Should I worry about my 5 month old red nose pit with my 4 children?
Ok….first off….pitbulls are EXCELLENT with children. Yours is only 5 months old, still at the age where he can adjust to anything which is good. Regardless of how often he is around the kids you don’t have to worry about him attacking your children. I take it this is your first time owning an APBT? Pitbulls have an EXTREMELY high pain threshold which means it takes ALOT to actually hurt them. They were breed for this trait. So nothing a child can do is going to be enough to set him off. One thing I will caution you about it is the food and toy issue. Many pits are known to be really possesive of their food and toys. Not to scare you or anything but this is something to keep in mind. Feeding time it would be advisable to put him in a seperate room and when the kids are there maybe hide his favorite toy. How long have you had him? That will open a whole new door also…..If you’ve had him since he was a wee lil pup none of those issues should be of your concern. But if you’ve gotten
Always supervise children and dogs. I don’t care what kind of dog, Pit or beagle…Never leave children alone for the safety of the dog and the children. You said your children play rough…you dog is only a baby, they could seriously hurt him. A dog is a dog, he can bite. If you’re not supervising the dog with the kids, and one of them gets bit…you won’t know why. Most the time when a dog bites there IS a reason. I have a soon to be 4 yr old, and a 3 1/2 year Pit, they’re best friends…but they’re never left alone!!!
Best to keep a pit and kids apart. I am not one that will tell you owning a pit butt is a mistake because I am sure they can be very loving dogs in the right homes. The problem with a pit is the unpredictability and the temperament that will eventually come out. They were born to be fighters and massive breeding of them when pit bull fighting became popular caused much inbreeding and that is why this breed can “snap” and show you a side you would have never believed was there. I am one that thinks it is better to be safe then sorry.
Him being a “Pit Bull” is not necessarily a reason why you’d need to worry. However, virtually ANY dog is liable to snap or bite when treated roughly. Putting a dog in a situation where he is at the mercy of rough-handed children is totally unfair to the dog. Granted, some dogs are endlessly patient with children and will put up with anything. However, it’s never a good idea to “assume” your dog will be fine. A placid Golden Retriever can even reach his “limit” at some point & snap or bite a child. All interactions between kids & dogs should be closely supervised. And if your kids don’t know how to handle the dog properly, you need to teach them. Even very young kids can understand “pet nice” and being gentle with animals. Why aren’t the kids around the dog more often? If it’s possible, integrate the dog more closely with the family. Enroll in some basic Obedience classes and encourage the kids to practice the dog’s Obedience commands with him. They can feed him, and give treats after
I can’t say for certain. I know that The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, has a pit bull named Daddy that he actually takes with him to help calm other dogs because he is so calm. That is on the National Geographic Channel and is wonderful for tips on how to handle your dog. Has the dog shown any signs of aggression toward anyone, especially your children? You can tell by body language if they are going on the aggressive. They lower their head slightly, stick the tail out, and walk stiff-legged showing absolute concentration on the object of their aggression. Cesar always says to show your dog that you are the leader (and all humans in the pack are leaders over the dog). Take him for a long walk every day if at all possible. Keep him on the leash, don’t let him go out the door ahead of you and don’t let him walk ahead of you. Don’t let your children tease or hurt him. If he does something you don’t want him to, point your finger at him and say “no’, or “shh”, or whatever single word you ch
