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pitbulls?
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 6:21 pm
by iwannadie
ok i want to get a dog here soon(moving out of small apartment into a house with nice yard finally). but id really like a pitbull just because they look cool and are viciously protective. i dont want to spend a fortune on a pure breed with papers. are there any risks of getting one without papers(aspca/adoption places). i dont really care if its pure breed as long as its a good dog ya know what i mean. ive herd if they are mixxed with certain dogs or imbreed they will snap mentally. mine wouldnt ever be around kids or even indoors should i worry about one without papers that much?
also anyone in phoenix getting rid of puppies?

Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 6:41 pm
by Mintbread
There are a lot better breeds to protect person or property, that are far more stable mentally. The pitbull has recently been banned here in Australia due to many and continued attacks on strangers and owners alike.
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 6:54 pm
by oldnslo
Get the apartment before the dog. Many apartment complexes won't allow pits, as they are considered an aggressive, unpredictable breed. Some animal shelters won't even keep them, euthanizing any they find on the loose. Our local animal shelter will not accept them nor consider putting them up for adoption.
Regardless of what you may think, pits and a few others are unwelcome in some places, limiting your choices of where to live.
Also, some insurance companies won't give you renter's insurance, or home insurance if you buy a house, if you have a pit. Liability, ya know.
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:00 pm
by kwong2001
It really seems like people are cracking down on pitbulls. There's several state/cities with pitbull bans, and there's supposed to be a bunch more in the process of banning.
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:06 pm
by Loonette
Around here, the Humane Society doesn't automatically euthanize a pitbull unless they've bitten someone. The Humane Society will make sure it's spayed/neutered (as they do with all animals), and they will also observe/socialize it like any other dog to see if it's fit for adoption. You'll be required to have a fence strong and tall enough to hold the dog, and the Humane Society also asks that dogs be kept indoors as pets - not as security devices. Just something to consider.
A pure-bred with papers would be hard to come by and expensive. Any other home-bred might be over bred, and you wouldn't want that. The Humane Society is a good way to go. Their dogs usually have been neglected or are unwanted by the original owners, and are ready for a good, loving home - even the pitsbulls.
Cheers,
Loonette
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:15 pm
by iwannadie
oldnslo wrote:Get the apartment before the dog. Many apartment complexes won't allow pits, as they are considered an aggressive, unpredictable breed. Some animal shelters won't even keep them, euthanizing any they find on the loose. Our local animal shelter will not accept them nor consider putting them up for adoption.
Regardless of what you may think, pits and a few others are unwelcome in some places, limiting your choices of where to live.
Also, some insurance companies won't give you renter's insurance, or home insurance if you buy a house, if you have a pit. Liability, ya know.
im moving Out of the apartment Into the house.
theres a good 7 foot high wall around the house as well as a small short fenced area(3 feet high) for a dog.
ive been looking at adoption shelters and they have pitbulls that have been abandoned thats where i was planning to go.
i dont intend it to be a security device(thats what the guns are for). but i do like a dog thats protective not some wussy type dog that hides around strangers.
what are better breeds of tuff dogs then, i dont want something big like a rot or german shepherd though. i like the pits because they are on the smaller side but tuff usually.
i was mainly worried about the breeding becoming a problem and the dog snapping mentally. i dont care about legal issues.
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:22 pm
by Mintbread
We have an English Staffordshire Bull Terrier. She is as tough as nails and by far the strongest female dog I have ever seen. They are great with family and love kids. The bonus is they are fiercely protective of their family and rarely bark.
Not my dog, just an example of the look:
There is an American version of the Stafford, but it is longer in the legs.
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:27 pm
by iwannadie
Mintbread wrote:We have an English Staffordshire Bull Terrier. She is as tough as nails and by far the strongest female dog I have ever seen. They are great with family and love kids. The bonus is they are fiercely protective of their family and rarely bark.
There is an American version of the Stafford, but it is longer in the legs.
cool i havent see those before, when i was a kid we had i think it was an american bull terrior(anyone that remembers the dog budweiser used it was exactly like that).
ill have to look into the English Staffordshire Bull Terrier though now also.
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 8:39 pm
by TechTMW
Here in Naples if you have a tough dog, the thieves just throw it poisoned meat.
If you do get a pit (Or a staffordshire) or a chow for that matter ... make sure you find a vet and a kennel that will take them. Alot won't, so make sure before you get the dog. I have a Chow/Lab mutt that I got from a litter of a Junkyard dog. Great mix. Sociable to anyone I invite into the house (That's the lab in her) but really suspicious and angry at anyone she doesn't know (That's the chow).
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 4:37 am
by bennettoid
Pitts weren't - and aren't bred for protection, or to be pets.They are bred to be vicious fighters. I don't care about people who have "a sweet heart" pitt. Either they are lucky or they don't know the true nature of dogs. If your not a dog breeder or trainer then you had better be careful. A little boy was mauled here a few months ago, the owner swore it couldn't have been his dog and went so far as to leave the state with the dog. The Dog mauled another boy in that state and was shot by Police.
An outside Pitt just may turn on you.
Take a good look at what Job you want the dog to do and look for a breed that has been bred for that job. You don't take a Pitt hunting and you don't expect a Lab to defend a Military Base.
Sounds to me like you would be better off with Rottweiler, Shepherd, or Dobie.
Rottwieler would be my pick.
The American Eskimo was bred to be a burglar alarm for the Eskimo camps and is very territorial. Not really a large dog. You may just want to find out whats out there, getting the right breed for the job and your circumstances will make your life and the dogs more rewarding.
And yes I breed and train, as my father did and my Grandfather.