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What are the signs that an American Pit Bull Terrier is a bad seed?

What are the signs that an American Pit Bull Terrier is a bad seed?


  #41  
Old 10-20-20, 09:26 PM
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MichaelChang,

I honestly think the best dog for you all is a good Field Type Labrador. Short hair, very smart(if from a good bloodline and not a backyard breeder) and a good overall family dog that will usually be protective without being aggressive.

Labs can be a challenge when puppies, but perhaps if you check with reputable breeders, they may have a retiring dog that will allow you to have an awesome Lab, without dealing with the puppy challenges. I would suggest looking for breeders that have dogs that have qualified and titled in different hunting type trials.

Hopefully others have suggestions other than those I have made that may be a different breed or option.

 
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  #42  
Old 10-21-20, 03:53 PM
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MichealChang,

As RhainyC pointed out certain breeds are simply not appropriate for first time dog owners. That your friend's first dog is a Pit that they acquired as a puppy and it's working out well for them is great, but is definitely not always the norm.

You mention Ridgeback's above and while I think they are awesome dogs, and make very good family pets, I would not recommend a Ridgeback for a first time owner either for the same reasons that I would not recommend a Pit or a Doberman.

If allergies are a concern you might look at a standard poodle. They are smart, good size, very good with their family, not high strung like their smaller cousins can sometimes be, and they are generally considered hypoallergenic. German shepherds, on the other hand, are not a good fit for people with dog allergies. Length of hair is not a good predictor of dog allergies, potential for shedding and dander are.









 
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  #43  
Old 10-21-20, 04:07 PM
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I've never had much confidence in the poodle/labradoodle as a protector.

Just after I emailed the APBT owner that we'd have to pass on the opportunity, I got a text from a German Shepherd breeder that I was on a waiting list for that they just had a litter.

Now knowing that the pups are being bought up based on photos, the photos are being taken in 3 days, the question becomes ... would you buy a puppy without first interacting with it based on photos/videochat?

(if I do get it couldn't I just brush out all the fur and dander before the kids goto bed?)
 
  #44  
Old 10-21-20, 06:42 PM
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A few points in no particular order.

Did the FaceTime, 100 lb gentle muscular dog
That is NOT a APBT. APBTs don't get anywhere near that size. If it had some pit-like features, it's probably some type of 'bully' dog. These usually come from mixing pits or AmStaffs with larger breeds.

Pit bulls aren't naturally great protectors of homes. They can be too friendly to perfect strangers. GSDs and some of the others are much better in this regard. Can you train a pit or pit mix to be a guard dog? Maybe, but your family isn't ready to do that.

A pit would be protective of its owner, so if someone breaks in and threatens your daughter (as opposed to just stealing stuff from downstairs), it's rip your face off time.

^ But this can have all kinds of unintended consequences. What if your daughter gets into a verbal fight with a boyfriend? Pits ain't that clever. They may just sense threat to your daughter and decide it's time to chomp down.

Pits are very social dogs . . . with people they are very well socialized with. Depending on the particular dog, it's a toss up with others, especially small children.

Purebred APBT is definitely not a first time dog owner's dog. A pit mix would be safer in this regard. It's not so much that these dogs are unpredictable as it is that these dogs were bred for fighting. That instinct is in the breed, more or less dominant depending on the particular dog, and you don't know what will trigger its fight response. Without experience, you could easily miss the warning signs until the dog has a good grip on another dog's neck, or God forbid, on a child.

The 100lb bully may not need much exercise. Some of those dogs can get winded from a short walk.

Most of the dogs you are considering are working breeds, which means they need to be exercised regularly. That's a significant daily time commitment unless there is a good sized yard for the dog to run around in.

You are considering large dogs, mostly assertive breeds. That means your daughter needs to be fairly assertive herself because someone in that relationship is going to be the alpha. You don't want a situation where the dog is the alpha. Women are often not great at approaching their relationship with their dog in this manner, which is why you so often see women being pulled around by the leash by their alpha dog. If there's a risk she will be the beta, better to be beta to a smaller dog than some 80+lb dog that she cannot control. Or go with a breed that isn't quite so assertive - that will make it easier for the dog to accept their owner as the alpha without constantly challenging her to prove she is the alpha.
 
