any pitbull or pitbull mix owners?

[mlgbug]

i know these dogs have a bad rep, but ive also seen the most amazing [pitbulls first hand, and really they can make a wonderful companion for the family. that being said, weve adopted an 9 week old pitbull husky mix called Sybal. he is great so far....and i want to continue that.

 

i guess what im asking is when you have a powerful dog when its a puppy what are the best ways to make him a well, centered dog. ive been reading and watching the dog whisperer, i love that man!

 

thanks

 

pics of the new pup are in the blog!

[Nakia]

He is adorable!! My mother owns one pitbull/boxer mix and one pitbull who is deaf. They are amazing dogs!!! My mother works with them all the time! I know one thing that is important is to make sure they know you are the boss. Someone here has a son that raises and trains pitbulls, and I hope she responds.

[mlgbug]

oh i really does hope she responds!

[Carrie12345]

I don't have Pit Bulls, but I know several families who do. My dogs are both part Rottweiler, so I do see a lot of breed discrimination.

 

For one, I believe that starting with puppies is the best way to go, so that's good. There's much less risk that s/he's been questionably trained. But now obedience training has to be the utmost priority.

 

We trained our dogs ourselves (from puppyhood), and that has worked out okay for us, but I do wish we had worked with a professional trainer. Their not nearly as well-trained as they COULD be.

 

Some people think I'm crazy, but I don't allow my kids to be unsupervised with the dogs. They're not allowed in the kids' bedrooms. If I have to be in another room, the dogs are crated. They've never so much as bared a tooth to any of my kids in the 5 years we've had them, but I refuse to ever forget that they ARE animals, and my kids ARE kids.

[jujsky]

I don't have a pitbull mix, but before her divorce my cousin had 2 purebred pitbulls and a pitbull mix (she still has the mix, ex has the purebreds). They were all extremely sweet dogs, and I'm no pitbull lover! I stayed over once and the mix kept going back and forth all night between my bed and my cousin's, and spooning with us! The purebred male thought he was a lapdog and kept trying to climb into my lap to cuddle every time I sat down. Their little lady was the sweetest, gentlest little thing I've ever seen. Ex cousin IL used to bring her with him to the convenience store he worked at every day, so she was around a wide variety of people all the time.

 

Now my cousin is pretty much a pitbull advocate. She understands animals, and that's what most of it is about. Her dogs were never, ever allowed to run free (they had a large kennel in their back yard) and because they weren't raised with small children, cousin kept them away from her niece and nephew (at least the boys, the little girl dog was fine).

 

I think if they're raised right, the chance of something happening is no greater than with any other dog. Expose them early-on in controlled situations to lots of other animals (it's instinctual in most dogs to chase small animals, but pitbulls and huskies are 2 breeds particularly known for this) and definitely put the dog in an obedience class. Huskies like to run and are notorious escape artists, so be careful you always have the dog on a leash. My only other word of advice is if you can possibly get away with it (meaning if the dog looks far more husky than pitbull) refer to it in most cases when people ask as a "husky mix." That way people will see the dog for who he/she is and not a "vicious pitbull." We have a German Shepherd and a German Shepherd mix, and they also have a bad reputation with people since they're "police dogs" and therefore "vicious." We had one insurance company refuse to carry us because we had 2 German shepherds. If we had said we had 1 German shepherd and a lab mix, they would have covered us. Geez, you'd think we'd get a discount; no one is breaking in here! :D

 

Enjoy your new puppy! I hope she brings you many years of love & happiness!

[mlgbug]

So far i think we are doing everything right. I take him outsde to the batheroom every 30-45 mins. He hasnt pooped in the house and we havent had accidents. I dont along the puppy play nipping, and i am firm with no. I make him sit in his spot, which is in the kitchen so i can see him all the time, while we eat. He has to stay in his bed. He is SO tiny, i cant imagine how big he will get. I use to run with his daddy the husky, In the summer cause he was my sil;s and she NEVER gave him excerise. i fet so bad for him. The mom is the pit and i dont know much about her, but she is my sil'sbut they all stay in a HUGE fenced in yard...

[justamouse]

I love pits and think they are the most wonderful dogs. Mine was always so calm and lazy! She would be happy just basking in the sun all day and letting the kids roll all over her. My parents freaked when we first got her, but now they are pits most loyal advocates. (My brother -her boyfriend- has her now. Even as well trained as she was, my neighbors wouls scream every time I took her out and frankly, we needed to keep the peace so I had to give her away to my brother (who adores her) I still haven't forgiven my neighbors.)

 

She's also a very well trained dog, so I understand where you're coming from. I crate trained, and I made sure I was the leader.

 

She NEVER made a mess in the house, she's smarter than my Dobie, she never ever snapped at the kids (and they gave her plenty of opportunity!) she picked up tricks so quickly. Make sure you socialize her. Bring her everywhere with you now, while it's easy to pick her up and move her, that way she knows what behavior is expected of her. She now hangs out at the bar on the floor between the bar and the kitchen (she knows she's not allowed in there) and is loved by everyone who stops in.

Edited March 16, 2010 by justamouse

[Remudamom]

I'll be the wet blanket here. Some friends of ours had a pitt that they raised with their children. They brought it over to our house all the time and it played with our collie. Friendly, sweet little thing. One day it attacked a child that ran through the yard and as I heard, had to be shot before it would let go. Pitts are now banned in our small town.

 

I don't know what happened to that sweet dog, but I hope yours does better.

[mlgbug]

I'll be the wet blanket here. Some friends of ours had a pitt that they raised with their children. They brought it over to our house all the time and it played with our collie. Friendly, sweet little thing. One day it attacked a child that ran through the yard and as I heard, had to be shot before it would let go. Pitts are now banned in our small town.

 

I don't know what happened to that sweet dog, but I hope yours does better.

 

 

what a horrible thing! God bless that child. I know animals will be animals, and never will let our dog be loose in our yard. it will always be leashed.

[Remudamom]

Yeah, I think they had the dog chained in the yard, and I think that makes them more territorial.

[sadiegirl]

We had a pitbull at one time and our story was a tragic one. My husband bought us a pit bull puppy which was adorable. We crate trained as we always have and Sophie was the perfect puppy. Our two boys loved this dog and she was great with them. All our family members were leary of us having a pit bull and we were constantly fighting the sterotypical comments from them as well as anyone else we came into contact. We travel quite a bit and our dogs have always gone with us. We found out that mentioning that our dog was a pit bull came with some prejudice unless the kennels, groomers, etc were accustomed to pit bulls.

