Good Family Dogs

[dragonfly411]

Steal - I just feel like you need to go read more about them, and about the GOOD relationships with them before generalizing an entire breed the way you are based on an area's classification.

I am not rolling my eyes at you, but at the general mind set (which applies to the general group of people who decide that all of a breed MUST be dangerous because a few that have been trained wrong or who have not been socialized have bitten people).

ETA - Again, go read about all the other dog breeds that have bitten people.

 

[Prana]

Come and get me! I want to eat off your face!!!!!!



Just kidding, just kidding.

 

[deja_entendu]

Long time lurker here, but a couple of the statements made about pitties forced me to register and comment

Pits are frequently (very unfairly) stereotyped. They were bred to fight dogs, which means that although they commonly have issues with dog aggression, it is rare to meet a pit with people aggression. They are typically very friendly with people and many are great with kids. As with any breed you will get a few bad apples.

The statistics regarding pitbull attacks/bites are not reliable. Most people cannot even accurately identify a pit; many other breeds are often mistaken for them (FYI "pitbull" = American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier). As a result, when a dog bites someone it is commonly recorded as a pit even if it is not. Check out this link to see if you can recognize an APBT: http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

I do agree with MC about pits being a problem if you are a renter (re: breed restrictions) and even if you own your house some areas have banned certain breeds. Obviously I disagree with these restrictions and with breed specific legislation.

Anyway, sorry for the rant but I work with animals and see this a lot. Most pits are friendly, happy dogs and would make great companions (not to mention most shelters are overflowing with them), so it saddens me that they have gotten such a bad reputation.

Welcome .

Rant away, it seems to be ranty Wednesday (me included)! I vehemently disagree with you in that this breed is simply misunderstood and luckily I control my own environment so we can agree to disagree. But I am assured that if I see any dangerous dog in my area which is not complying with our control of dogs act I will call animal control and get the dog removed. I don't care if it is the nicest dog in the whole wide world - as has been mentioned on this thread already. All dogs bite.

That is interesting what you said above about those breeds deemed dangerous being required to wear a muzzle and be on a leash. Where I live (US--eastern coast), all dogs are required to be on a leash (outside of the home or fenced in dog parks, of course), but no laws about muzzles. Are you in the UK or am I confusing you with someone else? Just curious.

I absolutely agree with you that all dogs can bite, and people (parents especially) should certainly keep in mind that they will do just that under the right circumstances. In fact, as one of my co-workers always says, anything with a mouth can bite.

From my own experiences with pits from shelters and my friends' pits, I believe they can make a great family dog. In general, I would consider them to be better with kids than quite a few other breeds that come to mind. Of course, despite this, pits are not a good match for every family. And not every dog (speaking in general here, not just pits) is a good representation of his or her breed, meaning one needs to make sure the individual dog is good with children--it's not a good idea to depend solely on the fact that a given breed is typically good with kids.

As far as other breeds that make good family dogs, although I agree with dragonfly about the pits, I have to disagree about yorkies. While I'm sure there are exceptions, in general yorkies are not good with children. I wouldn't recommend any dog of that size for a family with young children though, as I would be also worried about the dog getting hurt.

 

[deja_entendu]

Come and get me! I want to eat off your face!!!!!!


Just kidding, just kidding.

What a cutie!

 

[Prana]

Just wanted to echo what some of the other posters have said. I would also, definitely wait until after your child is born, just to be fair to yourself, your baby and the dog.

And any dog can be great, any dog can have evil tendencies. All dogs can be snippy and rude, and all dogs can be dangerous. You HAVE to do your research when choosing a breed, and you HAVE to train. Train, train train your dog-you get what effort you put in returned ten fold. Exercise is also key to a good, rested, not bored dog.

Pits are just hated on because of the rampant misconceptions and media coverage about dog fighting. Not the dogs fault! You ever notice in the news that it's either "Maliciously attacked by pitbull", or "maliciously attacked by dog" when the breed at fault is anything other than a pitbull?

Bottom line is, adding a dog to any family is a decision that needs to be heavily researched and considered before the addition takes place. I hope you find a perfect dog for your family!

 

[Prana]

Come and get me! I want to eat off your face!!!!!!


Just kidding, just kidding.

What a cutie!

Why thank you!

 

[dragonfly411]

Deja - Just wanted to say your statements are fantastic and I admire you for being able to post with less emotion than me.

