What Housing Discrimination Taught Me About Owning a Pit Bull

Most people assume that if a dog is trained, access issues disappear.

That hasn’t been my experience.

Before I ever brought my pit bull Justice home, I ran headfirst into breed restrictions while searching for housing. Apartments rejected applications without ever considering individual behavior, training, or owner responsibility. Breed alone was enough.

Once Justice became my assistance animal, the discrimination didn’t stop. It just became more subtle.

In one case, a leasing agent altered the lease terms after learning about her status, making the agreement impossible to sign. In another, a landlord escalated to a lawyer after receiving proper documentation, citing insurance concerns that had nothing to do with Justice’s actual behavior and were not legal to enforce.

In both cases, the message was clear: the issue wasn’t safety. It was perception.

Justice had never caused a problem. She was calm, trained, and compliant. Yet I spent months navigating stress, delays, and threats of housing instability. This wasn’t because of anything my dog did, but because of what she represented.

These experiences shaped how I approach my work today.

Many pit bull owners come to me focused on training commands, when what they really need is a broader strategy. They need a strategy that includes management, documentation, and an understanding of how systems respond to certain breeds.

That’s why I wrote The Pit Bull Training Guide.

The guide helps owners:

• Understand the difference between behavior and risk

• Prepare for housing and public access challenges

• Implement realistic management plans

• Advocate for themselves without escalating conflict

Training matters, but so does knowing how the world will treat you and your dog.

If you’re navigating housing with a pit bull, you’re not alone. And with the right tools, you don’t have to navigate it unprepared.

Learn more about The Pit Bull Training Guide here.