Is aggression passed on?

[Deeogie]

Hello! I am new to this site, and have a lot to learn about APBTs. Sometime in the near future I want to get a pit bull puppy. I just moved into a new house so I am waiting until I am completely settled. I was going to get a puppy from Puppyfind.com until my friend told me that he was going to breed his dog with his friends dog (they are the same colors, so I think the puppies would be really attractive.) The thing that concerns me is that I don't think either of them have done this before, and also both dogs are VERY aggressive. This is what I am most concerned about. One of the dogs was trained to be SUPER aggressive and protective, I would even say dangerous. I want to know if agression is passed on. If the parents are agressive, will the puppies automatically be agressive as well? Any info would help. Thanks.

[miakoda]

First off, welcome to the site!:D Second, remember that most of us here are here for the beterment of this breed. The APBT is our commond bond whereas many of us would probably never socialize otherwise. As this bond is such a strong bond & our breed is in danger of becoming extinct, some people may say things that sound harsh or hurtful, but don't let that get you down IF it happens. We are just urging people out there to learn all that they can & then learn some more about these dogs in the hopes of finally righting their place in society & with families.

Whew. That being said, the American Pit Bull Terrier is a great breed. It is one that has been bred for animal aggression, & until of late, has been bred to NOT show human aggression in any forms or situations. Thanks to many undesirable owners with dishonorable intentions, these dogs are now being used to boost images, establish reputations, & as guard dogs (despite the hundred+ years of breeding to steer them away from this). There are a ton of good books out there, & one you would really enjoy as a "newbie" to the breed is the Ultimate American Pit Bull Terrier by Jacqueline O'Neal. It's straight up to the point all the while very easy & interesting reading (& it has pictures too!:p ). As you learn more & become more familiar with the breed, then there are some more "advanced" books (those that don't go as in depth into basic stuff) out there.

As for the dogs in question, are they just animal aggressive or human aggressive? And if it's human, then STAY AWAY from them!!! If it's animal, then think hard about having a possible high drive animal crazy dog on your hands. It's a lot of work to keep these high driven dogs away from all other animals & out of trouble ;) . For a first time APBT, I would actually look into maybe a rescue already in a foster home (hey, the foster mom has done most of the hard work in figuring out the dog's likes & dislikes) as there are many adults, young adults, & even puppies in rescue. If you would just like to purchase one, then I recommend a reputable breeder who can actually tell you why & show you why his dogs are worth breeding, explain how the breeding of his dogs better the breed, & will offer assistance with questions now & also in the future. You will hear a lot of stories about back yard breeders (aka byb's) & I will warn you to steer clear of people who have multiple litters a year & sell them all, people who sell dogs for thousands of dollars (do the dogs cook dinner & clean the house while your gone?), & those who refuse to show you their dogs and/or give YOU references to others who have dogs from him who can tell you their opinions. And if you have any hesitation about a dog, a pup, or the owner/breeder then steer clear. The voice on your shoulder is probably right.

I have owned & own several different breeds of dogs besides the APBT, but I can promise you this: there is no better breed for humans, be it the elderly or the children, & I will never go 1 single day without an APBT in my home. Have fun in your quest & if & when you have questions, just ask! We were all you at some point!:)

[Deeogie]

Wow, thanks so much. I agree that it is horrible that Pit Bulls have such a bad reputation.

To answer your question as to whether the dog is animal or human agressive, it is both. I was so shocked at how mean/aggressive/dangerous this dog was. The owner trained him to be EXTREMELY protective of him. I said "hi" to the owner and the dog growled, then barked and lunged towards me at the same time. I don't know why you would your dog to be like that, besides the fact that it is a huge liability. It has bitten people quite a few times. Anyway enough of that dog.

The reason I am interested in a pit bull is beacuse of what you said, there is no better breed. I have been around them, and we seem like a good match. I want to do as much research as possible before i get one. I want to do it the right way. I actually checked out one of the rescue websites that another member recommended, it was great! I think when i am ready i will adopt instead. Well thanks so much!

[miakoda]

No problem! :D As for the human aggression, yes stay far, far away from that dog & the people that have trained that dog. What's funny is a close friend who has a 3 yr old pup from a past litter of mine was broken into 2.5 months ago. Her husband works the graveyard shift at Exxon so she's home alone. Knowing that this breed isn't exactly the guarding kind, they installed a security alarm. At night she always puts the alarm on "silent". Don't know why, but I used to do that sometimes too. Anyways, the way her house is laid out, the master bedroom is in its own little corner farthest away from the front door & guest bedrooms. She leaves Mack to roam the house at night when her hubbie isn't there. Well, this particular night, she woke up to a phone call stating the police were in her house & for her to tell them if she's ok & where she's at. Talk about terrified! An intruder had broken in & was caught rummaging in 1 of the spare bedrooms. And where was Mack, may you ask? Following closely at the intruder's heels just a'watching what was going on. Ashley said she had heard him whining some, but didn't think anything of it & went back to sleep. The intruder had kicked Mack upon entering the house & said he was about to hightail it outta there until he realized that Mack backed away after being kicked. So he continued on. Go figure, huh?

Well, the are now moving out by me (:) ), farther from Steven's job, but to a place where she will feel safe.

And of course we tried to get this into our local paper & on the local news as it not only would bring awareness to people who keep their security alarms on silent, but also the humorous aspect of the so-called "vicious" pit bull. However, nothing ever was mentioned.:cool: Not surprising.