# I Feel For You Rottweiler/Pit Bull Owners



## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

So I finally see what it's like. I have a foster dog who is a young adult female Rottweiler who I think would be a fabulous therapy dog prospect. I've fostered Rottweilers and Rottie mixes before (and I own a husky/Rottie mix), but I usually haven't had them much over a few days and we generally just go to the park and maybe a pet store. Because I want to gauge her response to being in public, I've brought her to a pet store, a feed/farm supply store, Jiffy Lube while I was getting my oil changed, and Lowe's. 

I've brought my Malinois in those kinds of places and I get a few nervous looks, but there's a lot of "Oh, is that a German shepherd? My cousin used to have one..." or "Is that police dog?" and people wanting to pet them, which is fine. With her in Lowe's, even if I've got her laying down with her just laying on the floor of the store being mellow and me in between her and the rest of the aisle, a LOT more people gave me a wide berth or even going down a different aisle. A few people wanted to pet her in Lowe's (she licked a little kid in the face, very cute), but I got a lot more suspicious looks than smiles than when I have one of my shepherds with me. This is all the more motivation for me to find a good home for her who will do therapy work with her if possible. BSL and negative perception sucks! :evil:


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## Jennifer Marshall (Dec 13, 2007)

Yes, it does suck. At times walking Cajun was like Moses through the Red Sea, if people didn't notice him amongst them in a crowd they wouldn't do anything but one person would see and jump back that caused a whole chain reaction of people moving and jumping and whatnot. Cajun would just be walking along, more concerned with what I'm doing that what the other people were doing.

My old Rott it was worse though because he was an oversized monster, 135-150 depending on the vet office we were at. It was like I was walking a grizzly bear, people would just absolutely flip out. They'd cross the street in front of cars to not have to walk on the same sidewalk. And that was 6 years ago!


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

If you think Rotts have a badass reputation here you wouldn't believe what people think of them in Latin America. When I had my Rott with me while living in Costa Rica people would hurry to cross the street to get out of the way. Mothers would grab their kids and put themselves between my dog and their children to shield them from harm. Even some vets would flip out.

There are few purebreds of any sort there. People generally know what they see in American made movies or on the news.

In the little jungle hamlet that I lived in people gradually got used to him and knew he was a good guy. There were people who took pictures with him to show themselves off petting the big bad Rott.

It was pretty comical.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Jennifer, I can believe you, and Dolly isn't even all that big! She's 80 lbs and needs to slim down to about 70 lbs as she thankfully doesn't have a huge frame. I think it's pretty obvious she's a girl (I had her wearing a bandana with little red hearts on it), but even the people who wanted to pet her were like "what's his name?"

Lee, I can believe from American movies. As much as I liked The Dark Knight, I disliked the not one but TWO "let's have Batman fight the vicious Rottweilers" scenes. :roll: I was actually somewhat surprised they didn't use pit bulls.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Have you ever seen the "B'' horror movie "Rottweiler"? That plays regularly on Latin America TV, probably because it doesn't need alot of subtitles. Now that dog was the opposite of Lassie. I let my kid watch it for about 15 minutes until he got scared of my Rott who he grew up with.


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## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

:lol:

Anyone ever see the (70s?) "Doberman Gang" movies? Those were actually kinda cool.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

I wii have watch out for "Doberman Gang". The reason "Rottweiler" doesn't need alot of subtitles is because the pup is too busy eating people.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Is this it, Mike? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnuRQR-3Ui8

I wish I could get that from Netflix! Looks hilarious...


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## kim guidry (Jan 11, 2008)

Mike Schoonbrood said:


> :lol:
> 
> Anyone ever see the (70s?) "Doberman Gang" movies? Those were actually kinda cool.


Yes, I remember it. And yes, the you tube video is it. At the time I persuaded my mom to buy me a silent whistle . Needless to say my poodle was very upset with me. :-o


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

I feel your pain. 

Violet, my old RottiX was the most stable, reliable, child-friendly (she truly adored children of all ages, from wee toddlers to teenagers, and would seek them out at parks) dog I've known.

At the park one day and man and his young daughter were patting her. Both were at face level to her and the father was saying what a nice dog she was. Then he asked, "What kind?" I said, "Probably rottweiller mix" He looked up at me in horror. I would have wanted her to be an ambassador for the breed, she was a great dog, but after that, it was easier just to tell people she was Lab cross.


