• IMongoose@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      I understand, most pitbull owners don’t change their mind until blood has been spilled. I’ve seen it firsthand several times and these dogs were not being mistreated.

      For other people, please look into dog breeds natural ability. Nurture will get you a well behaved dog but some have nature hardwired into them and it takes mountains of training to get it out of them. There are different breeds for a reason and it’s not just for looks. Just get the dog breed that fits your lifestyle.

      • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        I don’t own a pitbull, but I have friends that own them, and they’re the silliest, goofiest, most loving dogs. I have a Doberman though, and he’s incredibly well behaved and polite. He will only get rowdy with me, and no one else. He obeys on command, and is very gentle and sweet. He’s definitely higher energy than most people can handle, and strong as fuck, so training is important, as is being strong yourself. I did a year’s worth of research on breeds before deciding a Doberman is the right breed for us. He’s the perfect amount of independent, watchful, intelligent, inquisitive, energetic, and adventurous for my lifestyle. We go for a 3 mile hike in the mountains every day where he gets the exercise he needs, and we work on mental stimulation like nose work and obedience training often. He goes everywhere with me and is the perfect gentleman. But he’s a powerful, high-energy, intelligent dog, so definitely not the right choice for most people.

        Edit: pitbulls are prone towards dog aggression though, which is in their nature. That’s why it’s critical to socialize them extensively when they’re young. It’s very easy to cure them of that if you are intentional about introducing them to lots of other dogs, cats, kids, and people when they’re still puppies. They’re a lot harder to train into trustworthy dogs if they don’t get early socialization, and most dog owners are not very good about ensuring their dog gets proper socialization at the proper age.