoid but I was in fear of severe bodily to to MYSELF. I backed up a good 20 yards and the dog was like 3 yards from me when I made it to the breezeway.

I read and evaluated the entire statement. I wasn't there, and I cannot say anything with certainty because I wasn't there. But, I can assume that possibly your dogs startled the other dog and invoked a reaction. I do believe though that had the dog intended to charge you - you would not have outrun that large dog while backing up. (A pit bull can run at 25-30 mph: http://www.howfastcanarun.com/how-fast- ... g-run.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

Re: Pit bull in my Yard

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 1:00 pm
by Stryker74
tbrew85 wrote: I have always felt this way as well, but...

My son had a pit bull. Very sweet dog. He came to stay with us for about 3 weeks, and brought his dog with him, with my permission. "Roxie" got along well with my 2 8 month old mini schnauzers and my 12 year old mini schnauzer. Until she didn't. I was watching TV and heard a yelp. I looked down and saw Roxie latched onto the 12 year old dogs head. I leapt up and kicked Roxie in the ribs as hard as I could. She let go and ran off. Tara, the 12 year old schnauzer had 2 puncture wounds. One to the side of her head, one to her neck. She did survive. Roxie almost didn't. I put the dog in her crate and told my son the dog had to go.

Roxie was a sweet lovable dog that has been treated very, very well. I have no idea what her breeding background was, nor do I care. I never bought the breed specific arguments until I literally watched the flip of the switch so to speak.

I wont trust another pit bull around my small dogs again.

My daughter has a very large Chocolate Lab named Titan. I have zero such fears with Titan.

Any dog can have a reaction and be aggressive. My in-laws have 6 large dogs, and we took our smaller dog to their house. One of their dogs - a lab mix who is great around people - went after my dog. I broke it up and separated the dogs - and have not tried to take my dogs there since.

Why? Because I took my strange dog in the middle of a pack and their alpha did not like it. They are not well socialized with other dogs, and are seemingly territorial. Nothing at all to do with their breed.

All I am suggesting is that we stop hating breeds, and look at the individual dog.

Re: Pit bull in my Yard

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 2:31 pm
by tbrew85
Stryker74 wrote:
tbrew85 wrote: I have always felt this way as well, but...

My son had a pit bull. Very sweet dog. He came to stay with us for about 3 weeks, and brought his dog with him, with my permission. "Roxie" got along well with my 2 8 month old mini schnauzers and my 12 year old mini schnauzer. Until she didn't. I was watching TV and heard a yelp. I looked down and saw Roxie latched onto the 12 year old dogs head. I leapt up and kicked Roxie in the ribs as hard as I could. She let go and ran off. Tara, the 12 year old schnauzer had 2 puncture wounds. One to the side of her head, one to her neck. She did survive. Roxie almost didn't. I put the dog in her crate and told my son the dog had to go.

Roxie was a sweet lovable dog that has been treated very, very well. I have no idea what her breeding background was, nor do I care. I never bought the breed specific arguments until I literally watched the flip of the switch so to speak.

I wont trust another pit bull around my small dogs again.

My daughter has a very large Chocolate Lab named Titan. I have zero such fears with Titan.

Any dog can have a reaction and be aggressive. My in-laws have 6 large dogs, and we took our smaller dog to their house. One of their dogs - a lab mix who is great around people - went after my dog. I broke it up and separated the dogs - and have not tried to take my dogs there since.

Why? Because I took my strange dog in the middle of a pack and their alpha did not like it. They are not well socialized with other dogs, and are seemingly territorial. Nothing at all to do with their breed.

All I am suggesting is that we stop hating breeds, and look at the individual dog.
And I don't totally disagree with that. However, my own personal anecdotal experience is that a well socialized, previously calm, playful pit bull, attacked a very docile smaller dog, unprovoked as far as I could tell. Could another breed have done the same? I suppose so. But I witnessed exactly what a LOT of people believe about the specific breed in question.

Re: Pit bull in my Yard

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 5:48 pm
by MyWifeSaidYes
Stryker74 wrote:...
All I am suggesting is that we stop hating breeds, and look at the individual dog.
It's not the breed, it's the individual.

