Pit Bulls – What to consider when adopting one

Today’s post is a guest post from a good friend of mine, who owns a pit bull or should i say ‘lil Daisy owns her mum and dad???? I personally have never had one, but feel they need fair representation just as any breed, and maybe this breed, even more so, since often one hears only negative about them and darn if it out weighs the good of the breed.

Just trying to save the world —- am i doing a good job???

They will bring unconditional love and loyalty to you for their life time. Pit bull is a general term for a group of dogs that have ancestry in American Staffordshires(AmStaff), American bull terriers,etc. They are recognized by the UKC but not by the AKC and are officially called American Pit Bull Terriers.

Early last century, they were family dogs, affectionately nicknamed “nanny dog” for their tolerance towards little babies yanking, pulling and crawling all over them as well as their protectionist instinct for their family, especially children.

There are lots of great pit bull celebrities. Most famously and recently, Daddy, who assists Cesar Millan from the Dog Whisperer in rehabilitating dogs with issues. There’s a pit bull named Eliot Ness who is a police dog in Chicago. Rachel Ray’s new dog food commercial features her own pit bull, Isaboo. More and more people are accepting pit bulls these days but there are others who feel otherwise. So we the pit bull owners have greater responsibility to dispel the negative image.

Eliot Ness – Chicago Police dog

Here are a few things we considered before we decided to adopt a pit bull, our little girl, Daisy.
1. Pit Bulls are quite sturdy, loyal, great with people and they don’t shed much – less grooming.
2. They do need a good amount of exercise and structured routine including several walks every day.
3. If you are a first time dog owner, please reconsider. They need strong leadership from the humans.
4. Please consider the time and effort involved in training this breed. They are super smart but can be stubborn.
5. It takes time and commitment from you, not to mention patience.
6. Your patience will be tested often. Let me tell you, though, there’s no greater feeling than having a friendly, well behaved pit bull by your side!
7. Please do not adopt this breed if you are a couch potato. You know who you are ; )
They are energetic dogs and all the unspent energy will lead to destruction and unruly behavior.

playtime, for Daisy and Ruby!

First step?
There are cities and towns that passed Breed Specific Legislation. Pit bulls might be a banned breed where you live.
Please check before you act.

Where to Adopt?
The best places to look for a well behaved pit bull is Pit Bull rescue organizations in your area.

There are many dedicated pit lovers across this country who save pit bulls from the dog fighting operations and from the streets, abused, abandoned and forgotten.

Rescue Groups not only rescue the dogs, but they also train them to be proper pet dogs. They give individual attention to every dog which is hard to come by at regular shelters. They will visit your home to make sure you have a safe home environment for the dog. They will have you sign a contract laying out all the rules. And they do mean every little letter in that contract.

One group in my area conducts surprise home visits after adoption is complete.
If they find the situation at your home in violation of the contract, they will take the dog away. They are dead serious about where the dogs go!

After you picked your pit, make sure you and your family, including your pets, meet the future adoptee a few times before you sign that contract. Just because you fell in love with the dog and you two get along great, doesn’t mean that will be the case with everyone involved. Be fair to those who will come in contact with the dog on a daily basis.

It’s heart breaking for you and your new dog who has to go back to the shelter life when things don’t work out after you bring it home.

How old should the dog be?

I know it’s hard to resist the puppy charms. But if you have a busy life and can’t give time required to train the dog, please consider adults over 2 years of age. They are out of their puppy stage (LOTS of ENERGY), usually very well trained, house broken and most of them have lived with foster families so they are accustomed to household routines. The rescue organization can tell you if the potential adoptee
gets along with children, cats, other dogs and if it can be a good running partner, good swimmer, etc.

If you should decide to adopt a young pup who is not altered, remember that your local Humane Society performs spay/neuter surgery at low cost or no charge for bully breeds.

After the adoption:

They are powerful dogs. Daisy WEIGHS 50 pounds but she LOOKS about 35 pounds. ALL MUSCLES! So it is crucial to establish the pack order as soon as you adopt.
Before you take the dog inside your house, take a long walk with it. I understand that you want to show the dog her forever home as soon as possible but she needs to feel that you are guiding her to the place. This first walk will establish your leadership, earn trust and respect from her as well as drain excited energy.

After she settles in your house, enroll in an obedience class. It will bring you closer to your dog as you work together. She also gets to socialize with other dogs in a safe environment.

Agility training does wonders for an insecure dog. After Daisy met Kaley at Dog Channel, we looked into Agility training, and one of the many benefits was to build confidence in fearful dogs like Daisy!. If you and your dog do well in any form of training, why not go for a Canine Good Citizen Certificate, even a Therapy Dog
certificate? Those will do great service to pit bulls and their public image.

Pit bulls can be great city dogs — I am!

Please think carefully before you adopt and keep above points in mind.

Daisy makes us laugh every day with her silly ways and sweet smile. To think she was on her way (literally) to be put down is just horrifying and sad. Please open your heart to these wonderful dogs!

Information regarding Breed Specific Legislation, Pit Bull Rescue organizations, Pit Bull Hero stories and more about Daisy can be found on our website

Thank you Pearl for sharing such useful information about this breed and how to go about adopting one. Adopting a dog is a beautiful thing, but should always be a very responsible act…never an impulse.

Someday, I will adopt another pup, but I know it has to be the right pup, and the right moment — so until then, all you will see/read is my Kaley corgi and all she does.

smiles : )

www.citypits.com

pit bulls wikipedia

pit bulls find furever homes –sansanpups post

pit bulls –don’t discount them –they are adoptable