[Heart Song]

First, I am not new to dogs, I have had Dobermans, Boxers, several smaller breeds, etc over my 50 something years. I normally always have females, but I am new to Pitties. My little female pit bull is 8 months old and she is my first. I got her at 9 weeks old.

I have a couple of things that I need answers to. I have always been told and do believe that having two males in a large breed is not good unless you are a very strong alpha presence. I tried it once twenty years ago with 2 male boxers and would not want to do it again. But now I have been told 2 female pit bulls are NOT good together. I have a 2 year old spayed female Doberman Pinscher and an 8 month old female pitty that I will be spaying in the future.

Today I was talking to someone that informed me matter of factly that if I don't let her stay unspayed until she is at least 2 years old (when she fully matures) that she will turn on me.

Now, this sounds crazy to me. Sorta like how Dobermans brains outgrow their skulls and turn on their owners. BUT, since this is my first pitty, I don't want to poo poo something that might have merit. What I normally do is let my females go through one heat and then have them spayed. I do not raise puppies, because then I would keep every single one because I would be afraid someone would buy them and be mean to them. So I find it better to be a responsible owner and spay. But I like them to mature a bit before doing so. I know there are benefits to both sides of the "before or after spaying" heat and I choose the side I feel is the best for my girls.

I need some feed back from knowledgeable owners that know the truth in all this. I do NOT want to leave my girl intact that long. Thanks everyone.

 

[DynamicDuo]

Your instincts are correct, that is crazy talk. That may be one of the more ridiculous falsehoods I've heard in a while actually. No truth to it, whatsoever. In fact, bull breeds LOVE people and are not human aggressive and if you have a dog that turns on you, unless there is a VERY VERY good reason like a medical problem, IMHO the dog is most likely unstable and should probably be humanely euthanized.

 

[Heart Song]

Thanks Ciaramama. I thought it was probably crazy talk. This person has 5 pitties. I can't imagine living with 5 pitbulls and thinking they could turn on me at any given moment if I didn't do something right.

If I had a dog I was scared of then I have no business adding it to my home. My little girl is actually far opposite of my Doberman who is all about business. The pitty is laid back. She can get busy and play hard but her general disposition is to find a chewy and go lay down and chew the heck out of it or pile up on top of me in the recliner. She is my shadow pretty much 95% of my day. She is precious and I love love love her personality.

 

[dads318is01]

Congrats on your girl. Indeed no truth to it. Read as much as possible to educate yourself on the breed. They are quite amazing.

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[Indie]

Letting her go through a heat *can* change her attitude towards your other female. My two bitches got on fine until that first heat. Then, all bets were off. Just something to keep in mind. I also prefer letting them get that 1st heat in, to ensure all their lady parts are mature and in working order.

 

[Heart Song]

Indie, was the change in attitude toward the other female only while she was in heat or from that point on?

At this moment, Lyric is very laid back at 8 months old. They play hard but most of the time she is very calm and such a good pup. I am hoping she stays like that forever.

 

[DynamicDuo]

I am pretty sure it's been ever since between Indie and Jerzi (Indies two bitches) and she has to keep them separated - I think now that Indie (the person lol) is back on 3rd shifts she will prob be back on later to confirm.

I love love love your profile pic BTW and the name Lyric - so pretty!

 

[Heart Song]

I am pretty sure it's been ever since between Indie and Jerzi (Indies two bitches) and she has to keep them separated - I think now that Indie (the person lol) is back on 3rd shifts she will prob be back on later to confirm.

Sheez, I hate the thought of having issues between the two forever LOL. I had 2 females another time but both were Dobermans and there were no issues. The first female was spayed at 6 months, the 2nd I let go through a first heat. Never any problems. I suppose it is according to personalities. This being my first pit bull I am not sure what to expect.

I love love love your profile pic BTW and the name Lyric - so pretty!

Awww thank you!

 

[Heart Song]

Thought I would share a few pictures.

