New to the breed.

[jshalpain]

I am looking serious into getting a pitbull. I am married and have two young children. I have long been intrested in the breed but all of the horror stories has led me away until recently. From what i understand pit bulls make great campanions and family dog if well socialized as a puppy. I am looking forward to getting my pup next month, any tips or advice about the breed or training will be greatly appreciated.

[spammie]

While pit bulls make great family dogs, I wouldn't recommend them for everybody. What has you interested in the breed? What are your concerns?

[jshalpain]

I have heard several of my friends talk about how loyal their pitbull is... I want a campanion...a best friend and have seen many have that with their dog. I have yet to experience that and i feel that. The breed seems to be very misunderstood and misjudged. My main concerns were just the safety of my children if the dog does seem to be agressive. I have heard of many practices such as having your children pull their food away from them as they are eating and correct them if they show aggression.

[Stormi]

I have heard of many practices such as having your children pull their food away from them as they are eating and correct them if they show aggression.

That's a good way to get a child bitten in the face. Small children should never be messing with a dog while they are eating, and should never be asked to discipline a dog. Children's interactions with the dog should be kept fun and positive, as should yours. Aggression begets aggression. Stealing food and physical "corrections" for a dog simply displaying discomfort is not a way to treat your best friend.

[Stormi]

This link may be helpful:

http://www.livingwithkidsanddogs.com/

[jshalpain]

Thank you for the reply...I did not word myself correctly when saying this i meant that i would be watching over the child while they do this and that I would correct the dog for signs of agression. Thank you for posting that link this will certainly be benefical to prepare for the new pup.

[Stormi]

There's a lot of great info on that site. Most importantly understanding canine body language. What we humans tend to interpret as "aggression" is what is called protracted warning signs. All dogs have them in varying degrees. They're an emotional fear response, and a vital part of dog communication (their way of saying "hey, I'm not comfortable!"), and not to be punished out. If you are having troubles with behavior, consult a qualified professional rather than trying to deal with it yourself.

Where are you planning on getting this puppy from?

[jshalpain]

I will be getting the pup from my friend who is raising a litter from his two pit bulls...He also has young children and both dogs are wonderful with his children and are really loyal and well behaved dogs! So i am starting to realize that the best way to address problems and to train the pup will be to think like it thinks! I appreciate all the information and insight you have given me.

[Curly_07]

You have received some really good advice above. As for who/where you are getting your puppy, how do I ask this... Are your friends dogs registered? Do they have any titles to prove themselves worthy of breeding? Have they been OFA tested? Please don't take my questions as rude, not my intentions. It's just that pit bulls are so irresponsibly bred and overpopulated. I do appreciate the responsible, ethical breeders that are out there...afterall, we need them.

If you are unsure of the questions I've asked, you can check out this link. Hopefully it will explain things a little better. viewtopic.php?f=7&t=49670

Again, welcome to PBF and thank you for researching things/asking questions prior to getting a dog.

[jshalpain]

I know that his male dog is registered and he has won first place at a show of some sort... Not real sure if the female is or not he said the pups will not be registered but i dont know if it is because she is not registered or if it is through a different kennel club. He takes great care of his dog and i am sure he wouldnt have bred them if he thought they would have bad temperment

[trexgorawrrrrr]

Wether his dogs are good pets are not is besides the point. One sad fact is that millions are being put to sleep, and that only one out of every 600 in those shelters are adopted. I am not against breeding either, but there are a lot of things that play into someone being a quality breeder and their dogs being worth of being reproduced.

I am not telling you to not get one of the puppies your friend had, but seriously consider adopting an older dog. You seem to be concerned about your kids, and after doing some research you will learn that dog's personalities are not exactly set until about 2 years old when they're done maturing. So, if you want to be 100% on the dog's personality you might want to consider talking to a few rescues in your area. We could even help you find some to check out if you wanted. They would be able to match your family with a dog that meets your needs.

Welcome to the forum, and I hope you stick around.

[APBT<3er]

I second the idea of adopting! The shelter will do all of the necessary temperament tests and they should match you with the dog that best suits YOUR lifestyle. I suggest this because #1 - its always nice to rescue a dog that would otherwise not have a life at all, and #2 - if you have no experience with the breed it will be easy to make mistakes with a pup that could later on its life affect its temperament, this goes for any breed, but not everyone understands our breed and some will do just about anything to peg them as killers. In my opinion its kind of like having people sit back and wait for you to make one little mistake so that they can hang you and your dog. By adopting an older already trained and stable dog, you're saving a life AND you're decreasing the risk for the above mentioned.

Commonly, you'll hear people say that you shouldn't take in an older dog because you don't know its history, I've found this to be complete BS, I adopted my Pit Bull mix Dolly from a shelter as an adult and I have never had a problem with her whatsoever, she has no human aggression, she gets along with my cats, she is amazing with kids and babies - no complaints!

Anywho, you've come to the right place for information! I hope that you can atleast consider the idea of adoption and weigh the pros and cons before making a final decision as to where you will get your new friend.

[spammie]

Well, I third the suggestion of adopting an older dog.