aggressive pitbull pups

My parents have bought 2 pitbulls that are from the same litter. They've got a boy and a girl. Champ and Cheida.

Chieda (the female) is constantly biting and Champ and they seem to be fighting very aggressively. They took them to dog training and (somehow???) Champ managed to get free and lock onto another dogs neck. His teeth are still pretty small so thankfully no damage was done.

Is it a problem to have 2 pitbulls from the same pack?
Would they ever seriously harm each other?


Another thing:

The cats have began to shite in the house upstairs which is very unusual. Will the dogs kill the cats?

The dogs have been bought as a measure of protection from the drastically increasing crime in the South Africa unless you've lived there in the past 3 years - you cannot understand and wont believe it. The problem is the (sick) criminals take a piece of meat and put a weedkiller poison on it which, once consumed, kills the dog in a matter of minutes.

Is there a way to train the dogs to not eat any meat thrown to them unless by the owner?

I have no doubt that my parents will give the dogs a priveleged home - well fed and always loved!

I know pitbulls have a bad history. But surely if they are unconditionally loved and well treated they wont go for their owners?

 

apologies this want meant to go to the pitbull specific forum

 

If they are only puppies I believe the fighting aggressively you are speaking of is not aggressive play at all. It is simply puppy play.

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I want to clear on thing up the whole thing with APBT having "locking jaws" is a myth! It is in no way true. And again if these are puppies you are talking about I can't believe one just ran over and attacked another puppy!
I have 4-5 dogs in and out of my house at all times not to mention I also foster dogs of various breeds and I have never seen a puppy just attack another puppy unless it was puppy play.

A male and female can normally get along great together but of course should always be supervised.
Pit bulls are known to have dog aggression but should not have human aggression what so ever!

If your parents bought APBT for protection they most likely bought the wrong breed of dog. As I said earlier APBT are not people aggressive dogs naturally it's something that has to be taught to them.
As far as the cats go the cats are probably just reacting to the new members of the household. I have cats and none of my dogs have ever dared try and hurt one of my cats of course they chased them as puppies.
Any dog could possibly hurt a cat if left unattended.

IM a little confused by the above statement? What do you mean by bad history? And go for their owners? To be totally honest it does not sound to me like you or your family are prepared to own an APBT if you have to ask such an asinine question.

 

i agree with GinaH they are pups and they will seem to be serious, if you want it to stop you have to be firm with them and let them no what there boundries are. it will take time but as long as your firm it will work.

 

youd be better off with some grenade launchers and bulletproof vests if youre in south africa [sorry]. you can train a dog not to eat from strangers but its veeery hard and takes alot of training. if the dogs are from good breeders and are brought up right they wont go for their owners. and if trasined right they wont kill the cats. JUST DONT TRAIN IT TO BE A GUARD DOG. thats where most dogs go nutty in the head. hope you stay safe.

 

This is the way I taught my dog food refusal. It takes alot of work and dedication!!! Especially to get them to leave food when you are not even around.
Ok some tips on this:
Find a word to say WHENEVER you feed the dogs. Like "chow" or "pig out" what ever you want the eating command to be. I personally chose "eat" but that may be a bit tempting if someone else is holding food and says it, as it's the most obvious thing to say.
NEVER let your dogs eat anything from you before you give them the command. Praise if they do it correctly... let them know it is not acceptable if they do eat food without their command. Don't slack off on this, if you don't be strict about it, then they will know they can get away with it.
Start by putting food near their face, and saying "No" if they go for it. Once they are realaxed and not trying to get at it, give the command, let them eat it and PRAISE. You can try having them in a sit and not letting them break the sit while food is waved in front of them. You have to be easy on them, they won't know what's happening at first, but they'll soon learn. Start from a distance and gradually test them more and more.
You have to do training exercises in all different places, with different people around, mix it up a bit- if you just practise this say in the kitchen your dog will be trained in there, but not so much in other areas.
One way we test our dog is by dropping food on the ground and then hiding from him, if he doesn't eat it he gets PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE, if he goes for it with intention to eat, we jump out and surprise him and tell him NO!! Test them in all different situations.
It's good when you get to the stage when you go to give your dog something to eat and they turn their head away.
Oh- and if you don't want them to take food from another person, get a stranger (someone the dogs don't know) to offer them food with the command, and once again, if they refuse it, praise, if they go for it a stern "no" should suffice.
Hope this helps. Even when your dogs are fully trained to do this you can NOT slack off on letting them get away with eating something without the command. If you slack off they will too. I should know coz I really slacked off!!!!
If time and dedication is put in this will work. Try 5 to 10 minutes a day, and they should learn pretty fast. The younger they are when they start training the better, coz this is when they are learning about how to act and what to do- get it ingrained from the start... and it will just be more natural to them.

