Black Lab/Pitbull Mix

Through a series of unfortunate events (or fortunate, depends on which perspective you are taking it from) my brother may soon be the owner of a chocolate lab/pitbull mix. Long story short, a friend found the dog darting in and out of traffic, it's about a year old, and it hasn't been claimed from the shelter which is a kill shelter. If the owners don't claim the dog tomorrow my brother is going to go on weds and most likely will foster the dog and maybe eventually own it. The problem is, the only dog we had died when he was 8 and I was 4. The most complicated pet we've ever owned is a rabbit. We don't know what to expect (I keep using we because my brother lives next door and while it will be his dog, I am going to be helping a lot).

Does anyone know anything about the temperament of these dogs? It is only about a year old and is in good health, but we are nervous because it does have Pit in it and was picked up in a dog fighting area. However it had a harness and it's nails were trimmed, but no tags.

Another problem is that we both have mild dog allergies. I can play with a shih tzu all day, but seem to be mildly allergic to my fiance's aunt's Portugese Water Dog (which is supposed to be a good dog for people with allergies).

We have a lot of friends who said they will give my bro the dog items they no longer use, but I just want to be fully prepared if or when this pup comes home with us.

Having worked at an animal shelter that had it's share of pit mixes, they can be great dogs. The unfortunate thing about pits is they are a favored pet of people that use them as a status item on the street. The ones I have met are very nice dogs...notice I say nice. They aren't out for blood, but they are extremely head-strong dogs. You should definitely do your reading about training and be very firm with your dog.

Cesar Millan has a great book called "A Member of the Family." His personal dog he mentions the most is his dog, Daddy, who happens to be a pit bull. You should check this book out, as it has great ideas for things to do even before you bring the dog home that sets the stage for a great relationship. I wish I had read it a year ago before I brought our dog, Hazel, home.

With a fur-coated dog (both labs and pits are fur-coated), you will probably have allergy symptoms. Shih tzus are a hair-coated dog and that's what makes them non-allergenic for some. I have never tried the dog shampoo made to reduce allergens in the dog's coat, but some people I know report a bit of success. Your allergies may lessen over time as you are exposed to this particular dog - your body becomes used to it.

As far as the temperment, many pit bulls are great dogs - it is generally only the ones bred and trained to be mean that are. Their general temperment is good and labs are reputed to have a great temperment as well. Still, as with any dog, you will have to be careful for a while and watch closely for signs of aggressive behavior. I would hope the shelter would not be willing to foster / adopt out a dog with known aggression problems. This dog may require a lot of training as well - consistency is key here. Either go to a training class or get a good training guide and follow it consistently! Even well-trained dogs like to "forget" their training if not kept up - I know my own has!

Basically, the dog will need an appropriate diet, plenty of exercise (probably at least 2 walks a day), and lots of love. You can find all kinds of dog care advice on the internet.

I think it's great that your brother and you are willing to try to save this dog. I hope it works out for you! Good luck!

95% of the "problem" dogs are really problems with their owners. I know many pitbulls that are great family dogs and wouldn't hurt a flea.

That said, PIts are very dominant dogs, so you need to make sure you can control them. Once they learn their spot in your family, they should be pretty good. They need to be socialized as well. Take them everywhere you possibly can, the more people they are around the better they will be with people.

I own Rotties, they ar ethe best dogs I've ever owned. Won't go back to some of the "lesser" dogs. I like multipurposing things, and it's great to have a pet/friend/garbage disposal/alarm system/etc all in one package.

My DD has made me learn alot about pit bulls. Like alot of animal loving young people she watched the Micheal Vic story, her heart was broke and now she wants to change the worlds mind about pit bulls. The bottom line of what I found out is the most important thing to a pit is the love and approval of its 2 legged best friend, all it wants to do is please its master. The "opinion"(for lack of a better word) is that if you praise it for being the way you want it to be, which I'm sure is a loyal friendly dog, it will thrive on that and do everything it can to please you. I am a person that always thought that they were vicious dogs and would never own one, but my daughter has opened my eyes to what incredably great dogs they can be as long as they are raised right. And with a lab you can never go wrong, as long as you don't leave anything around that you don't want eaten;) They only other thing you need to check into is sadly because of how some people raise there pits, some municipalities have special laws when it comes to pit bulls, such as extra insurance and still in some places they are outlawed. I would hate for this poor animal to find a loving home, just to realize he is not allowed there. Whatever you and your brother decide to do, I am sure if you take the dog in and love it, you will have a wonderful family pet. Best of luck to you all.

Thanks for all the advice so far. I will tell my bro to get the Cesar Milan book. We are really getting thrown into this because of the whole kill factor and now having a connection to this particular dog through the friend that found it. We were thinking that If worst comes to worst and we can't keep it or find someone else who will, we will foster it for a while, split the cost of adopting and then bring it to a no kill shelter. We still haven't seen the dog but based on the description we do think he was probably a family dog, but he had no collar or tags, just a harness. Also he isn't neutered.

Looks like we will have to be studying up on the little guy if he does come home with us. The one thing I'm unsure of, not knowing the parents, is what the percentage is. Like, is it more pit or more lab or 50-50, and would our approach to the dog vary because of that? I'm actually having trouble finding info about mixes. I'll let you know what happens.

