Dogs need to be part of the family and socialized, not be confined to a garage. Why do these people even have a dog? It is irresponsible to let children walk any dog by themselves, let alone a large, untrained, unsocialized dog. I don't think you should wait until someone gets attacked because the children are not able to control the dog. At the very least, he should be muzzled when they walk him. You might consider drafting up a letter expressing your concerns and having it signed by all your neighbors. Maybe the police officer in your neighborhood would be willing to present it to the dog owners.

Do you have a local humane society? They would be well versed in the proper channels on how to deal with this neighbor and their dog.

You need to report the incident to the police. Even if nothing is done now, it starts the evidence of a pattern of behavior that may be necessary to be on record in the future.

I love dogs and I always have, but after many, many unprovoked Pit Bull attacks in the Albuquerque and surrounding area over the years, I am very leary of them. You all may have heard on the national news, back in February or March of this year, about the two Pit Bulls who attacked their neighbors docile, penned-up, small herd of alpacas. Those were MY neighbors. Their neighbor's pitbulls were always introduced as friendly neighborhood dogs. That evening, they broke through their fence and decimated the herd, killing five or six of them before the owners could get to them. The Pit Bull of another (very nice) neighbor, was good friends with the kind and gentle mentally challenged young man next door. One day the two neighbors were quietly talking over the fence when the Pit Bull jumped up and bit off the guy's entire chin. Both neighbors were totally surprised by the unprovoked attack. I could go on and on, because New Mexico has a lot of Pit Bull attacks ~ the majority of them to their neighbors' children ~ but I won't (and I promise you, this is no exaggeration). I've just brought this up to explain why my DD is NEVER, ever allowed in the home or yard of anyone with a Pit Bull, although I do realize that there are many good ones out there . . . so please don't anyone give me grief about Pit Bulls! It's just my own personal decision about my own child.
I hope that you and your state trooper neighbor can get this taken care of . . . quickly. I don't blame you at all for your concern.
Lynn

Being afraid of a dog because it is a certain breed and passing that fear to your kids is a mistake. IF the dog is aggressive, it should be better trained - get the owners a training class for their dog for Christmas. Let the owners know that you want your kids to be able to play safely but if they are warning others about their dog and their IS a history which can be confirmed by the owners or the humane society (not rumors) then you have a valid concern... Remember your teaching your kids to run from a dog will only encourage a dog - any dog to run after your kids. Their running will trigger a prey drive in the dog (any dog) and may put your kids at greater risk of getting bit. Teach your kids to stand still and be firm with a dog, tell it NO and GO HOME. Fear will only make matters worse. I understand your concern - it is real, if the dog is out of control it can kill - so can any number of other dog breeds. If you can - secure the future for your family if you can and see if somehow the owners can get educated about their dog and their actions and how what they do can either make things worse or better - remember the Little Rascals - their dog was a pitt bull!! With the proper environment pitts are some of the best dogs people can own. They are loyal and just want to please...Good luck with your situation

Here is my experience. I got a lab/Border collie mix (assured by the owner of the mother dog---who was a chocolate lab) when it was 3 months old and weaned.

By the time the pup was 8 months old it was quite evident his daddy was not a Border collie, but a pit bull. Three vets agreed as did a local bully breed rescue society.

Louie was a pussy cat---our GSD/Rott mix was the alpha easily---he often put Louie belly up with an almost inaudible grunt. My 6 month old granddaughter could point and grunt and Louie went down. I trained him to play tug of war with me(special rope only)---and he had to release IMMEDIATELY on command---and did every time for two years.

I did not allow children to play running games with him. They could not play tug of war or wrestle. They could not lay on the floor/ground with Louie standing over them.

In other words, Louie NEVER had any opportunity to be aggressive. He got plenty of exercise and training. I bicycled with both on leashes---neither dog could alert to any stimulus---squirrels/rabbits/kids/cats---NOTHING while on leash. They walked in the accepted walking position. EVERY human was alpha to him.

While he was under control.

He was an escape artist. Got out of the yard5 times in three years. Each time he exhibited more aggressive behavior to ANYTHING he encountered. I was chasing him within seconds of his every escape and seldom lost sight of him for more than 30 seconds.

He would not come/stop/obey. I literally had to run him to exhaustion to catch him. He would collapse and I would walk up and clip on the leash.

He immsdiately became completely docile again, once the leash went on him. Once he regained his breathing and could walk---about 5 minutes, he would obey totally. Just as before getting loose.