  #45  
Old 10-21-20, 10:22 PM
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You're right, I looked into the dog further and it's indeed a pitbull mix but I don't know what the mix is.
I think she can be assertive if we get the dog as a puppy, my mom had shepherds growing up and said there were zero issues with the breed
 
  #46  
Old 11-11-20, 03:22 PM
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After many attempts at fostering, adopting, and even purchasing we went to a place about four hours away in south central Virginia and got a 12 week old Shepherd. This is day one and so far it’s a very loving dog and things are working out well, no issues with the cats


 
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  #47  
Old 11-12-20, 08:42 PM
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So granted it's only been about 48 hours but given that there's been zero progress in training this dog to not defecate in the house, at what point do you hire a professional?

I've read up on all the indications, whimpering, going in circles, looking at the floor, smelling things etc. but when I take her out she'll only pee or poop about 50% of the time. The other 50% of the time, there's zero warning, could be in mid play with toys and all of a sudden squat down and finish before I even have a chance to bolt over and grab her (her waking hours are spent with me watching/listening).

Separately I read puppies are supposed to sleep 18-20 hours per day, this one will likely take one or two brief catnaps and sleep 6-7 hours overnight, maybe if I could get her get more sleep that would solve the problem...?
 
  #48  
Old 11-13-20, 03:28 AM
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I dont know if yall still work but, when we got our 1 year old Mini Schnauzer, we put her in the bathroom with a bowl of water & her bed during the day while we were at work. A dog wont pee & poop where they live.... in a small area. After about 3 or 4 days, she was house broke.
I dont know if every dog is hat easily trained but that was a pretty simple option for us. Put her in there when we go to work, & let her out when we come home, then let her out every couple of hours until we go to bed. Then she slept in our master bath with a baby gate up during the night. No issues since.
 
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  #49  
Old 11-13-20, 04:38 AM
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Crate training works well as long as the crate is not too big. Limit food and water after a certain time each day. Take the dog outside more, even if it was just out an hour ago. Just take it out every time you think of it. That's what made the difference for me with a puppy.
 
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  #50  
Old 11-13-20, 04:54 AM
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I can section off the hallway area from the front door to the living room. That would include the powder room if I could ever get her to pee and poop on the toilet through a board with a hold cutout.

I think the main problem is this puppy is not sleeping more than 7 hours a day and I'm reading she should be almost tripling that. This wouldn't be so bad if it weren't sucking all my waking hours
 
  #51  
Old 11-13-20, 05:10 AM
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I have my doubts about that plan, but good luck. A dog will pee anywhere as long as it doesn't have to lay in it and it sounds like the area will be too big to ensure that. Get a crate - they make big ones that have a moveable divider so you can make it small enough for the puppy now but gradually move it as the puppy grows. No water in the crate, and it should be just big enough for the dog to stand up and turn around but that's it.

Keep in mind that everything you do is "training" the dog. If it gets used to peeing and pooing in the house , that's because that's what you trained it to do and the older it gets the harder it is. Time spent now pays off later for years to come.

My parents had a puppy years ago and they tried to crate train it but they couldn't handle the dog crying on the first night, so they gave up on it. For the next 12 years they had a dog that pooped and peed in the house. They penned it in the kitchen when they left and would have a mess to clean up when they returned. Every. Single. Time.

One more thought - a tired dog is a good dog!
 
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  #52  
Old 11-14-20, 05:28 AM
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MichaelChang,

Sorry I've been MIA. I just had major abdominal surgery.

I have to say I do not get any kickback whatsoever from this site but it is one of my top referral sites for helping with training. Their methods are pretty much the same methods I follow.

List of Crate Training Q&A's

You have to make the effort to train the pup...it will not train itself and it is a very time intensive phase in the first few months.

I will say I hope you did your research and that your puppy has bloodlines with No Hip Dysplasia, and no other common issues with GSDs. Your breeder should have given you a written health guarantee and be willing, regardless of when or for what reason, to take the pup back if for any reason you cannot keep it. That does not mean a refund only a guarantee the pup will be properly rehomed or kept by the breeder.

please give me few more days recovery time to get my pain management under control and my brain working again and I'll add to this post's information.

