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Is it true that Pit Bulls can just "snap"?

Discussion in 'Dogs - Pit bull breeds specific' started by fawnbrindle, Apr 9, 2004.

  1. fawnbrindle

    fawnbrindle New Member

    Hello all! First let me say I love this site! I stumbled upon it completely by mistake (I was doing a google search on ear cropping). Anyhow, I'm a first time APBT owner. I've had dogs before, but no Pits. Anyway, as u may imagine, I have been up to my ears in books & research. It took me quite a while to find a breeder that I believed to be reputable & I will pick up my puppy in roughly 2 weeks. So now that the baby's coming I am so excited I'm telling everyone that will listen, I'm even doing a "Puppy Shower"! Now to get to my point (finally), you can only guess all the bullshit commentary I've been receiving about this decision I've made. As we speak, I'm watching Animal Planet (Animal Cops-Miami) & the agents went to a site where they were tipped off about some APBT's. When they get there, there's a male, female, & 2 puppies (you can easily see that they're pets & taken care of). One of the officers turns to the cameras and starts saying that Pit Bulls have a tendency to "snap out of the blue". I, in all my research, have not read or heard anything about this. Is there anyone out there that may be familiar with this occurence?
     
  2. kyles101

    kyles101 New Member

    any dog can snap out of the blue. it isnt just reserved for pit bulls. im not sure what breed 'snaps' more often though. anyone got actual facts/statistics?
     
  3. Sara

    Sara New Member

    Well personal experience offers that most of the dogs I hear of that "snap out of the blue" are Boarder Collies... but most of the time when you hear stories like that...the dogs don't truly snap out of the blue...there's something that led the dog to it's behavior and could have been prevented had the owner known what to look for etc...

    I've never heard of an APBT snapping out of the blue like going nuts... Pit bulls will "turn on" but generally the rule is that for a pit to "turn on" it's in a less that controlled situation and is directed at another dog or animal... NO doubt you've read about the whole...unsupervised dog play is a no no with these guys and to make sure you have a well adjusted APBT in public you have to socialize socialize socialize and keep doing it for the dogs lifetime... There's also liability issues with these guys becuase they have the bad rap that they do...ya gotta treat them differently than you would a lab (neighbors will be faster to make a complaint about a barking APBT than they would about a barking lab or chi.)... I'm sure you knew all that already...again...I've NEVER seen or heard of an APBT or any dog that "snapped out of the blue" without some reason or provokation that was simply missed by the owner etc...
     
  4. GinaH

    GinaH New Member

    In my experience cocker spaniels are very snappy. I volunteer at my local animal shelter a couple times a week and I also foster dogs& cats have even had baby ferretts. One of the big reasons I chose to own APBT is for their loving personalities out of all the dogs I work with on a daily basis I have never had a bad experience with APBT it seems no matter their circumstances they are always the friendliest and most willing to love you.
    I have been bitten twice by a cocker spaniel and also a chow mix who just seemed to snap "out of the blue"
    The other day I took one of my dogs to the vet and they had to draw blood out of her neck so she had to be held firmly there was a new vet tech there and I could tell when she did the workup on my dog and found out it was a pit bull that it bothered her so when it came time to draw the blood and the vet told her to hold the dog firmly still, she seemed afraid to touch her it really started to irritate me! but then my vet finally chimed in and told the vet tech that she had no reason to be scared of my dog and that "If any dog is going to bite you it wont be one of these dogs" meaning pit bulls he went on to say out of the 35 years he has been a vet that he has never been more impressed with the love and tolerance for people that these dogs have. I left the vet that day feeling very proud!
     
  5. Sara

    Sara New Member

    Can we clarify what you mean by "snap"? Are you meaning that they'll go crazy or turn on their owner?? Or do you mean that they are "snappy"...

    I thought you were meaning that they go crazy...turning on their owners...and I've really never heard of a breed prone to doing that at all.. With the Boarder collie I was meaning that they can be great herders and then as they age all of the sudden they get a bit nutty and end up hurting the animals they are supposed to be protecting adn guiding. I've heard of many a sheep getting injuries from the Boarder collie or other herder going a bit nutty on them... Still great dogs but can't be trusted with the livestock once it happens...

    Anyways...just wanted to clarify.
     
  6. Shady_Babygurl

    Shady_Babygurl New Member

    Being raised with Pit Bulls for 24 years I can say from experience that NO dog snaps out of the blue. I have did all breed rescue for a few years now and what I have seen is that there is a reason for EVERY dog to snap. Dogs are more than likely provoked, been mistreated, feel threatened or acting out of fear or pain. People dont understand that alot of situations for a dog can be interpreted as threatening or invading their territory.

