Oh, no-I found a Pit Bull-what now?

[lesson_junkie]

I picked up a Pit puppy out of the middle of the road this morning- about 8-9 weeks old, hungry, very thin, open sores, covered with fleas-what do you do, ya know?

I took him home to feed him and bathe him before taking him to the local Humane Society, and as it happens, he’s fitting in great with my other (7) dogs-so what do I do now?

Do we have a happy future as a multianimal household if we try to include a Pit? I don’t dislike them, but I do respect what they are. I don’t want to make the other animals miserable.

The #1 farm rule here is that the cats (10!) walk a straight line- rule 1A is no chasing the horses. Can a Pit be happy living with lots of other small animals on a horse farm?

I’m not wanting to start an argument. I’m just curious about other folks’ experiences. I’d like to keep him if I can-the humane society is covered up with pups just like this one, and I don’t believe in passing the the responsibility to others if I don’t have to.

TIA

[wireweiners]

Tiger, a full grown intact male pit, showed up a my house right before Christmas about 3-4 years ago. He got along with my neutered male catahoula, female lab and female heeler just fine. He doesn’t bother the horses or any other livestock (he’s scared of them), gets along with all the other dogs but he is death on cats. All my kitties are indoor but I do know he has caught the occasional feral cat and killed it. Now since your pit is a young pup, I do believe you can teach him to leave your cats alone. It would depend on his prey drive.

[Lynnwood]

As young as he is it really is very relevant how you raise and condition him. There are always two sides of the dog coin they are former predators and unless someone explains to them that is not an acceptable behavior you can’t fault them when something finally sets those instincts into motion.

Luckily for me I have stand their ground teeth and claw grumpy old bitty cats. New puppies learn straight off to give the kittys much respect and a wide berth.

[cswoodlandfairy]

I have a few friends that have pitts and cats and they get along great. Most of these are indoor cats too. They were pups when introduced to the cats and learned they were friend not foe.

But I definitely agree with Lynnwood. Its really all about how you raise the pup. Give him as much exposure to the cats.

[BansheeBreeze]

I picked up a pit mix on the side of the road too (she’d been hit by a car). Rescues wouldn’t take her because of her breed and was told if I took her to Animal Control she’d be put to sleep immediately because of it as well. So now I have a pit! She is the most wonderful dog we could have asked for, I encourage you to take a chance on this pup

When I introduced her to cats (3 older kittens between me and my roommate), I was really nervous because she got that CHASE HUNT KILL! look in her eyes and immediately pounced on top of them. But then she would just start licking them like she was cleaning a puppy, she never tried to hurt them. We did have to reprimand her alot at first because she would play too rough and end up hurting them (not intentionally). She eventually learned how to play with them appropriately. My bfs moms cats aren’t cool with playing and will give her a smack on the face so she’s learned to stay away from them.

She lives with just my one cat now and they are best friends. They play together often. Their favorite game is when the cat will come flying out of the bedroom, leap onto her head, wrap his legs around her neck and play bite her ear(he plays very rough!), then they take off chasing each other around the house. Every once in awhile she will get a little too rough but never intentional. They sleep curled up together, and often when she is happy and excited she’ll run over to kiss him.

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She seems to do well with other dogs although our only real experience has been a couple visits to the dog park. Again she just doesn’t seem just doesn’t seem to understand how to interact with other dogs. At first she was just scared but she quickly overcame that. We are still testing out her social skills there, but as far as what I’ve seen, she just gets a little excited when the other get rough do and calms down right away when asked to step down a notch.

I think with a puppy you will have no problems. Just educate yourself as much as possible on pitbulls and raise him right so he knows his boundaries. If he isn’t working out, at least you will hopefully have a well adjusted, well behaved and educated dog that you will be able to find a good home that is more suited to his needs. FWIW, it seems if you want to find a home for a pitbull, people who work with dogs professionally on some level seem to love them! Vet techs, groomers, etc. They really can be great dogs. Good luck and bless you for saving him! And we demand to see pictures!

