Shake my head...that's just ignorant. I swear, people get the craziest things in their heads!

I have the same reputation of the breed thing going on with my Rottweiler. All I can recommend is socialize socialize socialize despite the public reaction. As his behavior calms down people will be less frightened.

I've taken my dog everywhere dogs are welcome. She loves visiting her human friends at Lowes and Home Depot. We go to eat at places with dog friendly patio seating too.She's become a Rottie ambassador. ;-)

I took her to puppy classes at PetSmart. Seeing how sweet she was with the other dogs really changed a lot of peoples opinions about the breed. I even have people approach and ask what breed she is. She looks pure Rottie but they think she must be "something else" because of her good nature.

The irony is that I one reason I decided to socialize her so well was so she will become a great guard dog. She will start training as soon as the weather improves now that she has hit 18 months old.

A good guard dog is never a mean dog. A good guard dog is a well socialized, calm, bomb proof dog. Never a biter unless it is to protect.

She's always been a bit mouthy and we've had to work on that. Still do. When adults greet her with exuberance she will jump up on them. Makes training doubly hard when others encourage her. But when she sees a child or children she becomes very low key and gentle around them. Always. She just seems to know.

My friend Dana had same problem with her sweet well trained pit. Here is her story. Many years ago Dana was dating a member of NYC police force. Her boyfriend was involved in a drug raid at a house in the Bronx. He called Dana with a problem, in the house they found a tiny puppy. If the puppy was turned in it would grow up in a cage at the ASPCA, when owner was finally sentenced to prison the dog would be put to sleep. None of the guys on the raid wanted to turn in puppy, but no one could take him. Dana is a dog lover with a big heart said she would take puppy. A drug dealer in the Bronx is going to have one breed Pit Bull. Dana knew this cute tiny puppy would one day be a large powerful dog so she worked very hard on training. Dana lived in a Townhouse in a very nice neighborhood and had to leash walk her dog. She would get very upset over peoples reaction to her dog. She came up with a plan she followed for 14 years. She would buy her pit bull the most outrageously girly collars and leashes. Her favorites where Hot pink covered in rhinestones ( not easy to find in Pit bull size) She felt the collars made her dog less intimating , sometimes she even made her dog wear a rhinestone tiara. Worked for her LOL

I'm sure that puppy is terrific and friendly, but to be fair, no matter what kind of dog you own, or what age, you should do your best to keep them under control such that they don't just wander up to anyone, or any dog.

That's just being a good dog owner.

Pit bulls elicit fear, and most of it is unfounded. Seeing a put bull under control, being obedient is a wonderful way to change people's perception.

I had a black lab mix that I'd put in pink, girly stuff so that she didn't seem "scary".

Ah yes the black dog fear factor. My goofy black lab was feared. My protective, watchful, fawn colored bull mastiff mix was not. People are strange.

People need to teach their kids not to approach any dog they do not know. I've had more aggressive little dogs than I have big dogs. I have a pit bull mix and she is the least aggressive dog I have. In fact, the night a total stranger walked into my house, while we were in bed asleep, she didn't even bark. The other dogs were raising hell and the terrier tried to bite him. (He was lucky when my husband shot at him, he didn't try to hit him but he did sprain his ankle as he jumped off the porch and ran off in the woods. Later captured.)

I've had a German Shepherd Dog & a chihuahua. I always heard God knew what he was doing by making the chihuahua small & not German Shepherd size!!

That chihuahua had more attitude than any dog I've ever had!! Plus he thought he was 100 lbs. and could take on any dog around.

I saw a lawsuit on Judge Judy where a lady was attacked by 6 chihuahuas!!!

I love dogs but I am very wary of any dog that comes up to me, if I don't know it. And yes, I admit I'm particularly afraid of certain breeds. Please consider holding your darling girl back until you're sure the person(s) aren't afraid. Words go a long way; if the owner tells me the dog if fine, then I am fine. Congratulations on your new puppy!

Scott, we know our pooches are bundles of love but strangers do not. It is our responsibility as pet owners to defer to strangers by tightly controlling our dogs, no matter how unfounded the strangers' perceptions. Let THEM judge how safe and loving our pets are. I antagonized many of my neighbors who were scared of my black Lab until I understood that what they perceive in relation to dogs, is more important than what I know as the owner.

PS: I'm not aware of any news story reporting a chi or a weenie ripped the neck of a child, so let's not be coy about this.

(Edited to remove the comment reflecting my confusion that Scott's story was from a friend and not about himself. The rest of my post stands as is.)

