[HawksBurnDown]

why is it that when a new member on here asks a question about there unregistered "pit bull" most of you quickly jump in and correct them to call it a "bully" or "am bully" like its better than calling it a mutt. call a spade a spade. if its unregistered with no background of where it came from its a mutt. you dont like people calling there mutts apbt's so why confuse them and tell them its another breed of dog?

[Qnnoshxj]

Well, a lot of new members come here ASKING what their dog may be, so then people chime in with their opinion.

Others come and post up pedigree's that are known Am Bully lines, but they're calling the dog an APBT.

So it kinds of depends on the situation. You're right though, without papers, the dog should be considered a mutt. I have two of them

[HawksBurnDown]

Well, a lot of new members come here ASKING what their dog may be, so then people chime in with their opinion.

Others come and post up pedigree's that are known Am Bully lines, but they're calling the dog an APBT.

So it kinds of depends on the situation. You're right though, without papers, the dog should be considered a mutt. I have two of them

well i understand that but that is exactly how the apbt got such a bad rep was by people wrongfully calling their mutts apbt's and then when that dog bites some one or someones dog then the blame is placed on the breed, see what i mean. so shouldnt we be trying to steer away from labeling a mutt a "pure" breed of dog? the shelters a littered with "pit bull mixes" and it really urks me to no end.

[Qnnoshxj]

I think the majority of members here aren't going to call a mutt a purebred.

As for shelters labeling dogs as Pit Bull mixes, well, that's what some are, right? I call Wilson & Piper Pit Bull mixes, FWIW. Shelters definitely do "over label" dogs as Pit Bull mixes though, but I don't see that changing anytime soon (and I photograph shelter dogs, so I see it often)!

[HawksBurnDown]

I think the majority of members here aren't going to call a mutt a purebred.

As for shelters labeling dogs as Pit Bull mixes, well, that's what some are, right? I call Wilson & Piper Pit Bull mixes, FWIW. Shelters definitely do "over label" dogs as Pit Bull mixes though, but I don't see that changing anytime soon (and I photograph shelter dogs, so I see it often)!

by "mutt" i mean unpapered/unregistered dog and by "pure bred" i mean am bully, and i see it on here all the time.
also how do you know that they are "pit bull" mixes? did one of there parents have papers from a respected registry and the other not? if not and both parent dogs are unregistered than they are mutts and so are the pups and should not be labeled "pit bull" mixes other wise we start down the slippery slope again.

[arriplify]

by "mutt" i mean unpapered/unregistered dog and by "pure bred" i mean am bully, and i see it on here all the time.
also how do you know that they are "pit bull" mixes? did one of there parents have papers from a respected registry and the other not? if not and both parent dogs are unregistered than they are mutts and so are the pups and should not be labeled "pit bull" mixes other wise we start down the slippery slope again.

Labeling shelter/rescue dogs is nothing more than an educated guess really, and sometimes people aren't very good at it.. They typically just go by the dogs physical characteristics.

The fact is without papers, you never know. It's always just a guess

[Repwailia]

Labeling shelter/rescue dogs is nothing more than an educated guess really, and sometimes people aren't very good at it.. They typically just go by the dogs physical characteristics.

The fact is without papers, you never know. It's always just a guess

This.

[scoundtrack]

labeling shelter/rescue dogs is nothing more than an educated guess really, and sometimes people aren't very good at it.. They typically just go by the dogs physical characteristics.

The fact is without papers, you never know. It's always just a guess

x3

[kilibry]

Labeling shelter/rescue dogs is nothing more than an educated guess really, and sometimes people aren't very good at it.. They typically just go by the dogs physical characteristics.

The fact is without papers, you never know. It's always just a guess

Exactly. They have to call them something, not just "mutts". Because the people coming in to adopt a dog want an idea of what they are getting.

[TSVIDeo]

If I walked around just calling Snow and Koi mutts, people would go a head a and ask me 'what kind of mutt' meaning what breeds. So saying a 'Pit bull mix' and a 'Dachshund mix' people have a better idea of what I am talking about. Saying a 'breed mix' is like calling a dog a mutt; but it offers an idea of what.

Why pure blood APBTs get called ambullies? I have no idea because they are nothing alike other then being a bully.

[HawksBurnDown]

but you have no idea if that dog has any "pit bull' blood in it yet you label it a "pit mix" and thats where the breed gets in trouble. there are lots of breeds of dogs with short coats and block heads other than "pit bulls". you all are doing the same as if i were to call my dog a pure bred apbt. and if people were so concerned about shelter dogs getting adopted i would think you would not want to label an adoptable dog a "pit mix" because it will make people not want to adopt it just because of the word and those dogs are the first to get euthanized.

