Two female pit bulls in a home

by Chaille
(Louisiana)

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I have a 8 mo. old and recently been given a 6 week old that needed a loving home as well.. they are sisters from the same sire and dam, but from different litters. They are both beautiful and loving as can be. But what concerns may i encounter with raising two females now instead of one?

Gale's Reply:

Hi Chaille:

The biggest concern with two pit bull puppies in the same home is that you don't really know what their tolerance level is going to be for other dogs and for each other until they reach social maturity (usually 14 - 36 months). And with two of the same sex, the likelihood of competition developing between the two is somewhat heightened.

It's way too soon to know how things are going to go with them. Worst case scenario is that you will need to "crate and rotate" down the road. (Crate one while the other is out and then switch.) But, there are many households with two pits of the same sex that get along just fine.

There's no surefire way to guarantee the outcome. But I believe you can influence how their relationship develops by taking steps now to establish yourself as the leader. (They'll be less likely to fight each other if the role is already taken.)

In this article, I offered some suggestions to someone who was concerned about aggression between housemates. You may find it helpful as well.

Good luck raising your precious babies. Feel free to post back here if you have more questions.

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

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