Welcome to the Dog Breeds section of Healthier Dogs.
Here you’ll find information posted frequently in relation to dog breeds. There will be plenty of information on dog breed characteristics and temperament, so you can make an informed decision on choosing a dog breed that will suit your family and your lifestyle if you’re thinking of adding a dog to your family. Perhaps you’re after information on good dog breeds for children, or maybe you’re interested in one of the new dog breeds, the mixed dog breeds, otherwise known as the boutique dog breeds. You’ll find it all here.
Some types of dogs suffer from, or are susceptible to, breed specific illnesses or other dog health problems. Some breeds require grooming peculiar to the breed. And still others have particular dietary requirements. Again, if you come back here often enough, you’re sure to find information on every facet of breed specific information.
Love the article on dogs being able to tell the time!
I have a 4yr old Cocker Spaniel named Brandy and a new addition 5 month old American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT).
I never thought I would have one of these do to the Bad Rap they have. A friend of mine a BIG dog lover rescued her from an owner who happened to breed them, and its true what they say about the owner’s making these dogs what they are.
My friend got this Puppy at 4 weeks old to get her out of the situation she was in. As we all know Puppies stay with their mothers until 8 weeks. So my friend being an experienced dog breeder of German Shepherds knew what needed to be done with Jewel’s (the APBT).
She also got very attached to her and she also knew she was unable to keep her because she has a full house, between 4 German Shepherds, 5 cats and rabbits.
I have done a lot of reading about the APBT and told her I would give her a try with my Brandy girl. Introduction was a little touchy cause my Brandy has been the Queen in the house and now their are 2 of them.
I have had her now for about 7 weeks and she has doubled in size.
They in the beginning had a couple of run ins (nothing at all serious). But lately I noticed when they go up and down stairs one will wait for the other. I do know that the two of them will NEVER be left alone together. Like I said I have done my homework with the APBT (they have aggression towards other dogs).
But in the house they lay together, lick each other, but sometimes when they go outside Jewel’s has a tendency to charge at Brandy but in a play full way. This kind of behavior is fine if it stays that way.
They are always supervised and when I feed them I feed one inside the other outside cause Brandy has a food aggression, and so far this has worked.
Jewel’s has never been exposed to any of the abusive training, etc., and she only knows love. Jewel’s also knows I’m the pack leader here.
I have a lot of respect for this breed and also a lot of responsibility owning one. I guess I was just wondering if there was anything else I should be concerned with?
I would appreciate any advise you may give me thanks.
Kathy
Hi Kathy,
Certainly the American Pit Bull Terrier has a tendency to aggression with other dogs – so do many other breeds, especially bull terrier breeds – e.g. the American Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the English Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
My own dog, Jet, is a Staffie (English Staffordshire Bull Terrier), and she hates strange dogs. But the thing is, she loves Kara, my Rottweiler. She is so attached to Kara that I believe she will not survive long when Kara (hopefully years from now) passes away.
Yes, you have a responsibility when owning any dog breed that is known for (or even has an undeserved reputation for) aggression. You have a responsibility just because a Pit Bull can potentially do major damage if it were to attack another dog or, heaven forbid, a person. Any large or medium sized dog can – German Shepherds, Rottweilers and Dobermans seem to be renowned for aggressive tendencies, even though the vast majority are extremely gentle.
It’s often the case that when dogs are brought up together they never exhibit aggression towards each other, even though they may not like dogs from outside the home.
You can’t take that for granted, though. The Pit Bull, as with the other breeds prone to aggressive behavior towards other dogs, may occasionally attack a dog that they live with, even after living happily side by side for many years. It happens occasionally. It’s the nature of dogs – they don’t reason – something may set them off, and they may unintentionally maim or even kill their “friends”. This is particularly the case with “lock-jaw” dogs – because they simply do not know when to stop – their instinct is to hold on to the death. And unfortunately you can’t always curb instinct.
But so long as you don’t leave your dogs alone together for extended periods, it’s unlikely you’d be that unlucky.
As your Pit Bull catches up in size and becomes bigger than Brandy, she will undoubtedly take her place in the hierachy above your Cocker Spaniel. Brandy may accept this as the natural order of things, or she may not like it initially. She should get used to it pretty quickly, though. Occasionally the bigger dog won’t take it’s place above a smaller dog in the hierachy, but that’s fairly exceptional, and with a Pit Bull and a Cocker Spaniel, it’s very unlikely that the Spaniel would be the “top dog”.
The “charging” behavior may just be a game, or it could be the start of Jewels asserting her developing position as the soon-to-be “top dog”.
Hope this helps.
Please note that I’m not a dog trainer or animal behaviorist. I speak only from my own very limited experience as a dog owner.
Any comments from anyone with expertise in this area would be appreciated!
Regards,
Brigitte
Thanks so much for getting back to me. And yes your right I see Brandy ( Cocker Spaniel) letting Jewel’s (APBT) be the boss. I can’t believe she’s letting her run the house. But I guess this is a good thing. No fighting over it! But they will always have supervision and when they can’t be supervised they are seperated, I take no chances with my girls. Thanks for your input.
Kathy