Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everyone!
I am a new Pit Bull Terrier owner and i was wondering if there are any tips anyone could give me. I am reading about the breed and researching on it. But, i was wondering if there are any secrets,tips,or advice that an experienced bully breed owner could give me. Thank you

-Lacey

>>Hello everyone!
>> I am a new Pit Bull Terrier owner and i was wondering if there are any tips anyone could give me. I am reading about the breed and researching on it. But, i was wondering if there are any secrets,tips,or advice that an experienced bully breed owner could give me. Thank you
>>
>> -Lacey

Hi Lacey. Do you have a puppy? Want to tell us a bit about her or him? How did you acquire the dog? Do you know other breeds? Start from there and we can get a good dialog going I think.

In the meantime, I will look for some information for you - and when you post back, put down some basics.
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Tasha

Natasha, now waiting for Mom at the Bridge
Amber, not doing well with her hip displasia
Harlequin - sweet black & white kitten gone before
Roscoe the stray who came to be guided Home
All my beloved pack who have gone on ahead

Tasha,
Yes, my pit bull is an 8 wk old pup and a female. She is extremely intelligent and playful. Even though i am only 15 i do know a lot of breeds and a lot about them. My mom told me that if school was all about dogs i would get straight As. I have loved and had dogs since the age of two. I have 2 other dogs, one in which i`ve had since age 4. I have a Siberian Husky and a Wolf/Shepherd mix. The Wolf/Shep. mix is my best friend that i`ve had since age 4, her name is Jasmine. The husky`s name is Ceasar,and the pit bull`s name is Kya. I have experience with just about every dog exept the bully breeds.(Pit Bull,BullDog,Staffys,Staffy Bulls, and American Bulldogs)
So it would be helpful if you could tell me a few things,yes.
Thank you, Tasha
-Lacey

Tasha,
My screen name is no longer sweetest_of_all_001, i have changed it to PiT_BuLL_LuVeR_1@yahoo.com, you can email me there now. Thanks!
-Lacey

Well, no need for that look here.

About your dog. You must understand that I have about 25 yrs experience with the breed. I cannot sum up all my knowledge into a small post for you to understand. Listen, you seem alot like myslef in that you understand the basics, familiar w/ breeds, and are seemingly looking for assistance. I can definatley help you but I have to understand what you are asking first. I have left tasha by herself and she has done her best but its ok, I'm here. Tasha let me tell you knows alot from being here and has given some really good help. POst your direct question and I can help.

What do you want to know? I understand you are young but try to be direct with your question you have to have answered. It is just like asking a auto mechanic how does a car work? There are too many possibilities and avenues to answer with that. He can start with the chassis, he can start with the motor and the throttle bodies and fuel injection, he can start with the exhaust manifold and air filter along with pipes. You see he can go into the whole car and write a book and not know what you need to know.

Just like myself. I am a motorcycle racer, in short. I know alot about bike and cars alike. I know alot about animals as I have much experience with many. You just have to be specific young lady. Let us know and I can help.......

Snakey,
ok,basically what i want to know is:
.Are they good pets to have with children around when they are pups?
.If they have proper training and are properly socialized as pups can they still be dog agressive?
I can`t think of any other questions right now but i will post another message if i do.

1. I am not sure what you mean so I'll cover both bases. Those bases are the kids against the pup or the pup against the kids. Pup agaist the kids is pretty explanitory and pose little threat. The other side is yes and no. Yes allow it too be around kids as often as possible. But no b/c kids can be brutal and dogs to hate them. I have always said " Allow kids to come on contact with your pup through adulthood as I don't know of any chioldren robbing and commiting home invasions." That way if your dog gets loose (just a possibility) then a kid hallin a$$ won't cause the dog to go into "hunt" mode as you know dogs are relatives to the wolf and exhibit similar behavial patterns. The only reason I didnt have my last dog around very small kids was that I taught him to be rough. I am 6'3 265 and play hard with my dogs. Then if a younger kid pokes him in the eye or rides a kiddie bike over his tail it wontfase him much.

