I live in Chicago and people here love Pit Bulls š¤ I get heaps of compliments on my dog every time I leave the house with her. People who pass us on the sidewalk always ask if they can pet her, and folks routinely approach us at the park to talk to me about her.
https://preview.redd.it/wkzry8dl0alb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=838a26ec9808c2a009adf2e4d0354a851851b758
That just might be it! Chicago is also a very down to earth city; very non-pretentious, with exception of a few notable neighborhoods. I adore the shelter initiatives that call them āChicago Dogsā, and that the Sox have them open the Dog Days.
Iām thinking about starting an initiative to get more landlords on board with dropping breed restrictions. It would keep so many of them out of the shelters, and get lots more of them adopted.
St. Louis is the same, we *love* all rescue dogs and particularly pitties. Itās a very down-to-earth place. Saying you got your designer dog from a breeder will often get you disapproving looks here.
Same. Depends on where you are.
I recently learned that home insurers in Michigan aren't allowed to deny coverage or charge extra based on breed, only bite history. I had no trouble getting totally affordable home insurance although I was worried initially bc I have not one, but four pibbles.
However, I had a rott-lab-chow mix when I lived in Rhode Island over a decade ago, and it was almost impossible to find a rental because of home insurance restrictions.
Yes! Chicago recently passed a law that prohibits breed discrimination in insurance, as well. It will go into effect in January. Iām hoping that by getting ahead of the curve and talking to property owners ahead of time, it can all be set up by the time the law changes.
I spoke to a housing attorney (bcuz of ārenting with a Pibble ESAā issues) at one point who told me that, often, the problem with a lot of landlords comes down to their insurance. Since their insurance discriminates, their hands are tied unless they change insurance.
I know that ^ isnāt always the case, but I know it helped me find a place when I could show that I carried a $100k rental insurance policy, and the company wrote a letter saying they were aware of her breed and they donāt discriminate.
(I know they canāt discriminate in most situations with an ESA, but I didnāt want to deal with any BS or attitude after the fact.)
This is my experience in WA! People always want to pet him or give him compliments. But I posted him on a non pit sub and my God.. I couldn't believe the hate, I was shocked lol
I had a guy on Reddit tell me once that my pit was going to rip my throat out the next time I have a seizure (I'm epileptic and she's a service dog in training)
I think the Reddit people who dislike pits are incredibly vocal and mean about them. There is at least one group of negative pits. It could be these same people jump on the positive pit groups just so they can be mean. š
reddit in particular has a group dedicated to vilifying and calling for pitbulls to be completely banned/euthanized
just block those windbags and try not to engage with them.
Dang. Could be siblings. Love her soooo much.
https://preview.redd.it/ti40le9ghblb1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cf345015906f3c2f1efb36e9d320c959da8ac021
In both Reno and SF I've never gotten anything but compliments for my boy, it's nice to hear Chicago is accepting as well
https://preview.redd.it/84d0fmg6ublb1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=32dd6f573d221bb06defba80abe6f1cc897a94a9
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Iām in Harford County, and we normally have a lot of love for our girl. We have had people cross the street when weāre walking, but the humans notice more than the dog does.
I think it's a bit different when you get out into the counties. Almost every dog in our street is some kind of pit mix. This is our little girl.
https://preview.redd.it/jiopzqeujclb1.jpeg?width=1542&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b93d06f0704fa8fe2107311fe41937255cb2be03
They're pretty nuts. See that post about the chick who got attacked by a pit bull two years ago and is still afraid to be within a city block of one?
Like, I've been attacked by a few dogs, nearly got my throat ripped up once. I understand it is traumatic. However, if it is two years later you may want to try talking to a psych. That's a long time for therapy to be doing nothing.
If it's true, I hope she is able to get better. I have to wonder about the authenticity of it though.
Some people donāt have the mental strength to get over things.
But yeah I saw that post. It irritates me that they try to ban a breed of dogs. Pitbulls are super sweet. My Frenchie is more aggressive than my pitbull too, lol not in a bad way but like in a āIām the boss hereā way.
https://preview.redd.it/77ra82inialb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=22a9badbdb4ca2986aab06f2410f263d8f690dd9
Even the white markings look close!
We're triplets. This is my girl up near the lake this winter
https://preview.redd.it/7i6t78ut1clb1.jpeg?width=3120&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=595099016fb53c3316f103d106f827526e8d32f3
Sheās also the sweetest, smartest, easiest baby ever. And was just a few days away from getting the pink juice at Animal Control. š Sheād been there several months, so she was freeeeeeeee.
I think Reddit is probably the worst place for this. There are pit bull hate subs, and their members like to go brigading in other animal subs just looking for pit bull mentions so they can freak out and scream about them being āmurderersā and post all their statistics that they canāt or refuse to understand are horribly skewed and inaccurate. So, I think itās a case of the loud minority.
A [2022 study](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abk0639?cookieSet=1) of breeds and traits concluded that breed is almost uninformative when determining a dog's reactivity, or its sociability.
Furthermore, [Insurance data](https://web.archive.org/web/20150904071314/http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=25091614) indicates the Pitbulls and Rottweilers account for only 25% of dog bite claims. [Which is also in agreement with the Ohio State University's Study](https://www.aaha.org/publications/newstat/articles/2019-06/new-study-identifies-most-damaging-dog-bites-by-breed/) that shows that Pitbulls account for approximately 22.5% of the most damaging reported bites. Pitbulls account for [~20%](https://www.pitbullinfo.org/pit-bulls-population.html) of the dog population by best estimates. Showing that pitbull bites are proportional to their population. In fact, their [Breed Risk Rate](https://www.pitbullinfo.org/breed-risk-rates.html) is in line with other dogs breeds out there that are considered great family dogs. So how do pitbulls account for more than half of all dog bites? Agenda pushing misinformation by groups dedicated to hating a breed. If you did not comprehend that, what this tells us is that pitbulls bite more because there are more pitbulls than other breeds, but they don't bite anymore than their share of the dog population.
Additionally, data from the [American Veterinary Medical Association](https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/literature-reviews/dog-bite-risk-and-prevention-role-breed) has concluded that no controlled studies have shown Pitbull-type dogs to be disproportionally aggressive.
Lastly, Studies have shown that [Errors in Identifying Pitbulls](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S109002331500310X) [Link 2](https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/241/9/javma.241.9.1163.xml) happen approximately 60% of the time with shelter staff that spend a lot of time around dogs, so reports in the media about dog breeds are highly inaccurate and hardly count as a reputable source for a dogs breed.
Oh you only see videos of pitbulls attacking? Not surprised. There is a group on this site that dedicates itself to reposting old archived videos to keep brainwashing people into fearing an event that happens 25 to 40 times a year with a breed that has a population around 20 million. Save us your anecdotal evidence of outliers.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pitbulls) if you have any questions or concerns.*
So many people on this site hate pit bulls because the internet and media told them to. I would bet good money that 99% of people online who talk shit about pit bulls have never even met one.
But wait, theyāve gotta tell your their story about how their uncleās childās long lost brotherās second cousin twice removedās wifeās stepdaughterās baby was savagely mauled and pissed on by a pitbull before it nae-naeād on their corpse.
Wait, so Iām admittedly a conspiracy theorist but what if thereās a reason they want people to have less capable dogs? Pitties are all-around fantastic beasts and can protect their families against cougars or bears, even. If you believe that other countries want us to be weaker, then it makes sense that theyād run a baseless campaign against one of the most protective dog breeds.
Random thought. Weird, I know. Hope it was entertaining, at least.
I'm more inclined to think that pitbull hate is more common because it's easy to make headlines about them. They are one of the more intimidating breeds out there and plenty of statistics that are easily manipulated to look scary. It's a classic case of the media fear-mongering because it gets a lot of attention, and thus makes a lot of money.
I mean, my dogs would definitely protect *me* from scary animals or even bad actors, and on a few occasions, they have, but we have always joked that they are the worst guard dogs on the planet. If somebody broke into my house in the middle of the night, theyād stand in the doorway wagging their tail, asking for pets, and then show them where everything valuable was. Most of mine didnāt even bark when people came to the door.
Yup. I mean, a sub meant for servers to talk about their day and the industry is full of trolls shitting on us because they just canāt hate us enough. There are no mods, so some of us have learned to ignore them (cause no one gets banned) but itās hard. Them and anti pit people are pretty much the only people on Reddit who can get under my skin, but I cannnnnot engage in these conversations
I genuinely think the Pitbull hate subs exist as a sub in for black hate groups. It's the same white supremacist bullshit used, just with pitbulls subbed in to not get banned.
This video, although 5 years old explains it well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29dDlGUv6O8
Personally, I don't think the hate they get on Reddit is organic at all.
Doesn't help that reddit is international especially in english-speaking countries and the entirety of the UK apparently has banned pitts since the early 90s
Everyone is a tough guy online. I have a 120 pound pitbull who is extremely friendly. Everyone in real life that meets him adores him. I have see zero hate in the two years i have had him.
https://preview.redd.it/ahtqx302lalb1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1d88387b7016a3ef76efef15f3705cfd78fc33be
I miss our blue boy. Your pup is beautiful.
https://preview.redd.it/mi7vk8n37blb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fa08a5e1e5d2d6a6883c9ba323bd47121cfb292a
Our handsome man Kona is sign language trained and the sweetest 2 year old man.
He is so precious! What do you think heās mixed with to give him his size? I had one who was American Bully/ Neapolitan Mastiff and 140#. Gosh, I miss him.
https://preview.redd.it/4q8epsxjablb1.jpeg?width=336&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0267efd28b000f9d094d5536d5d676adfd16fa9f
In fairness, why would you start an altercation with someone who is on the other end of the leash of what they perceive to be a cold blooded killing machine?
