# Why are APBT's so friendly with new people?



## Aximus Prime (Dec 15, 2009)

From all my research, this is a shared behavior with most good American Pit Bull Terrier lines. 

My dog never barks at strangers or new people, even if they come into his "territory" where he sleeps! 

My dog will jump up on a stranger's lap, let them pet him and fall asleep!

My dog will not growl at stranger if the stranger pets him while he is eating! 

This is behavior I've never experienced before as the dogs I've owned have been/are:

1. boxer/German shepherd mix

2. Dalmatian

3. Grey hound mix

So, why are well bred pits so easy going? My dog won't even hurt the cat...he just tries to nibble on or lick it to death. 

where is my killer instinct game dog?


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## 9361 (Jun 25, 2009)

Human aggression, dog aggression and prey drive are three different things. Your dog just sounds like mine and doesn't have any of them! lol She has a little DA when it comes to her food and toys... but she is scared of cats! Pit Bulls were bred.. even as game fighting dogs to be extremely friendly to people. It is the hallmark of the breed. My dog will also hop into the laps of strangers and give them kisses and fall asleep. LOL


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## StaffyDaddy (Mar 28, 2009)

Aximus Prime said:


> From all my research, this is a shared behavior with most good American Pit Bull Terrier lines.
> 
> My dog never barks at strangers or new people, even if they come into his "territory" where he sleeps!
> 
> ...


When American Pitbull Terriers were still being game tested in the []. they would be culled if they displayed ANY sort of aggression towards their handler or the opposition's handler. *HUMAN AGGRESSION WAS NOT TOLERATED IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM*. Dog Aggression is completely different. A dog with extreme dog aggression was known as "hot", and one that didn't show much if at all, was called "cold". This however does not mean that gameness is equal to dog aggression. Some of the gamest dogs were not dog aggressive outside of the [], which shows that when put to the challenge they displayed a great amount of courage, heart and determination.

The idea that American Pitbull Terriers, or the generic, loose term, PITBULLS, make good guard dogs is completely false, and something that has only been made "true" by the media and ignorance. The dogs that do display human aggression should not be breathing the same air as their human friendly predacessors, they should have been cut out of breeding programs and put to sleep. Pitbulls by nature are weak as guard dogs, due to their love for humans. Under socialization may lead to a dog that is fearful, but a fearful dog is often unpredictable and should not be kept alive. They are a lawsuit and an injury waiting to happen.

The idea that these dogs should be trained to be human aggressive describes one of the biggest problems our breed faces: total and complete ignorance for what the dog was created for.


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## 9361 (Jun 25, 2009)

Thanks for the follow up Oz!


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## Aximus Prime (Dec 15, 2009)

Thanks guys. 

Let me just make sure I'm clear on a few things...

1. I am not wondering why my APBT is not human agressive, I knew these dogs are typically very human friendly. I just expected him to at least bark at new people, until he smells them and lets them pet him like most other friendly breeds would do. Don't get me wrong, I love that he is so chill with new faces! 

2. He doesn't even play fight with my sister's dogs when I take him over there anymore...he just licks them and they run around after each other in the yard. A few times the other dogs (Shepherd) have growled/nipped at him and he just rolls over and submits to them. 

Is there any danger that he could suddenly become DA when he matures? He's only 7 1/2 months old now. He is as friendly to new dogs as he is to his buddies the G. Shepherds.


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## 9361 (Jun 25, 2009)

YES!!! He may become DA by the time he reaches 2. My dog was the same way.. she didn't start barking at the door or anything til we moved out of our house to a new place and she was over a year... and then she also started showing some DA tendencies... Shes not HA at all... but there have been certain men that she just didn't seem to like at first. And she barked at them and backed away... its something I have worked with her on.


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## jmejiaa (Dec 8, 2009)

My pup seems to not like dogs but is always nice to people. She will bark at the door when someone is turning the key but as soon as she see's a human being her tail wags so hard it makes her whole body wag.


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## Aximus Prime (Dec 15, 2009)

Thanks for the information...good stuff! 

I guess continued new dog socialization is the best way to keep him from becoming DA.


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## jmejiaa (Dec 8, 2009)

Aximus Prime said:


> Thanks for the information...good stuff!
> 
> I guess continued new dog socialization is the best way to keep him from becoming DA.


