Dog Showing Aggression to Certain People

[MeowingCows]

They get a bad rap from killing little kids dude.

You get one from being a huge dbag

Got a source for that?

I'm willing to bet you that the majority of dog-related deaths (not just pitbulls, all breeds) are related to people intentionally antagonizing or abusing the dogs. Not by randomly biting little Johnny whilst strolling down the block on an average Thursday.

If they just kill everything they see, we must have a lot of unreported deaths of zookeepers who deal with lions, tigers, etc. Anything and everything can be tamed in the right environment.

 

[ZB4CY]

They get a bad rap from killing little kids dude.

You get one from being a huge dbag

Got me there. Good one.

It's all how the dog was raised and treated. Like I said, with those 'statistics' I'd like to know backgrounds of those dogs.

There are TONS of people out there who own a pit-bull and have 0 issues, because they know how to raise and treat a dog.

 

[MeowingCows]

Got me there. Good one.

It's all how the dog was raised and treated. Like I said, with those 'statistics' I'd like to know backgrounds of those dogs.

There are TONS of people out there who own a pit-bull and have 0 issues, because they know how to raise and treat a dog.

Ding. I'm a biased dog person so I have no problems with pitbulls, I plan to own/adopt one someday actually. That being said, I'd never suggest that a novice dog owner adopt a pitbull (or really adopt any mid-to-large size dog without knowing extensive background information). Adopting pets is a mixed bag with mixed results, but adopting a large dog breed with an apparent attitude would be very, very tough for a beginning dog owner. I get that. That doesn't mean the breed only exists to kill people (my weiner dog exists to kill badgers, but he sure as hell ain't doing that). Behavior is acquired from life experiences, both for people and dogs. Dogs can be trained and nurtured to lose bad habits or attitudes, it just takes time and caution.

 

[ZB4CY]

Ding. I'm a biased dog person so I have no problems with pitbulls, I plan to own/adopt one someday actually. That being said, I'd never suggest that a novice dog owner adopt a pitbull (or really adopt any mid-to-large size dog without knowing extensive background information). Adopting pets is a mixed bag with mixed results, but adopting a large dog breed with an apparent attitude would be very, very tough for a beginning dog owner. I get that. That doesn't mean the breed only exists to kill people (my weiner dog exists to kill badgers, but he sure as hell ain't doing that). Behavior is acquired from life experiences, both for people and dogs. Dogs can be trained and nurtured to lose bad habits or attitudes, it just takes time and caution.

I do agree, when you raise/adopt a Pit-Bull you need to put a little bit more time and value into it. But I don't believe for one second that the fighting/killing instinct is in their DNA.

They learn those behaviors just like your little poodle learns to not pee in the house.

 

[cyhiphopp]

Are these other males that come over perhaps Hawk fans? Dogs can tell a lot about someones character.

 

[BCClone]

Is it bad when I saw the thread title I thought it was going to be about a racist dog? I know some of those.

Or a dog that hates people in hats.

Prefers Men without Hats? Really only one good song there.

 

[dtISU]

I do agree, when you raise/adopt a Pit-Bull you need to put a little bit more time and value into it. But I don't believe for one second that the fighting/killing instinct is in their DNA.

They learn those behaviors just like your little poodle learns to not pee in the house.

It's not necessarily in their DNA, but the characteristics of a guard dog (protecting, chasing, biting) have been heightened over decades of breeding. Just like my retriever was born with a predilection towards bringing things to me. Different breeds were developed for different reasons. Ever watch a blue heeler work?

 

[VeloClone]

The domestic dog is the most diverse species in the world. This is because of millennia of selective breeding often to accentuate desired traits. Different breeds came about because their owners wanted dogs for specific purposes so dogs that had the desired trait were kept and bred with others with that trait thereby accentuating the trait and diverging that breed from other breeds. Many of the mastiffs and bulls were bred for their strength and aggressiveness. Can natural instincts be overcome? Certainly, but it is silly to suggest that these traits aren't part of the natural traits of the breed group.

 

[KHoing7]

 

[ZB4CY]

View attachment 52043

Looks like a cold blooded killer!

 

[Bipolarcy]

I recently adopted a 1 year old pitbull (I know, to most the title of this thread will now make sense) from the humane society, and she is an absolute sweetheart... 90% of the time. I've had issues with her showing aggression on 4 or 5 separate occasions. All situations were men, and all situations involved someone coming into "her territory" (my house, my office, my pickup). Once she warms up to people, she's extremely affectionate, but I've now witnessed her snap at a friend, warm up to him, and then snap at him again when he came over a second time.

With all of this being said, I want to do everything I can to keep her, but am not blind to the issue and realize that not every dog is the right fit (and that I'm guilty of trying to rationalize her actions in order to make it acceptable). Ultimately I fear that if I have to go through with returning her it will be a death sentence. So I want to give her every chance to change behavior, but also realize any dog-attack story you hear the owner claim they never could expect it to happen. Have any of you dealt with a similar issue and if so, how did you go about addressing it? Whether it be training, kenneling when any company came over, taking to a shelter, etc.

