game breed/house pets

do apbt make good house pets and family dogs, i am looking into getting a apbt for my family and a hiouse pet that will stay inside and thats it but i wanted to know if they made good house pets or do they naturally need to be kept outside and involved in some sort of work, i was thinking maybe of doing some agility work but that would be it.

 

Mine is a house pet, he stays inside most of the time unless he goes outside to potty or we go to play fetch/go for a walk. APBT are very high energy dogs and do need to stay very active, I will say that much. As for if it will be a good house pet, that really depends on its temperment and how well you socailize him/her.

 

IMO they are some of the best dogs in the world, I gave my girl my old catch dog when she was just a baby (he loved her so much I had to let Him have her) He was never really a house dog befor that he just took to it so well I let him move in. Now 10 years later he is still kickin and sleeps in the bed with her every night and not in all that time was he ever a problem other than scratching the paint off the back door. J

 

All of my dogs live inside as family pets, but they also have jobs. I believe that all dogs, no matter the breed, need jobs. APBTs are truly happier when they are working. But "work" is different for every dog and situation. I have friends whose bully breeds are perfectly content being just running partners and playmates. As long as they have proper socialization, adequate exercise, and enough stimulation and training; APBTs make great family pets.
Just do some research, before choosing a bloodline for your family. You might be happier with a UKC/bullier type of pit, as they can be more mellow and not as high drive.

 

Their the greatest! Chyna is definitly part of the family she goes upstairs and Play's with the kids. when she's had enough of that then she comes downstairs to fall asleep on our laps like a big baby! At the same time she's my running, walking and etc. partner as well. She is great! You definitly have to socialize them when there young. My best friend could come over here take her for the day to his house and she goes to visit his whole family !

 

Don't even need to add my story, They are the best dogs. On the other hand this breed is not for everybody. If you get one know what your doing don't just get one as a fad or because you think they look cool. Being a responsible Bulldog owner is a job in itself, you HAVE to maintain control.

 

Just to add APBT are very dominant dogs. It as said many times before takes the right people to own them, not everyone should like Mac 11 said.

 

My house dogs have always been gamedogs and i cannot complain!!!!

 

Hemi is in the house right now he has been a great house dog....

 

Try for a nice adult rescue that has been housed by a foster. That way you can find a nice house dog without too much drive. www.Petfinder.com has some great dogs. All of my dogs are house dogs BUT if I don't work them most will drive me NUTS! I think a nice rescue would be perfect for your home

 

i have 2 gamebred dogs and there my babys they have a doggy door so there in and out allday there big lap dogs but the apbt is not for every one responsible people only

 

sorry to put a damper on things here but i want to know how some of you can say it takes a responsible person to own a GAME BRED APBT when they are saying they have more than one dog running loose around the home together. never in my life time would i call that responsible. TRUE GAME BRED DOGS ?? im sorry but i dont call that responsible.
i have no problem with someone having ONE GAME BRED dog as a pet. they do make for a great stable loving pet on there own. TWO, NO WAY RESPONSIBLE.

if you do want an apbt look for a resque dog and help it out, give it a home. you will be rewarded.

ive got to appolagize again, but some people that give advise, shouldnt. this day and age really amazes me. some should do some more research into WHAT IS A GAME BRED DOG.........this is three words that get tossed around to much these days and im sure so many people dont really no what is and what is not.

sorry, D'S.........grumpy old fart lol...

to the person asking the question, please, do plenty of research and make sure you are up to the job of keeping this breed. they are a magnificent dog but they are a really big responsibility, and there are a lot of precations to take care of as well. typically alot of forums are not the place to gather all your information. there are however alot of good people here with some good honest and reliable information, but you need to hang with some owners and get to know the dogs themselfs. do some history lessons, so on. think about what you want in a dog as a pet and find out what it takes to achieve that goal, and do you have the time to do so. its no good having the novelty wear off in six months. i would expect that this will take some time to do, just dont rush into getting a dog because at the moment this is what you think you want.
if it all works out for you and you find the right dog etc. i wish you and your family all the best. they really can be the best thing in your life.

