Cross Breeds - I have two 10 week old Pit Bull puppies- advice on raising them properly?

I have two 10 week old Pit Bull puppies- advice on raising them properly?

They're going to attend puppy classes soon. I've had over a dozen people come to my home to meet them and they play with the neighbor's dog. I've done a lot of research but I still hear about these dogs attacking for no reason and I know that's not the case for ALL pits but I want to ensure that they grow up to be happy and good with all people.

Public Comments

#1. You had better have One Million Dollar Insurance Policys on these Dogs. Each Dude!! Let them bite someone. Your facing at least 8 mos in jail alone. You don't even have to be home and one of your dogs bites someone or an animal. Your as--- is gone!! Look it up!
You sound like you are on the right track to raising well-balanced pits. Training classes are essential, especially when they are young. I am also glad to hear that you are socializing them with people. That is very important. It's good to show them that people are great to be around. Remember, the pit bulls that attack people and other animals are often times not owned by responsible people. Any breed of dog should never be allowed to roam freely without supervision, or trained to fight, or abused. A lot of news stories you see on TV and the internet about pit bulls attacking people are due to irresponsible ownership. It sounds like you have common sense and therefore I don't anticipate having an problems. As with any dog, be careful having them around very small children, the sick or the elderly as they might be fearful of having the certain type of breed around, or just a dog in general. Ensure you keep your dog safe, healthy and well-trained and you shouldn't have any problems. If for any reason you are still concerned, I would keep a regular training schedule with a professional dog trainer and perhaps a dog behaviorist if you are really concerned about your dogs' temperaments. I have never owned a pit bull personally, so it may be helpful to ask a veterinarian or someone you trust who owns pits how they raise them. Good luck!
Yeah, you got pit puppies. We have 2 pits, and their both wonderful. We also have a cockerspainel/sheepdog, yes they all get along. Just love your puppies like their human kids. teach them with a firm NO, and don't be afraid to correct anything they do wrong. As long as you introduce them to people they will be okay. You will have to be a little more firm with them as they get older and make sure they don't back talk, our boy always has something to say. But in the end mommy wins! Glad your taking them to puppy class, they can help you out if your not certain on how to train them. But watch out, they all have their own personality and will make you laugh your a** off. Have fun with your babies.
We have two pit bulls who love people but not other dogs. No one can predict the behavior of any animal no matter what. Pits just have a bad rep period.I have heard lots of horror stories too about them attacking for no reason, but you know I know lots of pits who are big babies and luv bugs.All I can say is just socialize them early like you are doing but also let them know your the boss and they are the best dogs. They will be happy as long as you love them and take good care of them.Give them lots of exercise and have them fixed,then they are even better behaved,I know that sounds corny but its true honestly.Good luck and best wishes.You sound like you will be an awesome dog owner.
A dog is only as good as its owner, its breeding and its training. NOT all Pit Bulls are mean. I know from experience. In my home I have 1 adult male Pit Bull and 1 young Lab and that Pit Bull adores that Lab to no end. Our Pit Bull Loves everyone and everything. Not to mention several times a month we have Doggie Play days. Sounds crazy but it benefits the dogs and it is fun for us humans. In our group there are 8-12 Pit Bulls, 7-10 Labs, 1 Cane Corso, 5 Rottweilers, 3-4 GSD, 1 Dobbie and who ever shows up. But we have been doing it for 5 years and not once have had a fight. It is all how you raise them. Socialization is very important, not only have others come over but bring your dogs places. To petstores to gatherings to parks. Let them get use to other soundings and learn about the world. Obedience is very important. Pit Bulls like many breeds can try and dominant always stay the alpha no matter what, Have boundaries for your dogs and enforce them everyday. MAny people stop training or socializing when the dog gets older, you can not stop. You lawys have to reinforce proper behavior and that goes for any breed. It is important you stay the boss everyday, that you get them out and around many people and dogs. There are 3 PIts in our group that are above 10 years and never have they ever been aggressive. Our Pit is 6 years old and if he had a mean bone he would have eaten my over hyper troublemaking Lab years ago. Actually the Lab is higher in the pecking order than he is and he is older and in this house way before my Lab. But that is how our Pit and my friends dogs were raised.
First of all relax! You're starting off on the right foot. Puppy classes are a great way to start early training, and when they are old enough to attend there, they are also old enough to be taken out places to socialize. Take them everywhere you can think of..walk around the shopping mall outside, people are suckers for puppies lol. Parks, any local dog events, fairs..anyplace you can think of they can go to get them used to as many different people, places, noises, and other animals now. Continue having people come to the house. Keep in mind puppy class is just that, so enroll in obedience class when that class is over. Don't worry, you have no reason to expect that those pups will grow up to be anything other than normal, well behaved dogs with plenty of manners and social skills :) ADDED: Take Stark's advise. There are some good online sites that I found just by googling it. It's best to take the advise of people who are into the breed and know it's temperament best. GL