My yorkie may be an exception, although I've worked with several with the same attitude. I have always felt that small dogs are harder with children in general because they are the same size and yes a child can cause harm, and a dog can also view them as "equal" and try to "dominate" a child.

When it comes to babies and small children Labs have always been my first choice. They are just an overall great dog (my family has two and one mix). Pitt Bulls just from my experience are also great with kids, and are extremely loyal too. Again I feel like it's all in how you train a dog, and socialize them as a puppy. Unfortunately with them being used in fighting (Which I strongly hate) they end up in the hands of people who also don't properly socialize them. I just wish others wouldn't generalized ANY breed until being around them, and seeing how they are truly in person.

I will also say too though that mutts are a great choice (if you can find out the history). The ones I've owned have been extremely loving and intelligent. My childhood dog was a mut (The vets said shephard, wolf and possibly lab) and he was SO smart. He followed me to school and went back home every day, slept with our cars at night, followed me all over our property. He was a great dog. The one my mom has that is the lab mix is lab rottweiler and akita. I taught him Frisbee tricks, obstacle courses, taught him to race me. He has been around every age and is so so gentle.

All in the individual. In the horse world, we hear of horses kicking, biting, and bucking. Very rarely are breeds generalized because of anything of the sort, even though it may be common in one or another. They are animals, and they have instincts. A well trained horse will mind his manners. A well trained dog will *do the* same. Just sayin'.

Good luck to OP I hope you find the perfect pup!

Ignore the stars, just marking where I edit for grammar or spelling I feel like a responsible poster if I do, silly I know.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

If you don't want to get bitten, I recommend foregoing children completely I have never been a victim of a dog bite, but have been victim to a child bite on many an occasion!

 

[dragonfly411]

If you don't want to get bitten, I recommend foregoing children completely I have never been a victim of a dog bite, but have been victim to a child bite on many an occasion!

You must have met my sister as a child.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I would not want a large dog in my home with an infant period. As I said, the potential for serious injury is greater the larger the dog (see the study linked below). And no dog should be left alone with a child, no matter how well tempered or behaved.

Here is one study I found in a reputable journal about dog bites and childen (no Pittbulls as it is from Austria where perhaps these breeds are not common), but I think the results regarding German Shepherds or Doberman's can be generalized to most of the guardian/fighting breeds:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/117/3/e374

Highlights (bolding my own):

RESULTS. A total of 341 children (mean age: 5.9 years) were identified. The annual incidence of dog bites was 0.5 per 1000 children between 0 and 16 years of age. Incidence was highest in 1-year-old patients and decreased with increasing age. The relative risk for a dog attack by a German shepherd or a Doberman was 5 times higher than that of a Labrador/retriever or cross-breed. The vast majority (82%) of the dogs were familiar to the children. Most (322; 94%) of the children had injuries to 1 body region; in the remaining 19 (6%) children, up to 3 body regions were injured. Of 357 injuries, the face, head, and neck region was the leading site affected (50%). Inpatient treatment was required in 93 (27%) patients.

CONCLUSIONS. Dog bites in children are frequent and influenced by the breed-related behavior of dogs, dog owners, children, and parents. Therefore, prevention strategies should focus on public education and training of dogs and their owners. Children who are younger than 10 years represent the high-risk group for dog attacks.

 

[deja_entendu]

I would not want a large dog in my home with an infant period. As I said, the potential for serious injury is greater the larger the dog (see the study linked below). And no dog should be left alone with a child, no matter how well tempered or behaved.

Here is one study I found in a reputable journal about dog bites and childen (no Pittbulls as it is from Austria where perhaps these breeds are not common), but I think the results regarding German Shepherds or Doberman's can be generalized to most of the guardian/fighting breeds:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/117/3/e374

Highlights (bolding my own):

RESULTS. A total of 341 children (mean age: 5.9 years) were identified. The annual incidence of dog bites was 0.5 per 1000 children between 0 and 16 years of age. Incidence was highest in 1-year-old patients and decreased with increasing age. The relative risk for a dog attack by a German shepherd or a Doberman was 5 times higher than that of a Labrador/retriever or cross-breed. The vast majority (82%) of the dogs were familiar to the children. Most (322; 94%) of the children had injuries to 1 body region; in the remaining 19 (6%) children, up to 3 body regions were injured. Of 357 injuries, the face, head, and neck region was the leading site affected (50%). Inpatient treatment was required in 93 (27%) patients.

