Help! Is it a pitbull ???!!! New puppy

[mummaxmas]

I recntly got a new puppy she is 9 weeks old and I broke all the rules and didn't see the parents (this would probably not have helped as I'm no expert on bull breeds anyway) was told she is a staffie, but people are telling me she isn't and that she is crossed with anything between a ridgeback and a pitbull ?!?! I'm pooing myslef I have 3 young boys and without being predujce don't want their faces ripped off !! She is a all brown or fawn with no white marking and a dark brown spot on her tail. She is very friendly but does have a slight stance and you can clearly see her ribs ??? Please help !!!

[Marne]

She is adorable, what ever she is (pit ball or not) it is down to training on what sort of dog she will turn out to be, most pitballs are soppy as hell anyway (same as staffies) its just the fact that some are not well trained, some are trained to fight and they are a powerful dog.

From what I can see from your photo she is staffie, possibly with a tiny bit of something else in her but not pitbull.

Enjoy your puppy as i'm sure she will bring much love to your family.

[KittensoftPuppydog]

Just been reading about this. Don't for god's sake go to the police. That seems to be how they get hold of a lot of the dogs they put down. The pics of dogs that have been taken by the police is terrifying. Some really sweet looking staffie crosses.

[tabulahrasa]

Well I'd reccomend chipping, neutering and classes for any puppy anyway.

She does look leaner and longer than either staffies or pitbulls, but she's a puppy, lol. They're staffy ears though.

The problem is that if a dog looks a bit like it could be of type - you don't even need a neighbour with a grudge, just to be noticed. But she may well continue looking completely the wrong shape and it will never be an issue.

[Scuttlebutter]

The problem is, for all those saying pup doesn't look like a pit, I agree, but you only have to look at the heartbreaking websites or talk to anyone in rescue to quickly get a list of the hugely varied types of dog that are being classified in this way. Hope Rescue recently ran a montage of the dogs they weren't allowed to take from pounds because they'd been identified as "type" by police and it was heartbreaking and baffling in equal measure. Most of them just looked like Staffies but there were some that really baffled me. And of course there's the very famous case of Lennox, a Labrador cross . That's the horrible thing about this legislation - in practice, it's very random.

OP only needs a neighbour with a grudge and she has a problem hence why my suggestions of chipping, neutering, and establishing a good provable record of attending dog training classes.

[KittensoftPuppydog]

Doesn't look like a pit at all to me. They have a totally different face from my experience, anyway. If you get a DNA test let us know the result. V curious. I am planning to do this for my bull breed cross.

[WTFisABooyhooISBooyhoo]

OP do you still have the schnauzer pup aswell?

[moosemama]

Opened this thread earlier today then had to leave the computer and forgot to refresh before posting.

If I'd read their posts first I would have agreed with Scuttlebutter and idirdog.

[moosemama]

Page 16 of this leaflet gives you some guidance on what the police would be looking for to help them identify a Pit Bull 'type'

From your picture - and she is so cute by the way - she looks longer than she is tall, which would rule her out straight away.

As others have said, it's not the breed, it's how the dog is handled, raised and trained that's the most important thing.

Regardless of breed, definitely get her enrolled in some puppy training classes asap and make sure you keep up with positive, consistent training.

[kilmuir]

how does she get on with your schnazuer?

[idirdog]

DNA testing is very inaccurate and a complete waste of money.

No one will be able to tell you from a photo is the dog is a pit bull especially as a puppy, so anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is lying!

Legally the dog can only be labelled as a pitbull by the DLO. Here is the info on identifying bull type dogs and you can see why there is an issue! but this is the document that the police will use

Pit bull does not equal aggressive dog, however the way you purchased the dog could be a big issue.

Your dog will need correct socialsation and you will need a lot of advice and training to make sure your dog is a family dog with no issues. This is not hard to do with the correct advice but you do need to get the correct advice asap.

Contact APDT or Pet Guild

Good Luck get the correct training advice and enjoy your new puppy

[ClaimedByMe]

She has a staffie body but someone elses neck and head and doesn't seem to have staffie mouth, mine doesn't have the wide mouth.

