I asked about their pet training classes and the lady told me, when I fill out the form, do not write Pitbull. She told me to say that my dog is a Staffordshire, because otherwise the county would be all over me making sure I have a fenced in yard, insurance….. And also, pitbulls have to wear a muzzle in public, she said. But can I just take my dog to Petsmart, saying he’s a Staffordshire, just to go get food (not classes) without him wearing a muzzle?
Thanks guys. (Yes, I have a fenced backyard and insurance) But anyways, my dog is so sweet, he’s only 6 months old and I don’t want him to wear a muzzle because he’s not aggressive. You should see how much he wags his tail when he meets someone new.
I guess I’ll try it and see what happens.
If it’s the rules there then it’s better to just have him in a muzzle.
That goes to show you how stupid BSL is and how moronic people can be who watch too much TV. I take my Pitbull…and no she’s not an American Staffordshire Terrier….She’s an American Pitbull Terrier and I’ll call her what she is, to Petco, Petsmart, and any other place I want whenever I want. If they had a problem with that, knowing me, I’d probably start a boycott!
I would look into your local codes, maybe the humane society has them listed on their website, if not call them, something does not sound right to me about this lady, for 1 thing she told you to lie. And to get on my soapbox for a moment you should have a fenced in yard if you have a dog, unless of course you leash walk him/her all the time.
i agree with Curtis, your dog did nothing wrong thats ridiculous to make all Pits wear a muzzle, because as soon aas anyone see a muzzle they automatically think its an aggressive dog. Screw them if they don’t let you in without a muzzle find some where that will. I own 3 American Pit Bull Terriers, and anytime ANYONE ask what they are that is what they are told.
If your dog is a big people love and does good in public then you may be able to get away with using a gentle leader halter since it has a simple strap. Also look up you local laws on pitbulls for yourself, too many bad owners give the breed a bad name. If the laws are in your favor tell the workers there that it’s legal to do and taking your pitbull in public plays an important roll in keeping the dog used to people (exposing a young dog to many other people and pets makes them well socialized which is important regardless of breed).
Follow the rules and laws. If you do not, and something happens, you’ll risk getting sued. You may know your dog is a sweetheart, but if someone/another dog does something to provoke her, and she reacts badly, you may be in for a world of hurt if you’ve misrepresented her breed and failed to follow applicable laws. Someone could argue this misrepresentation means you knew the dog had violent tendencies (even if you didn’t.) Legally, if a dog has known violent tendencies, the owner becomes strictly liable for its actions. Even if a dog does not have violent tendencies, failure to follow applicable laws is evidence of negligence.
The same holds true for fencing in your yard, insurance, etc.
Be careful. There are some crazy litigious people out there.
Sadly even the good pits get a bad rap. Different cities have different laws and regulations, so you’ll want to research yours. Even though others have said they’ve done this without a problem, it may not be a Petsmart policy, but the result of a local/county law. Some cities (Miami, I believe is one) even ban certain breeds to prevent dog fighting (which I find ridiculous, BTW, but that’s not the point.) Don’t rely on what the lady at Petsmart says–they don’t know what they’re talking about.