Disclosing breed specific (Pit Bull etc) dogs in listing?

[No925]

I would not stay anywhere with a large breed dog either. I too have been bitten by a dog. My HO would have a fit if I had a dog.

[HudsonNY]

My nephew also got bit by a large pit mix as a child when he was playing with another kid. The dog was being protective but what a terrible situation- I blame owner negligence not the breed but I would still feel uncomfortable staying with one unless I knew the dog+owners personally.

[gypsy]

Would you stay somewhere on a property where the owners Dobermans were securely fenced in away from your area?

All I know, I am an animal person and spent too much of my life without them, and am much happier with having my dogs, to give and receive unlimited affection. I was bit once, (by a blue heeler) and sort of freaked, but that was not a long lasting feeling.

[Icklemiss]

Thanks. I was hoping you would post. I have disclosed that I have dogs in my listing but wasn’t sure if I had to disclose her breed or not. I am in Canada and while Pit Bulls are banned in certain areas of the country, they are certainly not in mine. This host lives in my hometown, where Pit Bulls happen to be banned. There is alot of unjustified fear around the breed as a result.

To be honest, many of the posts here have left me feeling disheartened. So much misinformation and fear. It worries me for what we have in store for us as she matures and grows into a large and imposing looking dog. I have met her Mom and she is indeed a bit intimidating in appearance. But is perhaps the sweetest, calmest, and most bombproof dog I have ever met.

Moreso than even my own two rescue Chihuahuas to be sure…A friend suggested I lie and say that she is a Staffordshire Terrier. I will not do that. I think that for ideas to change about the particular breed, that we need to meet great ambassadors of the breed. I have put so much work into socializing and training this puppy already that there is no way I am going to allow her true self to go unrepresented.
<3

[Icklemiss]

@casailinglady

The only problems I’ve had are guests who don’t listen to how to play with her and start with using hands as play toys and that is threatening to all animals. I tell people she was abused and hand them cat toys.

Funny as I tell guests the same thing but mainly because of very sharp puppy teething teeth. I also have two rescue chihuahuas and they are far more dangerous than she is. Bengals are so beautiful. I have heard they are very close to the “wild cat”, very active, and require alot of stimulation, and more care than the average cat. <3

[Icklemiss]

@muddy

But as a person who has more interaction with many different breeds than most, wouldn’t you acknowledge that dogs have been bred for hundreds of years to exhibit certain characteristics? And that dogs bred for their aggression and ability to win a fight, are going to require more training and vigilance to counter that DNA than dogs that have been bred over centuries to be calm little lap dogs, or working dogs?

I can field this one. Pit Bulls haven’t been bred for “hundreds of years” to fight. That is only a relatively recent phenomena. Pit Bulls ARE working dogs. The overall trait that Pit Bulls have always been bred for is not aggression, but gameness. Gameness is simply the ability to persevere with avid determination, even when faced with distraction or opposing power. The original dog was bred for bull baiting or big animal baiting. They were bred to hold onto a bull even when they were deterred by the sheer size or strength of that other animal.

However, even if that makes them a breed more willing to hold their ground in a fight with other dogs, this does not translate to aggression towards humans. Quite the opposite in fact. The pit bulls of the last century that were being specifically bred for dogfights were also specifically bred to be gentle towards humans. They had to be handled and directed by humans and so any dog that showed viciousness towards humans was readily culled. They were known for their loyalty, gentleness, and affection towards humans. Its why they were also bred to be “Nanny Dogs” as they showed exceeding gentleness towards children.

And as evidenced in this thread, we know that the expression of our genetics does not exist in a vacuum and that environment plays a large part in the outcome. As such, when well socialized, and trained, loved and cared for, any dog and their human is bound to benefit from the advantage of the probability of becoming a well-adjusted, bombproof member of the family.

Bites have largely proven to be the result of neglect, abuse, and outdated/aversive/punishment training methods. It makes me ill how we have ruined so many of an entire species with our greed and our ego. :

[Icklemiss]

@muddy

and neither they nor I was paying attention to their 5 year old son, who was sitting on the ground behind my dog. I guess the kid was touching her around her backside, which she doesn’t like, and suddenly she turned around and snapped at him, which of course scared him. It never occurred to me to keep an eye on the child being next to my dog, as she had never done anything like that before or since

I guarantee that she gave the child a few warning signals and then frustrated as he wasn’t listening to her, did what she was hard-wired to do, and that was back up her earlier threats. Dog language can be ever so subtle and it is our responsibility to keep them as safe as it was for that child’s parents to do the same.

[Icklemiss]

Yes, please send the link to her listing. I would love to have a look at it. Thanks for the info about the Air policy. I couldn’t seem to find it. It isn’t really entirely clear, is it?