Living next to a Pit Bull

tikikris

I'm so happy to read positive comments about this breed of dog. I have a rescue American Staffordshire bully, and she is absolutely a "nanny dog." Although she does bark if there is anything out of the ordinary going on around our home, I don't consider that a bad thing.

I'm curious as to your definition of "aggressive" behavior.

I'm a real estate broker, and if you are represented by an agent (and you should be), he or she can easily find out who lives next door and whether they are owners or renters. If you have any hesitation about the home, move on. There are plenty of homes to choose from.

crazyellybean

You can't judge the dog by your first encounter, it's natural for them to want to protect their enviroments to strangers and after all you are a STRANGER... my dogs bark at every leaf that blows by, yet they are the sweetest dogs on the planet (Rott mixes) .. I highly doubt that if the dog was aggressive that they would not have him on some sort of chain or a private fence, however, I guess talking to the neighbors before buying the house could settle your anxiety, however, for some people it could be taken the wrong way as well. If you are that concerned than I suggest not buying the house.

jecka31

Being an American Pit Bull Terrier (or APBT) owner myself, I get asked all the time if Moxie is aggressive. I do not get offended and I take the chance to enlighten the questioner about the breed and myths surrounding them. If I was moving to this house, I would defiantly talk to the owner. He may have a bigger bark than bite like mine! Just explain that when you viewed the house previously, he seemed aggressive and since you have a small child, you just want to address any concerns. Explain you are not trying to stereotype the dog, just looking out for the safety of your child. I would ask the owner of any dog that acted aggressive, no matter what the breed. You have the right to be concerned for your child's safety as well as yours. By asking, you can find out if he really is aggressive or just sounds mean and learn of things that make him upset. Any responsible APBT owner is well aware of the stereotypes surrounding our dogs and any issues their dog may have.

CMmrsfloyd

Being an American Pit Bull Terrier (or APBT) owner myself, I get asked all the time if Moxie is aggressive. I do not get offended and I take the chance to enlighten the questioner about the breed and myths surrounding them. If I was moving to this house, I would defiantly talk to the owner. He may have a bigger bark than bite like mine! Just explain that when you viewed the house previously, he seemed aggressive and since you have a small child, you just want to address any concerns. Explain you are not trying to stereotype the dog, just looking out for the safety of your child. I would ask the owner of any dog that acted aggressive, no matter what the breed. You have the right to be concerned for your child's safety as well as yours. By asking, you can find out if he really is aggressive or just sounds mean and learn of things that make him upset. Any responsible APBT owner is well aware of the stereotypes surrounding our dogs and any issues their dog may have.

Reading this response brings a good point to mind - take your cues from the owner when you talk to them. If they are friendly and not offended at you asking (i.e. they realize that many people are nervous of Pits but welcome the opportunity to talk to you about their animal's behavior/tempearment) that's probably a great sign. However if they get offended that you would even ask or completely blow off your concerns, that would concern me even more. If the owner cares and will take the time to talk to you, that would put my mind more at ease.

I would still talk to *other* neighbors too, though. Not just about the dog, work it into the conversation but don't make it the focus unless they do it themselves.

mea9

Since pit bulls with good owners can be the sweetest, most lyal dogs in the world, if this one acts somewhat aggressive, I would worry more about the neighbors themselves. They are probably irresponsible scum (even if they look cleaned up on the surface). The dog is probably the least of the problems you would have living next to them.

^^This. If you don't like the dog you won't like the people. For sure. I wouldn't go near it with a 10' pole. Can you imagine what their kids are like:O

wickedcricket

I believe I'd find another house. I am a dog lover (tho I like the lap dogs) and all my friends have multiple dogs. I dog sit ALL sizes of dogs but Pit Bulls are a breed apart.
ANYONE who says these dogs are not dangerous is delusional or a liar. Even the best pit bull can be unpredictable. My friend had a pit in her home with other cats & dogs for years. One day that pit went nuts & nearly killed her cat - turned out, he had a brain tumor.
They are just too large & strong for anyone to think they have any type of control over this dog. You do not. ANY illness, disease or stomach disorder - a bad mood could cause this dog to go viral.
I give them a wide berth - of all the animals in the world, I wouldn't mind at all if Pit Bulls went extinct

