It's happened...you love your first pit bull so much, that you think it's time to add a second dog. Some pit bulls can live with other dogs, however, this decision needs to be weighed carefully and the dog you select needs to be carefully chosen. Having a multi dog household with pit bulls requires owners to be diligent in their management and consistent with their training.
Here are some items for consideration to help you decide:
KNOW THY PIT BULL!
- Observe your dog in different contexts, with different dogs. Does he/she like to play? Is he a more relaxed type? Does he have good doggie social skills? Does he get along better with older, younger, larger, or smaller dogs? Is he bossy with toys? Does he guard resources? Is he too exuberant for some dogs? How do OTHER dogs react to him - do they want to play, or do they shy away? Is your dog one of those dogs that seemingly elicits "snappy" behavior out of others by his greeting? Note: if your dog shows some of the latter behaviors, it doesn't mean you can't add another dog. However, it may mean you need to be looking for a dog with certain skills. Sometimes a dog with poor social skills can improve when another socially savvy dog is placed with it. However, you have to be careful when adding a dog when your existing dog has less than perfect social skills and/or have someone who can help you pick out a dog-savvy, 'social butterfly' type of dog.
- Observe other dogs playing. Get to know what normal dog play looks like, and also be able to identify when things are getting out of hand. PBRC does not recommend taking your pit bull to a dog park, but YOU may want to go to a dog park sans dog or observe friends' dogs playing. If you have access to a good trainer who does puppy classes with 'free play' periods, watch puppies play, too. Also, become familiar with the pit bull style of play. They can sometimes play rougher than other breeds. An owner with multiple bull breeds will need to be able to determine appropriate play and know also when to intervene to keep play from escalating into trouble.
- With pit bulls, opposite sex matches tend to do better. If you have a male dog, you should consider adding a female, and vice versa. Now, before everyone with same-sex dogs chimes in "but my dogs get along" - in general, opposite sex matches do best. The tendency for aggression is a little less between opposites. You should also spread the ages apart. For example, if your dog is two or younger, consider adding an older dog, not a second dog of the same age.
- Please remember, not all pit bulls can live in multi-dog households, and you can't make a dog into something it is not. SO, think wisely before adding another dog because YOU want the dog, but may in fact, live with a dog that does best as a one-man or one-woman show.
- Is your dog obedience trained? And I mean, really trained? Not just "sit," "stay," and "come," although those are great basic commands any dog should know. Often, people believe their dogs are trained, when in reality the dog knows the commands in a few limited contexts. Let me give you an example...."Sit," consistently in FRONT of the owner who is holding a cookie, does not mean the dog has learned SIT. Still using "Sit" for the example here, can your dog "sit" when told from a distance, no cookie, with your back turned, hold the sit while you walk out of sight, while you pet another dog, give another dog a cookie or walk away with the other dog? It is important for your current dog to have very good obedience because those commands come in handy when you need to manage groups of dogs and the stimulus around them changes. Jean Donaldson does a great job in her book, Culture Clash, of stratifying levels of obedience commands from "kindergarten" to "college level" based on the distance and distractions. PBRC highly recommends this book for all pit bull owners.
- Is your current dog crate trained? Having a pit bull and another dog means someone has to be crated. It is best if both dogs are crate trained, and you can rotate who gets crated, or crate both when you are not home to supervise them. PBRC does not recommend leaving pit bull type dogs together, unsupervised.
- If you are currently having behavior problems with your dog, it is not advisable to add a second dog until those behavior issues are resolved. If you are experiencing significant behavioral issues (examples: separation anxiety, fearfulness, aggression towards humans), it is recommended that owners seek the advice of an experienced trainer or behaviorist. For information on finding a trainer, please go to the Association of Pet Dog Trainers website: www.apdt.com. Behavioral problems can often become worse under stress and times of change, and adding a new dog may result in additional stress for your current dog.
TIME, MONEY, AND PATIENCE:
- Do you have the time, money, and patience to make it work? Owners should be financially prepared for additional (double) veterinary and food expenses. And, there will be twice as much waste to pick up. Providing training, exercise and social opportunities for multiple dogs will require a greater time commitment than one dog.
- Will you able to give both dogs some individual time? Having a multi-dog household - in my opinion - does not just mean that the dogs become one singular unit, "the dogs." In fact, they will be better behaved, if they also get some individual time including separate walks, classes, or just time alone with you. Dogs will bond closely to each other and may not be as obedient to the human, if they are not separated once in awhile.
- Give yourself a realistic amount of time for the adjustment...at least a few weeks to a month. Be willing to keep the dogs separated for a while, and gradually introduce them to each other in the home, and allow short interactions. Interactions should always be supervised, and owners should be observing the dogs' behaviors. On occasion, there may be CLEAR signals in a short time period that things are NOT going to work out.
- What will you do if it does not work out? Think about this possibility, and discuss it with other household members prior to adding the second dog. Will you keep them and supervise them at all times and/or separate them permanently? Would you return the second dog to the shelter/rescue? Find out the rescue/shelter's policy ahead of time. Some offer trial periods for adopting. A reputable rescue or shelter should be willing to take back the dog if it does not work out. Note: if they are unwilling to take back the dog, this is a red flag! Sometimes, even with the best information and careful selection, a match isn't made. It happens, these are animals, and one cannot predict fully what they will do.
ABOUT THE NEW DOG:
- What do you know about the dog's history?
- How much does the rescue organization or shelter know about the dog from a previous owner, if known? Can you contact the previous owner, if known?
- What have the staff or volunteers observed while the dog has been in rescue? If the dog has been in a foster home, what information does the foster parent have to share with you about the dog's individual personality, current skills, and training needs?
- Does the shelter or rescue organization conduct temperament evaluations? If so, you should be able to see a copy of the temperament evaluation.
- Does the shelter or rescue organization require a dog-dog introduction prior to adoption? Note: if they don't, this is a red flag! A reputable organization will allow multiple introductions with the dog on neutral territory (i.e. outside the shelter, at a park, etc.) and with an experienced volunteer or staff available to help you.
- Does the dog have any basic obedience? How much socialization, if at all, has the dog had during its stay in foster/shelter, etc. Depending on rescue staff's time and ability, the dogs may or may not have been allowed to interact with other dogs, may or may not have been walked by volunteers, may or may not have been trained by volunteers or a foster parent.
- What medical history do you have on the dog? What medical care has it been given while at the rescue/shelter? An adopter should receive copies of all vaccination and medical records and be instructed as to what the dog needs in order to be up-to-date. A reputable shelter or rescue will spay or neuter the dog prior to adoption. Note: if they don't, this is a red flag!
- A knowledgeable rescue or shelter should also be able to answer your questions about the breed, general dog behavior, training, and multi dog management.
A multiple-dog home can be challenging with pit bulls, but the extra kisses and bully-antics make it all worthwhile. Please be sure to visit these pages for additional tips and information:
http://www.pbrc.net/breedinfo.html
http://www.pbrc.net/dogintros.html
http://www.pbrc.net/rotate.html
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson
- Leader of the Pack by Dr. Patricia McConnell
- Feeling Outnumbered: How To Manage and Enjoy Your
Multi-Dog Household by Dr. Patricia McConnell
By Andrea Kilkenny |
