My friend just ended up with a rescue Pit Bull pup

[Taverner]

Apparently the previous owner was raising them for fighting, guarding, or just being psycho - so there was a lot of abuse in the mother dog's life. The mother dog had to be put to sleep because she was so vicious. ANYWAY, the puppies went to good homes, and my friend (one of the cops who busted the previous owner) adopted one of the smaller ones.

The puppy seems really sweet, so hopefully she got out of it unscathed - but she's already torn through 3 pairs of shoes. She likes eating rubbery things that aren't chew toys.

Anyway, thought I'd share. Pics will be forthcoming.

Anyone out there with pit bull experience care to share some pointers?

[malta blue]

1. Congrats....

I have no experience with them but I would recommend one of those puppy kongs that look like a pacifier and/or a regular kong. Best toy EVAH.

[PeaceNikki]

2. Train it well.

They are fantastic dogs very eager to please! If it ever shows signs of agression, make sure it knows who the "alpha dog" in the house is.

Here is a good site: http://www.pitbulllovers.com/american-pit-bull-terrier-training-articles.html

I am also 100% sure that flvegan will be along to add a great deal of wisdom.

Here's my baby who is the older sister of 2 kitty cats:

[flvegan]

3. Good for your friend and the puppy!

How old is she?

Pointers:

Get her spayed. 8 weeks old is perfectly normal for spaying. The earlier, the better.

Socialize her a lot and early. Get her around kids and other people. Cats, too if she's going to be around them ever. A well socialized pitbull, like any breed, is a happy pitbull.

Keep the shoes up, and use positive reinforcement to train her.

Don't worry about her being "unscathed" or not. They forget very quickly most often.

[siligut]

4. The pit bull I knew was very loyal and sensitive.

Love the girl up; glad she has a good home now.

However, I do know of one who responded very poorly to the presence of another dog. Bred to fight, you know. Nature verses nurture?

Just always take precautions, avoid incidents where things could go wrong.

[yellowdogintexas]

5. the first toy purchased should be a Kong. INDESTRUCTIBLE.

They come in small, med and large sizes, and you can put treats inside them and drive the dog crazy

http://www.kongcompany.com/worlds_best.html

the pitbull in our house is partial to crunchy peanutbutter

[Inchworm]

6. Yay!

That is all :)

:hi:

[MadMaddie]

7. Tell your friend to socialize, socialize, socialize with other dogs

while still a puppy.

Also, training is key this needs to start early. And for your friend it is always important to make sure the puppy understands who is the Alpha in the house.

Story: One of my dogs is a rescue and she is sweet as can be with my other dog Max , however; all other 4 legged creatures - not so good.

When she first came to us she had no issues, we weren't sure we could keep her so we had her stay with the original rescuers who basically let Maddie (thus my name MadMaddie) run all over them. We got her back after a week and had to reestablish who was the Alpha in the house and implemented training and lots of positive enforcement.

Good for your friend Pitts can make great pets if trained properly and loved properly. They are a very sensitive breed and very loyal.

[SeattleGirl]

8. Congrats to your friend!

One of my sisters had a pit bull for a long time, and she was the sweetest, most loving dog. When my sister had her son, we were a little concerned, not because Tessla was a pit, but just because sometimes animals don't react well to a new member of the household. But there was no worry to be had: Tessla seemed to see herself as my nephew's big sister. She was very loving to my nephew, as well as to the other kids who came over to the house. Sometimes she'd lie on the floor and let the kids lay on her, hug her, nuzzle her, etc. It was beautiful.

[DBoon]

9. 3 pairs of shoes are about average

Make sure to keep the puppy away from electrical cords - they love chewing them

Advice I had for training them with chewing - when you see them chewing something they shouldn't, take it away and show your disapproval. Then give them an approved chew toy and tell them how wonderful they are.

It might not work but it will make you feel better

On edit: Socializing with other dogs is a very good idea. They are very energetic and need a lot of exercise. Ours had a lot of fun at the dog park when she got old enough. They are also very social and desire a lot of attention from you.