I don't know how to use jsp polls so just post yes or no with a reason.
There is a whining pitbull on my porch and I want to feed him and maybe adopt him but I am not sure if when I open door if he will go straight gangster on me.
I live in a rough area and sometimes dogfighters abandon losing dogs. Has this mad the dog more friendly to kindess or more dangerous to kind people?

for some yes. We had a pitbull when I Was a kid, I'd never own another one, they can be good dogs but they're nuts.

if you can look at him through a window try to assess whether or not he needs immediate medical attention, do you have a screen door? leave screen or glass closed and just open main door and try to assess psychological change. if you notice hackles go up (fur on back), tail curve over spine or drop between legs even if its waving and wagging, intensity of face and dominant or fearful posture these are all signs of psychological arousal/excitation in a dog. if a dog is excited enough, it will bite regardless of the direction of its excitment (fearful vs dominant). take things slowly, just open the main door and have some food in your hand, try to let him smell it if you have mesh or whatever. wait a minute to judge psychological state, the food could make him more excited or if you get lucky he may sit/lie down for it. if you notice no signs of aggression you could slowly open the door, make sure he doesnt get up. if he stays calm through all of this you could probably drop the food between your feet and let him approach. food is a strong motivator and bonding tool with dogs.

im by no means an expert lol, your safest bet is to call animal control and at least get their help in assessing his mental state

This sounds good and I'm leaning towards this, should I keep a knife or gun in my hand just in case it pounces though?
He's not neutered, has his nuts hanging out and a website says most bites are from intact males.

This post was edited by Ezxtz on Oct 5 2014 06:04pm

just shoot the damn thing

This post was edited by dechristianize on Oct 5 2014 05:59pm

nah if you're that worried then just wait for animal control. a dog with a potential history of abuse could be very volatile, but at the same time they could be a huge suck. its hard to predict, but because they cant speak they rely a lot on body language. if you dont feel comfortable judging its body language wait for a professional.

basically the strategy is to establish contact while maintaining as low an excitement level as possible throughout. if he starts to vocalize, posture to you, just back out

should shoot you tbh

you mad?

he let me and someone else pet him, looks like he's in good shape so now I got a running/walking buddy. Probably going to keep him on a short leash in the yard while I'm gone I need a new fence because if he slips through the one I got now and bites someone its a lawsuit

be very careful, get a vet to check him out to find out about how old he is. if you dont know his past he could have some weird little triggers for bad behaviour so be wary for a while. could be seeing certain types of people or animals, could be physical contact in a specific place or loud noises.