Aroura

[quote name='GizmoRedNosePit']I was reading The United Kennel Club Breed Standard for the APBT and it said " The APBT is not the best choice for a guard dog since they are extremly friendly, even with strangers" 8) I'm happy to hear that!!![/quote] Yes, it's nice to hear that it says that, and it is true for dogs bred to conform to the ukc breed standards. Well bred dogs of any breed have good temprements and for any dog to be entered in a show it MUST have a good temprement, otherwise it will be disqualified before it even enters the ring! The problem with Pits is the backyard breeder, that breed them not for show, but for guard dogs!!! Any breed that has been bred for several generations to be agressive is more likely to be agressive than one bred for a stable, friendly temprement. Pits, as a breed have been abused for many, many generations, bred for agression by so many irrisponsible breeders. I'm sure if people decided that wanted to turn Labradores into guard dogs and abused the breed as much as the Pit has been abused, a few generations and Labs would be listed as 'dangerous dogs'. Its not a case of the breed, its simply a matter of the breeding. Any breed, well bred, will be a great dog, capable of many great things, if it is brought up properly.

[quote name='hazelhover']:oops: I don't even want to tell you how many times it took me!!! How many pitbull owners wonder if they really own one after looking at those pictures???? Just a question, please don't yell at me, are american staffordshire terriers the same as pitbulls? If not do pitbulls have a more "friendly" name. And is it just me or does it seem that this breed in particular gets alot of abuse. Not just media, but also from owners? Every time I watch "Animal Precinct" on animal planet channel it seems that there are a lot of abused pitbulls.... some of the things I have seen on that show are just heartbreaking. And that earlier post on abused pitbulls was terrible!!! I have always believed that the "bad dog" was mostly just and abused dog. I know there must be some mentally unballenced dogs out there, but that cannot be the whole thing! thanks for letting me write.[/quote] amstaffs and pit bulls are seperate breeds, if you search around you might be able to find a post I wrote asking the same question. They originated from the same breed but apparently some breeders werent happy with the bad name that Pit Bulls were getting so worked on breeding a seperate breed, witch became the amstaff. I wouldn't say pit bulls have a 'more friendly' name. I would actually say the opposite, not because of the breed, but because of the people who buy them. Many owners buy Pits for guard dogs, Pig dogs or fighting dogs. Of course with this amount of abuse of the breed it is going to get a bad name. I myself know someone who has an incorrectly bred pit, bred from a line of pig dogs bred for 'agression' as opposed to the ones that are properly bred and are bred for temprement. Its the ones bred from these 'bad' lines that give the breed a bad name, I will admit the owner hasn't 'properly' disciplined it, but he has brought it up well and doesn't misstreat it. One day I can see this dog attacking someone, with all the aggressive blood in it every time anyone walks past it goes for them. The only way to eliminate the bad name from the breed would not only be to stop owners from mistreating them, but more so to stop the breeders from breeding dogs for agression. :evil:

I got it in one too, pretty proud of myself seeing as the only pits around here are simply pig dogs, most are crossed with larger breeds to make them tougher so I thought if anyone, I wouldn't be able to guess it but I did! I've only ever seen one properly breed and properly cared for Pit, and it was absolutly gorgeous. I saw it at the rspca million paws walk and it surprised me to see what a nice breed they could be. My heart goes out to all those Pig dogs I see every day with their scars and missing ears etc tied up to the back of a ute willing to go anyone who goes near them. But I am glad to say, as far as dog fighting goes, the only dog fights i've ever known about in the country are the ones that happen when two dogs that don't like each other run into one another down the street!

Yep, sounds like bed sores to me. Is he a large breed? Best thing to do is make sure he has a nice comfy bed to sleep on and put some moisturiser, maybe vitamin e cream or something on the sores while they are healing. If he is an outdoor dog make sure he has a bed outside, aswell as inside and teach him the word 'bed' so that he knows thats where he sleeps rather than on the ground. Good luck

