Pit bull thinks she's lap dog!?

Question

My female is beyond silly! She's over 50 lbs and still tries to be held. She even climbs onto the top of the couch to lick her family! She is very very affectionate which is nice but is this normal?
Also, she's 9 months old-is she done growing?

yikes! the only pits i've heard of that big are crossed with mastiff against UKC guidelines... I think you have an "American Bully" created by the razors edge kennel. no pit bull (purebred) should be that big, nor should they have a 32 inch head or any other thing like that! UKC and ADBA confirmation standards are females 35- about 65 lbs. Some are up to 80 lbs, but not usually. The pit bull is a medium sized dog, and I'm sure your dog is lovely, but as a whole, these "breeders" seeking "monster pit bulls" are destroying the breed!

i should have added that she is extremely submissive, esp. to other dogs, but when she gets, well, loving, it's very exciting to her!

i don't want u to think she's not obedient... she's mastered many commands, come, stay, sit, drop it, up, walks at my left side on leash... that's why i'm so curious! my five year old encourages her, too, so that may be part of it! oh and if we go into another room she just stands outside the door and cries and complains! we put her in our bed since the night she came home and i guess she's very loving...

Answer 1

It's normal. Think of it this way, it could be worse:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/images/2007/03/20/great_dane_on_lap_420_420x284.jpg

Another answerer urged you to train your dog for your safety. I suggest finding a good class for your family and sweet puppy to go to, but so you can bond and learn together. I took my dog to obedience (even though she knew most of it) and we had a BLAST! It'll be a great chance for you to get your kids involved in training your dog and for the whole family to learn about being even better dog owners.

I think there are dogs of all breeds who think they're lap dogs. Size be damned, they just want love. :)

She'll keep filling out until she's 2 or 3... so you've still got some good growing time ahead of you! :) Good luck!

Answer 2

All the people that are telling you that they have 140, 150 lb Pits have mixed breed dogs. As the APBT is not recognized by the AKC you cannot get a registered dog. So a lot of people will clam the dog is an APBT, but is mixed. The only dog I have had that went to a 140 lbs was an Irish Wolfhound/Great Dane mix.
The APBT, as recognized buy the UKC will run 50 to 60lbs with some getting a bit bigger, maybe a male to 80 lbs.
My older Pit, four years old and 55 lbs still thinks she is a lap dog. My pup, 6 months and a bit over 30 lbs tries to sleep on top of me and I have to push her off. I am guessing, as the vet is, that she will be no more then 60 lbs.

Answer 3

If your puppy is an American Pit Bull Terrier, she is a normal weight, not small. The average weight for an American Pit Bull Terrier is 35-55 pounds. Anything extremely above or below is not an American Pit Bull Terrier, or someone bred WAY out of breed standard. Dogs are done growing at 1 year old. But your Pit Bull will still fill out a little after that, until she is between 1-1/2 and 2 years old. She will build more muscle.

And my Pit Bull is the same as yours. She is 50 pounds and she thinks she is a lap dog.

Answer 4

Yea, contrary to the wide spread media's belief that pit bulls are killers, they are really big babies! Mine does the same thing! If I sit on the ground crossed-legged she thinks it's an open invitation for her to come sit on my lap! They are wonderful pets! Sounds like you have a wonderful pet!

And no, she will not stop growing until she's around 2. She is most likely done growing in height, but in the next year she will start to fill out!

Good Luck!

Edit: the first answer said your dog was small! No, she is not! She's fine...Pit bulls were originally between 35-65 pounds! An 140 pound pit most likely was either poorly bread or has American Bulldog in him!

Answer 5

we have a pit bull 2 and she is like 5 years old and likes to be held all the time. No ur dog is not done growing yet u have about 1 year left before she's done. I think u need to tell her where her place is in the house and not to be on everyone all the time, or just go have he trained, but that is a lot of money!!

Answer 6

I also have a 9 mo APBT, possible mix. He's only 46 pounds which I think is a good weight for him. I don't want a big, monster pit bull with a huge head. I like the more classic APBTs that were leaner. My puppy still thinks he's five pounds. He will try and sit in your lap at every possible opportunity and will lick you to death. But it's a joy to have him. Your puppy will stop getting taller around the one year mark but she will start to get thicker and bigger until age two. And keep in mind, sometimes they will suddenly hit growth spurts. Good luck, I have a feeling my APBT is going to sprout up on me one day

Answer 7

Far from finished growing!
she will not be done till around 2 years of age.
take her to obedience training NOW, before it's not so silly.
she is a puppy who needs rules and limitations.
she is going to become very testy soon, and her silliness will turn to aggravation and aggression if you do not learn to handle her.
I am not trying to scare you, but make you aware of the situation. it is cute when they're little, but not when they are full grown adults with a bite ratio of over 325 lbs per square inch.
I have owned and trained a lot of different breeds including "pits".
please believe me when I tell you to start her training now.
only for you and your family's safety.
this breed is considered to be among some of the greatest loving dogs, but in the wrong hands or those not used to handling them, they can be dangerous...
take an obedience class, and walk her daily for an hour. master the walk with her, and socialize her. this is very important in her daily care. the walk will minimize her aggression, and allow her to take out any built up aggression on the walk. the walk is very essential. take the lead, by not allowing her to be in front. she is to walk either beside or behind. the front is for leaders, and that position is for you and anyone else that is going to walk her. she needs to know that. always be calm and assertive when handling her, or training, and she will then be calm and submissive. never yell or hit her, this will only encourage her to be aggressive, or take the lead. when walking, do not allow her to stop at every tree or bush, allow her to pee or poop, but that's it. the walk needs to be fast paced, and constant.

I wish you luck. I know you weren't expecting this much, but I really wanted to share this with you, because I thought it was important.

Answer 8

I have two pits and they are 70 & 73 lbs. My youngest (3 yr old male) still wants to be on my lap and be held. He does listen when i say down but he'll come back for more in just a few minutes. He's very loving. My female pit (4 yrs old) would rather lay on my feet.

Answer 9

Hello SmileItsNotThatSerious, how are you?
This is normal for your pit bull to be like a lap dog.
It is very funny too but do not worry.
She is still a puppy.
When she grows up she will learn to stop.
If you dont like her doing this there is some tricks to teach her to stop jumping up on your lap.
You could tell her no when she jumps up on you.
If she does the right thing then you may give her a treat.
I really hope this helps.

Goodluck!

Answer 10

Awww she sounds lovely! She will probably keep growing until after 1, and she'll certainly get heavier.

Your dog obviously loves you all but it's probably a good idea to get into the habit of putting her back on the ground and making her sit and behave for affection. It sounds mean, but it's not, dogs look for their owner to be the leader of the pack and as she gets older she might try and take on that role if she thinks no-one is challenging her. Dogs sitting on you, jumping on you, trying to get into a physically higher position (eg on a couch) can be signs of dominance. She will be a happy dog if she can relax knowing her family are in control and you'll be less likely to have behaviour issues later on.

Climbing up and licking is very normal for a puppy - she just wants to be near you!