Also, if you watch PitBull's and Parolee's or any other rescue show you will notice how nice those dogs are, even after most of them being abused/starving/abandoned etc.


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## franktank1 (Dec 29, 2009)

Shes Got Heart said:


> but there have been certain men that she just didn't seem to like at first. And she barked at them and backed away... its something I have worked with her on.


Could you elaborate on this a little? What did you do to work on that?


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## buzhunter (Sep 3, 2007)

A true to standard pit bull does not feel the need to bluff a stranger. He should be fearless and courageous. Much like in our human mind, we see a loud mouthy guy to be an insecure bully and the quiet guy is the one with the confidence. Same concept. No fear, no need to bluff. Why does he submit to an adult dog? Because he's no dummy lol. Both are signs of a solid minded dog and are examples of desirable traits. I'd say you have a good dog.


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## buzhunter (Sep 3, 2007)

Aximus Prime said:


> Thanks for the information...good stuff!
> 
> I guess continued new dog socialization is the best way to keep him from becoming DA.


I would not expect that to last. It may, but it's unlikely.


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## StaffyDaddy (Mar 28, 2009)

Socialization should be targeted with friends, family and as many strangers as you feel comfortable around. Dogs may or not display dog aggression, but it should be expected. These dogs are not generally good with other dogs, you should never expect them to not fight. You should be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. And training can go as far as teaching you how to handle DA, not get rid of it by any means.


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## Czar (Nov 11, 2009)

StaffyDaddy said:


> When American Pitbull Terriers were still being game tested in the []. they would be culled if they displayed ANY sort of aggression towards their handler or the opposition's handler. *HUMAN AGGRESSION WAS NOT TOLERATED IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM*. Dog Aggression is completely different. A dog with extreme dog aggression was known as "hot", and one that didn't show much if at all, was called "cold". This however does not mean that gameness is equal to dog aggression. Some of the gamest dogs were not dog aggressive outside of the [], which shows that when put to the challenge they displayed a great amount of courage, heart and determination.
> 
> The idea that American Pitbull Terriers, or the generic, loose term, PITBULLS, make good guard dogs is completely false, and something that has only been made "true" by the media and ignorance. The dogs that do display human aggression should not be breathing the same air as their human friendly predacessors, they should have been cut out of breeding programs and put to sleep. Pitbulls by nature are weak as guard dogs, due to their love for humans. Under socialization may lead to a dog that is fearful, but a fearful dog is often unpredictable and should not be kept alive. They are a lawsuit and an injury waiting to happen.
> 
> The idea that these dogs should be trained to be human aggressive describes one of the biggest problems our breed faces: total and complete ignorance for what the dog was created for.


:goodpost:


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## 9361 (Jun 25, 2009)

franktank1 said:


> Could you elaborate on this a little? What did you do to work on that?


Sure, the problem is rather random. And it has only been young guys that she doesn't know. The would come to the house and she would start barking and backing away from them and if they tried to go near her she would continue backing and try to get behind me. Which told me she was very uncomfortable with them. I am one to think that dogs are a good judge of character... but thats not always the case! I talked with my trainer and she said when new people come to put her in the bedroom and reintroduce her after everyone has had a chance to sit down and relax and then let her out. This has fixed the problem for us. If she starts acting that way to a guy I will do this and when she comes back out she is all love and kisses.


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## 9361 (Jun 25, 2009)

Aximus Prime said:


> Thanks for the information...good stuff!
> 
> I guess continued new dog socialization is the best way to keep him from becoming DA.


Some dogs ... no matter how much socialization they receive they will still be DA. My girl developed food and toy aggression with other dogs after she hit a year and a half. And after I witnessed her starting a scrap with a dog she had played with and knew over a year.. since they were puppies.. I knew it was time to end her interaction with other dogs. And this was a time where I took her to my boyfriends friends house who had the dog. They were the same age. They were in the garage and I walked in the house for a minute to get a drink. I heard a bark so I looked outside.. I was only about 5 feet from the door. Helena and the other female were nose to nose.. the other female was licking Helena's muzzle which I read is a sign of submission. Helena was stiff with her tail out. As I opened to the door to go out and separate them Helena jumped at the other female in a snarling attack. I yelled OUT and she immediately stopped. There was no toys or anything to fight over at this time. So I decided the other dog must have done something she found offensive. As she has also gone after male dogs for humping her. (she is fixed) But she is a very dominant female. She gets along with others as long as she doesn't feel challenged.

