# bobo & a pit bull



## tik0z (Aug 5, 2005)

this is my boyfriend's pit bull, his name is sharpy =)
he loves bobo to pieces, he always wants to play with bobo
but bobo only plays with sharpy once in a while because he's
so big!


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## Cooper (Jun 15, 2005)

I LOVE pit bulls... they're great dogs. AND I like seeing that his ears and tail aren't docked. That makes me happy.


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## tik0z (Aug 5, 2005)

yeah i know what u mean about the ear and tail docking thing...

although, sometimes i wish his tail was docked because it always whacks me really hard when he gets excited! :x :lol: :lol:


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## PB&J'sMom (Jul 19, 2005)

I think your pit is gorgeous! He's so muscular! We had pits when I was a kid, but im too afraid to have one now, its a shame whats happned to them over the last 20 years.


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## luv4mygirls (Feb 20, 2005)

great looking pit, but tell BF it's time to do a poopy clean up hehe...


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## Kristin (Nov 12, 2004)

Your pit is pretty  I would love to have one, but like someone else said, I'm scared to. Some seriously stupid people have turned an a beautiful breed of dog into a feared animal. And it makes me sick! I always wanted one though. Maybe when the kids are gone I convince my dear sweet "husband" to get me one lol


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## Jayne (Jul 8, 2005)

they are both so cute :wave:


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## LuvMyChiwawas (Sep 1, 2005)

They are both very very adorable.


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## JJ Ivy's mum! (Aug 23, 2005)

Gorgeous pics. Both dogs are lovely. I love pits but they are banned here.


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## tik0z (Aug 5, 2005)

luv4mygirls said:


> great looking pit, but tell BF it's time to do a poopy clean up hehe...


LMAO...i always scold my bf about the poo!!...he doesnt clean it up right away...it gets me so angry haha...oh well...*MEN*... =X


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## stefanie_farrell (Jan 11, 2005)

i loveee pits and chissss!


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## Rachael Polachek (Feb 19, 2005)

I'm scared to death of pit bulls. Just yesterday an 8 year old boy in a nearby city was attacked by a pit as the kid was about to board his school bus. Luckily, the boy's dad and another man were there to fight the dog off until police arrived and shot the dog. People and their pets need to be safe. I would never allow a pit anywhere near Lily... or me either, for that matter.

I imagine I've just made some enemies by expressing that opinion. :wave:


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## Cooper (Jun 15, 2005)

You haven't made an enemy out of me for that... it's understandable why people are scared of them. They are a bit more unpredictable than other breeds and you never know how their forefathers were raised and if that fight instinct is in them.

That's the sad part. They're fantastic dogs but people continue to abuse them and breed aggression into them, making them a more dangerous dog to own. People suck sometimes.

That being said, one of Cooper's best friends is a pit bull and they get along famously. I do watch Cooper like a hawk around him though - just in case.


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## Bijou (Aug 6, 2005)

Rachael Polachek said:


> I would never allow a pit anywhere near Lily... or me either, for that matter.


I feel the same way about pits and my small dogs. They are notoriously animal aggressive and all it would take is one bite and it would be over for my pups. Why take a chance. I don't care if the dog has never shown any aggression in the past, there is a first time for everything and I don't want my dogs to be involved in the "first time". And this goes for ANY dog large and powerful enough to do my dogs in, not just pits.

That said, I like a nice pit bull. I've sure met some sweet ones. But we do have to remember what they are capable of.


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## purpleboy2 (Apr 2, 2005)

your chi is to cute


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## mychisangel (May 6, 2005)

Bobo looks cuter than ever!  There have been too many incidents of pit bull attacks in NZ over the last couple of years especially and there was even talk of banning the breed. Especially bad were some attacks resulting in horrific injuries to small children.  There are new laws, depending on the City Council in the region, which now require dangerous breeds to be muzzled in public and in some regions to be neutered as well.


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## tik0z (Aug 5, 2005)

i feel really sad for pits...they're so sweet...its just how people raise them...but, i wouldnt let bobo by my bf's pit unless the pit is chained up. i think he's harmless, but, just his size alone near bobo makes me nervous.


