The American Pitbull Terrier: Not The Blood Thirsty Killer It Has a Reputation For Being
The American Pitbull Terrier is a feared dog by many people. These dogs have gotten a really bad wrap over the years due dog fighting. So breeders who take part in this criminal activity try to produce dogs that show signs of aggression. They selectively breed these dogs so their offspring will have vicious tendency. But this isn’t the dogs fault and thankfully police around the country are cracking down on this illicit industry. When you get one of these dogs from a professional breeder that doesn’t take part in dog fighting you will get a very gentle and calm animal.
These Dogs Were Once Called Nanny Dogs
For many years, these dogs were used by people to watch their children due to their calm nature. They were brought inside and allowed around even the smallest of kids. With their watchful eye parents felt comfort that their children were being protected by the family pet. This is a stark contrast to how many uneducated people feel about these animals. While any dog can show signs of aggression, the American Pitbull Terrier if properly breed will be just as timid as a Poodle.
These Are Very Intelligent dogs
Many people who have been around this amazing breed will tell you they are super smart. One of the most easy to train, these dogs learns very quickly what’s right and wrong. You won’t have to scold these dogs very often because they love to please their owners. In fact, these dogs take part in obedience competition around the world and many have taken home top prizes. If you start training your dog while it’s a puppy, you will find that even though these animals are very large in size they will follow your lead with grace.
They Can Get Along Well With Other Members of the Family
If you have other pets in the home, these dogs will make the perfect companion animals. They often love to play with other dogs and even cats. Many people who own these dogs have many different kinds of animals in the home and they all get along well. Just remember to socialize your dog while they are young. This will help them to grow up to be happy and gentle animals that play well with others. So if you are looking to bring one of these dogs into your home, make sure you slowly introduce them to each member of the family.
Image via Bao H at Flickr.com
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I am really glad to see at least one article that shows a glimmer of light that says this breed is not the “baby eater” or “vicious man hater” that most have said. I am 54 years old and have been a dog lover all of my life. You name the breed and I have without a doubt had that breed. When I first decided to get an APBT back in 1983 I read and read and educated myself about the breed and talked to breeders all over the country. One of the first things I found out was how this breed had evolved at that time (1983) into the day of that day. It impressed me that the breed was first and foremost was bred to be a “people” loving ot friendly dog. Back when dog fighting was popular if a dog was the least bit aggressive toward people it was either destroyed to was never allowed to be bred. So I decided to get my first puppy. Needless to say I was IN LOVE!! I coukld write a book on the positive qualities of this breed. Because of the great experience I had with my first this is my breed of choice. I can also say that I have always kept at least one since then and sometimes had more than one without any problems at all.
I have noticed though that the breed in present day and through the years since 1983 the breed has changed some. I was told several years ago that the breed has had other breed introduced into their genetic pool to make them bigger and more muscular. I do believe that because when I got my first one about the biggest APBT you could find back then was maybe 60 to 70 pounds. My first was 46 lbs. Now look how big they are. It doesn’t take a geneous to figure out that whenever you change something genetically not only do you get what you ask for but you also get things you didn’t ask for. That’s why when I get an APBT I do research and try to get as close to the old bloodlines as I possibly can. There are some bloodlines out there that I wouldn’t give a dime for.
I agree with APBTLuver. I have had 3 pits now. We just had to have our 14.5 year old baby put down this past July. She looks exactly like the one pictured above except she had a brown spot over one eye. She was a rescue from a dog-fighting ring when she was estimated to be one year old. What a sweet girl she was. She always smiled for us. She was loyal, loving and friendly. She got along well with the other pets. And at her last when her sight had failed, she used the other dog (a lab) as her song-eye dog. They were close and always stayed together. The one we have now and are watching for our son, a Staffordshire Terrier named Jake, is also a rescue. Someone dropped him off where I used to work. I took him home and our son adopted him. He has been well trained and socialized. He is very loving and friendly. He also had a VERY unique personality. He loves dock jumping and is the only pit that competed (locally). He has a cat as a companion and it is not uncommon to see them curled up together. He minds extremely well and is very intelligent and alert. If he accidentally hurts you in play or you slightly raise your voice at him, he is very contrite and makes it a point to let you know he’s sorry. Jake is 9 years old now. He is an extremely excellent example of the potential of this breed. ALL of my pits have been loved and nurtured and made a part of a loving family and they have NEVER failed to disappoint. Their breed has been brutalized by the media and it’s just as much a crime as dog fighting in my opinion. I’ve also had Dobermans, Chows and German Shepherds and by far a Cockerspaniel (sp) is more unpredictable and capable of biting children than a Pit (or the others I’ve owned). I’ve seen some very vicious labs quite aptly nicknamed “satan”…
The TRUTH of the matter is that ANY dog is capable of biting and a lot of it had to do with their owners and the training and time spent with the animals. I would own a Pit ANY day over most any other. They are excellent animals.
Thank you so much for such a well-put and beautiful tribute to this magnificent and unjustly maligned breed.
Your story made me think about my first APBT when we got him he was just a puppy. We also aquired a Siamese kitten and the 2 grew up together. When the dog became full sized he would carry this cat around in his big ole’ Pit Bull mouth like a momma dog carries her babies. They slept together ate together and what was so funny about it was the cat layed on top of the dog to sleep. They were inseperable. I had neighbors that would say “that dog is going to kill that cat”. Of course I didn’t think so. Because the cat could have got away from the dog but he had no desire to get away. It was just one among a hundred things that made me fall in love with this breed. Thank you for sharing…..I love reading about the good part of this breed of dog. I know first hand what they’re capable of.
Great article. My first was actually thrown out on the street by dog fighters 2 cars in front of my son’s girlfriend (now wife). So this dog was being groomed to be aggressive, but couldn’t make the cut. We have had 3 pits since (usually 2 at a time), but Danny still stole our heart more than any. I will need to make arrangements for mine when I go … because I will have pits for the rest of my life. Biggest fear is that we leave the door open and they get back up on the bed (their favorite place, but sometimes causes my wife allergy issues).
“rap,” not “wrap”