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## Amy Swaby (Jul 16, 2008)

That would be the reason humane societies list pitbulls as "lab" crosses. I breed rottweilers and you would not BELIEVE the questions I get asked "do i feed them gunpowder to make them mean?"


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## Erica Boling (Jun 17, 2008)

I get the same thing with my Dobermans. When Fiddler was a PUPPY, I had mothers yanking kids off of the sidewalk when we walked in their direction. We weren't even that close. The other day, I was walking Risa. A family was walking down the street, saw us in the distance, stopped and stared for a few minutes, and then turned and went the other way. I once had a friend ask me how long I could keep my dog. I said, "What do you mean... how long?" She replied, "You know, how long before he turns on you and you won't be able to keep him anymore?" I also had a person ask me the other day if it was true that Doberman's brains grow bigger than their head will allow....

Grrrrr!


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

Amy Swaby said:


> That would be the reason humane societies list pitbulls as "lab" crosses. I breed rottweilers and you would not BELIEVE the questions I get asked "do i feed them gunpowder to make them mean?"


I like the one where people ask if I spray their eyes with pepper spray to make them mean


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

ARGH! I have never felt my blood pressure rise so much at once! I hadn't seen this site, but it makes me INCREDIBLY angry. :evil::evil::evil::evil:

http://www.dogsbite.org/

I wrote out a well articulated response to one of their entries on their sad excuse of a blog and submitted it. Lo and behold, comments have to be "approved" before posting. I'd wager that they'd never post a comment that was contrary to their downright racist opinions. I am just sick that average people will read that and take it all as gospel truth. People with well behaved, well trained pit bulls and Rotties (and Dobies and shepherds and other breeds!) NEED to get out in the community and be a good, articulate presence. For anyone who has them as therapy, assistance, service, sport, etc dogs, it wouldn't be a bad idea to call the local media and have them featured on the local news.

My parents are from Omaha, who are considering a pit bull ban right now. I've educated my parents on the matter and they understand the issue, but my other relatives (all non-dog owners who could give a crap and who don't understand why I want to be a vet instead of a physician or why I have one dog, let alone four) are all very anti pit bull. I would like my next dog to be a rescue APBT as a therapy dog. I'm not sure how I'll explain to a dog that they are not welcome in my parent's city to come visit even though they would be a certified therapy dog.

Good news though. Hector, one of the Michael Vick pit bull dogs who was being fostered with Bad Rap out in San Fransisco, has been adopted out and is going to be training for disc with Wallace's (http://www.wallacethepitbull.com) owner. Good luck, Hector!


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## Jamielee Nelson (Apr 24, 2008)

My pit was the biggest baby. But when I would walk him everyone would clear the side walk to let us by. Also pits arent really welcome at the dog parks around here... not that I go to them but I think thats pretty crappy.


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## Kris Dow (Jun 15, 2008)

leslie cassian said:


> I feel your pain.
> 
> Violet, my old RottiX was the most stable, reliable, child-friendly (she truly adored children of all ages, from wee toddlers to teenagers, and would seek them out at parks) dog I've known.
> 
> At the park one day and man and his young daughter were patting her. Both were at face level to her and the father was saying what a nice dog she was. Then he asked, "What kind?" I said, "Probably rottweiller mix" He looked up at me in horror. I would have wanted her to be an ambassador for the breed, she was a great dog, but after that, it was easier just to tell people she was Lab cross.


That's Krieger, our previous Rott/GSD cross, to a T. He LOVED LOVED LOVED people, and would put up with ANYTHING from kids.

He had the rotti markings, though, so extremely often we'd be out someplace (my family has always taken dogs everywhere we possibly can) and an unattended kid would wander up and start petting, and then 5 minutes later the parent would turn up and whisk the kid away as if Krieger was going to eat him at any second. (Yup, all that licking was to tenderize the kid a little bit first.)

Although on the plus side, after we had to have him euthanized (he had a cancerous tumor on his heart and chemo proved too hard on him) my dad was out and ran into a woman who recognized him, and asked after Krieger. When told what had happened, she shared that before meeting Krieger, she had been terrified of dogs. But she saw Krieger fairly often, always interacting well with people, so that gave her the nerve to approach him, and that helped her cope with her fear. (My dad always instructs people on how to appropriately approach a dog when they come up to pet one of ours.)