TL;DR: Adopted a dog that show's aggression toward certain people on occasion. How can I fix it or is returning the pup inevitable/for the best?

Any dog that snaps at a friend, not once but twice, is a lawsuit waiting to happen, especially since it's a pitbull. What if the next time it snaps, it's a kid? If I were you, and I know you don't want to hear this, I'd have it put down. It's shown it's not to be trusted around people it doesn't know. Either that, or you can wait until it seriously hurts someone, but by then it may be too late. In that event, the authorities will probably make you put it down anyway.

 

[cycloneML]

shes gonna bite someone. We had a lovely pitbull mix. Best dog we ever had. She bit a girl in the face. Was put down that night. thankfully the parents were cool. could have been much worse.

 

[CynadoAlley]

Any dog that snaps at a friend, not once but twice, is a lawsuit waiting to happen, especially since it's a pitbull. What if the next time it snaps, it's a kid? If I were you, and I know you don't want to hear this, I'd have it put down. It's shown it's not to be trusted around people it doesn't know. Either that, or you can wait until it seriously hurts someone, but by then it may be too late. In that event, the authorities will probably make you put it down anyway.

I definitely wouldn't go as far to say that she needs to be put down, as I don't know her past well enough, or if I'm doing a good job of establishing good behavior. What I am coming to the realization of is that perhaps she would be best suited with an owner that has fairly significant experience in teaching a dog new habits.

I feel like absolute garbage over this whole deal, but it seems to be for the best that I take her back to the humane society..

 

[AgronAlum]

Is it bad when I saw the thread title I thought it was going to be about a racist dog? I know some of those.

Yeah, this was my first thought too. The fiancé has one. All I can say is I’m glad we live in Iowa.

 

[CycloneWanderer]

View attachment 52029

Do you realize that over 15x more people die in car accidents each day than died by pit bull attacks during the twelve years represented by your chart? I mean, if you are going to choose to be afraid of something...

 

[ImJustKCClone]

That's a fair way to put it.

The last time I was back in Iowa I went to my sisters farmhouse where her in-laws border collie-mix bit me in the back of the leg (drawing blood). This was after I had let it sniff me, and reached out my hand to try and pet it. Using some of the logic I've seen in this thread, I guess I should support a breed ban on all collies.

Well then, ban cocker spaniels. They wait until your back is turned and bite your heels & ankles.

My sons' stepmother LOVED her little sheltie. That thing tried to herd the boys whenever they went to visit their dad. Yipping & nipping constantly. Ban shelties.

My sister had a very affectionate Irish setter that loved to put its paws up on shoulders and lick people's faces. My boys were toddlers when she was alive. She was always knocking them down. Ban Irish setters.

Instead of banning breeds, focus on irresponsible breeders & owners.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

It's not necessarily in their DNA, but the characteristics of a guard dog (protecting, chasing, biting) have been heightened over decades of breeding. Just like my retriever was born with a predilection towards bringing things to me. Different breeds were developed for different reasons. Ever watch a blue heeler work?

No, but most of the ranchers in my family had border collies...they're pretty amazing. Smart dogs, hard workers, but not really the best for kids to play with, you know?

 

[55dB]

While the dog may be better off in a home that is willing to do proper training, there are likely things you could try.

When I adopted my second dog (Australian Shepherd), the rescue was relieved to know that I didn't have children, wasn't wanting children, and wasn't frequently around children, because they have a tendency to nip and herd. Just their natural instincts.

Is is something where you can crate the dog when someone comes over?

You could also take a training class, or visit with a dog behaviorist. I've found the videos that are posted on doggoneproblems.com to be really helpful.

I owned a "boxer-mix" for 6 years. Sweetest dog I could have ever asked for. She never bit. A lot of dogs that are characterized as pitbulls are actually mixes of other bully looking breeds, and I'd venture to say that environment and how they were treated early on is the larger factor in if they will bite or not.

 

[VeloClone]

While the dog may be better off in a home that is willing to do proper training, there are likely things you could try.

When I adopted my second dog (Australian Shepherd), the rescue was relieved to know that I didn't have children, wasn't wanting children, and wasn't frequently around children, because they have a tendency to nip and herd. Just their natural instincts.

Is is something where you can crate the dog when someone comes over?

You could also take a training class, or visit with a dog behaviorist. I've found the videos that are posted on doggoneproblems.com to be really helpful.

I owned a "boxer-mix" for 6 years. Sweetest dog I could have ever asked for. She never bit. A lot of dogs that are characterized as pitbulls are actually mixes of other bully looking breeds, and I'd venture to say that environment and how they were treated early on is the larger factor in if they will bite or not.

 

[KHoing7]

Looks like a cold blooded killer!

Lol I know right