Skip to content The breed of the American Pit Bull Terrier, which is abbreviated as the Pit Bull, is quite popular for home keeping, despite the widespread belief that such a dog is unpredictable and even dangerous. Today we will consider a detailed description and features of the breed and the conditions that must be provided for the puppy’s normal living in an apartment.
Description, photo, features of the breed
Pit bull dogs grow medium in size: their height is from 40 to 62 cm; adults weigh from 12 to 28 kg. Animals have a muscular constitution; they are very strong and hardy. The dog is characterized by the presence of a rather large wedge-shaped head; however, it is proportional to the rest of the body. The forehead is covered with small folds. The color of pit bulls is quite varied and can combine several colors or be monochromatic. The color range of the dog’s coat is from white, milky, beige to gray, brown and black. The animal’s coat is short, smooth and shiny.
Did you know? The Pit Bull breed was so popular at the beginning of the 20th century in the United States that it became the country’s mascot in the First and then the Second World War. Dogs of this breed were often featured on recruiting posters at the time.
Such a dog is often called quite stubborn, but at the same time it is very courageous, active, has leadership qualities, and lends itself well to training.
There is also a stereotype that the Pit Bull breed is dangerous. First of all, this is associated with the fact that initially the animals were bred as dogs for fighting, during which they developed a tough, slightly aggressive character. In addition, there are many cases when pit bulls show aggression towards strangers and animals. This behavior of a dog develops in connection with improper training, aggression from the owner or lack of proper attention – a pit bull needs it, like any other dog.
Sufficient socialization and qualified training will make it possible to make a favorite pet out of a pit bull that adores children.
Average cost of pit bull puppies
The cost of pit bull puppies depends on the class of the animal. Dogs that are in the pet class have a lower price. Breeders set the price individually, depending on the availability of good pedigrees that are registered in American organizations. For such puppies, they can ask for at least $ 300. Pit bull puppies, which are sold by private individuals, have a price of $ 100.
How to choose a pit bull puppy
Before buying a pit bull puppy, you need to read the information that will help you choose a healthy purebred dog. First of all, you need to decide on the class of the dog that you plan to buy. There are 3 classes in total:
- Pat. This class includes dogs with a long pedigree and simpler dogs that do not involve further breeding, participation in exhibitions and competitions.
- Breed. Pets of this class have “star” parents who are the winners of many exhibitions and competitions. Such animals are suitable for subsequent breeding and can take part in competitions and exhibitions.
- Show. Puppies with a brilliant pedigree, in the future – winners of exhibitions and competitions. It is these puppies that are left for breeding work. Have a top price.
Appearance and behavior of the puppy
The dog should have a shiny coat in proportion to the head of a medium size. The posture and position of the steps must be flawless. Also pay attention to the joints: if the animal limps during movement or its gait does not correspond to the movements of other healthy puppies, it is better to refuse the purchase. The front feet should be fairly thick and stable, while the hind feet should be strong and resilient with well-developed feet.
A healthy pet is active, curious and playful, he easily makes contact. It is recommended to avoid cowardly and overly aggressive puppies.
Living conditions and documents
When buying, be sure to pay attention to the conditions in which the puppy is kept. The room where the dogs live should be spacious, clean and well-groomed. If animals are properly looked after, they are neat, clean, behave affectionately, are not afraid of strangers, and easily make contact.
Of course, it is advisable to buy a pit bull from an experienced breeder who has been breeding this breed for a long time and has good reviews from customers. The breeder must have a pedigree, which must be well checked, it is better to check it for the sixth generation. The main attention should be paid to the first four generations and the offspring that were obtained as a result of their breeding. If the pedigree has good characteristics and the offspring are healthy, the puppy is recommended for purchase.
Did you know? Previously, absolutely all studies of the North and South Poles were carried out with the help of dogs.
It is recommended to buy a pit bull at the age of eight weeks.
How to prepare a place for your puppy
When a small pet appears in the house, it needs to provide special conditions for it to develop normally and feel comfortable.
A corner
The dog needs to arrange a place where he will rest and feel safe. Initially, it is recommended to choose a spacious place, taking into account the size of the future adult dog, so that over time it is not necessary to transfer the furnished corner to another part of the apartment. In this case, the dog will not be able to get used to the new place for a long time and will constantly return to the old one, even if there are no usual attributes there, for example, for sleeping.
The place where the dog will live should be well protected from drafts and away from the air conditioner. Do not place it near batteries, as the pet does not tolerate high temperatures.
The place for the pet should have a good view so that the puppy can follow what is happening in the apartment, so do not arrange the dog’s dwelling behind furniture or in secluded corners. The corner is equipped with a purchased or homemade sunbed. The dog prefers that its place is located on a slight rise from the floor. To do this, purchase or make your own pallet, on top of which place a dense rug that can be easily cleaned.