CONCLUSIONS. Dog bites in children are frequent and influenced by the breed-related behavior of dogs, dog owners, children, and parents. Therefore, prevention strategies should focus on public education and training of dogs and their owners. Children who are younger than 10 years represent the high-risk group for dog attacks.

To be honest I don't think I would feel comfortable having a GSD, Doberman or Rottie with children. I don't know the breeds that well (although I've met some nasty ones as well as some very sweet ones), but on the whole they don't seem to be as good with children. They are also guarding breeds as you mentioned (i.e. have been used to attack humans, albeit intruders). I did want to point out that there is an important distinction between guard dogs and dogs bred to hunt/fight other animals. Dogs breed to hunt or fight any given non-human animal--including other dogs--will probably not display people aggression as a breed. People aggression and dog aggression are two very different things (to be fair, I wouldn't want a dog aggressive dog OR a people aggressive dog due to my lifestyle).

DD, I understand where you are coming from about not having a large dog with children and I don't blame you. However, others who ARE comfortable with a larger dog should not discount this option, as there are plenty of large breed dogs that are great with kids. I only scanned the article briefly but it seemed to focus more on breed than size--and such a high percentage of the bites noted were by GSDs and Dobes that it seems to have skewed the percentage of bites by "large" dogs. Also, 14% were of unknown size...I'm just not convinced that large dog = higher risk for dog bite. I do agree that having a large dog does = higher risk of your child being knocked over Personally, I prefer large dogs and am just not a small dog person so I'm probably biased.

I also agree with everyone that has mentioned never leaving a child alone with a pet, and the importance of training and socializing your dog.

 

[Pandora II]

Pitbulls are one of the four banned breeds in the UK - if you have a dog that strongly resembles a pitbull then it also falls under the banned rule.

Personally I would be wary about letting my daughter stay with anyone with a dog, especially as she's not grown up with them, but I absolutely wouldn't let her be in a house with a rotweiller, pitbull-type dog, german shepherd or any of the other UK banned dog breeds.

I agree that a lot comes down to breeding and training but I'm not prepared to risk it.

My niece was badly bitten in the face by my sister's MIL's Westie when she was 3 - fortunately she wasn't left with serious scarring. My sister had constantly asked her MIL to cage the dog when her children were there as the dog was very snappy and not used to small children and she refused. My sister didn't even report the dog biting her daughter which I was horrified at, but she didn't want to fall out with her MIL...

(Royal Pythons are great pets with kids! Don't need to be walked, don't bark, only eat once every 2 weeks... perfect! )

 

[packrat]

We had 4 pits at one time, 2 in the house, 2 out. It was too much for me even before the kids came. We have a Cavalier King Charles now, and she's the perfect size. (Could do w/out the peeing on soft things but that's not a breed thing I don't think-I'm sure it's b/c she was from a backyard breeder and bad genes)

Funny thing in our neck of the woods..people starting freaking out, I'm talking going NUTSO about pitbulls. They bite ohh they're the worst ever gah just look at one cross eyed and it will eat you alive etc etc. Every day crap in the paper and then the rallying cry was BAN THEM get them out of town etc etc. They painted pictures of an idyllic white picket fence town w/children romping along the sidewalks w/balloons after all the pit bulls were out of town. Town meeting after town meeting, people saying other dogs bite too etc etc. The leader? A golden retriever owner. And this guy was out for blood over the issue-seriously. Billboards everywhere, inciting riots dang near. Pit bulls growling at someone were picked up and deemed vicious. Didn't matter if someone was throwing rocks/poking it w/a stick-the dogs were deemed vicious and scheduled for euthanasia. Guess what happened? His perfect golden retriever took off from the front porch, leapt a fence and bit the shit out of some guy just walking along the sidewalk. No instigation whatsoever. And the hue and cry over that ooooooh my lord I'm telling you what!!!! Here he'd been pounding his fist on the table that all these other dogs that had never done a thing other than just be born a pit bull, were automatically and with out fail going to be vicious and the breed should be wiped out 100% off the face of the earth b/c they need no instigation they just bite and kill at random...and then suddenly ...There was some backpedaling let me tell you. And then guess what? His dog was scheduled for euthanasia and someone mysteriously broke into the place he was being held and the dog was kidnapped.

Just for the record, I don't trust anyone's dog around my kids. I don't care if it's a wiener dog or taco bell dog or a marmaduke.