[quote name='Anonymous']Its Puddle's house and she does not want to share. Why not find someone who can cope with her and maybe find her people instead of upsetting both dogs. The neutral territory is for introducing two dogs and you are already past that point. I say at least use a baby gate to seperate them to keep the new dog safe from the current one and also to keep the current one from picking anything more up from the one you found (like fleas or worms or...)[/quote] Thanks Shannon, you said exactly what I was going to say! Guest, I thought I already explained that I was TRYING TO FIND THE DOGS OWNERS and that I would only keep her if I couldn't. I am not looking for an easy way out, because if I was she would be at the pound right now. I have done everything I can to find her owners, including going to ALL the vets in town to see if they regodnised her, stuck up posters around town, called all the local radio stations to get them to announce it on air and taken her to the pound to arrange a home impoundment. If the owners dont get her now its either because they dont want her anymore or their dead!!! I'm going out of my way to find her real owners for the simple reason is I know how devistated I would be if someone found one of my dogs and decided to keep them, but if they ever got lost, one little trip to a vet or the pound would find them safely home as they are all microchipped, I'm not taking any chances with loosing my dogs!!! I am not going to 'find someone else who can cope with her' because I have grown quite fond of her and would love it if I COULD keep her. I have always wanted a small fluffy dog of my own, the poodle is my sisters and its not quite the same, she isn't loyal to me and when I leave home she stays behind. And as for upsetting both dogs, they are not upset, Puddles is simply being a little territorial and Buffy, apart from having to dodge Puddles is as happy as can be! She goes wherever I do all day and follows me around like a shadow, then sleeps on my bed at night. And as for fleas and worms etc, all our dogs have been recently wormed so are worm free. If dogs that have been wormed could still pick up worms I would be living in constant paranoia of them picking up worms from the street, cats who jump the fence... I would never take my dogs for walks and be scared to socialize them at all! And fleas... the first thing I did when Buffy came in the door, after ringing radio stations etc, was give her a flea bath! Now for the sad part, after going to the pound I was informed that if the owners didn't get her I couldn't just keep her but I had to go through all these processes to get her (like any pound dog) but I will have to pay a whole lot of money I dont have to get her back!!! I will go out of my way to do it, my dogs always come first in my pay check, but it is going to be hard and I just hope that her going to the pound doesn't fall at the wrong end of my pay check or I'm worried I may not be able to get her back! Wish me luck! She's already attached herself to me and I couldn't see her going to anyone else but her rightful owners or me.

[quote name='hockeyfan']I'm afraid I have mixed feelings regarding microchipping. Let me explain, I have 4 min-pins. I had five. All were chipped. At the time it was done, my vet explained to me that if, god forbid, one of them ever did get out, [b]I could locate my pet and get him or her back [/b]because of this wonderful invention located under the dogs skin. I sad "Yes! What a fabulous idea! Let's do it!" On Saturday, March 23 of this year between 10:00 am and 10:20 am, in the middle of the day, a theif came into my backyard and took one of my dogs.[/quote] I'm sorry to hear about this, but just think, although you may not have your dog back now you still have the chance of getting her back. If she just had id on her collar the theif could be out there today with your dog without a chance in the world of you finding her, but with the microchip you can always know that you might someday get her back. Many vets, as a rule, scan dogs when they come in. If ever the theif wanted to get the dog immunised or if the dog ever needed to go to the vet for anything else, your details would come up on the computer, questions would be asked and you would be called. Same thing if the theif ever lost your dog, the moment it arrived at the pound you would be called and be able to get your dog back, even if it was found on the other side of the country!!! Good luck with finding your dog, and I hope you find her sooner, rather than later.

ignore my terrible muddled up attempt and spelling chihuahua... such a strange word to type!!!

I picked up this cute little bundle of... matts from off the street the other day. I'm not sure if I can keep her yet for a few weeks, I will if I cant find the owners. Anyway, she looks like a silky terrier cross maltese and my sisters poodle/chihauhau cross Puddles, 3yo, wont accept her and whenever Puddles see's Buffy (as I've temperarilly named her) Puddles attacks! She'll run across the room if she has to just to get one nip in. I know most of you will say let them sort themselves out, but it doesn't seem to be working, all that seems to be happening is Buffy is becoming terrified to be in the same room as Puddles. I took them on a long walk this avo in hope they could be friends in neutral territory but Puddles spen the whole walk chasing Buffy and biting her bum! Please help, before my beautiful Buffy becomes beaten, bashed and belittled any longer!!!

