Stretching the truth about breed.

This is where to talk about Pit Bulls!

Postby plebayo » August 8th, 2009, 5:03 pm

I did a thread search and found a post about lying about your dog's breed. I was thinking the other day and was curious.

Do you think lying about a dog's breed is harmful or good for the Pit Bull breed?


I've been to different shelters and looked at many ads on craigslist. Sometimes there are dogs that are very clearly Pit Bulls. Things that identify a Pit Bull to me is the upper/lower jaw when the dog smiles. There is nothing like a pit bull smile. There's also a certain body type they have, their elbows and hips are different. If the dog being advertised is clearly a Pit Bull does it help the breed to lie and say it's a cattle dog mix? What if someone adopts the dog, lives in an apartment that clearly says no Pit Bulls, they take the dog home and the landlord says no way? I know they do it to make the animal more adoptable, but I'm not sure that it helps in the long run.

There are other instances where I have seen dogs that are clearly pit mixes, but again they list them as Boxer or Mastiff, I even saw a dog who was clearly like Pit/Lab they were calling a "cur". Is it good for those breeds? Especially if the dog ends up biting someone, or killing something in the guise of being a 'boxer mix'? I mean boxers are common here, but it is quite rare to find a true Mastiff mix, there aren't a ton of Mastiff breeders around here. But if you do choose 'boxer' over Pit Bull it's less negative press on the Pit Bull end, so I can kind of see that. There's also less negativity around boxers.

I can understand if you have a pit/lab and call it a lab cross. To me that is still honest, because the dog is for sure part lab.

Anyway I was just curious on everyone's take on whether or not you should stretch the truth. Another question I have is-

Do you think you're better off listing your dog as a Pit Bull or Pit Bull Mix? Does adding "mix" make a difference?
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Postby BigDogBuford » August 8th, 2009, 5:08 pm

I'd rather be honest about the dogs' breed. Sometimes I know it'll be easier to refer to Joxer as just a Boxer mix (which is technically true) but I *always* specify Boxer/Pit Bull mix. I know he may not get pet or I may need to do more educating but that's just the way it is. :|
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Postby HappyChick » August 8th, 2009, 8:14 pm

I think tell the truth if you truly know it. Vinny could have been papered as an APBT, but honestly, if you look at him he doesn't have the build of an APBT. He is classified at the vet as an AmStaff. I think there are a variety of dogs that fit under the pit bull umbrella. Then there is Reno, he's listed as a Pit/Lab mix. There is definitely some pit in him, but more he has a lab build for sure.

If you are talking animal shelter, it depends on the person in charge of deciding how the dogs are listed. If I was in an area that was not so pit friendly, Reno would probably have been listed as a lab mix only. The label is often very important. I do not condone out and out lying. There is a difference between calling it by the mix breed and calling a dog something that it is not. Remember, though, that the person labeling the dog may not know what the hell they are talking about either...
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Postby kera09 » August 8th, 2009, 9:14 pm

when we got ava from ohio at 4 months old, they HAD to say boxer mix bc they couldnt adopt out any apbt bc of bsl :mad2: at the vet she is listed as a boxer mix....im not even sure if she is a pitty mix :| I would like all of my kids to be listed as something else at the vet...just incase they ever do a breed ban here. as for adopting out under a diff breed im not so sure that is a good idea.
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Postby shady-angel » August 14th, 2009, 8:38 pm

Because of our stupid laws over here Cujo is registered as a farm dog x staff even the vet the neutered him put him down as a terrier x but he said foxy LOL!
But when it comes to listing to adopt sell I'd go with the truth then hopefully no one incapable of looking after this sort of dog will get it.
Of coarse just the name +pit bull+ cries out to people who shouldn't be left in charge of a gold fish let alone a pit sometimes. :bs:
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Postby Malli » August 15th, 2009, 12:06 am

There are many shelters who are not fully up front about a dog's mix in order to save said animal and be able to adopt it out.


As for my own dog, in the past I've labelled him as an AmStaff etc, now I call him what he is APBT x AmBull because even if people are repelled by him, he is most definitely an excellent breed ambassador, and people need to know that Pit Bulls can be well behaved and control themselves, too.

Now, if it were a question of keeping my dog or having him taken for some reason? You bet he'd be a Mastiff x or Boxer x, whatever he needed to be to be kept safe.

Weather he's appreciated or not, I am proud to have a well behaved, bomb-proof, outstanding doggy citizen who is a Pit Bull as well. Just because someone looks on him in fear or hate does not mean that his disposition and behavior won't make an impact on them anyway.
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Postby TheRedQueen » August 15th, 2009, 12:23 pm

Malli wrote:There are many shelters who are not fully up front about a dog's mix in order to save said animal and be able to adopt it out.


As for my own dog, in the past I've labelled him as an AmStaff etc, now I call him what he is APBT x AmBull because even if people are repelled by him, he is most definitely an excellent breed ambassador, and people need to know that Pit Bulls can be well behaved and control themselves, too.

Now, if it were a question of keeping my dog or having him taken for some reason? You bet he'd be a Mastiff x or Boxer x, whatever he needed to be to be kept safe.

Weather he's appreciated or not, I am proud to have a well behaved, bomb-proof, outstanding doggy citizen who is a Pit Bull as well. Just because someone looks on him in fear or hate does not mean that his disposition and behavior won't make an impact on them anyway.


