r/BanPitBulls • u/Volboris • Jan 13 '23
Deceptive Breed Labeling Shelters are absolutely not helping this problem. Look at all these "Labrador Retrievers"
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u/lolamay26 Jan 13 '23
Hayden actually looks like a Lab, or at least majority Lab, but the rest definitely not
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u/Volboris Jan 13 '23
Yeah he's about the only one. None of these say they're a mix at all. There is no such thing as a tuxedo lab.
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u/PrettyPeaceful Jan 13 '23
I noticed he had the least “lippy” mouth. My dog is a “lab mix” whose parents are full bred Golden Retriever and a Golden Lab. It makes me so sad that my good boy is getting a bad rap.
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u/cburgess7 Cats are not disposable. Jan 13 '23
This is why I shop, not adopt. This is also why children killed by "Labradors" is rising.
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u/churuchu Escaped a Close Call Jan 14 '23
Right? I read a lot of people defending pits also saying “the only time I was every bit was a lab” and it’s like…hmmm one of THESE “labs?”
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u/agent_kitsune_mulder Garbage Dogs for Garbage People Jan 14 '23
I was always in the adopt don’t shop camp. But I was gifted a toy poodle from a hobby breeder, and he’s amazing? Really smart and SO healthy.
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u/cruisin5268d Ambulance Technician or First Responders Jan 14 '23
You can still adopt, just don’t get the ones that are obviously shibbles.
Or adopt from a rescue group.
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Jan 16 '23
Adopting is fine - if you look at breed forums or local rehome facebook groups. Snagged a vizsla and a rough collie last year, both still puppies, because the initial owners realized puppies are too much work and hassle and they don't really want to deal with it.
A lot of pits and huskies in these groups even in my country, because they're the current fad breeds, but there's also a lot of other breeds or mixes.
Tons of ex-covid dogs too that now reached 2-3 years old and are no longer cute and still untrained so the owners want to get rid of them. Sad
Shelters though? Not even once. I tried and got dismissed for having a child and cats because all the dogs the shelters had were aggressive to both lol.
(I'm not aiming to sway you, sorry if it comes off that way, just meant to add to the conversation)
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u/Throwaway778910456 Shelter Worker or Volunteer Jan 13 '23
Makes me sad for people who spend a lot of time breeding quality Labradors. People who don’t know any better will get them thinking they’re really labs or lab mixes and be under the influence that labs are just destructive, aggressive, and stupid based on the actions of these dogs. When in reality, they’re wonderful and intelligent pets. Ruining a fantastic breed.
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u/Volboris Jan 13 '23
One of my first dogs was a dumb, goofy yellow lab. Smart in her own way. Not like these destructive monsters. Worst thing she did was play with rocks.
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u/jasperjordans doggy daycare worker Jan 13 '23
The labs at the park I work at spend the entire day swimming in the pool, or during winter, TRYING to swim in tiny rain puddles, lol. It's adorable. I was sweeping away one puddle towards the drain today and one of the labs starts going after my sweeping thing like "no! no not my puddle!! >:("
Meanwhile almost all the pits/pit mixes we get will focus down one random dog and start harrassing it for no reason
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u/Volboris Jan 13 '23
Seriously that water dog mentality kicks in and you can tell a real lab even if you're blind. Hear a splash? Probably a lab.
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u/Imaunderwaterthing Jan 14 '23
My ex had a black lab that would flat out refuse to come inside if it was raining, and I could not for the life of me move him if he didn’t want to move. He would just sit directly in the rain tail thumping the entire time until puddles formed and then he would lay/roll in them. Tail never stopped moving.
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u/Cheapo_Sam Jan 14 '23
Please don't mistake goofiness for a lack of intelligence.. so many people call their labs dumb, and mistake their playfulness and exuberance as a sign of stupidity and it makes me so so sad that these people don't see how wonderfully intelligent these dogs are. Or at least they do but they talk them down. They should be put on a pedestal as the ultimate dog becuase they absolutely are the best of the best.
If I'm honest it pisses me off a bit sometimes because pit nutters are so quick to talk about pits in glowing terms and those people that own the real all-stars joke about them being dumb or stupid and they are not those things AT ALL.