[Schune]

I think the puppy is definitely young enough to be trained that cats are off-limits.

For the first intro, possibly pick the most arrogant/self-assured cat you have. This may sound cruel, but when they are that young sometimes one good swat on the muzzle is all it takes to teach them that the cats are furry demi-gods that must be obeyed and avoided at all costs.

[MtyMax]

We picked up our pit pup as a 1.5-2yr old. She was found running down the road with another pit, both were skinny, covered in road rash, and had very damaged/torn pads.

K is the sweetest little pup ever! We’ve had her for 1.5 yrs now and I couldn’t ask for a better dog…except for when she gets anxious and chews my baseboards:eek:

We do not have another dog in the house, but this girl goes to doggy daycare (where the owners abolutely adore her) and she goes to the barn on a regular basis. There are two male BC’s at the barn that she gets along with fabulously. K has had to learn some “doggy” manners and in general needs hardy dogs to play with as she plays HARD.

This may not be the norm, but this dog has NO prey drive and I’m not sure how she survived as a stray. The cat is the boss in our house and K does not cross that line.

I was very skeptical about getting a pit. This is my first dog, and I have done my best to install all the important commands. Because this dog is a pit, I feel an extra responsbility to do right by my dog, and that includes training and structure. I feel lucky that K is extremely submissive and tolerant towards both people and animals.

Good Luck!

[make_x_it_x_so]

Give it a Shot!

I’ve got a pit mix (with some hound in her as well- so TWO kinds of dogs you usually don’t think of as good with cats), and she was already over a year old when I adopted her. We’ve had her almost 4 months now, and she is absolutely WONDERFUL!

One of our indoor cats is a big lazy lump, and she gets along with him quite well. Sometimes she plays a bit rough but she’s gotten a lot better with constant reinforcement from us.

Our other cat is a nervous little thing, and he mostly hides in the basement (he’s scared of people, including us). She does chase him to the stairs whenever she catches him on the main level of the house, but she stops at the doggie gate and is getting much better at “leave it.”

My best recommendation is to install a really good “leave it”- it’s my go-to command and it’s 99% effective with birds/squirrels, and improving every day with other dogs/cats/people. And I should note that in the latter category, her intent is never to kill or harm, just "OMG A PLAYMATE FOR ME? CAN I GO MOM CAN I CAN I CAN I?

I’ve never had a pit or pit mix before, but I would not hesitate to adopt another when time and space allow!

[SquishTheBunny]

They can be WONDERFUL dogs. Loyal, smart, and most of all, sensible.

I have a pitty and a minitatue poodle. I have had the pitty for 12+ years, and throughout all 7 of my lifetime dogs she is my ultimate favourite.

If puppy grows up in your herd, your other dogs should help teach him the ropes. You do need to do certain training with them from the get go.
Teach commands such as, “leave it” “OUT” “Drop it” etc. Even when feeding, tell them “out” in the middle of their meal, they should stop and allow you to relocate food, or let another dog come share the meal. Recall is important as well.

Mine shares the bed with a poodle, bunny and cat. Couldnt imagine life without her.

[My_Two_Cents]

The first thing I would do is try to find out if someone is missing him before I fell in love with him. So many people assume the dog they have found has been dumped and sometimes they have just lost their way and someone is looking for them. Check with local authorities, humane societys, local gas stations for flyers. Then if you can’t find his owners, plan his future.

[LauraKY]

Socialize, socialize, socialize. And check with your homeowner’s insurance. You don’t want any surprises.

[MunchingonHay]

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someone better tell my pittie that he and his kitty should not be getting along.

But as the other posters have mentioned. The pup is young enough to learn from the get go that cats are sharp, that the other 7 dogs are above him/her, that horses are not big dogs to chase and play with. The pressure to make a great dog is on YOU. Not the dog.

