Female Pit Bull.... What to do?

Question

I have an almost 2 year old female pit bull. she is the most wonderful dog. she sleeps with me and always finds a way to get on the recliner with me. She gets along with my 3 other dogs and 3 cats and even though I've tried to keep her socialized she is animal aggressive, always has been. I have a fenced yard and walk her in the evenings. Recently, she lunged and snapped at a friend and wouldn't stop. It was like a totally different dog, really aggressive. I'm afraid she's become people aggressive. She is BIG, about 85 lbs. What would happen if she ever got loose? I thought about humane euthanization and being there with her at the end, but that thought makes me sick. However, if I take her to a shelter, I don't want her to spend a few weeks in a cage only to have them euthanize her all alone without me there. I thought about adoption but I can't be sure she'll be taken care of and not abused or fought. I don't know what to do. please help.

It's interesting to see that people are either pit lovers or true pit haters. I will always be a lover, no matter what comes of this.

Just so everybody knows, I am a totally responsible pet owner. I've had dogs my entire life and now own 4 dogs and 3 cats. Please don't call me irresponsible. I'm just confused and looking for help. Geez

Wanted to thank everyone, good and bad for their responses. I have decided to work very hard with whatever I have to do to try to keep her. Had company over the weekend and she was fine, a total lover dog. I don't know what it was about that one person. She had never done that before, and like I said, with company this weekend, she was fine. But I realize I need to work with her on her behavior, the jumping up, and such and I'm going to consult with someone who knows. Thanks

Answer 1

Consult a certified behaviorist before even considering rehoming.

Answer 2

Before you do anything, try to get some professional training. If she should ever get loose like this, she could kill an animal or a person. and you NEVER want that to happen. I wouldn't suggest rehoming her on your own. For two reasons. 1) You never know if the people she goes to are actually going to take care of her and continue proper training. 2) If she is aggressive now, why would you put that responsibility on another person? I have a pit bull / presa canario and she's about 10 months old. She has never shown any aggressive behavior towards anything. And I am working hard to keep it that way. If your dog can't be trained out of this aggression, you may want to consider having her euthanized. You can have her cremated, and keep the ashes. But you need to think what is in the best interest of the dog and others around you.

And to the first person who commented, I bet you've never owned a pit bull, never did research about them, and probably never met one. You are most likely saying that based on the media attention pit bulls get. And ya know what? I think YOU are the reason pit bulls have the reputation they do. Because uninformed cruel people RUN THEIR MOUTHS when they have no idea what they are talking about. So just keep your mouth shut. =)

Answer 3

What was happening when she lunged? Where were you at? Was she on leash? Is she spayed? What was your friend doing just before? So much could have contributed to this, more details could really help use come up with better answers for you :)

Get her vetted first, to see if she has any health issues. She hasn't bit anyone yet, so IF you feel you can keep her contained and leashed in public I really would try to solve this. DOGS ARE NOT VAMPIRES!!! They do not bite once and then turn into monsters that can never be fixed. Pits are very protective dogs in regards to their owners, not entirely a bad thing either. You need to find a very good trainer to help you who is familiar with the breed and dog aggression issues. Pits are a dominant breed, also not entirely a bad thing. She should be looking to you to make decisions about who is a good or bad person. It is the pack leader's jog to be the judge or who is friend or foes. If she is taking the lead on this it means she sees it is her job. She does not see you as alpha. Get some good books and a trainer who really knows how to deal with dominance issues. Please don't re-home your dog until you at least try to find some solutions. Many pits don't spend weeks in shelters, they spend months. She is at the age where she will be testing you some, it is to be expected with the breed. IMO it is not too late to work on this, and can be done if you get the right professional help, do some reading, and take the time to work with her.

That being said, from now on keep her on a leash with a double colar and clip, and take caution with other people and pets. If you don't think you can do this then you should start looking at rescues that will work on her issues, but they also might have some great ideas to try before it comes to that.

Lots of breeds can be potentially aggressive due to dominance and lack of or incorrect training. IT IS NOT FAIR TO PUT A DOG DOWN FOR TRYING TO BITE IF IT CAN BE CORRECTED.

Please get a professional assessment before you put this girl down, just keep her away from situations where she is in close contact with people or could get loose until you have this under control,

Answer 4

Pit are special! Some do hit a turning point. Even with all the socialization that little aggressive switch in there head can turn on. Some Pits become aggressive some never will. Its all in the breeding.

I had a recuse pit that was so wonderful with people but wanted to kill any little animal it could find. He attracted my other dog for no reason. After he felt so bad and knew what he did was wrong. He just could not help it. Sadly I knew I could not place this dog so I had to put him down. I thought the same thing"what if he ever got out." It's so sad but it's what you have to except with the breed. My boyfriend and I have another PIt bull Meatball he is 5 and love all dogs and all people. They are not all aggressive. Most of them are some of the best dogs you could ever have.

Retrievers are bred to retrieve Pits were bred to fight (not suppose to be any more but it happens sadly)

Honestly You know your dog. If you feel she is not fit for this world then Sadly maybe she should be put down.

Try getting her fixed if she is not already. That could calm her down a little. Or see an animal behaviorist.

I'm so sorry. I know how you feel. I still get upset when I think about dusty my rescue dog.

Good info on the breed for those that want to be more educated on the breed. I put this up for the people that say Pits are crazy or bad.
http://www.pbrc.net/breedinfo.html

Answer 5

I'm so sorry you're having to go through this. There are other options you really need to try before having her put down. Has she ever had any human aggression before? Was your friend someone she was familiar with? Was your friend acting in a manner that could be taken as threatening? There are so many factors here that aren't clear. Really sit and think and try to figure out why she "thought" she needed to act in this way.

