How do I tell an aquaintance about her pit bull?

The only thing you can do is try to educate without making her defensive. Yes, unfortunately she is one of the most dangerous types of pit bulls owners, the ones that refuse to acknowledge genetics or breeding matter at all. Try referring her to sites such as http://www.workingpitbull.com/ and if she's willing to join a message board there are very good ones out there.

http://www.pitbullforum.com/ (Don't know if this one is still any good, it was years ago.)

http://www.pitbull-chat.com/

This way she can talk to real pit bull owners that know and love the breed and not feel like people are simply telling her the dog is dog aggressive because they're against the breed.

If she refuses to educate herself then I suggest you wash your hands of the subject and hope nothing will happen. It's sad that so many people harm the breed by insisting it's how you raise them instead of actually educating themselves, as I see you've already gotten an ignorant answer.

Elloaspen, I avoid APBTs owned by people like you. I am very comfortable with APBTs and "pit bulls" when they are owned by people who are aware and accept that they own a breed of dog that was bred to fight other dogs but I will not be around an APBT owned by someone who cannot accept the breed's history and traits. APBTs, both dog aggressive and dog friendly, are much safer and much better off being owned by people who always keep in mind that their dog is or can become DA than owned by people who are blind to that or choose to ignore it. THAT, in my mind, is when a pit bull is dangerous.

Anyhow, OP, you may lose a friend here but I do think you need to tell her. Do not point how she is doing things wrong or she is more likely to shut down to you but bring facts to the conversation. Make sure you have done your research. Print out articles if need be. Make sure they are not written by someone who is just blabbering on about how dangerous they are. You want things written by people who interact with these dogs on a daily basis. Print out the history of the breed. Use the written material to your advantage.

On top of it all make sure you make it clear that your concern is for HER and HER DOG not for the dogs that her dog may attack. Make sure that you explain that you wouldn't want anything to happen to her dog because she had misunderstood the breed. Make it look like you are looking out for her dog's well being. She needs to know that her dog could be taken from her and killed if she doesn't open her eyes to the true nature of the breed.

Any animal can be aggressive. I have a jack russell who has way more attitude than all four of my pitt bulls combined. I have been blessed with "marsh mellow" pitt bulls. And know of even more who have been nothing but loving. Now a scar on my arm and a lack of muscle beneath it was from when a sheep dog bit me. My sister has a scar on her ankle from a chihuahua. So, I am not disillusioned to the fact that any dog can attack. Even a pitt. It can and has happened. But sometimes we have to look past looks and see the story behind it. You say her dog was adopted? So was the animal rescued from abuse? Was it simply strayed? I'd say be straight up with her. I would never down play any "aggression" my dog showed. I had a boxer/bulldog/chow mix who was not aggressive but was very protective of me. So, I did let people know hey he will bite. I don't find it very responsible of them to down play the situation at all.

Pitbulls are AWESOME dogs when trained properly. Very obviously, your friend is not training this dog correctly. Pitbulls should only be given to very experienced pet owners, because if they are not trained well they can be very dangerous. The breed is like most breeds, however they have been bred by people to be aggressive.

All dogs, and even more so Pitbulls need a strong leader. One that sets boundaries and uses training to their advantage. Not someone who make excuses for their lack of training. Time outs work for 4 year old humans, not dogs. The have no concept of time or reasoning.

Boundaries and rules go like this: No dogs on your furniture, unless invited with a command by you. No dogs on the bed. You feed your dog, make them sit and be attentive until you choose to feed them. Touch your dog when it eats. If it growls, take the food away and give back to the dog when he\she is being submissive. When walking your dog, it should walk beside or behind you, NOT in front. You should enter the house first, and leave the house first - your dog following behind you at all time. Any poor behaviour should be treated immediately, with a stern no, and followed by some form of submission from your dog - generally putting your dog on it's back is a good way to show this submission.

You might send her this link from a pit bull RESCUE, which gives a very good explanation of the variations of dog-aggression in pit bulls: http://www.pbrc.net/breedinfo4.html

Also mention to her that pit bulls are *supposed* to be dog-aggressive. So there is nothing wrong with her dog...she just has to learn to manage him when he is around other canines. Suggest she enroll her dog in obedience classes. Some won't take pits, but if there is a pit rescue in your area, ask them for a recommendation.

When I meet people like that I try to introduce them to a local APBT authority & trainer. I know she will set them straight & help them to learn to train & manage their APBT. Is there someone in your community like this you could refer her to? Or a good class with a trainer that could help? Or maybe recommend some good reading or give her some books on the subject. If she isn't open to any of this, just know sometimes you can't fix stupid. Keep your own little dogs away & safe.

All you can do is try to tell her the dog was bred to be dog aggressive. When her dog kills another dog, maybe then she'll get it, but most don't, and are shocked when it happens. This is the law of stupidity, common sense flies out the window and the clueless just rub their tiny heads in confusion.

Train a pit bull all you want, it doesn't change their DNA. They were born to be dog aggressive, period, end of. People need to get a clue and see the breed for what it is, not the cute cuddling angel, but a dog with a history, and genetic make up to be a potential killing machine.

It's not the dog, it's the owner. Period. A "high prey drive" are you kidding? Really? Any dog from birth should be put into environments from an early age to be around people, children and other animals. Also if its male dog he should be fixed asap. Don't become one of those people that look down your nose at pitbulls just because the media said you should.

Pit Bull's can actually be big marshmallows, and be as friendly as any other breed of dog, so don't stereotype the breed in to saying they are vicious, or hard to handle or any of that crap. Any breed of dog would react the same way if there was an unknown dog in its territory. I doubt it would have actually "eaten" the other dog, it was defending its territory and should be kept on a leash when doing these things. Dog training classes are good for anyone with a dog, as it will help both dog and owner out a lot, so keep recommending it for her. And I don't see anything wrong with a dog not wanting to do a trick unless they get something from it, most dogs are like that, as are people. It takes time and training.

Its great to hear that someone is giving a Pit bull a good home, as many people think they are too dangerous to be kept as pets anymore.

---Edited----

It doesn't matter if the dog was at home or not, a lot of dogs will get territorial in new places as well and want it to be theirs. It is also just as possible that the dog was fearful of this smaller dog and was defending itself, its hard to say when I didn't see it for myself. But I think that you should try to get your friend to take dog obedience classes with the dog so she can further understand the breed and what triggers bad behavior.

And nothing could be further from the truth. She has a dangerous, dog aggressive pit bull that may or may not be trainable. I am a very blunt person, I admit. I would arrange to meet her for coffee and explain reality. Ask her if she has told her insurance agent about the dog - guess what? If it attacks another dog, and it will, insurance isn't going to pay and they can be sued for a bundle. How will she feel if the small dog is in the arms of a child and the child gets hurt? A few pit bulls are maligned. Far too many are dangerous and dog aggressive and pose a threat to the rest of us.

ADD you can live in your fairy tale worlds - I sat through testimony for my city's BSL legislation.