Kimmy, your Benji's temperament is totally different from my two pit/dobe crossbreeds, siblings from 2 different litters, 3/4 years old. They are neutered & female but the prey drive is very strong in them, one extremely so. This particular 3 year old crossbreed is so fiercely pitbull in all her ways; alert, territorial, dominant, stubborn, aggressive, athletic but a potential danger to all other smaller animals including dogs, cats, squirrels, birds. Not tested on house burglars yet but anything that intrudes into her backyard is fair game. You get the picture. The other 4 year old dog has a milder temperament but will not tolerate intruders as well. My backyard is very well guarded from animal or human intrusion as a result.

The two dogs have fought several times over domination issues. I have been inadvertently nipped in the leg a couple of times when breaking up their fights, and dragged to the ground by them suddenly lunging at a cat hiding in the bushes. I walk them before 6 am every morning, oftentimes with a friend's 2 dogs, and they are ok together. But sometimes I have to lay down the law before they get out of hand wanting to chase a strange cat, or going after another dog or a passing motorcyclist. This is an ongoing disciplinary issue.

Your Benji is an angel by comparison but certainly no watchdog! Cheers.

Sigh...my two female pit crossbreeds fought each other when we were all out for dinner last weekend. The trigger was probably the stray kitten we are temporary fostering till we find him a home. One dog had shown signs of possessiveness over the kitten earlier with her rigid posture and unwavering stare. We found both dogs abnormally subdued when we returned, with one all bloody at the ear and neck. Till now, her ear is still swollen though she is recovering otherwise. The other had only superficial bite marks. The situation could have been a lot worse with both having serious injuries if they had really gone at each other.

This is just a warning about having two strong aggressive dogs together. You cannot always be there to control the situation. The trigger for a fight can be something so innocuous you are just not aware of the danger till it happens. Prevent accidents if you can. Regrets are too late. For me, till the the stray kitten finds a home, the dogs will be physically separated whenever no one is around. The alternative is to give one dog up for adoption, which is too painful to contemplate.

This post has been edited by clearfish: Feb 6 2013, 11:04 AM

It's not as simple as that. In general, both breeds are good with kids but pits especially can be very aggressive towards other small animals. The issue is with the bloodline, whether show, working or guard types. For a pure breed GS registered with MKA or similar body with papers, you may be able to track its ancestry through several generations. Show dog types tend to be real pussies, they are relatively docile. However, for an american pit which is non-registrable with MKA, you can't check their ancestry. My experience is that pits have higher prey drive and energy; need closer supervision and a firm hand to avoid accidental dog fights.

Zero in on key facts to throw some light on the tragic episode

1 The family had the dog for only 4 weeks, not a long time to be familiarised
2 The dog is a French Mastiff cross ; mastiffs are a large, strong breed
3 The dog's previous background/history is not revealed
4 The circumstances under which the attack took place are not disclosed
I am also not sure how the pitbull tag came into the picture unless the dog is a cross between a mastiff and a pitbull. Pits get undeserved bad press and many dog attacks are wrongly attributed to pits even when it's another breed.

Never let young children play with an aggressive breed dog without adult supervision. Kids can be rough with the dog eg pulling its ears, hitting it, and it may react by biting back. Some temperamental dogs lose control easily under such provocation.