2.If trained and properly socialized can they still be dog aggresive? Yes. This breed like a few other breeds as you know are more dominant. They will not back down most of the time. If you have them together say when it is 6mo and you have several large cattle bones to give and you hand them out accordingly. Well, one of those days after they are scattered one will decide it want one while another one found a bone somewhere and will go over there to take it. There will be a fight. If it is a smaller dog they will most likely start getting snappy before the other dog has gotten to close and that will trigger trouble for it. This can happen even with a dumb plush toy. I have had one that could tolerate other dogs (females only) and plays rough. The other female doesn't realize or recognize the rough play and starts to get a little ticked off and will growl and bam, another fight. So it is all dependant on the personality of the dog. If it is a same sex combo then you'll have probs most likely. When they menstrate that makes them oftentime very possesive and dominant. But during that time males become receptive and their aggresiveness almost disappears. So it is an even trade. Sometimes a few females and a male may get along but as adults I never leave them alone. It is best to keep them in separate kennels (not the critter kennels either, the 15ft x 6ft. This also means daily activity for each for appx 2hrs. Not the full time but good amount of exercise and then time just to roam around sniff around and do what dogs do. That is why it is best to invest in a female of similar ages as pups but I always prefer the male be younger by say 6mo. Then neuter and spay them. Then less probs. Males will not escape in search of a female in heat that they smell up to 2 miles away. I had a male scale our 6ft fence 2X and that was all it took. The first time I couldn't figure out how he got out and the next day looked and there he went. So major mods were done and adjustments to prevent any escape permanently. I say get the female older as he'll be less inclined to be overly dominant and will have a big sister type of relationship and learn to back down from her when she decides to get "bitchy". With other dogs don't rely on his "niceness" with his mate. I have seen one male I had as being really calm and subtle with her. Well, the neighbors doberman got into the yard and he went and put a world of hurting first before the female got there. When she did arrive he was snapping at her to let him finish up. I had to put some work in to get them settled and apart. I had a long talk with the neighbors as it was there dog who came to my side viahopping the back neighbors fence and squeezing through the neighbor to the right of them which connects to my yard. They had not any pets but a kid that dug holes. Well, there dog worked on that hole and got through. The kid you think as I just said it. Both of the dogs I had at this time were adults. I have had the noeghbor boy(7yrs old) hop the fence to get his ball or whatever. And the way I had raised them, never bothered him ever. Often his mother would freak when she saw them (boy and 2 pits) playing tug of war or ball or just petting them. Never had a prob. I taught them that this kid or others are ok. Now when the meter man came it was a diff story. He was a stranger that was never introduced. But that is how I trained them. Others I have had like the last one could not care less if a total stranger came in and took everything. All he wants to hear is "good boy" and a pat on the side. About the human aggresiveness, these dogs were bred to be human lovers and dog aggresive. I put this out everytime I hear this and get mixed result everyitme. You see other dogs were bred to be man-biters. Pit were not. The real pit. Staffs, bull terriers, etc are not true American Pit Bull Terriers even though from simialr stock at the turn of the 19th century. Anyways, this is for pure example and is not condoned. I in no way shape or form want to go against the animal rights act of 1976. OK, now that that is behind us, here for the example. Lets say you have a pit bull you want to fight. And lets say Tasha does too. You both enter the pit. I guess we need a 3rd person. Ok, lets say I am the referee. If Tasha had a human aggresive dog that might bite you would you want to enter the pit or do you think I would? F no. That is what they believed then and even a few breeders today. They didn't care about a guard dog. In fact any dog that had human aggresiveness was killed as they didn't want the "bad" genes to pass on.

So naturally they are human compadres and aren't really all thast good of guard dogs. Yes, you can train them and make them to whatever you make them. But that can be done with any dog. And some dogs don't have to be trained to be supperb guard dogs. For example, alot of the livestock dogs (shepards included, the Belgian mallinois, the kuvatz, the komondor, etc)...They were bred to protect the herd from other animals and from strange potential threats like strangers. That is why the police ideally pick certain breeds in this catagory.....

Well, I hope this answered your qeustions. As usual I write really long posts. Regardless of what site I am on. (lol) I hear that all to often. If something wasn't clear or you need further in depth answers then just holler at old Snakey and I can possibly tell you from what I know and have experinced. I also suggest a few tools if you plan to keep this dog. Nextly, don't turn your dog into the animal control or whatever based on the fact that your pit attacked the other household dogs. Many state statutes agree that any pit or resemblance thereof, are to be killed immediatly upon arrival, if they make it to the next day. So you got it knowing about dogs already and you just stepped yourself into scortching hot tar or if you play your cards right and liten to old Tahsa and myself then you should be in a cool pool of water in the middle of death valley. Also I suggest you scroll down to to check all the posts I have written as I have had alot of repeat questions......

Enjoy.

