Neighbor found a American Pit/Boxer today (pitbulls, labs, vet)

[SXMGirl]

My 16 year old neighbor found this approximately year-old dog lost on the side of a major road today. He had called the SPCA because he didn't know what to do. He was home alone and brought the dog over to see me. We took the dog to the emergency center to see if he was microchipped, but he was not. The dog had a collar but no tags.

Luckily, I have a former student who had just bought a home and had mentioned getting a dog. She and her husband have 3 small children and they decided to take the dog.

Is there anything they should know about this breed(s) that would be helpful? The dog obviously was well cared for and rode well in the car. He is affectionate and there was no growling, even when he played with my dog.

They are a young couple, whose children are 8, 3, and 1 1/2. I am paying for all expenses to get him started with them, but I want to do everything so that this goes well. They know that he will need shots and microchipping, etc. They have a fenced yard and a dog house was left by a previous owner; however, I know that this will be a house dog.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Sharon R.]

Has any attempt been made to find the dog's owner? You can't just assume that the dog is homeless and unwanted, especially since as you say, the dog appears well cared for. Put up some signs, perhaps place a notice in local vet offices, and many newspapers will place found ads at no cost. Also, notify the local animal control that the dog has been found. I once had a dog show up at our house that had gotten lost in the woods and had been missing for several days. We called animal control, they had a lost report on the dog. The owners were frantic and could not have been happier that somebody had found their sweet dog.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

If no owners show up, you all have done a good thing to help find a home for this dog!

[SXMGirl]

Sharon, I didn't say that he was homeless and unwanted. I do believe that his owners, if they are looking for him, will post signs. I have called a local rescue that will take him if my friends cannot keep him. However, neither my neighbor nor I can keep him. We did what was best at the time. We went through neighborhoods and no one knew the dog. If no signs are posted, and my friends want to keep him, I just want to provide good information to them on this mixed breed so that everyone will be happy. If they decide in the next few days that they cannot keep him, we have another plan. The neighborhoods in our area are quite affluent and the dog should have been microchipped and in a fenced yard. I don't want to be preachy, but hopefully it will all turn out for the best. I just want info on the breed, especially around young children.

[Calidreemer]

I have to say I agree about getting the word out. We live in an affluent area and I have seen and picked up a couple of strays and made a number of calls to local vets, animal control, and shelters in the area as well as let my rescue network know about the dogs. I even emailed photos (technology is great!). I won't go on about this as it seems you want to move on, so I'll answer your question about the dog.

I would say that if the dog is a pitbull/boxer mix this could be a dog with a lot of energy and intelligence, and most certainly a dog which requires an understanding and respect for the breeds as well as the responsibilities that come with owning this kind of dog which translates into:

*Continuing positive obedience training
*Appropriate, ongoing socialization with animals and people
*Proper preventative and emergency medical care
*Parental oversight and supervision around the children and other animals
*Never leave the dog unsupervised in the yard(these dogs are highly athletic and many can jump, climb and dig to get themselves out of fenced yards - wouldn't be surprised if that is what happened with this one, then there are others that would never do this)
*Keep the dog leashed when outside of the fully fenced back yard
*Avoid dog parks (sorry, if the dog is truly part pitbull they need to respect the breed and not put the dog or themselves in a situation that could turn out badly - not to say that many pits aren't dog friendly, but I would never take my mix to a dog park, bad idea IMO - if you want your dog to socialize with other dogs, go on leashed walks, do introductions on neutral territory, let your dog play with other dogs that you and the dog know well and never leave them to play unsupervised. Also be sure these people know how to break up a fight in the event one happens - this isn't APT specific, it's a good idea to know how to do this with any dog)
*Have a thick skin - we live in the land of Labs and GR and many people do a double take when we have our dog out, but that's Ok, it's an opportunity to educate people.
* They may want to connect with a local ABT rescue to ask for accurate information about owning a APT, APT mix. The rescue can give them pitbull friendly local resources and answer behavioral questions.
* These dogs are pretty physically insensitive, making them highly tolerant (if they have a stable temperment) of the knocks, pinches or tight grips young children can inadvertantly inflict upon their pets. In other words, they are pretty tough dogs that won't be too fragile for handling by children.
*The high energy and tenacity make them great playmates - the kids will tire out before the dog does so that's a good thing for your friends!
*Most importantly, make sure they are not in an area with BSL that prevents them from having a pitbull or pitbull type dog.


