posted September 16, 2005 08:09 AM           

But my paranoid Mama-self is worried about their dog, a Pit-Bull/Greyhound Mix.
I wasn't worried until she lunged, growled, and went for Zoe's (our dog's) neck when I took her over to meet them (which resulted in Zoe sulking the rest of the day and then cowering and shaking when we tried the meeting again...which had the same result) and my neighbor said that their dog has a habit of killing squirrels and has killed a raccoon - a history of small animal aggression/violence scares me.

They lady said that their dog's been great with kids before (and she licked Meg's face when Meg went up to her), but I'm a little (read: "mind-bogglingly"), perhaps irrationally, concerned.

posted September 16, 2005 08:25 AM         

I love my three dogs very very much and if there was every a time that one of my dogs would bite or hurt another I would think that it would come from my Belgium Shepherd and not my two Pitbulls. But dogs will be dogs and you just never know? Now that we have a ban on pit-bulls in Ontario, I can't even take that change anymore with my dogs and would not introduce any of my dogs to others children or animals. Just in case!!!

Better safe then sorry!!!

It would hurt like hell to be forced to put one of them down.

Love and care to you!!!

posted September 16, 2005 08:38 AM         

Here you go:
http://www.badrap.org/rescue/myths.cfm
http://pitbulls.jentown.com/
http://www.furryfriendsfoundation.com/Truth03/Truth03.htm

posted September 16, 2005 09:34 AM         

However, the casual mention of the dog liking to kill other small animals (prey) would concern me greatly. And by that I mean I would be terrified of that sort of aggressive behavior around my child or any other pet.

A friend has a dog who is very sweet most of the time, but has attacked both her and her husband, and also likes to kill cats, squirrels, birds, etc. Its aggressive behavior is unpredictable.

You know how much I love animals, which is why I choose not to eat them, but...

Prox, I would be terrified, too. What makes a dog attack? I don't know, but if it views something as prey and is so inclined, it will. You have a cat, a non-aggressive dog, and a child. Be careful.

posted September 17, 2005 12:17 PM         

The dog has a history of violence. She told you herself.

Maybe you should keep Meg and Zoe away? You'll do the right thing.

It doesn't have to be because she's a Pit. I grew up with Pits. We had to put one down because it was too aggressive. We didn't raise her from a pup, so we had no control over her aggressiveness. The rest of the dogs we had were raised from puppies, and were never any threat to anyone.

Pits can be wonderfully loving doggies... and very protective of women and children... **IF** they are raised right.

posted September 17, 2005 03:07 PM           

I've got a lot of food for thought here.
Re: Keeping Zoe, Meg, Harry away:
I'm thinking about how to do that, though.
We're in Post Housing - our houses are 15, maybe 20 feet apart, less so in the back.
My main nightmare scenarios:

• Harry will get out (he's not usually allowed to - his previous owners declawed him - but he sure tries) while they're outside with their dog (because, hey, dogs need to go); their dog breaks free and gets Harry.
  
• We both happen to go outside with our dogs at the same time, theirs is unusually perterbed, gets free.
  
• Their dog dashes out the door while I'm outside with Meg and/or Zoe - natural aggression w/ the latter, unexplained with the former. I mean, I can't just stay in my house and I don't want to tell Meg that she can't run around the yard like a crazy monkey (under my supervision, of course).