Anyway, sounds like there is a bit of research for your parents to do about this breed... I have no idea about them, never owned them.

Good luck

 

I think your parents definately needed to do quite a bit more research on the breed before purchasing these pups. If it was their desire to have more than one dog I would strongly recommend....any other breed. Well close to any....but pitbulls do have a natural dog aggression which can be controlled with proper experienced training...but these dogs are not for the novice dog owner...or for someone whos experience with dogs totals a chihuahua or two. I've owned my fair share of dogs ...of all sizes but even I dont have the confidence in my training abilities to own a dog like that.

 

Thanks for all of your replies.

My parents owned 1 pitbull before this (Bullet). Sadly, he died of old age a few months back. He brought us so much joy that we got more pitbulls.

They've had big dogs before. Just not 2 american pitbulls from the same litter. I think it's the noise they make when they (play) fight with one another that's worrying my folks - it's sounds quite intimidating (it's that hoarse gnarling sound) and as they get older I suppose it's going to sound outright scary.

The dog is 4 months old and he attacked another dog at training - I'm quite certain that it was not puppy play. It took 4 people to pry his jaws open. He's 4 months old though??

My girlfreinds sister also has a male American pitbull. They had to chop the dogs bollocks off in order to get him to calm down. Once they had nuted him he did calm down.

I think there's no denying that Pitbull terriers have an undeserved bad history. I love the animals and (after Bullet) personally think they are the best terriers to own. But they do have a history world wide.


http://igorilla.com/gorilla/animal/2002 ... woman.html
http://igorilla.com/gorilla/animal/2002 ... three.html
http://igorilla.com/gorilla/animal/2002 ... s_boy.html
http://igorilla.com/gorilla/animal/2002 ... italy.html
http://igorilla.com/gorilla/animal/2002 ... imals.html

Are there different breeds of pitbull that can be determined visually by looking at the animal? I mean, if you could see a pic of them would you be able to tell if they are the 'aggressive type' ... if there is such a thing??

 

Its the American Pit Bull with the dog aggression problem. As a human I am not afraid of a pit bull by any means but I do fear for the safety of dogs around them. The training class incident is one example.

The American Staffordshire Terrier and the Bull Terriers get bum reps because of the American Pit Bull...people often lump them all into the same category. Fixing a dog will help yes...that should be done ASAP from the sound of it. I'm really shocked...4 months of age and already in kill other dog mode? Thats scary.

 

Hello,
I would like you to take a look at the links below. It is a little "find the pit bull" game. There are over 30 breeds of dogs that get mistaken for "Pit Bulls" all the time.

www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html
www.scrubalicious.net/learn-pitgame.php

In those links you placed, although I did not look at them, I am almost certain that they are not the American Pit Bull Terrier. One of the links is a pit bull mix, and the others were probably not pure bred aswell.

APBT's are NOT human aggressive. Any APBT that shows human aggression should be PTS immediately. Those dogs in those attacks were most likely the products of BYB's out to make a quick buck, and not care what dog they breed to what bitch.

APBT's should never be used for "protection". Your parents have bought the wrong breed for that I am sure. They actually have a great temperment and are among the highest in percentage for temperment tests (78% I believe) I will try to find the link for that aswell. My AmStaff is very dog aggressive, but if someone broke into my house, she would show them around before she would ever attack them. That's how the breed should be, because that's how they were bred. No human aggression was allowed in the breed AT ALL.