I just want to urge everyone on this board to MICROCHIP!!! It is the best idea since sliced bread so why doesn't everybody do it? All my dogs are microchipped, as is my cat... and if I had a rabbit or any other animal that could possibly get away, I'd get it done too!!! People who don't take the responsibility of making sure that if their pet gets away whoever finds it can send it home deserve to have their pet taken!!! The other day I found the most gorgeous little scraggly dog on the street, in peak hour just running through the traffic, thinking it was going to get hit I took it home to see if I could find whoever owned the dog, but, try as I might I can't find her owners. I should note that microchipping is THE LAW here, so not only have they broken the law by not microchipping thier dog, but they have also most probably lost their sweet little dog for good. I have taken the effort to ring radio stations to put it to air that I found this dog, I have knocked on many a door to see if anyone reckodnised the dog, I have been to all the local vets to see if any of them recodnised the dog, and I have been to the pound to report her found but I WILL NOT leave her at the pound. I refuse to leave the poor scruffy little house dog locked up in a cage with many other barking dogs in the cold (it is winter here) with the possibility of being put to sleep. I am angry with the irrisponsibility of her owners for not microchipping (or desexing, but thats another story), but at the same time I hope they don't come and get her. I have totally fallen in love with her!!! I call her my handbag and carry her around everywhere, and she is so loyal to me. I've tempererally (hopefully permanantly...) named her Buffy, because dads auntie used to have a dag called Buffy that looked like her, plus I'm a Buffy fanatic! Well, now that I have talked your ear off, I will stress once more, please microchip your dog and urge all your friends to do the same, otherwise you may loose a lifelong friend and it could have been preventable. Collers with tags can be slipped and in the case of your dog being stolen, you are 1000 times more likely to get it back if it has been chipped.

[quote name='sashagirl']I got my males clipped... He didn't seem to be in ANY pain. He was running around and going crazy when he still had the stitches in. Pit Bulls have a VERY high threshold for pain. It is all a matter of opinion, and how you think it looks. Back in the old days they clipped Pit's ears for fighting purposes. Now it is just for looks. [/quote] When my dog Tessa got hit by a car and broke her leg in 10 different places she too "didn't seem to be in any pain" and was "running around and going crazy" while she had a metal pin in her leg. Does this mean she wasn't hurt? Just because a dog doesn't appear to be in pain doesn't mean it isn't secretly hurting. Alot of dogs just put on a brave face :x

[quote name='Anonymous']WATCH OUT FOR BAD BREATHERS, IF MUM IS ONE YOU WILL HEAR IT, WHAT COLORS ARE THEY?[/quote] Whats wrong with bad breathers? Does it mean they have health problems? My boxer snorts and makes alot of funny noises when she breathes, some people don't like dogs who do this but I have found through owning one that it just makes them all the more lovable!!! I love her little snorts and grunts and its a great laugh when she gets excited!

Congrats on your 12yo Boxer!!! Everyone I've talked to has said not too many Boxers live past 10, but you've given me hope to have another 2 years (at least) of boxer fun with Lily! (she's only 6months old, but I'm already thinking that far into the future!) Just want to be with her forever... Glad to hear your boxer has gained new life and keep having fun together! :D

well if thats what your feeding him and he's not too skinny its probably fine. All dogs very with what they eat, thats probably why the vet wont answer you. Its one of those things you have to know the dog to know how much to feed it. Sounds like your doing fine. 8)

[quote name='sashagirl'] Strange :o What books have you read this in? Did you read any books that were specifice to the APBT or the AmStaff?[/quote] No breed specific books, just a couple I picked up years ago when living in Canada and a couple I bought in Australia. None of my dog books have both amstaffs and pit bulls in them, I guess maybe they do just have old information in them dating back to when they were just the one breed. Oh well, at least I know now!!! :lol:

[quote name='Anonymous'][quote name='Lafayette Kennels']It was the same case with Border Collies, and still is in Scotland. Working Border Collies get their tail's docked. Show/conformation border collie's have long tails.[/quote] Total CRAP!!! Scotland's Border Collies, Show or Working do not have their tails docked I am a farmer with 4 Collies and I have never even heard of this, beleive me you are totally wrong here. :o[/quote] Whao, settle down!!! Thats a bit harsh, who are you to be so critical when all that was said was a simple mistake. You could easily have just informed that it is incorrect instead of stating that it is total CRAP! It is people like you who make other guests so unwelcome in this forum. :evil:

Why don't you ask if you can have the dog for say 2 weeks to see if it fits in with your lifestyle?? If it doesn't work out you can return the dog and find something more suitable for you. Labs are great dogs, I espesially love the chocolate ones, but one thing to be careful with with a lab is its weight, they pile on the weight really easily and an overweight dog is many many times more likely to develop health problems than a healthy, fit dog.

