She's a cutie! Sounds like she'll make a wonderful companion no matter the pedigree. And I second the jumping ability-- once they realize how high they can leap, nothing is safe!
Help!!!!
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A couple more ideas: Around many military bases there are people or groups who are sympathetic to the plight of deploying service members with pets. There are often people out there who will foster their pets. Best case scenerio would be to see if there is a pit bull rescue group near his current base who has a member who will foster his dog.(He might be able to find that info on the internet.) The Humane Societies and animal control facilities are overburdened when whole military units deploy and so they might be willing to help find a solution rather than end up with another animal. If your BIL checks with the local humane society, they may be able to point him in the right direction of people who might foster. If he did get the dog from a responsible breeder, that breeder may want to have a say so in where that dog goes….especially in view of the potential of how a pit bull can be misused.
Follow your intuition: If you feel too uneasy about this DON'T do it! Your responsibility is to your puppy and your family.
This is the point where I am going to get up on a soap box and open myself up as a target: 1st let me explain that my husband was career Army and was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and Iraq. I was an Army nurse when DH and I met and married. My father was career Army. My two brothers and 2 of DH's brothers were in the Army. I currently live within a few miles of a military base. I say all that to show that I am very much in support of and sympathetic to service members. Having said that, let me also say that it is irresponsible for anyone, especially a soldier who knows he will be deployed, to get a pet without making arrangements BEFORE he gets the pet for that pet's care when he is deployed. The local rescue groups, humane society, pound, etc get absolutely hammered with these animals when units get deployed. It just isn't right that YOU have to feel bad if you don't want to take the risk and responsibility for a pit bull. Your BIL should have asked you if you'd take it BEFORE he got it! I don't plan on anything happening to me or DH but we made contingency plans before we got Cory.
Just my humble opinion….Now I'll step aside and run for cover.
Pat
No need to run for cover, very well put…. your entire post....
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I might also suggest asking the brother if he will get the pit neutered now.
He won't get it neutered because he is going to breed him upon returning from Iraq. He has been asked by someone who received their pitt from the same blood line to be the stud. He told me he got permission from the breeder and everything…
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IMO, I think it would be a big mistake to bring an "in-tact" dog of any breed into your home, let alone a bully, especially with a puppy bitch… and take the chance she comes in season??... and with your statements about Rocky... I for one would never chance it....
Our B is a male, not female. We don't have a female in the house. Our male puppy will come home THIS THURSDAY. Thus, he'll be with us only about 3 months when we would (if we do) get the bully.
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This is the point where I am going to get up on a soap box and open myself up as a target: 1st let me explain that my husband was career Army and was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and Iraq. I was an Army nurse when DH and I met and married. My father was career Army. My two brothers and 2 of DH's brothers were in the Army. I currently live within a few miles of a military base. I say all that to show that I am very much in support of and sympathetic to service members. Having said that, let me also say that it is irresponsible for anyone, especially a soldier who knows he will be deployed, to get a pet without making arrangements BEFORE he gets the pet for that pet's care when he is deployed. The local rescue groups, humane society, pound, etc get absolutely hammered with these animals when units get deployed. It just isn't right that YOU have to feel bad if you don't want to take the risk and responsibility for a pit bull. Your BIL should have asked you if you'd take it BEFORE he got it! I don't plan on anything happening to me or DH but we made contingency plans before we got Cory.
Just my humble opinion….Now I'll step aside and run for cover.
Pat
Thank for the well-put opinion. I completely agree! When he told us he got the bully the first thing I asked was "where are you going to send him if you get deployed?!?" He, at the time, was living with a girl (also owner of a bully pitt) & so said that she obviously could watch him in their home. Well, they recently (about 3 months ago) had a nasty break up so her watching him is out of the question now. He was also thinking of using his mom (since she currently has a dog as well) but she said no because she's in the process of splitting from her fiance so it's too sticky of a situation for her to take him. Their other brother is also a Marine, who lives in the barrack's, thus he also cannot take him.