It is possible that your dogs may become aggressive towards one another. It happens. There are many people that own multiple dogs that are aggressive toward one another. Its simply a matter of applying yourself properly to ensure that all dogs are kept safely apart. The dogs should not be left alone together when no one is around, which is another reason why they make bad gaurd dogs.

I would put them on a Nothing in Life is Free program right away. They have to perform a "duty/task" before they get what they want. Whether it be fed, a pet, belly rub, out for a walk, they must always do something for it. Work for what they want.

Champ should be neutured at 6 months, and Chieda should be spayed. Champ will more than likely calm down, a spay doesn't usually effect females as much.

Please do some more research with your parents on this breed. They are not dogs with super powers, their jaws do not lock. Here is another link that talks about more APBT myths.

www.badrap.org/rescue/myths/cfm

Your cats are more than likely just adjusting to the new pups. Once they are used to them, they should stop going on the floor. I do recommend haveing an "escape route" for the cats in case the puppies decide to chase them. This could be a little door for them to escape through into a different room where the dogs can't get them, high perches so the dogs can't reach them etc.

I am not sure about the food thing, but, the dogs should NEVER "go for their owners". With proper training and socialization, the dogs should really be a companion animal for your parents, and they should be trusted. Personally, I don't believe in using dogs for protection, and I have a friend from South Africa, and I do know how bad the crime has gone up. That's why he moved to Canada, and his parents still live there. They are very well off and have installed steel electric gates all around their property to help with the problem.

 

OK when I first read your post I was a little suspicious of your story of the puppy "pit bull" that attacked another puppy. But now I am convinced you are stretching the truth a bit. A 4 month old puppy would not need 4 people to pry it's jaws open and a 4 month old puppy would not viscously attack another puppy! You are also trying so hard to prove how bad APBT are by posting links that I might add are stories that are 2 years old or more and a couple IM certain were not even APBT and one that flat out says pit mix which probably is not true either. APBT are the media's dog of choice a few years ago it was rottweilers there will always be stories and usually the true reason why a dog attacks or bites is never known.
Of course there are APBT out there that are "bad dogs" but there is in every breed.
My dogs live happily with our cats as well as our Pekingese and 3 children and are loved so much. I could never imagine my life without them.
As I said before APBT are not meant to be used as protection dogs.
As bullylove said it is possible your dogs may become aggressive with each other but unlikely especially with them not being the same sex.
I have 4 females that live together happily now there are the occasional disagreements but then they are corrected and I have made sure my dogs know any aggressive behavior will not be tolerated! And of course they are never ever left alone together and are always supervised or otherwise each in their own individual kennels.
I am also posting some APBT stories for you to view that you have probably never read before because it is good press.
http://www.lucydog.com/carvalho.html
http://www.lucydog.com/ny.html
http://www.lucydog.com/people.html
http://www.forpitssake.org/frame.html
http://www.forpitssake.org/frame.html
http://www.badrap.org/rescue/index.cfm
The page below is from bad rap
_____________________________________________________________

Monster Myths
Who's afraid of the Big Bad Pit Bulls? Well, LOTS of people no thanks in part to some very damaging myths, the deeds of unscrupulous breeders/owners and the hyped up media coverage that has been plaguing this breed for years. So many untruths and half-truths have been repeated so many times that the general public has begun to believe fairy tales instead of fact. Its enough to make a bullydog supporter want to SCREAM!

myth (mith) n. 1.an invented story, fictitious person, etc. 2.a belief or set of beliefs, often unproven or false, that have accrued around a person, phenomena or institution.


Aren't pit bulls MEAN and VICIOUS?
No more vicious than golden retrievers, beagles or other popular dogs! In a recent study of 122 dog breeds by the American Temperament Testing Association (ATT), APBTs achieved a passing rate of 81.7%. That's as good or better than beagles (78.7%), and golden retrievers (81.1%).
See for yourself: http://www.atts.org/
In these tests, a dog is put through a series of confrontational situations. Any sign of panic or aggression leads to failure of the test. The achievement of the APBTs in this study disproves once and for all the old tired belief that pit bulls are inherently aggressive to people.

