We are aware of the horror stories about Pit Bulls but we are finding these "Staffordshire Terriers", if they were called by their true name would live up to the ideal their proper name implies. (Staffordshire China is a very fine English Bone china.)
Our dumped dog, despite his uncertain beginnings, has adjusted to family life and thrived under the gentle touch. We have recorded his stories here:
http://pitbulladog.blogspot.com/
The ownership of any dog should not be taken lightly. No matter what their size, they are an investment. They should not be an impulse acquisition. I strongly suggest dogs shouldn't be a gift. Getting a dog is a personal decision. If you want to gift a dog, take the person you are gifting with you, to choose their own pet. I have found the pet chooses you as much as you choose them. Any pet loves wonderful care but a bond happens when you are choosing a pet. What is cute to you may not be as cute to someone else. Not only will you be giving a gift of love but you will be sharing a really special moment with the person you are gifting.
When "Boychik" was dumped we didn't choose him. He chose us first. He didn't run away. He was there to greet us. He listened to everything we said. He gave us time to decide to choose him. Believe me when I tell you we did everything we could to find his owners or to find a home. He was everything we thought we didn't want in a dog. He was too big, he had short hair, people who came to our house would be put off by him, we weren't wanting a dog, and the list of excuses not to own him goes on. My hunny was the hard one to get to even think about another dog. When he saw the pit bull he said we needed to take him to the shelter. He said, "You know the reputation these dogs have." Now he and the dog are best friends. If someone desired to have him part of their family they would be grilled and placed under as much scrutiny as if they were adopting a child before he would part with him.
You'll need skills to take care of a pit bull. If they're already grown you will need the additional skill of being a psychologist. I am not saying this in jest, I am saying it because they will have already established who they thought they were and how they thought they fit into the Human world. Most of the times you will have to ferret out by hook or crook what they know or don't know. The best way to do that is to begin with what you want from them. As you teach them the routines of your house hold there will be moments where you realize the dog is exhibiting a learned behavior you don't like. The time to take care of it is the moment it happens. You need to reinforce the accepted behavior. BTW, Our pit bull did not need a treat reinforcement, he just wanted to please us. We did give treats but saved them just for loving time. I am not a dog trainer so I don't know if this method is right but for us it works. The treat we offer when he does what we want, is hugs and loving and praise.
There is a book which can be extremely helpful in establishing your position as head honcho. "Second Hand Dog" by Carol lea Benjamin. This is an extremely simple book to follow. The instructions are explicit. If you follow them you can have a peaceful transition from his old life to his new one. Yes, if he is mentally in bad shape you will have to work a little harder and be a little more diligent in your training.
When I see our "boy" dreaming. You can tell when he is dreaming of his past life. We may never be able to eradicate the dreams but we can make his waking moments dreamy. When we watch him dream we know dogs can have PTSS too. Be wary of any dog exhibiting symptoms, no matter how loyal he seems he may not be able to control his reactions.
Questions you should ask yourself:
First: are you a family who likes big dogs? These dogs get large. It is said they are 50-60 pounds. Boychik when he weighed in for his "Altering" was 77.4 pounds. The vet puts his age at just barely one year old. (He is not over weight, yet!) This dog is tremendously strong. When he leans against you, with love, he could knock you over if you are small or light weight. They do not intend to use their weight against you, they truly do not know their own strength. They need a place to run and use those muscles. The pent up energy expresses itself in the way he acts in the home. He needs to move. When he can't, he gets bored and starts to look for things to do. This translates into another, what can be an annoying habit, chewing.
Pit Bulls love to chew, mouth, use their flubber lips to touch everything. They are like their fingers. They like to use those massive teeth to crunch. You know how you like to have something to eat just for the crunch. They are the same way. They derive pleasure in the feel of the crunch. We provided ours with those huge knuckle bones of cows. He needs to chew, he demolished those in two days, that gets to be expensive at 4-5 dollars a piece. (This is not a puppy thing, it seems they never grow out of the urge to chew).
We searched for something he would enjoy. It has turned out to be logs.(There have been suggestions to get a product called a "Kong", but we haven't been by a store where they are.) We have to look for logs which are dried dead wood and are a hard wood. other wise they end up a pile of splinters. He has his favorite logs, are about 3 inches in diameter and about 18 inches long. He carries them to wherever he is sleeping. He has been known to drag a split oak log to his lair in the woods and chew the bark off it.
