Considering a Pit Bull?
Narrated from: Choosing a dogResponsible pit bull owners are a rare breed themselves. It takes dedication and a knowledgeable trainer to raise them to be happy well-adjusted dogs. This is not just a pit bull thing; there are many breeds that will train you if you give them the chance. The Airedale terrier and the boxer are two very difficult breeds to train. They have a mind of their own and they are not afraid to use it! The fact is that there are many breeds that take a strong trainer to get them through obedience training to the point of an immediate and accurate response every time. If you choose a pit bull to raise, please don’t shop, adopt!!!! The more people buy from back yard breeders the more back yard breeders will breed. Let’s put them out of business! The shelters and rescues are packed full of pit bull puppies that are unwanted and they are wonderful animals that deserve a second chance at life.
By choosing a pit bull puppy you are making a conscious choice to show people that they are good dogs. Your goal should be to counteract all the negative perceptions people have about this breed. Your first step in achieving this goal is to socialize your puppy every day. Take him everywhere and expose him to everything that will not harm him. Take him for walks down busy streets and let everyone pet him. Let him play with other dogs every day and be sure to expose him to cats and children. When pit bulls do not fear these things they are happy to be around them. Get him comfortable with all kinds of situations, scents, noises, people and things. This is the most important step in raising a confident dog, and it is true with any dog of any breed. The more they are socialized the better off they are.
Keep a keen eye on your dog as he plays with other animals and make sure he does not play too rough. When pit bulls get over excited they can, because of their size and mentality, play a little more robustly than some other breeds. If he or she begins to get too excited be prepared to distract him with something he loves. As they age they tend to play rough and not realize their own strength. This is part of what gets them in to trouble. You cannot allow them to think that really rough play is okay with you. There are pit bull dogs that spend their time with babies and bunnies and birds without ever harming them and that should be part of your new goal. It is imperative that if you take on the task of being a bully owner that you are fully focused on showing people the good side of the breed.
If you socialize them very early in life you will have a pit bull that loves everything. He will be well adjusted and happy. Everyone that meets him will see that a pit bull can make a great loving, loyal and dependable pet.
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