What is your opinion on pitbulls?

Get a rescue dog, one that needs some love :)

If raised right, they’re lovely dogs, but not as good with tiny children as most retrievers. Also, if you get one, research its ancestry, as a very high percentage of the breed lines in America I don’t know where you are have had their aggressive traits accentuated. If you don’t have a long history of dog raising and training I’d go with another breed.

Most of the pit bulls I’ve seen were basically overly muscular Labrador Retrievers; a little energetic, slightly goofy, and generally friendly. There was one that was so friendly I thought he was going to lick my hand off!

If you want to avoid getting an aggressive dog then stay away from any breed that is cat-sized or smaller. Sure, you can put the little bastard in your purse, but they have an attitude from hell, won’t shut up, and love to growl and bite.

@JilltheTooth I think nurture plays a larger role there. Or are Doberman Pinschers (like the one we had when I was a baby) known to be remarkably good around tiny children?

They’re actually non-aggressive dogs. They have gotten such a bad reputation with hearing about dog fighting and pitbulls and whatnot. My friend has a pitbull and a 3 month old daughter. That pitbull loves that baby and I’ve never seen it have any dangerous qualities. Granted it’s how the dog is raised. Every dog has it’s risks..They’re also very sweet and loyal. I’ve dealt with pitbulls..and I mean a lot of them They’re generally good dogs.

I have talked to owners who had the dog turn on them or their families. The dogs were sweet and loved, and just snapped. I truly believe we should destroy the pure breed.

I’ve answered this many times. I would not own a pitbull, period. People who do should carry a minimum of $1,000,000 blanket liability insurance.

I wouldn’t risk it with a child in the house. It may be mainly how the dog is raised, and it may be that pit bulls make the news over other dog attacks just because it stirs up so much emotion and debate. I’d stick with a dog breed that is known for being gentle and good with children. If you get a dog from a shelter or a rescue, find out as much about the dog’s history as you can. If the dog was mistreated or not properly socialized before ending up at the shelter, you may have more work to do in order to make sure your baby is safe around the dog. Or you could get a kitten!

@jerv : Apples and sofas, darlin’. Remember, I did say, “if raised right”. Pits (and AmStaffs and like breeds) are, by physical nature, very strong, stronger than Dobies and labs, and are terriers to the core; stubborn, opinionated, smart, and somewhat difficult to train if one isn’t experienced There are a number of breeds I wouldn’t recommend to a household with a very young child. Doesn’t mean they’re not good dogs, just not the best for the household.

Oh, and Mom2B, just a comment on timing. I got a puppy when my daughter was still a baby, and arrogantly thought that with all my experience dog training it would be fine. I was overwhelmed with a puppy and a baby all at once. Either get the puppy first and get it housebroken and squared away before the baby comes, or consider waiting a bit til you’re not so overcome with new motherhood. BTW, both puppy and baby turned out fine in the end, but I sure wouldn’t do it that way again!

Pitbull is like any other dog if it is loved !

My advise is too get a shelter dog. They really appreciate your love.

I think Pit Bulls are handsome dogs, and I have always been partial to the short haired breeds like Hounds. The couple I have known have been nice dogs but they do suffer from bad press.

I probably would not own one if I had small kids, and some are cat aggressive. I hear they are more prone to other animal aggression than people aggression.

I have cats and geese so choose to have no dogs at all at this time, partly because all dogs are high maintainance, but also because of my beleoved geezers, very, very, few dogs can control themselves around geese and chickens.

I’d rather not tempt fate.

Actually, come to think of it, the most evil dog I have ever known was a weiner dog mix named Pesto. lol Think he was mixed with heeler and looked like a giant weiner dog with slightly longer legs.

He belonged to friends and was THE most horrible, growling, snapping, ankle biting little jerk ever. lol

I wouldn’t go with a rescue dog unless you can research it’s history to find out what kind of treatment it’s had. If you’re not an experienced dog trainer or a stay at home all day person then I’d advise against it. With my recent experiences then I wouldn’t trust them other kinds of animals unless observed 24/7.

We’ve got a pitt, she’s lovely but was an abused rescue dog and there are movements which make her sketchy and she’s attacked both our smaller dogs on occasion. It doesn’t matter that she didn’t attack to kill, the facts her teeth are over an inch long and her head is like an anvil and jaws like a vice, those are enough to have hurt our little dogs. I’ve seen her lash out unpredictably to what looked like nothing more than one dog walking by her. She is so powerful that I’ll not walk her alone anymore (I’m 105lbs) because when excited then she can easily knock me down, drag me and I can see her tugging the leash to where I’d easily dislocate an arm or shoulder. Personally, I dread there being an accident to where she would attack another human.

@Neizvestnaya No matter how gentle their temperament, it’s always a problem to have a pet that doesn’t know it’s own strength.
Part of the reason I like regular cats is that most of them inherently know that they can’t do much to a creature many times it’s size (like a human) and those that don’t figure that out pretty quickly.

@jerv- I watched a few hours of “Shark Week” via Netflix last night and see the sharks cruising through the reefs and then suddenly becoming voracious attackers in an instant reminded me a lot of witnessing a few attacks on our smaller dogs. My mom loves that dog and wants to take the pitt to her own home to be a single pet, I think that’s exactly what that dog needs.

@Neizvestnaya Some animals need to be single pets. My current cat needs to be an only animal.

@Coloma The most evil dog we ever had was a cocker spaniel. He was so protective of my mom, that he’d park himself outside the bathroom door while she used the facilities, then run snarling and barking at me and my brother if we dared to walk past. He never bit anyone, but he sure looked like he wanted to! My mom was the only person who liked him, probably because that time in the bathroom was the only peace and quiet she got.

I have known three pitbulls that are very nice dogs.They are owned by people that have taken the time to train them properly. Aesthetically,they leave much to be desired.

If you really know about this particular breed and know how to treat them there shouldn’t be any problem. But just for other people and your safety you better keep them away children.

They can be total sweetiepies, but you never know. Any dog could lash out under provocation—or sometimes even without.

But I’m pretty sure they are dogs. Not bulls.

i know plenty of people with good loyal pittys. I know someone with a pit named Rocco, the biggest threat he was to people is licking them to death. He literally will pin you down. and try to drown you in his saliva. i also know someone who has a rescued fighting pit bull. He was a trained fighter and got rescued. My friend trained him to be a good dog.

Personally, I’m a fan of all bull terriers (I have a gorgeous Staffy myself).

If you have never owned dogs before I would steer clear of bull terriers. I like them, and would consider owning one, but they need an experienced owner. For a first time dog owner I can’t recommend retrievers (especially labradors) highly enough. They’re intelligent, which makes them very easy to train, they’re playful and gentle, just perfect temperament for a first-timer.

Pitbulls and Staffies can be the friendliest and most affectionate dogs in the world but you’ll always feel that you’re living with a potential powder-keg.

Irresponsible owners are a huge problem.

Keep in mind how strong these dogs grow to be. Ours is a medium sized female but well muscled and weighs in around 65lbs and when she got excited to see her papa the other night then she barreled past me in a lope, knocked me down easily. I’m pretty pliable but hit the tile floor hard, had it been my mother or another older person then I would have worried about more than bruises. Also, not just anyone should be let to walk these dogs on a leash because they can easily drag you along when excited, I’m 100lbs and no match for her when she wants to go.

i have a pit and two children and she is the best animal i have ever had! she is one of my kids and my biggest baby! i will never own anything but pits, it’s all about how you train and love them! teach them right from wrong and they will be your best friend, they are very loyal and loving!