BREED PROFILE:

They're not called BULLIES for nothing! If you've ever had the pleasure of owning one of these dogs, they can be tremendously fun, active, intelligent and the best lap warmers around! However, they are also a very demanding breed, and require early socialization and training, and constant responsible ownership. Pit bulls suffer from a ton of bad publicity, namely because the owners of these dogs failed to care for and act responsibly for their dogs.

DESCRIPTION:

Overall: Known for their intelligence and loyalty, pit bulls make excellent companions and are very human oriented. They crave love and affection from their owners, and prefer to be involved in most daily activities. Being extremely people oriented, they prefer their owners attention to the company of other dogs, and can sometimes be aggressive towards other animals.

In general, they are known to be confident and outgoing. Their strong bodies and minds often get the best of them, and can be known to be impervious to pain, say after running into a tree in the way of a ball. They are active, very athletic dogs that excel at dog sports, obedience, and enjoy the outdoors. On the flipside, they can be serious sofa loungers, and quite content indoors, who don't mind a good sleep in on a Sunday morning!

Health and Behavioural Issues: Overall, they have few health issues and are considered one of the more healthy breeds for genetic diseases. However, the more common problems found within these breeds are:

Allergies - primarily skin and food related.

Mange - usually a sign of lowered immune system.

Parvo - again a lower immunity issue and usually a bigger threat to unvaccinated dogs.

Ligament tears - due to the breed's enthusiasm and vigour for life and action, their physical activities can sometimes result in these.

Being so bonded with their owners, they do sometimes suffer from separation anxiety, which manifests into destructive chewing, or vocalization, usually caused by a lack of exercise and frustration from boredom.

Temperament: Their natural temperament should always be extremely loving towards people. Human aggression is not considered part of this breed, and can be attributed to unscrupulous over breeding. Despite their muscular builds, a good pit bull should always welcome a human with a wagging tail and a warm heart, and generally they make lousy guard dogs because of this innate love for people. They are enthusiastic affection givers, strongly devoted to their owners, and are not for people who like a more independent type of dog.

Aggression: Understanding animal aggression in this breed is a crucial part of successful ownership. Typically one of the biggest reasons pit bulls are surrendered to shelters is due to other animal aggression. Please understand that human aggression and animal aggression are two totally SEPARATE things, and one does not translate into the other in the dog world. Often one will hear in the media the dog bit another dog, and tomorrow it could be a child. That is one of the biggest myths that surround this breed today.

Considering this breed's history, dog aggression has been genetically bred into these dogs. It is a common misconception to believe it's all in the way they are raised. While training, socialization and good loving care will definitely produce an overall better dog, some pit bulls still show varying degrees of dog aggression. Some also mature into it as they reach adulthood around 2 to 3 years of age. Aggression can certainly be managed with effective ownership, and anyone considering owning one of these dogs should be aware of this possibility.

That being said, there are also many pit bulls out there that are social butterflies! However if anything ever does happen between 2 dogs, the pit bull will always get the blame regardless of who started it.

Care, Training and Exercise: Wash and wear dogs at their finest! A quick towel rub and a weekly brush is usually all they require. Bathe only when necessary, clean ears and keep nails trimmed.They require daily exercise, and depending on the dog, not having enough can potentially lead to behavioural issues.

Early training and socialization is a must. Due to their tenacious nature, a fair but firm owner will be the best match for this breed. Although these dogs tend to be physically strong, they generally do not respond well to harsh training methods as emotionally they are very sensitive. This tends to be one of the ongoing challenges in finding a happy medium in effectively training them. On the upside, they are incredibly bright and generally perform at the top of their obedience classes!

Average Life Span: 12 to 14 years