A lot of you know Lady was a rescue. She was part of a puppy mill, and with all the scars on the poor girl and the way she acts around other dogs, it was suspect that she was used in a fighting ring. I love my dog, and to think what she may have gone through brings tears to my eyes. I posted this before, but I have a book somewhere in the depths of my spare bedroom, the author says that the Pit bulls were originally bred for digging gold, and kept in barns to keep the rodents and other scavengers like coyote's and the such away from the live stock. I have never read about them digging gold in any other article or book, but I have read about them protecting farms and such.

Max, my oldest Staffy will be in the lake at our camp and dig up rocks and pull them up on shore. He will even stick his whole head under water blowing air from his nose while he digs for rocks. I guess after witnessing him and his rock digging skills, the gold digging doesn't seem so far fetched.

My neighbors have a pit bull. He's one of the sweetest dogs in the world. Loves pets and getting his belly and ears scratched. Has never intentionally hurt anyone. He is, however, a large and energetic dog that doesn't always realize his own strength.

Unfortunately, they have no idea how to deal with him. He's left chained up all the time. He doesn't get taken for walks because he drags them or ends up breaking the leash. Instead of giving him the level of attention he needs, they yell at him when he barks. He's just a big teddy bear that needs more love than he gets and has more energy than he's allowed to expend.

A lot of people are afraid of him because he's a big dog with a big bark, and a pit bull. My neighbors are STILL surprised that I'm not afraid of him, and never have been. I met him when I was looking at the apartment, and was scratching his ears and rubbing his belly right off. His size and bark mean nothing. He's just an over-excitable puppy, at heart.

I would never recommend the breed to a novice dog owner, or a lazy one at that. Lady and Max are both at the age where they are quite happy lounging around or sleeping on their pillows or running walking and swimming. But when Max was a pup he was very demanding. We were constantly walking, running and swimming with him. He would become very destructive in the spring when it was too wet or rainy to spend hours out side.

All dogs need to be exersiced or they become bored. They need jobs, and when they don't have what they require, they become destructive and loud.

I spend a lot of time out doors and walking with my dogs. And it shows.

He's not even 2, yet. He's completely torn up the side of the garage. If he doesn't have a stick or board to chew on, he is not a happy dog. When he can't reach one, he yanks pieces off the garage. He'll actually eat the sticks and boards, if they're not taken from him.

The thing that bothers me the MOST is that he's not fixed. He's not even 2, and he's already developing hip problems. My neighbors won't get him fixed because their son (who actually 'owns' him) wants to maybe breed him someday. He's still a puppy, and he ALREADY has signs of the early stages of hip dysplasia and that dimwit wants to BREED him?

(edited because the censor butchered one of my words and I didn't catch it.)

Oh dear Lord. I don't even know what to say. Aside from those people should be neutered and I wish the ASPCA would step in and rescue him. It's sad when people get dogs to tie them out side and forget about them. Like what's the point of having an animal?

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Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

Oh dear Lord. I don't even know what to say. Aside from those people should be neutered and I wish the ASPCA would step in and rescue him. It's sad when people get dogs to tie them out side and forget about them. Like what's the point of having an animal??

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The thing is, there isn't any actual neglect going on for him to be seized. He's fed and has water (when he doesn't dump his bowl right after it's filled). He has access to the garage for shelter from the sun and weather. He's just ignored.

And, being a pit bull, if he was a seized he would have a greater chance of being put down than placed. State law requires all pit bull owners (rather or not a dog is considered a pit bull is left COMPLETELY up to animal control people) to have liability insurance for at least $100,000. Even if the dog has never bitten someone, and it's reported as being a pit bull and there's no insurance, then the owners face fines and possible jail time and the dog is seized. Pit bulls almost always get put down because they're defined as vicious animals in this state.

Chapter 955 Ohio Revised Code defines "vicious dog" as a dog that, without provocation,:
-Has killed or caused serious injury to any person
-Has caused injury, other than killing or serious injury, to any person, or has killed another dog.
-Belongs to a breed that is commonly known as a pit bull dog.

Take 2 Rescue | About Ohio Required Pit Bull Insurance

Wow.

There was even a th a couple years ago, which THANKFULLY failed, which would have required all pit bulls to be turned over to animal control to be put down. Once again, rather or not a dog is a pit bull would have been up to the animal control people to decide. The definition is so broad that it can include all bulldog-like breeds and even boxers and mastiffs. Some authorities even read it to include any dog with a short coat, square head, and muscular build.

On a lighter note, some criminals really are complete idiots:

Crime Blotter: Chihuahua, Pit Bull Mix-Up - ABC News

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Originally Posted by hheath541

on a lighter note, some criminals really are complete idiots:

Crime Blotter: Chihuahua, Pit Bull Mix-Up - ABC News

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I think I now owe J_9 some pain meds for her bunny avatar. :rolleyes:

I think I am just glad they know the diffence between cats and dogs.

Hell, if they were mistaking chihuahuas for pit bulls, I'm surprised they didn't end up with large rats instead of puppies.

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Originally Posted by hheath541

(edited because the censor butchered one of my words and i didn't catch it.)

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Sorry you had to rewrite but I don't think that the people who abuse animals are necessarily mentally retarded. I think they don't have moral compasses.

On another note - my neighbor has a pit. Looks like a pit, walks like a pit and so forth. Her homeowners refused to insure her. She went to the Town Hall, re-registered it as a boxer - and her homeowners accepted her.?

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Originally Posted by hheath541

there was even a th a couple years ago, which THANKFULLY failed, which would have required all pit bulls to be turned over to animal control to be put down. once again, rather or not a dog is a pit bull would have been up to the animal control people to decide. the definition is so broad that it can include all bulldog-like breeds and even boxers and mastiffs. some authorities even read it to include any dog with a short coat, square head, and muscular build.

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You it's called BSL.

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Originally Posted by JudyKayTee

Sorry you had to rewrite but I don't think that the people who abuse animals are necessarily mentally retarded. I think they don't have moral compasses.

On another note - my neighbor has a pit. Looks like a pit, walks like a pit and so forth. Her homeowners refused to insure her. She went to the Town Hall, re-registered it as a boxer - and her homeowners accepted her. ??

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That's the thing. I wasn't TRYING to imply that they are mentally disabled. I find the term 'retard' offensive and never use it. There was more to the word than that, but the censors deleted it, so I just went back and changed the word.

Not really a big deal, just annoying and causing unintentional confusion.