Not with unknown dogs and/or people! In the current hostile climate, American Pit Bull Terriers (“APBT”), and other bull breeds or dogs commonly mistaken for “pit bull” dogs, should NEVER be taken to dog parks or other off-leash areas with unfamiliar dogs and/or people. It is common for a skirmish to result between unknown dogs of any breeds where adrenalin runs high and excitement is common. The concentrated chaos of an ever changing pack of dogs tempts even the most passive breeds past their limits. Fights are the norm, and if one occurs, whether your American Pit Bull Terrier was involved or not, it is likely that he/she will be blamed. There is so much public hysteria and misinformation resulting in breed regulations, and outright breed bans, that we, as responsible APBT owners, must be more responsible and never set up our dogs to fail (e.g, get into scuffles in public). By taking our dogs to dog parks or off leash areas, we are risking the reputation and survival of our own dogs and of the entire breed/type. We are also creating additional problems for responsible owners who will have to deal with additional media reports of the “vicious pit bull” and, most probably, proposed legislation.
Avoiding this kind of drama
separates the
Responsible pit bull owner from the irresponsible.
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
But LOTS of people bring pit bulls to
dog parks with no problems whatsoever.
The behavior of dogs changes in different situations. Because dogs constantly come and go in a dog park and the dogs are not always known to each other and are not always comfortable in the dog park setting, tension runs high. A dog can do well 99% of the time; however, there is always a chance that a dog may be having a bad day, may feel tension with certain other dogs, etc. Although this 1% is a small percentage, it is possible and we cannot predict when that 1% will occur. Currently, public perception appears to be more negative than positive. As a result, we must never take a chance that the public can witness anything but perfection - I know, this is unfair. No dog is perfect. Well, your dog better be perfect in public or else it reflects badly on the entire breed/type! If you love your dog and the breed, please be responsible and never, ever set your dog (or the breed) up for failure.
Do not be the cause of breed-specific legislation.
Always have control of your dog and make sure your dog is well-behaved on leash in public!
Do we have to worry about every pit bull we see at the dog parks?
As we know, there are individuals in each breed who will challenge the pack leader, attempt to dominate other dogs and fight. Success at the dog parks depends on:
Each owner understanding his/her dog’s behavior and dog behavior in general.
Each owner understanding pack mentality.
Each owner knowing his/her particular dog, his/her likes and dislikes, his/her limits and respecting such limits.
Human management of the dog park environment.
Unfortunately, a whopping majority of dog owners do not understand dog behavior, do not realize when their dog is uncomfortable or when their dog is pushing another dog’s boundaries and overestimate their ability to prevent trouble. Most will never see trouble coming until it’s too late. Even though this happens with ALL dogs, the American Pit Bull Terrier and similar breeds and types of dogs are under a microscope when in public and face more severe consequences than other breeds of dogs. Responsible, educated owners know their dogs’ limits and understand the hostile social climate in which we and our dogs live.
RESPONSIBLE OWNERS NEVER SET UP THEIR DOGS FOR FAILURE!!!!
be a responsible american pit bull TERRIER owner!!!
thank you.
(Please remember to apply the information On this
page to doggy daycares and other similar facilities or environments.)