Like any breed of dog, a healthy pit bull that is properly raised will remain loving and friendly. In the past 20 years, we've seen some sad examples of poorly bred and badly treated dogs that are the byproducts of irresponsible 'backyard breeders' and cruel and abusive homes. These improperly raised, unsocialized creatures can show temperaments far removed from the traditional authentic APBT. Don't confuse these unfortunate misbreds with the huge majority of well-loved dogs in this country that remain solid in temperament, affectionate, trustworthy and friendly to their dying day.
(The photo on the left is 'Buster' - a rescued street stray who made a young friend at a BAD RAP Mobile Adoption Day Event. His story is on the Happy Endings Page)


Why would anyone want to own a pit bull?
See for yourself with photos from BAD RAP volunteers and their dogs: Pit Bull Photo Galleria! »


Don't pit bulls have LOCKING JAWS?
No. A pit bull's ability to "lock on" with it's jaws is one WHOPPER of a myth that refuses to let go! The jaws of a pit bull are built just as any other dog's jaw. There's no 'enzyme', no special mechanism that would make a pitbull's jaws 'lock'. They're DOGS, not alligators! What a pit bull does have is strength, tenacity, and determination. When he grasps something he wants to hang onto, his willpower is the glue.

Don't pit bulls have to be TRAINED TO FIGHT?
NO! Just as we have breeds like the Jack Russell Terrier which was selectively bred to do battle with badgers, foxes and other animals, the APBT lines have been selectively bred to fight other dogs. Pit bulls can run the gamut from very dog aggressive to exceptionally dog friendly, but each shares some degree of the inbred potential to fight other dogs encoded into their genetic makeup. Under the right (or WRONG!) circumstances, if a pit bull is poorly managed, he can get into a scuffle with another dog and fight like a pro ... even if he's never done it before. A well socialized, well managed pit bull should never have to get into a dogfight, because he's accustomed to the presence of other dogs and (IMPORTANT!) he has a smart and responsible owner. Pit bull owners should always stay alert and careful to avoid any triggers or situations that could invite the unhappy possibility of a scuffle.
(The old engraving shows a hunter using his pit bull type dog to take down a fox.)
Wise Words: For important info on how to manage more than one pit bull in your household, click here: Multi Pit Bulls: How to Avoid Trouble. »



Doesn't forcing a pit bull to HANG from a tree branch make him aggressive?
No. Tugging at a tree branch is FUN for a pit bull (but it's not good for his teeth!). Many bull breeds show an inbred desire to grasp and hold -- a leftover trait from the days when they worked on farms and used as 'Butcher's Dogs' to grab onto the noses of bulls (i.e. "Take the bull by the nose"). This natural work drive shows up today in an enthusiastic desire to play Tug-o-War and to grab onto hanging objects like tree branches, ropes, etc. Many responsible pit bull owners provide safely designed 'Spring Poles' for their dog's enjoyment and to allow them to burn off steam while excercising this natural ability. The result is a calmer happier, better exercised dog. For info on how to build one for your bully, visit: http://ourworld.cs.com/Dreadlives609/id29.htm

Aren't TREADMILLS used to get dogs ready to fight?
Many responsible owners utilize treadmills to help get their dogs in tip top shape in places where extreme weather prevents outdoor exercise, or in situations where its impractical to exercise a pit bull off leash. Folks who show their bullies in conformation rings or work them in dog sports such as weight pull find this tool an invaluable way to better condition their K9 athlete. Because pit bulls are high energy animals with hardy, athletic builds, responsibly using a treadmill can help them be healthier happier dogs. For info on the Colby Family's famous mills: http://www.colbypitbull.com/

Will a pit bull that shows aggression towards other animals go after PEOPLE NEXT?
No. Aggression towards other animals and human aggression are two totally different things. We've heard this frightened quote, "He went after a dog (or cat) and our kids might be next!". This is one big MONSTER of a myth that has generated a host of damaging anti-pit bull hysteria. It is perfectly 'normal' for a pit bull to be wonderfully affectionate and friendly with people, while at the same time not 100% trustworthy around other dogs. Like any breed of dog that we see in family homes today, a properly raised, well socialized, responsibly owned pit bull should never be human aggressive. Pit bulls that do show aggressive behavior towards humans are not typical of the breed and should be humanely euthanized.

