[JJascaxal]

Good evening! I am new here, but I found this forum upon researching the breed in search of questions regarding the pit bull and dog aggression. I am seeking any good advice I can get from those who truly know this breed, as some of the behavior exhibited by the neighbors' dog I have never seen before in a dog, and it worries me greatly because I have a beagle, and there are several dog owners in the immediate area surrounding the owners' house.

About three weeks ago, my parents notified me that my neighbors had brought home what appeared to be an aggressive looking, full grown pit bull. It is extremely muscular and its ears and tail have been clipped, which only adds to the aggressive look. They immediately expressed concern for the well-being of my dog, should they ever be outside at the same time. I live across the street and three doors down from my parents. The pit bull's new home is directly across the street from my parents, on the same side of the street from me. One of their main concerns was that the only person in that household who would have the strength to control the dog is the husband. The other inhabitants of the house are two elementary/middle-school-aged children and the wife. The interesting fact about this household is that the wife and daughter are afraid of dogs. They would not even pet, let alone come near my docile beagle. The young boy used to be afraid of dogs until he met and played with Quinn. The wife wouldn't even pet a chihuahua that another neighbor owns. Now, she is the one I ALWAYS see walking the pit bull around the neighborhood. The owner of the chihuahua told me that they got the dog from a friend who is in the Army who was reassigned to a new base that won't allow him to have the dog.

This already does not sound like the ideal situation for ANY dog breed, in my opinion.

The first time I saw the dog, I had my beagle with me. The wife was out with him, and I had Quinn with me in my car. I let her out of my car and took her immediately into the house, as I didn't want to chance anything because the wife would not be able to keep the dog under control given the size of him. The wife saw me and stopped in the middle of the road, as if she was waiting to greet me. I avoided her and got into the house as quickly as I could. The pit, on the other hand, reacted as soon as he caught a wiff of Quinn. He immediately began pulling as hard as he could to get to us (which I realize is pretty typical behavior for dogs). However, minutes after I was already in the house with Quinn, he was sitting at the edge of the sidewalk in front of his house with his owner, staring at my house, seemingly waiting for my dog to show up again. The owner allowed him to sit there for what seemed like several minutes before they moved. I'm guessing she couldn't get him to budge from his place, watching for us.

The second time I saw the dog, the EXACT same thing happened. I took my dog out of my car and into my parents' house. The pit proceeded to pull and tug on his leash until he was across their lawn (from the previous spot near their front porch) until he was again sitting on the sidewalk, staring at my house and waiting for us to show back up.

The third time I saw this dog, I was inside, observing his behavior as he and his owners were outside. The wife was walking him around while a male friend sat in the garage. Then, the friend brought his little dog out to the front yard...I'm guessing they wanted to see what the pit would do around the little dog. As is pretty typical, he yanked the wife until he could get to the little dog. They tried to keep the dogs separated, but she couldn't really hold him back, so they tied the dog up to the top of the garage until they took the little dog and put it inside.

The last time I saw the dog was tonight. It seems that every time I see him is when I have Quinn with me. Tonight, I was actually walking Quinn across the street to my house. JUST as I stepped outside of my house, the daughter (I think) came outside with the pit. He immediately began to drag her in my direction, and started growling and barking at Quinn and me. The bark was definitely not a friendly one. I got Quinn into my house as quickly as possible.

I'm really concerned about the safety of my dog. Every reputable thing I have read says that pit bulls are gentle and loving toward their owners and people in general, but they are naturally inclined to be aggressive toward other dogs. While this is not always 100% true (Quinn has been around pit mixes at a dog park with no problem), I am really beginning to be afraid of this whole situation. My question is should I be concerned about this dog's behavior whenever Quinn is outside? My parents and I used to have a friendship with our neighbors, but we haven't spoken to them since they brought this dog into the neighborhood. Their biggest concern is that the owners won't be able to control the dog, should it try to go after my beagle or any of the other dogs in the area. Another neighbor also has a chihuahua, but this one loves to escape and wander the neighborhood.

Any advice is greatly appreciated! I had a friend who is extremely dog knowledgeable and owns two pit mixes actually suggest I call Animal Control because if they feel the dog is dangerous, they will take it away. I would hate to do this just yet if I'm overreacting.

[AngegepeM]

I don't have advice but I have a question. Have you considered talking to your neibor about your concern?.

