A Misunderstood Breed: Pit Bulls

If you took a survey asking people what they thought was the most dangerous dog breed, pit bull would probably top the list. “Pit bull” is a term that encompasses a number of breeds including the American pit bull terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier and American bulldog. These athletic dogs are known for aggressiveness and a defensive nature, but that doesn’t mean all pit bulls are an imminent threat to your safety. Despite a history of breed violence, many pit bulls can be safe and loyal companions, even with children. These energetic canines thrive in an active environment. When properly socialized, pit bulls learn to curb their energy in healthy ways.

Decades of misinformation and stereotyping have given pit bulls a bad rap. It’s time to set the record straight on these amiable animals.

A Checkered Past

Bred from bulldogs, pit bulls were first used to help control livestock. Their collective fate took a turn for the worse when breeders began to train them for the inhumane blood sport known as baiting. Humans would watch these dogs fight bears, bulls and other large animals. When governments came to their senses and banned baiting, spectators turned the animals loose on each other. Much of the perception of these dogs is based on this violent history. In some cases, pit bulls were bred and trained to fight. Dogs from those bloodlines are sometimes more likely to lash out, but that doesn’t mean they’re automatically dangerous. While they may boast strong jaws and ripped muscles, pit bulls can be just as loving and safe as any other breed. Dogfighting gives pits a bad name; every pit bull you see is not a trained killer.

The Right Environment

Like any other dog, a pit bull’s behavior is largely dependent on the environment in which he or she grows up. Take your pit bull to a dog park after locking him in a crate for the first part of his life and he may display aggression or shyness toward other dogs and humans. Provide an active lifestyle where your pit bull can socialize from a young age, on the other hand, and your pit bull will likely be as intelligent and gentle as any other dog.

If you have a young pit bull, get him around other people and dogs as much as possible. ASPCA.org notes that a dog’s most important sensitive development period takes place between 7 and 16 weeks of age. If your dog has early experience with others, he’ll be able to curb aggression as he gets older. If you adopt an older pit bull who displays aggression, take baby steps toward interaction with others. Keep your pit bull on a leash near the dog park, for example. A Flexi Leash assists you in restraining your dog in a very easy and natural manner.  As he learns to cooperate with other dogs, you can take additional measures to assimilate him. Training is paramount with pit bulls, especially those that grew up in unstable environments. Devote time to establishing commands. As your dog starts to recognize commands, you can use a  training collar to reinforce the lessons. Dogs need to know they must listen to their master and behave, but also that they are cared for.

Spay and Neuter

Like all dogs, pit bulls deserve the dedication and commitment of loving owners. That means keeping these hounds off the street and out of the pound. Have your pit bull spayed or neutered by a well-known animal center to control the animal population. According to Davis Country Animal Care and Control, dogs who are fixed are less likely to attack or bite someone. It’s one more reason to do the responsible thing for your pit bull.

Your Dog Would Love a Dog Door!

Having a dog door is great for a couple of reasons.  First of all, your dog is free to use the bathroom whenever he or she chooses!  You no longer will have to worry about your pup having accidents in your house, because he will always be able to use the dog door to let himself out.  You will no longer have to crate your dog all day because you are not home!  Installing a dog door ensures your dog can get outdoors and feel happy and healthy.

The only negative aspect to a dog door is that a small animal or a very tiny person can fit through especially large doors.  Most dog doors give you a piece of mind by including a locking feature.  At night, you should lock the door to ensure that unwanted guests do not have access to your home.  My advice is to get the smallest dog door that your dog will fit through.

Most dog doors have a metal or plastic flap covering, which your dog can easily move using his nose or paw.   Training your dog to use a dog door is a very easy task – what dog would not love to have easy access to the outdoors?

A great metal dog door for medium sized dogs is the Medium Wall Entry Aluminum Pet Door (PetSafe), pictured above.  If you have a small dog, you can purchase the Small Wall Entry Aluminum Pet Door (PetSafe).  This dog door is great to use when you do not want to install a dog door in an actual door of your home.  The Medium Wall Entry Aluminum Pet Door (PetSafe) can be installed in a variety of wall materials including all types of siding, stucco, and even brick.  If you want to install this dog door in brick, you will need to purchase extra support materials for safety.

If you are interested in a plastic pet door, you should look into the Premium Plastic Pet Door by PetSafe.  The clear plastic flap on this door has a tight weather seal to prevent bad weather from entering your home.  This high impact durable plastic pet door can be purchased in three sizes: small, medium, or large.  For a chart to see which size would be perfect for your dog, go here: Premium Plastic Pet Door by PetSafe.

Fix Your Puppy’s Chewing Problem

Puppies like to chew on things.  It is part of their natural animal behavior.  You can not expect this problem to go away, it actually needs to happen.  Just like babies who are teething, puppies have to teeth!  Adult dog teeth begin to come in at around 4 months.  This is extremely bothersome, just as it is to human babies.

While we have this list of tips and tricks to get your puppy to stop chewing that we’ll cover below, the best thing to do is to not keep inappropriate objects around that your puppy likes to chew on.  Instead, replace them with objects your dog is allowed to chew on.  Since teething can be extremely painful, I would recommend giving your puppy something cold to chew on.  Something that I like to do is buy a sterilized bone and fill it with peanut butter, and put it in the freezer to chill it.  You can get creative and fill it with anything your puppy likes to eat.  The sterilized dog bones I use are the White Sterilized Dog Bone 7-9 inches (Case of 12).

There are certain objects that you simply can not pick up and move.  Things like table legs or couches are certainly appealing to dogs to chew on.  If certain big items are a major problem for your dog, purchase Grannicks Bitter Apple Original Spray for Dogs, pictured to the right.  You can spray this bitter apple tasting formula onto any object that your dog likes to chew on, and it will deter your dog from chewing on it!  I used it in my house when my dog was a puppy and it worked like a charm.  I highly recommend this product to anyone who has a teething puppy.

It is also a good idea to keep your puppy restricted to a certain area of the house when they are teething.  The more access of your house you give your dog, the more will be available for him to chew.  The laundry room can be a good place to keep your dog.  Or, you can use puppy gates to confine your dog to an area where your dog does not have a lot to chew on, perhaps the kitchen.  Another option is the Pet Exercise Pen, which is an indoor pen that allows your dog to have move to walk around, making this a much more favorable option than a cage.  You can order the Pet Exercise Pen in different sizes according to the size of the pen or the size of the space you have.