Читать книгу American Pit Bull Terrier - F. Favorito - Страница 23

Choosing a Pit Bull pup for a family pet will involve an even more serious approach than in the case of many other breeds. It is necessary to find a pup that will mature to be the kind of dog that will be appropriate for your family. We must keep in mind that at this especially sensitive time in the existence of the Pit Bull breed, the reputation of the breed is really in question in the minds of many who will meet your dog. A poorly bred dog or a poorly socialized puppy will make a negative impression upon those who will meet your dog, and the last thing this breed needs is for people to get further negative impressions.

Avoid buying a puppy from any breeder who appears to have no goal in his breeding program. If a breeder’s goal is to breed “highly protective” (man-aggressive) Pit Bulls, avoid that breeder. A well-chosen Pit Bull will become devoted to you. A devoted dog will protect you, should the need to do so arise. You don’t need a Pit Bull from outwardly aggressive stock. You don’t need a dog that displays aggression unnecessarily. Such a dog will only scare your neighbors, becoming a serious liability for you and adding fuel to the fire begun by those who would outlaw this breed worldwide.

INHERIT THE MIND

In order to know whether or not a puppy will fit into your lifestyle, you need to assess his personality. A good way to do this is to interact with his parents. Your pup inherits not only his appearance but also his personality and temperament from the sire and dam. If the parents are fearful or overly aggressive, these same traits may likely show up in your puppy.

A pup from steady show stock can be a good choice. Outward aggression is often discouraged among show breeders, as there is no place for such aggression in the show ring. I do feel I need to warn you that winning conformation shows is not what this breed is all about, however. When the characteristics for which a breed was originally produced are totally ignored in a breeding program, a breed changes. Just as there are some undesirable qualities in the “backyard-bred dog,” many of the truly positive and most definitive qualities of the game-bred dog can also be lost in a genetic line. Nonetheless, for most prospective owners, the highly show-bred dog is probably the best choice for pups.