thinking about adopting a female pit bull - Page 2

[thekimballs]

This may be interesting to you:
http://www.canecorsoinfo.org/surveyresults.htm

Especially hips (Cane Corso median Penn Hip is .63 or so, where .3 represents little or no risk of degenerative joint disease and .7 represents a very high risk of degenerative joint disease) and scroll down to temperament.

There have been at least two recent threads on purebreds and health; I invite you to explore them.

[sunkissedmumma67]

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[thekimballs]

Originally Posted by sunkissedmumma67

Well, i'am aware of some of these stats, but its not just Corsos that are prone to the hip and joint problems, all large, big boned dogs are! With all dogs there are pros and cons some more than others though. We have, had our 2 Corsos for 3 years and are crazy about them. I have had so many different breeds of dogs, (especially large breeds) and none have compared to the Corsos! We are planning on getting two more soon! We were looking for really great guard dogs, who would fit into a family with people of many different ages! They are a perfect fit for us, but not right for everyone! Their sooooo smart, the kind of smart that you really have to see to believe. We also have 2 pugs and 2 english bull dogs and they all get along great! Though we have spent an extreme amount of time and energy to have it this way. I will say Corsos do need a tremendous amount of attention and exercise! We live on several acres of gated property, so they have alot of room, though we also have them inside alot! We also take them on walks, jogs and hikes alot! They love it!

Please post pictures of your crew!

Not all large-boned breeds have dysplasia problems; Great Danes have an average joint laxity of about .4. Great Pyrenees, Afghan Hound, Doberman, Irish Wolfhound, Ridgeback, Anatolian--all have very good hips as a breed.

Corsos have twice the dysplasia rate, according to the OFA, of Golden Retrievers; they even "beat," by a substantial margin, Bassets and Bloodhounds. They're in the top 10 (or bottom 10, depending on how you look at it) of dysplastic breeds.

I am glad that you've had such good experience with the Corso; when they are bred as intended they're a unique, valuable, and fascinating breed. However, would I advise that anybody buy one bred in the US? No.

[ShadowMoon]

I say go for it! I have a 4 year old female staffordshire/apbt mix and she is a great dog and has been wonderful with my babe. As long as you are ready to work with her and are aware of what the breed's needs and temperment is like, then I think you are making a great choice. Good luck!

[sunkissedmumma67]

Thats absurd, there are some Awesome Corso breeders in the US!

[Sprungthe2.50]

Puppy Pit, to adopt or not to adopt

My mother works for a vet, and the vast majority of pitbulls and rottweilers are marshmellows and just wonderful.

I did have a ad experience with one when I was babysitting, she was hyper, didn't know her own strength and was a bit of a bully. She was to dangerous to play in the yard, we had to go inside.

As I said, most are wonderful, but keep in mind that if they do act out, they can do ten times more damage and injury than another dog. Study her personality really hard before you make a decision, and have her for a trial at your home, and take her to a trainer to get an evaluation of her personality. A good trainer can usually see signs of future problems that could be worked on, but the one incident can be devestating.

[Girl In The Fire]

Originally Posted by sunkissedmumma67

Thats absurd, there are some Awesome Corso breeders in the US!

There are some, but few and far between unless things have changed dramatically in the past several years.

[Arduinna]

Personally I'd never choose to home a pit with a corgi especially without a fenced yard as it makes it so much harder to seperate the dogs if you need to.

[Girl In The Fire]

Originally Posted by thekimballs

This may be interesting to you:
http://www.canecorsoinfo.org/surveyresults.htm

Wow just looked at this link, the survey was done roughly around the time we were considering getting one and talking to breeders and owners and is consistent with what we were told and why we didn't get one. Very poor results for a breed so few in number. I think if you get a good one they would be a great dog to own. I have dealt with my share of health an temperament issues in other breeds and no desire to deal with it again. Maybe in 10-15 things will be different for the breed, it would be nice if it was.

[hanno]

I really don't want to make any assumptions about Nadia, but it looks to me that she would be very, very hyper/excited. Super cute though

The Ontario thing is a huge consideration too. Since we have Beka, there is really no chance of me moving back home until she's passed--and I don't even want to think about that.

[sunkissedmumma67]

:

[APBTlover]

Nadia reminds me a lot of my Ripley when she was a pup.

Aside from the BSL thing (because only you know the specifics there and the likelihood that you will be making that move), I wouldn't hesitate to encourage you to adopt this pup. She's still quite young, and in all likelihood would never have issues with your corgi. It's not a guarantee, but even pits with dog-aggressive tendencies will often remain civil to a dog they "grew up" with. Also, some aggressive pits will completely ignore smaller dogs... almost as if they don't "count."

I certainly wouldn't worry about the safety of your children any more than I would worry about their safety with any other breed.

[rightkindofme]

I am anything but an expert on this topic, but I have two very conflicting experiences that I will share. When I was five years old a pit bull "attacked" me and bit my face. I needed 117 stitches to repair the damage, several teeth were ripped out, and my jaw was pushed seriously out of alignment. The dog had never bitten anyone before. Now, as a more reasonable adult, I can say that my behavior towards the dog was probably seen by the dog as aggressive. This was a neighbor's dog. Our family dog had dealt with small children for more than 10 years and tolerated little kids getting in his face and being pushy. The pit bull was not so flexible. This established more than a little hesitation in me towards pit bulls.