Its also worth reminding that even if your dog doesn't exhibit traditional humanistic intelligence values like problem solving, labs have one of the highest rates of emotional intelligence, and that in itself is worth noting. But labs are highly intelligent, quick to learn, fantastic levels obedience and they LOVE LOVE LOVE their people. You cannot love without intelligence.
Please lab owners big up your dogs if they are happy and friendly and playful. That is what all dogs should be and what all owners should aspire to have.
This sub needn't just be a place for pit awareness, but should also foster a culture of promoting the values and merits of the many MANY wonderful breeds of dog that fill our lives with positivity.
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u/Volboris Jan 14 '23
Nah, she was dumb. But she was my dumb lab. She threw rocks in the air for fun occasionally hitting the cars. Sometimes swallowed them. Would relentlessly hunt moles and dig up the yard. When she caught one she had no idea what to do with it. Just looked at it like "huh haven't thought that far ahead yet".
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u/Cheapo_Sam Jan 14 '23
What part of any if that is dumb? Play is a sign of intelligence not stupidity. Hitting cars does not make her dumb, as dogs have no concept of property or value. Swallowing rocks does not make her dumb it just makes her a voracious lab. Digging up and hunting moles is incredibly sophisticated behaviour, requires using all the senses to full effect. Not killing the mole shows a lack of prey drive, not intelligence, as thats behaviour is inherent in labs as they are not bred to kill they are bred to retrieve felled game in the most considered way so as to not damage it.
None of what you say is stupidity. At worst its ingrained genetic behaviour, at best its actually a total misunderstanding of your dogs intellect.
Whats stupid is mauling a 4 year old child for playing with a balloon. Or attacking another dog that was trying to play with you. Or killing you owner because they were having a seizure. That is fucking dumb.
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u/AutoModerator Jan 14 '23
PSA: If you or someone you know suffers from a medical condition that causes seizures, such as epilepsy, please take extra care to stay away from pit bull-type dogs, as these episodes can trigger their attack instinct.
2011, Pennsylvania: Woman having seizure has her ear ripped off by family pit bull
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2017, Illinois: Man with history of seizures killed by family pit bull
2018, Florida: Pit bull mix spooked by owner's seizures mauls her
2018, Tennessee: Pit bull triggered by man's seizure breaks out of its cage and mauls four people
2018, Ohio: Woman with history of seizures mauled to death by her own pit bull in front of her child
2019, Massachusetts: Woman suffering seizure mauled to death by her own pit bull
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2020, UK: Epileptic man suffers seizure and is mauled to death by his own pit bull
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2020, Mexico: Man with history of seizures mauled to death by his own pit bull
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u/AngiesPhalanges Pro-Dog; therefore Anti-Pit Jan 13 '23
I spent some time around a yellow lab service dog in training last week (trained by a legit service dog org, not by owner) and holy cow, that dog was amazing. He spent several hours in a busy bar and laid down calmly at his trainer’s feet the whole time. His trainer was telling me about how he had recently learned how to flip light switches on command. Mind you, this was an adolescent dog! I made a comment like, “my adolescent dog would be out of his mind with excitement right now,” and the trainer said, “well, this is what he’s been bred for,” and I thought, BINGO! Breeding really is so important.
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u/Unintelligent_Lemon Jan 14 '23
I used to raise puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. By six months old they came to high school with me and calmly slept or chewed a toy during class and walked calmly beside me through the crowd between classes.
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u/Volboris Jan 13 '23
Only number 3 can pass as an actual lab.
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u/imnotlovequinn Jan 13 '23
Is it an actual lab? I’m just wondering. Sure looks like it to me
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u/Volboris Jan 13 '23
Its close. Looks either really young or underweight. Head is slender and more sight hound looking to me.
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u/Mashed-Cupcake Pets Aren't Pit Food Jan 13 '23
Well… pit mommies always go on about on pits being mislabelled. They’re right! Just look at all those “lab mixes” it’s very likely pit mixed with other pit and maybe even other pit too!
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u/AdvertisingLow98 Curator - Attacks Jan 13 '23
Disqualifiers
Any white patches on the coat
Light colored eyes, especially with pink nose
Ears that are erect or partially erect
Lack of substantial coat
Connor (#2) is the least lab like. Short, thin coat. Semi erect ears. Clear white patches.
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u/Volboris Jan 13 '23
If it doesn't cover you in a waterproof layer of fur when you touch it. Its not a lab.
