Cross Breeds - PITBULL DOGS please answer someone...............?

PITBULL DOGS please answer someone...............?

My 13 yr old son has been given a pitbull, but i didnt let him keep it because of my 4 & 7 yr old Also the stories that are heard of their vicious nature attacking even their owner. DO THEY REALLY LOCK JAW. and must be put to sleep to unlock? my son says it depends treatment you give it and the environment.. most peeps say dont risk it cus their not family dogs (child friendly) I feel guilty cus my son just received a kidney transplant after 3 yrs of dialisys and every day as he recovered in the hospital he anticipated for my uncle's Bitch to have the puppies and questioned every day. I said yes then but now im not sure. CAN THE DOGS TEETH GET FILLED DOWN? i want my kid to be happy ITS IMPORTANT TO HIM but not danger my other 2 babies.....ADVICE ABOUT PITBULLS????? PLEASE!!!!!!

Public Comments

Dogs do not lock their jaws. NONE-ZERO-ZIP. Not happening. Do not file dog the dog's teeth. That's inhumane. Start researching the breed. All dogs can be dangerous but the Pits get a horrible reputation - and it's not deserved. However, this is an energetic breed. It's also not a breed I'd recommend for a novice dog owner. They are terriers and terriers are busy, high energy and tenacious. Give the pup back to your uncle and get a breed you are familiar with and can handle. I am starring for Rachel. She has pits and she works with a rescue. She can tell you more about the breed.
it is terrible that people jump to the conclusion, how the dog acts it dependant on it's owner, i have a pit and she is the most wonderful dog, she is sweet and is great with kids, my neighbor has a 2 year old and she lets him walk her, its great so as long as you treat the dog well and take care of it, it will not do that
You may find that a pitbull is friendlier and more loyal then some other dogs you may be considering, I would be more worried about breeds like cocker spaniels or poodles biting them a pitty. Especially if you are raising it from a puppy if you raise it with love it will love back.. I think 'THINK' they do lock jaw if they bite but you just have to stick your finger or a little piece of wood in the right spot to release it. They are not any more aggressive then any other dog, and make wonderful family pets, and you won't ever have to worry about anyone touching your children when they are out walking it! Edit: I was wrong about the jaw locking thing. They DON'T do it. I found a cool site you could look at pertaining some pit bul rumours. http://www.austinlostpets.com/kidskorner/2October/pitbull.htm
Pit bulls, and all other 'dangerous' dogs are not really that bad if they're raised correctly. The thing is, they ARE very protective and will attack to kill. If they are treated with love and care, they will protect your children to the death. If the puppy is raised with young children, it will be good with children it's entire life. I would let him have it, if he took care of it.
If I could give ten thumbs up to Cindy I would. This is the kind of dog an experienced dog owner should have, not a young boy who just had a kidney transplant. He's going to be going through ALOT the next year at least and you need to keep that in mind.
Maam, while I undeestand your concern for your son, trust me, the BREED is NOT what is dangerous. It sounds like the boy has already bonded to the dog, and that dog will be his best buddy for life if properly raised, just as would ANY breed. If you don't act like he's a killer, he won't be one. Spaying/neutering the dog also helps, in ANY breed, reduce chances of aggression. Their jaws do not lock, they don't need their teeth filed down. If you did file them down, the wounds would be more damaging if the dog ever did decide to bite. Your son has apparently done some research on his own, and knows that they cvan be used for therapy dogs, search and rescue dogs, and disability assistance dogs. Unless the dog comes from a fighting dog breeder, let him have it. You'll be glad you did.
Pit bulls are no more dangerous to people than any other breed; ignore the BS about "locking jaws" and all that nonsense. Any unsound dogs you hear about in the news (regardless of the breed) are a result of irresponsible owners and crap breeders looking to make a quick buck. About those lockin' jaws . . . On this topic Dr. 1. Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia wrote: "The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of pit bulls show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no different than that of any breed of dog. There is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of "locking mechanism" unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier." http://www.dogwatch.net In regard to claims of massive 1200 P.S.I., 1500 P.S.I., 1800 P.S.I. jaw strength (Depending on who is telling the story) he says: "To the best of our knowledge, there are no published scientific studies that would allow any meaningful comparision to be made of the biting power of various breeds of dogs. There are, moreover, compelling technical reasons why such data describing biting power in terms of 'pounds per square inch' can never be collected in a meaningful way. All figures describing biting power in such terms can be traced to either unfounded rumor or, in some cases, to newspaper articles with no foundation in factual data." Another "fact" is that the pit bull does not lock its jaw as do other dogs (although this is a frequent claim against it) but it's lower jaw scissors back and forth to "rend flesh from the bone". According to Dr. Brisbin: "This is anatomically impossible! Humans can move their mandibles forward to a degree because of an essentially flat dental plane. Dogs have greatly projecting and interlocking canine teeth and projecting cheek teeth that prevent movement forwards and backwards. I have a dog skull on my desk as I write and this type of movement can not be made. " http://www.edba.org.au/myths.html (another fantastic site) Here's the truth, not the BS: http://www.understand-a-bull.com http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25214356/ http://www.lawdogsusa.org http://www.realpitbull.com/myths.html http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/ http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pit+bull+therapy+dogs&search_type=&aq=f http://www.forpeteyssake.com/ Check out this post: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtSYLv.wUTw2Un5qHGGlzBbsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080623062448AAeKz2P