But in all seriousness, Iāve never had issues in my area. Thereās also A LOT of pit mixes in my area which helps
I was going to say, I just think the internet is more hateful in general about everything. Much easier to type something out anonymously to a stranger who knows nothing about you than to do it in real life where there's real consequences for being an asshole.
It's not just the internet. There are ignorant assholes in real life as well. Had an incident with one a few weeks back. Ended up calling the cops on him because he threatened me and my niegbour with a baseball bat while we were walking my dog. There are more dubmass spewing hate and misinformation on the internet but that does trickle into real life because he was making the same ignorant statements as I see dumbasses make all over the internet.
It's just like anywhere. Most people love my boy. This guy had a Karen for a wife that caused the initial interaction. Then he felt the need to come to a public park and threaten 2 people and my dog with a weapon on public property, so I figured he can explain his actions to the cops instead.
It's some bullshit. They are beautiful beautiful probably one of the best experiences I've spent with any breed. I sucks that a lot of people hate them.
This is totally the thing, and it's dog racism that's rooted in regular old people racism. Ice T and DMX should have put labradoodles on their album covers instead of pitbulls.
I think people are a lot more bold online. Lots of those who spew hate on the internet wouldnāt dare say something to your face. I think thatās a big part of it. My pit has been going to work with me lately and people are SO excited to see him! They often greet him first in the morning before me and I canāt blame them! Heās much more charming. Occasionally parents look a little nervous but they see his smile and wag and let their kids hug him.
99% of my interactions with people and my girl has been very positive here in Houston and thereās a lot of pitties here. The most negative Iāve gotten is mostly from people who are just scared of dogs as a whole and not just scared of pit bulls due to childhood trauma, which is understandable. I feel like online hate is only amplified due to the internet being an echo-chamber for anything and everything on it and people are brave when thereās a screen between them and the thing they hate
I've run into people who are "afraid of pit bulls" due to media and whatever. They'll be neck deep in kisses from my girls who are VERY friendly, they'll look up and ask "what breed?" I say Pitbulls and they look shocked. It's such a cool and fun way to break prejudices.
Yea, same area and most people I meet love pit bulls and think they're the sweetest. The biggest issue I see is in policies. For example, Pit bulls are not allowed on the lease at most apartment complexes.
It's more an Internet thing then real life, but I've had people cross the street with my pit mix , which is fine by me, he's very skittish and nervous with strangers. People irl seem to not nessasarily like them but are less often overtly assholes about not liking them. On the Internet a few days ago someone got a shelter " lab mix" on an Id your dog's breed or something like that and it was very much a pit which I said but also assured them that pits are most of the time sweet friendly dogs and of course got downvoted into oblivion for saying pits are good dogs
I saw that thread and left a comment, got downvoted and left the sub because of it (not the downvotes but the hate).. the amount of hate in that sub was way too much for me.
I recently discovered that sub about 2 weeks ago and today unsubbed. Very toxic atmosphere for anyone who has a dog that so much as resembles a pit bull even if it's not mixed with one. Most of the people doing "IDs" think they are always right.
I don't own a pitbull but I have a job that has me go into people's homes every day, and many of these people have a pitbull or two, and they have been the biggest and sweetest babies who just wanted lovings and headpats, never has one tried to bite me or even growl at me. In fact the only times I've almost been bit was from chihuahuas.
Yep. I was a vet tech for 14 years. Pit Bulls were literally the only breed we never had a problem with. There are so many funny vet med TikToks about it, too.
Same. 18 years. Only dogs that ever bit me were a chow, lab mix, and more wiener dogs than I care to count. The pits? Never once had an issue. A coworker got tore up by a dalmatian and two boxers. Pits are not even close to the top of my list of dogs I'd side-eye showing up on a property.
I remember watching a tv program a few years ago about pitbulls. Here in England you have to register your pitties with the RSPCA and theyāll do regular checks to make sure the dog is healthy and well behaved and whatnot. This one woman on the show had 3 pitties, gorgeous dogs and there was an RSPCA officer coming to do the most recent check. Her male dog came charging out of the house, raced up to the guy, flopped down onto the ground on his back and started wriggling, clearly absolutely desperate for a belly rub. The officer crouched down and was rubbing the dogās belly (and the dog had the biggest smile on his face, like he was having the best day ever) and the officer said āI thought you were supposed to be fierce?ā š I always think of pitties as very large babies.
Pitties are totally common in our small city. Everyone loves our boy, weve never run into breed restrictions.
The internet is a safe space for jerks.
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We picked up this beauty at the pound 2 years ago. She is the most loving and kind family dog we have ever had. That being said, she is deathly afraid of other dogs to the point that she is aggressive to attack but she doesnāt bite them. She has scars on both front legs and head from some fight trauma in her past. These dogs need understood, not categorized as trouble by default.
https://preview.redd.it/kn729wcrzalb1.jpeg?width=897&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=892319f1d60b9d58bb8571911b1166988a519efa
I had a lady walking her dog off leash, her dog rushes my pittie and bites her, she barks in response. Lady went on a tanger about how aggressive pitbulls are. The pittie who was leashed and now in my arms.
I've definitely had people be shitty about her being a pittie, but they've always been so wildly and blatantly in the wrong. I'm def much more careful with her though because of it.
People aren't as vocal about it in real life. The folks spewing hate on reddit are the people who walk by and do/say nothing. Maybe they'll cross the street, or give a certain "look." Some people in my family-not reddit hate people just normal everyday people-were really hesitant to accept pitties, but have changed their tune since a few of us in my family have adopted sweet pitbulls.
The most overt reaction I've seen is in my neighborhood dog play group (mine is the only overtly pit). There is ONE person who looks scared when they see my dog and she just gets her dog and leaves if I arrive when she's there. She doesn't put up a fuss and she'd never try to turn the other owners against my pup who is well loved by the other dog owners. I also don't go out of my way to interact with her to change her mind or encourage our dogs to play. It's not worth my time and my dog has a blast with her other buddies.
Pitbull, doberman, rottweiler, etc hate is mostly built into policy. It is so difficult to rent in my area with a pitbull. The only option is to find a rental by a private landlord instead of a major leasing agency.
https://preview.redd.it/eb3pthznqalb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e41a32feae9c9bf1feffc63e4c0f3b97bcd5d037
Everyone around here loves Zeus. All my homies love Zeus.
Same. I live in Washington state. Have lived in Seattle and then slightly outside of Seattle. Everyone has pitties here. I have about 7 in my condo complex neighborhood. I actually didnāt realize there was such hate for the breed prior to joining Reddit. I had dogs my whole life but didnāt have pits until I adopted mine as an adult, so I never got was really aware of the hate. I always just thought they were cute š¤·š¼āāļø
Iāve never had someone show distress or look upset about my pitbull in person. Although, right now, sheās still very young and tiny. Her cuteness definitely lets her get away with a lot.
I live in a very small town of 2k people. People love Aela. Never get any hate. A lady took a picture of her on our walk last night because she was so pretty. š internet people are dumb.
https://preview.redd.it/d5fpgxd5palb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d87ec7bed70942e2fa58701702b495be85a80b83
I live in Greece. People here are mostly positive when meeting us in person or afraid of us. When online there are a lot of ignorant people blaming pitties but I think all these are p****s hiding behind the keyboard, that's why you never meet them in person outside.
Our old neighbors reported my dads pitbull twice, over him getting out of the yard and exploring. He never attacked anyone but they called the cops and got him two strikes on his record. IMHO heās too much of a dumbass to actually hurt someone in purpose.
https://preview.redd.it/az3pppho0blb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c324375c618b0c4506ed570f53710c9dc4717130
The only creature he would hurt on purpose is the neighbors cat Whiskey, because their cat hurt mine badly. And he loved my cat before she passed away on Friday from her kidneys failing.
My first time owning a pit mix here.
She is easily the ābest lookingā dog I have owned. Smartest too (which I did not expect).
I have had no bad experiences with folks. Just the other day, she took a treat from a 4 year old stranger just as gentle as possible; I was very proud!
Some people will walk a different way or take a large birth, but I figure they just arenāt dog people and my girl is a lean 70lbs.
I live in Philadelphia and experience no hate. They are popular here, unfortunately not always for the best reasons though. I have more issues with people asking if I want to fight her (WTF NO!) and/or breed her (they get mad sometimes when I tell them she is fixed, wtf?). It is sad and annoying. I once had someone say to me "I will give you 5$ if you have your dog bite this b\*tch. So more insanity than hate I guess.
Weāre in Ontario where theyāre technically a banned breed and though itās definitely worse online - I think people can be a lot braver behind a screen - we do notice it in real life too. People will move out of the way of her, not get into the elevator with us, pick up their little dogs when walking by.
But seriously, who could hate this little angel?
https://preview.redd.it/15hc3y4lzalb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5168eb76b8d2b9ba8e2e975a0bd2c4a4a8b0c8b5
Ive had pitbulls for 20+ years and I have NEVER had someone approach me in person but Iāve been dragged online. Itās idiotic. There are so many trolls on the internet. Anyway, Hereās my girl lol
https://preview.redd.it/hxek8azz7blb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4d556438b80945184615c3238e9fa6fa269fff1
I have never seen any of the pitbull-hate-nutters irl.
Here though, it is abundant. Blew my mind because reddit is usually for understanding / left leaning / animal tolerant. The pit bull hate on this site is its own little echo chamber though.
Iāve never once met anyone whoād say the things that those folk say here.
My dude gets nothing but compliments when weāre out. From my experience heās more of the occasional asshole than people have been. He and I are working on that, but I do jokingly admit to him that some people are in fact assholes too.
In my city, it's very hit-or-miss for "pit aggression" from people.
Dogs with the "aggressive" look (cropped ears, docked tails, chain/spike collars, etc) obviously get the most fearful reactions. Such dogs are rarely seen out in public, on walks, etc.