As an adult I have two friends who own pit bulls. One friend constantly works with and socializes his dog. This pit is incredibly friendly and docile with humans, but he requires constant supervision to maintain this state. My other friend was super good about socializing/working with her dog for years but then slacked for a little while because she got really sick. Now her dog is behaving in more dominant ways with other dogs and occasionally being pushy with humans.

I believe at this point that pits are not evil dogs. But I think they require a lifetime of care and attention that is much higher than many other breeds. I would hesitate to bring a pit into a household with young children, not because pits are evil--but because young children are going to push the boundaries of a dog. So if you want a pit, it would be best to wait until you don't have little kids (I don't know if you do or not) and be prepared for how much effort it is going to take. It wouldn't be fair to the animal to take it in and then not give it all the attention it needs.

[Crunchie]

I don't have time to post tons (and you've already got a lot of good info already, anyway) but I have 3 rescued pit bulls. I 1) agree with everything that Joanna (TheKimballs) said and 2) will say that it all boils down to one equation, no matter the breed: the right dog + the right family = well, the right dog . You've got a lot of info on the breed. If it works for you and your family, it can be a very rewarding experience!

I also believe 110% in socialization, but I think it is irresponsible to take a pit bull (or most dogs, for that matter) to a dog park. We took our dogs repeatedly through a local dog obedience class. They were pros at the commands, but the structured (i.e., on a leash) socialization was what made us go back over and over again!

[thekimballs]

Originally Posted by rightkindofme

I am anything but an expert on this topic, but I have two very conflicting experiences that I will share. When I was five years old a pit bull "attacked" me and bit my face. I needed 117 stitches to repair the damage, several teeth were ripped out, and my jaw was pushed seriously out of alignment. The dog had never bitten anyone before. Now, as a more reasonable adult, I can say that my behavior towards the dog was probably seen by the dog as aggressive. This was a neighbor's dog. Our family dog had dealt with small children for more than 10 years and tolerated little kids getting in his face and being pushy. The pit bull was not so flexible. This established more than a little hesitation in me towards pit bulls.

As an adult I have two friends who own pit bulls. One friend constantly works with and socializes his dog. This pit is incredibly friendly and docile with humans, but he requires constant supervision to maintain this state. My other friend was super good about socializing/working with her dog for years but then slacked for a little while because she got really sick. Now her dog is behaving in more dominant ways with other dogs and occasionally being pushy with humans.

I believe at this point that pits are not evil dogs. But I think they require a lifetime of care and attention that is much higher than many other breeds. I would hesitate to bring a pit into a household with young children, not because pits are evil--but because young children are going to push the boundaries of a dog. So if you want a pit, it would be best to wait until you don't have little kids (I don't know if you do or not) and be prepared for how much effort it is going to take. It wouldn't be fair to the animal to take it in and then not give it all the attention it needs.

I wanted to comment on the temperament issues above, because I think that a lot of people perceive the pit breeds (of which there are many) as being Ok with people if you're really careful with them.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Any former fighting breed should be notably MORE tolerant of people, children, and physical pain/insult than the average sporting or hound or whatever breed. The proper temperament of a pit breed would allow a child to dance on its head, and the dog should just gently wag throughout.

The issue comes when people take the other cardinal aspect of the fighting dog, its "gameness" (where it will receive and accept incredible personal hardship and pain in the pursuit of its goal), and try to breed it to be aggressive to people. This IS an issue with some poorly bred or maliciously bred pit breed dogs, and it's why you always go into an adoption or potential purchase with your eyes wide open.

The proper way to own a pit is to realize that it can kill other dogs, and may in fact be quite eager to do so. Ditto for other small animals. But a Pit must NEVER be human-aggressive; I would argue that the first sign of real intolerance sends the dog to heaven. Because of the strength and gameness of the breed(s), you cannot fool around with that.

[hanno]

Originally Posted by thekimballs

I wanted to comment on the temperament issues above, because I think that a lot of people perceive the pit breeds (of which there are many) as being Ok with people if you're really careful with them.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Any former fighting breed should be notably MORE tolerant of people, children, and physical pain/insult than the average sporting or hound or whatever breed. The proper temperament of a pit breed would allow a child to dance on its head, and the dog should just gently wag throughout.

I try very hard to avoid this but it happens in my house with some regularity The most the dog does is try to lick the baby away.

