Keep Your Pit Bull Safe in a Sometimes Hostile World

Pit bulls protect their owners. Isn’t it time you return the favor?

Several times I endured these risks with Augie, my last dog, who was a pit mix. So I have practical tips to share based on this experience.

In this article I focus on the safety and well being of your beloved pet.

Countless articles detail the real and imaginary dangers presented by pit bulls, but few consider the dangers they face.

First there is the discrimination and outright bans not faced by most other breeds. There are financial issues you might face if someone gets injured. Problems renting an apartment. Even living in certain countries or buildings with your dog. But I’ll leave them for another article.

The dangers to pit bulls are not well known.

Let’s focus on keeping your BFF safe from haters and uninformed people.

Breed prejudice and its consequences are problems you need to consider to protect your pet and have his back.

Where do these dangers come from? If you look at social media, you’ll find lots of people terrified of or hateful toward these dogs. These people got that way from others with similar feelings or from incomplete stories of pit bull attacks. These stories usually blame the dog when they should have blamed an irresponsible owner.

This results in countless negative stereotypes about the breed. You’ll find these ideas and feelings among:

• Family

• Friends

• Neighbors

• Police & civil authorities

• Vets & vet techs.

You can protect your pit bull buddy by knowing what to watch out for.

If you have a pit bull or a pit bull mix, you already know how adorable they are. But people who are uninformed, or misinformed by sensationalized news reports often become fearful and hateful.

And by “pit bull” I mean any dog that looks somewhat like a pit bull. I’ve even seen rules using that exact language.

A dog that looks like a pit bull is a pit bull. Actually many of the problem dogs are other breeds.

Here are some problems that happened with my last dog.

Most of the problems I encountered were not major, but one might have been deadly and shortened his life.

All photos by author.

The first thing I noticed was neighbors would cross to the other side of the street when they saw us coming down the block. And this was in a very dog-friendly community.

They did this even though Augie was always well behaved. Never growled (except sometimes in dreams) and almost never barked.

Several months later, after they got to know Augie, some neighbors told me they were scared at the time. But they came to realize their fears were not justified. Some neighbors offered apologies.

Augie was luckier than most.

Probably because so many people admired his good looks and copper-colored coat. Someone found him walking the streets alone in Sacramento, CA. The man put him in his car, and brought him to a shelter.

Fortunately for Augie and me, a woman who runs a charity for dogs, and is now one of my very best friends, saw Augie in the shelter. She immediately fell in love with that gentle face, and put him on a plane to Chicago.

I say this was fortunate for Augie, because every day on average 2,800 pits are euthanized–about 1 million a year. Less than 4% are ever adopted.

They kill most of them immediately upon arrival. Shelter owners know most will never be adopted because of breed prejudice.

The lucky ones might avoid euthanasia for many months, watching the dogs around them move to happy homes. Augie spent two years in a kennel near Chicago for board and train. No one came to adopt him.

So I adopted him myself. I’m glad I made that decision and regret not making it two years earlier.

Even “professionals” who took care of him were not always nice.

Toward the end of Augie’s stay there, he was punched in the eye by his trainer. He was given little attention and no love by the staff, a very painful torture to a dog so hungry for love and with such a highly socialized personality.

More than once, the owner of the board-and-train facility recommended putting him down. During the adoption, I was told by several people how dangerous he was.

They complimented my bravery for inviting this monster into my home. When you live among people who consider you a dangerous threat, how do you expect to be treated?

If you bring your pit bull in for medical care or boarding, watch what they write about him.

Here is a serious warning when it comes to protecting your pittie. Watch what they put into his records! Those records follow him around wherever he goes. They will affect the way people treat him.

People will say stuff about him, but he doesn’t get to tell his side. The comments they write last forever and pose an ongoing threat. In my case, they recommended seeing a behaviorist, because they thought he was such a dangerous animal. He wasn’t.

The behaviorist recommended Prozac and a trainer who came to the house for Augie’s first session. This woman had a strongly off-putting personality and spoke to me in an intimidating tone.

“Sit down,” she barked, “I want to tell you about your dog.” Her face was stern. By this time a month or two had passed, and I was already totally in love with Augie.

“Biting is in his repertoire,” she snarled. “He bit two of his handlers.” I thought to myself, watch out, lady. Biting is in my repertoire too.

I know about Augie getting punched, because my friend was an eyewitness. I don’t know anything about his biting two of his handlers. But considering Augie’s gentle nature, I would like to know what they did to him to trigger that behavior. If it even happened.

My point is that whatever happened, it stays on his record, setting him up for future misreatment.

The same kind of thing happened later at a large, prestigious, expensive animal hospital. Only this time the consequences were much more serious.

One afternoon Augie was acting a little strangely. Maybe a bit lethargic. We were afraid he might be having a seizure. I got in the car and rushed Augie to the ER.

