How do we socalize our pit bull puppy?

First of all, get her a Gentle Leader.

That will give you control of her head- and her brain.

Get a round nylon slip-collar as back-up and attach it to the same leather leash as the GL, just in case the Gentle Leader isn't quite adjusted right and she wriggles out of it. Buy the slip collar about 3-4" longer than her neck size, so it comfortably reaches the leash at the same point as the loop on the bottom of the Gentle Leader.

FInd a trainer who is used to handling bully breeds. They have a stubborn streak and need to be handled correctly. Pit Bulls also carry a stigma, and you don't need someone who is going to treat her any differently than any other strong dog. If done correctly, this isn't a tug-of-war, it's an education of the mind - hers. You won't win a tug-of-war, nor will she. She will be euthanized if she isn't trained properly. It's what happens.

As far as your cats - you need to make a choice quickly. Any Pit Bull's last name is Terrier - people forget that. THese dogs are bred to hunt small mammals, and cats (and small dogs, rabbits, toddlers and babies) are small mammals. If you leave them together in your home, you will have fewer pets one day. Period. It's no different than having pet mice and the cats...or a Jack Russell Terrier and Guinea pigs...

For now, you need a qualified trainer, who can help you in a class, along with other dogs. She is just a baby, and she should be able to learn. I hope she has been properly evaluated by the place you got her - but a good trainer should be able to assess how she will do. Look for someone who does clicker training, as you can then target the very instant when she is doing the right thing, and you need that accuracy when dealing with such a strong dog who might be distracted by something it could chase.

I personally never go to dog parks - that's where huge trouble begins, and the legendary confrontations always seem to involve Pit Bulls. PLan someday to arrange play dates with another dog her size or larger, with whom she gets along. You might look up your local Bully breed dog club - they tend to hang togther, and that's a good thing.

You need to do this carefully, not because Pit Bulls are evil, but because your dog is young, rowdy, and strong. The most well mannered dog I know out of many. many dogs is coincidentally a rescued Pit Bull - so it can be done. But the owner's mother's cats are still terrified of the dog. As well they should be...

APBT's are genetically predisposed to DOG aggression (not human aggression) and your dog is already displaying at at five months of age. Do your research on the breed, they have been bred for hundreds of years now to fight and kill other dogs, why would you risk bringing that to a dog park? You can socialize her with well behaved on-leash dogs and if you want to control her dog aggression get a good trainer to help you. But you will never (and should never) be able to bring a pit bull to an off leash dog park. If you wanted a dog to get along with dogs you should have gotten a different breed. Interaction with one or two well behaved dogs in a controlled setting is one thing, letting a breed bred to kill other dogs loose in a park where owners are stupid and dogs are ill-behaved is an idiotic idea. It only takes one time for your dog to attack or yes, kill another dog and the breed has another strike against it and your dog is killed because YOU wanted an APBT to be like any other breed. Don't let your dog become a statistic.

Labs are a breed that is tremendously trainable and eager to thrill their house owners. Pitbulls are a bit of more reserved and stubborn and though simply as clever, can be a little more difficult to instruct. It varies dog to canine. Your lab proper now is asserting her leadership within the % order - it would be that the pitbull is sending subtle messages (utilizing physique language) that she intends to project your lab for alpha function and your lab is having none of it. Watch their body language when they are together and you may see the cues. There are a few books on the subject. Two girls in a hosuehold can regularly be a difficult mixture. Spayed feminine/neutered male combos frequently figure out higher. Which you could get your pit spayed now - age 6 months is plenty ancient ample. It's going to aid slightly.

This is why people need to research and understand the breeds they wish to own.

This is what the breed standard says:

"Because most APBTs exhibit some level of dog aggression and because of its powerful physique, the APBT requires an owner who will carefully socialize and obedience train the dog."

http://www.ukcdogs.com/Web.nsf/Breeds/Terrier/Amer...

The breed was created for dog on dog combat.Pit in the breeds name is from the fighting pit,it's not a coincidence!

More about dog aggression in the breed and how to properly socialize your pup:

http://www.pitbull-chat.com/showthread.php?13984-A...

http://www.pitbull-chat.com/showthread.php?61486-T...

http://www.badrap.org/node/98

http://www.pbrc.net/socializing.html

Use the above links and the broader sites from which they were pulled to educate yourself.Time for a reality check,BEFORE you really set this dog up for failure and give the breed another black eye(which is easily avoidable).

Keep the dog away from dogs. She does not need any "friends". Get a prong collar and learn to use it. When she sees another dog then correct her before she lunges, snaps, or nips at it. She does not need to meet other dogs. Your job is to make sure she does not harm other dogs. Keep her focused on you and not the animals around her. Train the dog or, if you don't know how, hire someone else to help you.

Good luck.

I agree with Steph. Pit bulls are extremely violent and I don't trust them Poeple think it's cool to own them, but it's not.