A dog owner has pleaded for help from the internet after getting worried reactions from family when they adopted a mixed-breed puppy.
Reddit user u/Pinheadhan shared the story to r/pitbulls in September, explaining they had just adopted a 5-month-old puppy. And while they can’t be certain about her breed, they believe she has some pit bull in her.
But rather than celebrating the new addition, they said their extended family’s reaction “has been less than desirable,” as their relatives are worried about how the dog will behave with their 6-year-old child.
The poster, who also has a Great Dane, was worried about “the stigma” of bully breeds, and said they “don’t see what the big deal is” as they are “passionate about proper training” for all of their dogs.
Along with several photos of the white-and-black dog, they wrote in the post: “We love her so much and she’s the sweetest.”
To other Reddit users, they pleaded: “Please share your positive stories, or if you experienced similar pushback.”
Pit bull dogs encompass breeds including the American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, and Staffordshire bull terrier, descendants of the original English bull-baiting dog, which were later bred to fight other dogs when baiting large animals were outlawed.
Staffies are now described by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as being hugely affectionate towards family and great with young children, with high intelligence, patience, and energy. Responsible breeders are producing sweet-natured dogs who make good family pets, the AKC reports. However, many people are wary of the breed: their strong stature and powerful jaws mean an attack by a pit bull is likely to be extremely serious, and there have been many stories of maulings by pit bulls over the years.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) notes what pit bulls were first bred for, but states every dog should be treated as an individual, and “while a dog’s genetics may predispose it to perform certain behaviors, tremendous behavioral variation exists” among different dogs.
Behavior develops through a mix of environment and genetics, and early positive experiences, especially socialization, are key in preventing aggressive tendencies in dogs. A breed initially bred for fighting other dogs does not mean that that breed is more likely to show any aggression towards humans, the ASPCA adds.
Reddit users had a big response to the post, awarding it close to 10,000 upvotes as one commenter urged the couple to “pay no attention to them,” suggesting “most of the stigma comes from untrained owners and dogs.”
They shared a photo of their own bully dog, Lucy, and advised: “Train your dog, give it a nice friendly name and you’ll win people over. Some people will always be hateful or scared and you won’t be able to change that.”
One user shared their own story of seeing a family “go from ‘absolutely not’ to ‘he’s an ambassador for his breed.’ A good dog will change minds when necessary.”
And another shared a photo of their own pit bull and wrote: “This is my rescue Maude. She was abused to hell and back. Day one she only wanted love, and is the sweetest dog I’ve ever met. Pitts are awesome babies.”
One commenter pointed out that “everyone should be careful of kids around any breed of dog,” and said the biggest concern when it comes to dogs and children is the animal “not understanding how strong it is and hurting people accidentally.”
They advised getting a trainer, both for the dog, and to “help teach our child what to do and not to do.”
Newsweek has contacted u/piheadhan via Reddit for comment on this story.