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Post by ceniza11 on Oct 23, 2013 18:58:50 GMT -5
Hello,
My husband and I adopted a 6 month old puppy a month ago from a couple from work who rescues and fosters dogs and cats. The couple said they believed he was a mix of boxer labrador and I had honestly no clue. After we got him and took him to the vet and several other places, the vet and others immediately started commenting that he is a pit bull mix. The dog himself is sweet, loves my two girls (I have a 4 year old and a 7 year old) and loves people. He is social and not dominant at all. He can be a little stubborn but he tries as much as possible to please and for a 7 month old puppy he is actually pretty relaxed and everyone that meets him says that he's got a great disposition.
I'm not going to lie to you, I am still concerned which is why I joined this forum. I'm concerned for the stigma and living in an area with a lot of overly protective mothers. I also myself worry that having pit bull in him, he could "turn" on us at any given point and attack one of us, specially the girls. Basically, I'm looking for support to ease my worries because I'm afraid of what could happen.
Thanks.
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Post by zaeva06 on Oct 23, 2013 19:59:20 GMT -5
Hello and welcome to the forum
As someone who started out with the same mindset you have a little more then a couple of years ago, let me say that by coming here you have taken a great first step. Everyone here can provide excellent information for you and your new puppy, and isn't going to feed you a lot of dominance/pain training crap or misinformation concerning the breed. We have several trainers and behaviorists that frequent this forum.
Since he's so young right now you have a wonderful opportunity to help train your dog up right and make sure that he is exposed to different situations and a lot of social interactions. I honestly would not worry about him turning on your family. Dogs rarely if ever just turn. There is almost always warning signs before a situation turns nasty, make sure to pay attention to your dog and learn what these signs are. The training and behavior section of the forum is a great place to start. While the APBT breed is a little more likely to be dog-aggressive compared to other breeds, that does not mean by any stretch of the imagination that he will be human-aggressive. The two are not related. Plus there are plenty of dogs on this forum alone that get along just fine with other animals and people.
Personally I have a five year old Pit bull mix myself. No clue what her other half is, could be lab like yours, maybe shepherd, who knows. When we adopted her from the shelter I had just as many fears and questions as you did. Not one of those fears were founded. My 'vicious' dog is a laid back, mostly well mannered goof-ball whose worse crime has been eating an entire loaf of bread once and occasionally scaring the crap out of the birds at my feeder. All this from a mix that spent her first three years outside chained up in a trailer park.
Enjoy your new family member, and remember to post some pics!
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Post by RealPitBull on Oct 24, 2013 8:55:59 GMT -5
Hi there, welcome to the forum. Here's the thing - you have adopted a dog with an unknown history. Maybe he is a Pit Bull mix, maybe he isn't. If he DOES have Pit Bull in him, what's he mixed with? The breed(s) he's mixed with have an impact on genetics and subsequently temperament. In addition to this, how the dog is being raised and trained and socialized ALSO has an impact. The point is, no one is going to be able to tell you that your may or may not be Pit Mix is going to be a great dog or a nightmare. Are true Pit Bulls generally amazing dogs with great people-friendly temperaments? Absolutely. But it would be impossible for anyone to tell you that the mixed breed dog you have which may or may not have some Pit Bull ancestry is going to have typically Pit Bull temperament. Here is my advice - try to put breed out of your mind and just properly raise and socialize this puppy. If you see/have any behavior issues, contact a qualified trainer: www.realpitbull.com/training.htmlThe one precaution I WOULD take is just recognizing and being on the lookout for dog-directed aggression (Pit Bulls are known for this) and prey behavior which could be directed at the cats. A general rule regardless of breed in my household is don't leave animals together unsupervised. And of course, kids and dogs need always be supervised as well. Sorry I cannot give you a definitive answer one way or the other. It's honestly just not possible - it would only be a guess. Can you by any chance post a picture of your dog?