[bludejavu]

There is a long saga on here back in the archives of a very hungry pittie who showed up in my barn several years ago. She was approx. four years old and time went by as I tried to arrange to get her to a rescue in N. Carolina (another member on here). She stayed too long, stole my heart and she’s a family member now. I never wanted a Pit Bull, but she just ignored my bad opinion and walked right into my heart. I’ve never regretted keeping her. She’s funny, downright hilarious at times, loves the horses, loves my husband and would love our little house dog if she wasn’t terrified of him.

I say keep your puppy!:yes:

[vacation1]

The issue I’d be most concerned about isn’t the cats or small pets, but other dogs. Pit bulls were developed for dog-aggression, and that has never been fixed. Like many breeds, many do wonderfully as puppies but as they mature sexually (neutered or not), develop some level of intolerance for other dogs - either most other dogs or particular individuals they simply don’t ‘click’ with - and start showing signs of aggression. True, this happens in other breeds, but with pit bulls you have a very powerful dog which, once it is aroused to attack, is extremely difficult to handle and almost impossible to disengage. I’m sure there are pit bulls that live in multi-dog households where nothing’s ever happened. But it’s a bad risk to add a pit bull to a household filled with dogs where the owner tends to the generous “room for one more” philosophy.

I’m curious, though, about this thread compared to the Rhodesian Ridgeback one where people are mostly saying “Look, this breed is not really good for what you want.” I realize the situation of pit bulls in terms of numbers being euthanized unwanted cuts to people’s hearts, but that’s not a reason to overlook the obvious drawbacks in individual situations.

[blairasb]

[QUOTE=lesson junkie;6581142]
I picked up a Pit puppy out of the middle of the road this morning- about 8-9 weeks old, hungry, very thin, open sores, covered with fleas-what do you do, ya know?

I took him home to feed him and bathe him before taking him to the local Humane Society, and as it happens, he’s fitting in great with my other (7) dogs-so what do I do now?

Do we have a happy future as a multianimal household if we try to include a Pit? I don’t dislike them, but I do respect what they are. I don’t want to make the other animals miserable.

The #1 farm rule here is that the cats (10!) walk a straight line- rule 1A is no chasing the horses. Can a Pit be happy living with lots of other small animals on a horse farm?

I’m not wanting to start an argument. I’m just curious about other folks’ experiences. I’d like to keep him if I can-the humane society is covered up with pups just like this one, and I don’t believe in passing the the responsibility to others if I don’t have to.

TIA[/QUOTE]

Don’t be worried. I used to work as a dog groomer. Pits were hands down the easiest, best temperamented dogs I got to work on.

My sister adopted a boisterous pitbull puppy from our local humane society. She is awesomely smart- has done agility and lots of obedience work. She has three cats who Libby just loves and is very respectful toward, and is far more tolerant of their bratty 18 month old daughter than I am… .

My sister’s pup’s paperwork was written up by the vet as a boxer mix to help in the insurance department.

When my sister comes for a visit, she lives at my grams house and is great with the little ShihTzu mix (awful little dog.). She also did great when my sister fostered a couple different pitties for a rescue. Including one who was previously used as a bait dog in a dog fighting ring and had some issues.

[DoubleClick]

@vacation1;6582051

The issue I’d be most concerned about isn’t the cats or small pets, but other dogs. Pit bulls were developed for dog-aggression, and that has never been fixed. Like many breeds, many do wonderfully as puppies but as they mature sexually (neutered or not), develop some level of intolerance for other dogs - either most other dogs or particular individuals they simply don’t ‘click’ with - and start showing signs of aggression. True, this happens in other breeds, but with pit bulls you have a very powerful dog which, once it is aroused to attack, is extremely difficult to handle and almost impossible to disengage. I’m sure there are pit bulls that live in multi-dog households where nothing’s ever happened. But it’s a bad risk to add a pit bull to a household filled with dogs where the owner tends to the generous “room for one more” philosophy.

