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My first suggestion would be to read some literature on the history of the breed. You’ll be her advocate, and while hopefully you won’t have to defend her breed often, you may need to at some point. Knowing their history and how they got the (absolutely unfair) reputation they have now is a great tool to have in these circumstances. I’ve very rarely had anyone blatantly disregard the breed, but even friends and family have mentioned things like the lock jaw myth to me, in which I was able to kindly educate them. Pit Bull by Bronwen Dickey is a great one. I also loved The Pit Bull Life by Deidre Franklin.

As other have said, socialize her often! The sooner they learn how to make friends with strangers and new dogs, the better.

Be prepared for allergies! We have ours on a grain-free diet after a handful of breakouts after food or treats. He used to take allergy meds, but after we switched to grain free and started wiping him down with hypoallergenic wipes after hikes and such, we have it under control without medicine.

They’re working dogs, so they need both mental and physical stimulation. Long walks help with the physical, but it’s his backpack that helps with the mental exercise too. I usually fill it with a collapsible bowl, a water bottle for him, some treats, and usually my water bottle too. Carrying things turns our walk into his job. Activity boards help with the mental exercise too!

Doggie day care is a great help in making sure they got their socialization, mental, and physical exercises. Find a good one in your area if she’s going to be alone for a while during the day (this will have to wait until she’s had all of her shots and vaccinations though!).

A trainer was also so helpful in the beginning, as others have mentioned.

Also, since they can be temperamental to weather changes/being cold, a rain coat has made going potty during a storm or the winter way more possible.

Strong toys! We like Kong, Playology, and firehose toys for ours.

Be prepared for lots of love and snuggles!! I’ve owned jack russels, Yorkies, and a corgi-mix, and none of them have been anywhere near as clingy and cuddly as my pit. As much as he loves day care, and hikes, and running around, he loves to be held or lay in my lap just as much. He’s by far the sweetest pet I’ve ever had.

She’s beautiful, by the way! I’m always so excited for new pit owners. Even though puppyhood can be hard, (r/puppy101 has guidance on that too!), pits are just so wonderful, so I’m excited for the bond you’ll share with her! 😊

Chest harness is a good idea as others have said, but a head halter has worked better for us!


The logic behind these ideas is that dogs are wired such that when they feel a resistive force, they want to pull against it. The chest hardness works to help in two ways.

1. It gives you an area of control to spread the force about instead of just on a single point/collar.
   
2. If connected to the chest, it gives you a stronger point of control given that it is further from the center of gravity of the dog as well as being in front of its position.
   
   
   The head halter helps take this a little further.
   Instead of spreading the force across the dogs chest, it isolates the force to the head. If a dog wants to lead you while in these, it's head literally gets turned (gently, the owner is NOT supposed to pull/yank and gentle training before walks is a must). Because it's head gets turned, the dog will generally stop trying to take you in that direction, and MUCH less force is needed to accomplish this task.
   
   
   Admittedly, it looks like a muzzle to someone unfamiliar with it, which is a shame with all of the negative publicity of pits. That being said, it isn't a muzzle, and it's a wonderful tool when teaching your best friend how to walk alongside you instead of leading. I would 100% recommend a head halter to any of my friends with any kind of dog that is just a little too enthusiastic about being the first one on the trail for their morning walk.

Haha I know all about rubber toys and the millions pieces you'll have to pick up afterwards. I remember seeing an online list of the best toys for Pits and bought some.

Currently, I have the Benebone Wishbone both Bacon and peanut Butter flavor. I bought this for her about 3 months ago and theyre only halfway destroyed. Definitely worth it.

I also have this Nylabone toy and just like the Benebone, it has lasted the past few months as well. This one is wearing down more, but 3 months is fine with me.

Finally, these Goughnuts toys are great. I bought both the Stick and the Donut, even though my Pit likes the stick more.

And I have a large amount of tennis balls because you can never have enough lol. Hope this list helps!

Definitely. My baby was an itchybull.

This stuff helped a great deal. Here are reasons salmon oil (not just salmon dog food or regular fish oil) can be beneficial. What is her diet? It's pretty easy to switch to a better and grain-free food, and that can go a long way as well. I fed my pibble Wellness Core.