 

[Steel]

And isn't that the point here? A recommendation of the type of dog a poster should get, knowing that she plans to have a newborn in the house.

So whether a breed is (as claimed) grossly misrepresented or misunderstood or victimised, if 'you' wouldn't have that breed around your newborn then it would be off your list to recommend to the OP.

It seems one or two posters are happy to recommend a dangerous dog (per our legislation) and the rest less happy. Up to the OP.

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

I'm not a mom, but I AM a dog owner. If you decide to get a dog before having kids (as my husband and I decided to do), the most important thing is to SOCIALIZE them. Do you know anyone with babies and kids? If so, take your pup/dog to meet & play with them as often as the children's parents will allow. Our Zoey says "hello" to every kid she meets (so long as the child wants to and the parent doesn't mind), and she spends a lot of time with my infant niece.

When we have kids of our own she may react differently... After all, being around a baby 24/7 is different from having a baby over for the day. Even so , knowing we want to have kids some day, it'd be irresponsible to not socialize our dog with little ones.

Bites can always happen, so as a dog owner you're always taking a risk. I think the best way to find a "family" dog is to meet the pup's parents & get a feel for their dispositions, and to socialize, socialize, socialize. Take your puppy everywhere you possibly can! My dog is a lab-pit mix and I know all the negative associations with bully breeds... which is why I encourage all kiddies & adults to pull on her ears and tail, rub her teeth and gums, and touch her feet! She's so used to stimulation that there's isn't a "no-touch" zone on her body. You could probably poke her in the eye & she'd love it

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Come and get me! I want to eat off your face!!!!!!



Just kidding, just kidding.

Girlface, he's GORGEOUS!! What a noble-looking boy!

 

[packrat]

We had 4 pitbulls when we had a newborn. It's not like I left the baby in the dog pen or laid her on the floor and stuck the dogs in there and shut the door. I wouldn't do that w/any dog. I could recommend them based on my experience w/my dogs. Based on my experiences w/other dogs I would not recommend black labs, border collies, labradoodles, red heelers, australian shepards. None of these were my dogs, but dogs that were around my kids at other houses and had to be removed.

 

[deja_entendu]

And isn't that the point here? A recommendation of the type of dog a poster should get, knowing that she plans to have a newborn in the house.

So whether a breed is (as claimed) grossly misrepresented or misunderstood or victimised, if 'you' wouldn't have that breed around your newborn then it would be off your list to recommend to the OP.

It seems one or two posters are happy to recommend a dangerous dog (per our legislation) and the rest less happy. Up to the OP.

I'm not sure if this was directed at me, but just to clarify--I never said or meant to imply that I wouldn't want a pit around my newborn . I would never leave any dog alone with my hypothetical child, and like packrat said I wouldn't trust anyone else's dogs around my kid. But if I owned a pit whose temperament I knew and who I had trained and socialized myself, then yes I would be ok with having that dog around my kid (again, under supervision as with any dog!). I DID say I wouldn't feel comfortable owning a GSD, Doberman or Rottie with a newborn in the house, but I never recommended them for a house with children. Also, pits may be considered dangerous per your legislation but that is not the case where I live. I just do not agree that pitbulls in general are dangerous dogs. I am not trying to be argumentative, I just wanted to clear up my position. Like you said earlier I think we will have to agree to disagree on this one.

The bottom line is, there are plenty of great options for family dogs, many of which have been mentioned in this thread, and it is really up to the OP to chose an individual dog (of whatever breed she decides) that suits her family and lifestyle.

 

[Steel]

And isn't that the point here? A recommendation of the type of dog a poster should get, knowing that she plans to have a newborn in the house.

So whether a breed is (as claimed) grossly misrepresented or misunderstood or victimised, if 'you' wouldn't have that breed around your newborn then it would be off your list to recommend to the OP.

It seems one or two posters are happy to recommend a dangerous dog (per our legislation) and the rest less happy. Up to the OP.

I'm not sure if this was directed at me, but just to clarify--I never said or meant to imply that I wouldn't want a pit around my newborn . I would never leave any dog alone with my hypothetical child, and like packrat said I wouldn't trust anyone else's dogs around my kid. But if I owned a pit whose temperament I knew and who I had trained and socialized myself, then yes I would be ok with having that dog around my kid (again, under supervision as with any dog!). I DID say I wouldn't feel comfortable owning a GSD, Doberman or Rottie with a newborn in the house, but I never recommended them for a house with children. Also, pits may be considered dangerous per your legislation but that is not the case where I live. I just do not agree that pitbulls in general are dangerous dogs. I am not trying to be argumentative, I just wanted to clear up my position. Like you said earlier I think we will have to agree to disagree on this one.

