new here with a pit puppy

my son came home with a 5.5 mo "reverse brindle gator mouth" idk what that means if anything.. I don't have a clue on these dogs. she seems to be loving and adores affection but seems scared too, I don't know her previous home life I know that my son rescued her from a cage. Can anyone give me some info on her, general background, she seems very playful not aggressive. We have 3 other children 12,5 and 3 yr old just curious.

thank you
jojo

 

LMAO... he got one of dem gatormoufs and you leet him bring em home? There goes the neighborhood.....lol I'm just messing with you, tell your son,, now all he needs is a Black Chinaman dog and he'll be bad azz:cool:.
Welcome to the site,, I'm just pulling your leg about the gatormouf and the Black chinaman comment, By the looks of it you have just got yourself a new puppy, there is much information on this site. The search feature is one of my personal favs. You can actually search for a topic, any old topic and it will usually help answer any questions you may have. Again welcome and hope you enjoy that beautiful lil gatormouf

 

Welcome.

Pretty much, your son has gotten a backyard breed dog, which is most likely a mixed bred dog. Gator mouth is just a selling tool many unethical breeders use to push dogs.

No worries, enjoy your dog anyway.

 

Can you post a pic?

Have you ever owned a dog before or are you starting from scratch? Owning a dog is sometimes more responcibility that new owners might think, just wondering where your starting from.

On top of dog ownership, there is a significant amount of knowledge you will need to be a responcible Pitbull owner, I'd suggest you start reading quickly...

At 5.5 months and coming from a "cage" I suspect your dog is filled with a ton of energy, I'd take him to burn that off ASAP and consider that you just took ownership of a dog that needs exersize or might find other ways to deal with it. Those other ways are destructive...

Others are right, your dog is 99.9% sure to be the product of a "back yard breeder" meaning that someone who basically had 2 dogs that he felt were worthy of breeding did so. The negitive association with this is that those folks are commonly igornant breeders who breed for money versus the improvment of the breed. This is a working breed and unless that person was working these dogs (which we can be sure he wasn't as your kid came home with it), he breed them cause they looked good. More on that over time...

Things you should know up front:
1. Pits are good with kids, but as with all dogs you need to be carful. Know that you pit can do more damage than any poodle, or other dog of simular size, and possibly bigger. Don't allow your dog to mouth your kids or your kids to abuse your dog.

2. Your dog was breed to fight other animals, particually other dogs. If you have another dog or cat, be on top of this situation. Over time, expect the worst and hope your one of the lucky ones.

3. When you go to show off your puppy to friends and they learn it is a Pit, they are going to call you crazy and look down on your dog like he was the center of all evil. None of the things that come out of that friends mouth are true or accurate, come research them here or on other forums with real pit owners.

Lastly, training your dog now is important to you and him. For you, its control, respect, and reward. For him, its disipline, and the ability to enjoy more time with you. If you dog walks perfectly by your side with out a tug, your more apt to bring him places. If he is dragging you all over creation, your more apt to leave him home. Training also teaches the dog who is in control and they very much need to be in control and have a leader. Lack of either is going to be a bad story and sad situation.

Good luck and welcome pitbull ownership. If you end up keeping the dog, consider it a rescue, have it fixed asap.

 

Good post Rick, the only thing ill add is you are gonna need a few things that maybe you wouldnt with another breed. #1 Id get a breakstick and learn how to use it, these are canine gladiators originally.#2, you ll definitely need a stronger collar than what you will find at the local WalMart, try stillwater products. the only other advice off the top of my head is to exercise the heck outta your dog, a tired dog is a good dog.

 

Welcome and good luck with the pup, you have received some good advise above, follow it and you and your kids will have a good experiance with your new addition to the family. As stated lots of exercise is good.

 

Im gonna say this

where did your kid get the dog from someones cage was this recently
cause by the looks of the dog it seems to be healthy

check with the owner of the dog and see if it was given to your son
maybe the dog was being crate trained

somebody could be missing this dog

It wouldnt be such a big loss for you or your family

as you will gain the oppertunity to realy do some research and make a good decision
on owning this breed
and just getting a pup of unknown background can be positive or negitive
but being new to the breed you would do good in teaching your son the positive
about this breed for yourself
It is true about how sound and stable this breed can be when the pup is a product of good breeding efforts
but so is the latter in the hands of people that breed for the wrong goals
it may take a while and could cost you a little but you should be happy with the results

 

Welcome jojo!

Much good info has been given, let me see if I can help any.