It's very sad, but pit bulls ARE often bred to attack or are neglected. They are often the breed responsible for vicious attacks on innocent people, even in their own home. It's YOUR responsibility to put people at ease, not theirs to know that your pup is a sweetheart.

If you are a patient educator, then you can be a great spokesperson for this breed. But don't blame someone for being frightened.

Bossy, you said "I'm not aware of any news story when a chi or a weenie ripped the neck of a child, so let's not be coy about this."

I'm not sure what case your referring to??

I said, "I saw a lawsuit on Judge Judy where a LADY was attacked by 6 chihuahuas!!!"

The dogs bit her ankles & she sued the dog owner. She did win some money but not the full amount she was suing for. Judge Judy did chuckle at first because when you think of being attacked, it's not by a 3 pound dog.

We love our fur babies, but that doesn't mean someone else will. Its unfair to others to allow our pets to approach them without those people making a gesture to the dog. As responsable pet owners its our responsability to ensure our dog does not do this. Sometimes that means a short leash if we've not trained them. I love my dog, but I don't like unknown dogs approching me and I'd never allow Lily to approach a stranger.

Sad thing is, if it had been a poodle that walked up to someone, I'm sure the women wouldn't have gone b*t sh** crazy! Sounds like a whackO to me. You'll find those anywhere you go. But to be fair, the dog was at the vet's office...HELLO...there will be dogs there!

Pit bulls get a lot of bad press. I have no problem with pit bulls, though I always ask the owner first if the dog likes strangers before I pet them. I do that with all dogs. When I volunteered at the local SPCA as a dog walker and trainer, I found the pit bulls to be one of the friendliest, smartest and easiest to train. They are always looking at the human for guidance, not off doing their own thing. The most stubborn are Beagles and Dachshunds, but I still love them. Of course these pit bulls have gone through dog aggression assessment. It depends on the dog, not the breed.

The breed I am leery of, though I think they are beautiful dogs, are German Shepherds. But that is because I was attacked by one when I was 10. I did nothing to provoke him, just walking by. He picked me up by the back and shook me like a toy. He had to be beaten off me. I had several bite marks. He was later put down because he attacked a 3 year old savagely. Something was off with that dog.

Several insurance companies won't cover you if you have certain breeds. Mine (Farmers) will not if you have a pit bull. They list these 3 breeds, pit bulls, rottweilers or wolf hybrids. Everyone might want to do a search on their insurance company. You could lose everything you have if your dog bites someone and they sue.

Blacklisted-breeds

Rhizo I don't think this story has to do with Scott's dog, I think he heard it from someone else.

I hope this thread does not disintegrate into polarized outlooks. I think everyone would agree that anything with teeth can bite, and if someone has had a bad experience, or been raised in an environment that has strong opinions about dogs one way or the other, that they may have a point of view that differs from another person.

What she fails to realize is that yea, a Pitbull is gonna attack you.... WITH KISSES.

If you don't know a dog no matter what the breed, it may not attack you with kisses, it may try to tear your face off. I think it is wise to get to know a dog, just as you would get to know a person, before getting physically close or petting.

Caflower, oh believe me. Your 100% correct on the beagle. Logan is the most stubborn dog ever. He makes up his own mind & that's it.

On a personal note, I don't like anyone to approach my dogs. They've never bitten anyone & I feel they are harmless.

But EVERY owner says that on The People's Court & Judge Judy. You just never know. And I don't want to be responsible for someone's injury. Same reason we will never visit a dog park. Too many variables.

My best friend is a municipal court judge. We play it very safe when it comes to life. The smallest thing, even with good intentions can quickly escalate into a lawsuit these days.

Rhizo, it wasn't my dog. The story was from my friend.

Over the years, have had 5 dogs with unwarranted "bad reps"... 3 Dobies and 2 Rotties... NOT at the same time! None had the "killer" gene but they were protective. If someone they didn't know came to the door, they would pretty much stop them until I invited them in and then all they wanted was to be petted.

When I had the Rotties, they were the favorite of a lot of kids along out=r walk "route". One day, heading along sidewalk and could see 3-4 kids playing in a yard up ahead. The adults got an instant look of TERROR on their faces as the kids started calling the dogs my name and running in their direction. Let's just say if any of the kids had been a bit messy easing... they ended up with a clean face.

BUT have to say, pit bulls intimidate me. Have never had any kind of iincident with one. Have only been close to one once. I KNOW you can't judge them all by one but this dogs total lack of emotions was a bit unsettling to me.

