Pit Bulls in the Household

OK, let's start by identifying the APBT (American Pit Bull Terrier). There are a few breeds that are commonly mistaken for the APBT. First we have the American Staffordshire Terrier and the Staffordshire Terrier. Both dogs originated in the 19th century, where the APBT originated in the 20th century. Both of these breeds have common features of an APBT but if you do some research you will find otherwise. Second is the Bull Terrier and the American Bulldog. The Bull Terrier is shorter in stature and has a more football shaped head. The American Bulldog on the other hand looks similar to the APBT but is generally larger in size.

First I'd like to say congratulations on looking into getting a new member of the family. Before you decide to go and pick up your new puppy, you should ask yourself a few questions first.

Do I have time to give this dog proper exercise? The APBT is energetic and requires a good amount of exercise everyday. Long walks, one on one playing time in the backyard, and plenty of chew toys are a must have to burn down that excess energy. They do become bored easily and will begin to explore things they are not allowed into, so as a puppy supervision is needed. These habits will usually break over time.

Will I be leaving my dog home alone for most of the day? It is not fair to leave any dog at home alone for extended periods of time, but some breeds handle it better than others. For example, the APBT is a bad dog to leave home alone for long periods of time. They will become bored quickly and begin to explore everything they can get into to entertain themselves. Where as the Saint Bernard is an ok dog to leave home because they are less hyperactive and more mellow. Once again the APBT habits of destruction when left alone will usually break over time but be sure to puppy proof your house. A good way of doing this is to get down on the ground at your puppies height and look around. Everything you see there is what they will see so look for cords, cleaning supplies, and anything that is harmful to your puppy or you don't want them into.

Do I have the patience for proper training of this breed? The APBT is commonly reffered to as bull headed. This is mostly not true. The APBT is actually bery easy to train because of their devotion to their owner and to please them. They just sometimes prefer to try to please you in their own way. They respond very well to praising such as petting them or telling them they did good. This works hand in hand with their willingness to please you. They do respond well to treat training however the breed is smart and can create habits of not doing tricks or listening when you do not have treats.

Do I have children? Now I would never discourage somebody from getting the dog they want, but certain breeds do better with children than other. The APBT is usually great with children they just need extra attention with smaller children. If you have small children then getting a baby APBT is probably the best way to go. It will grow up with a small child in it's life so it won't be so overwhelming like if you were to bring a full grown dog home that had never seen a small child before. All in all though the APBT does do pretty well with children.

So over all the APBT is a great choice for a pet. As long as they get to run their energy out and are trained properly. This breed does take extra attention when it comes to small children but doesn't do to bad. It's loyalty and willingness to please it's owner makes it easy to train, although sometimes they do want to do things their way. They do well with strangers because they are a people pleasing dog. The breed was bred to fight dogs not people so they will need to be socialized with other dogs but as far as people go they will probably just run up and lick them to death. One of the biggest things about this breed is to not believe the "Bull" just because some people abuse these animals, doesn't mean the breed should suffer for it. Every dog has it's own personality and starts a clean slate so don't judge them all, because a few were neglected or abused.