ATTN: American Pit Bull owners.

I started to read this long post and then ran out of time, but here is my 2 cents...
My uncle had a pit named Buttons. She had to be the best behaved dog I have ever met. They never did any more training than making sure she minded her manners. She was one of the biggest lap dogs going and always had a smile for you. She was a true clown and always made you laugh. It was a horrible day for our family when she had to be put down in old age. Any dog can be a threat, even the little toy breeds. (they just don't hurt as much
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) It depends on the owner and how diligent you are in manner training. I would suggest doing something like agility or hearding practice to keep these intelligent dogs from getting bored. Bored dogs=trouble. My Boston was always a testiment to that.
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Also, introduce the dog young to kids and any animals it may have contact with just so it becomes familiar. Good luck!
 
As with any breed that you would consider, I might suggest that you do as much reading about the breed and basic training and discipline. The Loved Dog is an excellent resource and you might pick up "The American Staffordshire Terrier."

As an adult, since my mid- 20's I have adopted a Rottweiler and Pit Bull/Lab Mix through local rescue organizations. We enjoyed nearly 10 years with Tasha and Molly. On December 21st, just three days after Tasha's passing - the house was too, just too quiet and the search began. Moxie came first (surrendered by a family in Hartford, Ct. her diet for the first 6 weeks of her life was cat litter) and then Maggie, three weeks later (left outside an apartment building at 5 weeks in the middle of December.)

Here are a few comments and observations -
Our dogs are American Staffordshire Terriers, most AmStaff owners do not refer to their dogs as "pits" - that was/is a man-made function and an injustice to the breed.

To take on ownership of this breed should not be taken lightly - to be a responsible dog owner requires commitment, care and fairness in discipline. To own a breed at risk, requires even greater commitment b/c of the perception people have of these breeds. Early socialization is critical to this breed - take them out in the community, to play with adults, children and other dogs. Seek a professional to guide you...

The AmStaff in general can be extremely quirky, curious, intelligent and affectionate. Loyalty to their person is a tremendous trait and can create a wonderful bond - however, fairness in discipline is extremely important when dealing with the breed. In my experience, their sensitivity to discipline is a behavior/trait that easily sets up a dog for aggressive behavior.

So here are our girls - I thank God each and every day for blessing us with them.....they are incredible! Our lives would be so different without them.

http://s194.photobucket.com/albums/z279/3HorseGal/?action=view&current=0fa69d35.pbw&t=1232759133
 
Kudos to you for doing research before you adopt!

Here are a few more things to consider that haven't been brought up:

You mentioned that you live with your mom? Will you be moving out in the future? It is VERY difficult to find a place to rent that will allow 'bully breeds.' The few that I have found charge large monthly fees and aren't safe anyway. Some states/counties/cities ban all pit-types outright. If you move to those places you may have to give your dog up and it's hard to find good trustworthy homes for them. It isn't fair, and it isn't right, but it is the way it is. This isn't to discourage you from getting one, but helping you avoid possible heartbreak.

Like any very short haired dog, they should wear sunscreen on any exposed skin (ie; near their noses, ears, bellies and anywhere they have extra short or white hair.) Dogs get skin cancer too. You can use baby-type sunscreen, but make sure they don't lick it off.

And in very cold wether they need warm coats. Tell people who tease you about your dog being a 'sissy' to !@#$ off! Pits and staffies have very short hair and sometimes not much fat! I personally found bully breeds to be babies about the cold.

It's important to feed them a really high quality diet. Super short haired dogs fed a poor diet get really rough hair which can cause rashes to people who touch them. Especially being as snuggly as they are, you want them to have soft fur.

Like other people said, socialise, socialise, socialise! I would HIGHLY recomend puppy kindergarten. Sirius Puppy Training is the best program I have ever seen for puppy training. You can look online to see if they have a center near you.

'How To Teach a New Dog Old Tricks' by Ian Dunbar is a fabulous book on puppy raising. It details socialisation, bite inhibition, basic manners training and more.

Long tailed, short haired dogs get something called 'happy tail' when they wag their tails into hard objects and bruise/cut open the skin on their tails, often spraying blood all over. If that happens DO NOT tape a bandage straight across the tail. To do that tight enough to stay on will cut off circulation to the tail and kill it.

Instead, clean it, put antibiotic ointment or whatever, cover it with guaze, and then to a few inches on either side of the wound cover it with the slit foam pipe insulation that you can buy at hardware stores. Tape it on the way you would a ballet slipper. You can tape pretty tightly because you are going in a diagonal and alternating directions. If possible tether the tail to a back leg. You will have to change the bandage frequently as moisture can't escape the 'tube,' but it is being protected from further 'whaps' while it heals.

