Littlefoot, Jaxon, and Ceasar (a.k.a. "Tinkerbell") on the way home from the dog park.
2010/07/10 at 3:24 pm
Hello, I just wanted to let you know I think Caesar is a wonderful dog. Now my fam. has always loved pits and the next dog we get we hopefully can get a pit. Our street however does NOT like them at all. So I was wondering “Hey! We can just get a laid back one!”That way we do nt have to worry about the pit getting in a fight w/ another dog or biting someone. So what should I look for in a pit to get calmish, laid back traits??
Thanks
Crista–
Sorry it’s taking me so long to respond!! Well, first of all– if you get a puppy pit, it’s going to be active and playful like any other pup, but as it grows, people in society will react differently to your pup than they would, say, a golden retriever pup. Many reactions your pup will be exposed to will be that of fear, surprise, and unease– things that the dog will pick up and respond to with fear itself (more than likely). So before you get a pit pup, have a plan and a community (a handful of friends and family) who you can count on to help you socialize your pit so that its predominant interactions with other humans will establish confidence in the dog instead of fear and mistrust.
Also with a puppy– pits (in my experience, and I’ve experienced quite a few) are EXTREMELY loving, outgoing, athletic, energetic, and ESPECIALLY aloof, lol. So you’re going to quickly get a ball of active muscle that is so full of love and eagerness to play and meet other dogs and people that its aloofness could inhibit it from using “proper” dog language— and though this is not aggressive, because society has such a poor image of pit bulls, you’re going to experience reactions of fear when your energetic dog goes racing toward a “new friend” dog and tackles it ready to play wrestle and play chase like an over-sized ADHD kid might in the McDonalds playground.
That being said— it’s crucial that you only get a big dog pup (especially one as energetic and eager as a pit bull) if you’re seriously dedicated to exercising it daily IN ADDITION to the necessary morning and evening jaunt around the block so it can get it’s bladder and bowels emptied (undoubtedly in your neighbor’s yard)
Proper exercise includes anything ranging from a good round of fetch, a jog, a run next to your bike, or a very long walk. Unless you end up with as a big of a lazy couch potato as Ceasar (which is rare in any breed, I just totally lucked out with both he and my yellow lab mix, Jaxon), then you really won’t get away with only minimal exercise.
Big legs at the city's doggy day at the pool
Exercise is the BEST way to (1) bond with your animal so that it trusts you to provide it with meeting its needs (2) subtly train your dog to be in tune with you desires and “rules.” I’ve never actually taken Jaxon to a training class, and the only obedience we did was sit, stay, down + a few mundane tricks in his first few months, but his form of training happened by taking him on long walks off leash, and correcting his behavior if he strayed too far away, calling him back routinely for some one-on-one play time, and sitting and staying occasionally just to keep him attentive to my wishes and my leadership. He’s an excellent dog that never strays, would never run away, “leaves it” on command, and can respond to my commands (which are usually no more than a grunt) immediately. Even down to not stepping off a sidewalk, or not scratching himself when we’re in a public place.
Moral of that rant: IF YOU WANT A WELL-BEHAVED DOG (pit bull or not, but especially a pit since society will already be so judgmental), then EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE is KEY!
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Ok– so if you’re looking to adopt an adult, then patience is what you’ll need, first and foremost. Find no-kill shelters (preferably in your area) so that you can meet the dog, walk it, sit with it, pet its head, its back, its back haunches, its chin, its tummy— take a book and sit next to it and read for a while quietly to see how it responds, walk it around other relaxed dogs, bring a kid by to see how it reacts to little humans, take a can of cheeze whiz and put it on your finger (once the dogs gentleness has been established) and let it lick the cheeze whiz off so you can get a feel for its knack for knowing how to gently take the treat without taking your finger, lol. Doing these things are all practice for what you’re going to have in a calm, relaxed dog. If the dog isn’t calm and relaxed already, and you’re strictly looking for a dog that already has a relaxed disposition, then this is a good way to test its congruence with your needs in a dog. (This process shouldn’t all happen in one, spontaneous afternoon, either– take a week or so– really make sure this is YOUR DOG before you take it away.)
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Depending on your financial freedom, you can also look into rescues like Sunshine Pit Bull rescue. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sunshine-Pitbull-Rescue/294901092078 (Or another reputable rescue— but the man who leads Sunshine is very approachable and communicative— since you won’t be able to spend time with the dog before you pick it up/get the dog, then you’ll want to very specifically tell him what you’re looking for in a dog so that he can best try to match your needs.
Cuddly pit bull in the morning
I hope this helps!
If you remember anything from it— let it be this:
Pit bulls are NOT prone to attack or bite– it is the human in the pit bulls life that creates this behavior, fosters it, feeds it, and promotes it. But though that may be true, the media has not helped the pit bull image and you WILL have an uphill battle getting strangers to automatically respect your pit and trust you and the dog itself.
Regardless of age, prior raising, or disposition– your dog DOES NEED A DAILY WALK + additional exercise suited to its needs and levels of athleticism and energy.
Take care!
jamie