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## luv4mygirls (Feb 20, 2005)

tik0z said:


> i feel really sad for pits...they're so sweet...its just how people raise them...but, i wouldnt let bobo by my bf's pit unless the pit is chained up. i think he's harmless, but, just his size alone near bobo makes me nervous.


yeah i feel bad for them as well, they got such a bad rep. it's a breed i hold close to my heart but sadly i would never own another one. inbreeding has really killed this breed, so has breeding the aggression into them. that said, the rise for popularity has also killed a lot of other breeds as well, dalmations being one of them. pit's aren't the number one biter breeds though, they are far down on the list. you just don't hear about the other dog bites though, only the rotties, pits and breeds like that.


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## lovemylittlegeeks (Aug 29, 2005)

I had to respond to this post. I have raised pitbulls for 20years. People are usually afraid of pits simple because the media only shows when a pit does something bad. Yes it is true that there have been pit attacks and this is tragic and it breaks my heart. In the last 5 years our local media has only shown 1 positive pit story (a little girl was home alone and the family pit faught off a robber and saved the little girls life). All of my pits have been raised as family dogs and yes if someone were to threaten one of our family I have no doubt that our loving pups would give their very lives to protect us. I rescued a female pit (okay I took her from her priv. owner) she had been fought from the time she was able to walk straight until we took her. when we got her she had just had her 4th litter of pups (she was 3yrs old) and one of her teets was torn open (due to a pit fight). My girls were babies then (1.5yrs & new born). Not once did she offer to bite my girls even thought they climbed all over her and even yanked her tail & ears. Our youngest pit that we now have was another rescue. His momma was starved to death when her pups were 3wks old, and when we took him and his brother (at 5wks old) they were nearly dead (also starved and put outside in near freezing temps) It took 2 hrs of heated towel wraps & massage to warm them enough that they could wimper (the inside of their mouths were even ice cold, they were moments from death). We had not planned on keeping either him or his bro but when we took them to meet their new owners one of the pot. owners said he was planning on teaching him to be mean, there was no way they were getting this pup we took him back home and he is now a member of our family. He was just neutered last wk and the vet loved him. He pushed the vet away from his momma (my 16yr old daughter) with his paws but never offered to bite them. It is the owner not the breed. okay I am getting off my soap box now. If you are interested here is a link to an informative site (warning it is very graphic and not for the faint of heart). www.pitbullproblem.tk also I am posting pics w/this of my daughters pups. Sorry this is so long but I am very passionate about this subject.


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## NoahFL (May 14, 2004)

lovemylittlegeeks, well said. I watched the link you posted and it was heartbreaking. I was talking to a man yesterday who showed an interest in Zeus. He said he was big for a Chi and that his grandma has Chi's. We then started talking about his dog, pitbulls. He said they are his babies. I told him that it was a shame what the media had done to ruin this breed. There are good pits out there. He told me that Norfolk (virginia) has their share of pit bull fighting. He said that the owners actually put gun powder in their food prior to fighting to give their stomachs that burning sensation, therefore, causing anger and aggression. That just broke my heart. I would be comfortable about raising a pit from a baby, but sadly, I would be scared to adopt a pit because you don't know anything about their background and I couldn't chance that with my children or Zeus. I do love the breed though and know they are very loving and loyal dogs. Lovemylittlegeeks, I'd love to see more pics of your pits. They are beautiful.


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## Bijou (Aug 6, 2005)

I know pits are wonderful dogs. They are very faithful and family oriented. But dog aggression is part of their breed, but again that is individual, and I wouldn't want to risk an accident with one of my smaller dogs.


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## ilovekeiki (Jun 16, 2005)

my pit (mixed with lab i think), Keiki, is the light of my life. I rescued her from the human society when she was about 1. She is 3 now. I have no idea where she came from and how she got to the HS but as soon as i saw i was scared. Then i sat down on the ground and she ran over to me and just loved all over me. I have never seen such a sweet dog in my entire life. She was two days away from being put down and the volunteers there have never been happier to see a dog go to a good home. They all personally thanked me for adopting Keiki (they had named her sparkle) and one guy even cried when she left. They all loved her very much. She has never even snapped at me, all she wants to do is snuggle and chase squirrels. She is amazing with other animals as well, i take her to the dog park and she just plays and plays and i always get such wonderful things said to me about her. I think its horrible how they have such a bad reputation, and if people took the time to see the good in the breed then i am sure they would change their minds. Sadly i cannot keep Keiki at my home in So. Cal, because i live in a condo with no yard and she has an endless amount of energy. So she lives with my mom in Nor. Cal and has almost an acre to run and chase squirrels and play and she couldnt be happier.