Nevertheless, this dog was amazing. She loved to play frisbee for hours on end and loved the ocean and water. No problems of growling or aggression EXCEPT for other dogs that lived down our street. That should have been our white flag. We had a small Yorkshire terrier that lived next door to us and this dog had no boundaries because "it was small and cute" and "could be no threat." We have always kept our dogs in our yard or on a lead. Sophie stayed in our fenced backyard. This small dog would bark endlessly at her and this day he chose to come over to bark at Sophie on our sidewalk following my son and the neighbor's granddaughter. When they opened the gate, Sophie shot out and bit the dog which resulted in a major injury which eventually led to the death of this dog. What followed was the most traumatic ordeal with a pet that I have ever experienced. The woman and her adult daughter and her adult son were home but did not witness the event so my son and the granddaughter had to relay the details of the event. As you can imagine, they went ballistic, rushed to the ER and even attempted CPR on this dog. We offered to pay half of the cost(total cost was approx. $1300) which they claimed was unreasonable. That night, we left the state with Sadie as we knew they would call Animal Control(which they did). We drove until 2:00 to meet my husband's parents so they could take Sadie and keep her until we knew what to do. When we arrived back home, the neighbors would not speak with us. I walked over to talk to them and they called the police on me. They quit speaking to my kids(which before they treated like grandkids) and then the entire neighborhood basically quit treating us like people they knew.

To make a long story short, my kids were extremely affected by this as was I. Our dog was put to sleep as after this situation, she became extremely aggressive(I still think it was because she felt threatened and scared by how people were treating her). We had tried countless places to adopt her and the pitbull shelters were too full and no other place would take her. I wouldn't let my MIL just give her to anyone as I was afraid they would fight her. I made the heartbreaking decision and I still think about it and the pain we all went thru.

So, I am happy for you...hope for the best. I know many people who have had pits and have happy endings to their story BUT beware that there are issues that come with this breed and as one post said, they are animals and when threatened, the instinct to defend comes out. Every time I see a pit now, I think of Sophie and what she brought joy she brought to us.

[astrid]

what a horrible thing! God bless that child. I know animals will be animals, and never will let our dog be loose in our yard. it will always be leashed.

 

NO! PLEASE!! Don't keep your dog ALWAYS leashed! That builds frustration, more frustration, and MORE frustration! Especially if your pitty mix is half husky-- those dogs are hard-wired to RUN, for long distances and until (and past) exhaustion. Right? Wasn't his daddy a great running partner, as you said? Keeping this dog tethered to something at all times will just fuel that desire to run, to be closer to the pack (your family,) and to patrol his yard, which are all natural instincts in any dog. Preventing him from acting on those instincts builds frustration at an exponential rate until the reaches his tipping point and then it's too late. It's a sure-fire way to foster and increase "leash aggression" and is a recipe for serious disaster. It's part of why leashes are not allowed in most dog parks. I've seen seriously leash-aggressive dogs do just fine when allowed to hang with the pack at a dog park.

 

Fenced yard, always supervised, really solid training (including a ROCK SOLID recall!!) is very important.

 

Anyway, best of luck to you. He's adorable!

 

astrid

[AuntieM]

I also hate to be a wet blanket, but as one with personal experience in how a new neighbor with pit bulls can change relationships, I just want to warn you to not be surprised when your kids' friends are no longer allowed to play at your house or in your yard. Sad, but true.

[I talk to the trees]

We had a pitbull at one time and our story was a tragic one. My husband bought us a pit bull puppy which was adorable. We crate trained as we always have and Sophie was the perfect puppy. Our two boys loved this dog and she was great with them. All our family members were leary of us having a pit bull and we were constantly fighting the sterotypical comments from them as well as anyone else we came into contact. We travel quite a bit and our dogs have always gone with us. We found out that mentioning that our dog was a pit bull came with some prejudice unless the kennels, groomers, etc were accustomed to pit bulls.

Nevertheless, this dog was amazing. She loved to play frisbee for hours on end and loved the ocean and water. No problems of growling or aggression EXCEPT for other dogs that lived down our street. That should have been our white flag. We had a small Yorkshire terrier that lived next door to us and this dog had no boundaries because "it was small and cute" and "could be no threat." We have always kept our dogs in our yard or on a lead. Sophie stayed in our fenced backyard. This small dog would bark endlessly at her and this day he chose to come over to bark at Sophie on our sidewalk following my son and the neighbor's granddaughter. When they opened the gate, Sophie shot out and bit the dog which resulted in a major injury which eventually led to the death of this dog. What followed was the most traumatic ordeal with a pet that I have ever experienced. The woman and her adult daughter and her adult son were home but did not witness the event so my son and the granddaughter had to relay the details of the event. As you can imagine, they went ballistic, rushed to the ER and even attempted CPR on this dog. We offered to pay half of the cost(total cost was approx. $1300) which they claimed was unreasonable. That night, we left the state with Sadie as we knew they would call Animal Control(which they did). We drove until 2:00 to meet my husband's parents so they could take Sadie and keep her until we knew what to do. When we arrived back home, the neighbors would not speak with us. I walked over to talk to them and they called the police on me. They quit speaking to my kids(which before they treated like grandkids) and then the entire neighborhood basically quit treating us like people they knew.

To make a long story short, my kids were extremely affected by this as was I. Our dog was put to sleep as after this situation, she became extremely aggressive(I still think it was because she felt threatened and scared by how people were treating her). We had tried countless places to adopt her and the pitbull shelters were too full and no other place would take her. I wouldn't let my MIL just give her to anyone as I was afraid they would fight her. I made the heartbreaking decision and I still think about it and the pain we all went thru.

So, I am happy for you...hope for the best. I know many people who have had pits and have happy endings to their story BUT beware that there are issues that come with this breed and as one post said, they are animals and when threatened, the instinct to defend comes out. Every time I see a pit now, I think of Sophie and what she brought joy she brought to us.

 

 

So....your dog killed their dog, and you generously offered to pay half of the vet bill? :confused:

 

I simply cannot understand why- with the countless intelligent, beautiful, loyal, hard-working breeds available- anyone would want a PB!

 

mlgbug- Please, please, please be certain that you get professional training for this puppy. And never, under any circumstances allow it to be alone with children or other animals. The risks are simply too great! That said, best of luck to you, and I do sincerely hope your story turns out to be a happy one.

