dog aggressive pit

My ex boyfriend bought a female pit about 2 years ago. She, Pretty Girl, has never once shown aggression towards my mixed dog, Bear. There came a point that we had to move in with his parents and be around other dogs. She began literally snapping on one of his parents dogs, Kodiak, an akita. They would all be outside playing and then all of the sudden, Kodiak would look at her the wrong way and she would attack very vicously.When I say vicous, I mean vicous, She lost both of her top canine teeth in Kodiak's leg on one of the attacks. Pretty Girl has attcked him quite a few times, she has also recentley attacked the neighbors dog, but they were playing and things just got a little out of hand. My ex boyfriend and I have broken up and our two dogs still have some contact and love each other very much. The other night John called me saying that his parents no longer wanted Pretty Girl at their house because of the nieghbors attack and another attack on Kodiak, and that he had to get rid of her. He called me wanting to know if I would want her until he gets a home where he can have her, other wise he would consider giving her to a rescue mission or putting her down. I made it very clear to him that if I did take her and she did attack my dog in any way that I would kill her. I love both of the dogs very much, but Bear is my world and I do not want to put him in any danger, but it would be hard for both of us to have to put the Pretty Girl to sleep. I trust Girl around Bear, but again I would feel horrible if she did anything to him. What would be the best option for us?

 

Something everyone (you, your ex, his family) need to understnd is that pit bulls are generally highly dog aggressive. However, that doesn't mean they'll be dog aggressive towards every dog. In my experience, they can get along very well with a submissive, laid-back, non-aggressive dog. However, when you get them around another dominant dog (such as another APBT or an Akita), both dogs are going to give signs of dominance to the other dog, many of which a lot of humans won't pick up on (such as "looking at her the wrong way"). Anyway, it sounds like your dog is a laid-back dog, with which Pretty Girl has not, and *probably* will not have any problems with. However, they should never be left together unsupervised (which it sounds like she's been left unsupervised with these other dogs). This means crating them both, or putting them in seperate rooms whenever you cannot supervise (at bedtime or when you're out). This isn't because she's a crazed killer who will go at your dog the first chance she gets; it's as a precaution - better to be safe than sorry. Especially when you could end up losing both dogs. If you feel like you can handle keeping them seperate (securely seperate) while you can't watch them, and you are comfortable with keeping her for a while, I think it would be a great thing for you to do.

 

Maybe he should have thought twice before getting a Pit Bull? She would be about 2 year now? The age they mature and turn on? Why does he not keep them seperated? Thats the easiest and simplilest solution. If Pretty Girl and Kodiak dont get along why is he giving them opportunities to fight? If I were his parents and he wasn't being responsible I'd have to make the same decision.

Kodiak is starting the trouble it sounds like to me. Kodiak is asserting dominance with "the look" and an APBT isn't one to back down, when challenged they are going to fight back. Of course it was Kodiak's home first and only natural for a breed like the Akita to be dominant.

Thats honest and how you truly feel, so I'd have to say DO NOT take Pretty Girl. Its illogical to get a Pit Bull (who has the possibility of dog aggression and the power to kill another dog) if you don't want a dog to do this. Especially if you are going to punish the dog for being a Pit Bull by killing it for doing what comes natural. Its like people who kill their cats because they kill wild birds, its their nature but I know people who complain about their cats killing the birds and then put them to sleep for it.

If you did take her, why not be smart and responsible? When having a multi dog home involving a Pit Bull you first have to except the facts of their dog aggression, not kill them for their nature. He got the dog, if you take you, you chose to take her, that means you chose the responsibility of owning a Pit Bull. They can't help who owns them and they can't help their instincts. Then manage the two dogs. When dogs don't get along you keep them seperated and then you have no problems, no fights, ect. If they get along then thats great, if they start showing signs then its time to seperate them before anything happens. But if you don't feel comfortable with a fight breaking out, keep them seperated and then there is no chance of a problem.

 

I'm with everyone else on this... There are ways of handling things so dogs are not injured and Pretty Girl doesn't have the opportunity to attack them... I have two APBT's... My male and female used to love eachother but my female is becoming more and more dominant... To avert any fights we may end up with...the two are never together anymore...even supervised... Their play gets too rough so we shuffle them indoors. I have three outdoor Boerboels...who don't get along with the Pits... We all live happily and sometimes we all live happily indoors...baby gates, doors, kennels...they're all the multiple dog owners best friend... No matter what breed you have... Keeping the dog is possible but precautions must be taken to ensure the safety of both animals in the house... Your ex boyfriend should have considered those things when he moved back home...it is not responsible of him to keep Pretty Girl in the manner he's been keeping her.