Do I keep the pit bull?

Question

I have a 4.5 month old pitbull puppy. I know what is required of this breed and I am fully committing to him every day. He gets plenty of exercise as well as obedience training. He's very well socialized and gets along great with kids and other animals. So what's the problem right? Although he is the sweetest and most obedient dog I have EVER owned, I'm getting scared reading all this crap. The docile pitbull who killed the one year old, I mean that dog was sweet and gentle and then it snapped. I'm asking other pitbull owners... are there any warning or distress signs to look for in the future. I'm home alone while my hubby is at work. He gets plenty of love, training, and exercise but what are some other pointers to make sure he STAYS this way forever?

Answer 1

Well if I listened to everyone who had some stupid story about a Doberman I would never have any of them. Obviously the crap that people run around spreading about Dobermans is not true, they do not suddenly turn on you, they do not snap at a certain age, their brains do not outgrow their skull, they are not one person dogs that want to kill everyone they meet.. They are pretty much exactly opposite of what people try to tell you they are like..

Don't believe everything you hear. People are fearful, and spread rumors without knowing what they are talking about. If you are aware and know what it takes to raise the dog, you are sure you chose a dog with good bloodlines from parents with good temperament and everything else.. There is nothing to worry about. Don't allow others to force you to get rid of a dog just because of their uneducated spewing of misinformation.

Answer 2

The cases that you have read of in most cases it was about poor ownership, them not being the pack leader. You are doing what your suppose to be doing making sure he is socialized around people and other animals. Getting his exercises someone should walk him at least once a day for 1 hour sometimes more, you can train a dog to walk on a treadmill if your short on time. I would also tune into the dog whisperer if you have the national geographic channel, Cesar has dealt with a lot of Pit bulls or part Pit bulls. One of his favorite dogs Daddy is a Pit bull, and Cesar started working with Daddy when he was only 4 months old, and now at 11 Daddy is the most calm submissive dog in his pack. Watching will also show you signs of what is called a red zone dog.

No young child should be a left alone with any dog unattended. Even more a very young child which is considered weak. In the animal world they do not coddle the weak and crippled.

You might pick up Cesar’s books Cesars Way and Be the pack leader.

Answer 3

Pit bulls are wonderful companions if they get the exercise and training they need. Please do not form a stereotype from the stories you read. Yes, some pitbulls are not trained, are abused and mistreated and then attack under stress. This can happen with any breed. Much of what you read (ie Pitbulls have locking jaws) are just myths.

I own 2 pitbulls and volunteer at an animal shelter in which I work with many pitbulls. The most important thing I can stress is to take the time to TRAIN your dog! If you are a first time pit owner, find a dog trainer with Pit experience.
DO NOT follow the Dog Whisperer! Many of the techniques that he uses can back fire if not done correctly. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IS THE KEY!

Please take a look at www.hellobully.com for tips as well as the group myspace page where you can find info about the breed as well as a discussion on the dog whisperer and why top dog trainers do not believe in his methods.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=34952354

Answer 4

Keep him!!! Media, is just that, it lives on sensationalism. There are just as many attacks from most any breed that has not been properly trained and socialized. It is the owner/environment, not the dog that creates the problem. Dogs are like children, not a one is born "bad, " but many are neglected into becoming so. An animal deserves the same parental commitment (lifelong) as a child. We found a pit bull pup that is the most loving doll ever, however she was too friendly with the exhibition poultry (scared them), simply because we did not have the time to spend with the exercise and training she needed. A rescue group found her a loving home two plus years ago and she is thriving.

Pits cannot get enough exercise on their own. They are a health plan in a well muscled, intelligent package. Love, train, and exercise him (and you,) and you will have twelve to fourteen years of a very faithful companion. P.S. they are great with kids, but kids need training too. Too often the kid comes along and it is assumed that they will know how to respect an animal, NOT!! Best wishes on your pup

Answer 5

Pits are stubborn dogs and there are no gaurantees with any dog but as long as you stay in control at all times,never leave the dog unattended with a child or any visitor in your home for that matter, {people cannot be trusted}get him on a regular exercise schedule daily so he can run off all that energy and make certain he gets the socialization and training you'll be fine.Stop worrying about all that you read or hear.
One tip tho.
For your own protection put up surveillance cameras to cover every part of your yard.They are not that expensive.And you're covered in case the dog does bite someone in the future.It won't then be a humans word against the dog cos you'll have the incident on film and it won't lie.

Answer 6

If you are a responsible owner, then you have nothing to worry about. I have an American Pit Bull Terrier, and she also does very well with children, strangers, cats, and dogs. But she is NEVER left unsupervised with them. I don't give her any opportunities to cause any trouble. She is kept inside a fenced in area at all times when she is outside, and she is kept on a leash if we are outside. Even though my Pit Bull is very friendly, I don't want to take any chances. Just continue with the training and socialization throughout his life, and be responsible about keeping him supervised.