While we were on our way, a friend of mine called the ER to tell them we would be arriving. She told them Augie doesn’t like strangers poking at him. She said to put a muzzle on him for safety.

Good news, no seizure. But the main doctor told me they had some problems during the examination. Augie snapped at one of the tech people.

They did not put the muzzle on him as we had requested twice. Instead, considering him a dangerous threat they zapped him with a super large dose of sedatives. He was out for about 18 hours. I was furious. I’m always worried about brain damage from anesthesia.

A couple days later I talked to another surgeon from that hospital who was not on Augie’s case. I asked her how long a dog is usually out from the anesthetic. She said about 5 hours.

Problems caused by a damaged reputation never go away.

I wish that was the end of the story. The same kind of thing happened several more times with other diagnostic procedures like ultrasounds and MRIs at that institution.

Augie had been labeled a dangerous dog and that’s the way they would treat him from then on. I didn’t come to realize it, unfortunately, until much later.

The last time I took him there was the worst.

Our vet referred us to the same ER. Augie had swallowed something and they couldn’t see what it was from the x-ray they took.

It was during Covid, so we had to wait in the car outside the hospital’s ER. After waiting in the cold, dark car for about 5 hours, a tech called me to get the history. She was friendly and helpful.

One hour later she came out with a male tech and a gurney to take Augie in. Since Augie could hardly move, I opened the rear driver’s side door to help push him out to the other side where the gurney was.

Now the attitude of the female tech was very different. In a very harsh tone of voice, she said something like “would you help me with this dangerous dog?”

I was furious. I tried to stay calm and pleasant so they didn’t mistreat him even more once they got him inside.

I don’t know for sure, but it’s likely she read his medical record before she came out to get him. She would have seen a red flag from his first visit several years before that scared her even though he didn’t look at all dangerous at the time. He was barely conscious.

He had something stuck in his small intestine and needed surgery. It turned out to be a very large piece of an antler.

Once again he was heavily medicated. They said the surgery was a success, but two days later he was still doped up. Seeing him that way brought tears to my eyes.

He never recovered fully.

I don’t know for sure, but I suspect he was over sedated and over medicated again due to their fears. Like they always did for him at this place.

After recovery, he experienced one problem after another, including refusing to eat. It looked like brain damage was responsible. He passed a couple months after the surgery.

I’ll never bring another dog there, even though there aren’t many alternatives nearby.

Dog parks might be dangerous for pit bulls.

If you’ve ever seen dogs playing, you probably noticed it looks like fighting. Sometimes it turns into actual fighting.

If your dog is a pit bull and the other dog is a golden retriever, which one do you think will be blamed if there’s a problem?

That’s why it’s always best for your dog to play with dogs you know will play nicely. And where there is an experienced person who can prevent and defuse potential conflicts.

This can also apply to doggie daycare. Some of them watch the dogs carefully to make sure they get along well before playing together. Others are more lax.

Working on the Bigger Problem: What you can do to help:

• Get good training in obedience to avoid even the appearance of problems.

• Socialize your dog when you get him and throughout his life. The most important period (the “critical period”) is 3-13 weeks after birth. He should feel comfortable with the people and dogs he will meet.

• Don’t get too anxious when meeting new people or dogs. He will pick up on it and become more anxious himself.

• Keep him on a leash. Prong collars and gentle leaders will make it easier to control your dog if he gets excited.

• Always show responsible ownership.

If you have a problem, law enforcement people will talk to neighbors. They’ll ask about previous problems and the kind of care you exercise over his behavior.

• Foster positive media coverage.

• Correct misinformation on social media and challenge dangerous stereotypes.

• Work with other dog owners and their online groups.

• Teach children about dog safety.

• Develop empathy for the breed by telling stories of how great they can be as pets.

• Advocate for fair laws and work with groups that work to oppose Breed Specific Legislation.

• Don’t forget to support the ASPCA!

 

Pit bulls protect their owners. Isn’t it time you return the favor?

Several times I endured these risks with Augie, my last dog, who was a pit mix. So I have practical tips to share based on this experience.

In this article I focus on the safety and well being of your beloved pet.

Countless articles detail the real and imaginary dangers presented by pit bulls, but few consider the dangers they face.

First there is the discrimination and outright bans not faced by most other breeds. There are financial issues you might face if someone gets injured. Problems renting an apartment. Even living in certain countries or buildings with your dog. But I’ll leave them for another article.

The dangers to pit bulls are not well known.

Let’s focus on keeping your BFF safe from haters and uninformed people.

Breed prejudice and its consequences are problems you need to consider to protect your pet and have his back.

Where do these dangers come from? If you look at social media, you’ll find lots of people terrified of or hateful toward these dogs. These people got that way from others with similar feelings or from incomplete stories of pit bull attacks. These stories usually blame the dog when they should have blamed an irresponsible owner.