[TCB]

You probably won't like me adding this but I just have to say be careful. Every time you read a story where a child is attacked or killed by a dog the owners inevitably say that the dog 'never showed any signs of this before' or was the 'sweetest dog' .

 

I readily admit that I am nervous about dogs and kids. I try and be as careful as possible with our dogs and others our kids come into contact with. I just don't want to have to regret something for the rest of my life.

[Remudamom]

So....your dog killed their dog, and you generously offered to pay half of the vet bill? :confused:

 

 

Hey, cut the snark. They should have taken better care of their Yorkie.

[TravelingChris]

Yes, you do have to understand that many people will not come over or let their children come over.

 

My girls sometimes go to the youth group at our church. For Halloween, the party was held at a house with 2 pitbull mixes who the teen daughter said were great with people but were 'dog aggressive". My daughters did not go to the party since I refuse to let them go to any house with a dog aggressive dog. We have a miniature poodle. What if those dogs smelled our dog on our girls and decided they didn't like them either? Or maybe the smell of both our dog and our cat and my one girl's hamster would set them off. I will not have them deal with such dogs.

[Nakia]

I saw this on another website and thought it was interesting.

 

 

A very interesting site about pitbulls.

Edited March 16, 2010 by Nakia

[astrid]

So....your dog killed their dog, and you generously offered to pay half of the vet bill? :confused:

 

I simply cannot understand why- with the countless intelligent, beautiful, loyal, hard-working breeds available- anyone would want a PB!

 

mlgbug- Please, please, please be certain that you get professional training for this puppy. And never, under any circumstances allow it to be alone with children or other animals. The risks are simply too great! That said, best of luck to you, and I do sincerely hope your story turns out to be a happy one.

 

Welllll....if I understand the story correctly, the Yorkie was on the pitty owner's property, and barking up a storm at the pitty.

 

[gratiuitus editorial here--- I CANNOT STAND THE DOUBLE STANDARD THAT EXISTS FOR LITTLE ANKLE-BITER DOGS!!! IF MY 150 POUND, WELL-TRAINED AND UBER-SOCIALIZED DOGS BEHAVED LIKE 90% OF THE POCKET DOGS I SEE ON A DAILY BASIS THEY'D BE A MENACE TO SOCIETY AND MY FAMILY!!!! YET THIS SORT OF BEHAVIOR IS TOLERATED, INDULGED AND EVEN SMILED AT BY PEOPLE WHO STRUGGLE TO KEEP THEIR YAPPING, SNARLING, SHRIEKING TINY DOGS UNDER CONTROL WHILE MY BIG DOGS SIT QUIETLY IN HEEL POSITION, OFF THE SIDEWALK, WAITING FOR THEM TO PASS,WHILE THE OWNERS OF THE LITTLE DOGS MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT HOW MY DOGS WOULD EAT THEIR LITTLE DOGS FOR LUNCH. REALLY??? WHOSE DOG LOOKS LIKE HE'S ABOUT TO TAKE A BITE OUT OF SOMEONE???? ARGH!!!]

 

And as for your assertion that any of the many "countless intelligent, beautiful, loyal, hard-working breeds" would be better than a pit or pit mix, think again. ALL are animals. Know what breed has one of the highest bite frequencies? Golden retrievers. ANY dog CAN and WILL bite. They are animals, not humans, and certainly not children. Some of the toughest behavioral cases I see as a trainer are those where the dog has been anthropomorphized and treated as such. This is so common, especially with cute little fluffy white dogs :tongue_smilie:. Ill-behaved little dogs often bite with much more frequency, and often with less of a trigger, than bigger dogs but those bites do less damage and consequently go unreported.

 

I'm not defending the rep of pitties, but just point out that ANY dog can be dangerous given the right set of circumstances.

 

astrid

Edited March 16, 2010 by astrid

[Nakia]

 

[gratiuitus editorial here--- I CANNOT STAND THE DOUBLE STANDARD THAT EXISTS FOR LITTLE ANKLE-BITER DOGS!!! IF MY 150 POUND, WELL-TRAINED AND UBER-SOCIALIZED DOGS BEHAVED LIKE 90% OF THE POCKET DOGS I SEE ON A DAILY BASIS THEY'D BE A MENACE TO SOCIETY AND MY FAMILY!!!! YET THIS SORT OF BEHAVIOR IS TOLERATED, INDULGED AND EVEN SMILED AT BY PEOPLE WHO STRUGGLE TO KEEP THEIR YAPPING, SNARLING, SHRIEKING TINY DOGS UNDER CONTROL WHILE MY BIG DOGS SIT QUIETLY IN HEEL POSITION, OFF THE SIDEWALK, WAITING FOR THEM TO PASS,WHILE THE OWNERS OF THE LITTLE DOGS MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT HOW MY DOGS WOULD EAT THEIR LITTLE DOGS FOR LUNCH. REALLY??? WHOSE DOG LOOKS LIKE HE'S ABOUT TO TAKE A BITE OUT OF SOMEONE???? ARGH!!!]

 

 

 

For real!!!

[TCB]

I don't know how to quote but the above poster mentioned that other dogs bite more frequently but do less damage so are not reported. Dogs are animals and therefore all can bite but I think what frightens me is the damage issue.

 

The dogs that stand more of a chance of killing or seriously injuring my child are the ones that I will not take a chance with.

[EarleneW]

I also hate to be a wet blanket, but as one with personal experience in how a new neighbor with pit bulls can change relationships, I just want to warn you to not be surprised when your kids' friends are no longer allowed to play at your house or in your yard. Sad, but true.

 

I agree with this. My kids are not allowed to play at some friends houses that have pit bulls. I have had a couple friends whose pit bulls have turned on them and I can't take that chance. 2 of them had to be shot to get them off thier owners. And these 2 famlies did not have kids and treated these dogs WELL.

[Remudamom]

The "guess the breed" was interesting, but I'm not buying for a minute that the innocent looking pup they have on there is a pb.

[I talk to the trees]

I don't know how to quote but the above poster mentioned that other dogs bite more frequently but do less damage so are not reported. Dogs are animals and therefore all can bite but I think what frightens me is the damage issue.

 

The dogs that stand more of a chance of killing or seriously injuring my child are the ones that I will not take a chance with.

 

Exactly.