I was taught to never pet someone else's dog. At least until you get to know them. I have a friend who takes her dogs with her almost everywhere she goes, which I think is dumb....but anyway, we were somewhere waiting to get out of a parking lot and a lady walked up to the truck. (Dogs were in the back seat). They started barking at her and she said, "Oh, I love dogs. Can I pet them?". Before my friend even spoke, I said, " Hell, no!!". What is wrong with people?! You don't have to pet every dog you see. Any dog can bite. Don't go sticking your hand in it's face.

My cousin's granddaughter and her husband have 3 pit bulls and a new baby. They love their dogs dearly and always describe them as "sweet babies". Cousin's daughter went to see her first grandchild at Christmas. As she walked up the front walk to the front door, two of the pit bulls came charging out and wrapped their mouths around both her ankles. To say she was surprised and terrified is an understatement. Her daughter came rushing out, yelling at the dogs and pulling them off her mother's legs. It was a very short, strained visit.

I have no doubt that many large, powerful dogs can be total sweethearts. But many are also not, due to poor breeding and improper training. Yes, my vet says when he sees a Chihuahua in his examining room, he says he knows he's about the be bitten. But a Chihuahua is NOT a powerful dog and a pit bull is and the damage that can be done is significantly different. A powerful dog who has misread a signal can do serious, even life-threatening damage.

ANY dog of any breed should be totally under the control of its owner at all times when out of the house!!! It should be trained to not run up to strangers, and should be well-controlled enough not to be able to do so if training fails. NO ONE should approach ANY dog and pet it without first asking if that would be okay!!! It's one of the first things one teaches ones children!

Yes, pit bulls DO have a bad reputation and in many cases, it is well deserved. Don't expect the world to know that YOUR pit bull is "different" and a "sweetheart".

You should get used to it pawprint. It happens to me all the time. I don't even care anymore though. Some people are just dumb. Once I was sitting in the waiting room of the vets office with otis,my pit bull/great Dane mix. This broad and her boyfriend came in with their tiny little dog,I don't know what kind it was. Two steps into the office,the chick looked at otis and said "Oh my God,he's so mean!" Otis had not even moved an inch. I just rolled my eyes and ignored her. Otis didnt show any interest in them or their little yapper dog. Another time. I was there with sammy. A woman walked in, asked my "Is that a pitbull?" I answered in the affirmative. She then proceeded to tell me how much she HATED pit bulls because theyre mean and ugly and only criminals had pit bulls. At this time, sammy was laying on his back,while another womans puppy was jumping all over him.He enjoyed it thoroughly. I just said "okay then." I dont know what she imagined would be accomplished by her laying into me like that. None of my pits or my german shepard (when he was alive)has ever showed any aggression,and they all have gotten fearful or dirty looks at some point,regardless of that fact. I could understand if i had a snarling,uncontrollable beast at the end of my leash,no matter what the breed. But ive never had such. No matter. Any idiot who looks at a dog,judges it's propensity for violence on appearances alone(or a "reputation" largely encouraged and sometime,let's face it,downright fabricated by the media,and fervently and faithfully believed by those who didnt like them in the first place),instead of that individual dogs behavior,is silly. It is to be hoped that they don't judge whole groups of people the same way.

At home my Chi/Chorkie mix, Lily is a hundred pound dog, in reality she's 8 pounds, but if someone even pulls in the driveway she's ready to protect her family, and god forbid she looks out the window and sees a cat..such a big mouth. But at the vets, she's on my lap scared to death of the cats and dogs, doesn't bark than.

Marilyn, if I could I'd take Lily more places with me, but doctors offices and grocery stores frown at people bringing their pur pets. LOL. I did sneek her in my coat to Walmart, she kept poking her head out to see, after we paid and were leaving the door greeter told us to get that dog out of here in a very nasty tone. Well we were leaving, but because she was so obviously a dog hater I suddenly forgot something and had to go back in..I'm not one to draw attention, but she irritated me, well she followed and headed to the office, next thing her and the manager stop beside me, the manager asks her is this the lady with the dog, the lady says ya its in her coat just as Lily pops her cute little head out. The manager looks at the lady and says Oh this is the ***** family they are the ones with the very sick daughter who is a spokesperson for Walmart , its a therapy dog and is always welcome here..the lady darned near killed me with dagger looks. I chuckled for hours, Lilys not a therapy dog, I guess I laughed because that woman was just so nasty about telling me to leave, not because she ask me to leave, but how she said it. We never took Lily back, I didn't think it was right to take advantage. as Lilys a family member and not a therapy dog. But I sure understand why your friend would wnt to take her dog with her I hate leaving Lily home alone...

