'I ADOPTED A LABRADOR ROTTWEILER MIX BUT I THINK THE BREEDERS LIED - I'M REHOMING HIM'
A mum who bought an adorable puppy for her family believes she was conned into buying a pit bull puppy rather than the Labrador Rottweiler mix she wanted. She shared pictures of the sweet-looking 10-week-old dog on Reddit.
The mum shared on her Reddit post: "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. I haven't done the DNA test, but it's virtually impossible to deny I was lied to."
The mum believes the puppy is starting to look and act more like a pit bull, a breed that is controversial and even illegal in the UK due to its strength and ability to be vicious.
The concerned parents went on: "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.
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"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."
The mum is an experienced dog owner, having owned the animals for over 21 years. However, she did not meet the puppy's parents before adopting it, a cardinal rule of puppy adoption.
This dog, she believes, is too "bitey" and "clingy" to be a Labrador Rottweiler mix.
She claimed the dog "throws tantrums" and gets "angry", adding: "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."
The woman is refusing to do a DNA test and is rehoming the dog. She said: " "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."
Debate broke out in the comments, with some also convinced the puppy is a pit bull. One wrote: "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."
But some defended the dog, claiming the behaviours she listed were "pretty standard puppy stuff".
A former 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 said: "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."