Howdy and good afternoon

[cjgun]

I am also a newbie to this site. I was told my pup was a Rott/German Shep mix when I rescued her at 8weeks old but as she has grown, seems she might be a pit mix. Since I wasn't expecting a Pit, I was not prepared for owning one, definitely been a learning experience the past year. I am glad I found this site and hope it helps in my learning. Picture of my girl is below, she is 60+ pounds now. Not sure if I attached the picture correctly or not but guess I will find out shortly.

[miakoda]

Unfortunately we cannot guess based on a picture. There are just too many breeds of dogs & even more mixes that have very similar physical characteristics (broad heads, muscular structure, etc.) as a "pit bull" so there's just no telling. I've been completely fooled by Lab/Boxer crosses before. ;)

On the other hand, we are welcome to have to here. :) There is always room for learning in one's mind & this site not only talks about the APBT specifically, but we also have tons of information of puppy raising, vaccinations, deworming schedules, training techniques, & lots more. So sit back & enjoy your stay!

[cjgun]

well, she can be aggressive towards other dogs, and I have noticed a few other traits of hers that I have read on this board already. Just worried about her around children. Granted, I don't have any yet but worried about nieces/nephews that come by. She has been wonderful around them so far but don't want to have a problem at any time. Any one else been worried about that at some point? and how do/did you monitor it?

[miakoda]

Here's a link to the very basic of basic articles.
http://www.game-dog.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6372

To be honest, I've never worried about my dogs around children. But I have worried about the children around my dogs. You see, children nowdays are NOT taught how to behave properly around animals. On the other hand, too many people nowdays have pets that they consider "children" & treat them as such when in fact a dog is a dog is a dog.

My advice is to find a reputable trainer & immediately enroll your dog in obedience. If he is a mix of the above mentioned breeds, then you have a guard dog by nature & a dog that will think for himself. You also need to familiarize yourself with the traits & characteristics of those breeds so you can be properly prepared. An APBT has nowhere near the temperament of either GSDs or Rottweilers as the APBT was bred for pit fighting & NOT to be territorial or suspicious of strangers. I will ask around for some links to popular & respectable GSD & Rottweiler forums as well for you, as I think you will find better info on those breeds there.

But like I said, you first need to start with some serious obedience training with your dog (& this advice is for ALL dogs no matter the breed, mix, size, weight, etc.). Responsiblity is key & if you look at all the dog bite cases in the news, it all boils down to the owner's irresponsibility mostly in containing/restraining their animals.

[cjgun]

I do monitor her around the children and I do thank you for your responses. As for training, she is really good and easy to train, I will say that much.

[miakoda]

I do monitor her around the children and I do thank you for your responses. As for training, she is really good and easy to train, I will say that much.
Then you're off on the right track. And those dogs are very easily trained, however, it must be constant throughout their lifetime as they are bred to think for themselves. ;)

[Tookie]

great lookin dog and welcome. mine is a rescued australian shep/pit mix -- see below.

[Judy]

Welcome to the forum!

[MercedesMama]

Welcome! Your girl is a cutie!

[missybee16]

Hello to ya! Glad to hear that you take into consideration, your dogs faults. Hope all works out.

[cjgun]

Thanks for all the welcomes.

[NCPatchwork]

She is gourgous...sorry for the spelling...but yeah...she has some pit in her somewhere...look at those adorable ears!!!

[cjgun]

I have been doing a lot of reading the past week on the actual american pit bull terrier and the american stafforshire terrier, seems that she looks and acts the most like either one of these breeds. Of course, they both seem to get grouped together as 'pit bulls' and when there are websites that have these grouped together as well as a few other breeds, no wonder the media and the higher percentage of society stereotypes.

[Suki]

I have been doing a lot of reading the past week on the actual american pit bull terrier and the american stafforshire terrier, seems that she looks and acts the most like either one of these breeds. Of course, they both seem to get grouped together as 'pit bulls' and when there are websites that have these grouped together as well as a few other breeds, no wonder the media and the higher percentage of society stereotypes.
Glad to hear about all your reading. VERY smart decision! Nice to have you, and IMO, you picked a great place to find your knowledge!;)

Yes, as you'll come to understand the TERM, "pit bull", emcompasses MANY different breeds, which basically, just seems to cause confusion and misidentification.
Anyhow, enjoy your stay, and feel free to fire away any questions.:)