 

They can make excellent pets in the right hands. "Game bred" encompasses a lot of dogs, so I don't necessarily agree that it's downright impossible to (carefully) house more than one "Game bred" dogs inside. For the record, my run-of-the-mill rescue dogs are high-drive, dog-aggressive, and demanding animals. So in the grand scheme of things, one must look at the individual dog and not try to make biased assumptions.

To the OP, will this be your first APBT? Performanceknls provided a link to PetFinder, which is a great place to look if you simply want a good pet dog to do some novice-level sports with (I compete with my rescues). If you are looking to go the breeder route, it's important to do research beyond the computer. Like I'll tell anyone else, hit up shows, sporting events, etc. and begin talking to breeders who have dogs that fit your fancy. Finding the "perfect" dog can take a while, but it's worth it.

 

I have a game bred APBT (Mountain Man/St Benedict) cross. He is a stabled, even tempered, non-DA pit. He lives with a high strung, DA as hell, dominant Am Staff. They do well together, but I think this is an exception and not the rule. Working dog breeds and blood lines need strong leaders, without proper leadership, containment and care this type of dog can be dangerous. IMO responsibility is about being knowlegable about the breed, about the heritage of your dog and taking the time to train the dog properly. Know your animal, make sure the dog is safe and the environment it lives in is safe as well.

 

well, for the past 2 decades i have had gamebred dogs in the house. i have 3 words for you...crate and rotate

 

The other thing I noticed is you may want to do agility with your dog. A game bred dog is very hard for a novice person to have as a first dog. They will try to be dog aggressive (DA) and that is horrible for Agility. You have to have a dog off leash and running the same time other dogs are running and to have a DA APBT that could be a disaster. BUT if you know what you are doing or get professional help you can teach the dog to ignore other dogs or not be DA from a pup. But it takes a ton of socialization and work in the beginning. My most recent game bred agility dog was a pain in the butt to get over her DA as a pup. Also Prey drive, watching other dogs run is another problem you will have. My suggestion if you want an agility dog then get your feet wet with a rescue, then go for a nice bred dog. THEN crate and rotate! It's the only way to ensure you don't have a dead dog. I have many dogs in the house but they cannot be together lose.
If you don't know how to look for a good rescue PM me and I can give you some good sites for your area! There are some good looking rescues out there that need a good home.

 

Thats the real problem with A.P.B.T's, EVERYONE HAS ONE! 30 years ago you never herd of all this crap going on with pitbulls (maybe here and their but not everyday or even every month for that matter).

 

In the right hands, you can have more than one dog in your house. You will need to crate and rotate. Plenty of people do it without incident.

Honestly, ANY breed needs to be with a responsible owner, not only the american pit bull terrier.

And unless the parents of the dog you have now was tested (which is illegal) then your dog is from game bred lines, NOT gamebred. JMHO

 

I have 3 game dogs at home they are great and also with kids but i can never leave my two bitches alone they would fight as long as i'm around and look over them there's nothing wrong but if i leaf the room FIGHT so the breed is not for everyone

 

For the record it can be done and has been safely done by many people for years.

Is it responsble ? For some No and for others it can be. When you been around enough dogs you know what can work and what will be a disaster. My household has always had multiple dogs and we have done it with great success. The dogs that can co-exist with other dogs are allowed to interact with each other, the dogs that were pure fire were NEVER allowed near another dog period. The trick is knowing what you got, what sets them off and the signs that they display before take-off. Have we had accidents in the house ? Yea we have had a few over the years but no more than any yard accidents that respnosible kennels have had. Shit happens, its how you deal with it when it does happen that makes the difference.

Now I do not reccomend novice owners to own even one game-bred APBT never mind two or three living under the same roof. To the person who has 20, 30 or even 40 years with the breed ? Yea I would trust thier ability in handling the dogs and to know what it is they have on thier hands.

***Note***
Also for the record I am aware of what a game-bred dog is.