This results in countless negative stereotypes about the breed. You’ll find these ideas and feelings among:

• Family

• Friends

• Neighbors

• Police & civil authorities

• Vets & vet techs.

You can protect your pit bull buddy by knowing what to watch out for.

If you have a pit bull or a pit bull mix, you already know how adorable they are. But people who are uninformed, or misinformed by sensationalized news reports often become fearful and hateful.

And by “pit bull” I mean any dog that looks somewhat like a pit bull. I’ve even seen rules using that exact language.

A dog that looks like a pit bull is a pit bull. Actually many of the problem dogs are other breeds.

Here are some problems that happened with my last dog.

Most of the problems I encountered were not major, but one might have been deadly and shortened his life.

All photos by author.

The first thing I noticed was neighbors would cross to the other side of the street when they saw us coming down the block. And this was in a very dog-friendly community.

They did this even though Augie was always well behaved. Never growled (except sometimes in dreams), and almost never barked.

Several months later, after they got to know Augie, some neighbors told me they were scared at the time. But they came to realize their fears were not justified. Some neighbors offered  apologies.

Augie was luckier than most.

Probably because so many people admired his good looks and copper-colored coat. Someone found him walking the streets alone in Sacramento, CA. The man put him in his car, and brought him to a shelter.

Fortunately for Augie and me, a woman who runs a charity for dogs, and is now one of my very best friends, saw Augie in the shelter. She immediately fell in love with that gentle face, and put him on a plane to Chicago.

I say this was fortunate for Augie, because every day on average 2,800 pits are euthanized–about 1 million a year. Less than 4% are ever adopted.

They kill most of them immediately upon arrival. Shelter owners know most will never be adopted because of breed prejudice.

The lucky ones might avoid euthanasia for many months, watching the dogs around them move to happy homes. Augie spent two years in a kennel near Chicago for board and train. No one came to adopt him.

So I adopted him myself. I’m glad I made that decision and regret not making it two years earlier.

Even “professionals” who took care of him were not always nice.

Toward the end of Augie’s stay there, he was punched in the eye by his trainer. He was given little attention and no love by the staff, a very painful torture to a dog so hungry for love and with such a highly socialized personality.

More than once, the owner of the board-and-train facility recommended putting him down. During the adoption, I was told by several people how dangerous he was.

They complimented my bravery for inviting this monster into my home. When you live among people who consider you a dangerous threat, how do you expect to be treated?

If you bring your pit bull in for medical care or boarding, watch what they write about him.

Here is a serious warning when it comes to protecting your pittie. Watch what they put into his records! Those records follow him around wherever he goes. They will affect the way people treat him.

People will say stuff about him, but he doesn’t get to tell his side. The comments they write last forever and pose an ongoing threat. In my case, they recommended seeing a behaviorist, because they thought he was such a dangerous animal. He wasn’t.

The behaviorist recommended Prozac and a trainer who came to the house for Augie’s first session. This woman had a strongly off-putting personality and spoke to me in an intimidating tone.

“Sit down,” she barked, “I want to tell you about your dog.” Her face was stern. By this time a month or two had passed, and I was already totally in love with Augie.

“Biting is in his repertoire,” she snarled. “He bit two of his handlers.” I thought to myself, watch out, lady. Biting is in my repertoire too.

I know about Augie getting punched, because my friend was an eyewitness. I don’t know anything about his biting two of his handlers. But considering Augie’s gentle nature, I would like to know what they did to him to trigger that behavior. If it even happened.

My point is that whatever happened, it stays on his record, setting him up for future misreatment.

The same kind of thing happened later at a large, prestigious, expensive animal hospital. Only this time the consequences were much more serious.

One afternoon Augie was acting a little strangely. Maybe a bit lethargic. We were afraid he might be having a seizure. I got in the car and rushed Augie to the ER.

While we were on our way, a friend of mine called the ER to tell them we would be arriving. She told them Augie doesn’t like strangers poking at him. She said to put a muzzle on him for safety.

Good news, no seizure. But the main doctor told me they had some problems during the examination. Augie snapped at one of the tech people.

They did not put the muzzle on him as we had requested twice. Instead, considering him a dangerous threat they zapped him with a super large dose of sedatives. He was out for about 18 hours. I was furious. I’m always worried about brain damage from anesthesia.

A couple days later I talked to another surgeon from that hospital who was not on Augie’s case. I asked her how long a dog is usually out from the anesthetic. She said about 5 hours.

Problems caused by a damaged reputation never go away.

I wish that was the end of the story. The same kind of thing happened several more times with other diagnostic procedures like ultrasounds and MRIs at that institution.

Augie had been labeled a dangerous dog and that’s the way they would treat him from then on. I didn’t come to realize it, unfortunately, until much later.