This is Lyric, cropped.

Intently watching the Popcorn popper because it feeds her "treats" when it makes that annoying popping sound.

And here you see how well they get along.

Taegan at 2 years old and Lyric 8 months old, napping together which is common any given day.

 

[DynamicDuo]

Love the pics! So sweet. I don't want to answer for Indie as I'm sure she'll pop back in soon but as for the spaying, 2 things to keep in mind- Indie says letting her go through the first heat *CAN* cause issues not that is necessarily will just that it's possible. 2nd neither Indie nor Jerzi are spayed so I'm not sure but that may have something to do with it as well.

 

[Heart Song]

2nd neither Indie nor Jerzi are spayed so I'm not sure but that may have something to do with it as well.

Ohhh, I see, two intact dogs of the same gender would definitely be a possible reason for any tension among the two. Here, both will be spayed in time as Taegan already is. I am not into raising any pups or I would be out the door broke LOL because I would want to keep them all. :woof:

 

[Indie]

Ciara is correct. The issues started when they went into heat together, and the next year, I bred Indie, which amplified the issues. Now, they get on ok outside, if there aren't any toys involved. But as soon as they have something to fight over, it's on. The pups will be a year old soon, so Indie has had plenty of time to get those maternal hormones out, but I haven't let them be together in the house at all, because I don't like vet visits. This is all primarily Indie's provocation, and she's Queen B(itch) around the house, so... :shrug:

Such is life with pit bulls.

 

[Petbawler]

I have never heard that the earlier age the procedure is done, the higher risk of subsequent aggression. A male dog probably has to grow up first, to ensure healthy development. But.. yeah, crazy talk imo.

 

[Dukez]

I love the second picture, well all of them but the one where they are looking st the pio corn machine is priceless


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[ThaLadyPit]

I will chime in on this one. I also have two intact females, neither of which have been bred. They are the ones in my signature picture in the middle is Ices, and the little red bitch on the right.

Ices "turned on" at about a year and a half, and fought with the mutt on the left (RIP Roller, he recently had to be euthed due to cancer). Ices is six years old, and Cookie is four years old. I've had one incident with them, kids let them out while my husband and I were both working, and thankfully my oldest paid attention when I was teaching him and his dad how to separate in the event of a fight.

Cookie is laid back, really chill unless one of our other dogs does something she doesn't like, i.e., try to mount her, get too rough, etc. Great little people dog, and so is Ices.

I allowed my females to remain in tact for different reasons, like full development, intention to compete in conformation shows (work schedule just doesn't allow), etc. I have a rescue male who came to me neutered already as a pup, he's almost two years old now and still all puppy, and all leg (I hate neutering young because it affects their growth/development). Also have a male pup joining the pack soon who will remain in tact.

Crate and rotate has been our lifestyle since Ices turned on years ago.

Having an APBT, you adapt a different lifestyle, depending on the individual dog. While we all love the idea of our dogs getting along together and being peaceful, the reality is, we have to be prepared as owners of this breed, to adapt and adjust in case the day comes our dogs decide they don't like other dogs. Please don't be scared of your girl, or look at her any differently, just be aware and prepared for the fact that some day, she may decide she doesn't like your Doberman any more, ever. There are members on here (some no longer active), who have successfully managed dog aggressive dogs being together with other dogs in their pack together. It takes serious control and dedication and is not for the faint of heart. We are telling you all this to have you prepared, because in all honesty, spaying *may* reduce the tension, but often times, it has no effect on a dog that is already turned on.

We love the fact that you are choosing to be a responsible owner, because to be honest, people like you are hard to come by. But, the fact that anyone is spreading nonsense like what you stated above is what turns people off to our breed, among other things. Irresponsible owners and back yard breeders are the worst, they have the biggest impact. Of course, that's true in any situation, the negative always spreads faster than the positive.

Your pups are beautiful, and I want to thank you for sharing your babies with us. Also, this is late, but welcome to our pack!!