Do you think it's safe to re-introduce this Pitt Bull to my puppy after a...

[Doran]

...scary first encounter? My friend’s two year old female Pitt Bull is a sucker for people and really friendly and puppy-like. I did eventually want to introduce her to my 5 month old puppy. I was planning on meeting at the dog park sometime. Today my friend asked me if I wanted to bring my puppy over to her house. Her cousin had her dogs there, another Pitt and a collie mix, and they got along great with her dog (they knew though).

I already knew the dog was great with people, and she loves other dogs, but I wasn’t sure about another dog coming into ‘her’ house. In fact I knew it was a bad idea. But seeing her welcome in the other two dogs that day convinced me to go on and do it, that and because my dog is a puppy, most dogs are lenient towards him, and that her dog knows me really well. So I went home and picked him up.

Basically, this didn’t end well at all.

I was sitting up on my knees on the floor with my leashed puppy in the living room when my friend let her dog out of its kennel in the hall. She came trotting in and then stopped and walked slowly forward.
She had on a ‘serious business’ face and was staring him down growling. She did show signs like turning her head away, but her eyes were always on him when she did so. I had him on a short leash at my side. He sort of bounced back and forth as the leash would allow and was play-bowing. She started walking up to us and he sat beside me (right side) looking at her. She curved around towards my left side and stood there, relaxed, opened her mouth to pant, nudged my arm and licked me and stuff.

My puppy crosses over in front of me and sniffs the side of her face. Her face went all ‘serious business’ and she started growling. They stood for just a moment sniffing each other’s shoulders, heads all arched up, standing really straight. Then he bounced back and did a play-bow, and that’s when she lunged at him. I pulled him back behind me by the leash and started to stand up. By this time my friend was yelling and had managed to grab her dog by the collar. Then all hell broke loose because her dog went nuts lunging, snapping and barking something fierce as she braced herself trying to hold on to her.

This was serious s***, I always thought I had trouble telling rough play from aggression and now I know what true aggression looks like.

I have to walk my dog past them to get out of the house, so I take him by the collar and put myself in-between them to walk by, and my puppy does the stupidest thing, he tries to reach over and lick the other dogs face, still wagging his tail. I was afraid he’d get his ear taken off as he turned his away as she bit right at him.

My friend’s dog is a great dog extremely friendly, I know it was a BAD situation we put the dogs in and still her dog did so well considering. The fact that Pitt Bulls can easily kill another dog with their bite was what was scary about it (that and my lack of common sense).

Is the relationship between these dogs ruined, or can we still introduce them in the dog park, a ‘neutral’ location? I don’t know how the whole ‘bad first impressions’ thing applies to dogs.

 

[Mandy c]

No, I would not try to introduce your puppy to this dog again until he is an adult.
Puppies are impressionable and I think you are very lucky that this incident didn't make him afraid.
Keep on with socializing your puppy, like it sounds you have done, with dogs who are balanced and at least not aggressive. I would avoid dogs who might scare or harm your dog.

It sounds like the female will more likely accept your dog when he is older because she accepts the other dogs.

And yeah, the situation in which you described was probably the worst possible for a dog introduction.
It is best on neutral ground when the dogs actually see it coming. If the female can safely go to a dog park without incident then that would be the best place.
It can also be done on a walk, leashes, just meet with them during the walk and continue, don't stop for sniffing. That way they can get a bit comfortable with the others presence before they actually meet.

But personally I would not let these dog be around each other ever again, its not worth the risk to me. I have nothing against pitt bulls, I like them and have owned one in the past.

 

[?EverybodyLovesMe?]

1)Get leashes,they both need to be leashed.

2)If the pit bull is an inside dog,go outside where the pit bull won't be so protective,since it's her home she would be.

3)Don't rush them into things,you have to let them smell each other,and let them smell around also,get to know their surroundings and see if they play.

4)If your pit isn't friendly around other dogs,much less a puppy,don't take her to the dog park.

Good luck,i love pit bulls