I spent over $2,000 on fencing and adaptations to keep him in. I had a wire cable strung 10' high for 90 feet and a 25' long tie out cable on a roller attached to the 10' cable---he could reach every where in the yard with no problem. We played retrieve with him on the cable---he could run freely. Bike exercise at least 4 times a week---for 30 minutes a time. Plus play time in the yard---on the cable and off.

The last time he got out, he went after a cable TV repairman. That was the last straw---indications were clear---every time was worse.

If I could have figured a way to keep him under control(in the yard---and mot chained with a log chain to a tree/car/etc., I might still have him.

I could not control his instinct.

Thanks for the support everyone. Mazer, I have NOT taught my children to run from the dog. If they are in a situation where the dog (or any dog for that matter) is close enough to get to them, they have been told NOT to run and to do exactly what you said, stand tall and yell at the dog. However, if they are close to the house or a neighbor's house, they are to go inside until the dog goes away. This is the first time in the 2 or 3 years these people have been here that I've ever seen the dog off the leash. As I said before, I just don't trust the breed. I've seen Ceasar Milan's "Daddy" and I've heard people tell me about their wonderful pits. But the personal experience I've had and the stories I've seen about this breed have taught me to be wary and mistrustful. I don't think there's anything that can change that for me, sorry. I do not feel that way about rotties. I had a rottie lab mix and he was just about the sweetest dog you ever saw. Another neighbor has a pure bred rottie and it's such a well trained and loving dog. THIS pit stays cooped up in a garage all the time, only gets walked long enough for it to do it's thing, gets smacked around and has not been trained. That's a recipe for disaster for any dog. The fact that it's a pitbull just makes me that much more afraid. Sure, I can spend my hard earned money and buy these people a training session as a gift. But I hardly know them, we live in an upscale neighborhood and I'm sure if they wanted the dog trained they could afford it themselves, and I honestly don't think they'd take the dog for training. And unless it was a one on one training thing, which would be more expensive, I don't think any training class would accept a dog of that age and breed that hasn't been socialized at all and has shown signs of aggression.

Last night the boy who owns the dog was over in my yard playing with my oldest son. I asked him if he thought the dog would attack. He told me that even his family cannot approach the dog, that the dog has to approach them first. And that if you raise your hand the dog will crouch as if it's afraid of being hit. That spells out a dangerous situation to me. A dog that's afraid will bite. So they have not only neglected the dog, they have mistreated it. I really don't think anything has been reported to animal control about this particular dog but there was an incident early last fall where a kid was lunged at I believe (dog was on a leash). The boy WAS taunting the dog. I am going to speak to the boy's mother and see what she says about the situation.

If I were you, I would go over to your neighbor's house and have a frank talk with her. Tell her your concerns about her dog getting loose, and your rabbit in its outdoor hutch, the safety of your kids playing outside.

Tell her you are getting feedback from her kids that this dog is out of control, even under his own roof. Suggest that she contact the local SPCA, or other dog friendly organization, and get a recommendation for a good dog trainer. Maybe even take your state trooper neighbor over with you, just to drive the point home.

Based on your posts, the dog is showing signs that he has taken over their house as pack leader; they have lost total control and if this goes unchecked, it will result in tragedy, both for the humans and the dog.

Then tell her flat out that the next time you see her dog running loose in the neighborhood, you are going to call animal control.

As an aside, you don't know that they have mistreated the dog just because it ducks from a raised hand. I have a three year old rescue dog that does the same thing, and I have never hit him. Ever. I got him when he was about 4 mos old. If he was hit by a human, it happened long ago and not under my watch. So, please think twice before you accuse her of cruelty. It may be residual from his prior life.

I live in a city neighborhood and I know alot of pit bulls that are wonderful and friendly. My dog's best walking buddies are a couple of pits that live a few blocks over. But they have owners who handle them properly.

I suspect your neighbors would have dog issues, even if they had another breed, such as a lab.

I have witnessed them hitting the dog. I agree they'd have dog issues with any breed of dog (as I stated above), but I really believe it's that much worse with a pitbull.

I failed to mention that these kids live with their Aunt, who is almost never home, and their grandmother who is old and frail and lives in their basement. The children are almost as neglected as the dog. I've only spoken to the grandmother on a few occassions when she's asked me to pick up the kids from some school function or another (she does not drive). She herself told me she was afraid of the dog.

"even his family cannot approach the dog, that the dog has to approach them first"

& they hit the dog.

& the grandmother is afraid of the dog.

If this is the case, it's far different from what I interpreted from the original post.

Again, not the dog's fault, but this poor animal needs to be re-homed with a person experienced with the "bully breeds"...or euthanized.

better to prevent a tragedy than to fix it afterwards.

I'm so sorry.