Congrats on your new puppy.
 
  #53  
Old 11-14-20, 08:54 PM
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RhainyC,

Sorry to hear about having to undergo surgery I hope things turn out ok.
I did not so much research other than it seemed to be a reputable breeder.
It's taken 4 days to train her to ring the bell when she wants to go outside and no accidents today BUT several "false alarms" in the sense of whining to go outside but just to walk, not to pee or poop.

How can I teach her to use one bell that is the "urgent" pee/poop bell and another different sounding bell of lesser urgency to just go for a walk?
 
  #54  
Old 11-14-20, 09:06 PM
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MichaelChang,

Thank you, I had a major abdominal restructuring as having my gallbladder removed and an umbilical hernia repaired...3 major surgeries in one. Not fun but hopefully I'll be healing soon enough.

Please take time to go read the articles and watch the Free Videos on the site I referred you to:

https://leerburg.com/

By doing that, you will almost assuredly resolve all of your problems with your puppy if you're consistent and follow through with training. Once again, do yourself and your dog a HUGE favour and properly crate train your puppy. It literally could say not only your life but his.

Keep us posted.

If you look through the Q&A section, Cindy will answer your questions fairly promptly and also offer suggestions for articles, and videos that will help if you follow the directions given.
 
  #55  
Old 11-16-20, 04:04 PM
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My parents had a puppy years ago and they tried to crate train it but they couldn't handle the dog crying on the first night, so they gave up on it. For the next 12 years they had a dog that pooped and peed in the house. They penned it in the kitchen when they left and would have a mess to clean up when they returned. Every. Single. Time.
What a disaster. Thanks for sharing. They'd have been much better off wearing earmuffs at night for a few weeks and getting that dog trained correctly!
 
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  #56  
Old 03-21-21, 03:13 PM
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So I haven't really posted after those first 4 days but that's because things have been going very well.
She was actually no longer peeing and pooping in the house just before the third day but I wanted to give it an extra day just to be sure.
In any case she's very trainable and does whatever we ask. She has free reign of the house and we don't use a crate.
She's 7 months now and not sure if it's too early or too late but I'd like to get her some employment opportunities, paid or unpaid. I was at the pet store a while back and heard this lady talk about how her shepherd works a couple days a week but didn't think to ask.
I asked the question on Leerburg but they didn't know of any "job board" like Indeed or Monster for dogs.

Anyone on here can point me in the right direction?
 
  #57  
Old 03-21-21, 04:34 PM
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MichaelChang,

I would suggest getting in touch with your local chapter of Agility Club, and see if they have any suggestions. Either than or your local German Shepherd or Border Collie Clubs. It's a place to start at least...

Do keep us posted~

 
  #58  
Old 03-22-21, 05:23 PM
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I'll look into that,
One major issue I'm having is with one of the cats.
The other cat and the dog have developed a friendship (see photo).
The one cat, whenever he and the GSD get close to each other, starts trying to claw at the GSD. (It's not the GSDs fault, she's only approaching gradually).
The cats get along with each other and since there's nothing I can train the GSD to do better (other than keep away),
is it possible to train the cat?



GSD with cat that she's friends with
 
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  #59  
Old 03-22-21, 06:26 PM
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Great looking pup. What are you doing to help her burn off some energy?
 
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  #60  
Old 03-23-21, 07:30 AM
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MichaelChang,

The best thing you can do for training the problem cat to mellow out is probably a squirt bottle on Stream setting with water. Anytime the cat gets swatty with the dog, spray the cat with the bottle. One tip on the spray bottle, do not use a cheap one, buy one that is a "Professional" type that stays primed, or you'll be pumping away, with no spray, while it's needed...

Also be sure to praise the pup for not reacting negatively to the cat's bad behaviour...

Do keep us posted...
 
  #61  
Old 03-28-21, 08:07 PM
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To tire her out I take her downstairs to the gym area and have her fetch balls and jump for the rope. Jumping high is one of the fastest ways to tire her out.
I will try squirting the cat and post how it goes, thanks
 
 

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