Odie

After reading many of the posts am I to assume that because my dogs do not have papers stating that they are Pitbulls than they are not Pitbulls? My veterinarian has them listed as APBT. This listing must be for identification purposes only. Just a little confused because everywhere we take them people identify them as Pitbulls. Not sure if I need to take action and try to get papers or just let it go. Either way they are treated like Pitbulls with all that goes with it.

BCdogs

Unfortunately the general public has no idea what a true Pit Bull is. The only Pit Bull is the APBT and without a pedigree proving such, you likely have bull breed mutts. There is nothing wrong with that, but identifying them as Pit Bulls does way more harm than good.

For example, the media gets wind of a dog attack, the dog is muscular with a square head, owner identifies it as an APBT, and suddenly "vicious Pit Bull attack" is splattered everywhere, further harming the breed's reputation.

In reality, APBTs are extremely human friendly (usually), and the instances of dog attacks from real Pit Bulls are slim to none, yet they get vilified every time a bull breed mutt does something bad.

I'm sure you can see how this inflates bite statistics and ultimately hurts a breed that is actually quite innocent, in terms of human aggression.

Blossom01 (Got the BAN STICK)

[QUOTE=BCdogs;1524681
For example, the media gets wind of a dog attack, the dog is muscular with a square head, owner identifies it as an APBT, and suddenly "vicious Pit Bull attack" is splattered everywhere, further harming the breed's reputation.
.[/QUOTE]


It's too bad too because I much more often see pit bulls in a good light ,one rescued that alerted a family to a fire, another rescued one that is pictured getting along with other animals and kids, a horribly abused one left at a shelter that makes an amazing recovery

Having to correct people that tell me that that those dogs are mutts or "bull-breed mixes" is something I find hard to do. And these are sometimes friends that have seen many pit bulls at shows.....

BCdogs

I don't know why you find it hard to do. If someone calls my dog a Lab, I'll correct them, what's the difference when they call it a Pit Bull?

Odie

Bull breed mutts. Society still considers them Pitbulls. So as such we take care to make sure that they are trained, confined when needed and we are training them. Most of all we love these dogs, they are beautiful dogs, strong, sensitive and loving.

Blossom01 (Got the BAN STICK)

I find it hard to do because some of them are drop-dead gorgeous, I-don't--know-what-else-to-call-them- Pit Bulls that don't have a pedigree. I'll try to find picture examples.

BCdogs

Bull breed mutt, bully mutt, mixed breed, mutt, "I don't know what he/she is" are all perfectly reasonable answers. You don't need to tell someone that your dog is any one breed or a mix of specific breeds. If you don't know, you don't know. Mislabeling doesn't help anything.

jttar

Odie and Blossom, spend some time and research the American Pit Bull Terrier. Not the dogs that Ceasar Milan or Tia Torres call pitbulls, not the BYB dogs called pitbulls or the dogs the shelters or uninformed vet call pitbulls but rather a pediggreed American Pit Bull Terrier.
This is a small terrier dog. The adult male will be approximately 45 pounds and the female might be around 35 pounds when full grown.
Most of us here realize that the general public call every mixed breed mutt that has any type of bully look a pitbull BUT that doesn't make it true or acceptable.
Any dog without having a legit ped showing it's lineage is a mutt. If you don't know what else to call your dog and people ask, call it what it is, a mutt. It is not a duragatory term. I currently own 2 mutts.

Joe

Odie

BCdogs, I agree that mislabeling doesn't help. Educating ourselves on the dogs we have is what we are doing and this forum is a great help.

Odie

Jttar, up until recently I was like the general public not knowing what a real pitbull is. We were told that the dogs we took ownership of were pitbulls. Don't have a problem calling them mutts just looking for answers. As for reading, yes we have several books, not Cesar (and I don't know who Tia Torres is). Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, I appreciate your time.

Globetrahter

I have to chime, as I keep reading this all over the website. Mutts may not be a derogatory word but call YOUR dog what you want. If you think its a PitBull call it that. (Of course don't if it looks nothing like it)

Don't let the the fact that you may not have papers or maybe couldn't afford a $600 or more dog with papers be something where anything else you get is a mutt.

Before anyone chimes in with a definition of Mutt.... call your dog what you want, if someone tries to correct you... Ask them if they bred your dog... lol

BCdogs

So basically... Be part of the problem of mislabeling and misrepresentation that fuels BSL and has thousands of bull breed dogs euthanized every day. Why? Because you can. Good plan.

Globetrahter

Dude, you basically contradicting your original message.. Why even start this thread?

In that case call your dog a mutt, and everyone that owns a APBT will be Happy as well well calling it that. :/

BCdogs

I didn't start this thread...

I do calls my dog mutts. Because they are mutts. Why are people opposed to calling it what it is? Why do people have to say their dog is any one breed?

jttar

You are completely wrong. Sure, you may call your dog a kangaroo if you want to. Does it make it a kangaroo because you call it one? There is only one pitbull and that is the APBT. Calling any other bull dog a pitbull is no different than calling it a kangaroo. Your dead wrong in doing so.

Joe