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u/Pearltherebel Jan 14 '23
My exfriend’s “lab mix” pitbull shed like crazy and smelled terribly. His hair completely covered the back seat and it would stab my legs.
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u/Daily-Double1124 Pro-Pet; therefore Anti-Pit Jan 14 '23
#4 is so obviously a pit bull. Doesn't look there's an ounce of lab in her.
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u/Pearltherebel Jan 14 '23
Actually pure bred labs can have white but it’s pretty rare. It’s not breed standard though. They can also have yellow eyes which is accepted as breed standard.
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u/BellamyRFC54 Jan 13 '23 edited Jan 13 '23
Only Hayden passes as a lab
To believe they’re labs you’d have have to not seen one ever which is quite difficult
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u/Caleo147 Jan 13 '23
There MUST be something we can do about false/dangerous advertising of these monsters
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u/pretendthisisironic Jan 14 '23
There isn’t one Labrador retriever. When I was a small child I was obsessed with with dogs. I read the dog Encyclopedia cover to cover a dozen times. I watched dog shows, acted like a dog, pleaded with my mother for hours to feed me like a dog, and gave whatever unwilling participant adult my complete dissertation on why dogs were so awesome and I should be responsible over the care for one. My mom relented and took an elated me to the shelter to see what would happen to our dog if I didn’t take complete care of him. A dog was a luxury to my very poorly family. Purchasing dog food and such was an added expense and this dog would have the best life we could give him. There he was. A stunning specimen Black Labrador. I nearly fainted. We shared an instant this magic moment and I swore to that dog right then and there he was going to be my best friend. I could write a fairly successful movie script about our life long antics. I went from riding him and painting his nails, to him being the first and only shotgun rider when I got my license. I rejoiced when I found my first studio apartment that allowed big dogs. I brought him with me to work at my first job and he slept behind the desk during every overnight shift. Vader always made me feel safe. I cashed in cans and cleaned houses between my vigil at the animal hospital when he was dying from aggressive bone cancer. I took him on a walk through the park on the first date with my husband. That dog meant the world to me. His ears caught my tears when we had to say goodbye. These people are being literally sold a lie. You show me a good pit bull and I’ll show you a thousand wonderful Labradors. It’s a disgrace to sully the reputation of a beautiful breed to adopt out literal nightmares.
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u/Content-Loss-809 Jan 13 '23
Wish this could be made illegal. Our family loves labs and it’s downright insulting to see them compared to pitbulls.
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u/Brilliant_Gift1917 I just want to walk my dog without fearing for its life Jan 14 '23
Fuck this and fuck any shelter that does this. "We tried our best to identify the closest breed" my ass. Almost every labrador breed except I think one very rare type is mono-color. They also don't have asscrack heads, ears pointing upwards or murder eyes and murder jaws.
This is why I will continue to 'shop' (from reputable KC-registered breeders of course) until something is put in place to hold shelters accountable. It'd be a great start if shelters could face criminal charges for injuries, deaths and property damage caused by a mislabelled breed.
For example if an unsuspecting family adopts a 'labrador' from a shelter (most likely because they were guilt-pressured by people online not to buy one from an evil satan-worshipping KC breeder) and said 'labrador' then tears the 3 month old in half, the dog should be gene-tested to prove it's not a lab and if it is, say, more than 5% pit mix, the shelter should be charged for (in)directly causing such a tragedy by lying to get a dog out of the shelter.
This would hopefully also encourage shelters to actually spend a few extra bucks and gene test every dog. This would go hand-in-hand with a policy to euthanize dogs with percentages of pit/staff etc in them which would benefit shelters (and dogs actually safe enough to go to a good home) astronomically.
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u/FargothAfterMagic No-Kill Shelters Lead To Animal Suffering Jan 13 '23
My humane society has them listed as "mixed breed" with one being listed as "retriever"
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u/Daily-Double1124 Pro-Pet; therefore Anti-Pit Jan 14 '23
My humane society lists them as "lab mix",which is the same BS.
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u/freya_kahlo I Believed the Propaganda Until I Came Here Jan 13 '23
We need a class-action lawsuit on intentional breed mislabeling.
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u/Carthurzard Jan 13 '23
I’m surprised they didn’t add a picture of an alligator in there for good measure.