[astrid]

I hate to keep harping on this, but one more thing I should mention. Right behind pitties in bite statistics are Malamutes/Siberian Huskies. Your little guy is a mix of the two, right?

 

And a personal story---

 

My dd is almost 13, and went to her first dog show/obedience trial at the tender age of 3 weeks old. She's been raised around dogs, training dogs, her whole life. She's a part of a very active 4-H club and a member of their elite obedience team. She trains in breed handling (showing) obedience, carting and weight pulling. She handles other people's dogs in shows. She knows dogs.

 

A month ago she and a few of her fellow club members were doing some training on a Friday afternoon. She was with group of dogs she's known for years, and was suddenly, without warning, jumped on and bitten on right forearm/wrist by a friend's Alaskan Malamute. "Ruffi" is a dog Molly has known for YEARS. She trains with her twice per week, and Molly KNOWS how to behave around dogs. Myself and three other professional trainers were right there. Molly was doing NOTHING to provoke this dog. Ruffi latched on to Molly's arm and shook like a police dog on sleeve. Molly had a pretty severe bite, and some muscle tearing in her shoulder from the force of that shaking. NOT a pretty situation. She's healing, but still has some scar tissue under the skin and will have a few pretty deep scars. She couldnt' play the piano or oboe for a few weeks which bothered her greatly! (the oboe more than the piano!)

 

Now, could OUR dogs have done that? Yes, any dog could. But there's a thing called "bite inhibition." MOST dogs have it. Some don't. They're animals, and the behavior of any animal, including humans, is often unpredictable.

 

There's no way of knowing why that dog grabbed Molly. However, life happens, and we are a dog training family, so we keep on doing what we love. Molly gives Ruffi a wide berth now, and frankly, I"m glad. The trainer in me knows not to hold what happened against the breed in general, but the mom in me is just like the mom in all of you--- hates to see my baby hurt and will do anything to protect her. But dog training is her passion, and I'll not interfere with that.

 

Anyway, just thought I'd pass that along.

 

astrid

[Melissa in FL]

Adding my two cents: Not only will friends maybe not want their children at your house but family may not either. My sister has a pit bull and we've only been there once since they got it, when it was a puppy. They had Rotties before that and I was never concerned. They are great dog owners and train their pets well. They choose thier last dog (the pit) because it was so much cheaper than a new Rottie. After I did some research on the dogs I decided not to put my small children in that situation. Any dog will bite, to me that is a given. My children have been bitten by the neighbors sweet dog and it's fine (the kids deserved it from the dogs viewpoint). The problem with the pits is that they will not let go once they bite. As my sisters pit bull has gotten bigger they have had to be more careful about it (they still claim it's a sweet dog). When one of them is wandering around at night they need to know where the dog is and have had it get aggressive with them when they startle it. They have to talk to the dog when they walk into the room to warn the dog who it is or the dog growls and gets into an attack position very quickly. Again, this is a very well trained dog in a house that knows how to deal with big, strong dogs. Even my mother is uncomfortable at their home with the pit there. When she comes to FL she tends to stay here and let my sister and her kids visit with her at my house.

 

Also, you may want to check your homeowner insurance, many of them will not cover a pit bull and will drop you if they find out you have one. If you rent your home then you might want to check out wether you are allowed to have one. We are landlords and have had to let one tenant out of their lease after they got a pit bull (we allow dogs, but not pit bulls) and we told him he couldn't have it on the property (our insurance wouldn't cover it and we were not going to take the risk for someone elses choice).

 

There are so many dogs out there that need homes that I have a hard time understanding why anyone would choose a pit. Please read some of the stories online about them. I only say this because I know you have small children and you should make the most informed decision you can before owning a pit bull.

Melissa

[astrid]

I don't know how to quote but the above poster mentioned that other dogs bite more frequently but do less damage so are not reported. Dogs are animals and therefore all can bite but I think what frightens me is the damage issue.

 

The dogs that stand more of a chance of killing or seriously injuring my child are the ones that I will not take a chance with.

 

Yes, I said this. In several posts.

 

And fwiw, I never indicated that anyone should take ANY chances with ANY dog.

 

astrid

[Remudamom]

Yep, I've owned Malamutes and Huskies, and they are a breed apart. Very independent.

[jujsky]

We had a pitbull at one time and our story was a tragic one. My husband bought us a pit bull puppy which was adorable. We crate trained as we always have and Sophie was the perfect puppy. Our two boys loved this dog and she was great with them. All our family members were leary of us having a pit bull and we were constantly fighting the sterotypical comments from them as well as anyone else we came into contact. We travel quite a bit and our dogs have always gone with us. We found out that mentioning that our dog was a pit bull came with some prejudice unless the kennels, groomers, etc were accustomed to pit bulls.

Nevertheless, this dog was amazing. She loved to play frisbee for hours on end and loved the ocean and water. No problems of growling or aggression EXCEPT for other dogs that lived down our street. That should have been our white flag. We had a small Yorkshire terrier that lived next door to us and this dog had no boundaries because "it was small and cute" and "could be no threat." We have always kept our dogs in our yard or on a lead. Sophie stayed in our fenced backyard. This small dog would bark endlessly at her and this day he chose to come over to bark at Sophie on our sidewalk following my son and the neighbor's granddaughter. When they opened the gate, Sophie shot out and bit the dog which resulted in a major injury which eventually led to the death of this dog. What followed was the most traumatic ordeal with a pet that I have ever experienced. The woman and her adult daughter and her adult son were home but did not witness the event so my son and the granddaughter had to relay the details of the event. As you can imagine, they went ballistic, rushed to the ER and even attempted CPR on this dog. We offered to pay half of the cost(total cost was approx. $1300) which they claimed was unreasonable. That night, we left the state with Sadie as we knew they would call Animal Control(which they did). We drove until 2:00 to meet my husband's parents so they could take Sadie and keep her until we knew what to do. When we arrived back home, the neighbors would not speak with us. I walked over to talk to them and they called the police on me. They quit speaking to my kids(which before they treated like grandkids) and then the entire neighborhood basically quit treating us like people they knew.

To make a long story short, my kids were extremely affected by this as was I. Our dog was put to sleep as after this situation, she became extremely aggressive(I still think it was because she felt threatened and scared by how people were treating her). We had tried countless places to adopt her and the pitbull shelters were too full and no other place would take her. I wouldn't let my MIL just give her to anyone as I was afraid they would fight her. I made the heartbreaking decision and I still think about it and the pain we all went thru.

