The mix of breed, whether he has lab or pit in him, doesn’t make a bit of difference on him hogging the bed, etc.! He is a dog that is allowed in your bed. I can’t count how many times I have woken up to my girl laying on my chest. How she curled up there without waking me up; I have NO idea. She weighs almost 50 pounds!
It sounds like you are on the right track with everything! Keep up the training and socialization. It needs to be an everyday thing like eating and brushing your teeth.
Don’t let the pit stigma get to you. It doesn’t mean a darn thing. It is people and the way that they raise and treat the dog that has brought upon the stigma. It isn’t the breed. Look at the stigma of small dogs. They are yappy and bite everyone. Not all do, though. It is all because of the way owners treat them. If you let the whole “possibly a pit bull” thing bother you, your dog will sense your apprehension and react accordingly. I don’t mean by being aggressive, but Marley may become fearful or reserved. Just treat him as if he was any other dog. Keep in mind that just because he may have some features that look like an APBT, it doesn’t really mean that he has any in him! Many dogs, especially mixed breeds, may resemble an APBT. Do not judge based upon looks! 🙂 You will never know what kind of dog he is unless you saw the parents mate and knew waht breed they were, or are willing to do DNA tests on him. Even those are inconclusive.
Marley will be the kind of dog YOU and your family make him. I am going to sound like Cesar Millan here for a moment, but if Marley has rules, boundaries, and limitations, you will have a good dog. The dog needs to know what you expect of him. Make him “work” for things. What I mean by that is make him sit, down, and do whatever BEFORE he is released for his food. Make him wait until you say he can go through a door. It is simple things like that that will keep you having a good dog. Look up the “Nothing in Life is Free” idea of owning a dog. If you put that into practice (it is so simple), you will have a good canine citizen.
All training should be positive. No harsh training. It won’t get you anywhere. Enroll Marley in classes as much as you can throughout his life. Even if he knows everything, it never hurts to introduce him to new people, new dogs, new sounds, and new smells. Look for K9 Games classes, try agility, even dock diving. Just keep his mind and body working.
You will do just fine and Marley will be just fine.
