play at a house with an (potentially) aggressive dog breed?

[melamama]

I just found out that a potential playmate of dd's family has a pitbull. This makes me uncomfortable. Maybe I'm just uninfomed but I tend to fall back on what I've heard about these dogs-and it's not good. We are dog people, but I'm especially cautious about dd and dogs-even ours.

Any experience or information to share?

[lilyka]

Ask them where thier dog will be while company is over. Any dog is a potentially dangerous when they are around a someone they don't know. My friernds have the sweetest, most wel mannered, always around kids golden retriever but my children are still scared of him. unless they ask top play with him she keeps him away from the children, usually outside or locked in the garage or basement. So even if Ser was a dangerous breed ii wouldn't worry about having the children over there.

On the other hand when I was in 7th grade i was at my friends house and she had a pit bull and I remember being very very scared and cowering in a corner for a while. I never went ot her house again.

[traci5489]

I don't know if one breed (of large dogs that is) is really anymore dangerous than others, I think it depends on how the dog has been raised and trained. I agree however with the previous poster in that all dogs may nip or bite when exposed to a stranger, so I too would inquire about where the dog will be when the children are playing. As for the pit bull part, these dogs are large, strong and will defend their owners to the death (as will other breeds) but because of their protectiveness of their families, it would be even more important that the dog not mistake rough play between children for a threat to "his" children and should be closely supervised (ie leashed by adult) while getting used to any new people. I have a sweet boxer dog and he will tolerate my kids doing anything to him, but let a stranger make a move for one of "his" kids and WATCH OUT his mild sweet personality can become quite protective. If it were me, I would just go along for a meet the parents when and if my child were invited over for play and see what I thought about the dog and how it was handled by the adults in the family and then judge from there since each dog and family is a unique situation.

For what it is worth I have known pit bulls that were as trustworthy as a dog can be (never trust any dog completely with your child, they are animals and react on instinct) and I have know a black lab and a small poodle that would bite without any provication or warning so I guess don't judge a dog by its breed.

[velveeta]

Hi there! :wave

I have two pitbulls, Ginger and Tex. I worked in pit bull rescue for a number of years, and most people really don't know the truth about these wonderful dogs. Please check out our rescue site to learn more about the breed: Pit Bull Rescue Central (http://www.pbrc.net).

Like the other posters said, *any* breed has the potential to be dangerous. Although I know that my dogs would never intentionally hurt a child, they are large dogs (50-60 pounds) and jumping up can hurt! I would never leave a child alone with any dog, ever, period. But, I wouldn't worry more just because the dog is a pitbull.

Here is a picture of my sister's pitbull, Molly. Pumpkin Girl (http://www.french-roast.com/images/trickortreat.jpg).

Edited to add: that link doesn't work unless you cut and paste the URL into your browser. :crying
So try this: http://www.french-roast.com/images/trickortreat.jpg

:love
Jean

p.s. my girl Ginger is so loving. She often bathes with me (but only if there are bubbles -- she insists on that!). And she was my daily support when my morning sickness was really bad. She literally placed her body under my arms to walk me around the house all day! :love

[Kirsten]

I guess I am going to be the minority and say that I would not trust a pit bull (or a rottweiler) just in general. My brother disagrees strongly with me and has wanted one for years. He has not gotten one yet, partly because he knows I'd blow a gasket and never let my kids go to his house or his dog to come to mine. It may be unfair and sure it depends on how they are raised and of course any breed can bite BUT whenever there is a child (or adult) who is seriously mauled or killed by a dog, it is always one of those breeds. It just is.
Different breeds have different qualities. They are bred for that. Some are more aggressive or protective or whatever. I liken it to keeping a gun for protection. If you have a loaded gun in your bedroom, sure you can protect yourself from that intruder. But so can your child (or your child's friend) find that gun and injure someone accidentally. If you keep a gun locked up without ammo, you are not as protected from strangers but your family is safer from accidents that can and do happen every day in this country. I feel the same way about dogs. If you have a dog that is big enough, strong enough, aggressive enough, protective enough to really protect you from strangers, that is a dog that has the potential to also harm a child - given the wrong circumstances. Just like the loaded gun.
Just my two cents. I am sure others have different opinions. Even with so called "nice" dogs, I prefer to have them away from my kids if I have any doubts whatsoever (but I was bitten as a kid so I may be more cautious than most - no, not by an aggressive breed, just a mutt).
Kirsten

[3boys4us]

Jean I went to your site PBRC and it's great. I've always felt badly for pit bulls and amstaffs cause of their reps. I think they are very smart dogs who have gotten a bad rap.

