Is scratching the ground characteristic of fighting dogs?

I am a person that saves Pit Bulls from going to the shelter and being put down ... I try to learn things but I was told by someone that if a dog is scratching after every time they use the bathroom that is a sign of a fighting dog.

Please help me as I have one that my landlord asked me to foster and find a home but he is people aggressive and other animal aggressive. I don't want to place him in a home and then they have to deal with something bad ... So can you please help me keep him from being put down?

Gale's Reply:

The thing about scratching the ground being characteristic of fighting dogs is a total myth. Either someone is pulling your leg or they are horribly mis-informed. So you can ignore that bit of "advice".

Aggression towards other animals while not ideal in most family situations, doesn't make the dog totally unadoptable. He would need to go to an owner that has no other pets. Preferably someone who is experienced with the breed and/or understands their responsibility to keep the dog from harming anyone else's pets and will be diligent about it.

Aggression towards people is in another category entirely. The level of aggression will determine whether he can be rehabilitated and that requires professional expertise. Ask your vet if he or she knows someone who is knowledgeable and can help you with these kinds of cases.

It's sad to say, but not every pit bull can be saved. While I wouldn't rush to that conclusion about this dog without knowing more, it's something to keep in the back of your mind.

Sometimes, bad breeding produces, for lack of a better term, a psychotic dog. Sometimes a dog that has been abused cannot be brought back from the edge.

Every dog is an individual and should be evaluated as such. But, at the end of the day when you've exhausted all the resources you can find and nothing is working, euthanasia may be your only option.

Of the nearly 50 dogs that were confiscated in the Michael Vick case, one or two were put to sleep for behavioral issues. And, that was a situation in which the rescuers had access to the best resources, the best facilities and the most knowledgeable people in the field standing by to help.

My advice is that you network. Reach out to the agencies and resources in your community and beyond that may be able to help you with "difficult" cases. Do the best you can with whatever resources you have to work with. That's all any of us can do.

Realize that a humane death for a dog that is beyond your ability to help is not only your responsibility to the community, it's ultimately the kindest thing you can do for the dog. It's sad. But, there is no safe place in this world for a dog that cannot live with humans.

Good luck and God bless you for caring about needy pit bulls.