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Thanks!
Our experience is the same with all 5 of our cats. Vanilla was not raised with them, she’s the new kid on the block but she’s getting along very well with them.
Skippy (in my avatar) is her special buddy!You know, when I first read the OP, a little something in the back of my mind told me that no matter what we said, stats we showed, websites we referred, the OPer was going to come back at us with something like he did. So here is my ‘real’ thoughts on the I.Q./career of choice of Pit Bull owners:
Who really cares?!? As long as they can afford to take care of the pet, they could be scrounging for change for all I care. I will totally own the responsibility of owning a ‘dengerous’ dog and I will whole heartedly admit I have made bad choices in my lifetime, but the one constant I’ve had are my pitties. The comfort me when I’m sad, play with me when I’m happy, and they don’t hold anything against me (like my I.Q.<Which is actually somewhat above average> and my career choice) and their love is one that I’ve never saw with another dog I’ve owned. Notice I keep saying ‘dog’ and not ‘breed’? I do that because I am not responsible for anyone else’s pits. I still teach my kids not to walk up to strange dogs, especially ones that are bigger than them, until we can determine if the dog is aggressive.
I’ve done the research, saw the bad and the good and made a decision based on the information I’ve found as well as personal experiences. I’ve had a dog for as long as I can remember and almost all of them have been big dogs. I was raised with a German Sheppard named Bear, my father and mother ran a kennel and raised champion Rotts from the time I was about 6 until the last one passed away at the age of 13. I was driving by that time. I also owned a Saint Bernard.
Anyway, I’m truly sorry for your closed-minded approach to this issue and I hope that someday you meet a wonderful pittie to change your mind. It only takes one. =)
I will admit, Im replying because Im emotional!!! LOL… I am a proud Mom to 3 beautiful children (Im a SAHM) and 2 Pitbulls 🙂 I may not have a high paying job, and I may not have a post-secondary education, but my Hubby owns/operates a construction company with his Dad. We’re not rich,and we’re not poor, just a happy white-collar family who loves this breed because of their loyalty and intelligence.
I have grown up with the breed, so needless to say, Ive always had a soft spot for them, but my Hubby on the other hand!! Well, he grew up with the “loveable” golden retrievers. He had once told me I had to wait until the kids were older, but then Duke had come into our life and my hubby was smitten.(our friends were moving and we did a trial run to see if he was appropriate for us) His reaction was in disbelief that a Pitbull could be so loving, generous and empathic! And about that time, his parents loving Golden Ret. killed a cat and snapped at one of our kids! Needless to say, my dear hubby said yes to Duke 🙂 My mom-in-law had a fit!!! With a smile on my face, I politely had told her my views on Pittys and when she got a new dog, she didn’t ask us for premission! We are adults, and can make our own choices, but of course with 3 young kids, she did the “but think of the children”!! thing….LOL… I laughed at said, well at least I don’t have to wash their faces anymore because the dog now does it, and I don’t have to pull them in their wagon or sleigh, because the dog does that too, oh… and he chases away monsters and the boogey-man too (my 4 yr old used to have nightmares until Duke started sleeping with him!)
Fast forward a couple of years…. we still have Duke, and have recently adopted a rescue named Steel 🙂 My mother-in-law loves them, she even lets Duke sit in her knee giving her kisses ( she never used to let his “ferious” teeth near her face when we first got him) and she offers to take the dogs for sleepovers at her house!! LOL!! She is quick to defend her 4-legged grandkids and YES she is very educated (Human Resourse Manager at a huge pulp mill in Northern Alberta Canada) and YES she makes 6 figures, and guess what breed of dog she’s getting next! Can you guess it? A Pitbull!!
This is a breed for people who have common sense!!
Well, I don’t know about most people with pitbulls, but my husband and I are both scientists, with Ph.D’s.He is a biologist; I am a statistician and a professor. We are lifetime dog owners and lovers. We got out first pitbull 4 years ago. She is the best dog we’ve ever had. Very people friendly. They are not a dog for everyone because of their energy. You need to be willing to spend time with them. I don’t think that willingness has much to do with IQ, however. And no, we don’t take her to the dog park because we don’t trust the other dogs!
