has anyone ever heard of the forum gopitbull and if so have you ever been on it and what do you think?

I havent heard of it but I have a friend in America who has 2 pitbulls and is very passionate about saving them as they have a bad reputation unfortunatley...

the reason why i asked this question is because my husband and i were on this site (which is supposed to be a site where you can go and discuss apbt and bully without being judged).  but boy where we wrong.  i think that they love their ego's more than they love their dogs.  they act like if you have an opionion and they don't agree with it you are wrong and they are rite.  i know several people who were on there and they got banned for just commenting on some of the forums.  and to make it so bad they were not negative they were just trying to give their opinion and help new comers.  i noticed that they also slammed people for their spelling when they had more spelling and grammer mistakes than anyone else.  they also cussed at you but then again they banned people for cussing.  all in all though if you know anyone with a passion for the apbt breed i would never tell them about that chat line.  in fact i told the people who got banned about this site and how wonderful ya'll are so hopefully thet will make this their new home to talk about issues with their dogs.

yeah they do not have a good rep. i personally love pitt's my friend has one and she is the sweetest dog, she is not aggressive at all. When she plays she seems aggresive because they are very hyperactive dogs(well all the ones i have met have been). People are judgemental about a breed before they even have a experiance with them. The news portreys them as BAD but it is the way they are raised.

haha i rambled. sorry

I think they are lovely dogs, they have such sweet faces. I think my 10 lb doxie (who lives with my parents now) is more dangerous than most pitties. lol, she is such a terror.

i don't much care for pitbulls (there are some nice ones and some mean ones) 

i have a pitpull baby and he is perfect

I've never heard of that site. I googled it and nothing popped up but a bunch of stupid articles. I googled it with forum on the end and still, nothing. o___o

I have two pit bulls and they're really sweet dogs. <3

PS The mean ones usually are NOT purebred as BYBs and puppy mills have crossed mastiffs and Am Bulldogs with pit bulls to make them "bigger".

The "mean ones" have far less to do with breeding than with their humans.  Any dog can be taught to be mean - and any dog can be taught to be sweet.  It is people who are the problem, pure and simple.  There is no such thing as a "bad breed."

If we can't even educate the people in this community about this issue, what hope is there for the dogs?

i agree, if the people r mean to there dog then the dog will try to defend its self by  

 getting back at them

Actually, breeding does have a lot to do with it.

Some breeds were bred to do certain things and breeders try their hardest to keep these traits running. A herding breed is going to try to herd, right? A toy breed is going to wanna sit on your lap, right? A guarding breed is going to be protective, right? Just like a dog; such as the pit bull; that was once bred to fight (whether that's what it was originally bred to do or not) will display some signs of animal aggression. With socialization, this can be handled and may never exist in the dog. But, a person who has his eyes closed to this fact should not own or handle a pit bull. Because, that's part of the reason people have deemed them as "killers". Another part is; as I stated; backyard breeders. They have crossed them with guarding breeds. Guarding breeds do what? Guard. Pit bulls once did what? Fought. Meaning, they're crossing a breed that could be AA with a breed that is highly protective: the dumbest move you can make. Because, that just makes their guarding instinct worse than it already is. Get where I'm going? Also, BYBs have no care in the world whether or not their dog is aggressive; meaning, they're breeding aggressive dogs. And, they don't handle the puppies- meaning, they're selling puppies that have had no prior socialization. Genetics DO play a big part in aggression. Believe me, I have handled some aggressive dogs that were FAR from saving (but had a wonderful background). Sure, people make mean dogs. Know how? When they breed. It starts from birth. But, it is also the human as when you put an aggressive dog in the wrong humans hands; he'll become more aggressive. But, put an aggressive dog in the right humans hand; the human will have it under control. It's like comparing thug dog fighters to traditional dog men. The thug dog fighters don't do squat to handle their dogs. If they kill, they're proud of it. If they bite a human,they're proud of it. They don't care. But, a traditional dog men, they would never handle a human aggressive dog. If the dog was HA he was dead. If the dog displayed Dog aggression outside the pit; he was dead. If the dog was overly aggressive in any way; dead.

It's about genetics and handling. And, I feel that if you want to own a pit bull; you should know that.

It IS about genetics, but not about breed.  Pit bulls get a bad rap because of bad people having them and doing terrible things with and to them.