We just rescued another Rotti mix (I think he's Rotti/pointer) and he's also very sweet and loves on people, so I'm aiming him for a therapy dog qualification, which I always wished I'd done with Krieger.


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## Kris Dow (Jun 15, 2008)

This reminds me- does anyone with a dog that people 'whisk' kids away from have to sit on the urge to lecture the parents? Not just about the absurdity of judging a dog by it's breed, but also about the absolutely stupid behavior of yanking a child away from a dog?

I mean, as I said, Krieger was a total sweetheart, but if you had a dog who was a little more protective of children, and the child objected to the way the parent was removing the kid, I could see that potentially being a bad situation, if the dog interpreted what was going on as the child being harmed, you know?

If you want your child to come away from a dog, unless the dog is actually ABOUT TO BITE ANYWAY, it just seems like being calm and moving normally is the way to go.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

I actually heard a story vaguely similar to that once, I think in Maryland (I can't find a news story, so sorry if the details are not right). A little girl was friendly with a Rottweiler next door, but her mother was abusive. The little girl and her mother were in the backyard and the mother hit the child. The Rottweiler scaled the fence to defend the little girl and the mother used the girl as a human shield and got badly bitten.


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## Ashley Hiebing (Apr 6, 2008)

I've never owned a pit bull (though I plan to eventually), but I have had the experience of walking a few through a pet store and I definitely noticed people getting out of the way, despite the fact that the dog had the most utterly friendly look on his face. It was almost absurd.

But, on a more positive note, a rep from the Humane Society came in to work yesterday and brought an absolutely enormous (83 lbs) adoptable pit with her. He had the body of a lab and a huge blocky, pittie head. All red. Absolutely gorgeous. When I took my break to go pet him, there were 4 little kids clustered around him, rubbing his belly. It was cute.

On a side note, I really want to adopt him now. =P


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

While I was on that gawd awful site, I noticed their "comments policy." Well, well, how convenient to only let your own voice be heard. :-({|= I love how they assume advocates don't care about the victims. Why do you think I teach dog bite prevention to the kids at the church I work at?



> *DogsBite.org Comment Policy*
> 
> DogsBite.org is national dog bite victims group. We do not post comments by pit bull advocates, dogfighters, misguided animal activists or anything else of an offensive or untrue nature. Victims of severe dog attacks -- and their family members and friends -- read our blog posts and comments. DogsBite.org will not subject these victims and family members to the onslaught of messages we receive that categorically blame victims for an attack and deny the genetic heritage of the pit bull breed. *DogsBite.org is not a platform for pit bull advocates. We are a platform for victims and people who care about these victims.*


Ashley, if he's got the right temperament, by all means adopt him. We REALLY need pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, and so on as good ambassadors right now. It didn't fully hit me until I realized they may have a BSL ban on my parent's hometown so I wouldn't be able to visit with my dogs. 

Can I challenge everyone with a "scary" breed to go get their dogs at least have the AKC Canine Good Citizen? I wish the AKC would publish statistics on that like the ATTS does on their temperament test.


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## Kris Dow (Jun 15, 2008)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> While I was on that gawd awful site, I noticed their "comments policy." Well, well, how convenient to only let your own voice be heard. :-({|= I love how they assume advocates don't care about the victims. Why do you think I teach dog bite prevention to the kids at the church I work at?
> 
> Ashley, if he's got the right temperament, by all means adopt him. We REALLY need pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, and so on as good ambassadors right now. It didn't fully hit me until I realized they may have a BSL ban on my parent's hometown so I wouldn't be able to visit with my dogs.
> 
> Can I challenge everyone with a "scary" breed to go get their dogs at least have the AKC Canine Good Citizen? I wish the AKC would publish statistics on that like the ATTS does on their temperament test.


Thank you for teaching a dog bite prevention class. SO MANY people these days seem to have no clue how to interact with/approach/avoid dogs- or in fact how to determine if you should be approaching or avoiding the dog! Like I said, my dad has ALWAYS taught people how to correctly approach a dog when they come up to ours when we're out someplace, and it seems like he has to do it much more frequently these days, because there just aren't that many people who already know.

And while I do feel awful for anyone having to cope with a severe bite injury (I have an immune system condition which results in areas of skin being quite unsightly at some points, so I know how emotionally debilitating scars can be, even if you have full use and are deemed medically 'recovered') there are certainly a LOT of cases reported where you can't help but think 'well, THAT didn't have to happen' because someone in the situation was doing something stupid and/or uneducated about basic dog body language and behavior. (Either the victim, or the owner of the dog.) I would FAR rather see people educating each other than trying to pin the blame on breed X or Y.