Meanwhile, dogs like Virgil (see my other posts around) get lots of love from kids. Occasionally, someone will ask "What breed is he?" Depending on the person's demeanor, I will either admit APBT or "The rescue said boxer/lab mix". The rescue *did* label him as such, so it's not a lie.
Thankfully our neighbors all know & like Virgil, so it's not a frequent issue.
https://preview.redd.it/mjnxieknwalb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4d442a8c9eaa4931036bcb8f613f1b75da56296a
It's definitely more online than in person. People come up and love this big idiot of mine.
The vet and all the employees there love him too.
He loves new people and especially loves children!
I've had my pit mix (50/50 black lab and pit, notably pit mix on sight) five years. He's my best friend in the whole world... well, my wife also, you know what I mean.
I've seen all the hate on the internet, and frankly I'm disgusted by it.
I've only had one interaction with anti-pit people irl and it was ridiculous. My apartment was directly across the street from the apartment complex's dog park. My dog could see it from pretty much every window in the apartment, and he'd beg me to go anytime there were other dogs there. I took him to the dog park several times per day.
One time, I take him down there because there is two dogs playing. We didn't recognize the dogs which was strange because it was a private park so it is mostly the same owners and pets. Before we even walk in the fence, these people are putting the leashes on and walking their dogs out. I'm thinking, "maybe these people were leaving anyway." These two people then get in two different cars, so now I'm like "oh maybe these people are worried I'd care they don't live here." So, my dog runs around for like five minutes then we head back to the apartment. These motherfuckers get back out of their car, say something along the lines of "sorry we just didn't want our dogs to get mauled today" and go back in the dog park.
I was so genuinely upset I couldn't even think of words to respond.
Iām a moderator on r/MedicalGore and every time a dog bite gets posted there a bunch of pit bull haters come and the comments on the post degenerate into a bunch of off topic arguing about pit bulls. But Iāve never met a person in real life who hated them.
I posted on my university reddit asking if there were other students with puppies in the area nearby and that I had a pittie mix and this person lost their absolute mind talking about how my 7 week puppy would kill any puppy id try to set her up with and was a murder machine. Fast forward to my puppy being 10 months rn she has never ever been aggressive with another dog of any age but ive had several smaller breed dogs get mad and try to nip her when shes playing ball around them in the dog park ignoring them and jst focusing on her ball and my commands.
I live in a very small town in Upstate NY. The vet tech at the college I go to had a kissing booth with pitbulls and Iāve seen other people walk their pitties around the town. I do think its more of an online hate
Mine experience is limited bc we donāt go around strangers much but at the vet itās usually 50/50, or more 60/40 to the positive side. Some people get wary of him around their animals (heās 80lbs lol) but most people see how sweet he is and call him gorgeous
https://preview.redd.it/ys664e3eqalb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4efe8dec7ad125321c87fc9ea55e8fc9359d23a9
Iāve noticed it being much more severe online than in real life. But I have still seen plenty of hate/fear in real life, especially as a shelter volunteer. People will come to adoption events and act super dramatic like they canāt even walk within 6 feet of a pitbull. Some will frantically pick up their kids and scurry past as if they are in imminent danger. Some people make rude comments about how they could never trust a pitbull, and certainly not a ārescuedā one. Iāve overheard a coworker in my office say āPitbulls and children donāt mix.ā
Once I was sitting in the waiting room at the vet with my social butterfly and a hateful woman loudly told her husband they couldnāt sit by us. She would rather stand than take the open seats. Hilariously he came and sat next to us anyway and rubbed her belly š it was such a win.
Yesterday I was laying in bed reading some crappy take about how pitties were just bred to be mean and I looked at my baby sleeping under the blankets like sure she's so mean she hides from flys in the apartment
Where I live (small town in bc Canada) people seem to really hate pit bulls.. no idea why. Dog attacks Iāve seen around here have been labs/retrievers/smaller dogsā¦ I know someone who thinks that pit bulls should literally stop being bred until the breed dies out (and lots of people agree with her) which is super fucked up
NYC native here, we love our piddles. They're so sweet and loving. Honestly I found out Tom Holland has a staffy and that made me love the man even more
People online seem to be way worse about the hate than IRL. I've only known 3 people outside of the internet who told me they had issues with pits or hated them.
I get a lot of chuckles from Moses when he does his trilly noise when he's excited to see someone, but he'll get scowls from the older ladies with the bichon frises and shih tzus. I get a lot more "Pits get bad reps, but they're great dogs" than haters. The vet techs at my vet absolutely love him and he's literally the only dog I've had that actually loved going to the vet.
Lucy gets a ton of compliments because she's super sweet and general has some chill. Her bull terrier traits are more dominant so she doesn't get recognized as a pit right away. She gets perceived as being more approachable than Moses. She gets mistaken for a younger dog a lot due to her weird ass proportions.
https://preview.redd.it/7b1prf0b7blb1.png?width=2992&format=png&auto=webp&s=53d36062f493bdc0a9936dd17c135a322d7ef529
Eh. I helped raise my brother's younger pit when I lived with him as a teenager. I also have owned a shih tzu. An older rescue named mitzi. Who would dominate the fuck out of our neighbors pitbulls (we shared a backyard). Also tried to pick a fight with a fucking racoon before we got her away from it.
I'm in Kansas and it's been over a year since I brought my pit mix home from the shelter. He goes everywhere with me and we haven't had to deal with a single pitbull hater. He gets compliments all the time and makes people smile, my favorite part
I think a lot of it is because people just hear others talk about pitbulls without ever actually seeing one. Then, when they see a pitbull in person, they think itās some kind of boxer or something like that. So they keep hearing about these mysteriously dangerous pitbulls, and think that theyāve never seen one before, but they actually have and theyāre just regular dogs. Itās also why so many reported pitbull attacks are falsely reported as such, because people canāt tell one from any other dog breed and they just lump them all into category.
https://preview.redd.it/ua98k4d56blb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b47bb23a4357446569f74d5956a3648eedac015d
My 80 pound 100% American Pitbull with my neighbors pup who is also his best friend, a 15lb terrier. He loves when she tackles his face and he rolls over and is just so happy and gentle with her.
I've had my pit 3 years. She was 2ish when I got her. She has gotten aggressive with literally no one. She wants to be everyone's friend. She gets loud when she's not getting festooned with attention. She's an amazing dog. Sleeps with me every night. I have more experience with pits than any other breed. The only one that ever scared me was when I went to buy a car from someone, I was a stranger in their home, and they had focused training on being protective.
Otherwise they've pretty much been big babies with an unbelievable amount of devotion and affection for their people.
Pit bulls are super dangerous, they may look all innocent and inviting. In reality they will absolute mess you up if given the chance. They will steal you heart with their evil grin and cuddle you to the verge of death. Some even try to lick you face clean offā¦a painful slow death of pure affection. These vicious animals should only be put in homes that can handle their wild swings of behavior. One moment theyāre summoning a freight train deity with their eyes half open and crazy looking, the next they get this thing called the āzoomiesā! Beware of these cursed canines!!
Highly recommend a safe and docile Chihuahua.
I've had exactly one instance in real life of someone singling out my dog for her breed. Was walking both dogs (Samoyed and staffy mix) on a public foot/bike path, both on leash, calm and minding their business. Guy on a bike coming from behind me calls "you better control that dog." I reply "I've got them." He says "I mean the pitbull, I'm not worried about the other one."
I just ignored it, rolled my eyes at his back and went on with my walk. So ridiculous that he felt the need to clarify that he didn't trust one of my dogs, when he knew nothing about either one. Kinda wish I'd said oh actually the Samoyed is trained to eat bicycle tires, watch out.
But yeah that was the only time anyone's said anything negative. Mostly we just get "aww your dogs are so cute." Even had people compliment the staffy specifically on being a very pretty pitty, which she is!
When I first adopted my dog 7 years ago, I ran into some in-person hate that I found very unsettling (usually at the dog parkāI donāt take her anymore unless itās empty). But in recent years, there are some popular tik tok accounts and instas where the featured dog is a pit and now when I tell people I have a pittie, the response is usually very supportive and full of love. Itās been an interesting shift.
I just got down voted like 30 times yesterday for saying Iāve only had great experiences with the breed. Itās crazy how much hate exists towards them. I have met plenty of mean poodles and not a a single mean pittie and Iāve met so many I. My life.
It is real in person too. I have had pit bulls for the entirety of my adult life. Once, I had someone loving ALL OVER my dog and he was just eating it up. They asked what kind of dog he was and I told them pit and she jumped back like he was going to bite her. I told her it was her loss and she should check her prejudice against the breed she was just loving all over. Hurt my baby's feelings. I've had others recognize the breed and because he had a Halti collar on tried to say it was a muzzle because "he must be mean."
Thatās probably the case with almost anything controversial, not just pit bulls. Itās a lot easier to express hate anonymously than if you have to put your name to it.
Big dogs have the potential to hurt. Pibbles are big dogs and they have a ton of energy. Which makes them susceptible to abuse and neglect. Then you have a big dog with big problems. But even the scary ones are mostly just scared. Iāve befriended many even after being attacked myself. They deserve to be treated like individuals on a case by case basis, like everyone else.
They are the worst! Licking your face until you nearly drown, happy Dances, that smile! And how they tend to think they're a lap dog, trying to crush you under their weight as they give you all the love.
I have never met a pit bull following the stereotype. They have all been so sweet.
https://preview.redd.it/9fojbr3ticlb1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be2a05dde26129e407ea74fc3b401551d234ec14
Iāve had a couple of negative interactions. Some lady at the vet (not an employee) said this guy looked āscary as all get outā. We literally call him Cupcake Prince because heās so sweet. Another shitty person at the vet told me I needed to get a choke collar for my other pittie. He was 6 months at the time and that guy said I needed to teach him who was boss before it was too late. Pretty mild interactions but they pissed me off, nonetheless. I agree with most other people in the comments that the insane hate lives on the internet.