My pit loves her wobble wag ball. It's a great toy. They sell it on Amazon for around 14$ sometimes a few dollars less.
It's a very durable ball with grips for her to bite on to and throw around. It also makes a whizzing noise that she likes.
It keeps her entertained for hours. I bought it over a year ago, and it'd still her fav. I bought an extra for the inside so I wouldn't have to keep cleaning it as often.

Wobble Wag Giggle Dog https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PQ5UH0C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_0Az5xb1MAR0S7

you will find plenty of information and great people on this sub/ redit. I got this book on Amazon. It's pretty good. There are many others too. Enjoy that beautiful girl. https://smile.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Pit-Bulls-Exercising/dp/1794682627

Hello there we have a pit as well. He shreds toys to peices in seconds, I went on amazon.com and found a ball that he plays with all the time. We've had the toy for close to a year now and its still in one peice. The good thing about the toy is that it smells like mint :D, its not too small or too big, easy to clean, cheap, and glows in the dark. The only down fall is that the rubber material that its made of is kinda sticky, meaning hair sticks to it, but other than that its perfect for pits :D

Hope this helps!!



Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Dog-Orbee-Tuff-Cosmos-Luna/dp/B00C0LZYO4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397943169&sr=8-1&keywords=luna+dog+balls

This one! The front clip style allows much greater control, which is a godsend for a super strong pitty prone to leash pulling.

I haven't used that sort of collar previously. I will say I tried a Gentle Leader with my 90lb pit/rottie mix and it was amazing. She pulled pretty bad, and I was having a lot of difficulty training her. With the Gentle Leader it was like night and day. As soon as it went on, she stopped pulling. It is definitely worth the $15.

Here's my dog: http://imgur.com/a/6AowK

Here's the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Gentle-Leader-Collar-Training/dp/B00074L4W2/ref=sr_1_3?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1501972494&sr=1-3&keywords=gentle+leader

I currently have two pitbulls, so I know your situation. I like this Nylabone and Chuck It! Ultra Balls if your dog likes to play fetch. They easily outlast tennis balls (even the ones made for dogs). A couple of Ultra Balls will last all summer for me (or winter), as long as I only let them use it when we are playing fetch.

My little Barbara girl is a pittie mix and she was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy when she was 3 I think. She is 5 now and it's been over a year since she had her last seizure. She's doing great now! There were times when I thought we were never going to get them under control. She's on phenobarbital twice a day and potassium bromide once daily. I know it's scary watching them struggle with seizures. Remember to stay calm. Keep the Valium injection handy in case she has one that is lasting more than 5 minutes; it could prevent brain damage and save her life. If you have any questions, feel free to DM me. I spent countless hours researching epilepsy.

This is her:
https://imgur.com/a/GsqLqDz

Here is a book I bought and found it to be particularly helpful. There's a used one available on Amazon for $7.75 right now.

My dog has epilepsy...but lives life to the full!: A practical guide for owners https://www.amazon.com/dp/1845846192/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_J9PnDbB2C4PE6

Haven't seen anyone say this here yet and it's been a life-saver for me: Lacrosse Balls. They are a hard rubbery material that they can't destroy. Mine love theirs. She was always a tennis ball freak, but tore them apart in seconds. Also, Elk Antler is expensive but lasts a long time and is healthier for your dog than bones.


Edit: I've also had good luck with Jolly Balls for a good soccer/basketball sized toy. They are made of a real tough material, but are also kind of bouncy. I've had the same one for about 3 years now with no holes.

Just had to share a cute amazon shirt ❤️ I’ve had to for awhile and it’s my favorite shir t

Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Luna Moon Dog Chew Ball, 100% Guaranteed Tough, Glow in the Dark, Made in the USA, Medium, Glow https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C0LZYO4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6e06AbY5HKFT8

There is an orange "Sol" ball as well. Both 4 inch in size.

Or the "Chuck it extreme" tennis size ball.

Those are the only 2 kinds of balls my girls haven't destroyed.

Antler chews are awesome too!

Our GSD Pit mix tears through everything but keeps no interest in anything "fake" (nylabones, etc). So we constantly buy her knuckles, antlers, and yak milk bones. Her favorite toys are tennis balls though because she likes to bite down and get the bounce-back from the rubber but she destroys them by cracking them in half within a week. I found these the other day and I'm gonna test them out to see if they work (a reviewer showed a video of their GSD chewing them the same way and they hadn't destroyed them in over 6 months)

Nutrisca

Wellness Core and Blue Buffalo Wilderness are also good food.