This chewing things also extends to other textures. Do not let them chew on anything you don't want them to chew on where the equivalent of that would be something good or treasured. I.E. an empty toilet paper roll is the same texture as a file folder. (They will self serve out of an open drawer).
Stuffed animals have been a G-d send. Be prepared if you have small children with "animals " they need to be trained to keep their babies out of the reach of your Pit Bull. The Pit bulls adore the soft squishy things. I remove the eyes and nose and any hard parts from the stuffed animals I give him. He will crunch those and possibly swallow them. boychik pulls all the stuffing out of them. Then he carries the unstuffed toy around with him. He places them where ever he sleeps. He knows they are his and treasures them.
Secondly: Can you be a strict disciplinarian. You can't be a pit bull owner if you are going to be wishy washy about their training. They need consistent rules. They are not a dog you can rough house with. Not because they are mean but because they are that strong. What they do in play can be very dangerous to you.
A 20 pound puppy is not a threat to you but if he is doing the same thing at 60 pounds he can do a lot of damage. Example: The other day I played a tug of war with Boycix, for just a few seconds. It was the first time. He had a log he loves and I pulled on it laughing saying for him to give it too me (tugging and pulling at it). I then let him have it. On the way back to the porch I picked up a wind fall branch to put on the pile. All of a sudden I was hit in the side with a full body block. He thought I picked up the branch to play with him and he was trying to grab it out of my hands. It took me ten minutes to get him to understand he couldn't have the stick unless I gave it to him. If I had been a small child I would have been knocked over and when he was trying to get the stick from me he might have bitten me. He would not have done it intentionally. He would have been thinking I was the stick to be grabbed.
Tug of war is one of the things which should never be introduced to a pit bull. It is a natural instinct for them, it is what they would do in the wild if they were fighting for food.
Biting anything for fun is a prescription for disaster.
If your dog has not been taught to listen when you say a command and respond immediately, you are setting the stage for bad things to happen.
Boychix has never shown signs of aggression, no matter what the situation. He has never had to be reproached for making a move which would or could be considered of violent kind. Mild manners and the need to please us, is all we see. Just because of our wonderful experience doesn't mean you will have an equal experience with yours. Be mindful of any second hand dog and be very consistent in their training. (This rule is very important for any puppy you bring home.)
Thirdly: This breed of dog seems to be needier of attention than any other dog we've raised. He wants to do anything to please but at the same time he wants validation and notice from you that he did good. In my opinion they are not a dog, which will do good if they are left for several hours each day.
Fourth: If you do not like hound dog smell. Bassets, dachunds, beagles, hound dogs, They all have a peculiar smell that long haired dogs do not have. I call it "that doggie Smell." We have bathed Boychix and he still smells. It is not as strong as some short hair varieties but it is there. I haven't gotten used to the "doggie" smell of a short haired dog. Or to the heavy shedding he does, with all those teeny tiny hairs. (Regular brushing doesn't seem to help). So if you are particular about smells and fur on stuff, you do not want a pit bull.
Would I recommend you run out and get your own pit bull. The answer to that is no. He does have his limitations. We have to constantly go over his education of commands needed. We have to be very vigilant about not leaving chewables down where he is (they are a very mouthy dog, but they are only slobbery right after they drink. Other wise they have a dry mouth). So far we have to have a strict routine, he doesn't like changes. He also needs constant attention when you are in his vicinity. If you have an apartment this is not the dog for you. This dog reminds me of an extroverted person. He is always on the go, constantly needing input, always wanting to show off, showing you he loves you in a very demonstrative way. If you want a passive dog, this is not it. BTW, When he gets quiet he does that in a big way too......He snores.
This reminds me, our pit bull is not a barker. If he barks we know something needs attention. He is also not a watch dog, yet. Everyone who drives up is either ignored or they are the best friend he never met.
There are other pros and cons I could list. It is the same with any dog you get. Remember when you acquire a dog, size does matter.
A Pit Bull is not for everyone, neither is a Gray Hound or a Jack Russell terrier but there is a dog out there to fit your needs and needs you.
Chronicling our adventures with a dumped Pit Bull Pup who has become a hidden treasure.
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