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You are right, every dog has the potential to do something harmful. However, most of the time when a dog snaps, including pits, is because the owner did not notice or ignored the signs when the dog began to show aggression. For instance, growling, nipping, trying to show dominance, etc. If your dog ever shows these signs or other potential threats, nip it in the bud, and you shouldn’t have aggression problems later. Caesar Milan (aka The Dog Whisperer) says this and he has owned a number of pits. He says that if people have a “beware of dog” sign on their property than they never properly trained their dog.
As far as a pit’s strength, yes they are strong. What might be worse in aggression situations is their ability to stay focussed on the task at hand. They are known for this. That is why when a pit attacks, people have trouble stopping them.
In terms of your freightened child, that needs to be dealt with quickly. The dog will probably learn that he is the dominant one. Dogs are intelligent and sense fear quickly. My daughter was scared for days when we first brought home our lab/pit, but she quickly got over it. She is now great with our dog. Have the dog lay down and be calm. Then have your child come over and pet the dog with you. Doing this should start to show your son or daughter that the there is nothing to fear, especially when the dog begins showing affection like licking. When your child gets used to the dog, have him or her get involved in the training and giving the dog commands.Also, have him or her feed the dog showing that the dog has to rely on the child to get what it needs. Have the dog sit and be calm before your child gives the food and gives the command to eat. In a little time these techniques this should help build his or her confidence because he or she will see the dog is submitting.
Be at ease, you have a combination of two very loyal dog breeds in one dog. Both are loyal, affectionate, and good with kids. I love that the pit in my dog makes her protective, but not violent. I have two young kids (seven and five), and our dog is great with them. She loves kids! However, I trained our dog early that the kids are her superior, especially when early on she growled at them. Good luck and congrats on the new addition to the family.
You are right, every dog has the potential to do something harmful. However, most of the time when a dog snaps, including pits, is because the owner did not notice or ignored the signs when the dog began to show aggression. For instance, growling, nipping, trying to show dominance, etc. If your dog ever shows these signs or other potential threats, nip it in the bud, and you shouldn’t have aggression problems later. Caesar Milan (aka The Dog Whisperer) says this and he has owned a number of pits. He says that if people have a “beware of dog” sign on their property than they never properly trained their dog.
As far as a pit’s strength, yes they are strong. What might be worse in aggression situations is their ability to stay focussed on the task at hand. They are known for this. That is why when a pit attacks, people have trouble stopping them.
In terms of your freightened child, that needs to be dealt with quickly. The dog will probably learn that he is the dominant one. Dogs are intelligent and sense fear quickly. My daughter was scared for days when we first brought home our lab/pit, but she quickly got over it. She is now great with our dog. Have the dog lay down and be calm. Then have your child come over and pet the dog with you. Doing this should start to show your son or daughter that the there is nothing to fear, especially when the dog begins showing affection like licking. When your child gets used to the dog, have him or her get involved in the training and giving the dog commands.Also, have him or her feed the dog showing that the dog has to rely on the child to get what it needs. Have the dog sit and be calm before your child gives the food and gives the command to eat. In a little time these techniques this should help build his or her confidence because he or she will see the dog is submitting.
Be at ease, you have a combination of two very loyal dog breeds in one dog. Both are loyal, affectionate, and good with kids. I love that the pit in my dog makes her protective, but not violent. I have two young kids (seven and five), and our dog is great with them. She loves kids! However, I trained our dog early that the kids are her superior, especially when early on she growled at them. Good luck and congrats on the new addition to the family.
Hi DaeDreamer,I am glad you adopted a pit-lab. With some attention she will make a great pet. Keep in mind that any dog can be food and treat aggressive, not just dogs that are part or pure pit bull.It sounds as if you have two alpha dogs that are fighting to be the pack leader. They will begin doing this early. Just remember that you and your family are number one and the dogs are number two together.It sounds as if your initial reaction to the situation was the right one. I have a few more steps that might be useful as well. My dog, even though very submissive, has had the same problem with guarding her treats even growling and nipping at alpha dogs. Early on, she even growled at my kids and me when she had a treat; however, we quickly put an end to it.This is how I have deal with the problem.- I grab her front legs and take them out from under her and put her on her side in two quick moves. This really surprises her.