She doesn't sound like a vicious dog. I also think that is is pretty rare for a dog to one day be a wonderful, loving pet and the next be Cujo.

Get her checked out by your vet to make sure there are no underlying medical issues causing this behavior. My family recently had to put our 13 year old blue heeler to sleep and when he was in pain, he would be aggressive if he was aggravated.

Get training. NOW. Don't go to Petco or Petsmart, go to a reputable trainer who has experience with "aggressive dogs". Do it now, to not would be irresponsible.

And (as with any dog) make damn sure she can't get loose. Chain and lock the gate so no one can leave it open, it she digs put cinder blocks around the edge of the fence, use a low voltage electric wire around the bottom of the fence, if she climbs put the wire towards the top. Put up beware of dog signs. Put a baby gate (securely) at your front door so she can't run out when it's opened. You need to take every precaution you can to keep her inside and safe.

If none of this works or if it is decided that she is people aggressive, then probably the best option would be to put her down. I know the thought of doing this to your dog is sickening and disheartening, but it would be the responsible thing to do. In another home, she could still hurt someone.

Like someone else said, for an animal to be put down just for aggression is pretty rare, especially an animal that hasn't been neglected or abused. You can probably work this out.

Good luck to you and your girl.

Answer 6

Having so many other pets may be a factor. Especially 3 other dogs. That is a lot for anyone to handle. It is like being in a pack for your dog and she needs to know her position in the pack. She also needs to know that you are the leader or next she will challenge you if she hasnt already. A trainer may be able to help. For now, try to put her in a more submissive role in the pack by doing things like: feeding her last, have her go out the door last, dont let her on your furniture and give her rules to follow etc. If she is in the alpha role above your 3 other dogs she will challenge other dogs and animals, even people she feels may be a threat to her position. It would be easier to deal with her agression without the 3 other dogs because it will be hard to for you to get them to be above your pit in rank. But obviously you will not want to get rid of your other dogs so possibly finding a new home for your pit would be the best option if training doesnt help. Just make sure the new owner knows about the agression issue or have her put down if you cannot find her a new home. Of course any dog of any breed can be agressive and in a group one will usually take the alpha role. If you want to have lots of dogs try not to get a breed with known dog agression or a dominant breed. You may have the best intentions and in certain situations it can work but you are just asking for problems if you dont know how to deal with these breeds.

Answer 7

I would seek the help of a professional trainer before making a final decision. If the professional sees that this is all around aggressive dog (any breed can be aggressive) I would highly recommend euthanasia- even if you rehomed her she is still aggressive and a tragedy can result. A shelter will euthanize an aggressive dog- our shelters here will not adopt out pit bulls.
It is a hard decision to make but it is part of being a responsible pet owner to make decisions for the best interest of the pet.

Answer 8

It really depends on the personalities of both dogs. I used to own a super sweet male pit bull who would submit to any other dog - even terriers a third of his size! Since the pit is younger than your pit boxer, she might not be as authoritative. However, to be on the safe side, you should always monitor them together. And if you need to leave home for several hours a day, you should keep the dogs separated until you are confident they won't hurt each other.

Answer 9

You are right to try to handle this problem yourself. If you bring your dog to a shelter, she will be just as aggressive with them and any new owner that might adopt her.

Here's what happened to me: I adopted a big Aussie mix from a shelter. She had been previously adopted and then returned to the shelter. She was very animal aggressive, and protective of our yard. I took her to obedience training and she was nearly out of control when new people approached her.

One night, I was clipping all the dogs nails, and right after I finished with her (I was holding her down), she jumped up and attacked one of my other dogs. I stupidly tried to break up the fight and keep her from killing my dog, and got chewed up in the process. The Aussie wasn't the one that bit me, the dog being attacked did the damage.

I couldn't take the chance that she would hurt another animal, or worse, a person. It didn't make sense to bring her back to the shelter and pass her problems on to some other unsuspecting family. I felt like she was my responsibility and the only fair thing to do was to euthanize her. I really loved that dog, but she had uncontrollable aggression.

It wouldn't have been fair for me to keep the dog chained up, or secluded from life. So as hard as it was, this dog became a real liability and threat and was not trustworthy.

If you choose euthanization, ask your vet for a sedative (one for you too!) to give your dog at home so she's very relaxed when you have to bring her in. It's a tough tough decision.

Good Luck.

Answer 10

First, thank you for recognizing that her behavior is becoming dangerous and that you need to do something to prevent a tragedy.
Second, before resorting to shelters, euthanization or adoption services, please contact a trainer or behavior specialist. These professionals will be able to equip you with tools and tips that will help both you and your dog. Some of these tools might be as simple as spending more time exercising her or making a greater show of dominance (don't worry, they'll show you how to do it without endangering yourself or your dog).
Be warned though, this probably won't be a quick fix. Your dog probably didn't get to this behavior/aggression overnight, and you won't be able to get rid of it overnight either--unless you get rid of the dog.
If you really cannot committ the time or money to behavior specialists, I would suggest looking for a Pit Rescue group and offering to continue financially provide for her while they look for someone who would be willing to give her the work, training, exercise and dominance she needs.
I really encourage you to try your alternatives to keep this dog with you. It sounds like she loves you. It's clear that you're trying to be a responsible owner. Thank you for taking steps to ensure that you keep your dog, and everyone around her, safe.
Best of luck!

Answer 11

Sounds as if she`s being overly protective of you - and that won`t do !. You don`t mention if you`ve trained her but from your comments `bout the recliner it seems not. If you had then you probably wouldn`t have this problem right now. Pit bulls can be trained just like any other dog -BUT - it takes time, love and patience. You should have started training from the word go but it`s not too late -IF - you take the time to do it, and I mean YOU and not some " trainer " that she`s never seen in her life before and who won`t be there with her for the rest of her life !.