Unpredictable Dog Equals Dangerous Dog
From LoveToKnow Dogs
An unpredictable dog certainly presents a danger to those around him. Share one visitor's situation.
Fact: Unpredictable Dog Equals Dangerous Dog
My husband has an eight-year-old Pitbull mix. He has had this since she was a pup during his previous marriage and spoiled her. The dog has had free roam of the house, bed, sofa, etc.
We have a 22-month-old boy and a baby on the way. The dog sometimes shows aggression towards our son; she has nipped him once, drawn blood and snapped at him with bared teeth on two other occasions. During these episodes our son was not even touching the dog, but merely walking past her.
She has growled at me on a few occasions when I tried to get her off the couch when I wanted to sit down and did the same thing with the bed, even growling at my husband. She is not always aggressive and is sometimes actually affectionate towards our son, but she is unpredictable.
My biggest concern is for our children. If it wasn't for my husband's feelings, I would have gotten rid of the dog by now. We have come to an agreement that the third time the dog shows aggression towards our son she is going to the pound. I don't want to see this happen, but obviously the dog has no idea where her place in the family is supposed to be. I think it has to do with how she was spoiled. Is there anything we can do? Part of me feels like a bad parent because I have put up with this for longer than I feel I should have.
~~ Sandi
Expert Reply
Hi Sandi,
I'm sorry to hear about your situation. Certainly, an unpredictable dog is a danger to your family. The fact that she has already drawn blood on your son makes this a very serious and unacceptable situation. In some municipalities you would have already been required to surrender your pet.
Pits tend to have more aggressive natures, and since your husband's dog has been allowed to do whatever she wants, she feels like the dominant member of your family pack. That said, I'm not sure you really want to give her a third opportunity to show aggression, considering she has already been aggressive on several occasions. The most important thing here is to make sure your son and the coming baby are protected.
~~ Kelly
Comments
EVERYBODY says that pitbulls are mean! I say BULL..., its actually how you treat them as they're growing up, ya know?!?! I've got 6 myself and 3 out of 6 are mean IF they HAVE to be,but thats how they were when I got them, the other 3 are like my own kids they are sweet as candy! :) But yea, be careful around pits ALL the time, you NEVER know when,where they are going to attack!!!
-- Contributed by: ~~Anna MarieEveryone has to understand one thing. Pitbulls are very aggressive by nature, yes. but the only thing in the world they want is your love, attention, and to be your number one. This is not really the kind of dog you want around your babies especially if its been known to your husband for years.. she still thinks she is his number one. so either for the protection of your babies, you need to get some serious obedience training. i know if i was in your husbands place, i would be heart broken to get rid of her, but i would for my family. But being a pitbull owner myself, they just want your love. and training will definitely tell your dog it is not number one. is it worth shelling out some extra money for? obviously your decision. but these dogs unfortunately get abandoned and killed all the time. the pound puts them down just to cut down on pitbulls population. They are the only dog that will give its life for yours. best guard dog in the world. it will love you to the death. just give her a chance to understand what her place is. have her trained and continue to go so it never leaves her mind. Thank you for listening and god bless
-- Contributed by: JImThis page has been accessed 696 times. This page was last modified 23:48, 12 November 2007.
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