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Permalink Reply by Elaine on January 30, 2009 at 3:49pm

Have you read the book co-authored by Brian Kilcommons, Paws to Consider? Please do, as Kilcommons (a former director of the NY Ctr for Animal Care and Control) and his co-author compiled information about various breeds from other dog professionals such as vets and groomers, and the reasons for the strengths and weaknesses of various breeds. It's a must-read for anyone considering a dog, and particular dog breeds.

The shelters are unfortunately overflowing with dogs of many breeds, so you may want to reconsider the amount of work that may be involved in bringing home a dog which you admit may have been "raised" by an irresponsible owner--such a dog may have serious issues, and might have difficulty getting along with your corgi.

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Permalink Reply by Corgibyassociation on January 30, 2009 at 4:03pm

Well, honestly, it depends on which shelter you get it from. A lot of the shelters may not work with the dogs that come in and won't be able to tell you much in terms of the behavioral history the dog has. Rescues are generally better and has been known to work with the dog and even give it some obedience training, expose it to children, and expose the dog to other animals.

I have no qualms about pitts. I saw some of the sweetest ones at the shelter. But being that most of the ones I was looking at had a fear of men (and my boyfriend has a tendency to be loud and startling at times) I felt that it wasn't the best decision on my part to bring that kind of dog in my home.

If you do go, find out if you can bring your other dog with you (unless it is a puppy who isn't up to date on shots.) I one day want to get a dog similar in views (may be not so bad) the rottweiler. I still have to consider the size issue as I'm small and most rotties are my weight if not more than my weight. So I figure it would be best to start young with that breed and any similar breed that is bigger than me.

Pitts can be wonderful dogs. I suggest that you find out as much of the animal's past as you can. It would be for the best of everyone--or at least go to a reputable shelter.

Good luck in your decision.

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Permalink Reply by Ross on January 30, 2009 at 5:01pm

Thanks for the replies.
If we go with an adult we are for sure going with a rescue organization, there are quite a few up here, and they all do VERY thorough temperament testing with their dog. They simply do not adopt out any dogs that have human aggression and they test to see how the dogs get along with other dogs/cats before setting them up to be adopted. The rescues are deeply about their dogs and want them to end up in a situation in which they will succeed.

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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on January 30, 2009 at 4:56pm

I don't own a pit or pit mix, but I have own 2 Rottweiler and 1Doberman growing up. I have experienced "doggie racism" that you're referring to.

Just 1 month ago, my wife and I were walking our 3 dogs at the park. A lady walked by with her Westie and chit chat, a few minutes later, a chocolate lab came running towards our direction, the lady started yelling "HELP! HELP!" "We're in BIG trouble!" At first I was a little puzzled, but her face turned pale, she was genuinely freaking out, Well, to make the long story short, she was having a heart attack, we got her medicine from her car and saved her life. Turns out when she was young, she had a bad experience and was bitten by a "big" dog. That explained her reaction.

I feel for you, here in Florida, a lot of home owner association have restrictions on dog breeds, a lot of pit bull have been put down and had bad press from the news. I think it is human that we have this unexplained fear on things that we're not familiar with, we seldom revisit things twice or give it a fair second look, it's easy to agree with someone's second hand research than to do our own.

If I was in your situation and didn't have a lot of experience in that breed before, I would probably pick a pup, it may be a little easier to shape its behavior in the future. Depending on the adult's history and your dog handling experience, an adult pit may or may not be suitable for your lifestyle. The most important thing is, do an honest assessment with your corgi and see how adaptable he is, arrange some play dates with your friends with bigger dogs :) Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Boots and Superstar! on January 30, 2009 at 9:22pm

Hey Ross, I feel the same way that you do about "doggy racisms". I personally wanted always a Dobbie and my boyfriend always wanted a Pitbull, but here in Florida, HOA is very very strict about having those types of dogs. To tell you the truth, I always wanted a Doberman because of their elegance and loyalty to the owners. Unfortunately, people who are irresponsible wants to train dogs a certain way they shouldnt and they turn aggressive. The reason HOA would not allow these types of dogs like Pits,Dobbies,Akitas, Chows, etc., because the stereotypical statement of being aggressive breeds. It is the history that place these dogs as aggressive. Since the 1800s, Pits were considered fight dogs for money, but some movies like The Little Rascals and Betty Boop tried to portrait Pits as very sweet dogs. Unfortunately, the history is still alive, especially about the Michael Vick's case, people are more fearful of Pits than ever, because people think Pits are aggressive by nature. I had volunteered at the SPCA, and I had received a list of events that occurred for 5 days...it was:

So why do you blame it on a Pitbull? We will present to you many cases of events that occurred in five days....Ill make this short...Labrador Retrievers knocked over a 4 year old kid, breaking his skull. Another case, where there was a Jack Russell Terrier attacking an old lady. Another one, Lab mix killing a woman.

None of these cases were taken seriously, until the last day, fifth day, a news appeared as a Pit attacking an old woman. And unfortunately, the dog ended killed by the pound.

So, I will not judge you at all. If you want a Pit, go ahead! It depends on you and how you will raise it. It doesnt matter whether its an adult or a pup, they are still great pets, and if someone gives you negative news, shoosh them!

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