I Don't Seem To Get It?

To fight off bsl, we say pits are like any other breed. Any breed has potential to bite, ect, ect. But when it comes to dog parks, its the same beliefs that bsl-supporters say.... ''pit bulls can't be trusted''?

I'm sorry I'm confused. I believe if you're dog isn't dog park material, it doesn't belong there. No matter if its so-so breed or pit bull.

I'm not going to use example breeds, because lately there's been a certain breed out there that I think is getting a bad rep among the dog community when comparing to pit bulls. I want to stop all breed bashing,,,all of it is bad. I know I'm at fault too for doing it, but I'm going to stop doing it. Say a naive new person reads this thread and then the have a new view on a certain breed, because we keep bashing it....and how far is it till this breed then to becomes victim to bsl?

I think its not that we need to tell people heed this breed b/c such and such history, but treat all unknown dogs with the same heed no matter what they were bred for.

I think milosmommy gave a great suggestion about checking out a dog park prior to taking your dog there.

I think by saing ALL pit bulls don't belong in dog parks, we're giving people the ok to have worry about this breed. I do think though not ALL pit bulls are dog park materials, but also not ALL dogs [no matter what breed] are dog park material.

Whether you agree with dog parks or not......I don't think saying they're ok, but for pit bulls its not..is right.

I know fights happen, and b/c you own a pit bull, they might put the blame on the pit. But that can happen with many breeds as well, but they're ''ok dog park breeds?'' Then might as well make a bsl list about breeds that do or not belong in dog parks as well, if we're going with ''the breed's aggressive nature''.

Some breeds aren't bred to be DA, but some are.........these are the dogs that DON'T belong at dog parks.

I see no problem if our pit isn't aggressive and is in a dog park.

Also sorry to bring this up, but we lost a great chaz dog due to it beinging a pit bull, and this dog was restrained, not in a dog park. Events like this can occur anywhere sadly. But should pit bull owners lock them up from the outside world because of it?

Some dogs really do love dog parks [we see this in pics, stories, ect], and not all dog parks or dog park experiences are hellions. If you see a dumbwit owner bringing their non-dog park material dog in the park or see something that might trigger a fight, you can alwas leave. Thats what its good to become a regular and get to know some regulars to, if they know your dog, and your dog does become a victim of a fight, they will most likely back you up if they witness it and your dog is not to blame.

I like how Chewbecca is as cautious with Ella, I wish more people were like her. Pit bull owners, and all dog owners alike. But if your pit is gentle as a lamb, I don't see the reason to treat your dog like ''its a ticking time bomb''.

I'm a dog park person, my dogs are dog park dogs, I plan to own a bull terrier one day. A breed that has a similar background as pit bulls. Should this mean I should not bring m dog to the park, even though it could be the most dog friendly dog you ever met?

I think as pit bull owners, shouldn't you make pit bulls seem like any breed out there? Why so much the restrictions, even if they're GOOD non-da dogs? Aren't we feeding into what the media is feeding us by doing so? I understand if your dog is da, then ok, then it should be restricted to dog parks like an da breed. But it doesn't make it ok, because so-so breed is a dog friendly breed, that its ok to be in dog parks, but its da. So shouldn't it not make it ok b/c our dog is a da breed, even though its NOT da, it shouldn't belong in a dog park?

Sorry if I'm sounding ignorant, this has been my opinion on this everytime I see it brought up. I would like to hear our opinions about it and maybe I'll walk out more educated on this issue, then what could be my ''bias'' opinions.

One day like prior breeds before them, its not going to be pit bulls, it might be your breed. They're accepted now in dog parks, but what if now like pits the become the ''target'' dogs and then its no longer accepted in dog parks?

Wasn't once a upon a time pit bulls was the american family dog? What happened to that? Isn't THAT still inbred in them?

EXACTLY.

I think part of your problem is that you are confusing two VERY important issues, DA and HA. Pitties are STILL a great "family dog." They still freaking love their humans. I'm sure you must know this. Not loving other dogs doesn't NOT make them a great dog. However, they are a DA breed and there is nearly ALWAYS the chance that a dog who has previously been fine with other dogs will, from a bad experience with other dogs (and a dog park is a great place to have those experiences - they're not a very controlled environment and any dog can come in with their ignorant owner and start problems - you may not ALWAYS see those problems something, or you might not be able to do something about it; and they usually have a very high density of dogs) become DA. And if a "pit bull" starts a fight it will ALWAYS be blamed. They also do not back down from a fight. So if you are in a situation where there is the potential for a fight to be started, and another dog initiates it? Chances are the pittie isn't going to agree to disagree, to put it mildly.