The bottom line is, there are plenty of great options for family dogs, many of which have been mentioned in this thread, and it is really up to the OP to chose an individual dog (of whatever breed she decides) that suits her family and lifestyle.

I wonder - have we 'met' before?

No, I wasn't talking to you. Nor did I mention about the child being on his/her own.

 

[Prana]

Thank you! He's a very good boy. Your pup in your avatar is very cute as well!

I just wanted to add, to each their own. Bully breeds and terriers aren't for everyone, they are quite a sight to behold, and can look very intimidating. Unfortunately they are one of the mose overbred breed of dogs out there (pitbulls) (which causes a whole slew of problems), and probably the most apt to be in bad family situations where they honestly don't get a chance to be the best they can be.

I can understand why people don't like bully breeds and larger terriers, they can be intimidating. I just wish all the bad feelings weren't so escalated by breed bigotry and unfair reputations. The ban doesn't need to be on breeds, it needs to be on irresponsible breeders. and just for the record, my parents sweet, fluff ball shi tzu bichon mix bit a hole in my hand when I was younger trying to get the food I was eating. My American Bulldog has far too much focus and control for that ever to happen. He is also incredibly gentle around small children, keeps his distance for the most part and just likes to sniff them and wag his tail. He's incredibly loyal and loving and I think that I will always have a well bred American Bulldog as a family member, because they just fit us and our lifestyle so well.

Actually, now that I'm thinking of it, American Bulldogs and pitbulls aren't even really related in any way, they just look similar to people who don't know any better. It's a fear factor that people have.

 

[deja_entendu]

And isn't that the point here? A recommendation of the type of dog a poster should get, knowing that she plans to have a newborn in the house.

So whether a breed is (as claimed) grossly misrepresented or misunderstood or victimised, if 'you' wouldn't have that breed around your newborn then it would be off your list to recommend to the OP.

It seems one or two posters are happy to recommend a dangerous dog (per our legislation) and the rest less happy. Up to the OP.

I'm not sure if this was directed at me, but just to clarify--I never said or meant to imply that I wouldn't want a pit around my newborn . I would never leave any dog alone with my hypothetical child, and like packrat said I wouldn't trust anyone else's dogs around my kid. But if I owned a pit whose temperament I knew and who I had trained and socialized myself, then yes I would be ok with having that dog around my kid (again, under supervision as with any dog!). I DID say I wouldn't feel comfortable owning a GSD, Doberman or Rottie with a newborn in the house, but I never recommended them for a house with children. Also, pits may be considered dangerous per your legislation but that is not the case where I live. I just do not agree that pitbulls in general are dangerous dogs. I am not trying to be argumentative, I just wanted to clear up my position. Like you said earlier I think we will have to agree to disagree on this one.

The bottom line is, there are plenty of great options for family dogs, many of which have been mentioned in this thread, and it is really up to the OP to chose an individual dog (of whatever breed she decides) that suits her family and lifestyle.

I wonder - have we 'met' before?

No, I wasn't talking to you. Nor did I mention about the child being on his/her own.

Nope I have never posted before.

Sorry for assuming, I just wanted to make sure I hadn't implied that somewhere since that would've been hypocritical (and unintentional). The references to leaving a child alone with a dog were not directed at you or anyone else, just outlining my own thoughts. Anyway, I hope I didn't offend you.

 

[deja_entendu]

Thank you! He's a very good boy. Your pup in your avatar is very cute as well!

I just wanted to add, to each their own. Bully breeds and terriers aren't for everyone, they are quite a sight to behold, and can look very intimidating. Unfortunately they are one of the mose overbred breed of dogs out there (pitbulls) (which causes a whole slew of problems), and probably the most apt to be in bad family situations where they honestly don't get a chance to be the best they can be.

I can understand why people don't like bully breeds and larger terriers, they can be intimidating. I just wish all the bad feelings weren't so escalated by breed bigotry and unfair reputations. The ban doesn't need to be on breeds, it needs to be on irresponsible breeders. and just for the record, my parents sweet, fluff ball shi tzu bichon mix bit a hole in my hand when I was younger trying to get the food I was eating. My American Bulldog has far too much focus and control for that ever to happen. He is also incredibly gentle around small children, keeps his distance for the most part and just likes to sniff them and wag his tail. He's incredibly loyal and loving and I think that I will always have a well bred American Bulldog as a family member, because they just fit us and our lifestyle so well.