let's keep the polar bears & extinct pit bulls =D

Dave198lbs

I believe I'd find another house. I am a dog lover (tho I like the lap dogs) and all my friends have multiple dogs. I dog sit ALL sizes of dogs but Pit Bulls are a breed apart.
ANYONE who says these dogs are not dangerous is delusional or a liar. Even the best pit bull can be unpredictable. My friend had a pit in her home with other cats & dogs for years. One day that pit went nuts & nearly killed her cat - turned out, he had a brain tumor.
They are just too large & strong for anyone to think they have any type of control over this dog. You do not. ANY illness, disease or stomach disorder - a bad mood could cause this dog to go viral.
I give them a wide berth - of all the animals in the world, I wouldn't mind at all if Pit Bulls went extinct

let's keep the polar bears & extinct pit bulls =D

I totally disagree with this

veganbaum

I'm curious about you definition of 'aggressive' as well, as a couple posters mentioned. My dog is enormous, and unfortunately the new town I live in isn't very dog friendly and a lot people are afraid of her solely because of her size, and while breed gives only generalizations she is a breed that is known to be very protective of their homes from strangers, but massively sweet otherwise - in the other town I was in (very dog friendly) people just loved her, so sometimes it's underlying notions that cause certain reactions one way or the other. When people walk by, she barks (though she never growls unless there's another large dog - it's just a bark). If she's in the backyard by herself and she notices people in their backyards, she'll bark - which really, is what dogs do and are supposed to do. She is letting them know and me know that they are close to her territory. But if someone is actually let into the house or yard by me or we are out walking she is all hugs and begging for pets (she doesn't lick or jump - just hug). At the house it's about letting people know her territory. Given her size and bark, she can seem intimidating, but she is actually an incredibly sweet dog. Given that it seems you are accustomed to large dogs, I'm not saying you read it wrong or anything - just wondering what the dog did to seem aggressive.

LuckyLeprechaun

I believe I'd find another house. I am a dog lover (tho I like the lap dogs) and all my friends have multiple dogs. I dog sit ALL sizes of dogs but Pit Bulls are a breed apart.
ANYONE who says these dogs are not dangerous is delusional or a liar. Even the best pit bull can be unpredictable. My friend had a pit in her home with other cats & dogs for years. One day that pit went nuts & nearly killed her cat - turned out, he had a brain tumor.
They are just too large & strong for anyone to think they have any type of control over this dog. You do not. ANY illness, disease or stomach disorder - a bad mood could cause this dog to go viral.
I give them a wide berth - of all the animals in the world, I wouldn't mind at all if Pit Bulls went extinct

let's keep the polar bears & extinct pit bulls =D

I totally disagree with this

me too.

Any dog can become unpredictable. A dog whose physical characteristics are massive jaw and rippling muscles just has more potential for damage if/when it does become aggressive. However, the breed that takes the award for the most bites to humans is....... drum roll please.........Dachshund. Followed by Chihuahua and Jack Russel. See, these breeds are far more likely to be nervous little twitchers, and they bite a lot more often. It's just that when a pit bites, the results are a lot worse.

adrian_indy

I absolutley agree, pitbulls can be excellent, loyal, loving dogs. But they also have the bite power to crush a grown mans forearm. Too many people try to make light of what the breed is capable of. I hardly trust humans to raise kids, so don't ask me to trust that some stranger has properly trained, socialized and nurtured an animal that could possibly be a furry death machine. Besides, I would ask if the dog was people friendly if it were a labrador. If your child is only 18 months old, and that dog decides to attack...game over. I would glady risk slightly offending a dog owner than having a chance that my child gets it's face ripped off. (And before all the Pit Bull apologists start hammering me, I've adopted a 55 lb English BullDog with behavior problems and raised a 120 lb American Bulldog. So I'm not anti dog or anti-breed, I'm just more pro-human than pro-dog)

dubist

since its in your head, I would talk to the neighbor...ask about the area..general stuff...see if they are the kind of neighbors you want...talk about dogs...check it out...why not? then you will have more info to decide

this

sarahmaryfearnley

<

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did u say Doberman...

I never had a pit but we have do have a dobi. Another breed that gets a bad wrap. I admit, I was resistant when Hubby wanted her. I was an unknowing breedest, which is funny bc my old man is 130lb black dog that people cross the street from when we're walking.

Turns out she's the sweetest baby girl I've ever known and I learned a lot about myself from getting her.



