My family adopted a 5 week old pit bull/possible lab mix two days ago from a shady owner in front of wal-mart.

littlewolfen · 3 months

I was reading the other thread and you got a lot of good advice over there. Socialization is the key right now. Lots of people and kids and dogs and cats and anything you can think of. Take her everywhere with you. Being so young, she will have missed a few things from her mother but you can start teaching them to her, like not to bite hard.

Also start her training at home right now until you can get experienced trainer or puppy classes. Train everyday, turn playing into a training experience and exercise. She's a little young for long walks but as she grows walk her all the time. Also consider getting a crate, there are usually crates on craigslist cheap.

My pitmix was my first one and he is an absolute delight. Smart, easy to train and a social butterfly.

MikeTea · 3 months

I posted this in your other thread, but I'm gonna drop it here too in case you don't see it...

There's a good chance it's a pitbull, but almost impossible to know for sure. Ultimately though, it doesn't matter. Take all the stuff you've heard about pitbulls and erase it from your memory. They are no different than any other breed in regards to aggression. In fact, they typically score better on temperament tests than many breeds thought of as "typical" family dogs. (Source)

Things you will need to know

1) They are just like every other dog. They love to play, they're affectionate and love people. Don't treat them any different just because they're a pitbull. Each dog has its own personality. Don't be a breed racist :P

2) They are high energy and very strong. Obedience training is good for ANY dog breed. If money is an issue, there are numerous videos on youtube and articles on other websites that will help you. If nothing else...PM me your contact info and I'll answer any questions you may have from here on out. I've been through a few obedience classes in my time and know the basics.

3) The only real issue you may encounter due to her breed is animal aggression. They were originally bred to attack/kill other animals. This can often be solved by proper socialization. Put them around other dogs, cats, etc as often as possible. PITBULLS ARE NOT BRED FOR HUMAN AGGRESSION. It's EXTREMELY rare for a pitbull to be aggressive towards a human. You have NOTHING to worry about in that regard.

4) If you give that dog to a shelter, it will most likely be killed within a few days. Puppy or not, the shelters have thousands of pitbulls and a lot of people have horrible misconceptions about the breed. If you take her into a shelter, you are almost certainly sentencing her to death. I don't say that to make you feel bad, it's just the truth.

Pitbulls are an awesome breed of dog and you will get nothing but love and loyalty out of her for years to come if you keep her. I also willingly donate any advice and help that I can give for as long as you have her. Seriously...PM me and I'll give you my contact info. I'm more than happy to answer any questions or help in any way.

TL;DR - Pitbulls are awesome and I'm here to help.

Ariwara_no_Narihira · 3 months

I'm in the process of looking around for a pit (if my landlord will be okay with it, but that's another problem). One of the shelters I've visited has some great information regarding pits: http://www.paws.org/pit-bulls.html

gunns362 · 3 months

I got my pit back in October so i have just gone through the early stages very recently. Some things i would recommend:

RULES- You need to set the rules from the very beginning and be very consistent with them. If you don't want the dog sleeping on the furniture as an adult, don't allow it as a puppy. CRATES - I am i huge fan of crate training. I made my dog sleep in the crate inside the bathroom all night until she could make it without soling the crate. For about the first 10 days she would cry quiet a bit of the night but she finally got used to it and it seems to have made her much more independent. Even now that i have allowed her to sleep on my bed for weeks, i can drop her in her crate across the hall and close my door with no problems from her. CLICKER TRAINING- I dont use clicker training for everything but i think its a great tool, it has worked great for me for a variety of different things. There are tons sites and YouTube videos to help you there. Only thing i would say about that is reading multiple sources of information and find what techniques work best for you. I have used nearly 100% positive reinforcement and i feel that it has created a very stable dog. PITBULLS A GREAT DOGS. With a bit of DEDICATION AND PATIENCE you will have a great family dog.

Hennigans · 3 months

Petco has a six week, once a week course for $110. All the basic commands and puppy socialization.

SisterStereo · 3 months

Petsmart and Petco offer group and individual training classes for dogs for a range of prices. Look at the local pet stores and see what they offer. You can also reach out to local rescue groups or animal shelters to see if they can offer guidance. You're going to need to take the dog to a shelter or vet anyway to get it checked out, vaccinated and spayed/neutered, if you don't plan to breed.

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