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Recently bought a female pit bull. Very adorable and seems to be a fantastic dog. Very beautiful and alot of personality. I would just like to know the "pit falls" no pun intended of owning a pit bull from other pit bull owners. Mostly I would like helpful hints that will make life easier for me and my new baby. I really don't know much about pits except what I have read and would like to have some insider wisdom that might help me avoid problems in the future. Thanks in advance.
Presumably you are clear of landlord and homeowner's insurance issues regarding owning a pit.
I wonder if you know anything about the behavior of the pair that produced the litter? In any event you should be vigilant in raising it to be tolerant of other people and dogs. Sometimes an otherwise minor event for another dog can trigger serious attack in a dog that is disposed to be aggressive.
I hope your puppy turns out to be a great pet for you and that you enjoy a lot of good years together.
Pits are smart, loyal dogs, eager to please and easy to train. My best advice for any puppy is a tired pup is a good pup, lots of exercise, mental and physical make for a tired puppy. Socialize and train her to be a shining example of a well behaved pup. There will always be prejudice against the breed, give people a reason to look at the breed in a good way.
Socialize, socialize, socialize. Can't stress it enough and it's got nothing to do with the breed at all. Must say I'm heartbroken that you chose to purchase instead of adopt. They are the most common euthanized of all breeds of dogs in shelters today. Estimated 10% of the ones born will find real forever homes is one estimate I read. They certainly need people that love the breed for it's devotion to it's family, love of children and clown like personalities to be adopting from shelters and rescues. When I went and pulled dogs from shelters I tried to always pull at least one, even though I knew that it would be the last adopted and usually take well over six months to find a suitable home for it.
Ok, off my soapbox!
There's honestly nothing about that breed training / raising wise that's different than other breeds. At the end of the day, it's still a dog. Set up boundaries and rules and always be VERY consistent with. Always use positive re-inforcement in training. Pibbles are VERY sensitive dogs. I know it sounds stupid considering the unfair reputation they have, but they are probably the most sensitive breed of the dogs I've ever had come through my doors. It doesn't take but a stern look for them to know that what they've done does not please you. They're desperate for your love and acceptance and approval so give it very liberally.
Also DO NOT EVER put the dog on a chain. EVER!! They are NOT outside dogs; they need to be in the house with their pack. And outdoor pibble or chained pibble is a very unhappy pibble. Look to spay your little girl AFTER six months of age. Please don't spay her any sooner than that. Give her body a chance to fully develop internally before you have the surgery. I tried to shoot for six months to nine months for ours. And remember, even though the vaccination schedule for a puppy can be expensive, distemper and parvo treatment is much, much more expensive. Talk to your vet and see if they'll sell you the standard DA2PPv that you can do at home if you know how to give vaccinations. It's honestly VERY easy. I've been doing them for the dogs in the rescue for years and it saves a fortune! Depending on your state, most likely your vet is the only person that legally can give a rabies vacc, but if you look for the low cost spay / neuter clinics in your area they usually do them in conjunction with the spay for a very low amount. If not, call your local shelter and ask if they know of any annual rabies clinics. They're usually very cheap as well.
Out of curiosity, what breed of pittie did you choose? Or did you fall for the 'APBR' / UKC / CKC thing? I've got two at home. A staffie female and a bully or pittie / Great Dane mix. No clue which of the pibble breeds he's got in there but he's definitely mostly pittie / bully of some kind!
Fantastic dogs. It's wonderful to see someone that's got a positive outlook on these wonderful fur kids!
socialize socialize, socialize...
as a breed they can be prone ot dog agression, especially same sex so early socialization not only with people but with other dogs is especially important (spaying her will also usually help deter any same sex agression, which can happen in ANY breed)
as a breed they are SUPPOSED to be incredibly people frinedly and great with kids, but id still suggest lots of socilization with humans, as they are still dogs and any dog can become warey of strangers if not properly socilized early on.
TRAINING. pibbies (or american pit bull terriers, "pit bull" tends to be an umberella term for many bully breeds so its always better to refer to her as an APBT) are very smart and very eager to please...getting her enroled in puppy classes and then moving onto more advanced classes will not only keep her mentally challenged (and mental excersize is just as important as physical excersize) but teach her and you essential life skills. look for classes that feature positive reinforcment and NO choke chains (choke chains can be usefull in the right hands but are often unessicary and incorrectly used) a flat leather or simple martingale collar should be enough if your willing to work on it.
you also want to work on training at home from moment 1, leash manners are increidbly important, these are very strong dogs and should be taught from day 1 NO pulling. (i use the turn around method...if she pulls you stop turn around and walk in the opposite direction than she wanted to go for a few steps) this not only teaches her pulling wont get her where she wants to go, but because your being unpredictable in terms of random turns ect it teaches her to pay attention and focus on you.
as mrs pointed out this is nOT a breed that should be left alone outside all the time or chained up...they realy realy desire to be with their people, its the nature of the breed and they become very attatched to their family...