So, I am happy for you...hope for the best. I know many people who have had pits and have happy endings to their story BUT beware that there are issues that come with this breed and as one post said, they are animals and when threatened, the instinct to defend comes out. Every time I see a pit now, I think of Sophie and what she brought joy she brought to us.

 

I'm so sorry this was your experience! I have to say that this is NOT necessarily a pitbull-only reaction. Our friend's German shepherd (1/2 sister of our German shepherd) had a similar experience with a small dog. The dog lived next door and yipped constantly at our friends' dog. The small dog wasn't killed in this case, but needed surgery. Their German shepherd is very gentle, but was using normal dog instincts. "Snack's" owners (what we dubbed the little dog) should have obeyed the leash laws. Our friends did end up paying the vet bills in full for the little dog to keep the peace with the neighbor. Their dog has never, every gone after another dog again, but would watch "Snack" from the window and growl whenever he was in the yard yipping away.

[DarlaS]

what a horrible thing! God bless that child. I know animals will be animals, and never will let our dog be loose in our yard. it will always be leashed.

 

I'm glad to hear that. :thumbup1:

 

I know next to nothing about pit bulls but as a husky owner, I can tell you they are RUNNERS. Trusting them off-leash is a bad idea. They are also notorious for not being people pleasers. Read up on husky training tips as well. Don't assume the pit side of him is going to be your only real challenge.

[Laurie4b]

i know these dogs have a bad rep, but ive also seen the most amazing [pitbulls first hand, and really they can make a wonderful companion for the family. that being said, weve adopted an 9 week old pitbull husky mix called Sybal. he is great so far....and i want to continue that.

 

i guess what im asking is when you have a powerful dog when its a puppy what are the best ways to make him a well, centered dog. ive been reading and watching the dog whisperer, i love that man!

 

thanks

 

pics of the new pup are in the blog!

 

 

I think you've adopted a handful and you'll need to be exemplary dog owners with no room for being even a little lax.

 

The husky is a breed that is very independent, likes to get loose and run (and will run through electric fence with a shock color on), and has a very strong prey drive (will especially go after other animals.) The pit has the jaw power and pain tolerance to hang on and hang on.

[Haiku]

All from Wikipedia:

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published in 2000 a study on dog bite-related fatalities (DBRF) that covered the years 1979-1998. The study found reports of 238 people killed by dogs over the 24-year period, of which "pit bull terrier" or mixes thereof were reportedly responsible for killing 76, or about 32 percent, of the people killed by dogs in the attacks identified in the study. The breed with the next-highest number of attributed fatalities was the Rottweiler and mixes thereof, with 44 fatalities or about 18 percent of the study-identified fatalities. In aggregate, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and mixes thereof were involved in about 50% of the fatalities identified over the 20-year period covered by the study, and for 67% of the DBRF reported in the final two years studied (1997–1998), concluding

"It is extremely unlikely that they [pit bull-type dogs and Rottweilers] accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities."

 

Mr. Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People News,[46] has compiled from press reports a log of dog attack deaths and severe bites in the United States and Canada from September 1982 through December 22, 2009. The study methodology counted attacks "by dogs of clearly identified breed type or ancestry, as designated by animal control officers or others with evident expertise, [that] have been kept as pets." Mr. Clifton acknowledges that the log "is by no means a complete list of fatal or otherwise serious dog attacks" since it excludes "dogs whose breed type may be uncertain, ...attacks by police dogs, guard dogs, and dogs trained specifically to fight...."[47]

The study found reports of 345 people killed by dogs over the 27-year period, of which "pit bull terrier" or mixes thereof were reportedly responsible for killing 159, or about 46 percent, of the people killed by dogs in the attacks identified in the study. The breed with the next-highest number of attributed fatalities was the Rottweiler and mixes thereof, with 70 fatalities or about 20 percent of the study-identified fatalities; in aggregate, pit bulls, rottweilers, and mixes thereof were involved in about 66% of the study-identified fatalities.[47]

Mr. Clifton has concluded that

"Temperament is not the issue, nor is it even relevant. What is relevant is actuarial risk. If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a pit bull terrier…has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed--and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs as well as their victims are paying the price."

 

The following table summarizes the number of pit bull-related fatalities in the United States from 2005-2009 as reported by news organizations:

Dog Bite-related Fatalities in the United States.[48]

Year Total Involving pit bull-type dogs

2005 28 16 (57%)

2006 30 16 (53%)

2007 35 20 (57%)

2008 23 15 (65%)

2009 31 14 (45%)

 

 

Our friends have a pit bull. They originally lied to us about what kind of dog it was, but later came clean. They said they didn't want us to be prejudiced against their dog. They say, "Judge the deed, not the breed." That sounds cute and all, but even "the nicest, sweetest dog in the whole world" can freak out, and with pits, it's generally far more severe than with other breeds.

 

We still visit our friends, and we take our kids, but I made it clear to my friends that our kids will never be alone with the dog and that, if we are outside, the dog needs to be leashed. I am not prejudiced against their dog. I like the dog, and I love on her when we are there. I am, however, cautious, especially with our kids.

 

I would never let my kids go to play at a house with a pit bull unless I was there to make sure that the dog was properly restrained. I think you can expect that some people won't let their kids come to your house any more. I agree with a previous poster who asked why, with all the wonderful breeds out there (and all the wonderful mutts at shelters), people insist on getting pit bulls. I wish the breed would be allowed to die out.

 

Tara

Edited March 16, 2010 by TaraTheLiberator

[astrid]

I wish the breed would be allowed to die out.

 

Tara

 

It will never happen. So many people want these dogs for all the wrong reasons. Breaks my heart!

 

astrid

[I talk to the trees]

Welllll....if I understand the story correctly, the Yorkie was on the pitty owner's property, and barking up a storm at the pitty.

