Please, don't make Pit Bulls 'aggressive' Jason

Lepisma · 2018-09-15 18:12:59

I've worked in the veterinary field for about a decade now, exclusively small animal cat and dog. I work closely with dogs literally all day every day. It is my career.
First dog that bit me was a pug mix. Then a chiweenie.
I've met one aggressive pitbull. There are a lot of unruly, bouncy, poorly trained ones, but not as many aggressive as you would think judging by their reputation. On the other hand, I cannot tell you how many German Shepherds and Huskies I have had to muzzle, let alone Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Schnauzers, and Heelers. There is a Great Pyrenees we can’t even touch when it comes in. I've seen a Cocker Spaniel euthanized because he attacked children. My husband's aunt was legally obligated to have her German Shepherd euthanized because he put a girl in the hospital with, to quote the officer who handled the rabies quarantine, "the worst bite [he had] ever seen." Dalmations get quite the reputation in the field, although I haven't met a bad one yet. A Labrador Retriever nearly took my coworker's ear off. A hound nearly took my nose, and I had a lab mix grab my hand just yesterday. There is a Pomeranian on the fatal bite list. Your average 8 pound domestic cat is a frequent cause for finger and hand amputation, no ginormity, bad owner, extra muscle, or ramped-up hormones required. Statistics can be inflated due to bias and because many other breed mixes can resemble a pit to an untrained eye who doesn't work with a variety of breeds daily (lab and boxer mixes, for example, can share that broad head and face), and widely reported non-pit attacks often don't indicate the breed or aren't broadcast because the media doesn't get as much keyword hype for them as they do for headlines with "Pitbull Attacks".
ANY DOG can be aggressive in the right circumstance, and if it is going to be implemented in OHOL I feel that should be reflected. There is NO reason to single out one breed when all the others implemented are equally capable.

Last edited by Lepisma (2018-09-15 18:34:15)

Joriom · 2018-09-15 18:17:50

Jk Howling wrote:

You know, one thing that I've seen work absolute wonders with dog-human food aggression, is practicing petting your dog while it eats. Its better to start as puppies, but can work on adult dogs too if you know what you're doing [and they're not to the point of snapping at you].

Yes, thats a very good way of building trust. Sadly, most of my dogs are "saved" from worse fate and got to me when they were already grown up.
Ofc there are exceptions like one being saved from seller on flea market during snowy winter (it was the last pupp, would probably be dumped into a river) or two puppies saved right from the hands of person who was about to drown them...
But, one of my current dogs got to me at the age of around 10 (human) years. Kept in dog shelter for years. Adopted twice but returned back to shelter (for bad behaviour and agression towards owners). Was about to be put down due to problems with its back legs - could barely stand. Its hard to teach old dog "new tricks", but hes smart - he learned a lot during first week and just in few months hes sleeping with me in bed. Loves our cat (and cat loves him back, him the most I think). Now he runs, jumps and I can hardly catch him - thanks to proper medications. My dogs know the "pill hour" perfectly and even if it so happens we forget to give them meds, they will gather around the table where pills are to get their dayli dose. They understand the routine. (my other dog has epilepsy so he needs pills every day just to avoid attacks...)

MultiLife · 2018-09-15 18:22:54

Jk Howling wrote:

You know, one thing that I've seen work absolute wonders with dog-human food aggression, is practicing petting your dog while it eats. Its better to start as puppies, but can work on adult dogs too if you know what you're doing [and they're not to the point of snapping at you].

This is how we got to know she had some level of food aggression, so we removed the food bowl from her and scolded her, snapping her out of her growl. Then gave food from hand, then later tried again with the bowl; she stopped the growling very quickly with this routine. When she got the first huge real bone, she backpedaled a bit, becoming stiff and protective, growling deep over the bone. She was never that feral-looking ever before, which is why I said "turned into a very different dog". If she was a bigger dog I'd have been terrified, I was a kid. That was the only moment in her life when she actually seemed dangerous.
Anyways please let's not go too far off-topic here, my dog has been dead for two years (cancer got to her brain causing seizures). She was a dog with quirks, we don't know everything from her puppyhood, but she was a good dog who listened to orders and loved her family dearly. She got rid of food aggression completely way before she turned 1 (minus the raw bone) but was still obsessed with food through her life; trying to get to trash and trying to eat stuff outside on walks. But yes let's please leave it here, we are randos on the internet and we don't know the stories, I appreciate trying to help but it was not as bad as it may have sounded. I hope the insights may help others who somehow stumble upon these messages.

One Hour One Life Forums

#26 2018-09-15 18:12:59

Re: Please, don't make Pit Bulls 'aggressive' Jason

#27 2018-09-15 18:17:50

Re: Please, don't make Pit Bulls 'aggressive' Jason

#28 2018-09-15 18:22:54

Re: Please, don't make Pit Bulls 'aggressive' Jason

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