When Helena was a puppy I used to think She would NEVER be that way with other dogs. But I always kept my eye on her just in case... good thing I did.


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## franktank1 (Dec 29, 2009)

Shes Got Heart said:


> Sure, the problem is rather random. And it has only been young guys that she doesn't know. The would come to the house and she would start barking and backing away from them and if they tried to go near her she would continue backing and try to get behind me. Which told me she was very uncomfortable with them. I am one to think that dogs are a good judge of character... but thats not always the case! I talked with my trainer and she said when new people come to put her in the bedroom and reintroduce her after everyone has had a chance to sit down and relax and then let her out. This has fixed the problem for us. If she starts acting that way to a guy I will do this and when she comes back out she is all love and kisses.


Thanks so much! My dog has a similar issue, and like yours, its only with males. I got him at a year and i have a good idea why he's uncomfortable around guys, but I can't be sure. Thanks for the info.


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## 9361 (Jun 25, 2009)

I have had her since she was a teeny tiny baby.... so I don't know what started this all. I just assume its being raised by a woman...


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## gamer (Feb 1, 2010)

Aximus Prime said:


> From all my research, this is a shared behavior with most good American Pit Bull Terrier lines.
> 
> My dog never barks at strangers or new people, even if they come into his "territory" where he sleeps!
> 
> ...


Pits like people  nothing wrong there. also there were some match dogs that did fine living with house pets. I think there was a colby dog that lived with a cat but dont remember his name.



StaffyDaddy said:


> When American Pitbull Terriers were still being game tested in the []. they would be culled if they displayed ANY sort of aggression towards their handler or the opposition's handler. *HUMAN AGGRESSION WAS NOT TOLERATED IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM*. Dog Aggression is completely different. A dog with extreme dog aggression was known as "hot", and one that didn't show much if at all, was called "cold". This however does not mean that gameness is equal to dog aggression. Some of the gamest dogs were not dog aggressive outside of the [], which shows that when put to the challenge they displayed a great amount of courage, heart and determination.
> 
> The idea that American Pitbull Terriers, or the generic, loose term, PITBULLS, make good guard dogs is completely false, and something that has only been made "true" by the media and ignorance. The dogs that do display human aggression should not be breathing the same air as their human friendly predacessors, they should have been cut out of breeding programs and put to sleep. Pitbulls by nature are weak as guard dogs, due to their love for humans. Under socialization may lead to a dog that is fearful, but a fearful dog is often unpredictable and should not be kept alive. They are a lawsuit and an injury waiting to happen.
> 
> The idea that these dogs should be trained to be human aggressive describes one of the biggest problems our breed faces: total and complete ignorance for what the dog was created for.


Actually there have been some old match dogs that were man biters and let live, the most famous one was Zebo ONLINE PEDIGREES :: [7] :: ADAMS' ZEBO (7XW)



Aximus Prime said:


> Thanks for the information...good stuff!
> 
> I guess continued new dog socialization is the best way to keep him from becoming DA.


Nope, all the socializing in the world and you can still have the dog turn on and become DA.


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## betsy09 (Jan 3, 2010)

Speaking of fearful dogs......I don't think Betsy is too fearful but sometimes when I pet her she squints like she's expecting a smack......
Upon speaking to my wife's bio-dad(PO), he mentioned that he kept a rolled up newspaper around to smack her if she "acted up". She definitely has DA, but besides barking at a few strangers here and there, she has never shown any signs of HA. If she ever does....she's in deep doo doo!


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## Patch O' Pits (Aug 3, 2007)

APBTs SHOULD be extremely people friendly and NOT leery of strangers period.

That being said in some extreme cases of poor imprinting, abuse and or total lack of human contact/socialization if can possibly be something other than genetic. IMO a good proper temperament. 
APBT is hard to ruin so more than likely there is a genetic component to the issues.

There are also some health issues which can effect or impact temperament.