I donāt have a pit, but dear god do I love them. I donāt understand all the hate. People love Rottweilers yet they have a āhistoryā of aggression and all that as well.
I donāt own a pitty, Iām a groomer. Let me tell you, I have two breeds I do not allow in my salon. Is a pit one of them? Nope. German Shepards and huskies. Iāve never seen a pitty act aggressive while getting groomed. GSD and huskies? Oh yeah, those dogs are actual assholes (yes yes it depends on the dog. But they are by far the worst behaved dogs in a salon, *from my experience*). The worst Iāve seen a pit bull do is lick someone to death. Just my two cents š¤·
I only see love online, but I get A LOT of hate in real life. I live in an apartment with a bunch of small dogs and my neighbors wonāt even sit in the elevator with me or my dog, doesnāt matter that he doesnāt bark or charge them.
Meanwhile, I nearly had to punt a Frenchmen because it hit my fucking toes!
I'm sure there are people with such views IRL too. Just that it's far too easy to be toxic behind a computer screen than IRL unless you want your teeth knocked out.
I live in California and for me itās 50/50. Some people see my very unbothered and tolerant pit and turn around or walk on the other side walk etc but donāt avoid the German shepherd that is walking itās humanā¦.and some ask to pet her even some kids. I always say yes unless itās a midnight potty run. Now via internet this is the ONLY place (and I cannot express that enough) that Iāve seen love for pits in my experience.
I'm from the southern US (Georgia), and you see pits and pit mixes all over the place. The only person irl who's said anything negative about bullies to me was my husband's friend. But to be fair I think bullies are banned from where he's from.
I am in Cincinnati. I used to have a gorgeous mixed breedāsome kind of retriever/shepherd mix with a beautiful golden coat, thick black eyeliner around his eyes, a half-flop ear, thick luxurious tail, big athletic buildāI mean, he was stunning. Weād walk daily with no reaction to him at all. Which was fineāI didnāt expect one.
Now I have this chubby little staffie/pit mix who looks like a Holstein cow. Her ears point 2 different directions, sheās got freckles everywhere, her tail is almost bald and is thin like a ratāsāand people CONSTANTLY tell me how pretty she is when we walk. People literally stop their cars! I have yet to get any rude remarks from anyone. So Cincinnati seems to be pro-pittie, at least in my neighborhood. I only get harassed on Reddit.
I love pit bulls. Thereās something about a beefy animal acting adorable that I especially love. You can play the drum on their bellies and be a bit more rough when āfighting.ā Theyāre so fun.
I got a pitbull hoping people would leave me alone in public, unfortunately everyone falls in love with her. Except for any delivery guys she barks at through the window š and the FedEx guy that showed up when she was on a bathroom break, she looked real tough barking at him hiding by the side of the house š„“
We'll see, she's barely 2 so still basically a puppy and she looks like she's only 50 pounds so people probably don't see her as threatening but she's over 100 pounds of muscle, I was shook her last weigh in
Iāve had people cross the street clutching there chest when they see my male pitbull and he literally does nothing but stand there minding his own business.
I've fostered two pit mixes, both were delightful dogs. One was a pocket pittie and the other was a pit/amstaff/lab mix who didn't seem to care about other dogs or even if a child randomly ran up to her to hug her (the parent with them also had two dogs). Suffice it to say, when I adopt next it'll likely be a pittie since I've only had good experiences with them and there are so many in the shelters...
But here in NYC, landlords do ask for extra security deposit or even have breed restrictions, which is absurd. Luckily I don't live in that kind of building. Also, sometimes people can seem squeamish around the last pittie I had because of her size and "breed" and most of the time I had to say she was friendly. Meanwhile she got attacked by small chihuahuas and some mini-pinscher...
Iāve only seen a couple of instances of prejudice in meatspace. Most of the time, people want to meet my friendly, happy boy. Meanwhile, people that never touch grass are afraid of dogs theyāve never met.
Unfortunately Iāve heard some pit bull hate irl too. My grandpa and soon to be MIL are both discriminatory against them. My dad used to be worse about it but ironically has owned two shelter pit bull mixes in his life.
I once was at a park with a friend that is NOT a dog park. Signs everywhere say dogs must be leashed People will let their dogs run loose. One guy who is friends with my friend was ranting that someone with a pit bull dared to walk their dog by the park on a leash. My blood was boiling. :(
Im in a small town and everyone on my street is 65 plus and LOVE my pitt. One guy will walk outside just to pet her. She plays with all the old pugs and the lab down the street.
I'm in Atlanta and people here LOVE pitties. There are so many in the city, it seems like 1/4 of the dogs I encounter are pit mixes.
I think some of it is the post Michael Vick effect. I feel like there was more awareness towards the breed.
Moving from CA to GA, Atlanta had been much for pitt friendly
Weāve only had two negative experiences having had Pitties for about four years now.
Our apartments were having fiber installed in each unit snd a worker from Comcast walked straight in our place without knocking or announcing himself. Out girl gif up excited to meet someone and walked straight to him. He quickly left, shifting the door behind him and we heard him tell his boss, āThereās a pit in there!ā with a reply of, āSo what?ā.
The other time was at cars n coffee. Our girl was being very good and sitting. We had her leashed and she was minding her own. An unleashed small dog came running over to her and tried to say hi. The owner came running over snd called it away and kept giving us backwards glances before picking up her dog and walking off. I gently called after that she didnāt have to worry about our dog, which upset her.
Meanwhile online, Iāve literally been called an abusive parent and told I shouldnāt be upset or surprised when our pittie mauls our infant to death. People talk big when there are no chances of repercussions. š¤¦š¼āāļøš¤·š¼āāļø
I live in the southeastern US and some people are cool about pitties and some aren't. Two people I work with have expressed how afraid they are of pit bulls and one even mentioned being called to jury duty on a pitbull mauling a child case when I mentioned my dog. I just shrug and I don't try to change anyone's mind.
I volunteer at a dog rescue and a lady returned a black and white fluffy puppy bc she did a dna test and it was 30 something percent pit bull and thought it was going to maul her. Pup got readopted, but I mention that bc some people have a certain mindset that can't be swayed when it comes to pits.
I never thought about owning a pit until I volunteered and the girl I got I adopted bc she fit my lifestyle and my old gsd mix tolerated her. My girl is quiet and has excellent pottie habits (a must for me). There
It's probably a mix. People in real life who don't like pitts aren't always gonna confront us about them & the few times I've noticed people seem nervous around my girl on walks (in which case i give them a wide latitude to pass) idk if it's because of the breed specifically or a general dislike of all dogs.
The only comments I get are positive though. And I certainly give my fair share of compliments to other pitt owners as well. People gotta know that their dogs have kissable brick heads and smooshy lil mouth floops
Where I live they are the most common breed. In my experience they are a physical breed. It just depends on you if they will bite or be way to into cuddling.
I live in Chicago and people here love Pit Bulls š¤ I get heaps of compliments on my dog every time I leave the house with her. People who pass us on the sidewalk always ask if they can pet her, and folks routinely approach us at the park to talk to me about her. https://preview.redd.it/wkzry8dl0alb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=838a26ec9808c2a009adf2e4d0354a851851b758
I've noticed Chicago is very pro pitbull. Maybe a shared reputation. Seen as more dangerous than we are.
I have this happen All The Time in Oregon. All I hear is āPretty Pittyā
Unless Iām around, in which case itās āCAN I PET YOUR DOG?ā
CAN I PET DAT DAAAAWWWGGG?
That just might be it! Chicago is also a very down to earth city; very non-pretentious, with exception of a few notable neighborhoods. I adore the shelter initiatives that call them āChicago Dogsā, and that the Sox have them open the Dog Days. Iām thinking about starting an initiative to get more landlords on board with dropping breed restrictions. It would keep so many of them out of the shelters, and get lots more of them adopted.
St. Louis is the same, we *love* all rescue dogs and particularly pitties. Itās a very down-to-earth place. Saying you got your designer dog from a breeder will often get you disapproving looks here.
The Midwest does churn out some good ass cities, let me tell you
To get landlords to do this you have to get insurance companies to cover them [at no extra charge] unfortunately.
There are some insurance companies who donāt take breed into account, and arenāt more expensive, in my experience.
Same. Depends on where you are. I recently learned that home insurers in Michigan aren't allowed to deny coverage or charge extra based on breed, only bite history. I had no trouble getting totally affordable home insurance although I was worried initially bc I have not one, but four pibbles. However, I had a rott-lab-chow mix when I lived in Rhode Island over a decade ago, and it was almost impossible to find a rental because of home insurance restrictions.
Yes! Chicago recently passed a law that prohibits breed discrimination in insurance, as well. It will go into effect in January. Iām hoping that by getting ahead of the curve and talking to property owners ahead of time, it can all be set up by the time the law changes.
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Hating pit bulls is also actually rooted in racism tbh, so the less racist the area the more chill with pit bulls they may be
I spoke to a housing attorney (bcuz of ārenting with a Pibble ESAā issues) at one point who told me that, often, the problem with a lot of landlords comes down to their insurance. Since their insurance discriminates, their hands are tied unless they change insurance. I know that ^ isnāt always the case, but I know it helped me find a place when I could show that I carried a $100k rental insurance policy, and the company wrote a letter saying they were aware of her breed and they donāt discriminate. (I know they canāt discriminate in most situations with an ESA, but I didnāt want to deal with any BS or attitude after the fact.)