The dog being a pit bull has nothing to do with this. In fact most reported 'pit bull' attacks, are not pit bulls at all. They're scary looking mutts that automatically put a bad mark on bully's.

Anywho - about this dog. I agree with sylvia - the dog is not a bad dog, but a neglected dog. Any dog who is neglected has the potential to be dangerous. From a chihuahua to a great dane.

I agree with contacting your local SPCA or humane society and reporting incidents. In case anything ever escalates and something needs to be done.

Please stop placing blame on the breed though - a pit bull is no more dangerous than any large breed. They are just unfortunately targeted by owners who want to look 'tough' or have an angry dog. Not because they're inherently vicious - but because they are so loyal that they will do whatever you teach them to.

There are no 'bad dogs' only bad owners. I am sorry you're afraid of pitbulls because of the media - but there are many, many breeds that are much more aggressive and likely to bite. And there are statistics to back that up, if you're interested in seeing them.

I'd also like to throw out that I hate owners like the ones down the street from you. And I'm sorry they're perpetuating the misconceptions about this wonderful breed. Sometimes I look at my big guy and want to cry thinking about all the families who have had to put down their dogs, or give them away because of BSL, brought on by idiotic owners, and people who think dog fighting is a sport.

My pitbull is 14, and without incident. He is the absolute best dog I have ever owned. DH grew up with 20+ pitbulls, all without incident as well. Again, not bad dogs, bad owners.

My family had to get rid of two dogs growing up, for biting and aggression. A border collie cross, and a bichon - shih tzu cross.

Like I said - call the humane society/SPCA report any incidents, and if you can, encourage the family or the children to look into training, whether it be a personal trainer or a class.

If you have to (even if it bothers you) take the stance of "I would hate to see this breed get another mark against it" show genuine concern for the family and the dog - and it's more likely to get through than taking a stance of fear or anger, even if that's where you're coming from. Maybe this family knows they have a problem, but have no idea where to start, or feel overwhelmed, and just need someone to reach out to them.

Please try to look past the breed and see the dog underneath who needs help, and possibly a family who just needs some guidance.

I don't think they keep the dog as a pet. She's a watch dog and watch dog only. She never gets played with and rarely is brought into the house. She pretty much just lives in the garage. The owners keep to themselves and are never seen chatting with neighbors or walking in the neighborhood, other than the boy taking the pit across the street to the vacant lot to do it's business. But the kids are over at my house almost daily to play and maybe I can talk to them about encouraging their aunt to get the dog some training. I have a feeling she's just way too busy to do it though.

I'll admit that I'm prejudiced against the breed. I love animals and am the proud owner of a goldendoodle, two cats, a flemish giant (rabbit) and a hamster. I'm open to learning more about the breed and overcoming my fear of them but wouldn't know how to start that process other than reading about them (and I've done some reading about them). I'm not about to do any hands on learning about pits with the neighbor's dog, that's for darn sure. I'm just not sure I can get over my fear of instinct and all the stories I've heard of unprovoked attacks. Know anyone with a "nice" pitbull who lives in NC and would be willing to meet me and my big goofy doodle?

I will talk to other neighbors, the trooper and my local animal control. Thanks again for all your posts.

rmlanza - I too was terrified of not just pitbulls, but big dogs in general. Then I met DH and he had a pitbull. It was get over it, or give up on a perfect relationship. Well the big lug stole my heart and he is my best buddy - to the point now that I can't imagine NOT having a pitbull in our lives.

If you go onto a certain site we all know full of videos, and search BSL, or more specifically BSL Pitbull - you will find tons, and tons of videos from owners, rescue groups, regular dog owners, with many many videos and pictures of well behaved pitbulls, with kids, other dogs, rodents, bunnies, you name it. A good number of them have been put down, because of BSL.

Now obviously these videos are biased - but they might help you see a different side of the breed, instead of the one you see in the media. It could be a start - you could get to see what those of us who love them see, a loving, snuggly, loyal dog who just wants to make you happy, love your kids and sleep with the kitties when you're not looking.

Rotties are also being targeted by BSL (as are other breeds) you said you aren't afraid of rotties, but to many people they're just as bad and scary as pitbulls. But you don't see them that way, and hopefully one day you'll be able to see that pit bulls are not bad dogs, they're just being mistreated by bad owners, and that's causing hysteria.

I'd encourage you to contact a local bully breed rescue group. They may have ideas on how to deal with your neighbors and their dog - as well as give you guidance on how to learn more about the breed. They've seen it all from aggressive to submissive and docile.