Reverse brindle is just a color. "Gator mouth" (also pronouced "gater-mouff" or "gata-mouff" depending on who you're talking to) is simply a term used by unethical breeders to sell their product & make the dogs sound more "tough" & thus more desirable. It is not a bloodline of any type & most "gator mouth" dogs are off unregistered parents of unknown lineage.

Since your girl is off dogs of unknown breeding, it is of utmost importance you begin training now. The Nothing In Life Is Free (NILIF) method is good for day-to-day life, as well as establishing who is boss in your new "pack." If you cannot implement that, select a professional trainer if you must. Let me emphasize the word PROFESSIONAL trainer. No PetSmart, PetCo, or Cesar Milan stuff.

Basic obedience at a very minimum is an absolute must as well. All dogs should know basic obedience but this goes double for your girl because her pedigree is unknown. You don't know if her parents were fighting dogs, dogs selected for human aggression or two good natured dogs just sitting in a kennel used to make puppies.

Due to her genetics, she could mature into a sweet dog who wouldn't hurt a fly, dog aggressive dog or if her parents' temperaments were unstable, she may even mature into a human aggressive dog. This is why you get puppies from a REPUTABLE breeder. If you do so you will know your dog's background & the quality of the breeding stock behind the pup. But that is over & done with, we now have to deal with the present.

At the very, very least expect a measure of dog aggression. The American Pit Bull Terrier as a breed was created to be a dog fighter. Doggy parks are a no-no for your dog. Nor will she need another dog as a "friend." Well-bred APBTs crave human contact & only need a human pack.

You can socialize her with other dogs if you wish, so long as you always have her on leash, always have a breaking stick with you & are always on the alert for any body signals that will warn of an impending fight. A lot of people will say a dog (including APBTs) attack "out of nowhere" but this is rarely the case. Almost all dogs (including APBTs) will give off body signals warning of their intent. Sometimes it's just very subtle, if you're not looking for them you'll miss them. So you have to be very tuned into your dog.

As another poster already mentioned, be ready for some venom from family, friends & out right strangers. APBTs are no longer the beloved breed they once were. Insurance companies sometimes will refuse you insurance for your home & you might not be able to rent certain houses or apartments.

Then there is also something called "Breed Specific Legislation" (BSL). It almost always targets APBTs & can even make owning one illegal. If you move into a city or country that has APBT specific BSL your rights will be curtailed. Sometimes it might be minor things such as the dog has to wear a muzzle in public or adults only can walk the dog - meaning your son might not be able to walk his own dog! Or in worst case scenarios, Animal Control will come to your houe, take your dog & kill it. Sad but true.

And heaven forbid your dog puts so much as a toe nail scratch on someone, even in play. The dog can be taken & put down. Should she actually ever bite someone, you can be fined for harboring a vicious animal & sued for damages. There was some years ago a man who broke into a family's home & was bitten by their APBT. The burglar sued the family & WON! They had to pay all his lawyer fees & medical expenses. His defense was if he knew there was a pit bull in the house, he wouldn't have broken in! :eek:

In short, owning an APBT requires an extra special person who is extra special responsible & willing to be thick skinned & put up with a lot of bull. These are wonderful, wonderful dogs, but as the old saying goes "to whom much is entrusted, much is due."

Good luck with your new addition & if you have any questions, please feel free to post them here, as there are many well-versed people to help you

 

Sorry, I forgot to add - as was previously posted, as soon as she turns 6 months your pup should be spayed. It will be for her own good as spayed dogs are more healthy & live longer. Plus, as an unregistered dog from a questionable breeder, her purebred status cannot be verified. She could be an APBT or she could be an APBT mix. You would not believe how many brindle pit bull mixes & even mastiff mixes I've seen touted as "pit bulls." And lastly, since she will not be used in competition events, she has no reason to be intact.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for all the advice..I'm still nervous about this whole thing. I have been around dogs all my life, German shepherd , husky/wolf and now a pug mix (rescued dog from my son) but the pits around here get a really bad rep because of our location. There's alot of ignorance and greed and they are mixing them with the same litter (can I say that) these poor beautiful animals are paying the price. From what I gather the owner had to move away and they couldn't take her so they left her with a "friend" who own a garage and she was locked up in a cage. We have a fenced in good size back yard and as you can see she is in the house with me ..Her eyes tell me Love me, hug me, feed me, but not knowing how or where she was bred scares me. Am i being to paranoid??:confused:

 

not at all but truth is that you should never feel as though the dog can do no wrong

and this goes with any dog

 

She is a pretty girl & BIG for 5.5 mos! If I were you I'd label her a pit bull mix. But that is JMHO. I'm sure others will chime in.