Having said that, we have a poorly bred dane we got from a BYB and his temperment problems are GENETIC.  His genes dictate that he is very fearful of people, fearful enough to bite them if he were in the wrong home.  This is a dog I have had since he was 8 weeks old, never abused, never mistreated, and his aggression started out of the blue. He is NOT a pit bull he is a Great Dane, a gentle giant right?, and even wearing a muzzle in public, people want to pet him.  Parents let their kids run up to him.  If he WERE a pit bull, parents wouldn't let their kids pet him.  They certainly wouldn't let them run up to a muzzled pit bull would they?

How ignorant is that>?

The other really ignorant idea is that ALL dogs are inherently good and ALL pit bulls (or similar bully breeds) are ALL bad.  Genes play a HUGE role in a dog's personality.  If his parents are mean or shy, there is a good possibility that HE too will be mean or shy.  Just like black dogs breed black dogs, mean dogs breed mean dogs. 

You HAVE to start with a genetically sound specimen of ANY breed of dog and then raise it, train it and socialize it CORRECTLY for it to turn out a friendly family member.

Proper handling will always trump bad genetics when it comes to raising a dog.  Yes, sometimes poor handling or no handling cannot be "undone" but ANY dog raised properly from birth will be a "good" dog.

And it doesn't matter what the breed is - you should learn about the breed before owning a dog.  We've always had Irish Setters, and I can't tell you how many "uneducated" owners try to paper train them.  The problem with redheads is that once they learn something - like "pee on the paper" - it is extremely hard to get them to relearn.  They learn fast, and don't forget - even if you weren't trying to teach them something.  So if you paper train your Irish Setter puppy, be prepared for a lifetime of watching your dog pee on any piece of paper he sees on the floor and then look at you expecting praise.

Your point is valid, but it is equally valid for ALL breeds.  Know what you are getting yourself into before you get into it.

Jim

I agree with Jenhigr on this one more. I would use my Olivia as an example because I can only explain it that way.

Whey you look at the animal of her, she will only follow calm assertive energy and loves other animals who are calm submissive. If you don't have the right energy, she will pick at you and discipline you until you do. She's actually great at disciplining other dogs. Pancho, who died unfortunately, respected her more than anyone else! She tought him from not begging to how to play. I just looked at her and was amazed because she actually did a better job than any human! And Pancho, he loved following her around. With people, you have to ignore her completely and not be excited when you first meet her because she automatically know you know nothing about the dog world. Energy is the essence of life.

Now, when you look at the dog of her, she was the Alpha of her litter. She took charge right away even before we brought her home. She tought me what I needed to know about her world rather than what I wanted. She's very pack oriented because that is in her DNA. No matter if you had dogs back in the '70 to the ones now, their pack mentality has not changed at all. They don't change it just because time has. Because I learned that she follows energy, I make sure i have the right energy and she follows it perfectly. She will go to the highest level of submission and I am not making her at all. She is leader born and she knows when to submit when she sees a better leader because it is for the survival of the pack.

Now, when we look breed, it's funny because just recently there was this new study that the most aggressive dogs were Dachshunds and then Chihuahuas. Now, I do find that crazy (because I have both), but I could see why that would be. Little dogs can get away with many things that big dogs can't. Their issues are looked as cute. I don't think of them as little dogs really because I love big dogs. I do take in mind they are little of course too. I make sure that size or her breed, because she's part Chi, doesn't affect with me from disciplining her when something is not allowed.

When you look at genetics, she was not bred right. This is also another factor why like this. Health problems she has a lot since day one too. Now, because she was not bred right, I have to work harder than the dogs the good breeder have because they look at in mind so the average person who doesn't know pack mentality can control a dog. Submissive dogs will submit to pretty much anyone so they really don't need much help. I don't have a submissive dog, I have a leader. Like I said, I know about pack mentality and so because I have that knowledge, I can work on making her a pack follower much easier. As for her health, I give her raw food so it has been a lot better. She can't tolerate cook meat or just any kibble for a reason.