[spounnypneups]

jesus.. fish in a barrel.. this should be fun

[denSmumbSes]

I didn't read the entire post because frankly, it's too long and my attention span sucks. I do, however, have a couple of points to make.

1- If you think the dog is aggressive or you just don't want it around your dogs then don't go near the dog. What's the problem here? I have a dog aggressive dog and I avoid other dogs while on walks. You have the freewill to walk the other way if you see a dog coming that you don't want near your dog. So just don't go near it and there will be no problem

2- What do you mean "the only person in the household that can control the dog is the husband"? Just because he's a man doesn't mean he's got more control over a dog than a woman. I'll have you know that most members on this website are women and we handle our dogs just fine.

That's all until I read further.

[Czrzftmz]

i would suggest introduce yourself to your new neighbor and meet their dog. that way you know the people you can voice your concerns and see just how responsible they are with their dog and you will know the temperment of their dog. DO NOT bring Quinn when you meet them. It is quite common in this breed for them to be dog aggressive no matter how they were raised or socialized.

i would not call animal control on the dog because of what has happend so far it is not dangerous because of the incidents. i know that if someone called on me because they feared my dog and had not even met him i would be pretty upset.

the best thing you can do is talk to your neighbors make sure they are responsible and keep him on leash and properly contained at their property and also keep your dog on leash when outside so that there is no chance of them ever meeting. dog aggression in this breed is common and can be managed with proper training.


i do have to say i think it was great that you decided to come here and research and get to know the breed more before making your full judgement. there are a lot of responsible pit bull owners out there

[JJascaxal]

Well, unoriginal, the woman is someone who wouldn't even touch my beagle because she is afraid of dogs. Based on what we know about her (she is a very nice person but wouldn't be able to hold back the dog if he began to tug), she wouldn't be able to stop the dog if he wanted to see my dog. My comment about the husband being the only one who could control the dog is basically implying he is the only one who would have the strength to hold the dog back if he chose to come our way.

I do generally try my best to avoid the dog, but lately it seems that EVERY TIME I take my dog out, they come out shortly after. We never see them outside of their house without the dog anymore.

The biggest fear is mainly if the dogs are out at the same time, and I'm avoiding the pit, the pit will pull its owner (as I've already seen done) in our general direction and possibly break loose. I think the fact that the woman wouldn't pull her dog away from staring at our house for several minutes indicates who is in control. I honestly haven't really been home enough lately to even go over and talk to them.

The main concern is that the owners do not seem fit to own a dog that requires so much knowledge of the breed to properly give it a safe environment where it can be the good family dog it has been known to be.

[Repwailia]

i would suggest introduce yourself to your new neighbor and meet their dog. that way you know the people you can voice your concerns and see just how responsible they are with their dog and you will know the temperment of their dog. DO NOT bring Quinn when you meet them. It is quite common in this breed for them to be dog aggressive no matter how they were raised or socialized.

i would not call animal control on the dog because of what has happend so far it is not dangerous because of the incidents. i know that if someone called on me because they feared my dog and had not even met him i would be pretty upset.

the best thing you can do is talk to your neighbors make sure they are responsible and keep him on leash and properly contained at their property and also keep your dog on leash when outside so that there is no chance of them ever meeting. dog aggression in this breed is common and can be managed with proper training.


i do have to say i think it was great that you decided to come here and research and get to know the breed more before making your full judgement. there are a lot of responsible pit bull owners out there

I agree.

[JJascaxal]

I think my family's general consensus is that they won't care much because we have asked them in the past to be more considerate of their neighbors in regards to the noise their kids make outside in the evening, but they don't seem to care. I'm also guessing that due to the fact that 75% of the household had a fear of dogs leading up to this new guy being brought home, they don't know much.

[Anaedilla]

i really have no advice, as i wouldnt be nice to that lady. shes basically stalking you. give her the middle finger. anyways.. one thing.. is this dog really a bully breed? youre making it sound like shes walking a t-rex or something.. these dogs can be strong but damn they aint 120lb frothing beasts lol

[accelieda]

i really have no advice, as i wouldnt be nice to that lady. shes basically stalking you. give her the middle finger. anyways.. one thing.. is this dog really a bully breed? youre making it sound like shes walking a t-rex or something.. these dogs can be strong but damn they aint 120lb frothing beasts lol

Exactly what I was about to point out, by the OP's comments/remarks of "full grown pitbull" and the whole "it has cropped ears and a docked tail just to add to the aggressive look" is throwing me off and making me roll my eyes.