Chances are, if he's selling them as purebreds they have papers. Theres a possibility that they are just a very dark brindle, many puppys appear darker than they grow up to be. Also, not all purebred dogs bred conform to the breed standard, like white boxers or german sheperds. Not accepeted, but they do exist. There are a number of possibilitys.

All that is happening is that your little Jack Russle is saying "im dominant, so pat me first, let me eat first, the chair is mine and don't try to tell me otherwise!!!" Nearly all dogs do it to some extent, your Jack Russle just seems to be a little harsh on your other dog. I know it may be tempting to pick up your other dog and tell your Jack Russle to behave, but all the Jack Russle is doing is re-enforcing the pack order and if you do that the dogs are both likely to get confused and the problem gets worse. The best thing to do in your situation is to always pat, feed etc the more dominant dog first. If it is a problem on the couch, maybe it shouldn't be on the couch at all, otherwise you could always buy your other dog a couch of its own. Once the dogs have established their order in the pack and know where they belong and what their limits are the problem shouldn't be so bad Hope this helps, Luv Jeanne

:-? Hmm, well I've just been looking at a few other dog books and they all say the same thing, how come so many books say they are the same breed if they are not? Ah, I'm so confused! :o

I read in a dog book that Pit Bulls are just American Staffordshire Terriers but with a different name, is this true?

Are you planning to show your dog? If not, it shouldn't really matter whether the tail is docked or not. Docking of cattle dogs is a personal preference, there is no real reason for it except some people believe that it should be done for working dogs so their tail doesn't get caught... I live in the country and I have never seen a working dog get its tail caught! Actually, most of the docked cattle dogs I see around here aren't even used as working dogs, but instead are used as guard dogs and most of them are bred with something a little larger to make them more intimidating. I must say, some of the best guard dogs I've come across are cattle dog crosses. Another thing to think of is that some of these so called "docked" cattle dogs aren't australian cattle dogs at all, but instead are stumpy tailed cattle dogs, born with no tail. The comment made before about blue heelers and red heelers being the same breed is incorrect, they are seperate breeds with seperate characteristics, blue heelers are an older breed and the red has more dingo bred into it, though apart from that they are very similar.

From what I know of the breed they are very gentle and very loyal. They make great companion dogs, as well as excellent guard dogs but before buying a breed like a neo you must be sure you will be able to afford to feed such a giant for the next 8-10 years plus the massive medical bills that are so common amoungst these giant breeds. I myself am considering a neo, but not in the near future. I cant afford one yet! Luv Jeanne

