A few questions from a confused Newbie...debatable.

i"d go with an English springer spaniel. christ" they never stop, and they"re very useful dogs to boot !
"to boot " is a figure of speech.

 

Recently lost my little 21 month old game-bred bitch to a accident (got loose and chased birds onto freeway). Owned some big petbulls 20 years ago and would consider myself a experienced dog owner having owned Rottweilers,Bull Mastiffs, Irish Wolfhounds and Terriers. Like yourself I was looking for the ultimate compact companion dog and put everything into my bitch beachwalks,socialising,training and she went everywhere in the car. Tried my hardest to get as well bred dog as possible and believe I did well. To get to the point as sad as losing her was I think it was a blessing, like most of the posts here she was getting too hot to handle and becoming a real worry (not to humans). So as far as this little black duck goes, no more game-bred dogs for me, I'll leave them for the real dog men. I used to take my dog to work on night shift somehow a gate was left open and she went on the freeway, rang my wife she cried all night, when I woke up in the afternoon my wife had bought home a 5month old pup,(looks like a cross between a Staffy and a camel) Later down the track I might get a American Bulldog.Hopefully not too big.Bloody APBT's there's nothing better or more trouble.

 

Sorry I haven't been on, my computer wouldn't let me on the website because it said there was malware on the site.

Anyway, I want to thank you for answering my questions with detail and not bashing me for asking a few questions as if I had already gotten an APBT. I have been doing more reading about the breed and I have realized that because of their history, they can always show some form of dog aggression. I wasn't completely blind to that fact nor did I deny it. I grew up in a bad side of my city and the only APBT's I ever encountered were usually quite mean, which is usually because in "ghettos," there is bad Pit Bull breeding. I never let that change my perspective on APBT's as most of society has. I also noticed some forms of dog aggression from the past Pits/Pit mixes that I owned.
To the guy trying to talk down on Labradors, just because they are usually friendly, hyper, family dogs does not give you a reason to talk down. Labradors are a great breed. They are a bird dog. You obviously don't know much about the breed because they do not just retrieve birds, they also point. Depends on which breeders - lines you get them from. Also, Labradors can be aggressive dogs. Maybe not as aggressive as an APBT but I grew up with Labs and have had a few that got into fights with other dogs just because that dog walked too close to my yard while I was outside.
With the various mutts I had throughout the years, I have had some quite dog aggressive ones. Being the main dog trainer in my house, I usually was the one dealing with the aggression so I am not ignorant to it. I learned some ways to interpret warning signals and how to handle dog aggression by my own experiences and from reading. I'm not saying I know all there is to know, that for sure is not true. But I believe I have some knowledge and experience with dog aggression.
Well again, thank you for answering my questions with detail and personal experience.

 

Thanks for some input.
I have looked in to weight pulling breeders and have read on forums that they are usually less dog aggressive. I have found some of those breeders close to me which I like very much because they do still relatively stick to the breeds standards. I've thought about maybe going with a weight pulling breeder because I would love to do that and am not sure if I could go with a more game driven Pit because I'm no kind of hunter. I just think it's ridiculous that APBT owners/breeders have decided to call non-game Pits, AmStaffs. I now believe that AmStaff is just the name that the AKC chose to give to the "new" show dog, when they are really the same breed and just over breeding of the "perfect show dog" has resulted in a bit of a different look.
I believe I can live with and accept dog aggression because it wouldn't be my first time owning a dog aggressive dog and I loved them anyway.

 

AmStaffs are bred for confirmation, where APBTs are bred for ability and performance. Theres the difference in them, and you can fairly easily distinguish them just by looks as well.

 

BTW, your understanding of the word "game" is out ouf context with this breed ..... c'mon guys, youre slippin

 

Yes and they are not the same breed a breed is defined by purpose the APBT is a working dog they were never bred for the show ring. The Amstaff and the APBT are worlds apart not only in the looks department but in function. I have owned both so I can say without a doubt there is a huge difference in the two breeds.

 

Been around enough labs to give my judgement, it is my opinion and I don't like them. I know they can be aggressive, that is why I think the public opinion they are GREAT dogs is jaded. And yes some point but not their primary function. out of all the labs bred only seen a small handful so to group them in it is kinda false. If you read the standard and description pointing is usually never if ever mentioned as a function of that breed. But I have said my piece on this matter, keep telling yourself they are a great breed, they are adequate at best and do a good job at fetch.

Good luck on owning a dog, glad you are reading and open to what others had to say. It could be worse you could get stuck owning a lab. LOL

 

Well, that's what I always thought before I came to this forum. They are two separate breeds. So I think that would be another debate because I was reading another thread, and the same people on this website were saying that they were the same breed (some were disagreeing). Even calling non-game bred APBT's AmStaffs just because their breeders were breeding more for weight pulling. I have also watched video documentaries on Pits, and there were people on there saying they were the same breed, just that the AKC gave them that name. So I think there are also confused people or just people who refuse to think that they are separate breeds just by prejudice ideas of the ideal APBT. Am I wrong here..?

