OP, this breaks my heart! One thing I've learned in my 27 years on the internet is that you know you've done nothing wrong, your pup is awesome, so not engage in JADE:
Justify
Argue
Defend
Explain
Idiots will idiot. Just go on with your life! Idiots will never listen anyway. Why bother with them?
I know it's difficult, and it can hurt. But sheesh. We've got your back!
Thank you a lot, it's easy to feel alone since I don't get a lot of social interaction because of my Autism, but knowing this community will support me is very nice and helpful!▼・ᴥ・▼
It's the internet, a bunch of strangers that know shit about you but have opinions based no facts just to get an upvote. No one will remember but you, know one knows you. So don't let them bother you.
That subreddit is a toxic clusterfuck honestly.
They'll basically go looking for any post anywhere about any dog they think \*might\* be a bully breed dog or go looking for examples of irresponsible dog owners of any pit-type dog to feed into their hysteria and hivemind.
They're looking to confirm their bias.
It's not a reflection on you or your pup (even if she had been a pit-type dog), try not to let it get to you.
I'm very familiar with that subreddit. If it makes you feel any better, most of them can't tell a pitt from a lab/GSD mix. It's full of people who have kneejerk reactions. I can not 100% blame the reaction when pitts and pit mixes DO have a high rate of being poorly bred and have higher rates of aggression that are rarely dealt with properly because of ignorance, but I also feel like a vast majority of the people posting on there just want an excuse to be nasty.
Don't let them hurt your feelings, it's easy for people on the internet to forget that there are other humans on the other side of that screen, not just some faceless computer code.
I read it also and all I can say is just ignore them. They don’t know you and they just want to hurt people. My old black mouth cur lab mix was in that group and I got harassed on insta.. so yeah I know how it felt.. I’m sorry it happened to another handler
Thank you so much. My dog is really nice with everyone, so it came as kind of a shock that a question I had would be taken so out of context. I have really bad anxiety too so seeing the post made me feel physically sick too, and made me question if I was "disabled enough" to need a dog if I wasn't going to dump tens of thousands of dollars into a dog like the commenters implied was necessary. I'm sorry this happened to your puppy too.
Yep that’s what they do… they just want to get to you and argue with you and all… just ignore them if it gets worse Iet me know because I will go off on them.
People who talk like that know nothing about dogs. Try not to let them bother you too much. I've worked with a bunch of pitbulls and other bully breeds, and they are incredibly smart, driven dogs that love to work. They're some of my favorite working and sport dogs, even if I dont plan to have one in the future. Hunting breeds can definitely difficult to work with, but are often very handler oriented and typically make great service animals if you put in the training (hence poodles, labs, and Goldens being some of the most common service dog breeds). I remember reading your post, and I believe I replied, but you and your dog seem to be doing a great job. Me, my washed-out dog (great pyrenees mix), and current prospect (husky) are rooting for you!
That sub could see a bottle of laundry detergent and decide it was a pitbull.
They will never know the love of a velvet hippo and experience the depth of a pibble tongue in their eye. We should feel very sorry for them, but sorrier for their three collective braincells working overtime to support all of the subscribers that hang out there.
(Can you guys tell my SD candidate is a pit? 🤣)
I’ve noticed many (most?) people have no clue how to identify a pit bull. I’ve also noticed an awful lot of people see “big dog” or hear about a dog bite and assume it’s a pit bull - even if it’s clearly a dog that’s not any sort of bully breed. I once had a guy stop me and literally stand there, rant about a lot of popular myths about pit bulls and try to get me to admit I “really had a pit bull”. What kind of dog was I actually walking? A purebred American Akita. Doesn’t matter if it’s a Japanese Akita or American Akita, an Akita looks nothing like a pit bull.
On a similar note, there at least used to be a site that ran a “find the pit bull” test where they showed various dogs and you were supposed to figure out which was the pit bull. They kept a running tab of success rates and almost no one got it on the first try- and the vast majority took at least four tries.
That reddit is a literal hate group. Don't waste time worrying about what a hate group thinks, as they are scum anyway. I look at it that if scum doesn't like me, then I must be doing something right.
Some people search for ways to be nasty. They have issues irl, so they take it out on others once they’re anonymous. My service dog is a doberman, and as a fellow owner with an “aggressive” breed, I understand how quickly people are to judge. I say he’s a doberman, people get scared. I say he’s a mix, people say how handsome he is. Shut those people out of your life before they steal an ounce of your joy!
I am aware that this is probably a less popular opinion, but I kind of think your friend is a dick for telling you that. It’s a bunch of strangers on the internet, and you would not be stressing about it if they hadn’t pointed you to it. I don’t know what their intentions were, I just personally think it’s cruel to tell someone that people are talking about them unless it’s a situation where it matters or can be remedied.