(And yes, Pirate is going to do the CGC test when he's ready.  As is Foxy, but everyone assumes she's sweet anyway because she's blond and fluffy.)

Actually, I wonder if that might be another potential role for certified Therapy dogs- classroom visits so kids can learn how to approach dogs and so on. (My brother brought our family dog into my class when I was in 2nd grade for just that purpose, and it went over very well. I think in part because the dog could do 'math'.  )


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## Ashley Hiebing (Apr 6, 2008)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> Ashley, if he's got the right temperament, by all means adopt him. We REALLY need pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, and so on as good ambassadors right now. It didn't fully hit me until I realized they may have a BSL ban on my parent's hometown so I wouldn't be able to visit with my dogs.
> 
> Can I challenge everyone with a "scary" breed to go get their dogs at least have the AKC Canine Good Citizen? I wish the AKC would publish statistics on that like the ATTS does on their temperament test.


Right now it's a matter of convincing the parents more than anything. Also going in and seeing if he's compatible with my other dog, which, to be truthful, makes me a little nervous. George usually couldn't care less about other dogs, but I've been told that the pit showed some dominant behavior (mounting, etc), and I don't know how well mine would take that, especially from another male. I would have no problem handling a dog like that (it's common sense to keep them separated at all times when unsupervised)... but I don't know if I can convince the shelter people of that. I've never seen one of these "compatibility tests" before so I have no clue as to what I should be expecting.

And I would definitely make an attempt to get a CGC on him, though I think that teaching him to heel is going to be a hassle; he is a puller! Some pictures for the curious: http://www.giveshelter.org/sitemgr/animal?id=5367621


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## Alex Corral (Jul 10, 2007)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> ARGH! I have never felt my blood pressure rise so much at once! I hadn't seen this site, but it makes me INCREDIBLY angry. :evil::evil::evil::evil:
> 
> http://www.dogsbite.org/


It's kinda funny how these yahoos are based in Seattle WA, the same state Lawdogs USA is in.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Yup, I mentioned that very fact. I told them that they should insist that all the narcotics that the pit bulls find should immediately be seized and disbursed back on the streets where it belongs. In addition, if they ever got lost in the woods, to send out an APB that all pit bull or Rottweiler SAR dogs should not be deployed in case they would be mauled upon sight of being found.

Alex, since I'd like to move back to Colorado (or perhaps Wyoming) when I get done with vet school, do they allow pit bulls in the suburbs of Denver, like Aurora, or are they banned in all of metropolitan Denver area?


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## Kris Dow (Jun 15, 2008)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> Yup, I mentioned that very fact. I told them that they should insist that all the narcotics that the pit bulls find should immediately be seized and disbursed back on the streets where it belongs. In addition, if they ever got lost in the woods, to send out an APB that all pit bull or Rottweiler SAR dogs should not be deployed in case they would be mauled upon sight of being found.


I now have a fantastic mental image of someone lost in the woods being found by a Rotti and going "no, no, you can't find me! You're EVIL! I'll just stay out here and freeze to death!"


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## Julie Kinsey (Feb 10, 2008)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> So I finally see what it's like. I have a foster dog who is a young adult female Rottweiler who I think would be a fabulous therapy dog prospect. I've fostered Rottweilers and Rottie mixes before (and I own a husky/Rottie mix), but I usually haven't had them much over a few days and we generally just go to the park and maybe a pet store. Because I want to gauge her response to being in public, I've brought her to a pet store, a feed/farm supply store, Jiffy Lube while I was getting my oil changed, and Lowe's.
> 
> I've brought my Malinois in those kinds of places and I get a few nervous looks, but there's a lot of "Oh, is that a German shepherd? My cousin used to have one..." or "Is that police dog?" and people wanting to pet them, which is fine. With her in Lowe's, even if I've got her laying down with her just laying on the floor of the store being mellow and me in between her and the rest of the aisle, a LOT more people gave me a wide berth or even going down a different aisle. A few people wanted to pet her in Lowe's (she licked a little kid in the face, very cute), but I got a lot more suspicious looks than smiles than when I have one of my shepherds with me. This is all the more motivation for me to find a good home for her who will do therapy work with her if possible. BSL and negative perception sucks! :evil:


I can't blame some people for their prejudices--- there are way too many irresponsible people out there owning my breed, and most of the time they aren't even remotely aware of how their actions effect us in terms of BSL.