As "pit bull" owners, I think people should be REALISTICALLY talking to others about the strengths and weaknesses of their dogs. I do not think they should sugar-coat it, or gloss over the topic. Why? It could mean a dog(s) life. There are LOADS of stories about the dog who was "just so sweet" and then DA kicked in, and Fluffy got mauled for starting a fight, and it's allllll the Evil Pit Bull's Fault. It's an issue that, IMO, will be MORE harmful to other dogs if it's glossed over and we say "whee!, well, if your dog isn't DA just take it to dog parks and everything will probably be fine!" it sets people up for bad things to happen in the future. It's NOT APBT owners' responsibility to make them seem like "any other dogs out there" - it is their responsibility to make them seem like American Pit Bull Terriers. If the truth isn't all sunshine and butterflies "I can take my dog anywhere I want" I think people need to hear that. If they don't, as I said, you are setting them up. Too many owners think their "pit bull" is just like any other dog and then have a rude awakening and vet bills. Or, god forbid, a lawsuit on their hands and they become BSL fodder.


I can't even address your dog park thing.. because I'm like :yikes: and it's 12am and my thoughts are all over the place. But Juicy, I think going back and editing your post for clarity would help someone who does want to tackle that.

They ARE great family dogs... I don't know where the connection between DA and being a family dog comes from DA and HA are two completely different shoes and have nothing to do with one another. Unless you have a very poorly bred or trained to attack humans, they are very loyal and perfect "family dogs".

BECAUSE they are so in the eye of the media, owners need to steer clear of any chance to cause negative attention- if I took my dog to the dog park who loves to play with other dogs and something would happen, guess which dog would be blamed? Maybe not by some people in the park... but in the overall picture word would get around that "a pit bull got into a fight".

Pit bulls were bred to fight- and it is still "in their system". Not every pit is a dog hating monster... but the urge to fight is instilled in their system. Pit bulls were bred for their drive to win- so if a fight was to break out, a pit would most likely not back down... and fight until there is nothing to fight against anymore.

As an owner you can not risk anything. For my dog and the overall good I can not risk setting her up for failure by putting her in a spot that are not good for her.

Maybe its late, but I dont see how that ^^ statement has ANYTHING to do with taking a dog to a dog park...

I think you made some very fine points nolu, don't get me wrong....but I just don't think every dog should be viewed for its ''standards''. Some dogs don't fit them, AT ALL.

People need to understand that DA and HA are very different things. I dont think pitties are dog park material. None of them in my opinion. DA can surface at any time. Like stated before, they don't back down and when a fight DOES break out, they just don't stop. They are different than other breeds in that way. Everyone in the park is gonna point and say that its the pit bulls fault, even if the other dog has the upper hand. A responsible owner wouldn't bring a pit bull into a dog park in my opinion.

I do know the difference between HA and DA, sorry if I confused anyone...I guess I used a bad example for making my point.

They might not show DA one bit. They might love other dogs, but if another dog happens to pick a fight with them, they just might be torn to shreds... and then the pittie gets the blame for it. I've seen it happen MANY times at my old local dog park. Fights would break out all the time involving "dog friendly" pit bulls. Pit bulls fault every time...

So would you call a person irresponsible if they DO bring their pit bulls to dog parks?

It sucks, but if someone loves dog parks so much, then a pit bull just isn't the breed for them.

My thing is,,,,I only hear this arguement for pit bulls, no other DA breed. Which seems pretty bias.

It would suck though if any DA breeds aren't allowed in dog parks, because I'm a dog park person, and plan in the future to own a DA breed, but would it be such bad idea to bring it to the dog park as it would a pit bull? Its a mini bull terrier btw.

Yes, I would.

You do hear the same argument about other DA breeds, it's just that because APBT's are the "media demons' right now, they're the ones getting the most noise made about them. Also, while other breeds might have DA in them, Akitas for example, not every single one of them descends from dogs that *were* bred to be VERY DA. It's still not a good idea to try it out and one of hte reasons I avoid the parks on busy days. Too many people without a clue and I'd rather not have my dog end up in the middle of it.