Don't SCARS on a pit bull always mean that he "has been fought"?
No. Many APBTs that show up with scars in local shelters are assumed to "have been fought" and are given an automatic death sentence. In many cases, this may be an unfair judgment call. An APBT can show up with scars for many different reasons. They're bold, active creatures and can get into all sorts of adventures (and misadventures). He may have been a stray on the streets and scrapped with other stray dogs without any prompting from an irresponsible owner. He may have started those fights, or tried like hec to avoid them, or anything in between. He may be an active dog that ran through brambles on a hike with his owner, tumbled with a cat, nosed in too close to a wild urban animal such as a raccoon, or cut himself while trying to dig out of a poorly secured yard. He may have developed a skin condition known as mange, which frequently causes suspicious looking scars. Use caution, but don't assume that a pit bull with scars was necessarily encouraged to fight by irresponsible owners.

Should adopters avoid pit bulls with UNKNOWN HISTORIES and unknown lineage?
BAD RAP believes that a pit bull with an unknown history should be judged by his temperament, not by his unknown past or lack of papers. Putting a rescued pit bull through many different kinds of "tests" in many different situations and fostering him in a home setting helps us learn about the ins and outs of each pit bull we take in. Becoming well acquainted with a rescued animal helps to match each dog to the home best suited for his personality.

Should adopters be wary of RESCUED ADULTS and stick with rescued pups?
Many of us in BAD RAP actually prefer taking rescued adult pit bulls into our home over rescued pups. Pups are a LOT more work. Its also a lot harder to know what the personality of a pup is going to be like as a mature adult (really energetic or mellow? dog-aggressive or dog tolerant?). If you're looking to adopt a pit bull puppy from us, don't be suprised if we try to talk you into a young adult instead.

Should DOG AGGRESSIVE pit bulls be euthanized?
Since we know that dog aggression does not equate with human aggression, we believe dog aggressive pit bulls with wonderful people-loving personalities deserve the same opportunity to enjoy life as more dog tolerant pit bulls . (See the wonderful story of 'Mr. B', the scrappy street fighter on our Happy Endings page) APBTs are highly trainable, and even the more dog aggressive individuals can be RESPONSIBLY MANAGED by their smart and loving owners so there never has to be concern of a tussle.

Is a small animal that shows up with bite marks 'Pit Bull BAIT' ?
While we hate that there are people who would abuse animals, we aren't convinced that many of the so-called 'bait animals' that show up on the 6 o'clock news are correctly labeled as such. Life on the streets is TOUGH and when a stray dog shows up with bite marks from another dog, we know that that animal got into a scrap somewhere along the way. Whether that stray received its injuries from voluntarily entering fights with dogs on the streets for meager food scraps, etc., from being ganged up on by other loose strays, or from the purposeful abuse by a cruel person is anybody's guess. Unless there's a witness to the cause of injury, mysterious bite marks remain an unhappy mystery with an unknown perpetrater. *To shout "bait dog" whenever a dog with bites appears keeps a popular myth alive and may actually be encouraging copycat crimes by offering animal abusers ideas we would rather they didn't have!

Are pit bulls unpredictable around CHILDREN?
APBTs have enjoyed a long history as favorite children's companions and family pets. When well socialized and properly raised, they're the perfect breed to tolerate the rough and tumble play that kids can dish out. Pit bulls tend to be drawn to the joyful optimism of children and love to meet them with tails awaggin'! Some APBTs may not be suitable with young children because they could knock them down in their exhuberance. Common sense dictates that children should be taught how to properly interact with dogs (of EVERY breed) and should never be left alone with a dog unsupervised.
Have you seen this wonderful site yet? http://pitbulls.iwarp.com/photo.html