A properly bred APBT is other-dog aggressive (especially, but not limited to same sex) and not the least bit aggressive with people. Both qualities were bred for specifically - so the dog could be handled by people even when hurt and not turn on the people, or so the dog could hunt down wild boars or muscle a bull or fight in a ring. That's an APBT's background and the tasks they were genetically shaped to do. Now, to say your dog is other-dog aggressive - who knows? She could be and she could be otherwise. Even if she shows no signs of ODA when a baby, when she goes into teenagerhood, this could crop up. Or, it could never show up since there are many APBTs out there that don't conform in one way or another to the original blueprint. At this young age there is no way to predict how your baby will turn out...but being careful and watchful (and prepared for the possibility) never hurts. So....that being said, often if you know the lines of your animal and other offspring of the same or similar mating you can get a rough idea of how your dog will be.
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Tasha

Natasha, now waiting for Mom at the Bridge
Amber, not doing well with her hip displasia
Harlequin - sweet black & white kitten gone before
Roscoe the stray who came to be guided Home
All my beloved pack who have gone on ahead

Tasha,
thank you for the information. But,i have one more ?.
If she does become ODA what should i do?

>>Tasha,
>>thank you for the information. But,i have one more ?.
>>If she does become ODA what should i do?

Well, I think Snakey will help me answer, but till he does....what I said about geting a crate (a cage) and training your girl to use it happily (dogs are denning animals and don't think of a cage in the house as a prison but a refuge if you do it right)applies. Feed her a special treat in there, get her to take naps in there, in other words get her used to the crate. And, once you get around that critical hormone-kicking in time, I would never, ever leave the pup alone with your other dogs. Have her with them with supervision only, so - if a problem arises - you can deal with it immediately. I don't want to see any animal get hurt or get anxious or threatened when there is simply no need. All this may not ever be necessary. There ARE APBTs who are not aggressive to those dogs they grow up with; then again, heredity and genetics is what is working here and what would kick in. Herding dogs herd, protective dogs tend to be protective and other-dog aggressive dogs tend to act to their inbred nature as well.

Also, since these dogs get so much bad press, some of it which should be laid at the door of their owners and some of which is just inexperience/ignorance, anyone who has an APBT needs to be very careful not to increase the bad press, or bad rep, these dogs have acquired.
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Tasha

Natasha, now waiting for Mom at the Bridge
Amber, not doing well with her hip displasia
Harlequin - sweet black & white kitten gone before
Roscoe the stray who came to be guided Home
All my beloved pack who have gone on ahead

Tasha,
thank you soooooooooooo much for everything. It has helped alot!
I appreciate it. You too snakey!
-Lacey

>>Tasha,
>>thank you soooooooooooo much for everything. It has helped alot!
>>I appreciate it. You too snakey!
>> -Lacey

Most Happy to help, as I'm certain Snakey is as well. We like this breed and don't want it to disappear. Unlike some people, I respect and admire APBTs. Every breed of dog, and the dogs within the breed, has it's good points and its drawbacks. When you know what to watch out for (and plan for trouble), then you are being a responsible owner that can give this embattled breed a much needed some positive boost.

BTW, on that track, if your pup (or should I say when?) succeeds at something, then call your local paper and get them to write an article about it! Get her a Canine Good Citizen title, take her for visits to nursing homes maybe and then call in the press and have them write something appropriate. In order to get a CGC, the pup has to have certain commands down pat (sit, stay, a long down, etc.) and have a lovely and outgoing temperament. Things like machine noises and crutches shouldn't phase her. There are websites that explain the procedure for titling a dog with a CGC and they should tell you where to go to get CGC training. Socialize your girl. She is not going to know how to behave around children, for instance, unless you let children come around and be with her. Of course, one watches out for inappropriate actions on the child's part...you don't want your baby being traumatized by socialization. Then it isn't socialization. When you train (at anything) set your dog up to succeed and try to end on a positive note. If the sit is done perfectly and you're having trouble with "down", end with a sit and praise.
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Tasha

Natasha, now waiting for Mom at the Bridge
Amber, not doing well with her hip displasia
Harlequin - sweet black & white kitten gone before
Roscoe the stray who came to be guided Home
All my beloved pack who have gone on ahead

Well said.

Never trust a bulldog not to fight

Keep APBTs out of dog parks and playgroups

Never keep your dog outside unattended! They can get stolen, or into trouble to easily

Educate every person you meet on the breed

Never let your APBT off leash.

You pretty much hit it right on the nail. If you follow these rules you'll have very few problems.

I just want to thank everyone who helped me with my baby girl Kya, with all of your help she will be a great dog!!!
Love,Lacey
P.S. A special thanks to tasha and snakey!!!

>>I just want to thank everyone who helped me with my baby girl Kya, with all of your help she will be a great dog!!!
>> Love,Lacey
>>P.S. A special thanks to tasha and snakey!!!

You are MOST welcome.
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Tasha

Natasha, now waiting for Mom at the Bridge
Amber, not doing well with her hip displasia
Harlequin - sweet black & white kitten gone before
Roscoe the stray who came to be guided Home
All my beloved pack who have gone on ahead