Getting a Second Pit Bull

by David

I have a female(fixed) blu-pit that's about a yr

old. Today a male(unfixed) probably 2yr old blu came up to my house. My guess is the owners are not good owners due to a few thing i noticed.

However, he was a very calm dog, never barked or growled or anything like that even when he saw my dog. He seemed very lovable and thirsty, it was very hot and humid here today.

I turned him into the cops because he had no tag and they said
the owners have 10 days to pick him up. After talking with my wife we have an interest in this dog and giving him a good home, after being fixed.

My question is this tho, should i have him tested for some things b4
bringing him into the home? We do have 2 kids and our dog is awesome with them but I want to make sure I have all the right info on having two pits with kids in the house etc.

Gale's Reply:

Hi David

Your initial encounter with the male pit does sound promising, but I have a few additional recommendations.

First, find out what if any health checks animal services will do. It's always a good idea to get a second opinion from your own vet. Some shelters
give you 1 - 2 weeks to have a dog checked out by your vet before the adoption is considered "final" and the fee is non-refundable.

Temperament testing is a good idea as well. If the shelter doesn't do a temperament test on dogs they adopt, you can perform your own or have a
trainer or behaviorist meet the dog and perform the test.

If you are going to do this yourself, here is a guide that is used a lot and you may find it helpful in knowing how to test and what to look for.
Canine Temperament Test

And, of course, the ultimate question is how well this new dog will blend in to your existing family on a daily basis. One of the biggest concerns with children and multiple dogs (and this is true of any breed) is that if the dogs start to fight--the children need to know to stay out of the situation and get the help of an adult.

One of the best articles I have seen about managing a multi-dog household is this one from Bad Rap's website: http://badrap.org/rescue/multidogs.html. It offers advice on choosing a second dog, introducing a new dog to your existing dog and managing day to day issues that come up.

For more information on obedience training, visit our Pit Bull Training page.

For help with behavioral problems, check out our Dog Behavior Training page.