They would probably be willing to allow you to meet and greet some of their fur babies (if and when you're comfortable) so you can see what a joy a well trained pit bull can be!

I am glad you're open to learning more about the breed, and trying to overcome your fears. My big buddy thanks you for being open minded!

Maybe one day pit owners will once again be able to relax and let their dogs enjoy being dogs, without worrying the breed will get blamed if something happens.

It breaks my heart when people at the dog park purposely walk around us, or say snarky comments about owning one of *those* dogs. We don't take him anymore, because he rarely gets to play with other dogs. He loves other dogs. He's been attacked by other dogs (2 boxers, 2 huskies, and a golden retriever) and he's never fought back, or hurt anyone or anything. He's been hurt, he's got scars from it. Two of the owners outright blamed his breed.

Sorry for going on and on, but I am really glad you're willing to learn. If more people become that way, all bully breeds might finally get to be dogs and do normal doggy things again!

After reading this thread one thing occurs to me. "they want just a watchdog, they hit the dog, no time for the dog". I would afraid what would happen to the children if you use information they gave to you. What might they do to these children?
You have valid concerns and they should be addressed but with caution so children do not get blamed!

Update: I just got off the phone with animal control. Just before calling them I spoke to my neighbor who's son had been bitten by this pitbull. The dog was not provoked and there are witnesses to that. They did file a report and the child was taken to the doctor. The dog was on a leash and being walked by the 12 year old boy. The other boy turned to talk to the boy with the dog and the dog lunged, getting away from him. He was able to quickly grab the leash and the other boy was able to quickly snatch his hand away resulting in a bite that did break the skin but did not do much more than that. I told animal control what I knew, making sure I told them what I had and had not witnessed, what I had been told by both the children and the grandmother and neighbors. I told them this was the first time I'd ever seen the dog off leash, that the dog did no damage nor caused any harm to anybody (in yesterday's incident) and that I just wanted him listed as "potentially dangerous" as was described on their website. I hope I did the right thing. The dog will be investigated. I know the kids are fond of the dog and I would hate for her to be taken away if she's NOT dangerous, but I'm afraid that this will lead to tragedy.

I'll update again if I learn anything more.

Thanks again for all your posts. I am trying to be open minded about the breed and will better educate myself about them.

Most pit attacks are done by dogs whose owners have NO idea of how to handle that breed. I happen to like most dogs--pits included. I have two behind me that are quite well behaved. When supervised. I have seen a couple incidents where the one dog did exhibit what could be aggressive tendencies----both times children were involved.

Many aggressive breeds can see small children as prey at times. That is, unfortunately, a completely natural tendency---but one that can be controlled with proper training/supervision.

The dog you are asking about does NOT have either proper training or adequate supervision. That means the dog is a time bomb. Through little fault of the dog.

"Fault of the dog, not the fault of the dog", untrained, trained -- who really cares? It is not much consolation to someone when they get bit.

I think the OP has established that this particular dog may have aggressive tendencies. Having two young kids who love dogs (we don't have one), I'd be fearful in her position as well.

You did the right thing by calling animal control. Your children should be able to play in their own neighborhood without fear of attack.

I sit on both sides of the fence here. I am a dedicated dog owner who has never been without a couple of dogs and will never be as long as I am able.

Only one dog in my life was a complete disaster and totally broke my heart. We had to give him up. I had horrible nightmares about loosing him in every which way possible while in a sleeping yet busy mind. But he had to go. Ernie had neurological issues, and he bit the hand that fed him. Too many times to excuse and too many times in solitude. It's not that we didn't know what we were doing, either. He had a huge vocabulary. He would just get all shaky and melt into his own neurosis. Otherwise he was a very lovable dog. We just couldn't predict what would cause him to be shaky. One day he loved you, the next day, he would bite/attack you for saying 'Good Morning'.

After the fourth time he attacked us (the hands that fed and loved him), we were forced to give up. Members of his pack (us) had too many scars, too many bites (requiring two refills of antibiotics for bites so deep they have left permanent scars). That is what it took to come to terms with the fact that we had a very unstable dog that we could not fix. I still can cry over him but I had to choose my family first.

And, no, he wasn't even a pit bull mix. He was an english bulldog. The ones whose reputations for sleeping through disasters and thefts are notorious.
We're now on our 4th english bulldog. Three of which have been a joy and lived long lives, giving us joy beyond measure. One who was a heartbreak. Breeders matter. I never want to go through this experience again.

I am just connecting with the concern of the OP.