also because of the breed they tend to be the subjects of theft by less than savory folks, and bad attitudes from folks who buy into the bad media hype, its simply not safe for them to be outside alone...not because they are dangerous, but because human beings are sick creatures as a whole...
excersize excersize excersize...APBTS are a high energy breed, they are terriers and can be active and stubborn...plenty of playtime, training sessions and stuctured walks will keep her mentally and physically engaged...while shes a puppy no forced running...but once she hits the 9-12 month range you could even start taking her jogging, running or bycicling. a TIRED dog is a happy dog...but remember you need to stimulate her mentally too, puzzle toys, kongs, short fun training sessions ect as just as important as games of fetch and daily walks
APBTs are AMAZING dogs, and those that have them and take the time to become the best home for them will usually never be without one...they are great family companions...terrible guard dogs IF they have come from good breeding and good socilization and training background lol...but they look plenty intimidating enough to not need to be a guard dog...in general, socilize train and excersize and youll not go wrong
oh and remember, now you have a "pit bull" its time to become an ambassador for the breed...theres so much bad press out there that simply having one puts alot of pressure on you to prove the world wrong, youll get good and bad comments almost constantly...its your job as a responsible owner to work with your dog to teach people that pitties are not the monsters the thugs and media turn them into...
i 100% suggest working towards getting her her canine good citizen certification, its always a good thing for any dog to work towards but great to see pitties CGC certed...and if it interests you once shes got her CGC you could look into getting her a therapy certification, pitties make wonderfull therapy dogs for visiting schools, childrens wards, reading programs ect because they do have a natural affinity to children! nothign makes me smile more than seeing a sick kid smile when they have a big pitty head smiling right back at them
Mrs and foxy gave great advice. How old is she? Socialize and work on walking nicely on a leash now, while she's young, absolutely. They're so muscular, your shoulder will thank you 1000 times over later on.
In any event you should be vigilant in raising it to be tolerant of other people and dogs. Sometimes an otherwise minor event for another dog can trigger serious attack in a dog that is disposed to be aggressive.
Thanks Mrs1885 and foxywench for all the great information! Maxie is 8 weeks and already a dynamo! I brought her home at 5 weeks and she was 4.5 lbs and now she is 9.5 at 8 wks and growing like a weed. She is an APBT, all white, her eyes were blue, then green and now have a yellowish tinge which is actually very attractive). She is beautiful and I thought I was getting the runt of the litter but it looks like she will be larger than I anticipated. She gets alot of positive attention from strangers and is very friendly towards them. I am worried that I might be spoiling her. I let her sleep in my bed and she likes to sleep on my pillow almost wrapping herself around my head at times and then licking my face in the morning... is this a sigh of dominance? She stays in a 10x10 kennel in the yard while I am at work during the day and I bring her in as soon as I get home. I am also using a hoarness type collar but not sure if that is appropriate for her... I might get more control with a regular collar? I have not used the leash much but intend to now... she is a little stubborn and I have to drag her sometimes. I am not always sure how to discipline her when she gets a little unruly and bites/chews a little too much or too hard, or when she is stubborn on the leash or chews on the wire cables. She can get a little sassy with me sometimes (I try to suppress my desire to laugh out loud because it is pretty darn funny). I don't want to spank her or yell. What should I do? Does the chewing ever end? I haven't had a dog since I was a young girl and decided to get one now because I need a companion and walking buddy. I was attracted to a pit after taking a run away in, he was white also but after two weeks he jumped a high fence and was gone. At first I was afraid of him thinking that at any moment he was going to bite my face off but he was the best dog I had ever been around and after that I had to have one and I found one that looks just like him... must be fate. It takes ALOT more work than I anticipated but I am dedicated to raising this pup responsibly so she will be a great companion and a shining star to represent the best of her breed (so far she is turning alot of heads in a positive way). She is soooooooo cute and hard to resist. Another thing that concerns me is seperation anxiety... I am afraid of how she will react when I have to go out of town for a few days... I think she might freak out because she is so attached to me. I spend alot of time w/her every evening and on the weekends. I am not sure what I will do with her when it is cold out either and I have to be at work... she won't be able to stay outside but I can't imagine keeping her in a crate all day or letting her have the run of the house (guess I could leave her in the bathroom but she isn't going to like that). I have embarked on a major learning curve because I have never had an indoor dog before and never had a dog like this who in my opinion is more than just another dog... this dog is special. I am definitely going to enroll her in all the training classes that is needed. Keep the advice coming because I need alot. Thanks all...
I grabbed this pup off a craigslist ad and met the owners in an HEB parking lot with the litter of females. I was so happy to find a pure white pup that I took it an ran w/o thinking. I called the owners this eve for the first time to inquire about the male/female and she said that she has never had a problem with either of them regarding aggressiveness and that the male is a blue nose (blue/white markings) and the female a red nose mostly white w/brown eye patch, male wt 85 lbs, female around 50 lbs... oh no!!! That is alot of dog!!! I was hoping for a 30-35 pounder... she was the runt so maybe she will not get that big but she is already starting to look impressive. What is the difference between a red nose and blue nose?
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