Note: Throughout discussions of the Pit Bull breed, you will notice two words repeated over and over again: Responsible Ownership. With media hysteria and BSL looming closer every day, we good owners, find ourselves endlessly having to defend our breed. Every bad story and headline damage our dogs even further. Irresponsible and ignorant owners have done almost as much damage to these dogs as dogfighters have. The Pit Bull is an exceptional breed that requires exceptional dedication and ownership.This page may seem to paint a grim picture of Pit Bull ownership, but the breed's very survival depends on new owners knowing what they are getting into, and ALL owners being responsible and protecting the breed's reputation.
T0 SUMMARIZE THE PROPER PIT BULL TEMPERAMENT
1. Pit Bulls are often dog-aggressive to one extent or another (this often shows up at or near sexual maturity). A dog that was previously non-dog aggressive may "turn-on" and suddenly doesn't like other dogs of the same sex, or, for that matter, any dogs at all, even housemates they have been raised with. Adult Pit Bulls should NEVER be left alone with other dogs and require proper supervision.
2. Pit Bulls may exhibit intense "prey drive", leading them to "stalk" small animals such as cats, rats, chickens, livestock, or other pets.
3. Pit Bulls are precocious and incomparable escape artists, who will often seem to squirt right out of a supposedly secure yard or enclosure. When coupled with # 1 and # 2, you can see why a responsible Pit Bull owner is a vigilant pit bull owner.
4. Pit bulls are intelligent, and most enjoy training, if it is done properly. This makes them excellent prospects for dog sports such as agility, obedience, weight pull, and Frisbee competitions.
5. Pit Bulls tend to LOVE people. All people. This makes them a poor choice for a "guardian breed". Most of them are simply too friendly to protect a house against strangers. A Pit Bull that shows unprovoked human aggression (puppy play nips do NOT count) is showing BAD temperament and in most cases should be put to sleep. Such a dog should obviously NEVER be bred under any circumstances. The breeding of dogs with bad temperaments is one of the largest problems the breed faces today and fuels the fire of breed specific legislation.
7. Pit bulls tend to be very "soft" with their family, meaning that they are eager to please their humans. They should not have to be "shown who's boss", but will thrive under "positive leadership". A Pit Bull of proper temperament is a devoted and loving family member, inspiring immense loyalty to the breed. You will often hear a Pit Bull's owner tell you that after owning one, they will never own any other breed.
Built for performance, the pit bull is a medium sized, very muscular, short coated breed. The head is bricklike, the jaws strong and wide, the ears may be cropped or not (I prefer uncropped dogs for several reasons). The body is typically very strong, with a deep chest, powerful and proportionate hind end and solid legs. The overall impression should be of power and athleticism. This is not a dog for couch potatoes, as it requires A LOT of training and exercise. With this breed it is important to remember to exercise both the dog's body and mind. Remember, a tired pit bull is a happy pit bull and a bored pit bull is NOT a good thing! They will find some very inventive ways to entertain themselves that the owner may not like (often involving the garbage can, kitchen counter and cabinets, feather pillows, dirty laundry and various items of furniture).
Remember also, that this is a VERY enthusiastic breed that may very well overwhelm young children or older people with it's affection. This breed needs to be taught to sit and greet people calmly as it's natural inclination will probably be to climb into their lap, put a paw on each of their shoulders, and attempt to wipe their face off with it's tongue. Attempts to convince a full grown pit bull that it is too big to be a "lap dog" will, more often than not, fall on deaf ears if it was not taught "manners" as a puppy. Do not allow your puppy to do anything you don't want your adult dog to do (eg climb on the couch, sleep in the bed, invade your lap, etc.).
TRAINING
First of all, for anyone asking the question, "Do I need to train my pit bull?", the answer is a resounding YES! As with very young children, dogs need guidance and structure, and should never be left to make decisions on their own. Training teaches the dog and owner to understand and communicate with each other and prevents misunderstandings. In the case of the Pit Bull, training also prevents the kind of headlines that make all good Pit owners cringe.
How should a pit bull be trained? The most important thing is to find a method that works for your dog, and stick with it. There are almost as many methods for dog training as there are dog trainers. Most of those methods fit into one of two categories: Positive training methods or aversive training methods. Positive methods include using food rewards, toy rewards, pure praise, gentle leaders, and clickers. Aversive methods include using praise/correction, choke chains, prong collars, and/or shock collars. Both types of training, done correctly, will result in a trained dog. It is a matter of how you want to get there. As I said in the temperament section, Pit Bulls tend to be very "soft" with their families, and it is very possible to ruin a good dog by "over correcting" with a choke chain, prong collar, and particularly a shock collar. As a very good positive trainer I know put it, "Aversive training is something you do TO your dog, positive training is something you do WITH your dog".
Finding a good trainer can be a bit of a challenge, depending on where you live. Some things to look for are: Experience with the breed (or at least no breed prejudice against Pit Bulls and a good understanding of the breed's nature), what methods are used (and are you comfortable with them), recommendations from former students, and, last but not least, take a look at the trainer's own dogs (are they well behaved). The best way to assess a trainer's methods is to ask to "sit in" on a training session. If the trainer refuses to let you watch, look elsewhere.
As a special note for Pit Bulls: I would avoid any class that has "forced socialization" between the dogs, particularly adult dogs. Any trainer that wants to muzzle a dog-aggressive pit bull and force it to "socialize" with other dogs is not knowledgeable in the breed , and can actually make dog aggression worse.
NOTE: CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT "PITBULLS" / AS WELL AS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT SPECIFIC TOPIC.
www.pbrc.net/
www.pitbull-apbt.com/
www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html
More info on BSL:
www.pets.ca/forum/archive/index.php/f-31.html
www.understand-a-bull.com/
http://www.kinnemankennels.com/ LINKS:BSL on the left toolbar
VIDEO:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QawYXs2e2oE