Anyone Have Experience with a Pit Bull Labrador Mix Dog?

People can seriously be so ignorant. Pits are NOT bad dogs. I am way more afraid of a small yappy dog than I am a pit or rottweiler. People really need to educate themselves.

My brother with PTSD has a lab/pit mix and his dog is a service dog. He is one of the best dogs I have ever known. It would be a shame for people to miss out on an amazing animal because of his breed.

Sorry, I don't understand why anyone would choose a dog that is part pit bull. It is just too risky, in my opinion. If you are adopting a dog that you can't get information on its history, I really don't think a pit bull mix is the way to go. It's just not worth it, I think.

Labs and pitties are both intelligent breeds. What I'll tell you about smart doggies is this: They're like smart kids. When they have no manners, direction, or training, they get into trouble.

Be sure that you are committed to working with and paying the money to take the dog to a professional trainer to learn good manners and deference. The time you take to regularly work with and train your dog will make all the difference.

My son adopted a pit bull that possibly had some lab in it. It was a rescue, but not from a shelter. My son worked at a large chain pet store for a short time after high school, and someone brought the dog in, and left without it. They just abandoned it. No collar, no microchip, no tags, no info. At the end of the day, my son and his roommate thought the dog seemed nice, and brought it home.

He wanted to keep it at his apartment, but I insisted he bring the dog to a vet for a checkup. We knew nothing about the dog. We told the vet that adoption was being considered, but not if the vet suspected the dog was sick, etc. But what we found out was that the vet could also tell a lot about the dog's past, and it's temperament. The vet interacted with the dog for quite some time, and gave it a couple of basic shots. She based her opinion on how the dog reacted to her, how the dog accepted its shots, how the dog responded to her voice and actions. Her opinion was that the dog had somehow been treated extremely well. We'll never know why it was abandoned. But the vet said she (and other people who are familiar with dogs, or dog trainers) can tell how a dog has been treated by the way they act and respond. It was all new to me, but it made sense. It has to do with the way the dog behaves, how it looks at the person, etc. The vet said that she would not have any qualms about adopting that dog herself.

So my son took the dog and had it for several years until he gave it to a friend who treated it equally well (my son travels too much for work). The dog was amazingly good - friendly, calm, and obedient.

So you might ask a dog trainer or vet to evaluate a dog and get their opinion. Tell them you're considering adoption, and what kind of home you have (little kids, noise, other pets, space available, schedules) and ask for an evaluation whether this dog would be a good mix.

The other thing to consider is, a lot of towns and homeowner's associations and apartment complexes ban these breeds. So do some campgrounds and hotels and other places. So you might explore where you live and where you travel, and make sure pit bulls aren't excluded.

Up until June 13th? I had a Boxer/Pit Bull Mix. He died at the age of 5 and the best the vet can guess is a massive heart attack. He was one of 11 and 3 of his siblings died before they turned 2.

he was a HUGE love-bug. with a HUGE personality. A big talker...since he was a boxer too? He LOVED to jump! It took us a while to get him trained on that one. We adopted him when he was 10 weeks old. We worked with him and used a trainer early on.

I would DEFINITELY get the dog IF he/she "meshes" with your family. In our search for the "right" dog for us? It took us two years...I was ADAMANT - NO PUPPIES...the minute I saw him? My heart melted. It was a done deal and he brought great joy to our home for the 5 years we had him.

Good luck!

We have 2 dogs, a boxer/shepherd/pit mix and a beagle/basset mix. They're both well-trained, well-behaved dogs and assets to our family. That being said, the beagle mix is the one who had food-aggression issues and required the most work to train around children. The boxer/shepherd/pit mix is loyal and loving and the smartest, most sensitive dog I've ever had -- and I've had dogs all my life. She's the one I trust around our autistic grandson and every other child, family or not, who comes through the door.

You seem to have a handle on things, but I agree with others that consistent behavior on your part and a good trainer are important parts of owning any dog.

FWIW, neither my husband nor I would have chosen a pit mix. We, too, had heard the pit horror stories and didn't like them. We'd met this one as a puppy, her owner's circumstances changed and this sweet girl desperately needed a good home quickly. Best decision ever.

Good luck choosing your new family member.