However, I do expect better of the dog fancy in general, and was disappointed recently when I showed my Amstaff bitch in obedience. She was in between two intact males, a gorgeous Afghan and a toy poodle, the latter owned by a person who has been in the game a long time. In the line up outside the rings, going into the groups, the person looked at my dog, who was calmly minding her own business, had done a respectable job on her individual pattern, and said, 'I hope you aren't going to try to eat my dog'. She did qualify, worked both her stays nicely, and never looked at the dogs on either side of her.

Julie Kinsey


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## Ashley Hiebing (Apr 6, 2008)

So I've had my big bad pit bull for a week now and haven't seen any major "OMG FREAKOUT" incidents. I've taken him to Petsmart a few times (NEVER AGAIN) and did notice people staying out of the way. We haven't run into very many people on our walks, so I haven't witnessed anyone crossing to the other side to stay away =D He thinks everything and everyone was put on this earth to play with him or pet him. It's kind of annoying, actually =P


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

Ashley Hiebing said:


> So I've had my big bad pit bull for a week now and haven't seen any major "OMG FREAKOUT" incidents. I've taken him to Petsmart a few times (NEVER AGAIN) and did notice people staying out of the way. We haven't run into very many people on our walks, so I haven't witnessed anyone crossing to the other side to stay away =D He thinks everything and everyone was put on this earth to play with him or pet him. It's kind of annoying, actually =P



Personally, I'm not a fan of pitbulls and would most likely cross the street if I were with my dog. It's not that I don't trust the pitbull, I don't trust the owner.


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## Ashley Hiebing (Apr 6, 2008)

Chris Michalek said:


> Personally, I'm not a fan of pitbulls and would most likely cross the street if I were with my dog. It's not that I don't trust the pitbull, I don't trust the owner.


Could you explain that with some more detail, please?


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Chris Michalek said:


> Personally, I'm not a fan of pitbulls and would most likely cross the street if I were with my dog. It's not that I don't trust the pitbull, I don't trust the owner.


I like pit bulls, but if I see one not being walked under control or on a flexi leash by someone, especially if they are a teenager :roll: or younger , we usually move off to the side and go into a down stay while they pass. This is true for just about any breed that looks like they are not under control, but especially for the more dog aggressive/dominant breeds. If they are on a short leash and under control, I usually pass on by. It's not that I don't like them, but especially if they are pulling on the leash and not in control, I'd really prefer not to have an incident. Ashley, this is why it is so very important to have your boy under control at all times in public. With snarling lunging Yorkies and Shih tzus (which I just saw a pair of yesterday), it's cute or funny. With Rotties, pit bulls,and German shepherds, it's dangerous. I know you'll do a good job of this, as they can use as much good publicity as they can get.


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## Ashley Hiebing (Apr 6, 2008)

Yeah, definitely got a long way to go on this "control" thing. :wink: He just gets SO stimulated over EVERYTHING, way different than my other dog who would sit there and do nothing if a bomb dropped right next to him.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Jamielee Nelson said:


> My pit was the biggest baby. But when I would walk him everyone would clear the side walk to let us by. Also pits arent really welcome at the dog parks around here... not that I go to them but I think thats pretty crappy.


Yeah, this guy gets that kind of response when he walks his pup too.








<LI class=credit>Mallam Galadima Ahmadu with Jamis, Abuja, Nigeria 2007 <LI class=copyright>© PIETER HUGO, 2007


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

I've noticed that a pit bull is identified by behavior. 

I was in Petco with my pit and talking to another pit owner who had their dog. My dog was in a "Zen" down stay - totally relaxed, head on the floor, not reacting to the environment and she was off leash. 

the other dog was friendly and eager to greet strangers - in a way that nearly pulled hi owners over. 

The poorly behaved dog was immediately recognized as a pit and loved on, but the well behaved dog was not recognized as a pit and therefore not loved on.

Around here, pits are loved on. Sure there are haters, but they respond to individual dogs and handlers more strongly than breed stereotypes. I hear a lot "I'm afraid of pit bulls, but not yours."

Now a GSD here is something else. People DO cross the street to avoid.


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