When it comes to her personality, she loves peace and if she thinks that a pack member (Rocky) is harming another pack member (me), such as in play, she will go and discipline him just enough for him to get it but not a lot to draw blood! I of course discipline her at this because I am the pack leader and it is my responsibility to do this. Pack members protect each other so this is why she's protecting me. Anyway, she has a beautiful play. She won't destroy anything. She will release when I tell her. It's not that she hates dogs and people, is just that she doesn't tolerate excitement and negative energy. She loves female dogs because the majority she's met are calm. She can get along with excited dogs but she will discipline them just enough (like a tap when we take it into human's world). Again, why Pancho loved her. The reason she's a sleepy head is because I give her exercise so she rests. She's not rough on her play because I decide how she plays. She is not food aggressive because I stopped that when I first saw it. She's not a dog who destroys things when you come home.  I limit her just like I choose how much freedom. In a dog's world, that responsibilty and balance within a pack. It's totally healthy to them.

What I am trying to say is that the animal and dog triumphs over breed and personality. Yes if you breed with good genetics you will get a dog to submit to you easier because they were bred for their submission. Then, as the owner of that well bred dog, you have to keep with the temperment right like socializing and such. But, no matter which breed or genetics, good or bad, you have if you don't know how to be your pack's leader, forget it they will take over period. Just look at Cesar Miillan's dog (whether you like him or not), he started with a pack of troubled Rottweilers and they became the most balanced dogs. Now, he has the most balanced pack of dogs, mostly pittbulls, around! Another example is the dogs of Mexico (I have a topic forum on this). They are a lot of strays filling the streets. They discipline (not punish such as dog fights) each other and influence each other without little human contact really. Because of their appearance they are feared but above it all, they rarely have aggression problems. We've had three Mexican dogs ourselves and they were nothing like these dogs. Mexico's dogs are much more intuned with their pack structure that they really don't have much issues. Now, people are starting to take these dogs in and they are fine above all mentally, they just need a bath that's all!

Don't give up on a dog because that's in his breed or he was bred that way. The guidelines of how a breeds personality is, it's just an idea of what you may see. For example, if you love Doberman Pinschers (I do), you know you'll likely to get a dog who needs pack rules from A-Z and a lot of exercise. Among them, you'll have your couch potatoes, rare but they are there. Dogs are always willing to change and every day is a new day to become a pack leader. Yes, Olivia has issues just like the dogs in the shelters. If you go to the shelters, you know you are coming across dogs with issues. You'll see them jumping up and down, going around and around. Why? not all can get their daily walks in the morning, take a rest, get fed, then play, walk again, rest, eat, and then rest again. They don't get a real balanced routine but if they did, boy, would they be jus as great as the most balanced dog.

I agree with the genetics like I said, but how do those great bred dogs continue to have great temperment? you have to keep at it for the rest of their lives, just like any dog. The good breeders ask the new owners what are your plans for being his leader. You going to walk it? You going to keep the dog busy with work (therapy dog, agility, dog shows)? How much you willing to socialize it and not keep them isolated? How much are you willing to be a pack leader? 100% or none because there is no 90%. When you get a purebreed, you are also expected to get more intensity like the breed was designed than a mutt. (My Rocky has the intensity of an actual Fox Terrier and the nose of an actuall Dachshund. What do I get, a "hot headed" dog with a strong nose. I am thinking of getting him in search in rescue because of this!)

Well I have 2 pittie friends and we all play together with no agression at all. In fact we are a bunch of goofballs.

One time at my house there was me, and my friend Kauai, another dobie, 2 pitts, a min pin and a chihuahua and we all got along great.Oh and did I mention the 2 house cats were in on it too.

I'll bark at dat one Gat!  I had a blast at your place!  You and kauai are the tops..oh and Paco is a great little dude.  I liked Tammy Fay!  Meow!!  Gotta love the puds man.  They are great snuggle buds! 

It is a mixture of nuture and nature that make us what we are.  My dog mom is a very aggressive apbt and is not one to be messed with...as my human mom says, she needs to be spayed or put down..NO MORE LITTERs FROM HER.  I'm a BYB pup and was abused for the first 6 months, but then got to this home, and I'm a good dog, well socialized and love everyone.  I love to meet new dogs and people. 

So just remember how you treat your dog will reflect in how your dog treats others.  With VERY few exceptions. 

Also, I might add, that i just got a new dog brother back in December , and as most folks will say that we are animal aggressive, We are good buds and play and run and swim with each other now.  Yes, there were a few days of tenseness.  Mom asked that i be submissive for the first few days andd then we worked it out and he learned that i was pack leader here on our ranch.  When he arrived, he was 4 years old and had always been an only dog, unsocialized and not neutered!  My dog brother is a  Doberman. 

 I love my Pit friends fo real