Don't all pit bulls want to chase CATS?
Many self-respecting dogs of every breed will go after cats, and pit bulls are no exception. However, there are endless examples of pit bulls that exhibit a lower prey drive and co-exist quite peacefully with cats, birds and other pets. Within BAD RAP there are members whose dogs are great with their family kitties, birds, rabbits, and ferrets...And there are also some dogs who can never be trusted with smaller animals.
Important: Understanding your individual dog's realistic limits with small animals, training him to respect your expectations (i.e. Squirt Bottle!) and supervising all interactions will make the difference between success and tragedy -- And that goes for Poodles as well as Pit Bulls! (BAD RAP volunteers Daphna and Scott raised their rabbit 'Bianca' and their pit bull 'Kaiu' together since they were both babes, and they share an agreeable friendship.)


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LOL, Bullylove. I couldn't find the pit bull on that page. I finally had to resort to clicking until I found one, LMAO!


Jamiya

 

To answer some of your questions.

It shouldnt be a problem that they are from the same litter. I would alter them as soon as possible to help them calm down and keep them from accidentally breeding.

They may kill eachother, so never leave them alone unsupervised. If you are going out crate them or seperate them. No one can predict the future.

They may kill the cats they may love the cats as said before no one can predict the future and tell you if they will.

A way was posted for food refusal and there are many trainers who will help you, they are pro trainers.

Yes it would and yes it has. This is something that experienced Pit Bull owners are prepared for and take precautions against. I would try to find a responsible breeder to help you with your pups or some one well informed on Pit Bulls. Although this dog went after one in puppy training classes it may start with the littermate at home, I'd also be prepared for the possibility of keeping them apart for the rest of their lives if they will no longer tolerate eachother. I don't know about taking 4 people to pry it off, but it is hell to pry a Pit Bull's jaws open. You need to purchase a good breaking stick mae of hardwood this is the only sure fire way to get them apart. It can be nearly impossible for to get pups apart, they don't make breaking sticks small enough and people have tried other methods. prying and prying, water, waiting until they go for new holds, flipping them over, ect. If 8 week old pups will fight and one looses an eye, if a 3 month old kills its littermate, and if my 3 month olds fight then a 4 month old surely will. This can be very serious and could be worse next time. Keep them undersupervision.

Here is part of what happened with mine. I seperate mine at 3 months no matter what. I had 4 pups, enjoying eachother. 2 of which were males. 1 red, 1 white. These two started fighting. They were about 11 weeks. There's not too much you can do to break up fighting pups. Water didn't work some people have claimed this works for pups, but not adults it worked on a adult once and never on any of my pups. When they were going for different holds they finally got them apart except the red one grabbed the white ones leg but I managed to pull him off. Then he was screaming to get back at the otherone, who was also somewhat still into it. The red one got the worse of it though. Then they were all seperated, but the red male got to the white male once again and that was it and they were fighting for awhile before I noticed. Little pups in there wrestling away fighting like 2 grown dogs. So had to go in and seperate them which didn't work too well, they weren't releasing their grip and trying to force them to do so only made then tighten up and wary of switching holds. dumped a 5 gallon bucket of water on them and that didnt help but it got them wet (and muddy!) and they began to loose their grip and get slippery and then finally they were freed of one another's hold. That red male was screaming his heart out and would have given anything to "scratch" it took forever to calm him down. The white male was pretty worn out and just sat there slumped over. He was hardly touched and the bigger of the too and worked the red male's face over, he was tore up but wanted more. Bathed them both and got them cleaned up. That little red male got him the cat the 1st day he was here and wouldn't let go, grabbed him up in the air and shook him until he finally dropped the cat, then he tried to go down and grab him again but I had a good hold on him. Should have known he'd be trouble. Such a big baby though, he always wanted to be picked up and held he would cry to be picked up and act like a toddler does with their parents. He slept in my bed the next morning after he arrived and tried to make a pattern of it. Every morning wake up screaming take him potty and he would refuse to go to sleep in his crate had to be on the pillow right by my face. He would also roll over on my feet when I was standing up. Anyway I'm irreleventing rambling now. Just be very prepared for any future squabbles, get a couple good breaking stick and find some one experienced that you can talk to face to face and ask all the questions needed as they arise and them evaluate your pups and tell you what you should and shouldn't do.