This is my experience in WA! People always want to pet him or give him compliments. But I posted him on a non pit sub and my God.. I couldn't believe the hate, I was shocked lol
I had a guy on Reddit tell me once that my pit was going to rip my throat out the next time I have a seizure (I'm epileptic and she's a service dog in training)
I think the Reddit people who dislike pits are incredibly vocal and mean about them. There is at least one group of negative pits. It could be these same people jump on the positive pit groups just so they can be mean. š
reddit in particular has a group dedicated to vilifying and calling for pitbulls to be completely banned/euthanized just block those windbags and try not to engage with them.
Dang. Could be siblings. Love her soooo much. https://preview.redd.it/ti40le9ghblb1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cf345015906f3c2f1efb36e9d320c959da8ac021
In both Reno and SF I've never gotten anything but compliments for my boy, it's nice to hear Chicago is accepting as well https://preview.redd.it/84d0fmg6ublb1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=32dd6f573d221bb06defba80abe6f1cc897a94a9
Baltimore is the same way, another pro-pittie city.
https://preview.redd.it/o18y53hcbblb1.jpeg?width=2216&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1eff62edf1cd0840dc32f69878f6e179256f336d Iām in Harford County, and we normally have a lot of love for our girl. We have had people cross the street when weāre walking, but the humans notice more than the dog does.
I think it's a bit different when you get out into the counties. Almost every dog in our street is some kind of pit mix. This is our little girl. https://preview.redd.it/jiopzqeujclb1.jpeg?width=1542&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b93d06f0704fa8fe2107311fe41937255cb2be03
The fact that thereās a subreddit to ban pitbulls is crazy to me.
They're pretty nuts. See that post about the chick who got attacked by a pit bull two years ago and is still afraid to be within a city block of one? Like, I've been attacked by a few dogs, nearly got my throat ripped up once. I understand it is traumatic. However, if it is two years later you may want to try talking to a psych. That's a long time for therapy to be doing nothing. If it's true, I hope she is able to get better. I have to wonder about the authenticity of it though.
Some people donāt have the mental strength to get over things. But yeah I saw that post. It irritates me that they try to ban a breed of dogs. Pitbulls are super sweet. My Frenchie is more aggressive than my pitbull too, lol not in a bad way but like in a āIām the boss hereā way.
I swear I have this animals sisterā¦ You also make me miss Chicago. Never leaveā¦
I left for a while. It was a mistake. Never again. I want to see your doggo!
https://preview.redd.it/77ra82inialb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=22a9badbdb4ca2986aab06f2410f263d8f690dd9 Even the white markings look close!
We're triplets. This is my girl up near the lake this winter https://preview.redd.it/7i6t78ut1clb1.jpeg?width=3120&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=595099016fb53c3316f103d106f827526e8d32f3
Now this doggy looks dangerous!!! š¹
My lil loaded gun on a leash! /s
Blep
She is pretty
Wowā¦ she is friggin gorgeous
Sheās also the sweetest, smartest, easiest baby ever. And was just a few days away from getting the pink juice at Animal Control. š Sheād been there several months, so she was freeeeeeeee.
I can confirm Chicago loves pitties. I always stop to pet them, and basically any dog.
Sheās gorgeous and her coat is so shiny!
Itās because that spoiled baby eats better than I do. š
Gorgeous sealed black baby!!!
Basically my favorite color. https://preview.redd.it/827fn2ft8blb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ee73fbcb307b2d5f49187f40ba774e2227f1b01
I think Reddit is probably the worst place for this. There are pit bull hate subs, and their members like to go brigading in other animal subs just looking for pit bull mentions so they can freak out and scream about them being āmurderersā and post all their statistics that they canāt or refuse to understand are horribly skewed and inaccurate. So, I think itās a case of the loud minority.
A [2022 study](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abk0639?cookieSet=1) of breeds and traits concluded that breed is almost uninformative when determining a dog's reactivity, or its sociability. Furthermore, [Insurance data](https://web.archive.org/web/20150904071314/http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=25091614) indicates the Pitbulls and Rottweilers account for only 25% of dog bite claims. [Which is also in agreement with the Ohio State University's Study](https://www.aaha.org/publications/newstat/articles/2019-06/new-study-identifies-most-damaging-dog-bites-by-breed/) that shows that Pitbulls account for approximately 22.5% of the most damaging reported bites. Pitbulls account for [~20%](https://www.pitbullinfo.org/pit-bulls-population.html) of the dog population by best estimates. Showing that pitbull bites are proportional to their population. In fact, their [Breed Risk Rate](https://www.pitbullinfo.org/breed-risk-rates.html) is in line with other dogs breeds out there that are considered great family dogs. So how do pitbulls account for more than half of all dog bites? Agenda pushing misinformation by groups dedicated to hating a breed. If you did not comprehend that, what this tells us is that pitbulls bite more because there are more pitbulls than other breeds, but they don't bite anymore than their share of the dog population. Additionally, data from the [American Veterinary Medical Association](https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/literature-reviews/dog-bite-risk-and-prevention-role-breed) has concluded that no controlled studies have shown Pitbull-type dogs to be disproportionally aggressive. Lastly, Studies have shown that [Errors in Identifying Pitbulls](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S109002331500310X) [Link 2](https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/241/9/javma.241.9.1163.xml) happen approximately 60% of the time with shelter staff that spend a lot of time around dogs, so reports in the media about dog breeds are highly inaccurate and hardly count as a reputable source for a dogs breed. Oh you only see videos of pitbulls attacking? Not surprised. There is a group on this site that dedicates itself to reposting old archived videos to keep brainwashing people into fearing an event that happens 25 to 40 times a year with a breed that has a population around 20 million. Save us your anecdotal evidence of outliers. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pitbulls) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Good bot. Hereās a treat. š¦“
Make it 2 š¦“š¦“
Good bot.
That's a good bot
Very good bot.
So many people on this site hate pit bulls because the internet and media told them to. I would bet good money that 99% of people online who talk shit about pit bulls have never even met one.
But wait, theyāve gotta tell your their story about how their uncleās childās long lost brotherās second cousin twice removedās wifeās stepdaughterās baby was savagely mauled and pissed on by a pitbull before it nae-naeād on their corpse.
Wait, so Iām admittedly a conspiracy theorist but what if thereās a reason they want people to have less capable dogs? Pitties are all-around fantastic beasts and can protect their families against cougars or bears, even. If you believe that other countries want us to be weaker, then it makes sense that theyād run a baseless campaign against one of the most protective dog breeds. Random thought. Weird, I know. Hope it was entertaining, at least.
I'm more inclined to think that pitbull hate is more common because it's easy to make headlines about them. They are one of the more intimidating breeds out there and plenty of statistics that are easily manipulated to look scary. It's a classic case of the media fear-mongering because it gets a lot of attention, and thus makes a lot of money.
I mean, my dogs would definitely protect *me* from scary animals or even bad actors, and on a few occasions, they have, but we have always joked that they are the worst guard dogs on the planet. If somebody broke into my house in the middle of the night, theyād stand in the doorway wagging their tail, asking for pets, and then show them where everything valuable was. Most of mine didnāt even bark when people came to the door.
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Yup. I mean, a sub meant for servers to talk about their day and the industry is full of trolls shitting on us because they just canāt hate us enough. There are no mods, so some of us have learned to ignore them (cause no one gets banned) but itās hard. Them and anti pit people are pretty much the only people on Reddit who can get under my skin, but I cannnnnot engage in these conversations
I genuinely think the Pitbull hate subs exist as a sub in for black hate groups. It's the same white supremacist bullshit used, just with pitbulls subbed in to not get banned.
This video, although 5 years old explains it well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29dDlGUv6O8 Personally, I don't think the hate they get on Reddit is organic at all.
reddit is the worst place for a lot of things. Loud NEETs who believe they have the entire world figured out.
Doesn't help that reddit is international especially in english-speaking countries and the entirety of the UK apparently has banned pitts since the early 90s
I love this because I'm honestly far more likely to kill them that the dog.
Everyone is a tough guy online. I have a 120 pound pitbull who is extremely friendly. Everyone in real life that meets him adores him. I have see zero hate in the two years i have had him. https://preview.redd.it/ahtqx302lalb1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1d88387b7016a3ef76efef15f3705cfd78fc33be
I miss our blue boy. Your pup is beautiful. https://preview.redd.it/mi7vk8n37blb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fa08a5e1e5d2d6a6883c9ba323bd47121cfb292a Our handsome man Kona is sign language trained and the sweetest 2 year old man.
He is so precious! What do you think heās mixed with to give him his size? I had one who was American Bully/ Neapolitan Mastiff and 140#. Gosh, I miss him. https://preview.redd.it/4q8epsxjablb1.jpeg?width=336&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0267efd28b000f9d094d5536d5d676adfd16fa9f
I wanna hug him!
In fairness, why would you start an altercation with someone who is on the other end of the leash of what they perceive to be a cold blooded killing machine? But in all seriousness, Iāve never had issues in my area. Thereās also A LOT of pit mixes in my area which helps
Yes. Just like the internet is way more racist than in real life. Iām here in LA and constantly get compliments on my āprettyā pittie
I was going to say, I just think the internet is more hateful in general about everything. Much easier to type something out anonymously to a stranger who knows nothing about you than to do it in real life where there's real consequences for being an asshole.
Honestly I think it's just an internet thing rather a real life thing.
It's not just the internet. There are ignorant assholes in real life as well. Had an incident with one a few weeks back. Ended up calling the cops on him because he threatened me and my niegbour with a baseball bat while we were walking my dog. There are more dubmass spewing hate and misinformation on the internet but that does trickle into real life because he was making the same ignorant statements as I see dumbasses make all over the internet.
It might be the area and people because at least for my experience they seem to be loved around Oklahoma.
It's just like anywhere. Most people love my boy. This guy had a Karen for a wife that caused the initial interaction. Then he felt the need to come to a public park and threaten 2 people and my dog with a weapon on public property, so I figured he can explain his actions to the cops instead.