[Fenton]

I'm no expert on breed types either - but would put my last pound on that puppy not being just staffie.

She is a beauty isn't she? - get her to the vets I think to put your mind at rest.

[Scuttlebutter]

OP, please do NOT take your pup to the police - there is a very strong chance that it may be impounded and destroyed. If you think there is the slightest chance that your dog may be of "type" then you need to act. First, take a look at the Doglaw website - Trevor gives excellent advice. here. It's really important you don't let your dog stray, make sure they are chipped, and get yourself to puppy classes ASAP - you will need to show you are doing everything possible to be a responsible dog owner. This could save your dog's life at a later stage. There are also a number of campaigning groups such as DDA Watch and others that may be useful to you. You should also informally find out the police's approach in your area. For instance, in South Wales, the police are invited into local pounds where they simply visually identify stray dogs "of type" which are then killed, since they cannot be legally rehomed. I cannot stress enough these dogs are being killed now - simply for the crime of being lost, not because of any temperamental issue. It's utterly shameful, and is doing nothing to make any of us safer. The campaigning groups will advise you on what steps you need to take to ensure your dog is safe, and how best to prevent seizure.

[ClaimedByMe]

She is adorable :) I google imaged pitbull puppies and she really doesn't look like the images. I would take her to training classes get her started soon so she is properly trained, we were also told not to use a harness on our staff as that encourages aggression when they are pulling against it making them stronger, or something like that, we use a slip lead or a gencon.

[SaskiaRembrandtVampireHunter]

Aaw she's so cute :)

I'm not an expert on these things (and I'm sure someone else will have better advice) but she looks like a staffy x to me. Don't read anything into her stance - my dog stands like that, and is also very barrel chested, but he is most definitely not a pit bull.

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

Aw squee. So beautiful.

[mummaxmas]

Thank you tubalharassa ! I have posted some pics on my profile of her now, it doesn't give a clear picture of her stance tho. Hopefully we will get it right with her training and shell be an amazing dog whatever. I know it's bad minded to think she will bite but people will judge her I'm sure

[Branleuse]

just because (if) its a pitbull, doesnt mean it will bite her face off.

Get her checked, but even if she isnt, any breed of dog can be dangerous without the right training

[tabulahrasa]

Just to clarify - they may decide to destroy her no matter what, because I made it sound like it'd be ok if you comply with restrictions, that's not the case, sometimes they just destroy them.

[tabulahrasa]

From what I've read of DNA tests are fairly useless in respect of identifying breed, the ones that test parentage against individual dogs are fine but breeds of dog don't have massively different DNA, especially with related breeds like staffs and pits.

It's not very likely in the UK that you've got a pit bull cross, not impossible - but the odds are against it. Some people do breed staffies to look a bit more like them and crossed with something bigger they quite often look a bit like one.

Even if she is... They're not massively different in temperament to staffies anyway, she's still the same puppy no matter what other people think her heritage might be.

If you go to the police stating that you think she might be a pit bull or pit bull cross, you may be told she's not, they may seize her while they decide and if they decide she is they'll either register her and you'll have to tattoo her, neuter her and keep her on a lead and muzzled when out of the house or they'll destroy her. Deciding whether she is a pit bull has nothing to do with parentage or temperament - it's done purely on measurements.

Like I said, I doubt very much she is - I'd just ignore them to be honest, carry on enjoying your loving cute puppy.

[TheseGoToEleven]

I will also say that things are not always as they seem! There was another dog in the rescue group I work with, similar situation where he looked like a Staffie so was on the banned list and only up for adoption outside of the province. The foster mum got him DNA tested and he had no Staffie in him at all, just looked like it. She adopted him. :)

[mummaxmas]

How do you do that claimedbyme ??

[ClaimedByMe]

I had my rescue staffy dna tested, just out of curiosity, I am not sure how accurate they are but they when the results came back we were amazed.

No idea how to change your profile pic, I just add pics to my profile.