Actually, now that I'm thinking of it, American Bulldogs and pitbulls aren't even really related in any way, they just look similar to people who don't know any better. It's a fear factor that people have.

I totally agree! Especially about the irresponsible breeding...backyard breeders are a huge issue. Adopting or working with a responsible breeder is the way to go.

 

[iLander]

Here is something I think we ALL can agree on:

EVERY dog, when frightened or made angry enough, will bite. Every single breed.

My little japanese chin, once bit a vet tech who was a little too forceful when squeezing her impacted anal glands. She bit the tech as hard as she could.

Later, the tech, laughing, tried to show me the "bite" but couldn't even find a red mark.

Do you think the vet would have been laughing if a pit bull had bitten her as hard as he could?

A japanese chin's teeth are the size and shape of grains of rice. Their jaws are very small and they can't get a good grip with their tiny mouths and funky jaws, even if they wanted to. They gum their food more than chew it.

A pit bull is specifically bred for generations to have strong teeth, huge hinged jaws and can grip for a long time. If they bite, you can't get them off because the best dogs in the pit could withstand pain to keep biting AND they were specifically selected for further breeding.

If the worst case scenario happens (and we ALL just agreed it could happen), which dog do would you prefer to do the biting? The little one with rice-grain teeth, or the big muscular dog with hinged jaws?

Also, a pitbull may be GREAT with it's own family, but what about the neighbor kids?

I had a squirrel as a pet when I was a kid. It never bit anyone in the family. EVER. A neighbor kid came over, pulled it by the tail to get it off the curtains, and guess what happened? Yup, the girl's finger had a big bite.

So, why even go there (dominant breeds) with a baby? There are tons of great dog breeds out there.

The question is; which one poses the LEAST risk?

P.S. Has anyone seen or heard from the original poster? I think they're out buying a cat

 

[Steel]

.P.S. Has anyone seen or heard from the original poster? I think they're out buying a cat

I actually laughed out loud at this - thank you!

 

[taovandel]

Just going to steer this a little bit more on track....


We've had beagles in the past as a family (We had a male beagle who passed away and we now have a female). They are the gentlest dogs we've ever owned and are always so happy.

They bark....a lot. Or at least ours did.

We've put Evan down around her before and she's always good to him and we are never fearful.

We also have a Shiba Inu who we all adore and is super sweet..but he is a bit finicky so we keep Evan away for the most part just to be on the safe side.

 

[deja_entendu]

Here is something I think we ALL can agree on:

EVERY dog, when frightened or made angry enough, will bite. Every single breed.

My little japanese chin, once bit a vet tech who was a little too forceful when squeezing her impacted anal glands. She bit the tech as hard as she could.

Later, the tech, laughing, tried to show me the "bite" but couldn't even find a red mark.

Do you think the vet would have been laughing if a pit bull had bitten her as hard as he could?

A japanese chin's teeth are the size and shape of grains of rice. Their jaws are very small and they can't get a good grip with their tiny mouths and funky jaws, even if they wanted to. They gum their food more than chew it.

A pit bull is specifically bred for generations to have strong teeth, huge hinged jaws and can grip for a long time. If they bite, you can't get them off because the best dogs in the pit could withstand pain to keep biting AND they were specifically selected for further breeding.

If the worst case scenario happens (and we ALL just agreed it could happen), which dog do would you prefer to do the biting? The little one with rice-grain teeth, or the big muscular dog with hinged jaws?

Also, a pitbull may be GREAT with it's own family, but what about the neighbor kids?

I had a squirrel as a pet when I was a kid. It never bit anyone in the family. EVER. A neighbor kid came over, pulled it by the tail to get it off the curtains, and guess what happened? Yup, the girl's finger had a big bite.

So, why even go there (dominant breeds) with a baby? There are tons of great dog breeds out there.

The question is; which one poses the LEAST risk?

P.S. Has anyone seen or heard from the original poster? I think they're out buying a cat

First of all, I absolutely agree that any dog/any breed can and will bite under the right circumstances.