Patty, someone else did notify us of the insurance issue. He is looking into it. Obviously if his insurance won't cover, he won't be able to keep it.

If you can't adopt the dog maybe you can contact the ASPCA and find a shelter that will claim the dog so it won't be put down... surely there's one in Philly that can help out!

If no one knows the dog -- there might very well be a lot more mixed in. Who knows for sure it's 50/50 with out doing a DNA panel? We see many pit bulls at the Animal Hospital where I work and have never had issues. Most of the muzzle or biting issues we encounter are with small yappy breeds.

I would not focus on the 'pit' issue. I have a Lab mix and could not ask for a better dog.

Another thing to cosider is the cost of owning a dog. It is much more expensive to care for a dog then a hampster etc.
Another issue is homeowners insurance. No matter if you own or rent most insurance companies will not insure you or will drop you if your dog has any pit bull, german shepard, doberman or rotty in them. My friend adopted a husky shepard mix and her insurance company dropped her and she had a hard time finding another one. Some policies have an clause in them that states that you are not covered if one of these breeds bites someone.

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Originally Posted by PolyGirl40

Most of the muzzle or biting issues we encounter are with small yappy breeds.

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Absolutely! A little known fact is there are FAR more instances of dog bites/attacks by the smaller "yippy" breeds than pits/rotties.

Maryanne,
Another thing to make sure you do, in addition to obedience classes, is to socialize the dog. Make sure you take him to dog parks, out in public, and introduce him to other dogs and other people. The more he's around others, the more used to them he will become.

Jill

I own a black lab/pit mix now who's more on the pit side then the lab side. She's my baby and thinks she's a lap dog (at 70lbs that makes it quiet a surprise to people when she climbs right into their laps). She's one of the sweetest dogs we've ever owned who routinely falls asleep with my 7 year olds nephew propped on her belly but is not fond of other dogs.

Bottom line, it depends on the dog. Pits can make fantastic, fantastic family pets as long as you put the time and energy into making sure they are well socialized.

Good Luck :)

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Originally Posted by DizneyRox

Absolutely! A little known fact is there are FAR more instances of dog bites/attacks by the smaller "yippy" breeds than pits/rotties.

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I got bit more by cocker spaniels and poodles than anything else!

We brought him home today. My brother is fostering for the time being, but unless something crazy happens, he'll adopt. They had given him the name Avon Barksdale from the wire since he's a big, strong, black pit mix (who by the way looks pretty darn pit to me) but we don't watch the Wire so we are gonna call him Clubber Lang. It was between that and Brian Doggins but he seemed to respond more to Clubber. I'll let you know how it goes but so far so good.

congrats on the new family member. I wish you all alot of happiness.

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Originally Posted by PirateLover

We brought him home today. My brother is fostering for the time being, but unless something crazy happens, he'll adopt. They had given him the name Avon Barksdale from the wire since he's a big, strong, black pit mix (who by the way looks pretty darn pit to me) but we don't watch the Wire so we are gonna call him Clubber Lang. It was between that and Brian Doggins but he seemed to respond more to Clubber. I'll let you know how it goes but so far so good.

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I hope he does well with you all, regardless of the name he ends up with! Good luck!

pat on the back:thumbsup: to both of you for rescuing a dog destined to be euthanized. my last dog was a pit bull. he was the best dog i have ever had. the american kennel club states they are great with children and an excellent member of the family. i am sure with the right training and attention you will find he will be an awesome dog. i now have a lab who is very hyper and needs a lot of attention. we are still getting settled in with him even though we got him a few months ago. he is six months and we just had him neutered :ill: but i think he will end up being a great dog as well. good luck to you and your brother and again, pats on the back to both of you and i wish you well.

Ok I need to get on my soap box about pitbull for a moment. I have groomed quite a few in my time and the most dangerous thing about them is their gas. Labs having been blessed to have 3 of them are incredible dogs. They are very playful and can be a bit of trial until they get to be adults. I think that a lab/pit mix is not anything to be concerned about. I think your brother will be happy with the pup. Labs don't usually reach "adult" hood until about 2 1/2 years but they still remain very playful it's just they finally start to really listen then. As for your allergies you will be allergic to the pup. Neither breed is hypoallergenic.

Well here we are, day 6 of the dog and 2 days after being neutered. We are thinking, based on advice of dog trainers and friends who have met him and seen pictures, that if he does have Lab in him it is very minuscule. My fiance and I have been with him the past 4 days because my brother went to Arizona to watch the Eagles lose :(
Anyhow, he was very timid and mild mannered at first. After being neutered he was pretty good but the cone really seems to scare him. He just starts shaking uncontrollably and won't move.

He is very playful and has already mauled a few toys and keeps trying to go after my feet/sneakers. It's weird, he doesn't go after anyone else's.

As far as allergies go, mine haven't been too bad. He licks me all the time but I've only gotten hives once. My nose itches a tad but that's the extent. Like I said my dog allergies are weird. I've had reactions to a Portuguese Water Dog (one of the dogs Obama is thinking about getting because his daughter is allergic) yet I was fine in my grandfather's house when he had a big fat pug that shed like there was no tomorrow and he never vacuumed. Very odd!