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Post by ceniza11 on Oct 24, 2013 13:33:37 GMT -5
Thank you for BOTH of your messages. What I do know about him: He was found in an abandoned home. He was with the other family for about a month, so since he was 5 months. He went to doggie daycare and lived with cats and dogs during his stay with the foster family. With us, he acts a little suspicious around other dogs until he meets them. He still a bit scared when he first meets someone but usually is very friendly once he meets them. We've also taken him several times to the dog park and he plays without any issues. He actually likes cats it seems. We are taking him to obedience classes and there, the trainer riled up as much as he could and the dog never nipped him...he just couldn't get him to nip... We think he is mixed with pointer. Personally, I do believe he is a GREAT dog! If you have any tips on how to address people who might have issues with what they think is a pit bull or pit bull mix, pleaset let me know! Attachments:
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Post by RealPitBull on Oct 24, 2013 14:00:35 GMT -5
He is VERY cute. Certainly looks like a Pit Bull to me, or Pit mix at the very least. Please don't let his breed deter you. Pit Bulls can make absolutely wonderful additions to your family and it sounds like you are doing everything right. The one thing I need to caution you on is day care and dog parks. When not managed properly, both of these sorts of environments can create problematic behavior in dogs - dogs can learn to bully other dogs or they can get bullied themselves. Both scenarios can lead to your dog learning aggressive behavior towards other dogs. Also, just to note, your dog is still essentially a baby and maturing. Many times younger dogs get along great with other dogs/animals but as they mature, that tolerance level drops. So just be aware as he matures, he may decide he doesn't like other dogs - which is perfectly ok. Here are some socialization tips: realpitbull.com/social.htmlAs far as learning to deal with negativity associated with how he looks, well that is something that you build up a tolerance for as time goes on. It can be hurtful/upsetting when someone gives your dog the "evil eye" or makes an ignorant comment, we've all been there. A good place to get support is from people like those on this forum because we've all experienced it, and when something upsetting happens you can come and share and vent and have others who will be able to totally relate. Stick around. Many people are "accidental Pit Bull parents". Others have been in shoes similar to yours. You may find that you end up a Pit Bull fanatic like the rest of us
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Post by michele5611 on Oct 25, 2013 8:16:24 GMT -5
Welcome aboard! Don't really have much to add to the already good advice given.
Your dog is adorable and agree he looks like a pit mix. Hope you stick around and feel free to ask as many questions as you like!
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Post by sugar on Oct 25, 2013 8:44:39 GMT -5
As a pitbull mama myself, this is all I can add to the already great info. - Learn to build a thick skin (because no matter how well behaved your pup is, people can be idiots) - Train and socialize like crazy....and the train and socialize some more!! - It always helps to get a silly sweater on a dog, it helps people feel more at ease - Learn to spot canine body language (Most times people think their dog 'turned on them out of nowhere', its because they weren't paying attention to all the subtle signed dogs were giving beforehand. - Always have your dog on a leash in public. Always. - Never leave a dog unsupervised in your yard - Always always always give them a kiss goodnight
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Post by ceniza11 on Oct 25, 2013 11:41:45 GMT -5
Thank you for all the wonderful advice!! I love the silly sweater idea. Hopefully my husband will go for it. He is not crazy about the idea of dressing up dogs.
I just went through the socialization page. As far as doggie day care, we don't send him. We do take him to the dog park and we are watching his reaction....the first time was BAD...but after that, he seems to get his there to play and does really well with other dogs.
I did not know that they could outgrow liking other dogs. I just thought they either did or didn't.
Speaking also with one of my childhood friends, her experience with her rottweiler-pitbull mix was also accidental and great! She never had a problem and she insisted he was a fantastic family pets who also adored her girls.
Yes, I will absolutely stay in touch in this forum.
I have to tell you the biggest surprise with this dog (and pit bulls in general) is how incredibly friendly they can be with people!
Thanks again!!!
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Post by maryellen on Oct 25, 2013 11:46:16 GMT -5
Most importantly - please make sure he is allowd in your town/state as some llaces ban dogs thatlook like pitbulls and hoa's do as well
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Post by loverocksalot on Oct 26, 2013 20:18:07 GMT -5
Been where you are and here I am 8 years later with a dog that changed my life in many ways. Had I gotten sucked in to the fear, which I almost did give in to, I dont know where I would be in life. My dog turned out to be the most amazing dog I ever knew! He is a therapy dog now too. He has actually helped me through anxiety. Once I got passed the worries you are having I now cant even believe I ever felt that way. Self realization of the rediculousness of that was a most amazing thing this dog and people of the forum helped me to realize. Your dog looks like he could be a realative to my dog. You are lucky to have found this forum and Mary The Real Pit Bull. As I was lucky to have found her and other members of this forum 8 years ago when I adopted my dog. She was instrumental in my foundation of raising my dog. Training my dog and being an advocate of the breed became a passion. Trust me, I know what you are going through and it will pass. When it comes down to it your dog is a dog and should be trained and socialized and treated as a dog. The people of this forum will happily help you through! Congratulations on the adoption of that beautiful dog!
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Post by justdon on Oct 30, 2013 18:57:13 GMT -5
Iam new here myself and still learning about my pitbull.He is a sweet guy i got him at 3 yrs old.Hyper and will need some training.Everybody here is real nice and will guide you to some great info.Caution.I had a friend that had a pittbull her insurance company found out and dropped her home owners insurance and she is still fighting it.It looks like she will lose and her dog is a sweet heart.Check your home owners ins policy to make sure you are ok.I have to pay an additional 20 dollars a month on my policy beacause of mine.Good luck and enjoy your new family member.
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