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He won't get it neutered because he is going to breed him upon returning from Iraq. He has been asked by someone who received their pitt from the same blood line to be the stud. He told me he got permission from the breeder and everything…
So I guess that deal will be off if he has to get rid of the dog…
So basically he wants to either keep the dog intact or get rid of the dog...If he wants to keep the dog (because the dog is his baby), he'd have better luck with finding someone to take it if he gets it neutered.
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My niece has three pit bulls – all WONDERFUL dogs. She has two neutered males and one female.
The dogs all got along fairly well initially. Her older boy had some issues with the younger one, but nothing that couldn't be handled with a stern voice {"hey!" or "Knock it off" kind of thing}. Most of their issues revolved around the spayed female, who is younger than both males and best buddy to both.
Then suddenly.. one day... The older boy went after the younger in a BIG way when he tried to lie down beside the girl. It took three adults to stop their fighting -- during which BTW, neither dog made any attempt to bite at the humans; their aggression does NOT transfer to humans, none of them have ever shown any signs of aggression or dominance or even really irritation with people -- and ever since that fight the dogs cannot be together at all.
They have to play this silly dog juggle -- one of the boys has to stay in the kitchen at all times, they cannot be outside together, they cannot be in the car together unless crated and in different seats.
It's crazy -- and they are both nuetered.I have no problem with pits as a breed; I rather like them. But I would NEVER have two males, EVER, because I understand that male/male aggression is not uncommon with the breed, and these dogs are STRONG. They will NOT lose a fight and the real fights are very difficult to stop.
I love my nieces dogs; I enjoy being at her place with them, but I'd never have them come stay here with me, not with Keoki here. No way.
I'd think long and hard about this decision. I know you're in a tough position.
You need to hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst.Do you have a way to keep them separate from one another if they do not get along?
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Maybe the person who wants to use him for stud will foster him.
Something else for you to think about: If you haven't gotten your puppy yet, your breeder may definitely not approve of one of his/her pups being placed into a home with a pit bull. Technically…it isn't the same home your breeder approved.
Pat
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I just don't think it is looking good for Razr or Justin. I'm having such strong doubts that I just don't feel like it's right…
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Okay, so you have a one year old potentially dog-aggressive powerful dog who is still in the process of maturing that you are think of fostering for 9 months. In that 9 months, the dog will mature and attitudes towards other dogs may change from what it is now. You already know this dog is "territorial". (whatever that means. barks at strangers? lunges uncontrollably at people walking down the street? Growls at strange dogs but is fine with people? Is a resource guarder? etc) You don't know how this dog is with puppies and, because of his age, how he is now may change. May change drastically. May stay the same. The owner refuses to neuter the dog.
You are getting a basenji boy puppy that you have planned for and waited for. You are planning on socializing him and making sure all his experiences with dogs and people over the next 12 months are wonderful to ensure a confident social pup. If you're planning on showing you won't want to neuter you dog either. If you're planning on doing agility (or perhaps coursing) and have read Dr Zink's article on early neuters, you probably won't want to neuter until the growth plates close (12-14 months in a basenji-sized dog).
So you are planning on having 2 intact male dogs in your household. Both breeds are known to sometimes be same-sex aggressive. One dog is 3 (?) times the size of the other.
Did I lay all that out correctly?
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I just don't think it is looking good for Razr or Justin. I'm having such strong doubts that I just don't feel like it's right…
Okay, you know your answer then. Are you looking for help in how to say "This just isn't right for us right now"? I know saying "no" to family can be difficult. Here's the thing: You have doubts. And if you do foster Razr, and something awful happens, how would you feel? Could you forgive Razr/Justin/yourself/your spouse?
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So I guess that deal will be off if he has to get rid of the dog…
So basically he wants to either keep the dog intact or get rid of the dog...If he wants to keep the dog (because the dog is his baby), he'd have better luck with finding someone to take it if he gets it neutered.
Or he can have him collected and the sperm frozen if it is that important that he be used at stud. (yes that costs) but then he can at least get him neutered.