- I place my hand and forearm across her side (face, neck, and above the front leg).
- I say “no” in a stern and commanding voice.
- I pin her there until she stops struggling and trying to get up. When she relaxes, I keep her there for a few seconds.
- I take the treat away from her, letting her see me to let her that it is now mine since she is acting inappropriately
When she growled at my kids, I did the same, but I had my kids put their hands and forearms on her as well letting her know they are superior to her.Some people may say this is mean, but it doesn’t hurt the dog. Also, the mother does the same with her paw and leg when a puppy does something inappropriately. She, of course, uses a growl instead of “no,” but the idea is the same.Keep in mind that she is a puppy and still needs to learn boundaries like any other dog. With some time and diligence, she will make a good pet for you and your son. It sounds as if she has already bonded with your son. Hope this helps.Chris Chuck(owner of a black lab/pit mix)Thank you for the response csmith17. I am glad to hear that you have had a good experience with your dog, but also sorry to hear that she passed. I know how hard it is to loose a dog. Molly is my first dog that I have owned in 16 years. For years I didn’t want another dog because I was getting over loosing the last one. Then my wife and I lived in apartments where they wouldn’t allow dogs. When we bought our house, we began having children and it was too crazy having a dog. Finally, last year I convinced my wife to get a dog and that is when we got Molly. At first, my wife was a little nervous when people started commenting that she looked like a pit, but I reassured her that it was all on how you raise them. I think watching the “Dog Whisperer,” and hearing Caesar Milan comment on what great dogs they are really helped.
I know what you mean about the protective instict. People told me the same about pits. She is a real gentle dog, but when something seems out of the ordinary, she goes on the search until she finds that everything is okay. I remember when we first got her, after a long day out, my kids fell asleep (we had the dog with us) in the car, and she layed underneath my son’s feet until I brought him in the house. I brought my daughter in first, and despite having the car door open and me trying to coax her in the house, she wouldn’t leave him until I brought him in the house. Since then, there have been a number of times when she has showed this type of protection.
She is just an around great dog, and we love her. She loves to be around us and will often cuddle with us on the couch or when we go to bed at night, She is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever met. Good luck with finding your next dog,
I respond whenever I see that someone has a pit/lab mix. I have one myself. We got Molly from a local shelter that rescues dogs from kill shelters. The lady that runs the shelter has a soft spot for pits because they are misunderstood. Molly is a fantastic dog. She is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever met. She is loyal and desires to please. I have a seven year old daughter and a five year son and they are very energetic. Our dog is very tolerant of them as they often lay on her and squeeze her tightly. She is also great with other dogs. There are a few things you should keep in mind. First, pits can be stubborn, so make sure that you teach them that you and your family are the bosses. Don’t let the dog get away with any unwanted behaviors. Also, exercise the dog on a regular basis or he may become bored, which results in destruction and exciteability in the house. Give him plenty of toys, rawhide, pig ears, other chewables (Kongs, Tirebiters, cow bones-bought from a local pet supply business-have proven to be very good for my dog) because this breed is a life-long chewer and will satisfy this need on furniture and woodwork if not given other items on which to chew. Keep in mind that two out of three of these needs for pits can be the same with a number of breeds. Additionally, any dog breed can be aggressive if made to be either by training or neglect. Some of the most aggressive dogs I have met were small and had the “little dog syndrome.” It is a shame that a few inhumane people have chosen to use pits as fighters, and have thus given the breed a bad name. I find them some people are nervous when they find out she is part pit, but upon meeting my dog, they quickly see that she not a mean dog. I have also found that a number of people are very accepting that she is part pit and are not afraid of her at all because they know that these dogs can be good pets. If given the chance, pits can be affectionate, loyal, and good friends. Train and treat your dog right and he will a great companion.