Kirsten I once volunteered for a shelter manager who explained pit bulls and rotties this way: Too many morons take the worst and most aggressive dogs and breed them to the worst most aggressive of bitches and what you end up with is a dog who can be unstable mostly because the breeders don't care and the owners are too lazy to train them.

I don't know. I have two dogs and I am careful about how they act around kids. I had a friend who had a german shepherd who was very dominant and I wouldn't let me son play there unless the dog was locked up. Even so, if it were my kid vs. a friend's dog, I go with my worry for my kid.

PS: not to pin anything on pit bulls, just on their owners.

[DiaperDiva]

it is always one of those breeds. It just is.

Mostly because of media sensationalism.

The facts are the highest percentage of dog bites are by Labradors. Why? Because labs and lab mixes make up the highest percentage of the dog population. Pit Bull and other aggressive breed attacks are very few, because there are less in the popluation.

But honestly..Pit Bulls give me the eeby geebies too, and I know it's not NATURALLY apart of their personality ot be ferocious. ROtties I LOVE!

[joesmom]

my sister has 2 pitbulls & a dachsund. i would let my son pet either of the pit bulls. the dachsund? no way. nasty little thing.

it is a shame that pit bulls & rotties, which i used to own the sweetest rottweiller, have gotten such undeserved bad reps. for every "pit bull gone bad," i'd bet there are at least 100 dogs who are loyal, kind & good. and i always wonder about the way the dogs who attack were treated by their people.

your kids, your choice, you have to do what feels right!

[JenniferJeffrey]

I agree, don't judge the dog by its breed. Find out about its temperament, but you might just want to be there for first contact with the strange dog that your child does not know, nor the dog know your child.

I have an Am Staff 5 mo. pup who I got for my ds (now 20 mo) because of their fantastic reputation with children. He is incredibly sweet and loving and is wonderful, just wonderful with my ds playing with him, pushing on him, etc. He loves people, too, even the vet!

Good Luck, hope your child can play with this friend in safety,

Jennifer

[levar]

Hi! I think the first poster had the right idea. No matter what the size of the dog, just ask that any dog be kenneled, outside, etc when the children are around. Period. No need to put anyone, child parent OR dog, into a situation that makes them uncomfortable. The owners wont mind and if they do then that should make you ask "why" anyway.

Stories go all over the board. My Dad has a toy poodle [Weighs less than my cat!] and the dog is SO scared of it's shadow that it bites anything it is near. Poodle?! Yet we have friends with a Burmese Mtn Dog [About the size of a car!] that is the most mild mannered gentle puff of fluff you've ever met!

[heartmama]

This came up in another thread a few months ago. You might run a search and find it.

I will just paraphrase here to say:

All dog breeds can bite, but only a few kill.

Most *fatal* dog attacks involve rottweilers, pit bulls, or similiar breeds. These breeds have been banned in several countries for this reason.

While these breeds can be very aggressive this isn't the real danger, since many smaller breeds are notoriously aggressive. The danger is the shape of their jaw. A Pit bull jaw is *nothing* like a Laborador's jaw. Pit bulls are bred to have short, powerful jaws that clamp down on their prey and hang on, unable to be shaken loose. Labs are specifically bred to have a weaker bite, narrow jaw, and blunted teeth, for retrieving dead prey without damaging it.

Bottomline? Any dog should be put away when your child is playing at another person's house. And I think it is reasonable to be extra vigilant, even unwilling, to let your child play in a house with a dog breed that has a lethal bite.

Heartmama

[leafylady]

I have the sweetest, non violent, submissive dog I've ever seen, but I would not leave her alone with a child that was not my own. She could scare the child, knock the child down, or the child could also treat the dog inappropriately. A pet owner has the responsibility to supervise the dog at all times.

You should go with your child to the friend's house. Get a feel for the dog and the owners. See how the dog is treated, how they handle the dog. Find out their policies on having the dog in the same area as the children. They are big strong dogs and even loving nudges could knock down a small child and a grown adult like me.

[melamama]

thanks everyone for all the responses.

dd's not old enough for unsupervised playdates yet anyway, so I would go and check everything out while we were both there. I think it does depend on how the dog fits into the household and how it is raised so I should be able to see that then.