Is a Bully Breed right for us?
- Thread starter icklemiss
- Start date
if you want a dog-park dog, please PLEASE i BEG you, do not get a bully breed dog.
http://www.pbrc.net/dogpark.html
http://www.badrap.org/rescue/dogpark.cfm
http://www.pbrc.net/dogpark.html
http://www.badrap.org/rescue/dogpark.cfm
I've met a handful of bullies that do well at dog parks - they have all been puppies and teenagers. All of our pittie friends (save for one middle aged girlie named Pebbles) have disappeared from the dog park once maturity set in. They were (and still are) great dogs, but with maturity comes clarity of genetics.
Ilsa at the dog park with Jewel... Jewel stopped coming to the dog park at aroung age 2.
Two pitties in the far left, a golden, a lab, and the three dobes - Ginna, Mia, Ilsa.
Our 2005ish Dobe crew at the dog park...
Dobes, especially the females, are pretty reliable dog park dogs - I've known some ornery ones, but for the most part they're good with other dogs. I've never had a problem with Ilsa (aside from other dogs... a westie, a dane, and two border collies attacking HER!)
Ilsa at the dog park with Jewel... Jewel stopped coming to the dog park at aroung age 2.
Two pitties in the far left, a golden, a lab, and the three dobes - Ginna, Mia, Ilsa.
Our 2005ish Dobe crew at the dog park...
Dobes, especially the females, are pretty reliable dog park dogs - I've known some ornery ones, but for the most part they're good with other dogs. I've never had a problem with Ilsa (aside from other dogs... a westie, a dane, and two border collies attacking HER!)
Well, I don't want a lab if that's what you mean
(Labs are wonderful but their overwhelming love of people ensures you don't get anywhere on time!)
(Labs are wonderful but their overwhelming love of people ensures you don't get anywhere on time!)
But they are not known to be dog-friendly. They tend to be dog aggressive due to the fact that they were originally selectively bred for dog fights. That's one reason why owning them is a such a big responsibility. If you want to be 100% sure that your dog will be friendly towards other dogs and that you can trust your dog alone with other dogs, I would not suggest a pit bull. If you want to take your dog to the dog park after puppyhood, I would not suggest a pit bull. (Check out Elegy's links and you'll see the opinion of pittie organizations on this.)If you can supervise your dog with other dogs (or keep your dog away from other dogs if it does turn out to be heavily dog aggressive) and are willing to live with dog aggressiveness if it does crop up--even if it doesn't crop up for several years--then a pittie might be the dog for you.
If you get a pit bull who's at least two or three years old, you'll have a much better idea of whether the dog will be dog aggressive than if you get a puppy.
But still, use common sense and remember the breed's history.Don't think I don't know what you are doing, Sizzle...
Love that last pic of the crew. Are they all yours?
Thanks again to those who have offered up more insight into Bullies and the dog park. I have also done some reading on a Bully site that someone from here directed me to which helped alot...
Right now, I am moving away from the Bully just because I have something niggling in my head about the dog/dog aggression issue. I would feel the weight of the world on my shoulders over it every day and it would detract from my love of my dog...
I have looked on Petfinder and at the shelters/rescues here and there did appear to be dogs that get on well with dogs and cats...but hearing that this could all change at anytime and that it's not a fixed state of things would have me on edge. I do know that all dogs can have their moments having broken up a fight or two in my time but what I am getting here is that you are always on double-duty.
Having to continually defend my dog would hurt my heart.
Love that last pic of the crew. Are they all yours?
Thanks again to those who have offered up more insight into Bullies and the dog park. I have also done some reading on a Bully site that someone from here directed me to which helped alot...
Right now, I am moving away from the Bully just because I have something niggling in my head about the dog/dog aggression issue. I would feel the weight of the world on my shoulders over it every day and it would detract from my love of my dog...
I have looked on Petfinder and at the shelters/rescues here and there did appear to be dogs that get on well with dogs and cats...but hearing that this could all change at anytime and that it's not a fixed state of things would have me on edge. I do know that all dogs can have their moments having broken up a fight or two in my time but what I am getting here is that you are always on double-duty.
Having to continually defend my dog would hurt my heart.
Bah, I'm innocent! teehee...
Ha, I wish. That photo was taken a looong time ago, back when I only had one Doberman. However, all the dogs are related. In the last photo, the two up front are Ginna and Mia. Ginna is my Ronin's half sister, and Mia is Ilsa's cousin. The "middle dog" is Rajah, a half sibling to Mia and a cousin to Ilsa. Annnd, the cute little teenage butt in the foreground is my Ilsa!
from my love of my dog...
It's funny, I know someone in BC with a cousin to Ronin, which is sometimes an oddity, as Ronin's breeder is pretty localized to her area. She's got some dogs on the coasts and in Canada, but the majority of her dogs stay in the midwest. This friend in BC is also a rescue contact for BC, if you're interested...
Ha, I wish. That photo was taken a looong time ago, back when I only had one Doberman. However, all the dogs are related. In the last photo, the two up front are Ginna and Mia. Ginna is my Ronin's half sister, and Mia is Ilsa's cousin. The "middle dog" is Rajah, a half sibling to Mia and a cousin to Ilsa. Annnd, the cute little teenage butt in the foreground is my Ilsa!
from my love of my dog...
It's funny, I know someone in BC with a cousin to Ronin, which is sometimes an oddity, as Ronin's breeder is pretty localized to her area. She's got some dogs on the coasts and in Canada, but the majority of her dogs stay in the midwest. This friend in BC is also a rescue contact for BC, if you're interested...