    My Chihuahua for instance, is GREAT with me, and my kids but when taken to the park where other kids are running up to him, and him being under 2 lbs, he feels threatened and might snap or lash out at someone. My Pit Bull Foolish is territorial. He is great with most people and animals but once you are in his area he wants his things respected(toys,food etc) A Pit Bull is not like any other breed. It is an honor to own one. They arent your average house pet. They requite alot of responibility, time, patience, and love. Pit Bulls get a bad name for a couple of reasons. 1. being they are one of the strongest breeds in the dog world. With thousands of punds of pressure in their jaws, they intimidate the nomal dog owner. 2. Because they were bred to fight poeople assume they are some killing machine with no heart. People sometimes jump into owning one of these dogs expecting it to be as docile as a lab, as easy to care for as a golder retreiver, it is simply not that easy.

    They require a more responsible owner than any other breed. You have to take special precautions to make sure your dog isnt put in a situation where it could turn negative. My opinion is any dog can "SNAP" so to speak if the right situation presents itself. People have to respect dogs as who they are. They are afraid sometimes, hurt sometimes and need their space sometimes. I or any person on this board could "SNAP" if the situation happened where we just couldnt take it anymore. sex, age, color, etc doesnt play a part when a human 'snaps' so why would it in the dog world? Congrads on your new puppy. Hope you are one of the responsible owners that will neuter/spay your dog, make sure your dog gets the love and attention it needs and always be cautious while playing with other dogs. Pit Bulls have to be supervised with any sort of dog play.

    Yours truly, Kim
     
  7. GinaH

    GinaH New Member

    Were you stating this as a fact or myth? Because it is in fact never been proven true and is looked upon as a myth.
     
  8. Shady_Babygurl

    Shady_Babygurl New Member

    The myth is that pit Bulls have locking jaws. It is a fact that they are one of the strongest breeds among the doggie kingdom. Im not sure exactly how much pressure a Pit Bull has but it is MY OPINIOn they have one of the strongest bites in all the breeds. this is based on personal opinion and experience with 24 yrs with he breed. There is always controversy about the actual strength of the pit Bulls jaws. I dont think there has ever been an actual study but it is really opinion of people on both sides.

    Few websites that support this.

    http://www.edba.org.au/courier.html



    http://flfl.essortment.com/informationonp_rqvi.htm

    Website that calls it a myth.

    http://pitbulls.iwarp.com/custom.html
     
  9. GinaH

    GinaH New Member

    MYTH: American Pit Bull Terriers have 1600 P.S.I. in jaw pressure.
    FACT: Dr. I. Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia states, "To the best of our knowledge, there are no published scientific studies that would allow any meaningful comparison to be made of the biting power of various breeds of dogs. There are, moreover, compelling technical reasons why such data describing biting power in terms of "pounds per square inch" can never be collected in a meaningful way. All figures describing biting power in such terms can be traced to either unfounded rumor or, in some cases, to newspaper articles with no foundation in factual data." Need more be said?
    http://www.realpitbull.com/myths.html

    http://www.badrap.org/rescue/myths.cfm

    http://www.geocities.com/lsspbc/myths.html
     
  10. GinaH

    GinaH New Member

  11. Sara

    Sara New Member

    I'm with you on that one Regina... Pit Bulls are some of the stronger breeds in the dog world...but strongest??? Pit Bulls have powerfull jaws...but the most powerfull??? Besides that...I agree with everything else you stated Kim (for the record).

    Take this into consideration... an English Mastiff holds the world record for most weight pullled (can't remember how much they said he/she pulled). Even the bite of an Alligator hasn't been measured with true accuracy (I don't think any animal in the entire world has had an actual measurement of jaw pressure that was meaningfull and accurate); Pit Bulls are strong, fast and tenacious but between the Boerboel and the APBT last week... I'll tell you... My APBT went at it with more fury than anything...he might as well have weighed just as much as my Boerboel (APBT 65# -v- BB 100#) he gave my BB a run for his money in the "fight" department... The BB turned tail either at my command or at his own sheepishness but either way... the BB had a good scratch down his side where my APBT had a hole in his ear, several small puncture wounds on his head and a nice sized on one his foot...he was bleeding and limping badly... No doubt the BB did more damage than the APBT in the altercation no matter how fast the APBT was or how strong he was...that BB came out with fewer wounds and inflicted more that I would've imagined.