I also agree that in general, a large dog can potentially do more damage than a small dog. But honestly, most small dogs do have the potential to cause some serious wounds if they want to. So I guess I'd be more worried about the likelihood of a dog biting in the first place. I know some people might not agree with that though.

This is purely anecdotal, but when I was working as a vet tech I can only recall one instance while working with a large dog (a German Shepherd) in which I was worried he might try to bite me. But I can remember quite a few time where a small dog actually tried to bite me. I'm not trying to say all small dogs bite, or they are more likely to bite or anything...maybe we just saw a lot of nippy dogs? I have a few theories but they're not really relevant to this discussion. I guess my point is that I don't feel it's all about size, and that in my mind at least, temperament is more important (along with training/socialization/etc.).

LOL at the cat comment...I'm pretty sure my cats hated me when I was a little kid, I remember getting hissed at a lot.

 

[AGBF]

Well, this has certainly become a free for all since I first posted! I agree that the original poster may have gotten, "loss in the sauce" (to quote an old televison commercial)!

My story: we had a Golden Retriever (female) whom we had had forever before we adopted our daughter as an infant. By the time we brought our daughter home the dog was slow and quiet. Unfortunately, while we were in Colombia on our first (joint) trip, the dog was diagnosed with cancer. My parents, who lived a mile and a half away from us and who had provided her with day care while I worked, took her in since she was going to need more care and I was going to have the baby. The way it worked out, I was at my parents' house with the baby every chance I could get! I have pictures of Whitney (our daughter) and Brit (the dog) lying on a blanket I had knit, together, on the living room floor. The dog-always gentle-was just a peach to the baby.

The dog, unfortunately, passed away (of natural causes) within a year of the baby's birth. We waited until Whitney was in kindergarten (age 5) to get another dog. It was then at Whitney's insistence that we got one. We adopted a two year-old male, yellow Lab. He was usually very good, very gentle with children, but he demonstrated the principle that all dog breeds can bite. (In this case, nip.) Generally he didn't bite Whitney's playmates. However, he bit any stranger who came on our front porch until we let that person in the door. (Anyone could enter the back door.) But that's another story and one I have told elsewhere!

Deb/AGBF

 

[Haven]

I think Pits have a horrible reputation that is completely unwarranted. The problem is this: They are large, powerful dogs, and in the hands of the wrong person, they can be trained to be aggressive. (ALL dogs can be trained to be aggressive, by the way. I saw the nastiest little Chihuahua the other day. The difference is that Chihuahua isn't powerful enough to do any serious damage to anyone.)

We rescued our first Pit Bull mix two years ago and she is the sweetest, most loving, affectionate dog I have ever had. I grew up with Collies, Border Collies, and Labs, and our Pit is above and beyond the best family dog I've ever had. I don't think I'll ever go back to having any other dog but Pits, I love her so much. (She's curled up between DH and I right now, as a matter of fact.)

NOW, that being said, I believe that dogs are only as good as their owners. If our beloved Pit had ended up in the wrong hands, perhaps she would have been raised to be aggressive.

IF you are looking to adopt a dog, especially if this is the first dog you'll have as an adult, then I'd seriously consider the following:
- Are you prepared to spend at least one full year, possibly more, enforcing proper behavior in your dog by giving consistent direction? This means no slacking when on discipline when you're feeling lazy.
- Are you prepared to walk your dog at least twice a day, for at the very least 30 minutes each time? Dogs NEED to walk. Dogs who don't walk regularly are unbalanced, and it's a very sad thing.
- Are you ready to provide exercise to your dog on a daily basis? Especially if you get a high energy pup?
- Are you prepared to invest money in your dog's diet, health, and regular maintenance?
- Are you prepared to ask everyone who comes into your home to respect the boundaries you've set for your dog? That means no talking in a high pitched voice and getting puppy all excited when you walk in; no feeding puppy treats under the table because she made the cute face.
- Are you prepared to spend a lot of extra money to board your dog in a qualified facility when you go on vacation? This is an expense I think people don't figure, but our vacations cost an extra $650 (for 10 days away) just in boarding.
- Are you ready to forge one of the most rewarding relationships of your life?

We trained our pup for a full two years, and we're still enforcing things today and I imagine we always will. We walk her for several miles a day, put her on a treadmill for an additional 30 minutes, and play games with her in the yard or in the house every day, depending on the weather. We had to train our friends and family to uphold all of our training, and this was probably the hardest part, but it's worth it. I can't have a dog that jumps on people, or barks in the house, or eats food that falls on the floor. Adopting her is the best thing we've done together so far, she is a true source of joy, but man do we put a lot of time, energy, and money into her!

