[lerobudrse]

Periodically our rescue goes down south and brings up hounds from a high - kill shelter- this time they brought a pitty pup as well. I am the only one in this rescue who will work with pits. Anyway- this puppy is really dog aggressive- I've given it the benefit of the doubt with regard to the trauma of the relocation and God knows what happened previous to that- she is around 4 months- gorgeous white head with a brindle mark and brindle hind white little socks.
She is also affectionate and funny- HOWEVER- when she first came to me she immediately attacked a deaf pit that I have here- I believe there was a wrapper of dog treats on the floor that one of the others had managed to steal from a counter while I was gone. She bit the deafie once on the head and scratched her til she bled on her neck.

Now they are fast friends- but she has also attacked now several times my alpha who happens to be a 10 yo toy fox terrier- and I am fearful for his safety.
She attacks over food and now around me. Last night she managed to get up on the bed and when the toy fox basically told her that the spot next to me is his she went after him- I got her by the scruff and placed her back in her crate.
Another complicator being I live in a loft.

So- today another proximity issue erupted. Again she was told in no- uncertain terms No- etc.

She has that reaction immediately without any delay and her aggression is no joke- she goes into an altered sort of state that I have seen before with dogs. Then after wards both toy fox and she nuzzled noses. Still, I am stuck with the job of attempting to adopt out this puppy and I am frankly concerned. Now I have had probably 70 pits come through my life so far and this is the only one- and certainly the only puppy that truly worries me.
Anyone have any comments or suggestions. Please understand that the resources around here- and everywhere of course are most limited for people to work intensely with a puppy such as she. If she could get a foster/trainer she would still not be alone- there would be others in the mix.

No aggression toward humans- however at this point to me kids would most definitely be a rule/out as her dominance issues could get in the way- if she were to be the only dog in an adult household- the owner in my opinion would have to be very stringent in preventing any usurping of position as occurred last night with me- I should NOT have allowed her up on the bed but I was too tired to mess iwth her- plus- admittedly she's sooo cute!
Welcome any feedback,
Linda

[Thifiadardivy]

since you have had experience with many apbts, you know that dog aggression is not a fault in the breed but a trait...
I do understand how that can affect the ability to adopt it out, because time and resources are limited for you....
that kind of dog should not be adopted out to the general public or to someone who "knows" about apbts but has never owned one... that kind of dog will require an experienced and responsible owner who understands that being DA is not a fault but a trait... good luck in finding one.. but if you can not, IMO it would be better to put it down than to set it up for owner caused failure.

[G778G9P0]

Her being dog aggressive frankly wouldnt worry me because it is an acceptable trait in an apbt. You need to make sure that whatever family takes her is Pit Bull savy, and either has no other dogs, or is willing to keep them seperated unless highly supervised and in this case she may just need to go to a single dog household. The right person will love her even if she doesnt like other dogs.

[ephennaCypota]

Dog aggression is not a fault and is totally acceptable in the breed. This pup sounds like a normal Pit Bull puppy to me.

If I were you I would start crat and rotate unless you can be there to supervise. I would work on teaching the pup basic manners (sit, stay, not to jump on people when greeting, no mouthing, how to walk on a leash) while she is with you. I would also start working on "watch me" and "leave it" as a foundation for future training so that she will eventually be able to be walked on public streets without being reactive when she sees other dogs/animals.

I would look for a Pit Bull experienced home who understands dog aggression and who is willing to keep her seperate from other dogs or who will keep her as an only dog. You also want to look for a home that is fairly active and who will take her out running/jogging/biking etc etc. Maybe even someone who will work her in some venue such as weight pull or obedience or even agility when she matures. You want to make sure the home understands she cannot..ever ever ever...be taken off leash in an unenclosed area or around other animals and that she cannot..ever ever ever...be taken to a dog park.

I wouldn't worry about her with kids. She isn't having dominance issues when she goes after the other dogs from what you described here, she is merely being a Pit Bull. My brothers APBT is very other dog selective (he gets along with my dogs and my brothers female and thats it) yet he is perfectly well mannered and sweet with children of all ages, even infants. My neighbors APBT female (Roxy, who just happens to look alomst exactly like my female ) is highly other dog aggressive and she lives in a house with 5 children ages 2 through 11. All you should do is make sure that, as with any dog, she is supervised around kids and taught not to jump or mouth.

[gWhya5ct]

Anyway- this puppy is really dog aggressive- I've given it the benefit of the doubt with regard to the trauma of the relocation and God knows what happened previous to that- she is around 4 months- gorgeous white head with a brindle mark and brindle hind white little socks.

At 4 months coming from a shelter - not much training if any, whatever training there might have been I would say had no chance for reinforcement.

Unmanaged dog aggression is a fault, but it is an owner fault. If the prospective owner doesn't understand managing it, they shouldn't have her.

I would suspect she has never had any rules or stability in her life which is what she will need. A strong, confident owner that knows how to setup the rules for her, train her to follow them, and reinforce that.

Personally if there has been no sign of human aggression I would not rule out homing her with kids just yet. But if you did I would be certain that the new owner was a true dog person who understood how to get her in line and keep her there.

How long do you plan to have her? She needs a firm hand now so she'll be "more presentable" when you introduce her to prospective owners. Any and all training she can get will be a plus.