My brother has a pitbull mix and it is a lovely friendly family oriented dog. When my mother's dementia forced the dog they had out the door, he moved it in with them and everybody gets along great.
On the other hand, my neighbor next door has a six year old pitbull and she is always talking about how loveable and cute he is. She hasn't trained it well at all, and frankly I wouldn't want to catch him off guard. Sounds like you are a good family-so happy you are doing so much research and I have a feeling this little one will enjoy living with you. Let us know what happens!
Oh I wanted to add something/good and bad-my brother and family rent their home,At one point the owner, learning that the dog was a pitbull was worried about insurance situations. My brother asked me if they had to send the dog away would I take it and (surprised myself) said yes when I previously was frightened of pitbulls. But fortunately this worked out fine and little guy is there to stay.

I have one. Found wandering the streets in really bad shape. Sweetest dog ever!!! Will kiss you to death and loves his sister, a beagle mix. Someone below mentioned having it evaluated. You could have a trainer meet you out there....Please give him/her a chance.

I own a pit bull right now and it is not a mix but it was one that we found wandering the streets. She has been a really good dog. Super energetic so lots of playing and walking. Best dog I have ever owned.

I did have a rottweiler lab mix, also a great dog. He had grand mal seizures and we gave him a forever home for three years until he had a seizure that he never recovered from. He was dumped for having them by a person that had him for seven years. Again a great dog.

You seem like you are going to take good care of the dog and to be honest you mention pit bull and you will get huge differences of opinions. My opinion is that a dog is a dog and you never really know what makes them tick, they are an animal. I used to be nervous around pit bulls as well because of all that I heard but my husband had them all his life and when Roxy found us my tune changed. I fully respect peoples opinions that have had a bad experience with a dog as they have walked through it however that does not make them all bad. I got bit by an Australian Sheppard and I am a wreck around them but not all are bad.

Anyway good luck to you and so awesome you are adopting, sounds like you are going to give a dog a great life.
Blessings.

Pits and labs are wonderful......people on the other ha d not so much! Both breeds are so loyal.

i gather from my pit-fan friends that pitties are big poofs, who are very very loyal to 'their' people, and if raised right are very sweet. but their bites are very damaging IF they're raised poorly.
no one can give you individualized information about particular mixes, though. apart from the disparities in backgrounds of rescues, who knows the exact proportions of the mix?
adoptions are always a crapshoot. it sounds as if you like and trust the shelter you're using, so trust them. they'll have a better idea about THIS dog than any generalized information from us or the internet.
khairete
S.

We adopted a pit bul labrador mix in 2009. He is working on being a great dog. He was severely abused and we believe was taken from his mother way too soon. When we adopted him we believe he was about two years old.

He is no longer afraid of ceiling fans, helium ballons, or sudden loud noises. He is completely house trained but still is very puppy acting in many of his ways.

He's still working on being a great dog but truly does suit our family well especially since we got a playmate for him in 2012. He loves her. She tolerates him. She is a sturdy dog so when he pounces on her she can take it.

If my kids asked to go to someone's house and the dog looked like a pit bull or was part pit bull, I would not feel comfortable having my child over there. There is just too much risk.

I don't know why someone would choose to own a dog that has such a bad reputation, particularly if this dog will be around children. There are a lot of other breeds to choose from. Go with one of those instead.

Hi! Fair or unfair you may have issues with your homeowner's insurance or trying to travel. I rent our home on Airbnb and have had to turn people not because they have a dog but because of the dog's breed. If it is disallowed by my homeowners you can have the world's greatest dog but I still have to turn you down. You will find a lot of places that will reject you. Sad but true...

It's hard to generalize with mixes, because you can't predict which breed traits a mix will inherit. I would plan for a smart dog that may be head strong and may tend towards dog aggression. Just train it with those things in mind. Be sure that you set clear boundaries, etc. I would work with a puppy on socialization with kids, dogs, cats, strangers, etc. Keep an eye out for dog aggression. I would do that with any dog, but especially a pit. I had two pits, just list one recently. They were great family dogs but could not be around cats or other small animals and I had to be careful with other dogs.

Personally, I would stay away from a pit or even part pit. Someone in my neighborhood had a "nice, good, friendly" pit. Oh did I forget it almost killed my beautiful springer spaniel because my husband said "hi" to the owner as he walked our sweet Callie. 4 days I the hospital, over a hundred stitches. I rest my case.

Ugh.
No way would I adopt a pittie or pit mix dog older than a few months.
You have NO idea how that dog was raised.

Beware: ALL rescues say EVERY dog is a "love bug" or "sweet."
I know someone that was bit AT the rescue by O. such love bug....