2 dogs, one house

[pitbulliest]

Drat..I lost a thread that someone posted a few days ago..I asked a question in there but couldn't find the thread again to see if anyone answered..so I have to ask here.

As a pit owner..I'm aware that two dogs should never be left unsupervised...you cannot trust a pit not to fight, etc.

HOWEVER, I have two dogs..a pit and a chihuahua...I do leave them alone...only because they are accustomed to one another by now..both fixed..one male the other female...and the chihuahua is dominant...

I never leave food or toys around, and quite frankly, I trust both dogs very much around one another...

So, after saying this, I have to ask, who thinks I'm being irresponsible? Or, in opposition, who thinks this is perfectly fine even if there is a pit bull in the household? Should I be crating them/leaving them in separate rooms before I leave the house regardless of how long they've been together?

I also have to mention, when I first got the pit, I didn't leave them in the room together...and my pit had separation anxiety...as soon as I left them in the same area, the anxiety dissapeared...I came home and both were sleeping like babies together.

so...comments???

 

[skyeboxer]

Hmmm. I did see that thread. I'm pretty sure an experienced pittie owner said they'd never leave a pittie unsupervised with a dog as small as a chi. Let me see if I can find it.

 

[squirtsmom]

You should never leave two dogs together unsupervised when one is a pitbull. Dog aggression comes naturally to them. If you get on pitbull forum, they will tell you the same thing. My dog is a mix, but I have spent alot of time on that forum. that is what they all say. It is alot nicer here/

 

[skyeboxer]

Weird Pitbulliest,

I can't find it either. I even looked through your previous posts. Searched on unsupervised because I figured that would've appeared in the thread. Do you remember the subject heading?

 

[pitbulliest]

no clue what it was.

 

[pitbulliest]

You should never leave two dogs together unsupervised when one is a pitbull. Dog aggression comes naturally to them. If you get on pitbull forum, they will tell you the same thing. My dog is a mix, but I have spent alot of time on that forum. that is what they all say. It is alot nicer here/

Yeah see that's the thing...that's also what I would think as well...and that's the reason I think (or now maybe thought) it was ok..I've read alot of postings where pit bull people do leave more than one dog together...but only if they are of opposite sex, fixed, and different breeds..which is exactly what applies to me...

It would be really difficult crating any of the dogs at this point..the Chi is 9 yrs by the way, and the pit is 5.5 yrs. I'm also worried about the separation anxiety coming up again.

Should I maybe be closing the Chi in a separate room then? This is so strange, I never thought this could be a potential problem...then I just read the thread and got a little worried....geez you really do learn something new every single day....

 

[squirtsmom]

I just got on the forum and asked Attila, their premier poster and pitbull breeder, and he said you have to seperate them or you might come ho me and find a dead c hihuahua. That is harsh, but he knows what he is talking about. Sometimes he says the pits just "turn on" and there are consequences. Good luck. They even told me to seperate our pit/boxer mix from our tiny toy poodle when we leave, just in case.

 

[pancho]

It will all depend on the dog and the surroundings. Pit bulls have been raised with another dog. It is really not that uncommon. Some dogs are more aggressive than others. For the novice it isn't a very good idea as many do not know how to evaluate the amount of dog aggression in a dog. If you are experienced and know both dogs it is possible. If you are in an area where there isn't anything to excite them it is a lot easier.
There were several of the greatest fighting dogs in history that was allowed to roam free. One even was allowed to free roam in a city, his ownership was never known for sure until he was claimed by one of the old dog men who schooled him out and made a champion of him.
If you are not experienced it is real bad to return home to find the dogs you thought was not aggressive to each other have been in a death match.
There are also an occassional pit bull that will not be aggressive against a smaller dog of another breed. They do not see the other dog really as a dog and no competition at all.
Each person can understand their dogs better than a stranger. They cannot tell how another persons dog will act as they know nothing of the bloodlines, training, and disposition of the dog.

 

[squirtsmom]

Amen.

 

[pitbulliest]

See? So many different views on the topic..that's why I got worried...

Pancho...I know both the dogs really well..I know their personalities..and I do know my pit's level of aggressiveness..I also know that she is extremely submissive to the Chihuahua...

We live in an apartment building...and she is my first pit bull..I have done alot of research after she came into my home...but I'm still learning more all the time...I don't want to do something I'll regret. BUT, at the same time, if what I'm currently doing isn't considered a problem, then I don't want to go ahead and change my dog's everyday routine either...

 

[elegy]

i would never leave a pit bull alone with a dog that small. ever. it wouldn't even have to be aggression. it could simply be excitement at a sound, something outside, whatever, and all it would take would be one bad purely instinctual terrier grab and shake moment, and you'd have a dead chihuahua.