If you do get a puppy from a breeder, make sure you can meet, AND interact with both parents. If a stud dog was used you should still be able to meet him.

There are a lot of health benefits to spaying and neutering. The risk of cancerous mammarian tumors increases exponentially with each heat cycle. Unneutered dogs can get testicular and prostate cancer. The prostate in unneutered dog also frequently becomes inflamed and swells, making it painful, difficult and finally impossible to defecate. Usually it takes a while for the owner to notice and by then at the very least the dog has to have a very invasive enema, usually be neutered anyway, and in severe cases have part of the intestines removed.

Last but not least, 'Whole Dog Journal' is a wonderful magazine for responsible dog parents. They have well researched articles by respected trainers, behaviorists, and nutritionists.

Good luck with your search.
 
One other comment along the lines of Iceblink's comment about tough to find a place to live with a so called "dangerous breed". Some homeowner insurances will not cover you any more if you have one on the premesis because they believe these breeds will cause them to have to make a payout when they bite. Other insurances will raise your premeiums significantly if they find out you have one. If your ins. co. has in the guidelines that you must inform them if you get one of the "dangerous breeds" and don't tell them, you may not be covered, God-forbid, yours does bite a person or another animal, even if provoked. Tough standards for what a few people did to some very loyal and wonderful breeds. I didn't know if anyone told you this yet. Just wanted to warn you.
 
My best friend had 2 pits. He called them Jake and Elwood. They were great dogs. Never bit anybody and he had them from puppies. Jake always had a 2 liter plastic bottle he would carry around and make you wrestle with him. It was impossible to take it away from him. Jake finally died of cancer when he was 14 Elwood was a couple years younger and he went a few months later. Depressed.

Knew another guy that had a pit that would sit next to me on the couch and demand to be petted. When I quit petting him he would growl at me.They seem to communicate that way. Unfortunately the guy was a drunk and passed out one night. For some reason I don't remember the police came to his house and broke in when he didn't answer the door. The dog came at them and they shot it.

I think most people realize that bad pits are made bad by their owners. Sounds like you'll raise him to be a regular dog. Good luck. Just remember a lot of cities zone against them so check zoning so the cops don't come take your dog when a neighbor drops the dime on you. Just another hysteria thing.
 
We have a male APBT, about 80 pounds, 4yo, neutered at 11mo. He is beautiful and sweet. He is hard-headed, but eager to please. My hubby bought Adam Katz's e-book on dog training. He has chapters in there about training dominant-type dogs like pits, and boy did that book help us!

Our dog walks very politely on a leash. He's very obedient, sweet-tempered, and mellow. He is not food-aggressive, and will share his feed with the chickens and cats. He is not aggressive to other dogs, and has never been in a fight. He has never shown people aggression, and I'm afraid his tail-wagging might hurt someone someday! It's like a thick ol' whip. He is the best dog I've ever seen, bar none. I love my toy poodle/chihuahua cross, but the APBT is a much nicer, calmer dog than she is.

When DH picked him out, he met both parents, and both were playful and friendly. It is important to get your puppy, no matter the breed, from good lines with friendly, non-aggressive parents.

Here he is napping with my current house-chicken while she recuperates from a nasty pecking incident:
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All I can say is I will ALWAYS own a pitbull. Here is a pic of my very first pitbull I adopted. His name was Boozer. He jumped the fence while I was on vacation and was never found
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. He is VERY VERY VERY missed
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This is a pic of Charlie boy. He's a good boy! Not adopted though. He is 75 pounds and has a 21in head and thinks he's a lap dog. Oh I almost forgot to mention (he has the WORST gas in the world!!!)
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Best darn dogs in my opinion!

Good Luck!
Chef
 
WELL WE HAVE THREE PITBULLS AND THEY ALL ARE BIG LAP DOGS...OUR FEMALES WILL GIVE YOU KISSES ALL DAY. OUR MALE IS A BIG BABY HE WANTS TO PUT HIS HEAD ON YOUR SHOULDER AND BE LOVED.. I'M NEW AT THIS BUT IF I KNEW HOW TO PUT PICTURES ON HERE I WOULD..
I WOULDN'T TRADE MY DOGS FOR ANYTHING... I'M A SINGLE PARENT AND THEY ARE MY WATCH DOGS. THEY LET ME KNOW WHEN THEY SEE ANYTHING... THEY WALK TO THE CHICKEN COOP WITH ME EVERYNIGHT.
THEY ARE MY SON'S BESTFRIEND'S.
WISH YOU THE BEST LUCK!
 

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