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## lovemylittlegeeks (Aug 29, 2005)

It is a fact that aggression is a part of every breed, all dogs are descendent of wild animals and as such have the ability to be aggressive to other animals. As I have already stated it is the owner not the breed. My female chi (who weighs a whopping 6lbs) is very aggressive towards Weeble (who weighs 51 lbs) and he cowers away from her as if she weighs 100 lbs. Also our female pit cowers from our little 2lb crippled kitty. To be aggressive or not to be aggressive is in the training and/or treatment not the breed. As I stated in prev. post I have adopted pits that have been trained to be aggressive all their lives, but with proper retraining they have been loving and vital members of the family as well as society. I only hope that with proper retraining people can do the same


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## Rachael Polachek (Feb 19, 2005)

While it's true that aggression is a part of every breed and that all dogs have the ability to be aggressive toward other animals, not all dogs have the capacity to inflict great harm or death. Obviously, a chi can be aggressive and bite the heck out of another animal but it's not likely to cause fatal injuries.

I have never had any experience with a pit bull, either good or bad. I know only what I read and that ain't good. I assume there are some perfectly loving and sweet pit bulls around but the problem is, how do you know? You can't know so I keep my distance from all of them. I'm just not willing to risk Lily's life or mine.


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## Bijou (Aug 6, 2005)

Are you saying that pit bulls in general are no more dog aggressive than any other breed of dog?? I beg to differ. Even the articles I've read advocating pit bulls acknowledges this fact.

And if it's all in how they are raised are you saying that my Chihuahua,who is 4 months old and showing aggression toward my cats and sometimes other dogs, is somehow caused by me? Or that your Chi's aggression was because of how you raised him? I know for a fact that my Chi was already showing that she will take no crap from cats before I got her at 7 weeks. And I've raised probably 10 other dogs in my lifetime (including another Chi) and never has any other dog I've had shown aggression to other dogs, cats, or people. So how can I be 'raising' this dog so differently?

Edited to add this link. 
http://www.realpitbull.com/myths.html

Notice in the answer to the question "Dogs that are aggressive towards other dogs are aggressive towards people." it states "Human aggression in dogs is entirely different than aggression directed at other animals. Inter-dog aggression is a normal trait of the breed (as it is in many terrier breeds, among others). Historically, humans were always in the pit, handling fighting dogs closely, while the animals were in full fight drive. A dog that was a danger to people and prone to biting was not feasible, and therefore carefully selected against."

Here's a link to Pit bull rescue. Notice what they highlight in red: "Dog aggression is a normal trait for this breed...human aggression is not."
http://www.pbrc.net/info.html

And here is yet another wonderful article on dog aggression. Here is a quote that is telling: "I would pick by breed, just because genes are more than half of the dog's behavior," says Katherine Houpt of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University, noting, for example, that breeds that were developed for guarding and fighting have a greater probability of exhibiting those characteristics. Houpt says most of the cases she sees for aggression problems involve purebreds: "Usually, when you mix dogs, you get rid of aggression. "That's not to say that prospective owners shouldn't consider a mixed breed's background to make sure it's not a combustible combination. "Certainly, it would be better to have a Lab/pit bull mix than a pit bull/chow mix- which, fortunately, doesn't happen too often."
http://www.dogexpert.com/Popular Press/No Easy Answers.html


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## lovemylittlegeeks (Aug 29, 2005)

No where in my post did I say pits were less or more aggressive then any other breed. Only that all breeds have the potential to be aggressive. And to generalize any behavior or trait in any breed was unfair (ie: all pits are aggressive, etc.). As for my female chi, which is aggressive towards our male pit, she did not come to live with us until she was 2 years old. She was a gift from my best friend who had raised her since pup hood and freely admits that her aggression is do to her not socializing her properly. And Guinevere (my female chi) is in the process of being retrained to accept other dogs. And if I allowed her to remain aggressive to other animals by not correcting her behavior then yes it would be my fault. My main point of my post was to simply give another view of the pit bull. To try and dispel the idea that all pits are aggressive. And that training and treatment of any animal makes it what it is. Do I think everyone should own a pit, no just as I would say not everyone should own a chi. There are specific possible traits in every animal that should be considered before becoming an owner. I did warn readers in my first post on this thread that I am very passionate about this subject. It is fine if someone doesn’t agree with my point of view (hello free will here) but as my husband says all the time “a mind is like a parachute. It only works when open”.