It's not the race, it's the individual.

It's not the religion, it's the individual.

It's not the political party, it's the individual.

Re: Pit bull in my Yard

Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 8:15 am
by WY_Not
For people, I'd agree 100%. Animals not so much. They are bred for certain traits and behaviors. There is a reason certain dogs make good hunting dogs, others make good retrievers, others make good guard dogs, others make good sled dogs, others make good herding dogs, etc. Those traits and behaviors are bred into them. Depending on lineage those behaviors may not be as strong but they are still there. That behavior is encouraged and enhanced by training or discouraged and suppressed by training but it is still there to some degree. Eventually, with proper breeding and time, those characteristics can be bred out. But it is not an easy or quick process.
MyWifeSaidYes wrote:
Stryker74 wrote:...
All I am suggesting is that we stop hating breeds, and look at the individual dog.
It's not the breed, it's the individual.

It's not the race, it's the individual.

It's not the religion, it's the individual.

It's not the political party, it's the individual.

Re: Pit bull in my Yard

Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 1:20 pm
by DontTreadOnMe
WY_Not wrote:For people, I'd agree 100%. Animals not so much. They are bred for certain traits and behaviors.
^ This. As much as we love them and anthropomorphize them and their reactions, dogs aren't people. Pits whole existence came about by selectively breeding dogs to enhance the aggressiveness, specifically to yield dogs that were more successful in fighting and killing other animals (link).

Any animal that is mistreated or encouraged to be aggressive will be more dangerous, and many people who get Pits do so for those traits and encourage them. Even if they aren't, the bred instincts are there, and Pits bred instincts are to attack and kill.

Re: Pit bull in my Yard

Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 1:52 pm
by Brian D.
Gang, we've been round and round about pit bulls before. The discussions usually got ugly at some point. I am pretty much neutral on it, so this isn't a lecture, just a heads-up.

Re: Pit bull in my Yard

Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 2:03 pm
by StiltzM109R
I had a pitbull. He was a rescue I got when he was 10 months old. His background was he was a fight dog. He had fought. I worked with him for 3 months retraining and teaching. He became the best family dog anyone could ask for. He was friendly but protective. When my ex got pregnant with our son, I started his training again. I treated him just like a little kid would. Took his toys, pulled his tail, ears, lips. Took his food. The day my son was born, I had parents take the baby blanket home from the hospital and throw it on the floor so the dog could get used to his scent. My son is now almost 5 and that dog goes everywhere he goes. Slept next to his bed, sat next to the tub during the bath and went outside and followed my son when we went out. That dog was protective as could be. Never once did he get aggressive with my son, my ex or me. It's all about training and environment. I wanted my dog to be fiercely protective of my son and my property. He never left the yard though. No fence, no leash. He had free roam of the house. I just had to put him down end of last year. He was almost 10 and had cancer. He never jumped on anyone. I received nothing but comments on his behavior and temperament.

Re: Pit bull in my Yard

Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 12:44 pm
by Dieselnut
Every pit bull attack on the news always starts out with "He was such a nice dog" "I never saw this happening" "it came from a good home"
Its just a dog. Protect yourself, your family, and your property if it comes down to it.

Re: Pit bull in my Yard

Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 4:59 pm
by glocksmith
StiltzM109R wrote:He became the best family dog anyone could ask for. He never jumped on anyone. I received nothing but comments on his behavior and temperament.
That's been my experience with the breed. My neighbor has one. She jumps up and "dog hugs" anyone and everyone who happens by. Cowers and trembles anytime someone nearby is running a leaf blower or other power tool. Big sissy and as gentle as any dog I've ever met.

Re: Pit bull in my Yard

Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 8:31 pm
by MyWifeSaidYes
Dieselnut wrote:Every pit bull attack on the news always starts out with "He was such a nice dog" "I never saw this happening" "it came from a good home"
Its just a dog. Protect yourself, your family, and your property if it comes down to it.
I thought you were talking about school shooters there for a second...

"He was such a nice young man."

"I never saw this happening."

"He came from a good home."