A concerned dog owner is convinced she had been tricked into adopting a pit bull – and has now made the sad decision to rehome him.
The woman recently took to a Reddit forum to air her concerns, sharing a picture of her now-10-week old pup, saying: "I think I may have been tricked into adopting a pit bull. I was told he is a labrottie (Rottweiler Black Lab mix), but one week later I found some of his behaviours odd and his looks are not similar to [any] labrottie I've seen, nor a Rottweiler.
"He looks like a black pit bull puppy."
The anonymous mum appears to be from the US, where pit bulls aren't banned outright, as they are in the UK, but rather depends on state legislation.
She has owned dogs for over 21 years, and has listed several "extreme" behaviours that were of concern. Among other personality traits, she said he is "stubborn", "bitey" and "clingey" – more than a usual dog would be.
She added: "He has a very strong will and is so intelligent I feel scared looking in his eyes sometimes. It's like a human soul is in there."
According to the dog owner, the pooch is also capable of "throwing tantrums". As an example, she explained: "Sometimes he will even grab things like his food bowl and thrash them for several minutes while 'groaning' as if he's angry he's not getting his way."
Many users suggested she get a DNA test to be sure before making any decisions.
In an updated forum post, the woman has confirmed she has decided to rehome the puppy. She added: "I haven't done the DNA test, but it's virtually impossible to deny I was lied to.
"With each passing day he looks more and more undeniably pit. This dog is 10 weeks old and has the face of a grown man (fully grown pit) and looks like he's been bodybuilding since the age of one hour.
"I take him on walks and say absolutely nothing about the breed and complete strangers will take one look at him and ask if he's a pit or pit mix. In addition to the behaviours already described, I'd be fooling no one but myself at the point by refusing to believe the obvious."
She is annoyed that the breeders "took advantage" of her "kindness and ignorance," but she has now learned a lesson to "always meet the parents".
The owner admitted she was "devastated" and that her son will be too, but added: "I'm sure someone will love this puppy and be willing to take the risk that it won't grow up and turn on them. I'm not."
The posts had a mixture of responses, with most people saying she did the right thing for her family.
One person said: "I knew that dog was a pit bull and, again, I'm sorry you were duped. It's good you want to get rid of him, your health and your life come before any shelters and any dogs."
Another agreed, saying: "I think you made the right choice. The adoption agency ought to be ashamed of themselves."
However, others said that the behaviours she listed were "pretty standard puppy stuff".
One commenter, who claimed to be a dog trainer, said: "Puppy biting is one of the most common complaints puppy owners have. It sounds like this pup was taken away from his mom and litter mates too early so he's missed out on learning bite inhibition from them. This could improve with training. The rest sounds very typical."
Another added: "The only way to be sure is a DNA test, which I'd recommend doing. If he truly is a Labrador and Rottweiler mix, then he'd be safe to keep if you feel he's doing well in your home."
A third said they have "never understood the hate" when it comes to pit bulls. He added: "Some people want the golden personality, some want something more laid back like a Chihuahua."
In the UK, the government decided to ban pit bulls in 1991 in response to several unprovoked attacks.
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