You know, I completely agree with you. It takes a special person to own a Pit. We have to be smarter than the average person becuase if we aren’t our dogs will steal our seats on the couch. We have to be kinder becuase when our dogs are in trouble they need to be comforted or they end up with broken hearts. We have to be braver to handle the riducule our beloved pets get without deserving it. We have to be stronger becuase our dogs will find a place in our hearts just like our kids do and at some point, when we have to say goodbye, it will be like loosing a family member. It takes extreme loyalty to own a it becuase you can’t just decide you don’t want them and pass them down the road. Pits aren’t for everybody. They are for those of us who look at the world with an open heart and an open mind, just like they do. They are for people who love as freely and EMOTIONALLY as they do. They truly are “dogs for smart people.” 🙂
Unfortunatly some dogs of all breeds develop problems or are you convinced that piyyy`s are the only breed capable of aggression WAKE UP MY PITTY SLEEPS WITH THE CAT EVERY NIGHT SHOULD HE BE PUT DOWN.
I would just like to say that I think that this thread is ludicrous. For those of us who attempted to educate the poor sod who made the initial post, we were fighting a rigged battle. The voice of “Reason” is that of somebody who is willing to ignore good sense and simply wanted to argue. Nothing we said would have had any effect. I would, however, like to say thank you to all the people who jumped to the defense of our breed. For all the discussions and disagreements that are haggled out on this web site, the protection of our breed is something we all agree on. As for you, Reason, if you have even been back to this web site to see the arguments that have been presented, shame on you. I truly pitty you becuase you are obviously so close minded that you are willing to miss out on the best things in life. Also, thank you, because you reminded me of what we are up against in this battle to protect what we love so much.
All of these comments, whether from those who own a pit or not…all are said with some form of emotion behind it. And to a comment by Reason awhile back–“do you see why smart people don’t generally own pit bulls?” WOW–you can have your opinion, and will respect you for that, but when you begin to degrade people, simply because perhaps of their choice to own a dog that is “vicious,” I’m sure you know people who own Rottweilers, or Weimeraners, or even Collies for that matter. Have you heard of something called temprament? Although it is true that labs generally receive some of the highest ratings on a temprament test, Pits score higher than breeds such as Collies and Chihuahuas.
SO, I guess what I’m saying is this…thanks, first off, for allowing me to accept your opinion, but in turn strengthen my own (for I know no matter what I say or do, it will never change your mind–I have many people just like you who I meet every single day)…and it is not my job to change your mind, but perhaps a day with a pit who has been cared for, loved for, and given all the luxuries a well-mannered dog should receive…perhaps your opinion would change (but I know that won’t happen)…
Reason, for clarification, your whole purpose in joining this site was to pick a fight with everyone, put everyone down, insult their intelligence, and act superior? I just want to make sure that was your intent before I comment/reply further.
First off I would just like to say that I love every retaliation here.
I did not choose Jamaica or her breed for that matter. She fell into our laps (and our hearts) and hasn’t left. Yes, my response is emotional, and I will be the first to admit that. Jamaica’s mother and 5 of her brothers and sisters were brought to us by an irresponsible owner who was going to put them down extremely inhumanely if we did not take them.
Originally, I told my boyfriend that we would only keep them until we found responsible owners who knew what they were getting themselves into. Little did I know that one of these rascals would work her way under my skin. Her mother had the most wonderful temperament of ANY dog I had ever seen. I was nervous at first because we didn’t know anything about how she had been raised, and we had an 18 month old toddling around the house but she quickly put my fears at ease by eating a handful of dog food from my daughter’s hand as gently as if there hadn’t been a tooth in her head. Unfortunately we soon lost her to health complications that were set in motion by her previous owner whom only saw her as a breeding tool.
Gradually we found trusted friends and family members who wanted the puppies, but I decided Jamaica was our dog, she was already home. I immediately went to work researching the breed and dog training in general. I was already educated in training methods but I like to stay up to date and fresh on my knowledge. The breed was new to me, and even I was astonished at how loving and friendly they are. I am however also intelligent enough to know that there is great responsibility in owning a “vicious breed”. Responsibility not only to my family and my dog, but also to my community and the breed as a whole.
Though it is true that I am not personally responsible for the behavior of another’s pet, I know that this breed is in the public eye enough that owners need to understand that their dogs are ambassadors, good or bad.
(Notice, I did not gratify this post with my profession or annual income, and my wager is that no one would EVER guess. That’s the point.)
Just to chime in…. I have a Master of Science degree and own a pit bull. I am very intelligent and well educated. Not every pit bull owner is “un-educated” or “dumb.” Sadly, you don’t hear about the “good” pit bulls and their owners…. you only hear about the “bad” ones.
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