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What kind of dog aggression? I have a degree in Animal Behavior and animal training. I might be able to offer suggestions if you’d like some?
Thanks! We want a puppy though. We’ll be starting a family in the next few years so I want a puppy that I can train from the start like my current pitty. With babies it’s too risky to take in any dog (pit or not) that you don’t know the history of. Otherwise I’d take a dog any age 🙂
I only own 1 right now. We adopted her in California. My husband and I are waiting for the right one to adopt our second one. 🙂
Where are you located? I work with a rescue and am a foster parent. I would gladly talk to them about fostering a puppy with my pitbull until we can home it 🙂
Star616 you are an ideal pitbull owner. That is exactly how I raised my dog and why I know she’s safe at a dog park. Good for you.
I am so happy that you have a pit bull and are such a wonderful advocate for the breed. I am also so thankful that you have created an ambassador for our cause!
I think a lot of things depend on the park you go to.
I recently took my pit to the local dog park for a dog event that was going on there. The area is kind of ritzy so it’s full of pure bred dogs. It was nice because there were big dogs (a saint bernard and a great dane) medium sized (labs and boxers) and also little dogs (boston terriers and spaniels). Sasha loves all sizes of dogs and just enjoyed running around with them all.
The only issue we had was this cute little boston terrier that insisted on hanging from my dog’s face by her teeth. lol. Poor Sasha couldn’t figure out how to play with it! She’d run away to play with other dogs and the terrier would follow her and jump up and bite at her face. Eventually she started pawing at the dog and then started dropping her weight onto it and rolling on it. The owners kept apologizing over and over. They would leash their dog for a bit and as soon as they let it off leash it went back to my dog. I don’t know what it’s deal was but Sasha was very patient with it and only wanted to figure out a way to play with it. If anything, I was afraid she might crush it by accident with her big muscle chest.
No one the whole day said anything about my dog being a pit bull and everyone there was watching their dog and roaming within the park to keep an eye on things. Several people commented that my dog had beautiful markings and was so friendly, but nothing was said of her breed. The dog park can be a positive experience for dog and owner 🙂
Rawhides give my pitty the runs. BAD. Even a small rawhide. And she would just salivate on them until they were soft enough to swallow without chewing them. I tried pigs ears but they were greasy and gave her gas. Now she gets cow ears. They come in many flavors and are dry and fibrous and require chewing. And they’re cheap (under $1) and are big enough to be cut into 2 or 3 treats each. Never tried bully sticks but the thought of my girl eating a bull’s penis is a but disturbing to me.
My pit Sasha used to run in her sleep when she was a puppy. Sometimes she still twitches a bit and sometimes she even barks in her sleep with her mouth closed so it’s muffled. I think it’s so cute. There are times when I wake her though, like when we’re in bed and her twitching or noises wake me up. I’ll say her name and nudge her and she’ll re-adjust and sleep quietly after that.
I feed Iams to my dog. Have ever since she was a puppy. Tried switching her and she either doesn’t like other brands or gets upset stomach from them. I also switched my cats to Iams and now they don’t throw up all the time from eating too much too fast. I’m sure there are all kinds of things in many kinds of dog and cat foods out there. If she had it her way she’d be eating deer carcasses from our woods.
Raleigh908 is right. Just get them in the routine and they’ll be fine. I used to crate my pit Sasha when I left the house because I had heard horror stories of pits eating furniture and such. Finally I decided to just try and leave her out. (She did eat a shoe once, so remember to not leave anything at their level that looks like a toy). I went to the store and back. Started taking longer trips. Now she’s fine.
I get up in the am and throw her ball a few times outside. She runs around and potties. I feed her, give her a treat, tell her “be good” and head off to class. When I come home we go straight out to potty and play ball. “Be good” has sort of become her command that I am leaving, but she knows I come back so there’s no anxiety about it.
The only problem I ever had was when I had 2 dogs they would play together while I was gone and all the wrestling made them have to potty sooner and there were more accidents in the house. Just something to keep in mind 🙂 Good luck!
I am a responsible owner, and I’m familiar with the breed. Thank you BigRedTJ for your concern, but I certainly don’t need you to feel sorry for me. I did my research, and that’s why I got her. I picked the shyest, quietest puppy in the litter because I knew she’d have a great temperament. I’m aware that they were bred to hunt, to have an instinct to lock on and not let go. I am well aware that if she wanted to, my dog could literally EAT another dog. But she’s never in a situation where she feels the need to. Taking her to the dog park isn’t a “situation”. When another dog gets crazy she looks at me (literally) for guidance. I’m her pack leader and she waits for me to make a move in every situation of our day to day lives. That said, I am always on the look out for problems. ALWAYS! I am one step ahead of her at all times when we are out in public because it is my job to see an issue before it’s an issue. I know that. I have removed her from a dog park once because another dog was making her nervous. I have leashed her at a dog park once because she was playing too rough with a puppy. I know her limits and her body language; I know the look in her eye when she sees something I haven’t, and in these situations I correct her immediately. I don’t appreciate you accusing me of risking your ability to own a pitbull. That’s just rude. I also don’t appreciate you telling me that I haven’t done my research, because I have. I also have a degree in Animal Behavior Management, and have worked at dog training facilities. If I can train a hyena, bobcat, raccoon, etc to trust me and obey me(which I have) then I’m pretty sure I have what it takes to own a pitbull. But thanks so much for your concern…