There's a rescue here in town that always seems to wind up with pit bulls and Pit Bull mixes. Not surprising, I guess, since pit bulls are now the most abused dogs in our country. The rescue had a fundraiser garage sale one weekend, inclusing a "kissing booth". I thought that was a little weird, but when I went by I saw that the kissing booth was staffed by pit bulls. Yes, ma'am, you could pay a dollar and get kissed by a pitbull LOL. Itwas a great success!

The meanest dog I ever knew for years was my MIL's. It was a standard male Dachshund called Fritz. Only my MIL could pet him and the only other person he barely tolerated was DH. And he even snapped and bit him a few times. He was always barking at you if you were in the same room. He even bit my DH's brother in the face when he was 13. It left a scar. BIL admitted he had been teasing him. But if Fritz was the only Dachshund you had ever met, you wouldn't like Dachshunds. I always kept my distance from him when visiting. He lived to be over 16 YO and my MIL was the only one who missed him.

It boils down to controlling your dog, regardless the breed. Dogs should never be allowed to approach anyone uninvited. Our neighbors thought that our Baxter was a Dalmatian mix and happily caught him once when he rushed the front door. We always catch their lab when she darts out. They were very surprised to find that he is a pit bull mix. They still pet him with our approval but only when we are watching and holding his leash.

I agree with socks--it's the owner's responsibility to maintain control regardless of the size of the dog, I've owned pits bulls and Chihuahuas and never let anyone pet them until that person has been properly introduced.

Years ago, my friend had a police-trained Rottweiler and we were walking him down the street. He stopped to sniff and she loosened her grip on the leash. Before I knew it, that dog charged and threw me to the ground. We were both screaming and she was fighting to restrain him. It was a very frightening experience and even today, I always instinctively flinch when I see the breed.

Personally, I'm as apt to appreciate being attacked by a strange dog with kisses, as I am apt to appreciate being attacked by a strange human with kisses. Fortunately, the pit bull mixes I've met have a lot better manners that way than most of the labs or goldens I've met.

"Oh, he just loooves ever'body!" Train your dog!

I am not a dog person and I would *freak* out if attacked, even with kisses... While I do think that it is training and socialization that determines whether or not a dog is aggressive and not breed, as far as I'm concerned I can't tell a thing about you or your dog. Trust me I won't willingly approach it - even with your permission, and it should never be allowed to approach me without my permission - not because it's off leash or because it's on a leash that is too long (you aren't supposed to use one longer than 8 feet). I also think it is more than understandable that people are afraid of larger dogs proportionally more than tiny ones - while a chi or doxie might actually be more likely to bite you, I doubt one of them could badly maul or kill an adult (a baby though... could be a far different story).

I am not a dog person and totally resent anyone letting their dog come too close to me, or assuming that I like being around their dog. If I had a child with me, I would be doubly cautious and assertive about the owner keeping the dog in check.

I honestly can't believe the attitudes of some dog owners who think that everyone is as thrilled about their dog as they are. I recently had my car worked on and had to share a small sofa in the mechanic's waiting room with a man who had a dog with him. Not only do I not want to share a waiting room with a dog that is not in a vet's office (where having a dog is totally reasonable) but he let the dog jump on the couch and put his front feet on my lap. When I objected, he acted as if I'd just kicked his dog in the ribs (I only verbally objected and would never hurt an animal). My grandson is allergic to dogs, so I had to come home and change my clothes so I didn't worry about dog allergens on my clothes. Boy was I steamed, but it was ALL my fault because I didn't want his dog all over me.

Olychick, I'm sorry that happened to u. I understand not everyone is a dog person & some people do have pet allergies. Sometimes it's hard to remember that or even understand it.

My dogs only go with me in the car if it's a drivethru place or to the vet & Petsmart.

I just don't want to take chances.

Olychick, how annoying and rude or the man. People today are very self centered. I notice that people are like that with their kids and grandkids too. Just cause theyre cute to you,doesn't mean i want strange kids bothering me.I had a kid sit down at my table at a restaurant and help himself to the rolls, and then screech like a wild animal when removed FINALLY by his parents. They gave ME a dirty look,when I didn't even say anything negative to them. Must have been the look on my face. On a reverse note,while i dont really mind,SO really,REALLY does not want people who are not the vet or the vet staff interacting with our dogs at ALL. It stems from when sammy was stolen and brutalized. He doesn't want anyone to know how friendly the dogs are,and does not like people petting them. I try to oblige.