 

[Squidbert]

http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41034&page=3

It was in this thread

 

[pancho]

See? So many different views on the topic..that's why I got worried...

Pancho...I know both the dogs really well..I know their personalities..and I do know my pit's level of aggressiveness..I also know that she is extremely submissive to the Chihuahua...

We live in an apartment building...and she is my first pit bull..I have done alot of research after she came into my home...but I'm still learning more all the time...I don't want to do something I'll regret. BUT, at the same time, if what I'm currently doing isn't considered a problem, then I don't want to go ahead and change my dog's everyday routine either...

I can give an example of one of my experiences. I had a male pit bull which was a cross of the top show line in the U.S. and the best known fighting bloodline. I had a female from known fighting lines. I put these 2 dogs together when they were 4 months old. Neither dog was ever chained and never even had a collar put on them except when they were taken off my property. They lived in my front yard. It was 30x100 ft. They lived together until both died of old age. They did have differences everyonce in a while but there wasn't ever any real damage done to either. I trusted both completely. They were a true pair and depended very much on each other. I raised 2 litters from them. Most of the pups matured into dogs that were very DA. But then I didn't work with them as much as I did the original pair.
Some dogs can be trusted around other dogs, some can't. A blanket statement about a breed does not work. Each dog is an individual.
You know your dog better than anyone else even those with years of experience with the breed, or should. You can make the decision necessary better than others that do not know the dog, the surroundings, the training, and the temperment of the dog.
Good luck with your choice.

 

[pitbulliest]

You know..I thought that keeping dogs apart applied to strangers..not to dogs that are in the same family - raised together..etc.....guess I didn't have enough information or I misunderstood. I feel sheepish

Ok well thanks for your input everyone...I think for safety reasons, I'll probably leave the Chihuahua in my bedroom with his food and water. He's pretty old so he sleeps most of the time anyways...I do trust my Chihuahua and my pit, but it seems like alot of you have horror stories...I feel pretty rotten for doing this, but its better to be safe than sorry.

 

[FoxyWench]

how long have your dogs been together? i mean if theyve been hanging out for years to seperate them like that could cause alot of emotional issues, expecially wiht a dog whos already shown seperation anxiety before having a companion.

personally ive seen very dog agressive dogs get along swimmingly with their pack members and yet act like there rabid around strange dogs or neighbouring dogs ect.
so i think it should always be taken on a one on one basis.
My grandfathers Staffy would protect his chihuahuas with her life, but if a strange dog came near forget it she would go into kill mode...she lived 15 years and spent every waking moment with the chis...

I do understand the fear, but i also think it should be a one on one basis!

 

[BostonBanker]

Honestly, I wouldn't leave any dog over 20 lbs or so loose with a chihuahua. A dog trainer I know had her papillion killed by one of her own dogs who, in a moment of excitement, grabbed her. It left punctures on the small dog's head that quickly became infected. The infection ended up killing her.

Small dogs are so fragile. It doesn't have to be an aggressive act that kills them. I think you are doing the right thing by separating them when you are away.

 

[Dulce Pit Bull]

I've never had a problem in the past. I grew up with several, and never had a problem at all. But that's just ME

It depends on the dog/s.

 

[pitbulliest]

how long have your dogs been together? i mean if theyve been hanging out for years to seperate them like that could cause alot of emotional issues, expecially wiht a dog whos already shown seperation anxiety before having a companion.

personally ive seen very dog agressive dogs get along swimmingly with their pack members and yet act like there rabid around strange dogs or neighbouring dogs ect.
so i think it should always be taken on a one on one basis.
My grandfathers Staffy would protect his chihuahuas with her life, but if a strange dog came near forget it she would go into kill mode...she lived 15 years and spent every waking moment with the chis...

I do understand the fear, but i also think it should be a one on one basis!

They've been together now for a little over 4 and a half years...the pit came into my home when she was 1.5 years..she's now 5.5...the Chi is 9 years...will be 10 in March. The pittie is very protective of the little one as well...

I'm noticing alot of people mentioning excitement in dogs leading to accidental injuries.

I just want to make a note...

my pit bull is very docile. most people mistake her for a senior dog. She's very gentle and doesn't get excited very easily...the little one will bark at the door when someone walks by, or my neighbors dog starts barking...the pit won't even notice...even when the Chi goes off...

don't know if that makes much of a difference in the whole situation or not, but I just thought I'd bring that up.

 

[FoxyWench]

i just worry, 4 years together then suddenly being seperated might do more harm than good in this case.

 

[Kurby]

hi pitbulliest

I have an APBT and a chihuahua too.. even though they are raised together I never leave them unsupervised I know my APBT wont harm Pinky but it is just some safety precaution.. a 60 lbs APBT and a 2.5 lbs chihuaha being left alone? I dont think so. Ceecee is way too clumsy to be around him. I dont know its too risky for me.