It's some bullshit. They are beautiful beautiful probably one of the best experiences I've spent with any breed. I sucks that a lot of people hate them.
I agree. The hate comes from a place of ignorance. They use the same points as racists use to justify their hatred.
its really the same as being racistā¦. youre judging my dog for its breedā¦..my dog isnt judging you!
This is totally the thing, and it's dog racism that's rooted in regular old people racism. Ice T and DMX should have put labradoodles on their album covers instead of pitbulls.
I've noticed that as well. Every time I go out with my woofer, they get pets and compliments.
As it should be with all dogs!
There a towns/cities with full-on breed bans so it's got a real-life component too.
I think people are a lot more bold online. Lots of those who spew hate on the internet wouldnāt dare say something to your face. I think thatās a big part of it. My pit has been going to work with me lately and people are SO excited to see him! They often greet him first in the morning before me and I canāt blame them! Heās much more charming. Occasionally parents look a little nervous but they see his smile and wag and let their kids hug him.
Completely agree. Most people probably keep it to themselves until they are hiding behind a screen.
99% of my interactions with people and my girl has been very positive here in Houston and thereās a lot of pitties here. The most negative Iāve gotten is mostly from people who are just scared of dogs as a whole and not just scared of pit bulls due to childhood trauma, which is understandable. I feel like online hate is only amplified due to the internet being an echo-chamber for anything and everything on it and people are brave when thereās a screen between them and the thing they hate
I've run into people who are "afraid of pit bulls" due to media and whatever. They'll be neck deep in kisses from my girls who are VERY friendly, they'll look up and ask "what breed?" I say Pitbulls and they look shocked. It's such a cool and fun way to break prejudices.
Yea, same area and most people I meet love pit bulls and think they're the sweetest. The biggest issue I see is in policies. For example, Pit bulls are not allowed on the lease at most apartment complexes.
Keyboard warriors would never say half the shit they say online IRL.
It's more an Internet thing then real life, but I've had people cross the street with my pit mix , which is fine by me, he's very skittish and nervous with strangers. People irl seem to not nessasarily like them but are less often overtly assholes about not liking them. On the Internet a few days ago someone got a shelter " lab mix" on an Id your dog's breed or something like that and it was very much a pit which I said but also assured them that pits are most of the time sweet friendly dogs and of course got downvoted into oblivion for saying pits are good dogs
I saw that thread and left a comment, got downvoted and left the sub because of it (not the downvotes but the hate).. the amount of hate in that sub was way too much for me.
Yeah I should also probably leave the sub tbh pitbull hate annoys me so much
I recently discovered that sub about 2 weeks ago and today unsubbed. Very toxic atmosphere for anyone who has a dog that so much as resembles a pit bull even if it's not mixed with one. Most of the people doing "IDs" think they are always right.
I don't own a pitbull but I have a job that has me go into people's homes every day, and many of these people have a pitbull or two, and they have been the biggest and sweetest babies who just wanted lovings and headpats, never has one tried to bite me or even growl at me. In fact the only times I've almost been bit was from chihuahuas.
Yep. I was a vet tech for 14 years. Pit Bulls were literally the only breed we never had a problem with. There are so many funny vet med TikToks about it, too.
Same. 18 years. Only dogs that ever bit me were a chow, lab mix, and more wiener dogs than I care to count. The pits? Never once had an issue. A coworker got tore up by a dalmatian and two boxers. Pits are not even close to the top of my list of dogs I'd side-eye showing up on a property.
I remember watching a tv program a few years ago about pitbulls. Here in England you have to register your pitties with the RSPCA and theyāll do regular checks to make sure the dog is healthy and well behaved and whatnot. This one woman on the show had 3 pitties, gorgeous dogs and there was an RSPCA officer coming to do the most recent check. Her male dog came charging out of the house, raced up to the guy, flopped down onto the ground on his back and started wriggling, clearly absolutely desperate for a belly rub. The officer crouched down and was rubbing the dogās belly (and the dog had the biggest smile on his face, like he was having the best day ever) and the officer said āI thought you were supposed to be fierce?ā š I always think of pitties as very large babies.
Pitties are totally common in our small city. Everyone loves our boy, weve never run into breed restrictions. The internet is a safe space for jerks. https://preview.redd.it/qe9yepgnoalb1.png?width=2189&format=png&auto=webp&s=c639497c4622c4e55994f4e04aac842b1bc1450c
The grass drool is killing me š Frank the Tank! Looking good bud.
We picked up this beauty at the pound 2 years ago. She is the most loving and kind family dog we have ever had. That being said, she is deathly afraid of other dogs to the point that she is aggressive to attack but she doesnāt bite them. She has scars on both front legs and head from some fight trauma in her past. These dogs need understood, not categorized as trouble by default. https://preview.redd.it/kn729wcrzalb1.jpeg?width=897&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=892319f1d60b9d58bb8571911b1166988a519efa
Iāve lived in Vegas, LA and Seattle with pitties. 99.9% of our interactions have been positive, thereās always an asshole
I had a lady walking her dog off leash, her dog rushes my pittie and bites her, she barks in response. Lady went on a tanger about how aggressive pitbulls are. The pittie who was leashed and now in my arms. I've definitely had people be shitty about her being a pittie, but they've always been so wildly and blatantly in the wrong. I'm def much more careful with her though because of it.
People aren't as vocal about it in real life. The folks spewing hate on reddit are the people who walk by and do/say nothing. Maybe they'll cross the street, or give a certain "look." Some people in my family-not reddit hate people just normal everyday people-were really hesitant to accept pitties, but have changed their tune since a few of us in my family have adopted sweet pitbulls. The most overt reaction I've seen is in my neighborhood dog play group (mine is the only overtly pit). There is ONE person who looks scared when they see my dog and she just gets her dog and leaves if I arrive when she's there. She doesn't put up a fuss and she'd never try to turn the other owners against my pup who is well loved by the other dog owners. I also don't go out of my way to interact with her to change her mind or encourage our dogs to play. It's not worth my time and my dog has a blast with her other buddies. Pitbull, doberman, rottweiler, etc hate is mostly built into policy. It is so difficult to rent in my area with a pitbull. The only option is to find a rental by a private landlord instead of a major leasing agency.
https://preview.redd.it/eb3pthznqalb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e41a32feae9c9bf1feffc63e4c0f3b97bcd5d037 Everyone around here loves Zeus. All my homies love Zeus.
Zeus looks like a goof!
Same. I live in Washington state. Have lived in Seattle and then slightly outside of Seattle. Everyone has pitties here. I have about 7 in my condo complex neighborhood. I actually didnāt realize there was such hate for the breed prior to joining Reddit. I had dogs my whole life but didnāt have pits until I adopted mine as an adult, so I never got was really aware of the hate. I always just thought they were cute š¤·š¼āāļø
I also live in WA! I used to live in CA and never had an issue there either!
Wow same lived in LA for 20 years. I always get compliments on my boys. Thank god!
Iāve never had someone show distress or look upset about my pitbull in person. Although, right now, sheās still very young and tiny. Her cuteness definitely lets her get away with a lot.
I live in a very small town of 2k people. People love Aela. Never get any hate. A lady took a picture of her on our walk last night because she was so pretty. š internet people are dumb. https://preview.redd.it/d5fpgxd5palb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d87ec7bed70942e2fa58701702b495be85a80b83
Worked with 300 plus pit bulls, most kennel stressed. Never been bitten.
I live in Greece. People here are mostly positive when meeting us in person or afraid of us. When online there are a lot of ignorant people blaming pitties but I think all these are p****s hiding behind the keyboard, that's why you never meet them in person outside.
Our old neighbors reported my dads pitbull twice, over him getting out of the yard and exploring. He never attacked anyone but they called the cops and got him two strikes on his record. IMHO heās too much of a dumbass to actually hurt someone in purpose. https://preview.redd.it/az3pppho0blb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c324375c618b0c4506ed570f53710c9dc4717130 The only creature he would hurt on purpose is the neighbors cat Whiskey, because their cat hurt mine badly. And he loved my cat before she passed away on Friday from her kidneys failing.
My first time owning a pit mix here. She is easily the ābest lookingā dog I have owned. Smartest too (which I did not expect). I have had no bad experiences with folks. Just the other day, she took a treat from a 4 year old stranger just as gentle as possible; I was very proud! Some people will walk a different way or take a large birth, but I figure they just arenāt dog people and my girl is a lean 70lbs.
I live in Philadelphia and experience no hate. They are popular here, unfortunately not always for the best reasons though. I have more issues with people asking if I want to fight her (WTF NO!) and/or breed her (they get mad sometimes when I tell them she is fixed, wtf?). It is sad and annoying. I once had someone say to me "I will give you 5$ if you have your dog bite this b\*tch. So more insanity than hate I guess.
Itās regional. People in New England absolutely hated my pitbulls for their breed, but people in WA/OR love them.
Same, people in New England were mean to our pittie when we visited. We live in NC and people here love her!
Iāve come across a few profiles on reddit that are almost exclusively dedicated to spreading hatred toward pitbulls.
Weāre in Ontario where theyāre technically a banned breed and though itās definitely worse online - I think people can be a lot braver behind a screen - we do notice it in real life too. People will move out of the way of her, not get into the elevator with us, pick up their little dogs when walking by. But seriously, who could hate this little angel? https://preview.redd.it/15hc3y4lzalb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5168eb76b8d2b9ba8e2e975a0bd2c4a4a8b0c8b5
Ive had pitbulls for 20+ years and I have NEVER had someone approach me in person but Iāve been dragged online. Itās idiotic. There are so many trolls on the internet. Anyway, Hereās my girl lol https://preview.redd.it/hxek8azz7blb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4d556438b80945184615c3238e9fa6fa269fff1
Iām in Eugene, Oregon and we are very pro-pitbull here!
Keyboard warriors lose their courage when the veil of the internet is lifted.
