[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.