It is often said that dogs are man’s best friend. This is especially true of Pitbulls who are indeed, loyal, loving and incredibly perceptive to their owners, or packs emotions and act accordingly. A Pitbull is very much like a permanent young child and as a parent I can relate to that. How you treat and care for your Pitbull, much like it does a human child, affects how it learns to react and behave.
Bad Press
One breed of dog, the Pitbull has had a lot of bad press over the last years naming it as aggressive and dangerous but nothing could, in fact, be further from the truth if treated with respect and love. A Pitbull when raised correctly loves people, is very affectionate, often confident, intelligent and can become very dependent on its owners love. How then do you care for your Pitbull in order to bring out all of its positives sides?
Training Your Pitbull
Bringing a new Pitbull into a family, like any dog requires dedication, commitment and general dog care. It is important to begin training your Pitbull immediately in acceptable behaviour. Socialising your Pitbull is an important first step, make him used to new sounds, people and situations but monitor him carefully and never force a situation, if he appears distressed, frightened, unhappy or distressed reassure him and remove him. It can be tried again another day. Socialisation classes are a great way to get help in socialising and training your Pitbull, it is good to teach your Pitbull some basic commands such as ‘Sit’, ‘Come’, and ‘Stay’. Not only are the commands a great way to control a situation but can prevent your Pitbull from engaging in behaviour you dislike or even save its life.
Above all never hit your PitBull. Violence towards it will only create confusion, fear and mistrust, which could result in negatively teaching your Pitbull that violence is good. Instead, reinforce good behaviour with rewards and redirect bad behaviour.
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Pitbulls Health Care
General health and dog care for a Pitbull are required as they are very running and complex creature. Generally, Pitbulls are healthy animals living to an average of 12-14 years. Although, there are four main things they can suffer from. As puppies, Pitbulls can be susceptible to parvovirus. As adults, they can be susceptible to allergies and as senior dogs, they can suffer from Dysplasia or hereditary cataracts.
To ensure good care for your Pitbull you should maintain yearly or semi yearly veterinary check-ups in order to find any health difficulties early on.
Nails should be clipped approximately once a month but this can depend on where and how often they exercise. The harder ground can wear down a dog’s nails faster than softer ground. Read this guide for how to trim your dog’s nail.
You should also administer flea, worm and heartworm tablets once a month to keep your Pitbull healthy.
Every week you should groom your Pitbull and check its ears. This will help train your dog to allow you to touch it and help to teach it who is in charge. This is also a good way to look for any lumps, bumps or wounds that your Pitbull may have picked up whilst out running and playing.
General Dog Care For Pitbull
Feeding your dog a healthy nutritious food is important. It is often better if possible to feed your Pitbull two or three times a day but if not for adult Pitbulls once a day can suffice. Different types of Pitbulls, Pitbull puppy like adult, or senior, need different types of healthy food. Read this guide to find the best food for your Pitbull.
Ensure that your Pitbull is mentally stimulated, especially when being left alone. Pit Bulls are very intelligent animals and can become destructive, chewing shoes, papers, books when they are bored. Ensure there are toys and puzzles with treats inside for him to play with to keep him occupied.
Exercise your Pitbull regularly because they are very energetic animals. An adult Pitbull requires more exercise and a bare minimum of 30-45 minutes of vigorous exercise every day.
Microchip your Pitbull and always place an id collar on him as Pitbulls are notorious at escaping fences and hedges. If that happens, make sure that you get him back as soon as possible.
Lastly, train, discipline, respect and love your Pitbull and all of the hard work you put in will be rewarded by a loving and happy dog that is a joy to be around.