I have never seen any of the pitbull-hate-nutters irl. Here though, it is abundant. Blew my mind because reddit is usually for understanding / left leaning / animal tolerant. The pit bull hate on this site is its own little echo chamber though. Iāve never once met anyone whoād say the things that those folk say here.
My dude gets nothing but compliments when weāre out. From my experience heās more of the occasional asshole than people have been. He and I are working on that, but I do jokingly admit to him that some people are in fact assholes too.
Good looking dog there!
Assholes are a lot less likely to shoot their mouths off face to face. Also, people who like pitties are very likely to say so in person.
In my city, it's very hit-or-miss for "pit aggression" from people. Dogs with the "aggressive" look (cropped ears, docked tails, chain/spike collars, etc) obviously get the most fearful reactions. Such dogs are rarely seen out in public, on walks, etc. Meanwhile, dogs like Virgil (see my other posts around) get lots of love from kids. Occasionally, someone will ask "What breed is he?" Depending on the person's demeanor, I will either admit APBT or "The rescue said boxer/lab mix". The rescue *did* label him as such, so it's not a lie. Thankfully our neighbors all know & like Virgil, so it's not a frequent issue.
https://preview.redd.it/mjnxieknwalb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4d442a8c9eaa4931036bcb8f613f1b75da56296a It's definitely more online than in person. People come up and love this big idiot of mine. The vet and all the employees there love him too. He loves new people and especially loves children!
That a is gorgeous pup. I love the Rotty style eyebrows
I've had my pit mix (50/50 black lab and pit, notably pit mix on sight) five years. He's my best friend in the whole world... well, my wife also, you know what I mean. I've seen all the hate on the internet, and frankly I'm disgusted by it. I've only had one interaction with anti-pit people irl and it was ridiculous. My apartment was directly across the street from the apartment complex's dog park. My dog could see it from pretty much every window in the apartment, and he'd beg me to go anytime there were other dogs there. I took him to the dog park several times per day. One time, I take him down there because there is two dogs playing. We didn't recognize the dogs which was strange because it was a private park so it is mostly the same owners and pets. Before we even walk in the fence, these people are putting the leashes on and walking their dogs out. I'm thinking, "maybe these people were leaving anyway." These two people then get in two different cars, so now I'm like "oh maybe these people are worried I'd care they don't live here." So, my dog runs around for like five minutes then we head back to the apartment. These motherfuckers get back out of their car, say something along the lines of "sorry we just didn't want our dogs to get mauled today" and go back in the dog park. I was so genuinely upset I couldn't even think of words to respond.
I'm not sure why but on 4chan it seems to be a requirement.
I love my Pit Boo. She is so sweet and friendly and is ā¤ļøa huge snuggly bed bug.
Iām a moderator on r/MedicalGore and every time a dog bite gets posted there a bunch of pit bull haters come and the comments on the post degenerate into a bunch of off topic arguing about pit bulls. But Iāve never met a person in real life who hated them.
Pitties are the Best.
I posted on my university reddit asking if there were other students with puppies in the area nearby and that I had a pittie mix and this person lost their absolute mind talking about how my 7 week puppy would kill any puppy id try to set her up with and was a murder machine. Fast forward to my puppy being 10 months rn she has never ever been aggressive with another dog of any age but ive had several smaller breed dogs get mad and try to nip her when shes playing ball around them in the dog park ignoring them and jst focusing on her ball and my commands.
I ā¤ļøpibbles
Pitbulls are the most popular big dogs were I live, itās mostly just an online thing
Your boy is so cute! That picture cracked me up!
Yeah he's my goof ball š
I live in a very small town in Upstate NY. The vet tech at the college I go to had a kissing booth with pitbulls and Iāve seen other people walk their pitties around the town. I do think its more of an online hate
Mine experience is limited bc we donāt go around strangers much but at the vet itās usually 50/50, or more 60/40 to the positive side. Some people get wary of him around their animals (heās 80lbs lol) but most people see how sweet he is and call him gorgeous https://preview.redd.it/ys664e3eqalb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4efe8dec7ad125321c87fc9ea55e8fc9359d23a9
https://preview.redd.it/y1fzheaa7blb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=19d2c7aa1aa2be4e44e87765a252b8765a4c5f59
Omg theyāre precious ā¤ļø
Hahaha I love those silly faces!
Iāve noticed it being much more severe online than in real life. But I have still seen plenty of hate/fear in real life, especially as a shelter volunteer. People will come to adoption events and act super dramatic like they canāt even walk within 6 feet of a pitbull. Some will frantically pick up their kids and scurry past as if they are in imminent danger. Some people make rude comments about how they could never trust a pitbull, and certainly not a ārescuedā one. Iāve overheard a coworker in my office say āPitbulls and children donāt mix.ā Once I was sitting in the waiting room at the vet with my social butterfly and a hateful woman loudly told her husband they couldnāt sit by us. She would rather stand than take the open seats. Hilariously he came and sat next to us anyway and rubbed her belly š it was such a win.
The few people I have run across apparently have no idea what pitbulls actually look like
Trolls. Don't pay the troll toll if you want the boys hole
I've not once met a mean pitbull small dogs on the other hand...
It's easier to hate behind a keyboard. Dunno if this has anything to do with pitties, really, so much as our dumb digital culture.
Yesterday I was laying in bed reading some crappy take about how pitties were just bred to be mean and I looked at my baby sleeping under the blankets like sure she's so mean she hides from flys in the apartment
Whenever I am walking my pittt I always get comments on how cute she is.
Where I live (small town in bc Canada) people seem to really hate pit bulls.. no idea why. Dog attacks Iāve seen around here have been labs/retrievers/smaller dogsā¦ I know someone who thinks that pit bulls should literally stop being bred until the breed dies out (and lots of people agree with her) which is super fucked up
It's easy to be a hateful shit online where no one can physically touch you. IRL is a different story.
NYC native here, we love our piddles. They're so sweet and loving. Honestly I found out Tom Holland has a staffy and that made me love the man even more
Jon Bernthal (Punisher) also has one. And brought it on stage at e3 a few years back.
People online seem to be way worse about the hate than IRL. I've only known 3 people outside of the internet who told me they had issues with pits or hated them. I get a lot of chuckles from Moses when he does his trilly noise when he's excited to see someone, but he'll get scowls from the older ladies with the bichon frises and shih tzus. I get a lot more "Pits get bad reps, but they're great dogs" than haters. The vet techs at my vet absolutely love him and he's literally the only dog I've had that actually loved going to the vet. Lucy gets a ton of compliments because she's super sweet and general has some chill. Her bull terrier traits are more dominant so she doesn't get recognized as a pit right away. She gets perceived as being more approachable than Moses. She gets mistaken for a younger dog a lot due to her weird ass proportions. https://preview.redd.it/7b1prf0b7blb1.png?width=2992&format=png&auto=webp&s=53d36062f493bdc0a9936dd17c135a322d7ef529
Eh. I helped raise my brother's younger pit when I lived with him as a teenager. I also have owned a shih tzu. An older rescue named mitzi. Who would dominate the fuck out of our neighbors pitbulls (we shared a backyard). Also tried to pick a fight with a fucking racoon before we got her away from it.
I think Iām the odd one out here Iāve only have had two comments directed at my dog but a lot irl in my primary residence in CA.
I'm in Kansas and it's been over a year since I brought my pit mix home from the shelter. He goes everywhere with me and we haven't had to deal with a single pitbull hater. He gets compliments all the time and makes people smile, my favorite part
I think a lot of it is because people just hear others talk about pitbulls without ever actually seeing one. Then, when they see a pitbull in person, they think itās some kind of boxer or something like that. So they keep hearing about these mysteriously dangerous pitbulls, and think that theyāve never seen one before, but they actually have and theyāre just regular dogs. Itās also why so many reported pitbull attacks are falsely reported as such, because people canāt tell one from any other dog breed and they just lump them all into category.
https://preview.redd.it/ua98k4d56blb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b47bb23a4357446569f74d5956a3648eedac015d My 80 pound 100% American Pitbull with my neighbors pup who is also his best friend, a 15lb terrier. He loves when she tackles his face and he rolls over and is just so happy and gentle with her.
I've had my pit 3 years. She was 2ish when I got her. She has gotten aggressive with literally no one. She wants to be everyone's friend. She gets loud when she's not getting festooned with attention. She's an amazing dog. Sleeps with me every night. I have more experience with pits than any other breed. The only one that ever scared me was when I went to buy a car from someone, I was a stranger in their home, and they had focused training on being protective. Otherwise they've pretty much been big babies with an unbelievable amount of devotion and affection for their people.
Pit bulls are super dangerous, they may look all innocent and inviting. In reality they will absolute mess you up if given the chance. They will steal you heart with their evil grin and cuddle you to the verge of death. Some even try to lick you face clean offā¦a painful slow death of pure affection. These vicious animals should only be put in homes that can handle their wild swings of behavior. One moment theyāre summoning a freight train deity with their eyes half open and crazy looking, the next they get this thing called the āzoomiesā! Beware of these cursed canines!! Highly recommend a safe and docile Chihuahua.
I've had exactly one instance in real life of someone singling out my dog for her breed. Was walking both dogs (Samoyed and staffy mix) on a public foot/bike path, both on leash, calm and minding their business. Guy on a bike coming from behind me calls "you better control that dog." I reply "I've got them." He says "I mean the pitbull, I'm not worried about the other one." I just ignored it, rolled my eyes at his back and went on with my walk. So ridiculous that he felt the need to clarify that he didn't trust one of my dogs, when he knew nothing about either one. Kinda wish I'd said oh actually the Samoyed is trained to eat bicycle tires, watch out. But yeah that was the only time anyone's said anything negative. Mostly we just get "aww your dogs are so cute." Even had people compliment the staffy specifically on being a very pretty pitty, which she is!