I think most of your terrier breeds are not the best candidates for a multi-dog home that has the amount of dogs you have. I’m a terrier person with multiple terriers and know that they have to be managed very carefully in a pack situation, whether they are raised as pups or not. To an extent, it really just is who they are. If your other dogs are not terriers and are non-reactive about life, then you might be in a little better situation should this pup turn out to be more reactive.

If you keep the pup and it proves cat safe, please never leave it unsupervised with the cats. My terrier girls are very respectful of my cats and never show an aggressive interest in them, but they are terriers. That is something I never, ever, ever, ever forget.

[lesson_junkie]

Thanks for all the replies, everyone. It’s been a quiet night, no drama past a little growling from the Grumpy Old Man JRT.

Feeding supper was chaotic, but it got done. So far, the cats are doing okay. So far, so good.

ETA-DoubleClick-I have a Doberman, 3 Jacks, 2 Foxhound crosses, and a Wheaton/Chow mix. I run a very tight ship, vacation-what I say, goes. That’s the only way all this works.

You two have voiced my concerns. I don’t want to do anything to upset my carefully balanced apple cart.

[IdahoRider]

I have fostered several Pit Bulls, and found them to be absolute joys to work and live with. However, there are a couple of issues that you really need to be aware of if you intend to keep this puppy.

The first is that a dog’s genetics are hardwired into them and no amount of training and socializing is going to preempt the genetics. The Pit Bull-type dogs were bred to be very, very dog aggressive and very, very easy for humans to handle. Dog-dog aggression was the desired trait and was selectively bred for. Over many, many, many generations.

That being said, not every Pit Bull is a dog killing machine. Just like not every Border Collie is going to be a sheep herding fool. Sometimes purpose is lost in particular lines. Sometimes purpose skips a generation. Whatever the reason, some dogs just don’t have that hardwired, purpose-driven behavior.

I think it is wonderful that a breed/type such as the Pit Bull has such passionate supporters. But I also think that sometimes we do the dogs a disservice by thinking that some behaviors can be eliminated entirely with enough love, training and socializing. The truth is that a really “gamey” Pit Bull will never be trained, loved or socialized to the point where they wouldn’t be a danger to other dogs. I worry that it lulls people into a false sense of security. We seem perfectly fine with the idea that a Labrador has ball crazy genetically hardwired in, but we seem less comfortable accepting that a Pit Bull could have dog aggression genetically set in the same way.

The second issue to be aware of is that some dogs are okay with other dogs until they hit late adolescence/early adulthood and then they become much less tolerant. Or they might become very selective about which dogs they accept and which dogs they won’t. And sometimes the signs of impending trouble are not picked up on and it ends up seeming as if one day they were good around other dogs and the next day they weren’t.

The website for Bad Rap Rescue in California has a lot of great advice and information about Pit Bulls. I think the addy is www.badrap.org

This is a breed/type of dog that makes a wonderful companion. Happy, super loving and smart. Great with people of all ages. They have so much going for them. The ones that I have fostered have been hard to give up once they found their own family. But…be aware that you can do everything “right” and still end up with a dog that is not safe around other dogs.
Sheilah

[M.K.Smith]

I volunteer at a SPCA where most of the dogs are Pits… and there are so many wonderful dogs looking for their forever homes. A lot of them aren’t fond of cats, but I don’t think it is right to generalize…

I got a kick out of a little Tortie kitten… she was in a cage where you had to walk the dogs by. That little spitfire would jump out towards dogs, arch her back, hiss and bat out at each dog that walked by. Didn’t matter that she was all of about maybe 3 pounds! It was the cutest thing! It was all I could do to not take her home with me!

I actually have a lab and a beagle who need to learn not to chase the cats!!!

I would tend to think that properly socialized dogs and cats can learn to get along together. A lot of it will depend on the individual animals.

[SquishTheBunny]

If he has a grumpy JRT as pack leader,it should be just fine What dog wouldnt respect a geriatric jack?