What You Should Know Before Getting an American Pit Bull Terrier
And, as with other breeds, this history has left its imprint on the breed. This doesn’t necessarily mean what you might think it means, however.
1. The famous Pit Bull aggression is a myth but proper training is still crucial
Pit Bull breeds were indeed bred for dog fighting but that doesn’t mean that they are inherently aggressive. It’s actually kind of the opposite. What these dogs were bred for are obedience and protective instincts. A “good” fighting dog was one that had complete loyalty and obedience to their owner, and who’d be willing to fight and potentially get injured or die for their humans.
Neither of these is really a “bad” characteristic when you think about it, however. What’s “bad” about dog fighting is that these dogs’ owners exploited their loyalty, obedience, and selflessness to train them to be aggressive against other animals. Their trainers would constantly beat their dogs and put them in “fight or die” situations where the dogs would be convinced that it has to protect and please their owner against other dogs or people.
If you don’t want to train a fighting Pit Bull, however – and we certainly hope you don’t – all you need to do is NOT train your dog to be aggressive.
That’s all there is to it.
If you look after your American Pit Bull Terrier well, if you socialize the dog, and if you train it obedience, commands, and manners, **this is one of the sweetest and most gentle breeds out there. **And, because of how smart and people-pleasing these dogs are, training them is actually much easier than with many other breeds – certainly much easier than it is to train most other terriers. Again, that’s a large reason why the dogs were used for dog fighting – they were easy to train to do so.
Why are there so many stories of aggressive Pit Bulls today, however?
It’s simple – because there are still too many dumbass owners who like the aesthetic of a “fighting dog”. There are lots of people who get Pit Bull pets precisely because they want a muscular and aggressive dog that’d make them look tough. This makes the breed’s reputation even worse, unfortunately, so it’s up to us and adequate dog owners to change that.
2. Having some experience with dogs is recommended overall
With all of the above being said, American Pit Bull Terriers are still recommended for more experienced owners. These dogs are easy to train but said training is important. And many novice dog owners tend to skip obedience training altogether. When that’s the case, the Pit Bull’s protective nature can come out in a nasty way.
This isn’t unique for this breed, of course. Plenty of other terrier or guard dog breeds have those same instincts. So, if you are a rookie, make sure that you don’t skip the obedience training process.
3. American Pit Bull Terriers are great with kids when trained well
If you have gone through proper training, however, Pit Bull breeds are fantastic family pets. They even get along great with children as the dog’s big heart has more than enough room for all his family members. Do exercise supervision when your kid is having guests, however – again, a properly trained dog will behave but you don’t want your pet’s protective instincts to come out in the wrong moment.
4. A pit bull can even get along with dogs and cats with adequate socialization
Another myth around this breed is that Pit Bulls are inherently aggressive toward other dogs and cats. That’s not the case. This breed is only aggressive toward other animals in two cases:
- If it’s been taught to be aggressive, as was the case in these dogs’ fighting ring days
- If the breed hasn’t been socialized well
Yet, again – this applies to myriad other breeds too and is in no way unique to the American Pit Bull Terrier. Every dog needs socialization, especially if they are on the larger side and/or have protective instincts. If you train and socialize your dog well, however, your Pit Bull will love interacting with cats and dogs, be it at home or in the dog park.
5. The short coat of this breed means minimal shedding but there’s still grooming to be done
Another great thing about this breed is that they really don’t shed that much. Or, rather – they shed but their short hair is not much of a problem. So, the occasional light brushing is all you need to keep this dog’s coat a good condition.
Other grooming practices are still a must, of course – ear, eye, and skin maintenance, dental hygiene, nail clipping, and so on are all important.
6. This is mostly an indoor breed
American Pit Bull Terriers are a lively and energetic breed but they don’t really need yard space. If you do have a yard, they will enjoy playing there but only if you’re around too. This isn’t the type of breed you’d just leave in the yard for half a day and go to work.
What’s more, as terriers, they have a very strong prey drive, which makes it even riskier to just leave them alone in a yard. That prey drive plus their strong muscular bodies mean that even a good fence is often not enough to stop them if they spot a squirrel, pigeon, rat, or another small animal.
So, just give your Pit Bull a couple of good half-hour walks a day, and the dog will be happy to spend the rest of its time at home, playing in the living room with you.
7. Separation anxiety is something to keep in mind with this breed
Another key point about these dogs is that they are really susceptible to separation anxiety. This is natural for all highly social and loving dog breeds – they just hate being away from their humans. So, if you work away from home and you know that there won’t be any other family members able to look after your dog while you’re gone, this might not be the right breed for you.
8. Adopt, don’t shop!
We usually avoid telling people where to get their dogs from. We always warn against puppy mills and pet stores of course but, aside from that, we don’t try to moralize too much about adoption vs buying.
In the case of Pit Bull breeds, however, we’d really encourage people to consider adoption. American dog shelters are full of millions of animals and a disproportional percentage of them are Pit Bulls. This isn’t because these dogs are bad or aggressive but simply because of the misconceptions a lot of people have about the breed.
So, if you’re experienced and/or prepared enough for such a dog, adopting a Pit Bull can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can get.
9. American Put Bull Terriers are a relatively healthy breed with a long lifespan
These dogs are pretty healthy too, which is yet another plus for the breed. An American Pit Bull Terrier from a good stock that receives adequate care can easily surpass the 12 to 14-year average lifespan of the breed. Still, there are some potential health risks to watch out for such as Allergies, Hypothyroidism, Hip dysplasia, and Aortic stenosis.
As you can see, like other Pit Bull breeds, the American Pit Bull Terrier is actually a big softie that you can easily train to be a truly wonderful family dog. These dogs get a ton of bad reputation when, in reality, it’s their owners that should get all the flak. In the hands of a good owner, however, Pit Bulls are loving, social, well-behaved, playful, and incredibly adorable animals. So, while we implore you to make sure that you’re ready for this breed, we’d also urge you to give it a chance.
