Pitt bull owners, how wonderful is the breed?

You think it's a boy? You got it at six weeks? Did you even give this any thought. Puppies shouldn't be a snap second decision. Puppies should be with their mother until they are 8 weeks by law. Now that you have this puppy you need to get educated and that doesn't mean asking on this site. Read up on the breed and enroll in a puppy class when your puppy is old enough.

i think Pit Bulls can be just as good as any other dog I looked in to geting one a few years back. But it was not the right breed for me. I think the chances of a pit bull biting are the same as for any other breed. but how ever I think you have to look at what the pit bull was designed to do and be from the time the breed was started. the pit bull was designed to take down bulls by force. it was bred to ignor pain and everything else till the job was done. it is a working dog and its owner need to have a stronger will than the animal. when you breed an animal to do one thing and use it for something else theres a chance things could go very wrong this gose for all breeds. I think there are some people out there that should not be able to keep the breed at all. But there are people out there that I think do make pit bull owner. but untill you can make sure there the only ones who get the dogs what else can you really do.

You are going to have to be very intentional about training and socializing the pup. Involve the girls in the training and never let the pup jump up on them or growl at them even if they take a toy or food from him. He needs to know he is low man on the totem poll. Make sure he gets to be around lots of other people and dogs and learns how to behave with them. Since you don't know a lot about them and they are a powerful breed I would recommend talking to a professional about the best way to train him. The person who sold him to you should be able to help you if they are a good breeder.

Do not try to teach the pup to be protective or encourage protective type behaviors Like growling at other dogs or people or standing between you and others at attention. If he feels the need to protect you it means he feels you are weaker than he is and need protection. That can cause problems. A properly bred and socialized Pit can be a great dog because they are very loyal people pleasers (that is why they are such good fighting dogs - they will do anything to please their master.)

"I think it's a boy" You think, how hard is it to tell if its a boy or a girl? "6 week old" You do realize that you got the pup too young which is an indication you got the pup from a bad breeder.

Also the breeds name is not "pit bull", that is a blanket term for over 30 different breeds. The breeds name is american pit bull terrier.

Since you got the pup too young, and he/she has lost that precious time for bite inhibition, you really need to learn how to supplement that. Also are you ready to be a firm handler? This is a powerful breed and should only be in the hands of the knowledgeable.

Why in the world would you get a pup, without researching the breed first? Specially when the pup is an american pit bull terrier.

Socialization with people and dogs is key right now. You should not need to worry about the apbt as long as you teach you're girls to respect the puppy. APBT are the ultimate nanny dogs, but that all depends on the temperament, and who knows what that is when you did not get the dog from a good breeder.

Going by you're obvious lack of knowledge, I highly doubt you are ready for such a breed.

They are a lovely breed, can be such great dogs. But you have to know what you are getting into.

1) The proper spelling is Pit Bull.The whole name American Pit Bull Terrier.

2) These are some sites to check out.They are full of breed specific info,training tips,health care,equipment,etc.

http://www.pitbull-chat.com/forums.php

http://pitbullforum.com/index.php

http://www.pbrc.net/

3) The sex of the dog does not determine attitude in any way.The APBT is not a guardian breed and should be social and interactive with all people it comes in contact with.

The breed has a very real potential to become dog aggressive as it matures...not always the case but certainly a possibility.They are likely to have a high prey drive.They need a confident stable owner.The owner needs to be able to deal with the stigma that comes with owning the breed.The dog needs to be taught at least basic obedience.

There's a lot to learn with this breed.Including it's history which created it's genetic tendencies.The breed is not for the novice or average dog owner in many cases.The more time and effort you put in now,the better chance for success you will have with your pup.

Pit Bulls, while tending towards aggressiveness, are known to be great with kids. You need to make sure that you train it yourself to be very loyal to you in listening when you tell it to sit and come. This will minimize the chance of getting in an accident with another dog. You really should know by now if it is a girl or a boy! Unless you intend to breed them, you need to get them fixed at the right age. It is generally recommended that females get fixed at between 6 and 8 months, and males at around 12 months. If you do have a male, he will most likely be sweeter if you get him fixed. As far as I know, males are the same as, if not more so than females when it comes to being loyal and protective.

Hope this helps!

First off, a puppy should be with it's mother until at LEAST 8 weeks of age.. not 6.

And you **THINK** it's a male..

Time to open your text books my friend........

Yes, they are a wonderful breed but you will need time a patients. (Just a few tips of mine)

1) The APBT is a very dominant /confident breed, you need to establish pack leader status or you will have problems down the road!

2) Proper socialization is the KEY with this breed.

3) They are very strong and athletic dogs who need to be exercised!

4) They are very intelligent, basic commands shouldn't be much of an issue.

5) They tend to have a high prey drive.. this means keep small animals away!

Just like with any breed of dog, young children should never be with a dog unsupervised.

APBT pups tend to be a bit *mouthy* which will need to be corrected immediately, especially if you have kids.

Training, socialization, training, socialization and consistency. If your GSD isn't a neurotic train wreck then you shouldn't have a problem with your new Pit - (added) meaning you already know about setting boundaries, firm consistent discipline and exercise.

He was, however, removed from his mom and siblings early which makes his breeding questionable.

Pit Bulls are all loyal and protective and love people. Male or female.

The Pit will be fine with your kids.

My pitt was very sweet. Just let your kids know the basics like not pulling his tail, trying to ride the dog, etc. Since your pitt is young, your 3 year old might think of it as a toy and treat it as such. Train your pitt at a young age so he won't grow up biting. Even with all these precautions, always make sure you can see your girls when they're playing with the dogs at all times. Hope this helped.

IF you are worrying about the pit, you may want to consider rehoming. The stereotype of pits is scary, but if you are afraid of your own dog because of this, you will only hinder him as a dog.

American Pit Bull Terriers are good, solid dogs. They are usually very hyper, strong, loyal, and love to work. They are unmatched in their ability to work. Some are used as police dogs and as search and rescue, even as therapy dogs.

Every precaution should be made with this breed though, they are stereotyped and you need to be willing to put in all the work to socialize and train him. All terriers are prone to dog aggression and have high prey drives, so you need to introduce him to as many dogs in positive ways once he has his shots.

Children are socialization wonders, they get the dog used to loud noises, being toted around and touched. You should rub your dog's feet, legs, and stomach everyday. Get him used to being carried. Clean his ears with wet wipes to get him used to being groomed.

Work with both your children to teach the dog sit, down, and leave it. These are important training essentials that will help your dog understand you.

You got your puppy young, so you need to start teaching him bite inhibition, especially with children around. Puppies younger than 8 weeks old usually don't have any bite inhibition, which is how hard the dog should bite. Littermates teach each other how hard is too hard for normal development. You and your shepherd are his new teachers.

You need to establish now that biting is off limits to people. Every time you play or pet him have a soft toy in the other hand to let him chew on- if he goes for your hand, scold him and get up and leave the room. Once he's calm again, try again. It will take several times with a young puppy to teach him that biting is a no-no.

Don't rough house with him either. You need to teach him early that jumping is also bad. Teaching him sit will help out immensely. Treat your children like glass, anytime your dog gets jumpy or hyper too close to them, correct him.

Last but not least, invest in a puppy course at petco or petsmart. it's about $99 for a 4-6 week course, and this will help you teach your puppy and socialize him also. It's a win-win! :)