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I think the chances of hurting Razr/Dallas or even Mark or I just makes this decision more clear. I don't want to hurt my family because of his brothers dog. I love Pitts and would love to take care of one for 9 months but I just see it right now as too big of a risk. I have studied up on Bs before getting ours but I don't know enough about pitts to really know what to expect and really even if I did know everything I could about pitts, I could never be sure that he & Dallas wouldn't fight & potentially really harm one of them…probably Dallas since he is outweighed by Razr big time. We're talking 15-20 lbs (Dallas will still be a pup) to a 100 lb. dog. Ugh. I just feel so bad for Justin (BIL) & the dog...
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Here are some links to fosters for military pets. I am sorry you are stuck between a rock and a hard place and so is your BIL. Unfortunately this is why I feel single people in the military shouldn't get a pet, I know its bad to say even with me being in the military, but with the world today unfortunately we run into situations like these. I hope the below links help you and your BIL
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Our B is a male, not female. We don't have a female in the house. Our male puppy will come home THIS THURSDAY. Thus, he'll be with us only about 3 months when we would (if we do) get the bully.
Sorry, my mistake… for some reason I thought you were getting a girl puppy...
But I agree that it would be really "chancey" to bring in a third male that is not neutered with to other males.. -
Sorry, my mistake… for some reason I thought you were getting a girl puppy...
But I agree that it would be really "chancey" to bring in a third male that is not neutered with to other males..Gezzz, I will get it right yet…
... To have a baby pup (not sure when you are planning or if you are) that is not neutered and bring in an intact adult bully... is just asking for problems...
And what in the world would you do if you did take him, your brother was gone (deployed) and you could not keep him?... What would you do with him..? -
And what in the world would you do if you did take him, your brother was gone (deployed) and you could not keep him?… What would you do with him..?
Yea that's another huge concern. I have given it so much though & I just really don't see how it is possible for us to take him. It's too risky.
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Personally I have no experience with any of this but wanted to support you and your decsion. I think "going with your instincts" is the best way to go. You've weighed the options and certainly your heart is in the right place…I know it's a tough decision.
I hope he can find a solution...((Hugs)) to you both. -
I listened to a speaker on personal safety one time who made the astute observation that humans are the only animals that deliberately ignore their instincts and teach their children to ignore their instincts. We get so wrapped up in politeness and not wanting to hurt feelings that we ignore our instincts - the ones meant to save us from danger. We see groups of people hanging out on the street who strike us as being potentially dangerous but we don't cross the street because we don't want to appear rude. Our children don't want to hug wierd Uncle Joe because he gives them the creeps and we tell them to hug him anyway. I could be wrong but I sense that you are more than a little uncomfortable about this situation. And it doesn't seem like your BIL is making any concessions. Is his Pit Bull so special that his genes really need to be added to the pool?
And here is a prophetic coincidence: This morning after my earlier posts, I visited with a friend who told me that she and her husband were going somewhere when they spotted a man walking a pretty dog that looked vaguely familiar to her. (She had only seen a photograph of our basenji). She stopped and introducted herself to the man and asked about the dog. He told her that his dog was a basenji (probably purebred) and had been recently rescued from the local humane society just hours before being euthanized. The dog, who bears numerous scars and is recovering from malnutrition, had been used as a bait dog to train pit bulls for fighting! When the pit bull owners got wind that there was going to be a raid, they took off and left the basenji to fend for itself.
To hear this anecdote today just seemed so coincidental. A puppy is just no match to a pit bull. I'm not maligning the breed. I just don't think this sounds safe.
Whatever you decide, we all hope everything turns out well for you and your pup.
Pat
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To hear this anecdote today just seemed so coincidental. A puppy is just no match to a pit bull. I'm not maligning the breed. I just don't think this sounds safe.
Actually I don't think this thread has been anti-bully at all. As a realitive newbie here, I'm pleased to see that. I think people would have different advice if the dog were an 8 year old spayed female bully that loved other dogs and people and had a mellow/laidback attitude. But that's not the situation.
(aside: Digital and I went to the invitational in 2006 with a friend and her female staffie bull. A lovely sweet dog that, as far as I saw, never even looked at anyone/dog sideways. I wouldn't hesistate to take that dog into my home.)
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I just love Staffie bulls…. at a show many years ago, we were parked next to someone with about 6 of them.. they were all so sweet... many breeds get a bad rap... and it is brought on by humans.....