You also have to remember, the media blows things Way out of proportion. You see news headlines that read "Pit Bull Attack" but there is always a lot more to the story than they print. A lot of times the dog who attacked was not even a Pit Bull at all. Maybe just a large breed dog with a big head. And the owners who own a dog who attacked someone aren't going to fess up to everything either. If they admit that they *knew* their dog was aggressive, they would get into a lot more trouble. A lot of times you will hear from neighbors that the dog was in fact aggressive, and the owners failed to get the dog behavioral help. Don't believe everything you read. Talk to Pit Bull owners that you actually know if you want to learn more about the breed. Or buy a good book about the American Pit Bull Terrier.

Answer 7

I am going to answer your question without reading any of the other answers - dangerous to do I know. But here goes...

I have owned a LOT of dogs. Collies, huskys, chows, German Shepherds, pomeranians, pugs, golden retrievers, etc. A LOT of dogs and I the two I miss the most are 1.) a husky and 2.) my pitt bull. I got the pitt bull when he was just barely weened (long story) and had him his entire life. He was sooo gentle with humans and other dogs. My nephews were toddlers at the time and I never trusted them to be along with the pitt bull. However, I saw them pull his tongue, poke him in the eye, yank his tail, etc. and he would just lay there and look at them. When the vet would give him his shots, he would look over his shoulder at the vet and that was the only indication he felt what was going on.

My pitt was named Samson and he was very destructive. He loved to tear up stuff - that was his hobby and I was never able to break him of that. My solution was to keep him in a kennel (chain-link fence and concrete )when I wasn't around. Aside from that issues though, he was a little angel. I think you are worrying about something that you shouldn't be worried about. (I also wouldn't leave him with other people, small children, elderly, etc. - either.) Good luck.

Answer 8

A tired pitbull is a happy pitbull. Make sure he gets enough exercise...always remember that. A bored pittie is the one that FINDS something to do...like chew up the roll of toilet paper and drag it in the middle of my bed OR do something like focus in on the cat next door they have never liked and come up with ways to get to it...and the like. They will let you know if they are bored too. That is the number one way to avoid anything bad that could happen from the breed.

The next best thing you can do is make sure your dog always knows who's the leader. Pitbulls are classic for always "testing" the boundries you put up. Testing can mean anywhere from jumping on you when they KNOW they aren't supposed to ever do that...simple things really. BUT you MUST always be firm with this breed. You can not let them push you and do things they KNOW are bad...like jumping. If you do...they will almost always do other unwantted things...and if you aren't firm in the begging they can very easily run you over. They don't listen to anyone but the leader..so make sure you are always the leader. IF they become the ones in charge/dominate in any way they run with it...not always but usually. They are a very strong willed breed..not a breed for just anyone due to this..and just about that solely. They can be very hardheaded...constant training is a must. Even if you know they know how to sit and are going to listen..it's best to do it every now and again to remind them AND to see if there are any hesitations...as those aren't a good sign. They must always listen to the leader...and you are the leader...and they can never forget that. This helps you to remind them very easily.

Well...umm...those are the main things to do to make sure you never have any problems...hope this helps you out.
I would only keep him to be honest if you are willing to do all things you need to....there is truth in the only certain people can be good pittie owners...some just don't have it in them..or do and not enough time to give it all. I would think awhile about this. I can tell you they don't change overnight...there are signs...like the not listing to things like don't jump and such. There ARE clear cut warning signs...you just have to know where to look as many owners wouldn't think much about their dog jumping every now and again..so what...well...like I said it's a little different with pitties...and should be treated as such.

Answer 9

please don't live your life by the media. labs have killed kids. cockers, poodles, chihuahuas, lhasa's, etc....have all attacked kids. you don't see these on the news because they're not deemed "newsworthy". the media is one big tabloid. socialize the dog, keep up with training and exercise and realize you have a very powerful animal. respect that. any dog with teeth can bite. any bigger dog with teeth can kill. realize there's another side to the newstory. how was the dog kept? what training did the owners do? was the child left alone with the dog? any child with any dog unsupervised is asking for a disaster. any dog has the potential of going from sweet loving pet to attack mode. my neice was attacked last christmas by my inlaws lhasa. she still has a pretty good scar on her face just below her eye a year later. it never made the news.

Answer 10

We have had our pitbull Kinzie for her whole life and she is 4.5 years old and the sweetest girl EVER! One of the keys is lots and lots of excercise cause if you haven't noticed already but that goes with any dog. Pits are pretty darn energetic and will try to entertain themselves just like anyother dog by chewing or barking or what have you. Another key thing is SOCIALIZATION! Expose them to new dogs, people and places early - gotta have that or else they won't know what to do when introduced to stuff like that, they need to learn it. Sounds like you are covering all your bases - good job! Keep it up and you will be fine.