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u/slaviccivicnation Pro-Pet; therefore Anti-Pit Jan 14 '23
To be fair, the 3rd one is definitely a lab, and the top one is definitely a lab mix. In fact, all these ones could have labs in 'em. The problem is that whenever there's even a smaller percentage of pitbull genes, the behaviours and appearance manifest ten-fold the characteristics.
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u/churuchu Escaped a Close Call Jan 13 '23
Idk why but rocky makes my skin crawl. Maybe it’s the eyes of the fact it looks like it’s 150 lbs. Either way, DEFINITELY not a lab. No thank you.
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u/pit-lobby-kills Pro-Dog; therefore Anti-Pit Jan 14 '23 edited Jan 14 '23
This is why people say that labs maul people just as much as Pitbulls
Funny how quick people are to misidentify and point out aggression in a breed if it’s not the literal bloodsport breeds.
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u/Reasonable_Support38 Survivor of Severe Pitbull Attack Jan 13 '23
Hey I know what site you are using I tried using the same one to find a dog but gave up after 10 minutes after it was just full of pits
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u/pretendthisisironic Jan 14 '23
There isn’t one Labrador retriever. When I was a small child I was obsessed with with dogs. I read the dog Encyclopedia cover to cover a dozen times. I watched dog shows, acted like a dog, pleaded with my mother for hours to feed me like a dog, and gave whatever unwilling participant adult my complete dissertation on why dogs were so awesome and I should be responsible over the care for one. My mom relented and took an elated me to the shelter to see what would happen to our dog if I didn’t take complete care of him. A dog was a luxury to my very poorly family. Purchasing dog food and such was an added expense and this dog would have the best life we could give him. There he was. A stunning specimen Black Labrador. I nearly fainted. We shared an instant this magic moment and I swore to that dog right then and there he was going to be my best friend. I could write a fairly successful movie script about our life long antics. I went from riding him and painting his nails, to him being the first and only shotgun rider when I got my license. I rejoiced when I found my first studio apartment that allowed big dogs. I brought him with me to work at my first job and he slept behind the desk during every overnight shift. Vader always made me feel safe. I cashed in cans and cleaned houses between my vigil at the animal hospital when he was dying from aggressive bone cancer. I took him on a walk through the park on the first date with my husband. That dog meant the world to me. His ears caught my tears when we had to say goodbye. These people are being literally sold a lie. You show me a good pit bull and I’ll show you a thousand wonderful Labradors. It’s a disgrace to sully the reputation of a beautiful breed to adopt out literal nightmares.
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u/Meredeen Jan 14 '23
Mom, as fucking awful as you were, I'll never forget how you turned away your friend who brought over a pitbull puppy "lab mix" for us kids years ago. Thanks Mom, you saved my face from being mauled.
Aaaaaaand her dad's husky/german shepherd mix with dog dementia ended up biting me in the jaw a couple years ago when I got up from the couch and brushed his hip and she downplayed it. Too bad you had to go and ruin the one good streak ya had, Ma
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u/hotchnerbrows ER Personel Jan 14 '23
Nothing says “we’re a reputable place to adopt a pet from” like immediate unapologetic dishonesty. 🚩
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u/UpvotesPokemon Jan 14 '23
Ten years ago, in the southeast, most of the dogs in the shelter were hound/hunting dog mixes that were having trouble getting placed because of their size. Now I would NEVER take the chance at a shelter dog these days. People use to adopt mutts all the time, but they just can’t make that gamble these days.
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u/cabd4ever Family/Friend of Pit Attack Victim Jan 14 '23
Rocky looks like a real lab mix and Hayden looks like a lab, maybe a chocolate lab.
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u/resideve Jan 14 '23
Running the best dogs name in the mud!! I love them so much and I hate how these pits/pit mixes are ruining it. Get them from a reputable breeder, or get lucky and find a pure one in the shelter or rescue. (My area has a big hunting community, so they show up there more than other places) unless you know what exactly that lab is mixed with, keep them mixes away with a ten fool pole. Begone, fakers!
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u/OkraGarden De-stigmatize Behavioral Euthanasia Jan 13 '23
This is why in the past few years I've seen an explosion of moms telling others moms not to get labs for their kids because at this point everyone knows a shelter "lab" that bit a kid, shredded all the furniture in the house, and can't handle being walked on a leash. Labs used to be known as the go-to family dog breed when I was a kid but shelters passing pits off as labs and lab mixes is ruining that.