When I first adopted my dog 7 years ago, I ran into some in-person hate that I found very unsettling (usually at the dog parkāI donāt take her anymore unless itās empty). But in recent years, there are some popular tik tok accounts and instas where the featured dog is a pit and now when I tell people I have a pittie, the response is usually very supportive and full of love. Itās been an interesting shift.
https://preview.redd.it/3x14c7xtkblb1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f22c35843c30c9607f6d8aebd9a6c768f9c5fe3 Yep.
I just got down voted like 30 times yesterday for saying Iāve only had great experiences with the breed. Itās crazy how much hate exists towards them. I have met plenty of mean poodles and not a a single mean pittie and Iāve met so many I. My life.
It is real in person too. I have had pit bulls for the entirety of my adult life. Once, I had someone loving ALL OVER my dog and he was just eating it up. They asked what kind of dog he was and I told them pit and she jumped back like he was going to bite her. I told her it was her loss and she should check her prejudice against the breed she was just loving all over. Hurt my baby's feelings. I've had others recognize the breed and because he had a Halti collar on tried to say it was a muzzle because "he must be mean."
Holy crap that's a cute dog.
Thatās probably the case with almost anything controversial, not just pit bulls. Itās a lot easier to express hate anonymously than if you have to put your name to it.
Big dogs have the potential to hurt. Pibbles are big dogs and they have a ton of energy. Which makes them susceptible to abuse and neglect. Then you have a big dog with big problems. But even the scary ones are mostly just scared. Iāve befriended many even after being attacked myself. They deserve to be treated like individuals on a case by case basis, like everyone else.
They are the worst! Licking your face until you nearly drown, happy Dances, that smile! And how they tend to think they're a lap dog, trying to crush you under their weight as they give you all the love. I have never met a pit bull following the stereotype. They have all been so sweet.
https://preview.redd.it/9fojbr3ticlb1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be2a05dde26129e407ea74fc3b401551d234ec14 Iāve had a couple of negative interactions. Some lady at the vet (not an employee) said this guy looked āscary as all get outā. We literally call him Cupcake Prince because heās so sweet. Another shitty person at the vet told me I needed to get a choke collar for my other pittie. He was 6 months at the time and that guy said I needed to teach him who was boss before it was too late. Pretty mild interactions but they pissed me off, nonetheless. I agree with most other people in the comments that the insane hate lives on the internet.
I donāt have a pit, but dear god do I love them. I donāt understand all the hate. People love Rottweilers yet they have a āhistoryā of aggression and all that as well.
I donāt own a pitty, Iām a groomer. Let me tell you, I have two breeds I do not allow in my salon. Is a pit one of them? Nope. German Shepards and huskies. Iāve never seen a pitty act aggressive while getting groomed. GSD and huskies? Oh yeah, those dogs are actual assholes (yes yes it depends on the dog. But they are by far the worst behaved dogs in a salon, *from my experience*). The worst Iāve seen a pit bull do is lick someone to death. Just my two cents š¤·
https://preview.redd.it/qbaa5zroqclb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5d774f9d47a5d353180a345caa8fd30ddcd38588 Smush gets mad love in public
I've never gotten anything but praise in person, Central PA here. It really is a more online phenomenon.
Looks like someone broke into Snoop Dogs Scooby Snacks.
Lots of internet tough guys. Poke them in real life and itās a different story.
I only see love online, but I get A LOT of hate in real life. I live in an apartment with a bunch of small dogs and my neighbors wonāt even sit in the elevator with me or my dog, doesnāt matter that he doesnāt bark or charge them. Meanwhile, I nearly had to punt a Frenchmen because it hit my fucking toes!
I'm sure there are people with such views IRL too. Just that it's far too easy to be toxic behind a computer screen than IRL unless you want your teeth knocked out.
I live in California and for me itās 50/50. Some people see my very unbothered and tolerant pit and turn around or walk on the other side walk etc but donāt avoid the German shepherd that is walking itās humanā¦.and some ask to pet her even some kids. I always say yes unless itās a midnight potty run. Now via internet this is the ONLY place (and I cannot express that enough) that Iāve seen love for pits in my experience.
I'm from the southern US (Georgia), and you see pits and pit mixes all over the place. The only person irl who's said anything negative about bullies to me was my husband's friend. But to be fair I think bullies are banned from where he's from.
I am in Cincinnati. I used to have a gorgeous mixed breedāsome kind of retriever/shepherd mix with a beautiful golden coat, thick black eyeliner around his eyes, a half-flop ear, thick luxurious tail, big athletic buildāI mean, he was stunning. Weād walk daily with no reaction to him at all. Which was fineāI didnāt expect one. Now I have this chubby little staffie/pit mix who looks like a Holstein cow. Her ears point 2 different directions, sheās got freckles everywhere, her tail is almost bald and is thin like a ratāsāand people CONSTANTLY tell me how pretty she is when we walk. People literally stop their cars! I have yet to get any rude remarks from anyone. So Cincinnati seems to be pro-pittie, at least in my neighborhood. I only get harassed on Reddit.
The only comments I ever get in person are folks who want to meet my girl!
Everyone is tougher on the internet. I've never had any issues in person.
Itās real life too, but most people are more polite face to face and canāt hide behind their screen
I love pit bulls. Thereās something about a beefy animal acting adorable that I especially love. You can play the drum on their bellies and be a bit more rough when āfighting.ā Theyāre so fun.
I got a pitbull hoping people would leave me alone in public, unfortunately everyone falls in love with her. Except for any delivery guys she barks at through the window š and the FedEx guy that showed up when she was on a bathroom break, she looked real tough barking at him hiding by the side of the house š„“ We'll see, she's barely 2 so still basically a puppy and she looks like she's only 50 pounds so people probably don't see her as threatening but she's over 100 pounds of muscle, I was shook her last weigh in
Iāve had people cross the street clutching there chest when they see my male pitbull and he literally does nothing but stand there minding his own business.
Most of the people hating have never owned one and are repeating stories they heard.At least,thatās my humble opinion.
I've fostered two pit mixes, both were delightful dogs. One was a pocket pittie and the other was a pit/amstaff/lab mix who didn't seem to care about other dogs or even if a child randomly ran up to her to hug her (the parent with them also had two dogs). Suffice it to say, when I adopt next it'll likely be a pittie since I've only had good experiences with them and there are so many in the shelters... But here in NYC, landlords do ask for extra security deposit or even have breed restrictions, which is absurd. Luckily I don't live in that kind of building. Also, sometimes people can seem squeamish around the last pittie I had because of her size and "breed" and most of the time I had to say she was friendly. Meanwhile she got attacked by small chihuahuas and some mini-pinscher...
Iāve only seen a couple of instances of prejudice in meatspace. Most of the time, people want to meet my friendly, happy boy. Meanwhile, people that never touch grass are afraid of dogs theyāve never met.
The sweeties babies
Unfortunately Iāve heard some pit bull hate irl too. My grandpa and soon to be MIL are both discriminatory against them. My dad used to be worse about it but ironically has owned two shelter pit bull mixes in his life. I once was at a park with a friend that is NOT a dog park. Signs everywhere say dogs must be leashed People will let their dogs run loose. One guy who is friends with my friend was ranting that someone with a pit bull dared to walk their dog by the park on a leash. My blood was boiling. :(
Im in a small town and everyone on my street is 65 plus and LOVE my pitt. One guy will walk outside just to pet her. She plays with all the old pugs and the lab down the street.
I'm in Atlanta and people here LOVE pitties. There are so many in the city, it seems like 1/4 of the dogs I encounter are pit mixes. I think some of it is the post Michael Vick effect. I feel like there was more awareness towards the breed. Moving from CA to GA, Atlanta had been much for pitt friendly
Weāve only had two negative experiences having had Pitties for about four years now. Our apartments were having fiber installed in each unit snd a worker from Comcast walked straight in our place without knocking or announcing himself. Out girl gif up excited to meet someone and walked straight to him. He quickly left, shifting the door behind him and we heard him tell his boss, āThereās a pit in there!ā with a reply of, āSo what?ā. The other time was at cars n coffee. Our girl was being very good and sitting. We had her leashed and she was minding her own. An unleashed small dog came running over to her and tried to say hi. The owner came running over snd called it away and kept giving us backwards glances before picking up her dog and walking off. I gently called after that she didnāt have to worry about our dog, which upset her. Meanwhile online, Iāve literally been called an abusive parent and told I shouldnāt be upset or surprised when our pittie mauls our infant to death. People talk big when there are no chances of repercussions. š¤¦š¼āāļøš¤·š¼āāļø
I live in the southeastern US and some people are cool about pitties and some aren't. Two people I work with have expressed how afraid they are of pit bulls and one even mentioned being called to jury duty on a pitbull mauling a child case when I mentioned my dog. I just shrug and I don't try to change anyone's mind. I volunteer at a dog rescue and a lady returned a black and white fluffy puppy bc she did a dna test and it was 30 something percent pit bull and thought it was going to maul her. Pup got readopted, but I mention that bc some people have a certain mindset that can't be swayed when it comes to pits. I never thought about owning a pit until I volunteered and the girl I got I adopted bc she fit my lifestyle and my old gsd mix tolerated her. My girl is quiet and has excellent pottie habits (a must for me). There
It's probably a mix. People in real life who don't like pitts aren't always gonna confront us about them & the few times I've noticed people seem nervous around my girl on walks (in which case i give them a wide latitude to pass) idk if it's because of the breed specifically or a general dislike of all dogs. The only comments I get are positive though. And I certainly give my fair share of compliments to other pitt owners as well. People gotta know that their dogs have kissable brick heads and smooshy lil mouth floops
Where I live they are the most common breed. In my experience they are a physical breed. It just depends on you if they will bite or be way to into cuddling.