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## TareG (Aug 13, 2005)

I guess it's about time for my two cents, lol.

All dogs are capable of aggression...that is true! But there are differences between how different breeds go about expressing it. At my work, a lot of dogs there have the tendency to bite, and interestingly enough, the toy breeds seem to come out on top as most prominent. however, my boss and coworkers, after the fact, pretty much just omit a single "OW" wince for a minute, and then muzzle the dog and continue on just fine. With a rottie or a shepard, recovery may not be so easy. but the thing about the pit bull, is that they often don't just bite (which translates to hey stop hurting me! with the toy breeds), but they LATCH ON, and often times them biting you just once will trigger a release of aggressive, instinctual energy, which can lead to a relentless attack, and that is very dangerous.
Now this is not to say that all pits would do this, though. I am not saying that at all. My best friend has a half pit and half cattle dog and I wrestle on the floor with her with my face right next to her mouth and she would never hurt me...but not all dogs have that same personality.

Also, I can contend to the fact that pit bulls do seem to show a higher level of dog aggression than other breeds. At my work, about 80% of our pit bull clients are dog aggressive to the point that they can't wait in the waiting room without causing a scene. And, considering how easy it would be for a dog like that to hurt a small little chi (Hell, I worry about my retriever hurting her!!! and just because of the size difference and the accidents that could cause), I would never own a pit bull.

But I do like the breed, and hold nothing against them.


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## luv4mygirls (Feb 20, 2005)

i worked in an animal hospital for nearly 2 years and a HUGE majority of the clients have pit bulls (it's the area i live in :roll: ) half of them have pits as a "status symbol" if you will. the bigger and more muscular they are the better. i've been bitten pretty badly TWICE in that whole time i worked there and not one of those bites were from a pit bull. one was a chow and the other was a soft coated wheaten. sure i've had dog's have a go at me here and there and nipped (mostly during nail trims) but broken skin and a scar where from those 2. i must have done at least 8 nail trims a day and at least 3 of them were pits and only one pit has ever needed a muzzle and 4 people to do the nails and it was a 1/2 mastif/rottie 1/2 pit mix. every pit i have ever encountered (with the exception of that horrid pit fight that i witnessed) were not dog aggressive. maybe a small handful of them were but not to the point of what you have in your head (a snarling massive hunk of muscle with "kill" in their eyes.) hasn't any of you seen pit agility and cart pulling?? many pits in one area, none fighting or trying to get at each other....


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## lovemylittlegeeks (Aug 29, 2005)

Thank you luv4mygirls  This was the whole point I was trying to get across. Our humane society here use to put All pits down just because they are pits (no aggression testing etc) its so unfair to a wonderful breed.  Fear makes humans do strange things.


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## Bijou (Aug 6, 2005)

lovemylittlegeeks said:


> It is fine if someone doesn’t agree with my point of view (hello free will here) but as my husband says all the time “a mind is like a parachute. It only works when open”.


You did say " And to generalize any behavior or trait in any breed was unfair (ie: all pits are aggressive, etc.)." And " To be aggressive or not to be aggressive is in the training and/or treatment not the breed." The fact is that dog/dog aggression IS a pit bull trait. And to say that it is not is NOT doing the breed any justice. No, not all dogs fall into the breed standard or breed description. I know that. But to say that certain breeds don't possess certain traits is obsurd. Border collies and hearding? German Shepherds and guarding? Most purebred dogs are bred for a purpose. Purebred dogs are NOT so NOT have clean slate. We cannot mold them all to be whatever we want.

And, my mind is open. And my blinders off. I love a pit bull as much as any one does and would have one if I could be sure that it would never be dog aggressive and didn't have the potential to do as much damage as it does. And if the experts say dog/dog aggression is a trait of the breed, I'll chose to believe them. 

Did you look at the links I posted?? They are not written by pit-haters. One was from a pit rescue and another was from a source trying to dispell pit myths. The third has a quote from a Veterinarian from Cornell University, a veterinary teaching institution. All three say that dog aggression is a pit trait.