[arriplify]

but you have no idea if that dog has any "pit bull' blood in it yet you label it a "pit mix" and thats where the breed gets in trouble. there are lots of breeds of dogs with short coats and block heads other than "pit bulls". you all are doing the same as if i were to call my dog a pure bred apbt. and if people were so concerned about shelter dogs getting adopted i would think you would not want to label an adoptable dog a "pit mix" because it will make people not want to adopt it just because of the word and those dogs are the first to get euthanized.

Personally I'd much rather them label a potential pit bull mix...a pit bull mix. Than to label them something else just to speed up their adoption.

For example: what happens then if you do have a pit mix or potential pit mix up for adoption and you adopt this dog out to non pit savy people. A million and one things could go wrong and this may not be a lasting adoption. For instance these people adopt the dog, turns out the rent. Landlord sees the dog it has pit bull characterisics. Dog gets evicted and ends up right back at the shelter.

Or God forbid, this dog is an unstable mix. Bites someone. They media will be all over it. Doesn't matter if it was labled just a mutt. If it has characteristics of a pit bull as far as the media and in many places the law is concered. It will be get labled a "Pit Bull Attack".

BSL. Say the dog is a potential pit bull and labled a mutt and say the adopters are from a town with BSL. Well again that won't end well.

Trust me the dog if it characteristics of a pit bull is better off being labled a Pit mix. Atleast when the dog gets adopted out the potential owners have an idea of what they are getting. Yes it may take longer to adopt out the dog. Yes it may deter certain people from adopting. But if by being labled Pit Mix gives these dogs a better shot at getting a good permanent home. Why does it matter?

[scoundtrack]

by "mutt" i mean unpapered/unregistered dog and by "pure bred" i mean am bully, and i see it on here all the time.
also how do you know that they are "pit bull" mixes? did one of there parents have papers from a respected registry and the other not? if not and both parent dogs are unregistered than they are mutts and so are the pups and should not be labeled "pit bull" mixes other wise we start down the slippery slope again.

Just curious, what would you say to someone asking about your "mutt" dog? Obviously, if someone says "What kind of dog is that?" and you reply "a mutt", the next logical question is "what kind of mutt?" Nothing wrong with making a guess based on the dog's appearance if that's all you have to go by. No different than saying it's a "Shepard mix" or something.


People tend to have eyes as well, so if there's a dog in a shelter, that looks like a "pit bull", I imagine it would do more harm than good to label it a "lab mix" or something, when most people would see right through that, and want to know why. Why act like it's something to hide if there is pitbull or some other bully breed appearing to be in there? That's even sillier. (sillier, is that a word?? lol)

[HawksBurnDown]

Just curious, what would you say to someone asking about your "mutt" dog? Obviously, if someone says "What kind of dog is that?" and you reply "a mutt", the next logical question is "what kind of mutt?" Nothing wrong with making a guess based on the dog's appearance if that's all you have to go by. No different than saying it's a "Shepard mix" or something.


People tend to have eyes as well, so if there's a dog in a shelter, that looks like a "pit bull", I imagine it would do more harm than good to label it a "lab mix" or something, when most people would see right through that, and want to know why. Why act like it's something to hide if there is pitbull or some other bully breed appearing to be in there? That's even sillier. (sillier, is that a word?? lol)

well first i would not call my dogs "pit bulls" if asked because they are not. my blue dog(which i had posted his pedigree in another thread) is an apbt/ast/am bully mix but i would not tell people he is a "pit bull" because there is only one "pit bull" and that is the american pit bull terrier. i also own another dog that has bully breed characteristics but she has no papers and neither did her parents so i can not call her an apbt nor am bully nor ast because the fact is i dont know which she is.

but i guess the point i am trying to make is that the "pit bull" label is used to loosely. education has to start somewhere.

[sarasmid]

You do realize that Pit Bull is an umbrella term, right? So your dog would be a Pit Bull. The most common dogs to fall under that umbrella are APBTs, ASTs, Ambullies and SBTs. All APBTs are Pit Bulls, but not all Pit Bulls are APBTs. If you know what your dog is-call it that. If you're guessing, Pit Bull generally works.

[arriplify]

You do realize that Pit Bull is an umbrella term, right? So your dog would be a Pit Bull. The most common dogs to fall under that umbrella are APBTs, ASTs, Ambullies and SBTs. All APBTs are Pit Bulls, but not all Pit Bulls are APBTs. If you know what your dog is-call it that. If you're guessing, Pit Bull generally works.