The last time I took him there was the worst.

Our vet referred us to the same ER. Augie had swallowed something and they couldn’t see what it was from the x-ray they took.

It was during Covid, so we had to wait in the car outside the hospital’s ER. After waiting in the cold, dark car for about 5 hours, a tech called me to get the history. She was friendly and helpful.

One hour later she came out with a male tech and a gurney to take Augie in. Since Augie could hardly move, I opened the rear driver’s side door to help push him out to the other side where the gurney was.

Now the attitude of the female tech was very different. In a very harsh tone of voice, she said something like “would you help me with this dangerous dog?”

I was furious. I tried to stay calm and pleasant so they didn’t mistreat him even more once they got him inside.

I don’t know for sure, but it’s likely she read his medical record before she came out to get him. She would have seen a red flag from his first visit that scared her even though he didn’t look at all dangerous at the time. He was barely conscious.

He had something stuck in his small intestine and needed surgery. It turned out to be a very large piece of an antler.

Once again he was heavily medicated. They said the surgery was a success, but two days later he was still doped up. Seeing him that way brought tears to my eyes.

He never recovered fully.

I don’t know for sure, but I think he was over sedated and over medicated again due to their fears. Like they always did for him at this place.

He experienced one problem after another, including refusing to eat. It looked like brain damage was responsible. He passed a couple months after the surgery.

I’ll never bring another dog there, even though there aren’t many alternatives nearby.

Dog parks might be dangerous for pit bulls.

If you’ve ever seen dogs playing, you probably noticed it looks like fighting. Sometimes it turns into actual fighting.

If your dog is a pit bull and the other dog is a golden retriever, which one do you think will be blamed if there is a problem?

That’s why it’s always best for your dog to play with dogs you know will play nicely. And where there is an experienced person who can prevent and defuse potential conflicts.

This can also apply to doggie daycare. Some of them watch the dogs carefully to make sure they get along well before playing together. Others are more lax.

What you can do to help:

• Get good training in obedience to avoid even the appearance of problems.

• Socialize your dog when you get him and throughout his life. The most important period (the “critical period”) is 3-13 weeks after birth. He should feel comfortable with the people and dogs he will meet.

• Don’t get too anxious when meeting new people or dogs. He will pick up on it and become more anxious himself.

• Keep him on a leash. Prong collars and gentle leaders will make it easier to control your dog if he gets excited.

• Always show responsible ownership.

If you have a problem, law enforcement people will talk to neighbors. They’ll ask about previous problems and the kind of care you exercise over his behavior.

• Foster positive media coverage.

• Correct misinformation on social media and challenge dangerous stereotypes.

• Work with other dog owners and their online groups.

• Teach children about dog safety.

• Develop empathy for the breed by telling stories of how great they can be as pets.

• Advocate for fair laws and work with groups that work to oppose Breed Specific Legislation.

• Don’t forget to support the ASPCA!

 

He had something stuck in his small intestine and needed surgery. It turned out to be a very large piece of an antler.

Once again he was heavily medicated. They said the surgery was a success, but two days later he was still doped up.

He never recovered fully.

I don’t know for sure, but I think he was over sedated and over medicated again due to their fears. Like they always did for him at this place.

He experienced one problem after another,including refusing to eat. It looked like brain damage was responsible. He passed a couple months after the surgery.

I’ll never bring another dog there, even though there aren’t many alternatives nearby.

Dog parks might be dangerous for pit bulls.

If you’ve ever seen dogs playing, you probably noticed it looks like fighting. Sometimes it turns into actual fighting.

If your dog is a pit bull and the other dog is a golden retriever, which one do you think will be blamed?

That’s why it’s always best for your dog to playwith dogs you know will play nicely. And where there is an experienced person who can prevent and defuse potential conflicts.

This can also apply to doggie daycare. Some of them watch the dogs carefully to make sure they get along well before playing together. Others are more lax.

What you can do to help:

• Get good training in obedience to avoid even the appearance of problems.

• Socialize your dog when you get him and throughout his life. The most important period (critical period) is 3-13 weeks after birth. He should feel comfortable with the people and dogs he will meet.

• Don’t get too anxious when meeting new people or dogs. He will pick up on it and become more anxious himself.

• Keep him on a leash. Prong collars and gentle leaders will make it easier to control your dog if he gets excited.

• Always show responsible ownership.

If you have a problem, law enforcement people will talk to neighbors. They’ll ask about previous problems and the kind of care you exercise over his behavior.

• Foster positive media coverage.

• Correct misinformation on social media and challenge dangerous stereotypes.

• Work with other dog owners and their online groups.

• Teach children about dog safety.

• Develop empathy for the breed by telling stories of how great they can be as pets.

• Advocate for fair laws and work with groups that work to oppose Breed Specific Legislation.

• Don’t forget to support the ASPCA!