[BenWired306]

I'm assuming he is probably an am bully and not a pit bull (assuming he is even purebred) since you mentioned his size in many different ways hard to make a guess without seeing him.

Regardless though am bully, pit bull, am staff or a mix whatever it is YES it could very well be dog aggressive as that IS by nature part of the genetic makeup of these breeds. I definitely would try to go talk to them maybe invite them to this site! Tell them you joined because you were curious about the breed and that there's a lot to learn about their new dog it won't hurt. Worst thing is they say ignore you abscond listen (which really would be tge worst) you should keep your dog on a leash at all times too EVEn from the car t the front door. Don't give your dog a chance to get near their dog.

[ranndomderr]

Lol she cant control a dog because she is a woman?

Uhm, I am 120lbs MAX, and female, have shoulder and neck problems due to serious injury and I can control my extremely DA dog! I just did so before I came home, someone walked nose to nose with their small dog and I controlled him just fine, even though he really wanted to get that dog.

Please dont freak out so much, as said its not a damn T Rex, its a dog. If you dont want to be near it, DONT. Go inside. Keep your dog secured on a leash and in a yard and you will be fine.
You sounds like my neighbors when I brought Bear home. Everyone was so deathly afraid of the "pit bull" they would rush around me and him and run them and their dogs inside.
Upon meeting him and seeing how he isnt a menace and is always secured (like your neighbors dog) they changed their minds and we now all get along for the most part.
I would suggest talking to your neighbor, maybe sending her our way, and meeting the dog, he may very well be dog aggressive, but that doesnt mean he is an evil killer. My dog is DA and he is my neighbors favorite in the whole complex, they always ask how he is, pet him, and are really friendly even though they know he wants to eat their small dogs.

I mean people who own prey typed animals dont run and hide from your beagle now do they? Same thing IMO.

[pumpineemob]

Tell her about this website. And keep YOUR dog on a leash. If that pit bull hasnt gotten to you yet, then they are doing a good job of containing it. Even if they r struggling. Keep your dog away.

[QiuCIOdO]

Way to just assume everything about this dog because it's a pit bull, oh it's ears are cropped it MUST be aggressive and want to eat my little dog...
Oh and since it's a girl walking the dog of course she is too weak to control the dog!

Fuck get your head out of your ass not every breed is butterfly's and rainbows do some damn research and learn something about dogs before making assumptions...Your lucky your dogs breed has been so watered down and over bred it's probably some fat lard with no prey drive but if it was how the breed should be your dog would probably show some form of animals aggression because omg guess what your dog was used for hunting and KILLING other animals..

[denSmumbSes]

i really have no advice, as i wouldnt be nice to that lady. shes basically stalking you. give her the middle finger. anyways.. one thing.. is this dog really a bully breed? youre making it sound like shes walking a t-rex or something.. these dogs can be strong but damn they aint 120lb frothing beasts lol

Exactly what I was about to point out, by the OP's comments/remarks of "full grown pitbull" and the whole "it has cropped ears and a docked tail just to add to the aggressive look" is throwing me off and making me roll my eyes.

Lol she cant control a dog because she is a woman?

Uhm, I am 120lbs MAX, and female, have shoulder and neck problems due to serious injury and I can control my extremely DA dog! I just did so before I came home, someone walked nose to nose with their small dog and I controlled him just fine, even though he really wanted to get that dog.

Please dont freak out so much, as said its not a damn T Rex, its a dog. If you dont want to be near it, DONT. Go inside. Keep your dog secured on a leash and in a yard and you will be fine.
You sounds like my neighbors when I brought Bear home. Everyone was so deathly afraid of the "pit bull" they would rush around me and him and run them and their dogs inside.
Upon meeting him and seeing how he isnt a menace and is always secured (like your neighbors dog) they changed their minds and we now all get along for the most part.
I would suggest talking to your neighbor, maybe sending her our way, and meeting the dog, he may very well be dog aggressive, but that doesnt mean he is an evil killer. My dog is DA and he is my neighbors favorite in the whole complex, they always ask how he is, pet him, and are really friendly even though they know he wants to eat their small dogs.

I mean people who own prey typed animals dont run and hide from your beagle now do they? Same thing IMO.