Very well said! :D

I for one, do not know Score's ancestry...we guess that he's part pit due to his looks. He got washed out of our Service Dog program for being too pit bull-ish. He may not have any APBT/AmStaff or any bully in him...but I use the term pit mix to show people what they can be like. Score is also an excellent ambassador for the breed...no matter what his true ancestry is. ;) Just seeing his little 8 year old human friend working him in public telling people proudly..."he's part pit bull!" makes me happy.

We just got asked the other night..."Is that one of them Vick dogs? They're unpredictable and dangerous!"...a truck driver who was in the same motel where we were staying. His buddy was petting Score and having a great time...and luckily didn't listen to the idiot spouting nonsense. So if he's labeled..."one of those dangerous dogs"...while getting butt scritches from someone...I'll take it. :dance:

And yet, at the vet and for the insurance company...he's a lab mix. Just in case. Sad, isn't it?
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Postby pitbullmamaliz » August 15th, 2009, 1:32 pm

It depends on the situation on whether I'm honest about Inara. The vet has her listed as a boxer mix for me. I've told people before that she's a boxer/dalmation mix ( :giggle: ). And sometimes I'm just honest and say, "yep, she's a pit bull."

It sucks that I live in a state where I'm breaking the law every time I take her outside without a muzzle, but that's why I do sometimes lie about her breed.
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Postby Malli » August 15th, 2009, 1:35 pm

pitbullmamaliz wrote:It depends on the situation on whether I'm honest about Inara. The vet has her listed as a boxer mix for me. I've told people before that she's a boxer/dalmation mix ( :giggle: ). And sometimes I'm just honest and say, "yep, she's a pit bull."

It sucks that I live in a state where I'm breaking the law every time I take her outside without a muzzle, but that's why I do sometimes lie about her breed.


Holy crap! I didn't know OH had statewide BSL!!
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Postby pitbullmamaliz » August 15th, 2009, 1:38 pm

Yes ma'am! I believe it's the only state in this great country of ours that has state-wide BSL. Technically I should have a muzzle on her whenever she's outside, a 6 foot chain leash, and $100,000 liability insurance (I do have a million liability, but only because it came with my renter's insurance).
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Postby HappyChick » August 15th, 2009, 2:10 pm

pitbullmamaliz wrote:It depends on the situation on whether I'm honest about Inara. The vet has her listed as a boxer mix for me. I've told people before that she's a boxer/dalmation mix ( :giggle: ). And sometimes I'm just honest and say, "yep, she's a pit bull."

It sucks that I live in a state where I'm breaking the law every time I take her outside without a muzzle, but that's why I do sometimes lie about her breed.


I've changed my thinking on this subject after reading your post. If I had to do it protect my dog, heck yeah I'd out and out lie! Vinny could pass as a boxer mix.
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Postby SvcDogSawyer » August 15th, 2009, 4:11 pm

It just depends on the situation. For instance, to avoid much higher home owners insurance rate, Score is a lab mix.
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Postby mnp13 » August 15th, 2009, 6:17 pm

It doesn't matter what you say the breed is. When it comes to anything involving insurance, your dog is whatever breed your insurance company says it is.

They have more lawyers than you do :|

I never lie about their breeds, they are what they are.
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Postby TheRedQueen » August 15th, 2009, 7:52 pm

I'm not lying...we've always guessed lab/pit mix... :smileUp:
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Postby bigred7999 » August 15th, 2009, 7:56 pm

the rescue i got maddie from had her listed as a "border collie" clearly not ... i went to see her then they said she may have some amstaff mixed in. this shelter kept her for close to 4 months, so if they had to lie to save her life and find her a good home, then its fine with me. im sure there are other cases were it may be different.

it said border collie mix on her paper so thats what i registered her as with the city, although there is no BSL here
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Postby shady-angel » August 15th, 2009, 9:02 pm

TheRedQueen wrote:
Malli wrote:There are many shelters who are not fully up front about a dog's mix in order to save said animal and be able to adopt it out.


As for my own dog, in the past I've labelled him as an AmStaff etc, now I call him what he is APBT x AmBull because even if people are repelled by him, he is most definitely an excellent breed ambassador, and people need to know that Pit Bulls can be well behaved and control themselves, too.

Now, if it were a question of keeping my dog or having him taken for some reason? You bet he'd be a Mastiff x or Boxer x, whatever he needed to be to be kept safe.

Weather he's appreciated or not, I am proud to have a well behaved, bomb-proof, outstanding doggy citizen who is a Pit Bull as well. Just because someone looks on him in fear or hate does not mean that his disposition and behavior won't make an impact on them anyway.


Very well said! :D

Agreed! :)

I for one, do not know Score's ancestry...we guess that he's part pit due to his looks. He got washed out of our Service Dog program for being too pit bull-ish. He may not have any APBT/AmStaff or any bully in him...but I use the term pit mix to show people what they can be like. Score is also an excellent ambassador for the breed...no matter what his true ancestry is. ;) Just seeing his little 8 year old human friend working him in public telling people proudly..."he's part pit bull!" makes me happy.

We just got asked the other night..."Is that one of them Vick dogs? They're unpredictable and dangerous!"...a truck driver who was in the same motel where we were staying. His buddy was petting Score and having a great time...and luckily didn't listen to the idiot spouting nonsense. So if he's labeled..."one of those dangerous dogs"...while getting butt scritches from someone...I'll take it. :dance:

And yet, at the vet and for the insurance company...he's a lab mix. Just in case. Sad, isn't it?
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