Dogs are serious business. Most people seem to neglect their dogs by failing to walk them regularly, failing to exercise them enough, failing to really be the pack leader. But when you do these things, dogs really can be the wonderful companions that they're said to be.

 

[Haven]

Oh, one more important point that I wanted to make:

Dogs do not recognize babies as humans. I think it has to do with their smell, and with the way they flail their limbs. Regardless of the cause, it is vital that whatever dog you adopt, you have him very well trained before you bring a baby into the house. A well trained dog will leave the baby alone once you make it clear that that is what you expect him to do.

If you aren't sure you're ready to adequately train a dog, I'd wait till I was past the baby-raising stage to adopt one, for sure.

 

[Prana]

I think Pits have a horrible reputation that is completely unwarranted. The problem is this: They are large, powerful dogs, and in the hands of the wrong person, they can be trained to be aggressive. (ALL dogs can be trained to be aggressive, by the way. I saw the nastiest little Chihuahua the other day. The difference is that Chihuahua isn't powerful enough to do any serious damage to anyone.)

We rescued our first Pit Bull mix two years ago and she is the sweetest, most loving, affectionate dog I have ever had. I grew up with Collies, Border Collies, and Labs, and our Pit is above and beyond the best family dog I've ever had. I don't think I'll ever go back to having any other dog but Pits, I love her so much. (She's curled up between DH and I right now, as a matter of fact.)

NOW, that being said, I believe that dogs are only as good as their owners. If our beloved Pit had ended up in the wrong hands, perhaps she would have been raised to be aggressive.

IF you are looking to adopt a dog, especially if this is the first dog you'll have as an adult, then I'd seriously consider the following:
- Are you prepared to spend at least one full year, possibly more, enforcing proper behavior in your dog by giving consistent direction? This means no slacking when on discipline when you're feeling lazy.
- Are you prepared to walk your dog at least twice a day, for at the very least 30 minutes each time? Dogs NEED to walk. Dogs who don't walk regularly are unbalanced, and it's a very sad thing.
- Are you ready to provide exercise to your dog on a daily basis? Especially if you get a high energy pup?
- Are you prepared to invest money in your dog's diet, health, and regular maintenance?
- Are you prepared to ask everyone who comes into your home to respect the boundaries you've set for your dog? That means no talking in a high pitched voice and getting puppy all excited when you walk in; no feeding puppy treats under the table because she made the cute face.
- Are you prepared to spend a lot of extra money to board your dog in a qualified facility when you go on vacation? This is an expense I think people don't figure, but our vacations cost an extra $650 (for 10 days away) just in boarding.
- Are you ready to forge one of the most rewarding relationships of your life?

We trained our pup for a full two years, and we're still enforcing things today and I imagine we always will. We walk her for several miles a day, put her on a treadmill for an additional 30 minutes, and play games with her in the yard or in the house every day, depending on the weather. We had to train our friends and family to uphold all of our training, and this was probably the hardest part, but it's worth it. I can't have a dog that jumps on people, or barks in the house, or eats food that falls on the floor. Adopting her is the best thing we've done together so far, she is a true source of joy, but man do we put a lot of time, energy, and money into her!

Dogs are serious business. Most people seem to neglect their dogs by failing to walk them regularly, failing to exercise them enough, failing to really be the pack leader. But when you do these things, dogs really can be the wonderful companions that they're said to be.

Ditto to everything you said Haven.

I'd also like to reiterate that any dog can be a biter. Yes, larger dogs, mainly bully and terrier breeds can do a lot of damage because of the power in their jaws, but they are not more apt to bite just because they are big powerful dogs. My vet does not muzzle our American Bulldog during invasive (and sometimes painful) procedures. I have seen her muzzle smaller dogs and labs/retrievers. It's all in the training and general nature of the dog. Our dog would NEVER bite a person unless it was directed to do so by us, or if we were being attacked by a stranger. Even then, I think he'd be hiding behind us trying to save himself lol.

Sorry to the OP for this wayward discussion, I think that there are many wonderful breeds of dogs out there, and many wonderful mutts and mixed breeds who would be absolutely wonderful family dogs. I hope that you take into consideration everyone's opinions, and I hope that you are able to find a wonderful doggy companion!