Here's another pit rescue saying "Never trust a pit not to fight"
http://www.pbrc.net/breedinfo.html

And never did I say anything about pits being aggressive to people. I just simply stated that when they do bite, they can do a lot more damage than a lot of other breeds. I understand that Akitas, chows, shar peis, and many other breeds are just as likely to bite, or MORESO in some cases.

Please understand that this is not coming from a "pit hater"! I do really adore them and like I said would get one, but... Other than those two things I think they are the perfect family dog and possibly the perfect canine companion.


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## lovemylittlegeeks (Aug 29, 2005)

I was not trying to say that dog/dog aggression was not a breed trait for pits, only that generalizing that All pits are dog/dog aggressive is unfair. Just like someone saying that all chis hate children would be unfair. As you said “not all dogs fall into the breed standard or breed description.” I was mainly trying to show that the media tends to portray All pits as vicious beasts, and this just isn’t the case. I simply wanted people to see that there is another side to this breed that most people don’t get to see in the media. I was also trying to say that no matter what the “breed trait” animals can usually (not always I agree) be trained or retrained away from those traits. You are correct, if they do bite they can do a lot of damage, because of the strength of their jaw muscles. This is why it is especially important for pit owners to be responsible owners when training them. I am sorry if you misunderstood my intentions; maybe I just didn’t type my thoughts properly. I am sorry if you were offended by anything I have written, but this is a subject that is very close to my heart and I can get pretty heated up about it. Peace  :wave:


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## Bijou (Aug 6, 2005)

Oh, definitely peace, girl! Sounds like we are actually on the same page. I do love pits. I seriously do. I want one so bad it hurts! I just don't want to have to manage a dog so closely. I'm too lazy for a pit . I hate that about myself!

You know what I just HATE. All the pit neglect and abuse I see on those Animal Planet cops shows. Did you know that pits are the most abused dog in the US. How disgusting is that? I hate when this sweet, sweet dog fall into the hands of TOTAL IDIOTS!! It just makes me SICK!


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## lovemylittlegeeks (Aug 29, 2005)

I agree the poor babies. Did you check out the link on my first post on this thread? Just makes me so angry what this breed has had to endure. My ex was one that always wanted to make our pits mean, he even tried to take my youngest to a pit fight once (part of the reason he is my ex). My daughter (she wants to be a vet) and I watch the animal cops on animal planet and just cry & cry (we are both marshmellows, especially when it come to this breed). But we do hoop & hollar when they catch and charge those idiots. I don't think they get enough jail time for the crimes though. :evil:


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## Bijou (Aug 6, 2005)

Well, good luck making a pit "mean" if he wants it to be mean to people! It is not in their nature and a hard thing to accomplish. I can think of many other breeds that would be easier to train for that.

I am watching an Animal Cops show right now that has a poor pit that is STARVED and found on a fire escape with a huge, heavy chain found on her neck. Oh, she also had diarrhea and no food. God, how I hate people sometimes :twisted: !!


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## Bijou (Aug 6, 2005)

lovemylittlegeeks said:


> Did you check out the link on my first post on this thread? :evil:


No. I just tried it and it had a "warning, this may be graphic" warning. I can't handle things like that so I won't watch it. Sorry  .


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## lovemylittlegeeks (Aug 29, 2005)

The punishment should fit the crime. Chain the owner to the fire escape (with a chain of comparative weight) and no food, etc. I agree, people so suck sometimes. 

The graphic stuff is limited (no more then you would prob. see on animal planet). There is one pic that would prob. freak you out but it isn't up long. mostly it is about how wrong people can be about the breed.


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## Bijou (Aug 6, 2005)

lovemylittlegeeks said:


> The punishment should fit the crime. Chain the owner to the fire escape (with a chain of comparative weight) and no food, etc. I agree, people so suck sometimes.


Oh, I could NOT agree with you MORE!!


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## lovemylittlegeeks (Aug 29, 2005)

The images on the link I put up are not any more graphic then the ones you see on animal cops, promise. I just rewatched it to make sure. The artist has a very good message. It makes me cry every time and I have watched it many times.


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## Bijou (Aug 6, 2005)

Ok. I tried again. I just CAN'T do it. I am sad enough about the stuff I see on Animal Planet. I can't watch anything more that shows pits being neglected or abused. I seriously do love them to bits.


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## lovemylittlegeeks (Aug 29, 2005)

Understandable. They are loves and it is painful to see them treated otherwise.


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