 

[gratiuitus editorial here--- I CANNOT STAND THE DOUBLE STANDARD THAT EXISTS FOR LITTLE ANKLE-BITER DOGS!!! IF MY 150 POUND, WELL-TRAINED AND UBER-SOCIALIZED DOGS BEHAVED LIKE 90% OF THE POCKET DOGS I SEE ON A DAILY BASIS THEY'D BE A MENACE TO SOCIETY AND MY FAMILY!!!! YET THIS SORT OF BEHAVIOR IS TOLERATED, INDULGED AND EVEN SMILED AT BY PEOPLE WHO STRUGGLE TO KEEP THEIR YAPPING, SNARLING, SHRIEKING TINY DOGS UNDER CONTROL WHILE MY BIG DOGS SIT QUIETLY IN HEEL POSITION, OFF THE SIDEWALK, WAITING FOR THEM TO PASS,WHILE THE OWNERS OF THE LITTLE DOGS MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT HOW MY DOGS WOULD EAT THEIR LITTLE DOGS FOR LUNCH. REALLY??? WHOSE DOG LOOKS LIKE HE'S ABOUT TO TAKE A BITE OUT OF SOMEONE???? ARGH!!!]

 

And as for your assertion that any of the many "countless intelligent, beautiful, loyal, hard-working breeds" would be better than a pit or pit mix, think again. ALL are animals. Know what breed has one of the highest bite frequencies? Golden retrievers. ANY dog CAN and WILL bite. They are animals, not humans, and certainly not children. Some of the toughest behavioral cases I see as a trainer are those where the dog has been anthropomorphized and treated as such. This is so common, especially with cute little fluffy white dogs :tongue_smilie:. Ill-behaved little dogs often bite with much more frequency, and often with less of a trigger, than bigger dogs but those bites do less damage and consequently go unreported.

 

I'm not defending the rep of pitties, but just point out that ANY dog can be dangerous given the right set of circumstances.

 

astrid

 

Okay, okay! No need to YELL! Especially since you do not seem to realize that you are preaching to the choir, here!

 

Point one- Every dog owner should be in control of their dogs, even on their own property. What if an ill-behaved toddler had been taunting the dog on its own property? Would it be okay for the dog to attack? Of course not! (And FWIW, I detest it when dogs are allowed to roam, so I'm not defending that sort of activity. I'm just making the point that all dogs need to be under control, even when their territory is invaded.)

 

Point two- I never accused your dogs of being poorly-behaved, nor did I assert a double-standard. Let me say once again: ALL dogs need to know who is in control. I, too, have witnessed too many events where snippy little pups go uncorrected for obnoxious behavior.

 

Point three- Just a thought here, but perhaps the high ratio of Golden bites is a reflection of the enormous number of those dogs out there. You're not going to see as many, say, Keeshond bites reported because there aren't as many of them out there. And....but this is another soapbox topic.... Because the Golden is such a popular breed, people (backyard breeders :glare:) see money to be made in producing litter after litter of pups without concern for potential temperament problems.

 

And finally- Since you brought up the cute, white, fluffy dogs... And our 70-something neighbors have a Bichon (and boy, let me tell you, she is the quintessential cute, fluffy, white dog)... The real concern I have with the PB is that mentioned by an earlier poster. If my neighbor's dog went a little bonkers, and the neighbor lost control of her, and she chased and bit another neighbor's 8-year old, the 8-year old would have a dog bite, and the Bichon would be easily brought under control. If an owner loses control of a PB, and the dog goes after an 8-year old, there is a chance that the child will be disfigured or killed. THAT is what frightens me about PBs. That there are owners out there who are clearly NOT in control of their (presumably sweet) dogs. And ALL dogs have a prey drive, even if they've never shown it before.

 

I just wanted to clearly state my point of view. I may be reading too much into your post, but I felt that you were lumping me in the wacko, anthropomorphizing, my-pooch-can-do-no-wrong category.

[abbeyej]

I'll be one more wet blanket. My children do not play at homes where there is a pit bull. Yes, many of them have sweet personalities. But *if* something ever sets one off, it can be *devastating* in a way that many other dogs are not.

[Laurie4b]

The "guess the breed" was interesting, but I'm not buying for a minute that the innocent looking pup they have on there is a pb.

 

Yeah--they turned the head so you couldn't see the jaw.

 

Additionally, a lot of the other ones are also breeds known for dangerous biting behavior--only they are bigger. Several on there are banned in the UK, for instance.

 

Interestingly, the UK says a dog only has to look like a pitbull to be banned. You have to positively prove your dog is not a pit to be able to keep it if it looks like one.

[Caribbean Queen]

The problem with the pits is that they will not let go once they bite.

 

Yes. Also, some animals are more likely to bite than others. I have a yellow lab. From what I have read, they are not likely to bite unprovoked. They usually bite and let go. Pitts are more likely to bite unprovoked and they hold on and shake. Pitt bulls have great strength in their jaws and necks, that is why people like to use them in dog fights.

 

I have a pitt bull/mutt mix. My husband brought her to us as a tiny harmless puppy and I told my children, "We can't keep her." My husband too her from people who would not feed her or her mother. Hopefully, she will go to her new home this weekend. If I can't find anyone decent to take her I will drop her off at the pound. I am sure she won't live long after that. :((( I just won't keep a pitt bull. I won't keep a dog caged and tied up 24/7. I have people coming in and out of my yard and I have small children. It is too risky. :(

[RoughCollie]

My kids are teens, and I would not allow them to be in the presence of a pit bull or a chow.

 

I have a collie. He hates cats because on his second day with us, the vet's cat swiped his nose. To add insult to injury, the neighbor's 7 lb. tiny, full-grown, cat used to come to our fence to tease him at least once a day. It was funny to watch.

 

But he has never hurt a cat. He would be lying in the yard, and this tiny cat would come over to him and lie across his front legs on her back. That cat had personality plus and a lot of courage, considering the dog weighs 90 lbs.

 

He has also had a dozen toy poodles climb all over him at a dog park. He laid down immediately and did not like what was going on. When they all got off him and scampered down the path with the dog walker, and a couple of them turned around and barked at him. My poor baby was so insulted by that!

 

If he were a pit bull instead of a collie, I think there is a much greater possibility that the cat and the poodles would have been lunch.

 

Now, I'm just putting in my 2 pennies' worth. I know there are lots of pit bulls whose owners say they are friendly and wouldn't hurt a flea. I've met three pit bulls who were sweet and haven't killed anything as far as I know. But I would not put my children at risk.

Edited March 16, 2010 by RoughCollie

[EKS]

it will always be leashed.

 

Please thoroughly research this practice before implementing it.

[hornblower]

i guess what im asking is when you have a powerful dog when its a puppy what are the best ways to make him a well, centered dog. ive been reading and watching the dog whisperer, i love that man!