Feeding place
It is better to place the feeding place away from the resting area so that the pet delimits the zones and does not confuse them. You can place bowls of water and food in the kitchen on the tiles – this will make cleaning easier. To feed the dog, you need to purchase two bowls, for food and water. Small puppies are advised to buy plastic bowls – they are light enough, inexpensive, easy to wash, and it is convenient for babies to eat from them.
Restroom
The puppy also needs to equip a toilet, for this, allocate a special place in the apartment. The arrangement will not be difficult – just purchase a special toilet for dogs and install it in the chosen place. It will need to be used only during the period when the puppy is still very small and cannot endure and wait for a walk for a long time, over time the dog will get used to it and he will need a toilet only in rare cases. Adult pit bulls, if they are often walked, relieve themselves exclusively on the street.
Features of caring for puppies
Taking care of a pit bull is pretty easy. The dog’s coat does not need special care; wipe it as it gets dirty with a damp cloth. She recommends bathing pets as needed, on average once a month.
The puppy’s ears should be examined regularly to detect contamination, irritation, or the presence of infectious foci.
Important! In the process of cleaning your ears, it is forbidden to use a cotton swab, as cotton wool from the disc can remain there and provoke the development of serious inflammation.
Pay special attention to your pet’s eyes, after sleep, discharge may appear in the corners of the eyes, which is recommended to be removed every 3 days with a piece of bandage dipped in peroxide or cool boiled water. This will keep your pet’s eyes healthy, minimize the chances of infection or inflammation in the eyes, and keep your pet looking cleaner.
It is also recommended to train your pet to brush its teeth to prevent tartar, strengthen the gums and avoid bad breath. For this, it is recommended to purchase a special brush and toothpaste for dogs.
It is necessary to trim the nails as they grow, usually once a month. It is worth noting that during the period of regular walking of dogs on surfaces covered with asphalt, the claws are grinded off independently and there is no need for pruning. To simplify the clipping process, it is recommended to purchase a nail clipper designed specifically for dogs.
How to feed a pit bull puppy
There are several options for choosing food for a pit bull puppy. The diet can consist of natural food or specialized ready-made feed.
Important! Waste from cooking is not suitable as feed for a pit bull.
For a natural diet, meat, cereals, vegetables, fermented milk and dairy products are used. Pit bulls belong to breeds that are prone to allergies, therefore, possible allergens must be excluded from the diet.
The acquired puppy must be fed, taking into account its age, therefore, consider the feeding rates:
- at the age of 1.5-2 months, the pet is fed at least 6 times a day;
- at the age of 2.5-3 months – at least 5 times a day;
- at the age of 4-6 months – at least 4 times a day;
- at the age of 6.5-8 months – 3 times a day.
Starting from the age of eight months, the pit bull is fed 2 times a day. In accordance with the norms, the puppy is accustomed to smaller amounts of feedings, but the portion is increased.
First days
In the first days after purchasing a puppy, it is recommended to feed it exclusively with dairy and fermented milk products, 60-70 g at a time. These products include cottage cheese, kefir, milk, yogurt.
Did you know? Puppies are born blind and deaf. The only feeling available to them in the first days of life is touch.
When your pet is 2 months old, you can introduce other food. The puppy’s daily diet should consist of 50 g of cottage cheese or kefir, 50 g of meat, 100 g of vegetables, 400 g of porridge in milk. In addition to regular food, the dog should constantly have clean fresh water, it is changed twice a day.
As it grows older
Protein is very important in the diet of an older puppy, so every day he should be provided with at least 100 g of meat, once a week replaced with by-products, the form of heart, liver or lungs. Every day, the puppy needs to be given 50 g of cottage cheese, 4% fat, 150 g of vegetables (carrots, pumpkin, zucchini, turnips) in a grated state, 100 ml of milk; A boiled chicken egg is recommended 2 times a week. Also, the baby is provided with a sufficient amount of cereals, which are boiled in milk, for this you can use oatmeal, buckwheat, rice, millet. The amount of porridge consumed by the puppy per day should be about 600 g, and when the pet reaches 8 months, the amount is reduced to 400 g.
If you do not want to spend a lot of time and energy on feeding the pit bull, you can limit yourself to ready-made feeds that are no worse than natural food if you buy a product from a popular and trusted company. You can feed the puppy with ready-made food from 2 months of age. It is necessary to select food based on the price and product class, it is preferable to buy a premium class in accordance with the recommendations for the age of the puppy, which are indicated on the package.
