Pit Bull Situation

>Anyone who wants to send me "hate mail" about being a
>pit bull owner or your horror stories about pit bulls - please
>don't. They will be deleted. I've heard it all. :)

I would hope you don't have to worry about this.

I don't have pitbulls, or even dogs, but I'm sure that their behavior is highly reflective of how they are raised. And since they CAN be agressive and taught to fight, some unscrupulous people take advantage of that and train them to do so, for their own monetary benefit. From watching "Animal Cops"! it seems that even the fighters are often very friendly with people (they are taught to be, as they have to respond to their owner without attacking him).

A good friend of mine has had a chow dog. And she was told by both the employees at the shelter where she adopted him and her vet that chows are often dogs they do not trust. They were all amazed that Jack was so mellow and non-agressive (a very Zen dog!).
 
Hi Sparrow,

I am deathly afraid of dogs, being bitten by one in the face when i was 3, and also being chased by a few during my childhood. I would be upfront, and honest. I am very happy to see so many dog lovers who try not to push their beloved animals on everyone! I used to visit a friend of mine,and she would always have this huge dog, who would come running, and jumping all over me. I would freeze, raise my arms, and literally panic. I told her I was deathly afraid, and finally after the third time she would have the dog out of sight, before I got there. I am not an animal lover, but I hate to see animals hurt, and thank god there are people that love furry creatures!:D

ann Marie
 
In a situation like this, honesty is always the best policy. If you present it to them like you have here, I can't see why they would ever say "no". You really don't have anything against them or their dog, it's more an issue of your comfort level. Because it's not about them, they should be willing to close the door on the dog while you're around!!

Good luck, and let us know what happens!
 
Susan, LOL, "LITTLE" angels?!?! :p My 11 pound cat is a little angel... her 15 pound brother is the Georginator... yours look like much bigger angels!!! :7
 
Sparrow, I think just being honest about your fears about the dog will work with your friends. All the Pitbulls I've meet are very sweet dogs, but I totally understand your fears. I have a Rhodesian Ridgeback and have a 'friend' that won't come near my house because he had 2 Ridgebacks chase him on a job he was on (in the backyard of the dogs). He's scared to death of my totally sweet, harmless dog. LOL! I also have people that think she's got her hair raised up on her back and looks aggressive. (Rhodesians have a ridge of hair growing the opposite direction on their back) So, off she goes the bedroom.:) until they leave. I just think whatever and no big deal.

I also groom dogs for a living and can read dog behavior very well. It's definitely the Breeding and the environment that a dog comes from that make them what they are. Lot's of people have certain breeds that make them nervous....Like, don't bring Chows or American Eskimos around my shop! ;)
(sorry, no offence to anyone who owns these breeds:) )
 
Pit bull update!

DH talked to the other DH this morning (they work together) and he understood totally and said they would be happy to tuck the dogs away for a few hours (they also have a Golden). DH said the guy wasn't tense about it at all.

Thanks again everyone for the thoughts and opinions. It's such a drag to be nervous around dogs, since they are everywhere, and not every one is as thoughtful as the dog owners here. DH and I have actually given up our morning walks in a local state woodland, because there were too many unleashed dogs romping around there, despite signs saying that dogs must be leashed at all times. It just made me too tense to have strange dogs thundering out of the woods at me, even if they meant no harm.

So, I always though the Cathe board was full of good moms (Missy, Lori, Charlotte, tons of others!) and now I'll have to add the dog-mommies to the list as well. :D

Sparrow


Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow - what a ride!’ — Peter Sage
 
I must have missed this thread!

I don't blame you for feeling the way you do. I worked as a veterinary assistant for several years and one of the reasons I quit the job was because I developed a fear of dogs that I hadn't had previously.

Pet owners have an emotional attachment to their pets and often underestimate the threat they pose. I can't tell you how many people would come in with their dogs and say "he's a great dog...he won't hurt you", then CHOMP and half your face is gone! Then the owner would say something like "I can't understand it, he never behaves that way at home".

I had 2 weiner dogs, god rest their little souls, and as sweet as they were MOST of the time, they WOULD bite you if provoked. They were very ill mannered little beasts, and while I got a big kick out of it, I always shut them in a room when company came over.

Michele
 
Michele...I have to tell a story here on weiner dogs! I was dogsitting for some friends who have hunting dogs in outdoor kennels and then two weiners who are housedogs. Okay, I had told them I would pick up the two weiners from the boarding kennel late Saturday so they wouldn't have to pay for Sun+Mon morning. I already knew the older dog was not real friendly with strangers. I go get the dogs from the boarder and she tells me, watch out for that bigger one she'll bite and I said, yeah, I know! So...I get them home and let them out to potty. Upon putting them back in their kennels in the house...the older dog runs past me and jumps up on the back of the sofa and there she sits...growling at me and daring me to try to pick her up, the little sh*t! So I fixed her wagon by throwing a blanket over her and tussling with her until I got ahold of the skin on the back of her neck and was she ticked off! If that dang dog had gotten a hold of my hand I bet she'd have taken a finger off. I put her in her kennel and slammed the door shut!

I have never been a fan of weiner dogs. :eek:
 
I'm LMAO because I know exactly what you're talking about. I find that oven mitts work well in those situations.

Dachsies are so stubborn and hard to train. They will lick your face off one minute, then take your hand off the next. I dearly loved my dogs (the female was the snippiest of the two) but I probably wouldn't have them again. Mind you, I had weiners for almost 20 years--that's enough!

You can see my Siegfried in my avatar and my picture trail. He was a beautiful dog! He wasn't inclined to bite, but he flunked obedience training--TWICE!! LOL!

Michele:)
 
Awwww...he was a longhaired...he was beautiful. :)

And LMAO at him "flunking obedience training"!!!

That couple that I dogsat for...the wife now does rescue work with weiners. I told them, don't call me when you go on vacation! :7
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top