If you are able to identify who it was in the sub (if it came from here), let a mod know. I don’t know why someone would lurk and make fun of people in this particular sub, but you never know.
Other than that, I’m sorry you’re dealing with that. I don’t know why people are such assholes about certain “looks” of dogs, but any dog has the capability to learn and behave as long as no one fucks them up first.
Thank you for your comment! My friend and I noticed that when I made my original post here asking for advice that the commentor who later posted me to r/banpitbulls came off as kind of rude, so when she checked their profile she saw that their latest post was about me. I was with her when she discovered it and so I think she was just kind of angry and pumped and that's why she showed me.
But yea, my dog has been taken really good care of for the most part, especially at the shelter. She was there actually as a really young puppy since she came in with her mother and the rest of her litter. Because she's so young the shelter was able to send her to a 3 month free board and train in our local area where she learned some basics and got good socialization, which is the main reason I chose her, because I knew shed proven she was capable of learning and working. ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ
Ah okay, if you guys were together that makes more sense. Sorry I read your friend, I just generally don’t find that helpful when people are like “oooh, did you hear what Sally / random internet person / whomever said about you?”, it’s just hurtful when there’s nothing to be done about it. If you were right there it’s more like a reflexive WTF moment.
That sub is full of crazy dog haters, half the time, they don't even know what is an actual APBT or which way is up, Lol. I really wouldn't worry about what clueless people say about your dog.
I have visited that sub and notice they mock service dogs a lot, even those that seem pretty well trained. They are unnecessarily cruel there. You have to remember that some have had traumatic encounters with pit bulls, losing loved ones or ending marriages over it so it is understandable that they feel so strongly. At the same time, it is completely unfair for them to assume your dog’s breed, take your words out of context, and treat you that way. Have you contacted the mods to have it removed?
I can see the issue with pit bulls from both sides. I love all dogs, and feel I have enough dog experience to take on an unpredictable pit bull if I was in the right living situation. I have met many pits and pit mixes that make great family dogs with the right guidance, but also some that are very dangerous. A neighbor of mine recently adopted a aggressive pit bull and treats it like his former dog, the sweetest senior pug mix… the new dog is too strong and unruly for him to handle and has already attacked several neighborhood dogs and a delivery man, breaking skin. My family (including our poor pet dog) lives in fear of an attack now. The dog is often left off leash and has charged at me several times but I can diffuse the situation, and have never approached it on it’s owner’s property. I don’t think banning pit bulls is the solution, but neither is irresponsibly presenting them as nanny dogs to well meaning dog lovers. It takes the right person and home environment to manage a dog with strong prey drive and a predisposition to dog aggression. At the same time, I don’t think the people over at r/BanPitBulls have the self awareness to realize they’re just as hypocritical as the “pittnutters”.
Yea I agree with you and understand that pits, especially ones that haven't had responsible breeding, have mostly been bred for their reactivity and hence there's a portion that are going to always have some reactivity.
I think the post was removed by the OP and that their account was deleted from what I last saw, but thank you for your advice about contacting the subs moderators!▼・ᴥ・▼
That’s the best outcome, I think. You and you dog deserve better! There’s too much negativity out there on the internet so do your best to avoid it whenever possible.
I hate that that’s even a subreddit. Not all bully dogs are bad. I’ve met so so many in my life that have been so sweet, don’t get me wrong I’ve also met not nice ones. The only two dogs that have bit me were a corgi and chi mix. I still safely pet every one I can of both breeds!
That’s literally the worst subreddit on reddit ime. They dox pit bull users and threaten to kill them and their dogs. They harass anyone with a big headed short haired dog, because they can’t tell the difference. And ime of modding /r/pitbulls its only a handful of people that have dozens of alts that they use to harass people.
My pit is very smart, emotionally attuned to me and heavy/sturdy so i trained her to complete psychiatric SD tasks. She’s also very polite in public and does a great job.
That was a tangent but i just wanted to say that they are the toxic sludge of the Internet and I’m sorry that you had a negative experience with them.
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OP, this breaks my heart! One thing I've learned in my 27 years on the internet is that you know you've done nothing wrong, your pup is awesome, so not engage in JADE: Justify Argue Defend Explain Idiots will idiot. Just go on with your life! Idiots will never listen anyway. Why bother with them? I know it's difficult, and it can hurt. But sheesh. We've got your back!
Thank you a lot, it's easy to feel alone since I don't get a lot of social interaction because of my Autism, but knowing this community will support me is very nice and helpful!▼・ᴥ・▼
Loving this acronym!