This is very much one situation where denial doesn't make a problem go away.

I don't think a dogs suitability for dog parks is a fair way to judge a dogs personality. I wouldn't expect all children to get along and play nice at the park, just as I don't think all dogs have to make 'friends' with every single dog they encounter. They need to be civil, thats all. Dog parks, in my experience, are generally filled with dogs that don't get out much, and the owners used it as a place to let them roam free and play with other dogs instead of interacting with their human, while the humans sat on the picnic tables to 'chat'....or <gasp> read a book! Again, thats just my experience. I understand that for some, its the only chance for their dog to really stretch their legs, but the experiences I had were bad.
Right now pitbulls make good headlines. Its sad but true.

I missed that point, good one Maple!

I think it's great how people can be totally fine with the idea of people, cats, gerbils even, not liking every single other member of their species, but somehow when it comes to dogs, they're supposed to be the UN or something? Get along with everyone and everything?

Cider can play nicely with other dogs. She taught me though that she doesn't have to like everyone she meets, and she certainly doesn't. Seems to be common misconception that all dogs just play nicely together. I'm surprised that that thinking doesn't cause more dog brawls than you hear about.

I used to hit up dog parks. I don't now. Often I had the only behaved dog in the park. It got old after a while. Wish my dogs had more dog friends, but the park wasn't the way to do it.

It's not always true. But what you are getting hanged up on is the attitude of "surely not all 'pit bulls' will become DA, it's not fair to the rest of them that wont!" Um, so? Just because all kids playing with matches wont burn themselves doesn't mean the few who never will (oh, and did I mention this is something you can't tell by looking at them? or even, seemingly, knowing them well?) shouldn't be banned from playing with them? Yeah, it's a crappy comparison, but I'm tired and can't think of anything better. There are so many times that a previously "safe" "friendly" 'pit bull' hasn't backed down from a fight or has started one that you should be very wary of that attitude, and so are we. The fact that this happens over and over again should be a tip to other pittie owners that, hmm, maybe it's NOT SAFE to bring your dog to the dog park? Maybe it would be SAFER to have controlled playdates if you really want your dog to play with other dogs?

Um? Were APBTs bred to attack kittens? If they were, seriously, this needs to be on websites with the APBT's breed history, because I never knew they were bred to attack kittens. (I haven't seen the video, but I'm assuming it's a dog playing with a kitten?)

NO! No, no, NO!

BSL supporters and other ****tards think the dog's brain is going to explode inside it's skull or whatever that dumbass rumor is. Hence "they can snap."

DA is a trait that is KNOWN (ie - we have proof) to kick in at any time throughout the dog's life, typically at, I think, between sexual maturity and 2 years old. Dog reactiveness is often, but not always, a precursor to DA. An incident is often - once again, not always - what brings out DA in a dog.

Big. Difference.

I am not saying "ZOMG teh evil pitt bull is gunna kill teh babieyz!!1!!one!!"

I am saying this is an ingrained breed trait. This is a trait that has been known to come out throughout a dog's life, often without warning.

I am saying that a dog who has a high likelihood of developing it should NOT be in an UNCONTROLLED area with a high density of dogs. IE, up to 20 dogs per acre. Dogs who may be DA. Dogs who may be selectively DA. Dogs who may have bad manners or short fuses. A pack of uncontrolled dogs.

I am not saying they should be denied contact with other dogs. Controlled play situations? Great! Dog park! Terrible!

I am not saying other DA breeds should be exempt from this, but I was not the one who started the discussion about APBTs and then expected other people to name other DA breeds instead. Just to make this clear, my opinion is equally applicable for all typically DA breeds. For instance, I would be wary of taking a Doberman to a dog park until I knew it well, and would most likely completely refrain from taking a male Doberman Pinscher to a dog park.

I feel the same way about any DA breed. One lady brought her shar pei into the park. As soon as she let her off the leash, the dog took off and attacked the first dog it set its eyes on. Interestingly it was another pei. The owners reaction always amuse me... "OMG shes NEVER done that before!!"... instead of saying sorry, they like to give excuses.

Dunno. I see pits at the local dog park and never think of it as a bad thing. I'm always swooning over them. Every one else is backed up not wanting the pit to play with their pooch. Usually they are the behaved ones.