> Note: The blue buffalo rocky mountain recipe version is crap, so make sure you buy the kind I linked.

For treats I give Petco brand bone strips ($10, lasts a month), double chews, BIXBI jerky, and Dogma Biscuits.

The running theme here is grain free, and made from ingredients that a human could consume. Further, the distribution of protein, carbs and fat is evenly distributed in appropriate ratios.

or this! http://www.amazon.com/Walky-Dog-Exerciser-strength-Paracord/dp/B003OYIAW4 or http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/172108427762?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

I'm still waiting to have a gnarly fall... it's worth it though :)

Looks like it might be the Easy Walk harness. It's designed to be clipped in front of the legs, so when they pull, it tightens around their front legs and turns them towards you.

Used to have the same harness for my Hound/Bully mix and it worked well for him. It had no effect on our female, who pulls like a damn truck (we switched to using the gentle leader for her).

Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Luna Moon Dog Chew Ball, 100% Guaranteed Tough, Glow in the Dark, Made in the USA, Medium, Glow https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C0LZYO4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_4FMWBbR7WS7B3

I've had both the Luna and Sol an they've lasted for years where nothing else will. Also the Chuck it extreme balls are great too!

Something like this is much safer for the dog's health. There are dozens of brands -- I'm not recommending any one in particular -- just pointing out a design flaw that's common in "no pull" harnesses.

There is a thing for this! You can buy a special leash that attaches to your bike to make it easier for both of you.

I like the head collar. Tightens as they pull and it makes their head turn towards me if they pull too far

https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Gentle-Leader-Headcollar-Large/dp/B00074L4W2

We love our Easy Walk harness. It really helped our pitty stop pulling on walks, since the D ring clip is in the front and not between the shoulders. Its tough and adjustable.

Search Hygena Scoop on Amazon Or CLICK THIS LINK AND GO: https://www.amazon.com/34.xc4-5.6-45-d4-7.6/dp/B07D45RJV3

Chai's Choice Pet Products 27"-32" Best Front Range No-Pull Dog Harness, Large, Orange https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00URW5CTK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_knFYxbWT6646M

We haven't gone on a really long walk with it yet, so I can't say for certain if it would irritate his skin after a while, but I have left it on him for a whole day and he didn't get a rash. So far I give it 5 stars.

The Plaid one.


The animal print one

And I couldn't find the flower one, but the brand is Tooth and Honey, and amazon carries that brand.

Amazon Page👉 https://www.amazon.com/ttt-6-sdz4-Rya-h/dp/B07D45RJV3

Kong rubber ball extreme? https://www.amazon.com/KONG-Extreme-Ball-Medium-Large/dp/B004VBC0SY/

this is similar to his

It is the Nylabone Dura Chew (Bacon flavor).

High endurance Kong's (the black ones) I've found are really resilient. I also got a pair of these balls, which have stood up for a long time.

amazon !

https://www.amazon.com/Pit-Bull-Battle-over-American/dp/0345803116

If you have time to read this book, there is some excellent information to combat the flawed logic of breed specific bans.

I also have a pit that destroys all toys, but has yet to put a dent in this.

https://www.amazon.com/Goughnuts-Guaranteed-Indestructible-Dog-Original/dp/B0042JJB82

http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Harness-Large-Black-Silver/dp/B0009ZBKG4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1464958107&sr=1-1&keywords=easy+walk+harness

This is the go-to for front harness. Which ones have you tried? Are you looking for things to stop her from pulling?

She goes freaking bonkers for this ball.

The one by Petsafe hooks around the neck and the about so your pup wouldn't be able to slip out of it. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00074L4O0)

I haven't used it personally but I've been debating trying it since the front hook harness has lost its effect on mine.

The only toy my dog hasn’t destroyed

Hahah... We have this one and he hasn't been able to do any damage!

http://www.amazon.com/KONG-Extreme-Ball-Medium-Large/dp/B004VBC0SY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453595140&sr=8-1&keywords=kong+ball

I assume the old collar broke because he/she always pulls on walks? Try getting a gentle leader leash. It takes away their leverage, doesn't result in them choking themselves and ultimately keeps them from always being at the end of the leash. I have them for my two pits and they work wonders.

Another non-squeaky, but my guy can kill a standard toy in (literal) seconds but can't hurt the black Kong toys. He'll definitely put dents in them, but he has yet to damage one to the extent that we would have had to take it away from him.