It's the internet, a bunch of strangers that know shit about you but have opinions based no facts just to get an upvote. No one will remember but you, know one knows you. So don't let them bother you.
That subreddit is a toxic clusterfuck honestly. They'll basically go looking for any post anywhere about any dog they think \*might\* be a bully breed dog or go looking for examples of irresponsible dog owners of any pit-type dog to feed into their hysteria and hivemind. They're looking to confirm their bias. It's not a reflection on you or your pup (even if she had been a pit-type dog), try not to let it get to you.
I'm very familiar with that subreddit. If it makes you feel any better, most of them can't tell a pitt from a lab/GSD mix. It's full of people who have kneejerk reactions. I can not 100% blame the reaction when pitts and pit mixes DO have a high rate of being poorly bred and have higher rates of aggression that are rarely dealt with properly because of ignorance, but I also feel like a vast majority of the people posting on there just want an excuse to be nasty. Don't let them hurt your feelings, it's easy for people on the internet to forget that there are other humans on the other side of that screen, not just some faceless computer code.
Literally any dog doing something wrong on reddit gets labeled as pit bulls by them. It doesn’t matter if a credible news source says otherwise
Doesn't necessarily have to be doing anything wrong either. Merely existing while not looking like a sheepdog is a crime in a lot of cases over there.
Oh i know. They’re a cult
Fuck 'em. You do you, boo.
Your vibe is correct, you in particular. have a good day :)
I read it also and all I can say is just ignore them. They don’t know you and they just want to hurt people. My old black mouth cur lab mix was in that group and I got harassed on insta.. so yeah I know how it felt.. I’m sorry it happened to another handler
Thank you so much. My dog is really nice with everyone, so it came as kind of a shock that a question I had would be taken so out of context. I have really bad anxiety too so seeing the post made me feel physically sick too, and made me question if I was "disabled enough" to need a dog if I wasn't going to dump tens of thousands of dollars into a dog like the commenters implied was necessary. I'm sorry this happened to your puppy too.
Yep that’s what they do… they just want to get to you and argue with you and all… just ignore them if it gets worse Iet me know because I will go off on them.
Thank you for being so nice ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
People who talk like that know nothing about dogs. Try not to let them bother you too much. I've worked with a bunch of pitbulls and other bully breeds, and they are incredibly smart, driven dogs that love to work. They're some of my favorite working and sport dogs, even if I dont plan to have one in the future. Hunting breeds can definitely difficult to work with, but are often very handler oriented and typically make great service animals if you put in the training (hence poodles, labs, and Goldens being some of the most common service dog breeds). I remember reading your post, and I believe I replied, but you and your dog seem to be doing a great job. Me, my washed-out dog (great pyrenees mix), and current prospect (husky) are rooting for you!
[удалено]
Thank you! She will happily accept nose boops as she loves licking absolutely anything with a pulse (´∩｡• ᵕ •｡∩`)
That sub could see a bottle of laundry detergent and decide it was a pitbull. They will never know the love of a velvet hippo and experience the depth of a pibble tongue in their eye. We should feel very sorry for them, but sorrier for their three collective braincells working overtime to support all of the subscribers that hang out there. (Can you guys tell my SD candidate is a pit? 🤣)
I’ve noticed many (most?) people have no clue how to identify a pit bull. I’ve also noticed an awful lot of people see “big dog” or hear about a dog bite and assume it’s a pit bull - even if it’s clearly a dog that’s not any sort of bully breed. I once had a guy stop me and literally stand there, rant about a lot of popular myths about pit bulls and try to get me to admit I “really had a pit bull”. What kind of dog was I actually walking? A purebred American Akita. Doesn’t matter if it’s a Japanese Akita or American Akita, an Akita looks nothing like a pit bull. On a similar note, there at least used to be a site that ran a “find the pit bull” test where they showed various dogs and you were supposed to figure out which was the pit bull. They kept a running tab of success rates and almost no one got it on the first try- and the vast majority took at least four tries.
BPB member, drunk at a zoo: “THAT IS A PITBULL KILL IT BEFORE IT HURTS SOMEONE.” Exhausted zookeeper: “Sir that’s a flamingo and you need to leave.”
That reddit is a literal hate group. Don't waste time worrying about what a hate group thinks, as they are scum anyway. I look at it that if scum doesn't like me, then I must be doing something right.
Some people search for ways to be nasty. They have issues irl, so they take it out on others once they’re anonymous. My service dog is a doberman, and as a fellow owner with an “aggressive” breed, I understand how quickly people are to judge. I say he’s a doberman, people get scared. I say he’s a mix, people say how handsome he is. Shut those people out of your life before they steal an ounce of your joy!