The food is introduced gradually, initially they give quite a bit, then they observe the condition of the puppy for two days – at this time, an allergy or intestinal upset may develop. If no side reactions of the body were found, you can feed the selected product. The daily norm for a puppy is 120 g, it is divided into several receptions. First, it is recommended to soak the feed pellets in chilled boiled water or milk. It is very important in the process of feeding the dog with finished products to provide the pet with fresh clean water in unlimited quantities – the puppy consumes more liquid from dry food.
Important! Pay attention to the content of calcium and phosphorus in feed, it should not be increased. Such minerals, accumulating in the body, often provoke disturbances in the pet’s nervous system – it becomes pathologically cowardly.
Even the best food cannot protect the dog from the development of diseases of the teeth and gums, as well as the formation of tartar, therefore it is recommended to feed the dog with cartilage and vegetables in a raw state to avoid these problems.
There are also products that are prohibited from being offered to pit bulls, this list includes: broccoli, potatoes, mushrooms, grapes, yeast dough baked goods, animal fats, sugar substitutes, confectionery.
Raising and training a pit bull puppy
Pit Bulls are considered to be fairly well-trained breeds. The pitbull is trying in every possible way to please the owner and get praise. There are several tips that will allow you to successfully raise and train your pet:
It must be remembered that the pit bull lives in the moment. Therefore, regularly in the process of praise or punishment, the dog assumes that you are educating for the action that happened at the moment. For example, if, after discovering a pogrom in an apartment, you decide to raise a pit bull who was already sleeping peacefully in his place, the pet will think that he received a punishment for his rest, and he will form a wrong understanding of what is happening. If you want to praise a puppy for an action, do it immediately after he did something right, and you should do the same with the punishment.
Do not break the previously established rules. For example, if the puppy was previously not allowed to sleep in bed with you, then in the future you should not be allowed to stay there even for one night. If at least once you break this rule, the pit bull will think that by begging he will be able to achieve a positive result. This behavior model cannot be corrected in the future.
The pit bull must repeat the actions for which he was previously rewarded. For example, if during training you reward any correct execution of a command with a treat, the dog, executing the command outside of training, will expect another portion of goodies from you.
Do not react aggressively to misbehavior in your pit bull. If you shout at him, he will not understand that he is doing something wrong. Better in this case to direct the actions in the right direction.
Be patient. Training a pit bull puppy is a rather lengthy process and, of course, it will not immediately be possible to achieve an ideal result, therefore it is necessary to steadfastly accept failures in upbringing or training.
It is necessary to train family members and friends to have regular contact with the puppy between 8 and 12 weeks of age. At the same time, it is recommended not to limit the pet in communication and the number of people with whom he can meet.
It is recommended to introduce the puppy to other pets at the age of 10-16 weeks. Initially, it is necessary to conduct such socialization lessons in small gardens or within the walls of the house. Large dog parks can scare your little one.
The puppy must understand that you are the owner and leader, whom he must obey unquestioningly. The same behavior should be taught to other family members, so that in your absence the pit bull does not feel in charge.
In case of manifestations of aggression, it is recommended that the puppy turn it over on its back and hold it slightly. Repeat the procedure regularly when the puppy is aggressive or trying to dominate.
The use of a leash should be practiced starting at 8 weeks of age and should be used regularly so as not to confuse the dog.
Puppy health
In order for a pit bull puppy to be healthy, it is necessary to regularly vaccinate and examine the baby for health problems. The first time a puppy is vaccinated is when he is 2 months old. Before vaccination, it is necessary to prepare the dog for the procedure, for these two weeks before the date of the vaccine administration, the puppy must be deworming. Puppies are vaccinated only in a healthy state, if the pet is sick, then the vaccination should be postponed until the moment when health is restored.
Vaccination is carried out in two stages: initially, the first injection is given, and after one to two weeks, the second, depending on the advice of the veterinarian. At the age of 4-6 months, when the teeth change, a second vaccination is necessary. Further, the dog is vaccinated every 12 months.
Important! For vaccination, complex vaccines are often chosen, which involve the fight against several diseases.
The vaccine must be purchased according to the recommendations of the veterinarian, and administered exclusively at the veterinary clinic. While the puppy is in the process of growing, it is recommended to visit the veterinarian at least once a month for a specialist to perform a full examination of the dog, and if any health problems are identified, appropriate measures are taken. At home, it is also necessary to pay attention to the puppy’s health and if any abnormalities are detected, it is recommended to immediately contact a specialist in order to avoid the development of complications and serious health problems.
The Pit Bull is an amazing dog that is able not only to win at exhibitions and competitions, but also to be an excellent friend to both children and adults. To make your pet feel comfortable, provide him with decent living conditions, care and attention, and also monitor the health of your pet.
