Getting rid of dogs.?

Question

Early Febuary my family had two dogs which have been living together for two years. The younger one is a pitbull mix and grew up here since a puppy. He is the most friendly, caring and loving dog. He and the other dog get along fine.

I live far from town and the two dogs play and have a great time away seperated from other people and the world. The pitbull had never given reason for us to consider getting rid of him, until one day someone brought a dog into our house without asking. The pit bull is very protective of the family and the baby. When this dog came in he bit it and tried to kill it. Lucky the other dog is fine.

We figured the pit was protecting his territory and since the dog came so sudden didnt know how to react.

The pit, I know the breed has a bad rap, protects the baby, licks him and plays with him. I trusted him fine with the baby and other household dog completely.

We tried introducing another dog into the house but the pit growls and barks like mad.

He shakes like hes crazy. A few times by mistake the new dog and pit have come in conect at times and they have gotten into bad fights. We tried getting them used to each other and show the pit the new dog was allowed in the house but he wont have it.

I dont trust the pit now much as I cant be sure he will not flip out. I cant trust the new dog because he is so scared and timid now.

It is really sad because the pit is such a nice dog to humans. The pits bad rap if you research is wrong, as the pits are documented to not find humans as threats and dont usually attack humans. It is just those trained to do so that attack humans.

With the fights I have to pull the dogs apart or one would be killed, probably the new dog. I reach my hands in so the pit can see them and pry his jaws off the other dog and he has never bitten me. He has come close, but the second he realized it was me he stopped and didnt bite.

Is the only thing I can do is put the pit down and get rid of the new dog?

When I got the pit he was 5 weeks only and I got him free from a lady. I thought he was a chow.

I didnt choose to get a pit bull. But now I have him and know how loving he is, I hate to kill him, but dont want some mean person to breed him to fight and fear no one can care for him.

A stupid pet owner is any pet owner who notices an aggression problem and fails to do anything about it. As soon as there was reason, we have taken precautions by keeping the dog in his cage at all times and seek a way to best protect everyone. Anyone who accuses me of being stupid for having a dog because of its breed is like a person saying someone is below them for being a different color of skin. I do not have my head in my rear since I am taking proactive steps to prevent problems.

Please this is not a flame about the breed, but the situation. If I said the dog was a different breed these stupid comments wouldn't be posted.

This is a hard choice with a loved family dog who is veryt caring and loving.

Answer 1

What's the question?

So, if you know your dog is protective, don't bring any dogs to your house. Make it CLEAR to friends and family members that it is unacceptable.

Is the dog fixed? If not, do so right away This may help calm down *some* of this mania.

Also, you need to start some training classes. Positive reinforcement to start.

Cesar Milan (as mentioned above) is a quack who is being sued for animal abuse (he killed a dog while 'training' it), please DO NOT use his techniques. An untrained person with an agressive dog using abusive techniques is asking for trouble!

WHY would you have brought another dog into the house when you know that the pit is unstable? That was a TERRIBLE decision. Give the new dog back and keep the pit away from other animals. You don't have to kill it. If you failed to train him properly and he's simply acting instinctively, you think that's means to kill him?

There are plenty of dogs out there who should be 'only children'. All different breeds, all different sizes, all different sexes.

If your first instinct is to kill him, perhaps you should give him to pit bull rescue and give the other dogs to other no-kill shelters. http://www.pbrc.net/breeding3.html

Good luck to you in all this.

Answer 2

You have several issues here.

First, was either dog on a leash when they were introduced. Some of the kindest dogs have horrible leash aggression. Off leash, these dogs interact well with each other or other people. But on leash, these dogs will snarl, snap, and look ready to fight. This leash aggression is very tough to deal with and unless all dogs are VERY well trained - where it's clear you are the alpha - then I would not recommend ever introducing any dogs on a leash.

If your pit was aggressive as soon as the other dog came into the home, it might have been wise to introduce them in an outside setting. However, the same result might have occurred. Your pit is trying to dominate the other dog - and in this case, very aggressively try to dominate. As such, I recommend consulting a dog behavior specialist.

After consulting this person, it definitely sounds like you need obedience training for both the dog and you. Classes (and not just one or two token classes, but rather a series of them) are needed to help not only train your dog basic commands, but establish yourself as the "alpha". This is especially true in your own home. While inside your house, if you say "sit", the dog should drop - no questions asked. Granted, sometimes in play mode, you might need a second "sit" command. But if you give an authoritative, "down" or "off" or "sit", the dog should do it. If he doesn't or you find yourself giving the command again and again, either your dog doesn't know the command or he's challenging your authority. There's a difference between "sit" and "paw" for example. One is a command, the other is a trick. If you have to say "paw" a few times until he gets it, that's fine. But "sit" is not an option. Obedience training is needed. You should never be afraid in your own house for any reason, especially with such a young dog.

Lastly, some dogs are just territorial. Usually, these are the dogs that think a bit too highly of themselves - that is, they think they are the alpha or near alpha. Again, training will help. But until this is done, do not let any other dog into your house.