Thank you for sharing your story golddust. I guess I failed to mention that I, too, am a dedicated dog owner, have always had a dog and can't imagine my life without one. Also, I'm probably a little more paranoid than the average person about dog attacks. My oldest child (he's now 13) was bitten in the face by our own dog (shepherd/samoyed mix) when he was just 8 months old. The dog had always been very protective of him but still, we never left them alone together. She had been somewhat aggressive with other dogs and with children outside our family and I'd had some concerns about that. She had never ever bitten anyone before. I'd even told my DH that I wanted to discuss giving her up. He didn't want to and I felt guilted into keeping her when my instinct was telling me she needed to go. My little boy had just learned to crawl. We had a laundry closet with sliding doors in our hallway. While I was standing there doing laundry, he crawled behind me down the hallway and grabbed the paw of our sleeping dog in our foyer. She bit him once, in the face. But that's all it took. He ended up with over 100 stitches and had to have plastic surgery. He nearly lost an eye. The dog's tooth hit the side of his nose, down by his nostril and slid up and diagonally across to the corner of his eye, slicing his entire nose wide open. His eyelid was slit open at the crease, his eye brow was split and he received multiple puncture wounds. The dog had to be destroyed and it nearly destroyed me. I suffered many months of post traumatic stress disorder. My son's scars have faded a lot and thankfully, he has a face full of freckles to camoflauge them. But maybe by sharing my story, you can all better understand my fears of this dog. It's not just that she's a pitbull. I would likely react this way to any dog with the same behavior but I'll admit, the pitbull part does make me that much more nervous. I wish to God I had listened to my instincts back then. The guilt of getting rid of our dog against my husband's wishes would have been a million times better than the guilt I will always have over the injuries to my son.

Just wanted to say (((((HUGS))))), rmlanza.

We adopted a dog from a shelter, and thought that all was going well, but I felt compelled to put him down after he bit our neighbor. It was a very painful decision, one I still feel guilty about, but I think that we always tend to second-guess ourselves after a traumatic incident.

Glad your ds is OK, and hope the current situation is resolved peacefully, and soon!

If you don't think dogs are specifically bred for specific purposes, have different traits ingrained then you are sadly mistaken. It is what makes the difference between a bird dog and beagle, or a retriever and a german shepard.
Pit bulls are dangerous and very strong, and are bred for violence.
I have always had dogs and personally would not have anything other than a docile breed, as that is what I prefer. If dogs are NOT bred for specific purpose, then what is the point of blood lines and lineage. I don't blame the dog for what humans have done.

When my kids were little, my neighbors had a big, untrained, under-exercised Rottweiler. They attached her to a lead from their back deck long enough to do her business, then reeled her back in. They never walked her because she pulled horribly. The few times she got loose she ran away in joyous abandon.

I put up a fence.

She wasn't a mad, mean dog by any means but she was frustrated. A few years later she got out when I was in the street, and she ran up to me happy as a clam and bit me on the hand. Not enough to break skin, and not in an "angry" way, but what if that'd been my kid's face? Can you put a fence up so at least you can be safe in your own yard?

After the rottie bit me the owner's husband insisted on rehoming her.

Thank you freezetag!

idrive65, we are considering putting up a fence, but that's going to cost us a bundle as we have an acre of yard to fence off and DH is in the middle of finishing our basement at the moment. But although the fence will be nice for keeping dogs out (and keeping mine IN), I'm not sure I can keep my kids in there. My kids are 13, 11 and 8 and have many friends in the neighborhood. They ride bikes, scooters and skateboards almost daily and play basketball in my driveway. I can't keep them in the backyard all the time and I really shouldn't have to. But the fence will definitely help and should keep my rabbit safe.

"Pit bulls are dangerous and very strong, and are bred for violence."

What a moronic thing to say. 'Pit Bulls are derivatives of AKC American Staffordshire Terriers" at best. These dogs are bred for conformation, health, and disposition.

Seems every one from Judge Judy on down refers to all mix breed dogs as "pits". And all that know nothing about dog breeding weigh in as experts as to how these dogs are bred for fighting or violence.

Show me one of these terrible folks that fights dogs or chains them up and beats them that has a "Breeding Plan or Program!" No such thing.

These poor dogs are now in a situation where most of us are afraid of them and the dogs are misused by terrible people.

When I go to AKC shows and see the Staffy's, my honest first reaction is to shrink back... my bad. When I ask the owner/handler if I may approach the dogs I find they are invariable sweet and friendly dogs that are comfortable going into a show venue and getting along with literally thousands of other dogs - big and small - and are really quite sweet. Ask their owner about what they were bred for - only an idiot would expect to find out the plan was to breed "violence!"

Pit Bull Breeding Characteristics

This is a 9 year old thread.