Talk to the neighbors, all of them to get a feel for the situation and consider putting up a better fence if you really want the house.

stephanie8625

I would be more concerned of the neighbors --- being a dog owner my whole life of large and small dogs, it is not the dog regular behavior, it is the OWNER who trains them to be that way !!
But yes, I would talk to them, and not only them, but other neighbors around the house to see if anyone has had problems with their dog.

karenjoy

Pit Bulls are illegal in the UK and so this would not be an issue, they are covered by the dangerous dogs act.

jecka31

I believe I'd find another house. I am a dog lover (tho I like the lap dogs) and all my friends have multiple dogs. I dog sit ALL sizes of dogs but Pit Bulls are a breed apart.
ANYONE who says these dogs are not dangerous is delusional or a liar. Even the best pit bull can be unpredictable. My friend had a pit in her home with other cats & dogs for years. One day that pit went nuts & nearly killed her cat - turned out, he had a brain tumor.
They are just too large & strong for anyone to think they have any type of control over this dog. You do not. ANY illness, disease or stomach disorder - a bad mood could cause this dog to go viral.
I give them a wide berth - of all the animals in the world, I wouldn't mind at all if Pit Bulls went extinct

let's keep the polar bears & extinct pit bulls =D

I totally disagree with this

Thank you!! I am on #4 all being rescues coming from bad backgrounds. Jaime was left tied to a tree w/o food or water and was severely beaten; never showed any sign of aggression. Ares was beaten "to make him mean" and left for dead on the side of the road. As a result, he has severe brain damage yet my niece (who was 3 at the time) would play with him and take him for walks (supervised of course because a 3 yo shouldn't be alone with any animal). Annie was a bait dog and a breeder that was seized from a fighting ring. Again, never aggressive. My current dog is Moxie. We got her when she was 4 weeks old as someone dumped her and her litter-mates at a friends house. They were about 2 weeks old and she found them when she went to get her paper. She is dog aggressive (being that APBTs were orignally bred to drive rodents out of barns-not fighting in rings as is the common misconception-they have a very high prey drive) but me being a good owner, I keep her out of situations where she would be around other dogs. She is wonderful with children and adults. Comments like these are the reason the myths about APBTS survive. Yes, there are bad dogs but it is a result of one of two things: bad breeding or bad training. The main problem with the APBT breed is that "gangsters" want the biggest, meanest looking dog and they don't care about temperament. They bred dogs that should not be bred.

Ok, I'm stopping before I explode.

jecka31

me too.

Any dog can become unpredictable. A dog whose physical characteristics are massive jaw and rippling muscles just has more potential for damage if/when it does become aggressive. However, the breed that takes the award for the most bites to humans is....... drum roll please.........Dachshund. Followed by Chihuahua and Jack Russel. See, these breeds are far more likely to be nervous little twitchers, and they bite a lot more often. It's just that when a pit bites, the results are a lot worse.

And the number reason people go to the hospital for an animal bite is because of cat bites not dog bites. Yes, APBTs can do damage when they bite, so can a lab, chow chow, German shepard, bull mastiff or any other large dog.

Tests that have been done comparing the bite pressure of several
breeds showed pressure PSI (per square inch) to be considerably lower
than some wild estimates that have been made. Testing has shown that
the domestic dog averages about 320 lbs of pressure per square inch.
Recently Dr. Brady Barr of National Geographic conducted a comparative
test between a Pit Bull, a Rottweiler, and a German Shepherd. The Pit
Bull had the LOWEST PSI OF THE THREE.

The highest pressure recorded from the Pit Bull was 235 lbs PSI. The
highest from the GSD was 238, and the highest from the Rott was 328.
Dr. Barr states that as far as he knows, the PSI tested in the Rott is the
highest on record for any domestic canine.

http://www.realpitbull.com/myths.html

chevy88grl

I would go to the house, knock on the door and ask about their dog.

I have an American Bulldog/Boxer/Shar Pei mix that sounds like the meanest, nastiest dog in town - when in reality? He isn't. He's a big, huge baby. He likes everyone he meets and has never made any moves to bite someone. He is protecting his home and that is what dogs do - big or small. Their instinct is to protect their homes and their "pack" (which is their human family). I wouldn't judge this dog by how he acts when you were looking in the yard - you are a stranger to him and his barking is his way of saying "Hey! I don't know you! Don't come any closer! This is my yard".

He may, in reality, be the biggest baby you've ever met.

I would definitely talk to the owners. I wouldn't want someone judging me and my dog based on the fact that he barks when he sees a stranger.

On the other hand, I have children too and if I were moving into a home with a large, barking dog in the yard next door? I would go over and ask about the dog's personality. I would explain that I have children and that I'm interested in the house, but that I'm trying to get all the information I need to make a decision about the house. And knowing whether the dog next door is aggressive/hates kids/etc IS important.

rockerbabyy

to the OP - i would definitely talk to all the neighbors about all kinds of stuff. other kids in the neighborhood, vehicle traffic, everythinnng! but for sure the neighbor with the dog. im also curious what agressive behavior was shown - was it just barking through the fence? it may be that the house has been empty for a while and the dog isnt used to people being there.