I highly commend you and your friends for taking in what I consider to be the most vulnerable breed today. These dogs were known as the nanny dogs of England, Helen Keller had one, they are search and rescue dogs, were war heros (look up Stubs), the Buster Brown and RCA dogs, featured in a Disney add within the last few years and the list goes on. I hope this placement works out and your friends will become another positive voice for the pitbulls. Best of luck!

P.S. Do post a photo if you can - I would love to see the pup!

[SXMGirl]

Thanks, Calidreemer, I will pass all of this along. The dog actually did not seem to be extremely high energy, but he may have been on his own for a little while. It seems that our development is one that gets a number of "discarded" animals. Our cat, who we have had for 6 years, was one. We also found a dog running loose a few years ago that was starving. Unfortunately, our vet could not save him as he had heartworms and parvo and was too far along. We live in times where people cannot always afford a pet, so I hope that everything works out with his little guy.

[Calidreemer]

Hi SXM - it's so sad what is going on today with the economy, family pets and of course the pitbulls. They hardly ever get a break and the fact that this family is willing to take in the dog and you were willing to help him find a home is so wonderful.

I would also suggest that they don't allow the children to bother the dog while he is eating, or try to take away toys or treats, but rather leave this to the grown ups. This is not to say that the dog is possessive of his resources, but it's just a good idea IMO. I always told my young neices to follow this rule with my now passed on Multi-poo and our current dog. So many times things can happen due to handler error, especially with children.

I wish you all the very best. Please keep me posted!

[SXMGirl]

Thanks again Calidreemer. I gave them money to get food, bowls, harness, and leash. I also gave them a list of things to do such as shots, tags, and, of course, toys. I will e-mail them again to remind them not to let the kids try to take away treats or to bother the dog while he is eating. That will be my 5th e-mail about the dog. He really had a nice disposition, and he looks to be between one and two years old. If it doesn't work out with this family, I have a call to a local rescue that will find him a good home. Their message said that it would be two days before they would contact me. Let's hope that everything works out, no matter what happens. Thanks for your positive guidance in this matter. I have only had lab mixes and they never seem to be of concern to anyone. Pits are another thing altogether.

[Wicked Felina]

Just had to chime in here on this. I wish folks would stop making excuses for people who dump their animals because "these are hard times". Ridiculous. We grew up with very little money, and the idea of dumping an animal NEVER came up. We always had pets and were brought up to take care of them. If we wanted an animal, we got one. However, if that meant going to Goodwill to get school clothes, well, too bad. That was our (us kids') choice and we had to deal with it. And it was worth it.

I have so little sympathy for people who can afford cigarettes, beer, ice cream, cable tv, or whatever other useless things none of us really need...and then say "we couldn't affford the dog/cat/hamster". These are the kinds of people who would throw out an animal because it peed in the house. In other words, when having an animal became an inconvenience.

There's a lady in our neighborhood who works in a fast food restaurant. I previously had seen her dog running the neighborhood, and brought it back to her. A few weeks later, I saw her dog at the county shelter and went to her house to tell her where her dog was. She told me that she couldn't afford to keep the animal, so "it's for the best". I actually saw a $2,000 HD tv in her living room when she opened the door. And she was puffing away on a cigarette (AND her nails were done).

Please understand that I'm not looking to hijack anything, and I surely don't mean to insult anyone who's posted. But it is in no way defensible to throw out a living animal. "These are hard times" is becoming the excuse d'jour for irresponsible behaviour.

Thank you so much SXMgirl for what you are doing, and to Calidreemer for the wonderful suggestions. Blessings to all who care.

[SXMGirl]

An Update: I just received a call from the rescue organization that I called. First, she told me that the SPCA would have euthanized the dog immediately because he was not microchipped. My young neighbor who found the dog had called them and we saw them when we returned home.

They also told me about a program that provides everything for the dog and it will be free. If they keep the dog, which I hope they do, it will be neutered and microchipped for free. All food, toys, leashes, obedience training, and vaccines will be free. It's a great program for Pits only. I have never heard of it, but with a program like this, there is no reason for any pitbull not to be well taken care of. Thanks again for your positive thoughts. I will keep everyone posted if something changes, but I really hope that he has found his new family.