First of all this isn't about pit bulls and whether or not they are dangerous but this involved a pit. My dog is tiny and I try to keep it away from larger dogs because it cannot defend itself. It got beat up by a gentle cocker spaniel even... It also is good at starting fights with other dogs because it's a hyper active monster that makes other dogs uneasy. That said, I saw a pit bull and its owner coming toward me and I walked away to prevent conflict. Then the dog owner pressed the issue.... likely to PROVE that THEIR little angel is safe. A typical pit bull owner complex. Needless to say they were trying to force me to put my dog next to theirs and I refused and then they let up on their leash to allow their pit to come within inches of my dog who I already was holding and walking away with. Then the woman's little angel began aggressively snapping and barking at my dog as pits are quite good at doing. And of course the owner acted surprised because of course he is a good boy around her and other dogs. Dog owners... don't be dicks if another dog owner doesn't want to socialize their dog with yours. They know their dog and it's best to leave them be. It's not about you and your little angel. Anyone else have experiences with crappy dog owners?
in my old neighborhood, there were 2 dogs that would always escape and roam the streets...they were both aggressive, but 1 would charge and bark at you while the other wouldn’t make a sound, but charge u and try to attack/bite...it’s like 1 was playing the role of the distraction while the other one went in for the kill I always had to be on the lookout for these 2 when walking my dog just in case they were out...the 4 previous encounters, I was able to see them coming and would yell at them when they were charging, and they would eventually back off...the 5th time, the dog that never made a sound attacked from behind and I didn’t notice until it was too late it got my dog on the leg very badly and she required surgery...I had to kick that dog numerous times to get it to release my dog...I was able to find out which neighbor these dogs belonged to, they ended up paying for the entire surgery, and I never saw those 2 dogs out again my only bad experience with a pitbull was in that same neighborhood...was walking my dog, and this pitbull ran out the front door and charged...I put my dog behind me and started yelling at it...it kept trying to circle around me to get to my dog...person was just standing there and I had to yell at her to come and get her fcking dog I’ve also seen the occasional “let me bring my dog to the dog park even tho he has no business being there because he’s aggressive as sh*t and acts like he was never socialized as a puppy”
Ive came to the conclusion most dog owners are clueless or irresponsible. A pet owner should always assume their pet is unwelcomed in other peoples or pets presence , not limited to barking, jumping, tugging at the leash, begging at the table, not cleaning up after them, even in their own yard. If someone is willing to spend thousands on their pet, invest some money early on and send them to obedience school.
The pit bull had that reaction because your dog, while small, still gave off a nervous and defensive energy. That energy often is from the owner that the dogs take on. Not saying the pit bull owner was in the right because your dog in public is your responsibility and liability, but I would be willing to guess that the pit bull likely is normally a very friendly dog and usually gets along with other dogs. The smaller dogs need training ... correct that ... smaller dog owners... need training probably more than big dogs do. With bigger dogs they often just naturally have more structure and rules with their owners. Especially on walks which is the most important dog training device. If your dog is trained to be calm on walks passing by other dogs and you are calm and assertive in the order in which you walk, 99% of the time, that pit bull will react like any other calm dog. Pit bulls are not dangerous animals. They are a terrier with similar personalities to a Westie or a Scotty. Pit Bull owners however can be dangerous owners if they do not train their dogs or they train them to be defensive and abuse them so they are scared to death. You can’t do anything to prevent other people from being bad owners but you can train yourself and your dog effectively to prevent that bad owner and their pit bull from having a negative reaction to your dog.
'Hi, I'm a vegan crossfitter and this is my American Terrier I rescued from the no kill animal sanctuary...' ... ... ... I didn't ask.
My mother had similar situations to this happen to her with chihuahuas (outside of the football linebacker tackle). A neighbor in an apartment complex would let his dog out without a leash, the dog attacked her leashed dogs twice I think, both times she had to grab their dog and wait a whole minute for them to catch up and grab their own dog, and they would get mad an act like it was her fault somehow.