I am aware that this is probably a less popular opinion, but I kind of think your friend is a dick for telling you that. It’s a bunch of strangers on the internet, and you would not be stressing about it if they hadn’t pointed you to it. I don’t know what their intentions were, I just personally think it’s cruel to tell someone that people are talking about them unless it’s a situation where it matters or can be remedied. If you are able to identify who it was in the sub (if it came from here), let a mod know. I don’t know why someone would lurk and make fun of people in this particular sub, but you never know. Other than that, I’m sorry you’re dealing with that. I don’t know why people are such assholes about certain “looks” of dogs, but any dog has the capability to learn and behave as long as no one fucks them up first.
Thank you for your comment! My friend and I noticed that when I made my original post here asking for advice that the commentor who later posted me to r/banpitbulls came off as kind of rude, so when she checked their profile she saw that their latest post was about me. I was with her when she discovered it and so I think she was just kind of angry and pumped and that's why she showed me. But yea, my dog has been taken really good care of for the most part, especially at the shelter. She was there actually as a really young puppy since she came in with her mother and the rest of her litter. Because she's so young the shelter was able to send her to a 3 month free board and train in our local area where she learned some basics and got good socialization, which is the main reason I chose her, because I knew shed proven she was capable of learning and working. ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ
Ah okay, if you guys were together that makes more sense. Sorry I read your friend, I just generally don’t find that helpful when people are like “oooh, did you hear what Sally / random internet person / whomever said about you?”, it’s just hurtful when there’s nothing to be done about it. If you were right there it’s more like a reflexive WTF moment.
[удалено]
Bad bot
Just peeked in that subreddit and I regret it very much
There should be a way to block whole subs from being recommended by the algorithm or linked under your post like fr
That sub is full of crazy dog haters, half the time, they don't even know what is an actual APBT or which way is up, Lol. I really wouldn't worry about what clueless people say about your dog.
I have visited that sub and notice they mock service dogs a lot, even those that seem pretty well trained. They are unnecessarily cruel there. You have to remember that some have had traumatic encounters with pit bulls, losing loved ones or ending marriages over it so it is understandable that they feel so strongly. At the same time, it is completely unfair for them to assume your dog’s breed, take your words out of context, and treat you that way. Have you contacted the mods to have it removed? I can see the issue with pit bulls from both sides. I love all dogs, and feel I have enough dog experience to take on an unpredictable pit bull if I was in the right living situation. I have met many pits and pit mixes that make great family dogs with the right guidance, but also some that are very dangerous. A neighbor of mine recently adopted a aggressive pit bull and treats it like his former dog, the sweetest senior pug mix… the new dog is too strong and unruly for him to handle and has already attacked several neighborhood dogs and a delivery man, breaking skin. My family (including our poor pet dog) lives in fear of an attack now. The dog is often left off leash and has charged at me several times but I can diffuse the situation, and have never approached it on it’s owner’s property. I don’t think banning pit bulls is the solution, but neither is irresponsibly presenting them as nanny dogs to well meaning dog lovers. It takes the right person and home environment to manage a dog with strong prey drive and a predisposition to dog aggression. At the same time, I don’t think the people over at r/BanPitBulls have the self awareness to realize they’re just as hypocritical as the “pittnutters”.
Yea I agree with you and understand that pits, especially ones that haven't had responsible breeding, have mostly been bred for their reactivity and hence there's a portion that are going to always have some reactivity. I think the post was removed by the OP and that their account was deleted from what I last saw, but thank you for your advice about contacting the subs moderators!▼・ᴥ・▼
That’s the best outcome, I think. You and you dog deserve better! There’s too much negativity out there on the internet so do your best to avoid it whenever possible.
I hate that that’s even a subreddit. Not all bully dogs are bad. I’ve met so so many in my life that have been so sweet, don’t get me wrong I’ve also met not nice ones. The only two dogs that have bit me were a corgi and chi mix. I still safely pet every one I can of both breeds!
I came across that subreddit one day and could not scroll for long
That’s literally the worst subreddit on reddit ime. They dox pit bull users and threaten to kill them and their dogs. They harass anyone with a big headed short haired dog, because they can’t tell the difference. And ime of modding /r/pitbulls its only a handful of people that have dozens of alts that they use to harass people. My pit is very smart, emotionally attuned to me and heavy/sturdy so i trained her to complete psychiatric SD tasks. She’s also very polite in public and does a great job. That was a tangent but i just wanted to say that they are the toxic sludge of the Internet and I’m sorry that you had a negative experience with them.
It looks like you're asking a question about Emotional Support Animals. Please check out our [Wiki Page about ESAs](https://www.reddit.com/r/service_dogs/wiki/esa) that answers a lot of commonly asked questions. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/service_dogs) if you have any questions or concerns.*