Hopefully you can do these things and retrain both your dog and yourself. If successful, not only will you form a tighter bond with your dog, but he will be well socialized and a joy to be around. If not, sadly, your choices become limited and you may have to see if he can be relocated to another home. Be aware that his chances of survival will be very slim and he will most likely be put down. So please look into the necessary behavior specialists and training that needs to be done if you want to keep your dog.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Regardless of popular belief, it is actually in their breeding NOT to attack humans. It comes from back in the 1800s when dog fighting in England was popular. Owners would not tolerate aggression towards a human, and they bred it into the dogs that they would be able to get in and break up a fight without being bitten. Just as you described.

Any bully breed loves its people and LIVES for its people. Do not lock it up outside. They require a couple of hours of attention a day, at least. They become depressed and even more violent when forced to endure lack of contact with their humans. Seperation from you is like cruel and unusual punishment.

You made a mistake, unfortunately, by trying to allow the dogs to coexist. It is true that you should not let a bully breed get into its first fight. It is bred into them to fight other dogs, and dog aggressiveness is in their genes.

However, as stated before, human aggressiveness is rare and is only the result of bad breeding, bad ownership, and bad training.

You need to keep the dogs seperate. Get a crate. A strong, large one that the pit can be comfortable in. Put the pit in the crate whenever you're not around. Do not use the crate as a punishment, because the pit will learn to hate the crate. Put a bed in there, give the pit treats and toys to keep him comfortable.

Do not euthanize the pit. You took the dog into your life, and it deserves to be taken care of. You can get around this. Keep the dogs seperated, especially when you are not around.

Whenever the dog exhibits aggressive behavior, admonish him verbally [do not hit] and roll him onto his back. This is the most extreme form of submission, and shows him you are dominant and that his behavior is not allowed. Do this every single time. Be patient, calm, and willing.

Talk to your vet or dog trainers for tips.

Good luck.

Answer 4

So you had two dogs and decided to bring home a third dog? The pitbull knows that the older dog is part of the family and is ok with it, but he is protecting his territory and his family from the new dog that he thinks is an intuder. You might need to give away the pitbull or the new dog to a good home or a farm. I am basing this on the experience with my puppy who is a mix of Lhasa Apso and poodle, he is ok with other dogs when he is out for walks or when he goes to visit a house where another dog lives but if a dog comes into our house then he growls and barks and snaps at it even if he is friendly with the other dog when he is out for a walk.

Answer 5

Many Pits are animal aggressive that was what they were bred for, because he grew up with the one dog he is fine with him but other dogs will always be a problem for him. There is no reason for you to worry about hurting any one in your family, the new dog is probably easily rehomable, your pitbull was there first, it makes no sense to destroy him just because you made a mistake of bringing in another dog, rehome the new one and they both can enjoy life.

Answer 6

as a pit bull owner and breeder myself..the bad thing is ur pit tasted blood!!a nono with pits..yes they r territorial!!as any dog with loving owners!!!i would tie the dog outside for a few days..whoever the "dominant" person or who the dog listens to the most as far as discipline goes needs to bring the new dog around on A LEASH,and introduce the 2!!!not an overnite award here!!! give treats ONLY when being nice to the new baby!!after they have gotten used to each other,with a lot of SUPERVISION gradually let them to start to play together!!i have 3 pits,1 great pyranees,and a min-pin..they all get along great,take ur time..it will happen!!!and god forbid..do not let the dog taste blood again or u have MAJOR PROBLEMS!!good luck!!i luv pits!!

Answer 7

Watch The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan on the National Geography Channel, and if you can, read his book. He's a miracle worker and has helped countless dogs like yours. It's all about showing dominance over your dog. You have NO reason to consider getting rid of your dog, I did a project on pit bulls in their defense, you shouldn't blame the breed for something you can control.

Answer 8

Getting the dogs to function as a pack is the key. The owner is the pack leader. Aggression is not just being protective. usually it is because the dog is feeling fear. The fear comes from not feeling reassured that the other dog is going respect the pack, too. this will make more sense if you read Cesar Millan's theories. He can manage dozens of dogs in one pack without fighting.
http://cesarmillaninc.com/tips/index.php

Answer 9

Pit Bulls are normally great with people, but not so great with other dogs. Your dog is protecting you, but it could go overboard and try to protect you from other people too.
Your dog sees himself and the pack leader, and you all are his puppies...not so good..
If you get a chance to watch National Geographic's program..The Dog Whisperer..he has some really good tips on re-establishing yourself as the pack leader. Once you get this into your dog's mind, the tendency for him to take over will end.

Answer 10

ohhh...thats a tuff one...u need to make a desicion though...i'm not the biggest fan of pitt's and yes they can attack humans even without having been trained to do so...its just their nature...but regardless, the pitt was there first, you bought in a new dog...i think the new dog should go and the pitt be watched when ever a new situation arises.