First dog. A Pit Bull?

Question

This was prompted by someone asking if a Pit Bull was OK for someone who had never had a dog berore.
All the answers were that a Pit was not for a first time dog. They said you had to be an experinced dog person to get a Pit. Not for a first time dog.
I want to know where you get this experience. Is it having a Rat Terrier or a Beagle? Maybe it should be having a German Shepard, which I know from experience is harder to train then a Pit?
I think that everyone is so full of it. A Pit is a very lovable and sweet dog that anyone will not have any trouble raising.
What so you Pit people think?

Answer 1

I think it just depends on the type of person if they should get a pit bull or not...it's all how you treat the dog, and as long as the dog has a loving home and it has discipline it'll be fine. I have a pit/curr mix I got from our local animal shelter and he was 3-4 months old when I got him..it's been almost a year and a half since I had him and everyone loves him, he the sweetest and biggest baby..not that all dogs are like this, and he also loves everyone such as kids, other dogs, and cats. He was my first dog when since I moved out on my own..I'm 22 and when I was little I had cocker spaniels and a mini pincher. Also my uncle has 2 miami blue pit blues that I've been around since I was 8..they're old now...but they're great dogs...you can't have other dogs around them, but they're great pets as long as you have discipline but just same as any other dog.

Answer 2

I think it probably reflects on the owner, not the dog. A Pit in the hands of someone inept will get bored and frustrated because they're a bright busy dog and its behaviour will reflect that. The same thing would happen with Terrier or a beagle because they're working dogs who like to have a job.

I guess the difference is a size thing ...if you're an inept owner, you'd be more socially acceptable with an out of control teacup poodle than an out of control Pit Bull

I've got a young Kelpie and I'd say maybe not to a first time dog owner because she's very bright, she gets bored and she thinks up new trouble while you're cleaning up the last awful thing she's done. Also, you need to be confident with brainy dogs or they will see straight through you ...maybe first time owners could get overwhelmed with that sort of dog and fall off the top of the pecking order.

In short, it really depends on the person (c;

Answer 3

Personally I feel that really any dog is a good first time dog as long as the person that owns it is willing to put forth the effort needed to learn about this dog as it grows. Now I do not feel like an adult dog is good for a first time dog owner because this can be hard to learn from as they are usually set in their ways. However if you get a puppy pit, and teach it the normal commands, socialize it which is also a great way to teach a dog to walk on a leash, and love it that's all you need. Pit's a great companions and are not a big problem dog that uneducated people seem to think.

Answer 4

You have to really think about the reasons why some people will say pits are for more experienced dog owners, and know they aren't just saying those things to lure you away from a marvelous type of dog!
Pits are incredibly smart and are reknown escape artists, you can't leave them unattended for ANY amount of time outside, ever, where as with a golden or a lab there's a little less worry of it jumping the gate to get at another dog/animal. Yes, it is a fact that while NOT human aggressive many, many pits are in fact animal aggressive. They'll stop at nothing to get at a chipmunk or a rabbit, they are highly prey-driven and can be extremely tenacious.
Pitbulls are NOT a dog for anyone. Many people give them up at adolesence because they don't understand the behavior they are seeing. If you are unfamiliar with basic canine body language and behavior then you may not understand your pit at all.
If you do decide to get a pit, be prepared for some horrible things to be said to you. I've had people go as far as saying my dog deserved to be shot because it was a pit bull puppy. That sadly happened at a PetSmart parking lot. People are fools and many are slaves to the media. When you bring a pit bull into your life, you are getting far more than a dog, you are also taking on a movement to help other people understand these dogs. You'll get with the pit bull an opportunity to show others they are not what the media portrays, but to do this requires much dedication with obedience classes and lifelong training. Canine Good Citizen training is a good idea to show people that they aren't monsters.
People get their experience from different places, not necessarily from having another breed of dog as a pet. I grew up with dogs and have always had one around and worked with dogs early on and yes, I own, foster and rescue pit bulls and pit-mixes.
What I can recommend for you is if you are looking for a pit, start volunteering at a local shelter. 50-70% of dogs in the shelter are pits and pit-mixes. Volunteering to work with these dogs gives you great hands on experience, and shows needy dogs love and attention. It's a fact that only ONE in 600 shelter pits finds a forever home so when you decide you are ready for a lifelong committment, consider adopting and saving a life.
I wish you luck with whatever your decision.

Answer 5

if you think that a shepherd is harder to train than a pit you were doing it wrong, a shepherd who is trained the right way is far easier to train than almost any other breed, they love it and cant get enough i should know Ive got 3 and a staffie, and Ive been around them 30 odd years as my dad breeds them. As for your question a person who has never had a dog should not get a pit this is a stupid idea these dogs are bread for fighting its as simple as that these dogs in inexperienced hands are a danger to everyone which is why they are banned in the certain country's.yes they can be lovable pets but you need to have a thorough understanding of what these dogs are capable off

Answer 6

I don't know about the first dog question, I feel that they are not the dog for everyone, and that experience with dogs in general is certainly beneficial to anyone considering a large powerful breed of dog. I think that many people who love the breed will say this just because we don't need any more bad examples out and about.....and to be perfectly frank, if you read some of the questions posted here by "first time dog owners" it is scary to consider them owning anything larger than a teacup froofie muffin.

Answer 7

My dog is only part pit...but you really have to be patient with them and let them know who is in charge...she gets into everything, eats everything, detroys things outside....but I will say she is the most affectionate dog I've had...more so than the beagle chow mix I have...she is very protective, but very, very sweet...I think that even a pit mix could be a bit too much for someone that has never had a dog before.

Answer 8

I think what people mean by this is that a big, powerful dog is probably not the best idea for someone who has never owned a dog.

Any Pitt breeder (good ones) and virtually every Pitt website will say that they require a strong handler and trainer. They do not necessarily mean a physically strong person, but someone who knows about dog behavior.

Pitts are so powerful and can cause so much damage if not trained and socialized properly.

People owning Pitts who can't handle them and don't know enough about dogs is one of the reasons there is such bad press about the breed.

Answer 9

It is not about that pitbulls are hard to teach. They are not. But to understand the language of a dog is very important to learn if you want to train your dog. And I do not think that a person who never lived with a dog can understand it. A lot of people make mistakes on training of their dogs but I do not think those mistakes can be tolerated if the case is a pitbull since there are so much fuss about them nowadays. That is why experience is adviced here for both dog's and it's owner's goodness.
I have a staff terrier which can kill you by licking you til death :)but still for most of the society she is dangerous. Having another breed can make the inexperienced owner more happy since he/she will not have to struggle with ignorance and make upset themselves.

Good luck

Answer 10

Yeah, people are definaltey full of it on here. I have owned 2 pitbulls in my life, and I currently have one of them now. He is the sweetest most loving dog that I have. He is no different than my American bulldog, or my English bulldog. Breeds do tend to lean toward certain personalities, but bottom line a dog is a dog, and is going to base its personality on how you raise it. There is NO reason why a first time dog owner could not have a pit. NO reason at all. For any breed, I suggest that the owner research the breed before getting one. My first pitbull was trained completely by 9 months, and it was not hard. You just have to commit to you dog. It angers me that people think that pitbulls are bad and that they all have a bad side. The reason they go bad is because of their owners. The are very loving and affectionate and would do anything for their owner.