Im going to edit this next comment a bit to show just how silly it is (not meant to be racist, just in case someone tries to throw that out there) - changed words/phrases are in *'s

I believe I'd find another house. I am a *people* lover (tho I like the *llittle people*) and all my friends have multiple *people* in their homes. I *baby* sit ALL sizes of *people* but *mexicans* are a breed apart.
ANYONE who says these *people* are not dangerous is delusional or a liar. Even the best *mexican person* can be unpredictable. My friend had a *mexican person* in her home with other *people and kids* for years. One day that *mexican person* went nuts & nearly killed her *kid* - turned out, he had a brain tumor.
They are just too large & strong for anyone to think they have any type of control over this *person*. You do not. ANY illness, disease or stomach disorder - a bad mood could cause this *race of people* to go viral.
I give them a wide berth - of all the *people* in the world, I wouldn't mind at all if *mexicans* went extinct

now really - you cant judge a whole race of people based on the actions of few. just like you cant judge an entire breed of dog based on the actions of some - especially when the majority of the time its improper training. Blame the owners, not the dog.
we're looking to adopt a rescue dog..shes a American Staffordshire Terrier/American Bulldog Mix. most gentle, calm dog ive ever met. was great with my young kids when we went to see her. shes also good with cats and other dogs (her foster home has both, and children). im really looking forward to adding her to our family.

chevy88grl

I believe I'd find another house. I am a dog lover (tho I like the lap dogs) and all my friends have multiple dogs. I dog sit ALL sizes of dogs but Pit Bulls are a breed apart.
ANYONE who says these dogs are not dangerous is delusional or a liar. Even the best pit bull can be unpredictable. My friend had a pit in her home with other cats & dogs for years. One day that pit went nuts & nearly killed her cat - turned out, he had a brain tumor.
They are just too large & strong for anyone to think they have any type of control over this dog. You do not. ANY illness, disease or stomach disorder - a bad mood could cause this dog to go viral.
I give them a wide berth - of all the animals in the world, I wouldn't mind at all if Pit Bulls went extinct

let's keep the polar bears & extinct pit bulls =D

Oh please. ANY dog who has a brain tumor or other physical illness has the potential to turn into an animal you do not know. ANY dog. Whether it be a cute little lap dog or a bull mastiff. I know people with lap dogs and you know what? Lap dogs bite too (and it hurts like hell). I'm not saying that a large dog can't/won't bite. I'm not saying that it isn't going to hurt or cause damage. But, I HATE when people judge a breed by news stories.

We had a Chow when I was a teenager. That dog was the MEANEST dog you'd ever meet. He bit everyone. It was awful. I loved that dog, but was scared of him.

Pits are sweet dogs when they are raised correctly. A girl I work with has a pit and baby that was born in July. When the baby cries? The pit runs over to her and starts to lick her hand - she stops crying EVERY time. Every single time. That dog is so incredibly sweet.

Anyway. My point is if an animal (dog, cat, horse, cow.. doesn't matter) is sick or injured they will NOT react in a "normal" manner. They aren't well and won't react well. I'm 100% sure that their pit wouldn't have turned on them or their cats had it NOT BEEN ILL.

CouchSpud

I believe I'd find another house. I am a dog lover (tho I like the lap dogs) and all my friends have multiple dogs. I dog sit ALL sizes of dogs but Pit Bulls are a breed apart.
ANYONE who says these dogs are not dangerous is delusional or a liar. Even the best pit bull can be unpredictable. My friend had a pit in her home with other cats & dogs for years. One day that pit went nuts & nearly killed her cat - turned out, he had a brain tumor.
They are just too large & strong for anyone to think they have any type of control over this dog. You do not. ANY illness, disease or stomach disorder - a bad mood could cause this dog to go viral.
I give them a wide berth - of all the animals in the world, I wouldn't mind at all if Pit Bulls went extinct

let's keep the polar bears & extinct pit bulls =D

Disagree
I grww up with dogs and in all fairness, the little oens are more vicious! They just don't do as much harm and don't get reported as much. Take the dachshound for example, very own mind and I know one that would make grown up people curl up on a table and pray...

Every dog is unpredictable, and whoever came up witht eh idea of saying my dog won't do that... rubbish. If stressed out enough or untrained or or or... there is so much that can set a dog off.

Go and talk to neighbours in general, see what the crime statistics are in the area, do a bit of research. Chances are that you find out it might not be the best of neighbourhoods