My pit bull has been very aggressive lately?

Question

My pit bull attacked my land lords dog last night. He actually tore down the fence to get to him and my husband had to choke him to get him to let go of the other dog. He never shows aggression towards humans, only to other dogs and we have another dog which is a Chihuahua and I'm scared he might do this to him. We are exploring the possibility of giving him up. Do you think we should put him to sleep or adopt him to someone else? I would hate to adopt him out and he does something bad because then that person will have to pay. But his behavior is becoming a liability for me, I would hate for him to kill another animal or a person. What do you think?

Answer 1

Sadly, Pit Bull's are prone to dog aggression and although much of this aggression can be tamed through plenty of socialization at a young age it can never be completely eradicated. A responsible Pit Bull owners motto is "Never trust a Pit Bull not to fight".

You will not be able to adopt this dog out. Due to his aggression, it just won't happen. Very, very few people will take on a Pit Bull with serious dog aggression. It is a liability and really, it wouldn't be fair to dump your responsibility onto someone else.

You have two options. Firstly, you manage the dog for life, controlling his environment inside and out to make sure he never gets to another dog, ever. Management is not 100% foolproof but it can be done. That would involve you putting up a bombproof fence and gate around your entire backyard, leashing and muzzling him every time you leave your house and controlling every inch of his life. You will be treading on thin ice keeping a dog this way but ultimately, it is up to you. Your other option is putting him to sleep. Put it this way -- if he attacks or kills another dog, this will be his fate anyway.

It is your choice. Best of luck.

Answer 2

Not all pitbulls are violent. I have had two myself. Family member of mine also currently own pit bulls. None of them have shown aggression. I now own rat terriers and my ratties are more aggressive than my pit bulls ever thought of being. It depends on heredity, and how the dog was raised. My pits were indoors and so are my family members. They were raised around other dogs. They need a lot of love and attention. I would definately NOT put him to sleep. He however, does need some training, or to be put into a home that can train him. I do agree with others on this question--HE SHOULD NOT BE PLACED IN A HOME WITH SMALL CHILDREN OR OTHER ANIMALS. Some pit bulls have even been trained in assistance, i.e. seeing eye dog, police dogs, etc. Give him a chance, get him in a training program and let him live his life. When people have anger management issues, we don't just put them to sleep. Think about this, please, he made a mistake, he shouldn't be killed because he has not had the proper training.

Answer 3

We have a pit that doesn't know what she is. I also have two chihuahuas. They are meaner and more aggressive than Panda. She is afraid of them. Not all pits are aggressive. If you didn't get this dog as a puppy, who knows what it learned before coming to you. I agree with getting a professional trainer and trying that first. It's said that a pit has the reputation they do but incidents like this doesn't help. I hope you can find a solution other than having the dog put down. Good luck.

Answer 4

I think you haven't spent enough time training him. Find a good dog trainer and work diligently with the dog. Can you imagine if it the landlord had a small child instead of a dog? Do not adopt him out to someone else----if he hurts someone even after going to a different owner, you will be partially liable. We have a few aggressive dogs in our group training classes. They are there just to get used to being around other dogs and to learn not to see other dogs as a threat. Please find a qualified trainer immediately.
I hope you keep your dogs separated at ALL times.

Answer 5

Have a behaviorist come to your home. It will cost about 70 bucks. What ever she says do. It is very scary when there is a dog fight but give it a few days. I have 2 pitties, 2 pugs and 2 lhasas and they all live together very happily.

If your dog is not neutered do that first. It will take at least 30 days for the testosterone to leave your dog's system.

Good Luck

Answer 6

Sounds like training might help. If you decide to adopt him out make sure to be honest with the people whao are taking him. I would try training before I would put him down but if he continues this behavior you are not going to have a choice animal control will make the choice for you. Please look into getting someone to help you with this dog. While it is in their nature to be aggresive towards other dogs with proper training this trait can be broken. I know of a few people who have pitts and other dogs and kon't have trouble with this.

Answer 7

Your dog's next step is to attack a person, maybe a small child, and a fence or a window is not going to stop him.

He's not just a liability to you, he's a danger to your neighbors. And giving him to someone else is not going to solve this problem.

Put him down and don't buy any more pit bulls. He's just acting according to the tendencies of the breed, and another pit bull would do the same. Have you seen the news where the family pet, sweet as can be, loves everybody, eats the toddler? Sorry, this breed of dog does not belong in peoples' homes.

Answer 8

did you get him as a pup? did you get him from a known breeder or a pet shop or puppy mill? Has he been given love or taught to play aggressively? After you answer all thos questions consult your vet as soon as possible. He may not feel well or it may be something else wrong, but do something NOW. this is for his sake as well as yours. you can always give him to a pit bull rescue center. don't wait

Answer 9

I'm very sorry to say this but I feel that this dog needs to be put down.

We adopted a chow/lab/akita mix and he was a very high energy dog from the beginning, but totally affectionate toward everyone. We spent tons of time with him; I was home all day every day with him and I took him on long walks and to the dog park. It was great. He was an amazing dog 99.9% of the time...

Then something started to change in him. He bit my brother one day out of absolutely nowhere. I saw it happen and it was an extremely confusing situation. We thought maybe he got startled or something and perhaps his mistreatment as a puppy came back to him and he reacted on that.

We went with our hearts instead of our heads and decided to keep the dog. We spent almost $1000 on behavior training with a private behaviorist at the recommendation of our vet. Guess what? The dog bit my father one day. Practically mauled him.

That's right, all of that proved to be for nothing because his natural propensity to be aggressive took over. If you have a dog who acts aggressively, you can't ever trust that dog again. I truly believe that.

He had to be removed from our house by the police because of the 2 bite law in our state. It was the most heart-wrenching experience of my life. I'll never forget the sound of him howling and barking as they struggled to get my frightened, confused pup into the paddy wagon. I wish I could have gone back to after the first bite happened and have him put down in a more peaceful way.. with his family around him.

My dog was quarantined in the police kennel for 10 days and put down with the dog warden present. I never got to see him after the day he went after my dad.

Please, please, don't let this happen to you or your dog. There are 3 steps in aggression- growling, nipping, and biting.. as our behaviorist said, it's almost impossible to get a dog "back" once it has bitten someone or another animal.

It's an absolutely heart-wrenching decision, but I truly feel that you need to put this dog down before something tragic happens.

Answer 10

DO NOT put him to sleep. Pitties do have natural agression towards other dogs. They were bred to be fighters. That is their sole purpose. They can make excellent pets if raised properly, that is to not be aggressive at all. But even then their aggression can come out. Keep an eye on him and dont leave him alone with your other dog. If he acts up again like this then you may have to adopt him out to a responsible owner (not implying you arent responsible, Im just saying dont just give it to anyone, make sure they are responsible animal lovers and stress he woul dbe best in a house where he was the only pet and no kids.


If you ever see him barking at another dog, scold him. Grab him by the collar and sternly say "NO!" and put him in his kennel for 10 minutes.