    Who was the strongest??? Who did the most damage??? Who was more capable??? Well I'm sure that after an hour or so the APBT would've gained the advantage physically...but as a general rule... There are plenty of other dogs out there with more power than the APBT. The APBT just has more guts and more stamina or desire to NOT quit what he/she has started.

    No doubt the APBT is powerfull and can inflict serious damage but they're not the most powerfull...by any means.

    Note also... the APBT is one of the dog worlds best climbers (that's fact so watch your dog even if you have a 6' privacy fence...).

    Good points Kim... I also think that NO dog snaps out of the blue (crazy wise or snappy wise)...something ALWAYS leads to it in one way or another.
     
  12. Shady_Babygurl

    Shady_Babygurl New Member

    I need to be more clear when I state I think they are the strongest dogs. I mean as far as far as bite as concerned. A Mastiff is certainly powerfull and large but I think a Pit Bulls bite is alot stronger than a mastiff or any breed for that matter. That is why they were used for the Pit and for Bull Baiting years ago, because they have the strongest bite out of all dogs. This is total opinion and not based on any fact or survey. I just think that the Pit Bull has the strongest bite of all breeds. As far as snapping, like I said dogs are like people when it come to that. A Person can snap when they are pushed too far, provoked or scared or nervous. Same in dogs, they are usually provoked when agressive but sometimes bad breeding and upbringing can play a huge factor in snapping.


    Kim
     
  13. Sara

    Sara New Member

    If they have a stronger bite than a mastiff...then why didn't my mastiff have any puncture wounds to speak of after their altercations... He certainly is not fast enough to dodge the teeth of an APBT only half his size...???

    IMO...not the strongest bite out there... Most determined...I'm sure but not the strongest.
     
  14. True_Pits

    True_Pits New Member

    In my experience Cocker Spaniels snap often but now out of the blue. Dogs that I've seen snap out of the blue most often were chows.
     
  15. Shady_Babygurl

    Shady_Babygurl New Member

    that is my opinion and you have yours. I have no proof that Pits have the strongest bite but you do not have proof they dont. Its matter of opinions. I still believe they have the strongest bite. I havent seen any proof to make me think otherwise. True Pits, what do you believe has the strongest bite in the doggie world? What is your opinion on strongest bites? Just curious being you have alot of knowledge with Pit Bulls as well. Like I said its my opinion but I have no fact to base it own.

    Kim
     
  16. True_Pits

    True_Pits New Member

    LOL I'd like to see this, some one on another board said St Bernards hold the world record. We got into an arguement (about several things) she tried to say no reason to use tow chains for Pit and they are not that strong, she tried to tell me what weight dogs have pulled in my weight class like she is there and knows? Think she said it was only 2,000 or so Lbs. Even if that were true(which its not) it doesnt change the facts Pit Bulls can and have broke regular chains. Okay sorry for all the rambling. Even if it were true a ENGLISH MASTIFF is a hell of a lot bigger than the Pit Bull which out pulls many breeds many times especially in most weight pulled per body pound, which is how I measure a dogs individual strength against anothers. The smaller pits pull more per body pound than the larger pits.