 

 

I'll wade in to say that I do not love "that man" at all - though he did have a lovely pit (who recently died) who was a great breed ambassador. Properly bred pitties should have ZERO human aggression but may come in with some aggression to other dogs. Unfortunately properly bred pitties & staffies etc are pretty darned rare. Fortunately, many of these dogs end up incredibly sweet despite the loser group of people who like to own & abuse them.

 

Malamutes are also known to love a good rumble with other dogs (one of mine is a malamute X). Huskies a little less. Mals though can be truly obnoxious. They'll work together in a team to run but once out of harness, they'll pick fights. And the biggest stresses for sled teams are passing or heaven forbid, passing a team coming head on, even on a wide road because the packs will want to squabble. People cannot always tell huskies & mals apart so I'd consider that you might have mal, & in either case, you definitely have "independent northern dog". They are MEANT to be independent. A dog team running 30 feet ahead of you is a better judge of the ice and the proper route to take so they'll make their own decisions. As one malamute rescuer says "mals don't take orders, they consider hints and suggestions". My malamute X is a bit of a queen that way but still, I'll probably be trialing her in rally-O next month; she'll probably embarass me LOL.

 

 

So back to your dog: you have some potential dog issues there & I'd be working my butt off to provide PROPER socialization & teach that dog good bite inhibition.

 

I've written about my lack of love for Cesar Milan before so I won't go there again (it's all in the archives) but I will repeat that the BEST puppy raising manual is available for free on the web. Read it, DO it; find good puppies & older dogs for your dog to see - IMO, I would do this even before the vaccinations are all done because honestly, given the breed mix, I'd be waaaay more worried about dog aggression than I would be about disease. I'd be getting that puppy meeting new, friendly dogs every single day right through the first year of life.

 

Also, be careful with socialization as it does not involve just dumping dogs together. You have to watch what's going on, make sure nobody is being bullied, don't let your dog bully & also don't let them BE bullied or frightened. All those can lead to eventual aggression issues.

 

So without further ado, IMO the BEST puppy raising primer:

http://www.dogstardaily.com/ -

click on training textbook in the center top menu & go through all the links.

 

Read about bite inhibition & socialization several times, print it out & take it to heart.

 

Also find a good positive rewards (clicker is best!) trainer and sign up for classes - not just for teaching the dog good behaviour, but to make new doggy & people friends. Ongoing classes & education are fun and keep your dog's mind & body stimulated - as well as providing a great opportunity to bond between owner & dog.

 

best wishes

[Remudamom]

Poor thing. Are you sorry you asked yet? Your pup is really cute, hope it all works out.

[VaKim]

We have two mixed pitt and walker coon hound. Their mother, a full bred pitt, lives next door, as does the father, who is half pitt and half hound. The father is aggressive, but then he is tied up all the time. When he does get loose, he just runs like crazy. The mother is the sweetest thing ever. Very gentle. Both of ours are laid back and gentle. The male is a real "lover." We also have two other dogs, a border collie/lab mix, and a smaller mutt. We also have six cats, who love to play with the dogs and rub up against them and sleep with them. The dogs actually groom the kitties sometimes. :) They are inside/outside pets, and are all well behaved. The only bad thing about the pitts is that they are terriers, and we have holes in our back yard big enough to bury somebody in.

[astrid]

Okay, okay! No need to YELL! Especially since you do not seem to realize that you are preaching to the choir, here!

 

 

Hey, I wasn't yelling. Was using caps because I'm at work, with limited keyboard capabilities, and was typing this response out quickly before my next client came in. Sorry if you took it as yelling--- especially directed at you, as it most certainly was not. How would I have any idea what kind of dog you have, or whether you even have a dog??

 

Point one- Every dog owner should be in control of their dogs, even on their own property. What if an ill-behaved toddler had been taunting the dog on its own property? Would it be okay for the dog to attack? Of course not! (And FWIW, I detest it when dogs are allowed to roam, so I'm not defending that sort of activity. I'm just making the point that all dogs need to be under control, even when their territory is invaded.)

 

 

I agree with you. I don't see where I said otherwise. I was just pointing out that it's not as if the pit went next door to the Yorkie's house and bit the little guy.

 

 

Point two- I never accused your dogs of being poorly-behaved, nor did I assert a double-standard.

 

Excuse me? I never said you DID accuse me or my dogs of such. You dont' know me, and you don't know my dogs. It was a rant. Much like when people here post about how much they cannot stand one party or another, or one candidate or another, or the public school teacher, or their kids' coach.....you know? A general, "I"M SICK OF IT, AND I HAVE TO GET THIS OFF MY CHEST!" rant?

 

Let me say once again: ALL dogs need to know who is in control. I, too, have witnessed too many events where snippy little pups go uncorrected for obnoxious behavior.

 

 

I'm sure we all have. It's epidemic, but somehow tolerated because of the size of the dog.

 

 

Point three- Just a thought here, but perhaps the high ratio of Golden bites is a reflection of the enormous number of those dogs out there. You're not going to see as many, say, Keeshond bites reported because there aren't as many of them out there. And....but this is another soapbox topic.... Because the Golden is such a popular breed, people (backyard breeders :glare:) see money to be made in producing litter after litter of pups without concern for potential temperament problems.

 

 

Wow, I'm really take aback by your tone. Yes, you are correct. But as a trainer, I see so many families who are on the brink of a dog disaster (or coming to me for help after the fact) because their Golden or Lab, perhaps poorly bred by a backyard breeder, has bitten or shown aggression or is suffering, poor thing, from Rage Syndrome (another complexity of overbreeding.) The sad thing is, because these breeds are seen as "family dogs" there are a lot of them out there, and their owners just think they come pre-programmed to be good with kids, etc. NO dog is a perfect dog, ALL take training. Even Labs and Goldens.

 

 

 

And finally- Since you brought up the cute, white, fluffy dogs... And our 70-something neighbors have a Bichon (and boy, let me tell you, she is the quintessential cute, fluffy, white dog)...

 

Yes, many of them are. I like a lot of little dogs. Bichons are one of them. I wouldn’t give you five cents for a Chihuahua, but I do love Border Terriers, Westies, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, among others. GREAT little dogs. In fact, I have a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, though those are BIG dogs in little packages, with A LOT of drive and working ability….funny little guys, though.