Well first off, the crazy lady was totally out of line by YELLING in a loud voice "oh my god! Get away from me! It's a Pitbull!!!". Then second point...they were at a VET'S office in the lobby where there are normally several dogs at any given time. And let's not forget the third point, the dog is 4 months old so a little puppy! If the woman was horrified of dogs, why the heck was she at the vet's office in the first place? I suggest the crazy woman use their back exit from now on! Vets offices always have a back exit for dogs that don't socialize. Like they say "you can't fix stupid"!

Arkansas girl, fear is irrational, many times unfounded but it is REAL emotion and the enlightened ones that are not scared of (fill in the blank) have a moral responsibility to pacify the ridiculously scared, don't you think? How hard is it to pull that leach a little tighter, just as a sign to the stranger that you are validating their concerns? I still freak out when I see a snake the size of a gecko and will scream. Belittling or ignoring a ridiculous emotion is not effective. Unfortunately fear is real. Fear is the devil's 21st century top weapon. Look around you. We need to fight fear the smart way and being derisive of the fearful not the smartest way to fight it

I'm sure the lady with the pit puppy could not have foreseen someone freaking out at the vet's office over a small puppy...sheesh! I cannot even imagine what my reaction to that outburst would have been had I been the lady with the puppy. I'm sure I would have said something like "are you kidding me?" or my Mom would come out in me and I would have said "OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!"

We fear what we don't understand, hence a lot of fear is ignorance, as it plainly is in this case. What's extremely sad for the Pitbull, is when ignorance has the power to enforce breed specific legislation, or BSL as it is enforced in many towns and cities in the US, which tragically shows that some of those in power have learned absolutely zero from history.

I'll admit I never ever wanted a pitbull because of the negative attention I heard. So I've had a Chihuahua, German Shepherd, Boxer, Black and Tan Coonhound, Beagle and now the Pitbull.

Someone did right by this pitbull because he's a gentle baby. I got lucky.

Scott,youve got a typical pitbull: loving,sweet,silly and cute!!!! HE got lucky in having you adopt him instead of some heartless abomination of birth who would abuse and use him for fighting,as so many do. All of my pitties (both present and past) have the same sweet,luv-a-bull demeanor.

I have a little bird dog puppy, I took her to the vet and one of the vets in the practice (who I never liked) was coming towards me and pup, so I quickly tightened the lease and said don't bite! The guy jumped about 10 feet and plastered himself against the wall... As if this little sweet dog could ever be vicious. Funniest thing ever!

Sorry, not a pitbull story, but just goes to show you not all fear is reasonable.

nycefarm

I have a little bird dog puppy, I took her to the vet and one of the vets in the practice (who I never liked) was coming towards me and pup, so I quickly tightened the lease and said don't bite! The guy jumped about 10 feet and plastered himself against the wall... As if this little sweet dog could ever be vicious. Funniest thing ever!

Sorry, not a pitbull story, but just goes to show you not all fear is reasonable.

As if this little sweet dog could ever be vicious.

A small size does not mean a dog is sweet. Because a dog is cute does not make it sweet.

Funniest thing ever!

Gangbangers on street corners holding the leashes of spike collared growly dogs think the discomfort of passersby is funny too. Does the fact that your dog in your judgment might not actually harm someone else make the vet's apprehension acceptable?

People sometimes make these same sorts of judgment errors when meeting an unknown-to-them person for the first time, assuming that person is harmless because of the way he/she appears. You can't always judge a book by its cover.

We need to fight fear the smart way and being derisive of the fearful not the smartest way to fight it

I agree.

I was bitten by a dog when I was 2. I believe it was a bulldog of some sort as they have given me the most fear my entire life. I remember screaming on top of my lungs when I was a kid if I saw one a block away. When I was 17 my friends "well behaved loved" german shepherd tried to attack my face. She was so stunned (I was doing NOTHING. Just standing there with a group of 3 others including the owners daughter) talking. Out of the whole group, it went after me for no reason. Do not ever tell anyone that they have no reason to fear any dog. You don't know what has happened to them before. Small dogs from what I hear, bite more often than large dogs. ANY dog can bite and do damage. It's the owners job to make sure that their dog stays away from anyone until he or she knows (the owner, that is) that the person who you are introducing the dog to is comfortable with the dog. I'm very lucky in that all of my friends know my dog fear. And they all put their dogs in another room if they invite me over.

I am just going to reiterate that she was a puppy, 5-6 months old and he had actually seen her as a patient before...

Here are my family members:

Chihuahua is my grand dog