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"All About Pitbulls"
All About Pitbulls: Page 14
of 28
How to introduce a new dog in the house to meet your Pit Bull
Is it wise to have more than one Pit Bull in one house? Does it
matter if the other dog is a male or a female? How about a Pit Bull
and a dog of another breed? The answers to these questions all depend
on the following factors: Your Pit Bull, his environment, his early
exposures to other pets, and your commitment to train your dog
properly and keep the peace in your household.
You have a better chance of keeping peace in your house by getting
dogs of opposite sexes. Two male Pit Bulls are likely to fight with
each other, so are two female Pit Bulls. Male Pit Bulls are less
likely to fight if they are neutered, but spaying females does not
have the same effect. In fact, many female Pit bulls are especially
aggressive during their heat period.
Two dogs of about the same age may fight over who is going to be the
leader. Having two dogs work better if one of them is older than the
other, making the older dog the obvious leader of the pack. Senior
dogs are very well respected by younger dogs, which is the reason why
puppies get along so well with their elders. In some rare cases,
problems starts because a youngster may seek dominance over the older
dog. When your two Pit Bulls start fighting with each other, check to
see if this 'fighting' is only common rough playing or maybe an
occasional quarrel between the two which is normal between two dogs.
On the other hand, a quarrel that gets violent with one dog that draws
blood is a potential problem. If this kind of quarrel happens more
than once, then you better reconsider if keeping both dogs is still a
good idea.
Sometimes, having two dogs works out perfectly when only one of them
is a Pit Bull. If you have an adult dog that is not used to being
around other dogs, test your Pit Bull and observe how he behaves
around another dog. When doing this, make sure that both dogs are
securely restrained.
The following exercises can be performed to determine the sociability
of your Pit Bull around other dogs:
Place the dogs in neutral territory. Place your Pit Bull in a kennel
to keep him secure and then walk the strange dog into his view. Some
dogs tend to be more aggressive when placed inside a kennel, so if
your dog lets the other dog approach him and still acts friendly, then
this is a very good indication that your Pit Bull will get along with
other dogs.
The next exercise is to put both dogs on strong leashes and then walk
them right next to each other while letting them focus on different
diversions. Give both dogs treats but do not let them fight for the
food. When you are introducing a new dog into your home, you may need
to ignore the new dog around your Pit Bull. Praise your Pit Bull
when your new dog comes by. You need to emphasize your Pit Bull's
feelings of leadership by petting her and feeding her first before you
feed the new dog. This will assure him that he is still the special
one.
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