 

The real concern I have with the PB is that mentioned by an earlier poster. If my neighbor's dog went a little bonkers, and the neighbor lost control of her, and she chased and bit another neighbor's 8-year old, the 8-year old would have a dog bite, and the Bichon would be easily brought under control. If an owner loses control of a PB, and the dog goes after an 8-year old, there is a chance that the child will be disfigured or killed. THAT is what frightens me about PBs. That there are owners out there who are clearly NOT in control of their (presumably sweet) dogs. And ALL dogs have a prey drive, even if they've never shown it before.

 

 

Okay, maybe I haven’t been clear. You didn’t get this out of my posts? Really? I guess it’s my mistake, because I thought I had stated that ALL dogs are DOGS, and can be unpredictable, and require training and constant supervision. Breed-specific legislation is a slippery slope, though. Just as homeschooling legislation is.

 

 

I just wanted to clearly state my point of view. I may be reading too much into your post, but I felt that you were lumping me in the wacko, anthropomorphizing, my-pooch-can-do-no-wrong category.

 

 

Again, I don’t know you. How could I make that judgment? I don’t know whether you have a dog or a cat or a turtle or a llama or a chimp or a goldfish. I guess I just posted under your quote because that’s where the conversation was at the moment that I clicked “reply.†I’m sorry if you took my post in any manner other than it was intended. I’ll shut up now.

 

astrid

[TravelingChris]

Someone did bring up another good point- homeowner's insurance or being able to rent a place. WHen we had a house for rent for three years, we allowed only pets with prior permission. Our management company was told in no uncertain terms and it was also in the lease that pitbulls, Staffordshire terriers, mixes of those dogs and other aggressive breeds were not allowed.

[justamouse]

[gratiuitus editorial here--- I CANNOT STAND THE DOUBLE STANDARD THAT EXISTS FOR LITTLE ANKLE-BITER DOGS!!! IF MY 150 POUND, WELL-TRAINED AND UBER-SOCIALIZED DOGS BEHAVED LIKE 90% OF THE POCKET DOGS I SEE ON A DAILY BASIS THEY'D BE A MENACE TO SOCIETY AND MY FAMILY!!!! YET THIS SORT OF BEHAVIOR IS TOLERATED, INDULGED AND EVEN SMILED AT BY PEOPLE WHO STRUGGLE TO KEEP THEIR YAPPING, SNARLING, SHRIEKING TINY DOGS UNDER CONTROL WHILE MY BIG DOGS SIT QUIETLY IN HEEL POSITION, OFF THE SIDEWALK, WAITING FOR THEM TO PASS,WHILE THE OWNERS OF THE LITTLE DOGS MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT HOW MY DOGS WOULD EAT THEIR LITTLE DOGS FOR LUNCH. REALLY??? WHOSE DOG LOOKS LIKE HE'S ABOUT TO TAKE A BITE OUT OF SOMEONE???? ARGH!!!]

 

 

 

astrid

 

Amen.

[DarlaS]

Please thoroughly research this practice before implementing it.

 

 

I didn't read it as meaning she was going to tie it up in the yard and ignore it. I read "leash" and thought. "Good, she's going to keep him from running off and getting lost or killed."

 

Every husky breeder I've ever met has told me not to let them off-leash. This seems to be a perplexing thing to non-husky owners. It is, nonetheless a very common and well-know practice among husky breeders and owners. Not only do they run, they run away from you fast and in a straight line--none of that teasing circling thing the herding breeds do when they're feeling naughty. They don't look back and seldom come home.

 

I used to belong to a yahoo group where many of the owners had titled obedience dogs and STILL kept their dogs leashed in unenclosed areas and even had to give up competing once in a while when it became apparent the dog was not in the mood to stay in the ring on that particular day.

 

http://www.siberescue.com/Common/Leash/leashTRUST.html (a bit dramatic, but gets the point across).

 

They do, however benefit from LOTS of exercise so take good long walks and if you can, find a nice safe enclosed area for him to run. Supervised! They can also be escape artists. :tongue_smilie:

[Dobela]

Someone did bring up another good point- homeowner's insurance or being able to rent a place. WHen we had a house for rent for three years, we allowed only pets with prior permission. Our management company was told in no uncertain terms and it was also in the lease that pitbulls, Staffordshire terriers, mixes of those dogs and other aggressive breeds were not allowed.

The insurance company that my dh works for will not insure homes that have Pit Bulls, rotweillers, or Chows. Period. If the dog is a mix, they still won't. It you get one later, and the home has a drive by inspection where one is seen in your yard, they will cancel the insurance without question.

[MotherMayI]

I'll be one more wet blanket. My children do not play at homes where there is a pit bull. Yes, many of them have sweet personalities. But *if* something ever sets one off, it can be *devastating* in a way that many other dogs are not.

 

:iagree: Unfortunately the one time I did allow my children to play at our neighbor's house (they had a pitbull) my son ended up with a severed tear-duct. All the kids were playing in the back yard. My ds bent down ready to pet the dog and the dog lunged at him and bit him in the face. He was bleeding profusely from his mouth...turns out the bottom teeth scraped the roof of ds's mouth and the top teeth severed his tearduct-thankfully the dog was just giving him a warning or he would have lost his face. He had to endure surgery to reattach his tearduct. I fought the neighbors and in the end they had to rehome the dog. They swore their dog would NEVER do anything violent and that the breed was misunderstood. I get that other dogs bite, but in all my life and with all the dogs I have ever been around or allowed my children to be around, no.other.dog. has caused so much damage without even trying. So no- my children are not allowed to play at any home with a pitt. Other dogs are on a case by case basis- and we have been known to ask that the dogs be put-away when we don't know the dog well.

[Cindy in the NH Woods]

 

Every husky breeder I've ever met has told me not to let them off-leash. This seems to be a perplexing thing to non-husky owners. It is, nonetheless a very common and well-know practice among husky breeders and owners. Not only do they run, they run away from you fast and in a straight line--none of that teasing circling thing the herding breeds do when they're feeling naughty. They don't look back and seldom come home.

 

They can also be escape artists. :tongue_smilie:

 

Our down-the-road-neighbor's Siberian Husky pays us surprise visits several times a year, lol! As a matter of fact, she was escorted back to her home from here today. Gorgeous, gorgeous animal~ but the wandering gene thing was one reason we decided not to go with that breed. ;)

[Mad Jenny Flint]

I saw it a couple of times when I went to visit, and then heard that he had attacked the woman who owned him. He latched onto her arm and would not release; had to be shot off. That's the only pit bull I have ever known of, personally.