[FondestBianca]

Please, please, please do not worry about bred-in aggression. It is just another pit myth. If a pit is rasied in a bad environment then yes, it can grow to be agressive but that is simply environment. A pit is just as likely to have naturally agressive tendencies as ANY OTHER BREED! Here is the problem (and I believe the only problem) with pits. They are very strong dogs with a powerful jaw and instinct to use their lock jaw in conflict if rising to physical level. When and if they do become aggressive or find themselves in a fight with another dog they often times get the bad rap because they are so strong and can so easily cause serious injury. SO be aware that in case of flighting you are dealing with a very powerful dog. This is why you see them in the news so much for attack against humans. When they do bite they have the ability to cause injury, unlike breeds that actually bite more often (small breeds... not that they are bad or more aggressive). No one wants to watch two chihuahuas fight in a back yard brawl and that is why you don't see them in the news for fighting rings. Pits just have the disfortune of being a solid, very intelligent, and loyal dog. They will fight to survive and do as their horrible owners force them in those aweful cases.

For all of those reasons pits who have not yet been introduced into a bad environment need loving homes. People need to stand up for the breed and highlight the fact that in the scheme of things, a very low number of family rasied (in a loving home) pits are reported to attack people or other dogs.

But again, be aware that they aren't a chihauhau... if they bite, they have a lot of massive muscles behind those jaws. Like aggitating a 6ft tall body builder as opposed to a wheelchair bound little person. You have to hope the body builder had a good upbringing and can keep their cool when under attack or pressure.

Make sure it's the right pit for your household and go for it! If for what ever reason you don't think that pit is right (just as you would with any other dog) keep searching. I steer people toward pits simply because there are so many due to cheap pure bred pricing from over breeding and breeding by the wrong kinds of people. Be very careful if adopting an adult pit (or any adult dog) as you don't know what their home environment has been like. No different than people and what people you would accept into your home. Introduce them to other people, dogs, and environments early on and continue to socialize them. Helps keep nervousness and fear out fo their world.

Good luck and good on ya for turning to the pit popualtion for a pet!

[Crunchie]

Originally Posted by FondestBianca

Please, please, please do not worry about bred-in aggression. It is just another pit myth. If a pit is rasied in a bad environment then yes, it can grow to be agressive but that is simply environment. A pit is just as likely to have naturally agressive tendencies as ANY OTHER BREED! Here is the problem (and I believe the only problem) with pits. They are very strong dogs with a powerful jaw and instinct to use their lock jaw in conflict if rising to physical level. When and if they do become aggressive or find themselves in a fight with another dog they often times get the bad rap because they are so strong and can so easily cause serious injury. SO be aware that in case of flighting you are dealing with a very powerful dog. This is why you see them in the news so much for attack against humans. When they do bite they have the ability to cause injury, unlike breeds that actually bite more often (small breeds... not that they are bad or more aggressive). No one wants to watch two chihuahuas fight in a back yard brawl and that is why you don't see them in the news for fighting rings. Pits just have the disfortune of being a solid, very intelligent, and loyal dog. They will fight to survive and do as their horrible owners force them in those aweful cases.

For all of those reasons pits who have not yet been introduced into a bad environment need loving homes. People need to stand up for the breed and highlight the fact that in the scheme of things, a very low number of family rasied (in a loving home) pits are reported to attack people or other dogs.

But again, be aware that they aren't a chihauhau... if they bite, they have a lot of massive muscles behind those jaws. Like aggitating a 6ft tall body builder as opposed to a wheelchair bound little person. You have to hope the body builder had a good upbringing and can keep their cool when under attack or pressure.

Make sure it's the right pit for your household and go for it! If for what ever reason you don't think that pit is right (just as you would with any other dog) keep searching. I steer people toward pits simply because there are so many due to cheap pure bred pricing from over breeding and breeding by the wrong kinds of people. Be very careful if adopting an adult pit (or any adult dog) as you don't know what their home environment has been like. No different than people and what people you would accept into your home. Introduce them to other people, dogs, and environments early on and continue to socialize them. Helps keep nervousness and fear out fo their world.

Good luck and good on ya for turning to the pit popualtion for a pet!

While I agree with a lot in your post and you are obviously another pit lover ( yay!) I will respectfully disagree with a few of your points. Namely that agression in pits isn't bred in or that they don't have any more tendency to be agressive than any other breed. It is a natural trait of the breed to be dog/dog agressive (not dog/human agressive, big difference). In fact, I would always count on it--even if a dog has never been dog/dog agressive, I would never trust it not to one day decide to be so. While I believe that the right kind of socialization and training can help, it is not environment that causes/prevents it. I have 3 pit bulls, all raised in a loving, disciplined home environment and socialized. I have not had any problems with them together (though they only run freely together supervised, just in case), but I cannot trust any of them with other dogs. Period. My male would attack any and every strange dog if allowed to. No amount of socialization would change that. Nothing in his environment caused it, I've had him since he was 6 weeks old. It's just his temperament--it is what he was bred for.

Also, a pit bull's jaw does not "lock." I suppose the misconception came from the fact that, well, in a fighting situation most of them just don't give up.

[boricuaqueen327]

I say that if you are ready to do the necessary things to ensure your pit has a happy, healthy life, including keeping her separate from your other dog if need be, then go for it. My favorite patient that comes into the clinic is a pit bull. He is the most loving, tolerant dog you will ever meet. He lets us do anything to him and just licks our faces. I truly love the breed but since I dont have room to keep one separate from my other dogs if necessary I dont have one. Good luck and keep us updated on your progress adopting her if you choose to do that.