When it comes to a pup/ dog that someone has had since it was little and it is acting funky, first thing I suggest is a health screening, then a behavior eval since some owners do not understand proper behaviors and temperament vs. a bratty untrained dog. Training can not change a genetically faulty temperament. It may however help depending on the extent of the issues...other times , tough decisions need to be made.


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## buzhunter (Sep 3, 2007)

Patch O' Pits said:


> APBT is hard to ruin so more than likely there is a genetic component to the issues.


That should be on a t-shirt, a bumper sticker, and could be the most logical explanation to 99% of all "pit bull" problems. Wisdom at it's finest.:clap:


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## Demios (Jan 9, 2010)

APBTs are pretty fearless, so you don't get much of that fearful/anxious barking. They're human affectionate, so they won't really see a reason in being fearful. Dogs are for the most part also very sensitive and aware of body languages, subtle changes, etc, so small things that'd go unnoticed by people can cause a dog's behavior to change.

DA could be nonexistent as a puppy. Their physiology as a puppy is adversely different then at the adolescent or adult stages. As a fearless APBT puppy they won't be all that scared by another dog's aggression, and being a puppy, they'll typically look to submit before doing anything else. They don't have much of an ownership or dominance complex at the puppy stage, and a lot of their behavior will stem around that.

The game changes around the year and a half mark, this is when they're getting out of that puppy stage and are starting to establish themselves more. Now, where a puppy would submit and back down, an adolescent might say no. Because they're typically quite courageous, they won't hesitate as much to test their boundaries and make a stand. Where another breed may snap and turn, leaving it at a stern warning, there's a good chance the APBT will grab and hold, making it a completely different issue. 

The APBT once it's more adult and has it's own sense of dominant self has a much higher likelihood of skipping the growl/snarl/snap warning stage and jumping straight to the grab and hold stage. For the most part there are rarely any obvious signs building up to the fight, it just happens. When you let a few dogs out together you're going to see a lot of the growl/snarl/snap correcting going on. One will find a stick, the other will want the stick, the one with the stick will growl. For an APBT that doesn't even tend to display DA, this growl could mean go time, and because it's an APBT, once it's on, it doesn't really go off.

So your APBT could show no DA in the sense that you can walk it down the street and another dog could walk by growling and snapping but away and unable to touch it. It may not even give the dog a second look. This is cool, but if they're allowed to get within bite distance from one another, and if the other dog gives off aggressive signs, the APBT will most likely not back down like some other breeds, it will most likely not give a great big flamboyant display prior to any commitment like other breeds, and it will most likely go in full force and not hold back like other breeds.

It's all just sort of the facts of the matter that go along with this breed.


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## Aximus Prime (Dec 15, 2009)

Demios said:


> APBTs are pretty fearless, so you don't get much of that fearful/anxious barking. They're human affectionate, so they won't really see a reason in being fearful. Dogs are for the most part also very sensitive and aware of body languages, subtle changes, etc, so small things that'd go unnoticed by people can cause a dog's behavior to change.
> 
> DA could be nonexistent as a puppy. Their physiology as a puppy is adversely different then at the adolescent or adult stages. As a fearless APBT puppy they won't be all that scared by another dog's aggression, and being a puppy, they'll typically look to submit before doing anything else. They don't have much of an ownership or dominance complex at the puppy stage, and a lot of their behavior will stem around that.
> 
> ...


Excellent post and thanks. That explains a lot and confirms a lot of the behavior signs I'm seeing in this, my first APBT. He is definitely fearless toward the other dogs he plays with and he never shows sign of pain. I've accidentally shut him in the door a few times, not so much as a whimper and he's extremely resilient!

Here's a vid of the dogs playing I shot this weekend in the freak snow storm that covered the mid-atlantic. Obviously Axel is the black dog. I'm not sure if letting them play tug is a good idea or not but neither dog showed any sign of aggression, tails wag the entire time. The older dog is a boxer/hound mix.


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## pitbulljojo (Apr 2, 2009)

We actually teach our dogs to"ignore" strangers. Since we live in the "inner city" {Chicago} there is a chance that your dog will get stolen if it too friendly to the wrong person. We actually teach our dogs to ignore commands or cajolling by other people. If we give them permission to "talk" to the person then they become their usual friendly self, otherwise they ignore the stranger. Our dogs are also protection trained so they can protect us if the person decides to snatch the dog


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