Need help with fighting pit bull

[julie w]

PS I realize you did not choose a pit breed because you know it would not work for you and I do give you credit for trying to learn.

[ColbyDogs]

Originally Posted by qster

The "lab mix" puppy looked less and less like a lab as she matured. I was concerned and did a DNA test - Mostly AmStaff with a little bit of Boxer. No lab what-so-ever.

That explains alot, thank you for the clarification.

Doggie DNA testing is inaccurate, my breeder did a DNA test on one of his dogs....(his strain of dog can be traced back to the early 1800's through pedigree documentation) and the results were his dogs were of a mix of breeds and not one of them were of the APBT family. Between my breeder and his father before him they have been preserving the breed for more than 110 years, the breed doesn't get any more pure than what he has on his yard. So how accurate do you really think those DNA test are if the oldest most renowned breeder in the history of these dogs has inconclusive test results for his dogs ?

Don't buy into the whole DNA thing, besides the chances of your pup being Amstaff is extremely slim. The Amstaff is not a widely owned breed and they often have to breed back into the APBT due to the lack of depth in the gene pool. Most commonly the DNA test result with that say the dog is Amstaff is actually more than likely American Pit Bull Terrier than that of Amstaff breedings. It was the folks who breed Amstaffs that submitted the DNA samples for the project and the Amstaff stems from APBT breedings just bred to different standards.

If your thinking of re-homing your dog then I suggest doing it sooner rather than later.....the older the pup gets the less chance it has of finding a forever home. If you choose to keep the pup then great, just research more and learn how to cope with potential DA issues. As others have said not only is it the bully breeds that have DA issues, I got a Jack Russell Terrier that is pint sized punk and picks fights with every dog he meets.

I myself have a 3 dog household, its not easy to the novice but does get easier with time. I know what i own and how they behave, I manage my household just fine. If you learn about the dogs that makes it more easy to predict and better prepares you to handle the situation properly.

Good luck with your decision.

[ssauder]

qster-
I have to give you credit for seeking out help and information from so many sources. It is really a credit to you as a dog owner. Many many people would have dumped the dog as soon as they got the dna results. I was very weary when I adopted my first pittie girl, Maggie from a shelter. The rest was history. She was an amazing dog and not a bit DA. I'm not saying that it wasn't a possibility, but she just wasn't. I do have a multiple dog home and a multiple pit-mix home. I have both Sasha and Yogi, and so far they are not dog aggressive at all. I think that while fights are possible, they are not something that happens everyday in a multi-dog home and I don't think that you should be scared away by this thread. There are several multi-dog households in this forum who have never experienced a dog fight in their home or dog aggression. If your pup is not exhibiting these traits, I don't see any reason to rehome her. It is very likely that she will not be DA, that's not to say 100%. Please do start new threads and ask questions to get some positive and helpful responses, I have learned a lot from this forum and many things that have helped me along through this adventure with my pups. I understand your hesitance, I was there, I thought oh my god, I live across the street from an elementary school, I can't have a dog that will scare kids or bite them or other dogs... it didn't ever happen. Maggie was very well trained, and no she wasn't one of those robot dogs who didn't act like a dog, she knew several key commands and did pass her CGC test with the AKC. But Maggie also went to the beach with us, camping with us, and (gasp) to the dog park... that is what worked in my life, that is the kind of dog I wanted, and that was her personality. Does it mean that if she had difficulty at the park or if there were irresponsible owners there with aggressive dogs that I would have leashed her and took her home, absolutely. But...The saddest day of my life was when I had to make the decision to put Maggie to sleep for health reasons, I will never get over it. She touched my life and so many other lives in so many ways. I wish you the best of luck with your decision.

[the adams family]

Hello,
We had three bullies. All rescues but at various stages in their lives, so lots of unknowns in their histories. One showed dog aggression to stranger dogs but never, ever did she show dog aggression within our home towards the other two dogs. Some toy guarding but that was easily solved by setting up rules for toys. Another ignored all other dogs until he was attacked by a two pits off leash. He is still uncomfortable around other dogs when he is out on a walk as this attack must still haunt him, seven years later. Lots of loving talk accompanies our walks. Our third was possessive (needy really) of me right after our daughter was born. Her dog aggression was towards other dogs when we considered some doggie daycare to help us out. Realized it would not work as an option so we restructured her days to include lots of outdoor excerise and one on one play time with me and we worked it out. Every dog is different. It is a learning experiance but so well worth the love these dogs all seem to have welling up inside them.
Staying calm and staying present is paramount!

[qster]

Thank you everyone. I needed some time away from this tread to get my emotions under control. I don't have enough posts to PM yet and I deeply appreciate the offers of assistance. If I can find a really good home for my pup, I will rehome her. In the mean time, I will practice living in the moment, continue with her training and learn as much as I can about pack leadership and managing a multidog household. I was getting so stressed over this whole situation, it was affecting my health.

As far as DNA testing - there is a company (wisdom panel) that was recommended to me. It requires the vet to draw a blood sample and the results, I believe, are quite accurate. They have markers for 157 breeds, and go back 3 generations. They do not presently have markers for APBT so I am pretty confident that AmStaff is in my pup and I do see a bit of Boxer in my pup as well. The cost is $125 plus the vet visit.

[erica]

It baffles me why someone would want to rehome a dog they've had for months, that has no behavioral issues with dogs present, and is all around a great dog.

BAFFLES me.