This is very true. Many breeds fall under the term "Pit Bull" but not all "Pit Bulls" are American Pit Bull Terrier. The term "Pit Bull Type Dog" is used to describe the APBT, AST, SBT, Ambullies. Heck I've even heard it used to describe American Bulldogs and Bull Terriers.

In fact I rent and in our pet addendum here and at previous locations prohibit the breeds that fall under "Pit Bull Type Dog" are: APBT, AST, SBT, Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, American Bully, and any dog or mix with the characteristics of these breeds. "Pit Bull" or "Pit Bull Type Dog" are both terms that pertain to several breeds. However the American Pit Bull Terrier only pertains to the American Pit Bull Terrier.

True there is only one American Pit Bull Terrier. But there are several breeds that fall under "Pit Bull Type Dogs" or "Bully Breeds"

[QQ9ktYrV]

I have 5 dogs, none are pure bred and 3 are "pit bull type" mixes. Actually, I think my foster dog, Cooper, is quite possibly full blooded APBT, but since he was dumped in the country and I took him in as a foster, there is no way to know for sure. He has more of the APBT "look" than the other two do, but without having papers, there is no way to know for sure, so, I call them "pit bull mixes". Sometimes, when I am feeling lazy, I will simply say "pit bull", but more often than not, I always add that they are mixes. Basically... I have 5 mutts that at one time or another, have cost me a pretty penny, but that was more in vet care and food costs.

Depending on what "blood line" some people claim their dogs have, that moves them into the classification as AmBully. If they say their dog is Razors Edge, or something like that, they would be more of an AmBully mix than an APBT mix. Either way, if they aren't papered, they basically are "mutts". However, some people get highly offended if you call their dog a mutt. I had a girl a few weeks ago telling me about her "designer dog"... a MorkiePoo or something. I said, "So basically, you have a mutt", and she got extremely upset with me. She proceeded to tell me it was a designer dog bred specifically to not be over 3 lbs, it cost a LOT of money.... blah, blah, blah. In the back of my mind, I'm thinking, "Oh, so you paid a LOT of money for your mutt", but it was best just to keep my opinions to myself and let her think she has some high dollar "designer" dog breed, because trying to explain to her that it was nothing more than a mutt, was not sinking into her head. She clearly KNEW she had some fancy smanchy designer dog.

[HawksBurnDown]

and you all argue on here everyday what a "pit bull" really is and whether it is an apbt or an ast or an am bully even if it has papers so why give these mutts the privilege of share the same name of your precious apbt's if you have no idea if it truly is a "pit mix"? it could be an "ast mix" or an "am bully mix" for that matter. and i am not using "mutt" as a bad word here just a correct label.

[Czrzftmz]

honestly as long as people are responsible with their dog i don't care what people call their own dog in the end it is splitting hairs

[QQ9ktYrV]

Labeling shelter/rescue dogs is nothing more than an educated guess really, and sometimes people aren't very good at it.. They typically just go by the dogs physical characteristics.

The fact is without papers, you never know. It's always just a guess

Good point. There was a dog in the paper here locally being spotlighted for adoption. Hey had him labeled as a Husky-Lab mix, when you could tell by looking at him that he has some "pit bull" in him. But they won't list very many dogs as "pit bull mixes" simply because if they do, they won't get adopted. My concern is, they NEED to let people that are interested in adopting said dog that it has some pit bull type in it, so the person can learn how to properly handle/train the dog. Labeling it a Husky-Lab, when it might not have any Husky in it at all, is a detriment to the dog. If the person doesn't learn how to train and handle the dog correctly, it will most likely end up in trouble. Around here, they will list the dogs at the Humane Society as Lab more than any other breed, and it is very rare that they ever list one as a bully breed mix. I have called and asked them about this, and they said that they are very reluctant to adopt out "pit bull mixes" because the people that usually come in looking for that breed, is not a good candidate for adopting and being responsible for one. I talked to them a little and inquired if I would be able to come in and adopt a "pit bull mix" when I was ready to adopt another dog... Being as I had been discussing the breed with her for about 15 minutes, she said I would be a perfect candidate for adoption. I think they get a good general feel of the person inquiring about adoption, regardless of what type dog they are wanting to adopt, and luckily, they don't let just any dog go out with just anyone. Sadly though, that simply translates to they are over flowing and have more dogs there than they have room.