[quote name='Aroura']There are many reasons why pit bulls have a bad name. Mostly, as the name suggests, the breed was origionally bred for fighting, therefore, not only is it bred to want to fight, but it was bred to WIN fights, so anyone who is attacked by a pit bull has a good chance of winding up in hospital, attracting media attention... have you ever seen a news report on a chihuahua attack? Another reson the breed is considered dangerous is because of the type of people who commonly own them, I mean the macho people who want a dog to show off to their friends that will attack on command, as well as the people who want a dog to keep locked up in the house all day to guard their property and don't even try to socialize their dog because of this. I think it agreed by all, that it is more the owners fault than the dog, but especially with this breed people should be aware that they are taking on a dog that has been bred for hundreds of years to fight, so naturally more socialization and training needs to take place. Unfortunatly, the only pit bulls I see around here are the half starved pig dogs tied to the back of a ute waiting to be let off to kill. :sad: Its never the case of a sad dog, just sad owners[/quote] My daughter posted this message and I must say, I am rather proud of her and her knowledge of dogs, she is only 19. She lives her life for dogs and has been dog crazy since she was old enough to say the word. Fact for those dealing in facts, I have first hand experience of dogs that attack, because as a four year old I was attacked and nearly killed by a pack of Australian cattle dogs and kelpies. A corgie and her pups was at the centre of this attack although they were not the ones that attacked even though present. I do not know what instigated the attack, but I was sitting on the floor and have very clear memories of the dogs (six of them) running at me and attacking. I was fortunate that I was sitting on the floor because I was able to put my head between my legs and pull it down with my arms. I was nearly killed by a bite close to my temple, which apparently could of been fatal by the time my parents drove the hour to the nearest hospital. The result of the attack was severe injuries around my neck which to this day has left scaring which mercifully is covered by my hair. But mentally, I find it very difficult to trust ANY dog I do not know, including the Chihuahua's and Fox Terriers right through the big breeds, like Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Malamutes, Bull Terriers, Alsations or German Shepards and yes, even the good old Australian Blue Heeler and Kelpie. My advice to all you dog lovers, and might I say, I still am one, is this. Please remember how a person who has been attacked by a dog feels and dont dismiss their feelings. When I visit friends all I ask is that they restrain their dogs till I have had a chance to put my hand under their nose and let them sniff me and then let me pat them. I am not saying your dog is viscious, mentally because I was attacked I personally have to trust your dog, and regardless how gentle you say your dog is that trust will not be developed if your dog comes running at me barking or jumping on me, it scares the shit out of me. My sister had a German Shepard, the whole time that dog lived with her was terror for me when I visited. The dog did not do what I call actively bite me, but if my hands were down by my side it would take a nip at them. It was pointless trying to explain to her that that was not good behaviour, she said the dog was 'just being friendly'. Eventually I asked her to keep the dog out of the house or in another room when I was there because quite frankly this behaviour scared me. A few years ago, a friend of mine's husband had a bull terrier (another breed with a 'bad name'), and simply for the following reason these dogs get this reputation. This man thought he was just something, having this beefy bully dog as a pet and as a 'joke' he set the dog on me. I absolutely freaked, I was ready to do anything to protect myself from this dog, and by the way, I knew it and it knew me but the worst was this man knew I was attacked by dogs, and he was so frigging ignorant and thought it was funny. What a thing to teach a dog, to attack a human, even as a joke! As a result of this mans behaviour, I never went back to visit, explained to the wife why I could no longer go there and she came to see me. This should not have to happen if a dog is under control. My fear of dogs will always be there, once attacked you can respect how basic instinct kicks in with this best loved friend of the human race. My protection now, is to modify my behaviour in the presence of dogs, I have to gain dominance over dogs on initial introduction to the animal. This is best achieved by modulating my voice, lowering the tone. Dogs become incredibly excited and hard to control in the presence of high pitched excited voices, leading to situations getting out of hand quickly. I suggest anyone who has a dislike of dogs because of attack, modify your behaviour, I believe its true that dogs sense fear, overcome your fear, get the upper hand and you will be suprised how each time it becomes a little easier. I still advise caution with a dog you do not know or if the owner is not present. I honestly believe any dog is capable of attacking a human given the right set of circumstances, be it from protecting property or their puppies to feeling threatened themselves and reacting to that, just as we would as a human, after all, its instinct. All dogs should be given the benefit of doubt, but caution should be exercised when dealing with any dog you dont know. Especially if you are aware the owner is a ignorant fool who no amount of logical instruction and tuition on the socialising and training of their dog leaves them believing their dog is harmless. Be wise, know your dog, know the people who come in contact with your dog, and try and understand, many people who have a fear of dogs often have it because of a first hand experience and this may colour their judgement, but that there are also many fools who own dogs who create this coloured judgement. Take care, please remember, as you are only human and make mistakes through lack of training, socialising and education, your dog is only a dog, and lack of taining, socialising and education, your dog will make mistakes also.

I think that it is best to nueter your dogs, not only because of whats already been said, but think of it this way... if your dogs did manage to get out and find a nice little bitch on heat the owners of this bitch may be irrisponsible. To cut a long story short, chances are the pups would go to bad homes with bad owners and what would you have? Possibley another "pit" attack, just to give the breed an even worse name, even though the pups would only be half breds. Just another thing to consider before making the decision to get them done or not. Personally, I have all my pets desexed exept for my Boxer, but thats because she comes from good bloodlines and I plan to breed her when she's old enough. Unless you plan to stud your dogs out its better to get them nuetered sooner rather than later.

I am the proud mother of two dogs, Tessa, a 4 year old cattle dog/kelpie/bull terrier cross and Lily, my darling 5 month old Boxer. I also live with my sisters poodle/chihuahua cross, Puddles. I also have one cat, Tiger, two rats, Rusky and Mojo and 4 fish. Nice little collection but they cost a fortune to feed!!! All my friends think I'm crazy for feeding my pets better than myself!!! Luv Jeanne (and the crew)