I was fearing this day from the time I found out we were having a kid, but it appears it has come. I have a 6 year old pitbull/chocolate lab mix that we have had since he was a puppy (got him from my wifes friend who couldn’t keep him).
For some reason two days ago he became aggressive towards my 8 month old son, despite being very friendly and gentle with him for the last 8 months. Don’t know what happened but I can’t risk my son getting hurt. He fits under the “not good with young children category” so this is probably quite a longshot.
He used to live with our St. Bernard and they were very good friends but she died a few years back and he hasn’t taken to other dogs at all. I need to get him out of the house because i cant leave my kid and him out at the same time in fear of something happening.
I love this dog very much and if I felt there was any way I could keep him I would. He will be a great friend in a non-little kid or other dog house. He’s strong, healthy, has had vaccinations
UPDATE: ALL OF HIS SHOTS ARE UP TO DATE, HE IS NEUTERED. UPDATE 2: In attempts to get him a home we have worked on socializing him with other dogs. We’ve had him over playing with my parents neighbor’s dog, as soon as they were let loose in the backyard they played together with no issues at all. He still seems to bark at other dogs when on his leash, but apparently he is still good playing with other dogs
Try getting him fixed. Also, you have to show him where his position in the pack is - Flip him on his back and have your son stand over him. Do this a few times and the dog should learn that your son is higher on the pecking order.
+1 my pitbull is very gentle with my daughter and i try make sure that he knows where his place in the family is. My pitbull is fixed however which probably helps with the aggression. I would talk with a trainer first and get a professional opinion first before getting rid of the dog.
I think the dog is too old to get fixed and some spca shelters are no kill shelters. Just a couple things to think about. I let some ppl know and they will get back to me
I had a friend with a purebreed pitbull and they had the same problem. A 4 year old pitbull that wasn’t neutered and was starting to act strange towards their new 1.5 yr old.
They had him neutered at the suggestion of their vet and the problem went away. If you can’t find a good home, perhaps try that?
Good luck either way. Hopefully he finds a good home or calms down.