Tell her about this website. And keep YOUR dog on a leash. If that pit bull hasnt gotten to you yet, then they are doing a good job of containing it. Even if they r struggling. Keep your dog away.

x2 on all of the above.

[agrismhig]

I think you're making a lot of assumptions and your fears could be allayed by talking to them, which for some reason you don't want to do.

Staring at the house is not a threat. When my dog gets over-excited around other dogs I have her sit until she's calm again before we start walking. I work very hard to control her energy levels.

And yeah, the dog hasn't torn out of their control and mauled yours yet, has it?

I get being nervous around pits, I really do. I NEVER thought I'd have a mix as a pet, but I do now. I prefer people talk to me instead of making assumptions. One of my neighbors the other day (who has met my dog) told me her husband was telling her about the viscious-looking dog that had moved in next door and was telling her to be careful. And the wife started laughing and told him my girl was the friendliest, happiest dog imaginable.

Oh, I'm a 5'5" 130 pound woman.

[cauddyVab]

Oh, I'm a 5'5" 130 pound woman.

I don't think OP is saying women aren't capable of controlling a dog, OP is saying THIS one doesn't appear to be able to!

Carla

---------- Post added at 02:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:17 AM ----------

L*and are really friendly even though they know he wants to eat their small dogs.

So, like OP, they WOULD be concerned about their dogs in the presence of YOURS. I think that's all the OP is concerned about, given the behavior of the owners and the dog.

I mean people who own prey typed animals dont run and hide from your beagle now do they? Same thing IMO.

You mean those people walking their pet rabbits down the street?


Carla

[ranndomderr]

I don't think OP is saying women aren't capable of controlling a dog, OP is saying THIS one doesn't appear to be able to!

Carla

---------- Post added at 02:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:17 AM ----------



So, like OP, they WOULD be concerned about their dogs in the presence of YOURS. I think that's all the OP is concerned about, given the behavior of the owners and the dog.



You mean those people walking their pet rabbits down the street?


Carla

But has the dog gotten loose? No. So the woman is doing her job fine and controlling the dog, even when the dog saw another dog she remained in control...

They were at first yes, but they came up talked to me, met my dog, I show them by being a great dog owner they have nothing to fear with their dog walking past mine, I was honest and informed them as soon as he stopped being "friendly" with other dogs and made sure they understood he could no longer greet theirs, they have no problem with that (the majority I still get the idiot who insists on walking nose to nose with their dogs) and still walk up to me with their dogs reeled in and mine in a sit next to me to engage in neighbor conversations. Its all about being a neighbor and if you have a concern take a page from my neighbors book and go talk to the owner of the dog you fear, ask questions and listen if they tell you things about their dog, its all part of living in a neighborhood.

No I was referring to people who own prey animals, they dont freak out and worry about their safety and their pets safety when they see a hound do they?
She is showing an unreasonable fear of a dog she has never met, who has been secured and contained since day one, and didnt do anything to her or her dog.

[accelieda]

If you were to witness myself controlling Zoey when she's turned on, it would appear like I may be unable to control her, but that doesn't mean she isn't under my full control. I am 5'1 weighting in at 107 pounds, controlling a 46 pound dog aggressive pitbull. The OP just clearly sounds concerned out of assumptive personal fears. Reading the entire post, literally sounds like the so called pitbull owners are trying to contain such a big killer lion. I am not stating the fact either that, perhaps the lady cannot control that said dog to well. As it seems otherwise however, that they never lost full control over it, it just sounds like paranoia to me running back to those assumptive fears.

If the OP is truly scared for her and her beagle's life over this, I would have already personally took the initiative to go over and speak to the owners and gather a better understanding of their ownership and control over this dog. She took the time to come here and write out a chapter of her concerns, why not take the actual actions with the owners? especially if it involves nothing more than a simple talk which she also stated that her and her mother had a friendship with these individuals prior to the dog becoming theirs. Wouldn't that make the situation even easier for you to approach them with that talk?

[CHyLmxDr]

"The last time I saw the dog was tonight. It seems that every time I see him is when I have Quinn with me. Tonight, I was actually walking Quinn across the street to my house. JUST as I stepped outside of my house, the daughter (I think) came outside with the pit. He immediately began to drag her in my direction, and started growling and barking at Quinn and me. The bark was definitely not a friendly one. I got Quinn into my house as quickly as possible."
How old is the daughter?

Julie K