The pitbulls in the stories you here were obviously this way because some irresponsible person did not train them properly. They are not vicious dogs, they just have a reputation that makes people think they are bad. Has this pitbull lived in a good environment for most of its life? Some pitbulls are good family dogs, as long as they were socialized and trained early on. I don't really think this pitbull is going to attack your children on purpose, but you might want to take it to obedience classes before you keep it. They really aren't bad dogs, and I think this one could be a good family dog as long as you really work hard on training. I haven't met the dog, and don't know what its like so its up to you. I think that your son deserves to keep it, but its up to you. No, there is no jaw-locking and don't file its teeth down. Good luck :)
pitt bulls are sweet if raised in a good environment@!!!!!!!!!!! my sisters boyfriends brother has a huge pitt bull named chump,and he lets little kids use him as a horse.the kids are 1 y.o,3 y.o,and 5y.o does that tell you anything?he is the sweetest dog[at least i think heza dog...mayb elephant]in the world he will tolerate any thing human pulling his tail or whiskers,sitting on him...whatever Pitt Bulls ARE NOT vicious!!!!!!!!!!
Good breeder will provide the new owners of their 4 week old pups with a master key that is used for unlocking the jaw in case of emergency.
If "pit bulls" had locking jaws or swelling brains that would have to be classified as a different species. Please Check out some of these websites: www.hellobully.com www.understandabull.com www.realpitbull.com These sites have other links that can help you as well.
Pitbulls are excellent family dogs when well trained and socialized. Don't think it's possible? That dog from The Little Rascals? A pit bull. They are even used as therapy dogs. What your son said is true. American Staffordshire Terriers (pitbull is the "common" name) and all other dogs are a product of how they are treated. Unfortunately, because of a large underground, criminal element, they have gotten a terrible reputation as a dangerous dog. The dogs used in dogfighting have been severely mistreated by their captors (I refuse to use the word "owner") with acts ranging from beating and shocking the dogs to denying them food. It's no small wonder these mistreated dogs become dangerous toward humans. I've included links to webpages dedicated to Pit Bulls. Take the Wikipedia page with a grain of salt and keep in mind that the content is currently being disputed.
This is a great website that has lots of information. http://www.badrap.org/rescue/ There is probably a similar organization in your area that can give you advice also. I work at an animal shelter that has a special pit bull process and adoption so they screen their pits very well. I was truthfully leary of them until I worked there, but now most of the time one of my favorite dogs in one of the pits. Generally speaking they usually clear their dogs to go home with kids and families. They are actually great family dogs. They may not be good with other dogs however. If you look into their breeding this often makes sense. I understand people's apprehension and don't usually try to talk people into Pit bulls if they have lots of negative pre-conceived notions, but since you are asking read the information on the website, talk to breed specific rescues and meet some dogs, go to a breed specific event. IN our area also the organizations even put on free classes with breed specific information. There are lots of people out there trying to good information not based on media hype. The highest occurrence of dogs bits according to one insurance company is Labs not Pit bulls. Good luck.
pitbulls are NOT vicious. i have a pitbull. it all depends on how they are raised. any dog can turn on you not just pits. no they can NOT lock their jaw. there is more pressure from the jaw of a german shepard than there is in the jaw of a pitbull. pits are very loveable. hardheaded but very sweet.
My advice: If you know that little about the breed, and are that fearful, you shouldn't have the dog. Nothing is worse for a dog than a fearful and inexperienced handler. No, their jaws do not lock. There is no locking mechanism in the jaw of a pit bull. None. There is no need to file the dog's teeth down. They are sort of necessary for the dog to eat so I don't think that's such a good idea. They are renowned for their patience with kids. That doesn't mean, however, that a child and a dog (of ANY) breed should be left unattended. I don't recommend these dogs for novice owners, for exactly this reason: People don't know enough about these dogs to understand what it takes to raise them balanced. If you are to make an educated decision, start researching and start reading.
To be honest, I blame the media for your fears. They blast American Pit-bull Terriers (APBT) and American Staffordshires (AmStaff) so much that people can't form their own individual opinions about these dogs. Honestly, I believe that there are more attacks on people from small dogs than there are from APBTs or Amstaffs, but the latter catches the most slack because they are more powerful dogs. What people are referring to when they say "Lock Jaw" is the ability of the APBT to bite and hold its target until it is given a command to release or until it is inclined to do so. The problem with most APBT attacks almost always is a combination of a lack of knowledge of the breed, a lack of leadership from the owner, a lack of training and exercising by the owner, and sometimes, a fear of the dog itself, from the owner. APBTs need a owner who can be firm with their pet, someone who can exercise their dog extensively (for they are high energy dog), and someone who understands that obedience training is a necessity. If you can do these things, then a APBT is an awesome pet. I have 3 American Bullys, and 3 APBT and a 8 month old son, and I totally trust these dogs around him. Hope this helped.
You sound like my mom before i got my APBT. The APBT is a breed of dog commonly misunderstood, they do not lock their jaws and they do not just randomly attack. Your son is very correct in that if raised in a good environment and if coming from well tempered parents with good genetics they cam be very loyal and very sweet natured family pets, they have a very high pain tolerance therefore can easily handle the rough play that children may have though as with ANY BREED young children should be supervised during play and interaction with the dog, as children have a lower eye contact level and dog in general do not like to be stared at. The apbt while it is a fighting breed has never been breed to be human agressive and is one of the only breeds of dog that can gladly say that. Our APBT came from a family who had a 7 yr old daughter and just her dad, this dog to this day is very hyper around myself and my boyfriend but let her around little kids she has the patience of a saint and a heart of gold she easily adjusts her self to who ever is playing with her from the little girl next door who loves to come over and roll all over and hang off her to a small child who is content just sitting next to her and petting her.