    Thats fairly simple to answer, learn your breeds. Pit Bulls don't break the skin and inflict that type of damage, they have jaw power. They have dull blunted teeth aswell, which makes it harder to puncture the skin. My B Mal could have done more punctures and damage than one of my APBTs ever could, long double canines, sharp pointed teeth. Even when they put a lot of force they don't always break the skin, sometimes they cause bruising too. I felt like I had broken fingures from a quick, almost immediatly released bite and I had no broken skin. My fingures throbbed for hours and my thumb and index went numb and from time to time my hand would feel like it was asleep. I never bleed, no punctures just strong jaw power like a vise grip. I have no clue or care to know which has the strongest jaws or come between the debate, but wounds don't indicate a dogs jaw power in any way. My Boxer could have had a lot of jaw power for all I know, but try as she or most any other Boxer might they have hardly any chance of breaking the skin or requiring stitches, they have extremely tiny teeth, small canines and very underdeveloped teeth. They seem to have power to hold on and not let go, I don't know about their pressure or anything in that department. I have seen their bites cause severve bruising but no bleeding, the bites (of other breeds) that cause bleeding their isn't any bruising, but since Boxers dont break the skin the blood vessels are broken inside and trama is caused by the bite but their teeth are too small and their blunted canines cant pearce the skin.
    I was bitten by a pup(they lack bite inhabition, less than 3 months old) and it did break the skin(pups have very sharp teeth!!) it hurt painfully bad, the pups tooth was even stuck in my skin. But nothing hurt worse than not being able to get their clamped jaws off my arm at first. The pressure caused immense pain from their powerful jaws. The bite wounds I had 3 one on top 2 on bottom. They looks like they were from a cat scratch, barely little damage. But it ached and bruised.
    I know when Val's toe/foot ws caught by my adult I expected an enormous amount of damage only to find a little hole, even though he had her foot for sometime, yanked on it, used it like a spring pole and had an extreme grip on it. But their teeth weren't meant for shredding, skin pearcing damage. If you have even seen dogs matched they don't cause a large amount of damage but wrestling eachother switching holds, even keeping a good grip applying a lot of pressure without causing severe puncture wounds or bleeding. They can cause serious damage without having deep puncture wounds. They have very strong jaws, despite not causing a lot of outward injury, the inside is feeling it. Its like being stabbed causing you to bleed vs being punched extremely hard and dying from internal bleeding. I can't say which have the stronger or which breed has the strongest because their is no way to measure that. Their is also a difference the strongest hold or the most pressure? Honestly I don't know. Mastiff have bigger builds and jaws, but does the dog with the biggest jaws have the strongest? Pit Bulls have strong jaw muscles and overly developed jaws/jaw bones, but do they have the strongest?

    You can't base ONE incedent on an entire hypothosis. No the difference betwen the dogs anatomy.
     
  17. RottieZeus

    RottieZeus New Member

    I watched that same Animal Cops episode last night and honestly I was rather upset that they guy got fined for the "Pit Bulls" The solid white was clearly was not a pit bull, it looked more like an American Bulldog to me. The pups, which there were 6 in total looked more Am. Bulldog to me too. He got fined 500 dollars per dog and was given 2 days to get them out of the county or they would be put to sleep. I felt for the guy. He wasn't raising vicious dogs. I think that Dade County in Florida needs to educate their officers on the difference of breeds instead of leting them do this to people because they don't know the difference of the breeds. It said on the show that Pitt bulls have been illegal in Dade COunty since 1989. That is a long time. I bet most people there couldn't pick a pitt out of a line up. HAHA...
     
  18. True_Pits

    True_Pits New Member

    Hey I watched Animal Cops Florida a few weeks ago, I'm not sure if this is the same one or similar. The one I watched I didn't see pups involved but a man had a white male and a fawn female and was fined $500 per dog had an exstention to get them out of town, think they gave him 5 day and he had another fine for them being at large when he accidentally didn't get the gate latched. He tried to tell them they were not Pits and a mixed breed and he has never seen a 100lbs Pit Bull. But the officer wouldnt hear it and told the owner He knew what he had, and knows those are Pit Bulls. Acting like he knows and is trying to lie. The male looked AB mix and the female looked like some other sort of bully mix, it made me so mad. Its obvious they weren't pit bulls and were too big to be pits and had different looks than a pit. I've seen the big pits, the hybrids, the bandogs that have purebred papers and the larger bred dogs and these didn't even resemble those very closely, ecept for the few AB X Pits that I have seen. Either way they have no proof this guys dogs were Pits, they were pretty friendly and he was very cooperative but still got screwed. He paid the fine without problem and said he knew it was his fault and then relocated them with family.
     
  19. loves-da-pits

    loves-da-pits New Member

    Pit Bulls over the years have had myths and legends created to sensationalize the breed and to tarnish the reputation. I'ts a myth that P.B. have locking jaws.The breed was originally bred for "gameness" which means they just don't let go even though they have been injured. Their jaws have no more pressure than any other dog their size. STRONG?? Yes, their tenacity and muscle structure enables them to pull a Volkwagon if need be. Unpredictable behavior? These guys are the gentlest and most predictable dogs I have ever been around. I was badly injured by a 30# Chow a little less than a year ago. She just didn't bite and hold on, but tore away the flesh repeatedly. My Pits can take my arm in their mouths, and not even leave a mark. Grace drags the cat around and the worst thing is he gets all slobbery. I just wish people would get past all the myths and the lies and get themselves a P.B. and give them all the T.L.C. they deserve.
     
  20. loves-da-pits

    loves-da-pits New Member

    fawnbrindle: Do you have any pics of your dog? I love brindle Pits!
     

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