Choosing the Right Puppy

When thinking about getting a new puppy, you need to make sure that you evaluate your lifestyle. Not everyone needs a puppy, and not everyone can handle a Pit Bull puppy.

Pit Bulls are strong, assertive, stubborn, intelligent, loyal, and loving. They can be dominant.

Pit bulls require strong training and socialization throughout their life, as do most dog breeds, but this breed just isn't for everyone.

If you are thinking about getting a Pit Bull or mix, make sure that you keep in mind other pets in the house as well as children and elderly. You want to keep in mind that these dogs can be very protective of their owner and home. They can be territorial, and if not trained, they'll do whatever they want.

This doesn't mean that Pit Bulls are bad, nor does it mean that they should all be put down because they're not perfect. It just means, that if you're thinking about getting a Pit, you want to make sure that you know what you're getting into. Don't get a puppy just because your buddy has one or because your family member just got one and it's cute.

These dogs take a lot of work, but you'll find that if you're willing to put in the work, it is well worth it.

The Breed
When picking out a puppy, you want to keep in mind a few things, especially if you're not sure which breed you want.

1. Money. Larger dogs require more money, as they eat more and have a higher price at the vet.
2. Size. Not only do larger dogs cost more to take care of, but they are bigger than small dogs. If you don't have the room for a medium or large size dog, then you may need to bring home a small breed dog, instead.
3. Grooming. Dogs with more hair need to go to the groomer more often. If you don't want to pay a groomer, you can bath and trim the dog yourself, but this will cost you time, that you need to consider. Regular grooming for any dog will include nail clipping, baths, and dental care; hair cuts will vary depending on the dog's coat.
4. Training. Some dogs are easy to train, whereas others can be more stubborn. Although, the Pit Bull is a very intelligent breed, they can be stubborn and need constant training and regular routines.

When choosing the right dog breed for you, you'll need to really keep in mind the temperament traits and health traits for the breed, you're looking at. Pit Bulls have no prone health problems, although larger individuals can be subject to hip dysplasia. The breed is dominant and stubborn, which are considered flaws if you don't know how to train the dog properly.

Adoption
When it comes to choosing the puppy, consider adopting, as about 60% of dogs in shelters get euthanized a year, so it's a good idea to check out your local shelters to see what dogs are available needing homes. You may be surprised how many pure bred dogs are in shelters.

The Puppy
You want to make sure that you pick the right puppy for you and your lifestyle. In some cases, shelters will perform temperament tests and classify a puppy on what lifestyle he/she would fit into best. Breeders will also try to best fit a puppy to the potential owner.

You should still perform your own little tests.

If you want as dog that will be more laid back and submissive, you'll find that in puppies who will let you roll them over and remain on their back without too much struggle. 

A puppy that is more controlling will pull at their paw and chew at your hand, whereas a more who doesn't mind being controlled will let you hold onto their paw and gently tug it. 

Puppies that are more needy will want to stand or sit right next to you when in a new room, whereas a more independent puppy will prefer to walk around and explore.

A puppy that may have a little bit of separation anxiety will whine, bark, paw at the door, pant, etc when you walk out of a room, whereas one who doesn't have an anxiety problem will not mind you being gone.

A puppy that is food aggressive will growl, snarl, bark, or snap at you when you try to take food or a treat away.

Generally, you'll find that a younger and more active couple can happily raise a more active puppy, whereas a couple with children need a more laid back puppy.

Picking a Pit Bull Puppy

Along the lines of temperament testing and picking the right puppy for you and your household, you want to make sure that you pick a puppy from a reputable person versus a puppy mill or backyard breeder.

You can use the folling Tip for Choosing a Pit Bull Puppy to pick out any puppy really. You can implement some of the tips to picking any dog of any breed from a breeder, and you can implement some of the tips for picking a puppy from a litter at a local rescue.

Puppy Temperament Tests

When picking out a puppy from a litter at the breeder's house or at the shelter, there are several temperament tests that you should perform to make sure that the puppy you choose is the right puppy for you.

There are different tests to determine dominance vs submission, dependence vs independence, prey drive, retrieval drive, and sound sensitivity.

You want to make sure to appropriately match the puppy's temperament with your experience as a dog owner and trainer. You don't want to bring hom an overly dominant and independent puppy if you have minimal experience with dogs.

To check out the exact tests, click
Puppy Temperament Tests