 

You're obviously not a dog lover. You sound like just another dog owner who is quick to snatch your dog away from another just because they are a different breed you don't like. I have seen this before just by walking my dogs, and those people are so rude to other people and their dogs, they act like they are too good to have their dog play with other dogs. Quit thinking you're so high just because you own an APBT, "the best breed in the world." No dog breed is the best, not even APBT's. Your quick judging to hate another breed makes you sound ignorant. Just because I refuse to ever own certain breeds, does not mean I will be quick to talk down on why they were bred. To each his own and who are you to judge.

 

Only Am Staff people try and claim their dogs are the same. They want that heart and want the image of it. When in reality most are empty shells of what they used to be. Not saying they can't be good dogs. However show people are known to breed man biters on looks alone. SCREW THAT!

 

Why do you say "quick judging?" Been around labs for 10 yrs about....inlaws neighbors etc own them grew up in duck country. I owned and love other breeds just not labs or dachshunds(although I appreciate thier tenacity and they do make me smile)....

now about your dumb statements regarding snatching up dogs. This shows you aren't getting what people are telling you.

Firstly I don't let any of my dogs of any breed(yes I own other breeds LOL) around strange dogs. There is no reason to let your dog near strange dogs. It isn't ignorance on my part it is the ignorance of the other owners and i take precaution to be safe. There are some family and friends dogs that Daisy does get along with, she will rough house with them when allowed(one being a dumbass lab)LOL. Secondly I chose to walk Daisy when most other people don't have their dogs out, 5-6 am or after dark or where other dogs are not. As most others on this forum chose do as well. This is just easier, no reason to worry and we can enjoy our road work together without destraction.

There is no real need for your dog(once it is not a puppy) to "play" with other dogs, it seeks human interaction. There is no place for dog parks either get that into your head.

 

Well said.

 

What are you talking about, not getting what people are telling me..??
I don't let my dogs around other strange dogs unless their owner is there. You know just as well as I do that there are irresponsible owners who leave their dogs in an unfenced yard or even out of the yard unsupervised. Yes, it is the ignorance of other owners because most of the time when I'm walking my dog, people have their yapping little toy breeds in the yard without supervision. They suddenly hear their dog barking as I pass by and they finally come outside to yell at their dog to come back to the yard or come and pick up their dogs so fast, they could fly just because my dog is bigger than theirs and he was barely paying any attention to it. Seriously, what is your problem with Labs? How does a dog know that while he's playing with a dog happily, that it will suddenly turn around and bite..? Dogs don't know they are different breeds, so they don't know what they're capable of as separate breeds. All they know is instinct. They don't get a signal from the Pit that he is going to bite because just like you and many people say, Pits suddenly show aggression.
Also, where in my past posts have you seen me talking about dog parks? So quit your damn shit talking and get off the thread if you're going to spend your time talking down on other people just because they're interested in a dog breed. You must not have read everything I wrote in the first place because YOU do not get into your head that I have owned several dogs before. It isn't my first time owning a dog, so quit talking as if it were.

 

Labs arent pointers, sometimes youll see one that points but its not common.
Labs are good dogs when comming from dogmen!

If u want a pointer i dig them GSP's or English pointers!

Btw APBT is better than any other breed & if u disagree than u suck! Lol

 

I like Pointers, they're very beautiful and have lots of energy too. Smart dogs. I love GSP's. I don't think any one breed is better than the rest. They were all bred for different purposes. I like all dogs (mostly large breeds) just because I'm a big dog person and they're big babies so I don't have a favorite one.

 

Just because YOU don't like them, doesn't mean that everyone else has to feel the same way. Js. I'm not a huge Lab fan, but that doesn't mean that everyone else should dislike labs.

 

Almost everyone loves labs, they are one of the most popular breeds in the country after all, but let's keep it on game dogs. No disrespect to anything about retrieving dogs or their service history but, most people here choose to study and work on dogs whose drive is based on self perseverance, not self preservation. Thats what sets these dogs apart and that's why we love them.

 

I will play devils advocate here and say that alot of aggression can be trained around. I have a friend that professionally trains personal defense and shutzhund dogs, and though he much prefers GSD and Belgians due to the Pits lack of tracking ability, he has trained some Pitbulls that were bad boys for personal defense, and yet in his training yard, he can have 5 or 6 dogs off leash while he is working, all males and some have covered females before and the dogs don't dream of growling at each other. They KNOW he is the toughest dog in the kennel, and they tried to be rough when they were younger, as they aged and training progressed, they learned it wasn't accepted.