This was posted by another user previously, "Jess Alba" and I thought it was a really great answer. You will also want to do research online, and buy a good book about 'bully breeds.' Responsible Pit Bull ownership: 1. Never allow your Pit Bull to roam free. Dogs are just like human children. When not supervised, the decisions they make are often not for their best interest. When a Golden Retriever runs up to a person, they say, “How sweet!” When a Pit Bull does the exact same thing, people say, “Vicious dog!” The public doesn't wait before calling animal control or even the cops when they see a Pit Bull on the loose. Due to their bad reputation, these dogs are frequently killed by police officers. This is an unfortunate truth. Let’s not make the reputation of the Pit Bull worse than it already is. For the safety of your dog and the general dog population, keep your Pit Bull behind a fence! 2. Always keep your Pit Bull on leash. Even if you believe you have full control of your dog and a good recall, you can't predict his/her reaction if a cat or a squirrel runs in front of him. Keep in mind that those dogs are "Terriers". A high prey drive and urge to chase other animals is an inherent trait of the breed. 3. Never take your Pit Bull to a dog park. Even if you think your Pit Bull is wonderful with other dogs, all it takes is once. If a Labrador starts a fight and your Pit Bull finishes it, whom will everyone blame? Let’s face it; the Pit Bull is always at fault in the eyes of the public. 4. Take your Pit Bull to obedience classes. Yet again, in the eyes of the general public Pit Bulls are menacing creatures. The more socially acceptable they are by having impeccable manners, the better the reputation they will have. And remember, once is NOT enough. Ongoing obedience classes are best. 5. Socialize your Pit Bull as much as possible before and after they reach maturity. A shy Pit Bull is a pathetic creature indeed. Not only is being shy an abnormal Pit Bull trait, it also could be dangerous. You want your dog to be able to handle new situations with confidence and pleasure. As with obedience classes, once is not enough! Ongoing socialization will ensure your dog’s happiness by showing him the world is a wonderful place. And please remember, socialization does not mean your dog running around with other dogs off leash! An obedience class in which he may never get to ‘say hi’ to any other dog is socialization! 6. Be a responsible parent! Do not allow your Pit Bull to be subjected to people who are belligerent or cruel. By ‘forcing’ your dog to ‘say hi’ to these types of people, you are being an irresponsible parent! You would never expect your human child to simply take whatever you dish out and like it. Please do not expect this from your dog. 7. Know where your dog is at all times. Don’t leave your Pit Bull outside unattended. Who knows what is going on in the back yard while you are away. Are children teasing your dog? Is your dog learning to be aggressive by having to defend himself in these situations? Don’t leave the parenting up to others. Responsibility is the key to proper and safe Pit Bull ownership. 8. Pit Bulls need a job. Whether this job is obedience classes, taking a walk with you everyday, sitting at your feet while you are on the computer in the evenings, or something more intense such as search and rescue, a Pit Bull needs to feel important and needed. They are highly intelligent animals with fine tuned problem solving skills. They need an outlet for this energy. 9. Daily exercise is a must! Playing fetch, hiking or whatever you love to do, your Pit Bull will be more than willing to participate. 10. Spay and neuter your Pit Bull. Altered pets live longer, "happier" and healthier life. They are also more stable and easier to raise when not triggered by their sexual hormones. To date, no fatal dog attack by an altered dog was ever reported. 11. Understand that Pit Bulls may be dog-aggressive. The breed was initially created and developed for the sport of dog-fighting. As a result, Pit Bulls have an important predisposition for dog-aggression. Take precautions and use common sense. Don’t allow your Pit Bull to run up to unknown dogs and never allow unknown dogs to run up to your Pit Bull. Remember, you are the leader! Pit Bull owners should not expect their dog to be friends with unfamiliar dogs. Some Pit Bulls cannot be around any other dogs at all. With Pit Bulls you cannot ‘train out’ the desire to fight another dog anymore than you can ‘train out’ the desire to chase running rabbits in the Greyhound. You can curb this behavior and often control it, but not stop it altogether. As long as you understand this and can love your dog for who and what he is, you’ve got it made! 12. Never leave Pit Bulls alone and unsupervised with other animals. Even though you think they are the best of friends, it’s better to be safe than sorry! All it takes is one time for a fight to break out. This is especially true with multiple Pit Bulls in one household. Don’t take any chances and remember this saying… Never trust your Pit Bull not to fight another dog… ever! 13. Keep your Pit Bull in an enclosure that is escape proof. Pit Bull proof your fence. Those dogs are very strong and resourceful. Pit Bulls should be kept in the house in crates when home alone. This is the utmost in safety. Just make sure your dog cannot get out to roam. If your dog makes a mistake, all Pit Bull owners pay for it! 14. Don’t breed or buy while shelter animals die. With thousands of Pit Bulls dying in shelters, don’t be a part of the problem. Be part of the solution! ***I own a Pit Bull that I rescued from the pound, and she loves other dogs. Her best friend is a male Pit Bull, and they can play for Hours. But even though she is always friendly with other dogs, I am always on my toes. She is not allowed to be around other animals or children unsupervised. And she is always on a leash when we are out in public.
Socialize, socialize, socialize. My pit bull is the sweetest and loves everyone. And all these people talking down on them probably have never owned one and is feeding into the media's hype. Do your research on the breed. http://www.workingpitbull.com/ Most of these pit bulls on the news are mixed breed dogs not true pit bulls. For the ones that are, they were probably chained in a backyard and never socialized.There are tons of dog attacks that don't involve pit bulls, the media has a fixation with pit bulls so that's all you here about. There are tons of hero pit bulls too. The #1 drug dog in the U.S. is a rescued pit bull. See for yourself why the media is full of BS, 90% of Animal Control officers failed this test. http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html
YOU BE THE ALPHA DOG>>>always be in charge. Correct them imediately when they do something wrong, give them lots of exercise, lots of caring and love and they'll be fine. Don't chain them outside, in fact don't chain them up at all. Walk them as often as possible. Be responsible.
its how they are raised not the breed