I know some where will disagree with me in this, but IMO no, you're not being paranoid at all. There are TONS of "pit bull" breeders out there who are breeding awful specimens of the breed. Irresponsible breeding practices is one of the main reasons the breed is in the fix it's in now.

Irresponsible breeding can (& has) ruin any breed. When $$$ becomes the primary motivator instead of bettering the breed, everyone suffers - ill bred dogs, fanciers of well bred dogs & those hurt by ill bred dogs. German Shepherds, Chows, Rottweilers, Dalmatians, Cocker Spaniels & yes the APBT (American Pit Bull Terrier) are all breeds who have suffered at the hands of bad breeders over the years & yes, substandard, unstable & even dangerous dogs were produced as a result.

On the whole however, a well bred APBT is a stable animal who is good with children & humans overall. Their ancestor, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier was even called "the nanny dog." APBTs were specifically bred to have a human FRIENDLY temperaments since they handle to be handled during dog fights. However, bad breeding can negate this. If you are concerned with Lexus' temperament, have her evaluated by your local trainer or behaviouralist. They may be able to help.

And another thing I forgot to add - do NOT let any of your kids go about trumpeting you have a pit bull now. Word will spread & eventually it will reach the ears of someone you don't want knowing. There have been cases of houses being broken into, people being held up at gun point, people getting shot & one case of a person even being beaten to death with a hammer all to obtain a person's pit bull. And heaven forbid you keep her outside. She will likely disappear like someone left a $100 bill out there.

There is an old saying we still use in the pit bull world - "loose lips sink ships" & what with all these ruffians & street thugs out there today wanting these dogs but not wanting to pay for one, it is most definitely in your best interest you keep your ownership of her on the down low.

JMHO.

 

this is the first time i ever heard somebody actually refer to there dog as "gatormouf" not just "gatormouf" but reverse brindle "gatormouf" all this time i thought it was a joke. jojo you should have your son join this fourm so he can learn a thing or two about dogs.

 

That's not the least of it ben! Haven't you heard of ...

bluenose gatamouffs?

texas rednoses?

hawaiian rednoses?

colby rednose?

tiger stripe?

brennal tiger stripe?

I have heard all these BYB "bloodlines" & there are more. A whole thread was actually created on the crazy terms members here have heard by BYBs. But gatamouff is most popular. And I guess there is something called a "black chinaman" now?? Another to add to the list. :rolleyes:

 

You are getting very good advice!! May I also suggest that when You play with Your pup to only use toys and teach Your children to always present a toy to pup when playing instead of allowing play biting to help teach Your pup that human aggression is not a good thing?

 

"hawaiian rednoses" haha that's a good one.

 

Yeah, it made me think of the red soft drink hawaiian punch. lol. Some folks will come up with anything to sell a dog.

 

He's 21 and an adrenaline junkie and I told him that if he is keeping her in my house then he will read all these post and do even more research ..It's causing a family feud right now with my husband and I. thanks again..

 

It sounds to me like he should not be owning an APBT right now. 21 year old male + adrenaline junkie + pit bull is usually a bad mixture for all involved. One of his goof troop friends will likely persuade him to fight her eventually.

That could mean seizure of your home, any car he is in jail time for you & him & death for the dog.

And before anyone says anything, I know we all like to think our children wouldn't do such a thing, but when there's peer pressure at such a vulnerable age coupled with the adrenaline rush of ...

a: doing something illegal

b: being involved in a fight

things can combine to entice the child to do something they might not otherwise do.

If he really wants to get into the breed, the best thing he can do is find a mentor. Be a kennel helper for a few years. Learn about the breed hands on. If he does this & proves himself worthy to a reputable breeder, he will likely be given a well bred pup when he shows himself mature enough to own this breed & has outgrown the impulsive stage all young adults go through at this age.

As for Lexus, take control of her. It is obvious your son is very irresponsible as well as inconsiderate. This is evidenced by him buying from a disreputable breeder then bring a possibly ill bred dog into your home before discussing it with you.

Get her rabies vaccination in YOUR name today. This will give you legal ownership of her. Have her spayed at the end of the month. In addition to being good for her, it remove any temptation by your son to breed her. Plus having her spayed will make your son less likely to give in to any pressure by anyone to fight her, as altered dogs are considered by many to be inferior fighters to intact animals.

Good luck, please follow through & let us know how things turn out.

 

Also, in addition to coming here, here are some informational sites to check out:

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/PitbullInformation/PitBullIndex.htm

http://www.badrap.org/rescue/breed.cfm

http://www.pbrc.net/breedinfo.html