For people that have a knowledge of pit bulls only.?

Question

This question is not for ignorant people who have no knowledge of pit bulls, it is for people with experience and knowledge with the breed.

I have a chihuahua (1yr) and a pit pup (8 weeks) They love each other but he does get a little too rough sometimes.

Is it too dangerous to keep him, or will they be ok?

Answer 1

First of all, neat combination of dogs! :) I have a pit and a jack! My jack likes to instigate it with my pit! She pulls on her ears and her tail and barks at her! They love to play, but if it looks like they're getting a little rough I just look at them and say "hey!" They calm down and get back to playing! :) But the pit is a stronger than the chihuahua and he might not realize he's rough, just monitor them playing and if the pit gets a little too rough, you can always stop them. :) Good luck!

Answer 2

Pit Bulls and Chihuahuas are breeds that "play" differently. Chihuahuas tend to dart and run around their playmates, while Pit Bulls tend to use body slams and other very physical forms of play. Their body type are also extremely different; Chihuahuas tend to be light-bonded and willowy and Pits tend to be thick-boned and muscular. The Pit Bulls also have massive jaws and a heavy "bite"; while Chihuahuas have small jaws and a nipping bite.

Even though your Pit may never be overtly "aggressive" or "mean" to your Chihuahua, it may unintentionally hurt your Chi with its body weight and rough play tactics. If it tries to play-nip your Chi with its huge jaws, too, it can do a lot more damage than it may intend to do.

Keep in mind, that at 8 weeks your Pit isn't showing a lot of "true" personality yet either. Usually dogs don't start showing who they really are, personality wise, until they're 10-12 weeks old. So you'll need to keep an eye on your Pit and watch for any signs of aggression or "resource guarding" (wanting all the toys, all the food, and all the good spaces in the house/yard).

Although we love and appreciate both breeds of dog (and have both Chis and Pits at our facility) we keep them separated because we don't want "accidents" to happen.

We would suggest that you NOT have the dogs together unless you're around to supervise them and immediately correct any misbehavior you see (from either one of them).

Answer 3

I have a pit that was a stray, a husky/chow mix, 2 chihuahuas, and 2 cats. I was really worried about bringing in the pit but I have never seen a more gentle dog. The only time I have ever seen any irritation on her part is when the youngest chihuahua continually got in her face and wouldn't leave her alone. Other than that they play together great. My pit sleeps outside on the swing with her stuffed animal! I still worry thanks to all the bad press pits get but overall I'm pleased with her personality. It seems the small chihuahua has a bigger dominance problem than my pit!!!

Answer 4

Well they should be okay. You will just have to watch them when they are together and be strict with your Pit pup and make sure he understands that the Chihuahua is more fragile. I did this with my Pit and our cats and my Pit is in love with my (sorry his cats)cats.

Pits naturally have a high prey drive and like to chase smaller animals. Usually birds rabbits etc. Make sure your dog knows the difference. I discourage my dog from chasing any small animal. Also never cage them alone together. Even if you think your Pit wouldn't do anything it is best not to take any chances.
Pits are wonderful dogs and are very devoted to there owners but due to there past (bull baiting/dog fighting) some are prone to animal aggression. You should learn your dogs body language and know the difference between aggressive posture and play posture.

Also I strongly suggest you spay or neuter your Pit. Neutering your dog will dramatically cut done his chances of becoming aggressive. 85% of dogs that bite people (not just pits but all dogs) are intact aka not spayed or neutered.

Good luck and enjoy your new member of your family. Pits are terrific dogs. Just show him lots of love and attention. Make sure your dog knows that you are the leader and everything will be well. Congrats on your baby!


martinamagrace,
Just so you know. Pits are actually well known for there kindness to children. They are protective family dogs and look at the children in the house hold as "theirs". Plus Pits have a very high pain tolerance so a child can climb all over a Pit and never really seems to mind. When Pits were bred for fighting and bull baiting they were also trained to submit to humans to try and counter any aggressive behavior they pick up in the fighting rings.

Answer 5

I have a pit another dog and 4 cats. The pit has to be trained not to play rough, chase etc. (Also I would not recommend playing games of tug of war with your pit either.) One more thing to keep in mind is that these dogs should not under any circumstances be left alone together. Sometimes, and I stress sometimes, pits will show aggression towards smaller more inferior animals like your chihuahua. He should be OK to keep. But I stress to you a pit is a big responsibility because of the ignorance of the public and people that train them to fight. You have to be careful of him and for him. Show him that you are the leader of the dog pack in your household! Good Luck To You!

Answer 6

I have not owned a pit, but I have been a neighbor of a pit who loves his little boxer brother. The pit stereotype of aggression is the same as other breeds- I truly believe it is all how you raise a dog. I have a 1 1/2 year old Golden and an 8 week old Golden pup. The older one does get a little rough but playfully. She does not realize how big she is or how little her sister is. You can easily tell the difference between the play bite and growl versus the agressive kind.

Answer 7

This a good time to socialize your dog. Although pit bulls have a tendency toward a high dominance, it is likely your pit bull may consider the chihuahua his dog. Which means he will become very protective of the other dog.

Answer 8

Your pit is going to grow up to be much larger than your chi, and you will need to be careful when the two are roughhousing to ensure that your chi doesn't get injured.

A good solution to this is to crate train your pit. Add this to keeping the two dogs properly supervised when playing together, and I think you should be good to go. I recommend crate training because it can be beneficial to any dog, not just a pibble--it's a great way to make sure your dog doesn't get into trouble (garbage, running through open doors, bothering non-dog-friendly guests, etc., and in this case, playing with your other dog without proper supervision) when you aren't there to supervise him.

Info on crate training: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crate_training

I think a good mix of socialization, training and crate training would do the trick. It's still a good idea to keep the two dogs supervised when playing together, though. I think you will be just fine keeping him if you do this.

Answer 9

I don't think it is a good mix. Your small dog doesn't have a chance if the Pit gets rough. I have had a lot of experience with Pits and I love them. BUT, until the breeding changes, you have to be very careful. I would not allow a Pit to be with another dog or with children. That is a ticking time bomb.

Answer 10

As long as they grow together, it should be OK. But you need to start reprimanding him right now for getting too rough. When he gets bigger, he could get rough and accidentally kill the little dog. Make sure you don't let either one of them get rough with the other. Socializing them now when they're both fairly young is your only answer. Don't let them get into any type of violent play or accidents will happen. Good luck. They're beautiful dogs.