 

I agree with what True Pits said, a breaking stick is a neccessity. You do not want your hands in the middle of a fight.

True Pits, the problem is his parent bought the dogs for "protection". So you know right then the dogs are not going to be crated and will be alone together much of the time.

 

GINAH...I beg to differ. I had a pup onetime that had a serious "complex".

It was one of my dumpees....It killed 2 other puppies and was picking a fight with another FULLY grown dog..... I took it to the vet thinking Rabies or something.....I had him put down, and the vets were even baffled.
This was a pitt/shephard mix pup.

But it is true. No dog has the capability to LOCK their jaws. These are dogs, not aligators.

Puppies play rough. If you think one is playing too rough with the other, separate them for a time. and firmly tell the agressor "NO!".

 

Yeah I noticed they were brought for protection, which is rather stupid and going to be a big disapointment to the owner.
They don't have locking jaws, but they won't let go either and you will have to pry them open. It doesn't matter if they don't have locking jaws b/c they lock on and won't let go. Even though this is by choice it happens.

 

That sums up everything that makes me nervous about the dog. I wish they could start from scratch again..everyone stop breeding them and then however they made the breed in the first place...start all over again sans the aggressiveness gene!!!

 

The dogs shouldn't have been bought for protection... That's not in the job description of the APBT...

You're in SA???

THe dogs should never be left alone together and should be crated...

If your parents are serious about having the dogs for protection they need to re-home the pups (separately) and find a different breed...

Boerboel perhaps??? I've got 2 APBT's and decided that if I wanted to keep them outside in MY neighborhood I'd get a couple of Boerboels to ensure their safety... APBT's are NOT guardian dogs... there are plenty of other guardian breeds to choose from.

Pups will fight and will kill eachother... some turn on at young ages and it's always different with each dog... Sounds like these two (male specifically) has turned on and does fight seriously as an adult dog would... THIS is dangerous and warrents the dogs be kept separate when unsupervised and then when together be heavily supervised. It doesn't matter much that they're both from the same litter...either way they still have the same likelihood that they'll fight with one another...even at 4 mos. of age.

True_Pits is correct about that and ....your parents should seriously think about re-homing the dogs and finding a different breed of protector.

 

get a gun, lots of guns, or move to a different country. south africa is doomed. :| sorry, once again.

 

There's every chance I'll get a pounding for this post, but nevertheless, it's an open forum and every individual has an opinion. I have had dogs all my life - I currently have two, plus a cat, a cockatiel and various other hand fed wildlife.

I don't have a Pit Bull, but there is definitely a high incidence of negative reporting on this particular breed. I well know "Alsations" / "German Shepherds" and "Rotties" have their fare share of bad publicity as well. Nevertheless, I've read the responses on this topic - for all the admiration and support for the breed, there is definitely a "be vigilant" attachment for Pit Bull owners.

I understand all breeds possess different temperaments, traits or personalities but there does tend to be a definite aggressive trait in Pit Bulls (except usually in a calm, uninterrupted, one on one environment). Sure, sure - circumstances can dictate a dog's reaction, but it would not sit comfortably with me knowing my dog had the potential to react with a killer instinct when around other dogs, familiar or otherwise. I find it a little unnatural for domestic puppies to attack and kill one another - someone would be hard pressed to convince me that this is perfectly normal.

The message is quite clear .... to own a Pit Bull one needs to do a lot of research and be very guarded in the dog's upbringing. It would appear Pit Bulls do have some rather questionable characteristics which are not for the faint-hearted canine lover - I know I would prefer to "enjoy" a pup and watch it mature into a kind, loving and non-aggressive family member without having to "separate" it from its own kind to avoid trouble.

On a final note, I respect all breeds and I know even the most docile can turn and bight the hand that feeds it, but I do take comfort in knowing that it would be out of the ordinary incident rather than the norm.