Pregnant Dog

[Jizi]

This is a question for anyone who owns Pitbull. I own a beautiful pitbull who is pregnant, now first off let me start by saying i didn't want this to happen and I should have gotten her fixed when had the chance but didn't have the money. So yes my fault...anyhow I wanted to know how can you tell when she is going to give birth and how many pups do pitbulls normally have. I am very nervous about this because I am agains dog fighting and irresponsible dog owners, how can i tell that the person I am giving a pup to will take good care of them, I am however going to get the pups shots and everything they need done before I sell them but I am really nervous about this, my fiancee went against my wishes and had his friend bring over his male dog to have them mate. Well damage is already done so I am going to be as responsible as i can on my part with these pups and get my dog fixed right after.

[Blogger]

I would *not* sell any pups to any of your fiancee's friends or let your fiancee sell the pups.  As a last resort, I would transport them (secretly, if you have to), to a no-kill shelter in *another town* & tell the manager that they are "Am Staff" pups (instead of a pitbull) if you can't sell any of the pups yourself to nice people.

If your fiancee knew that you did not want to have your dog pregnant, then I would ask why he & a friend would do that?  I live in North Philly where there is a lot of dog fighting & men approach me all of the time asking if I am going to breed my dog.  I can tell that they have 1 thing in mind -- more dogs to fight (after all, half end up dying in the fight, so they're always looking for 'fresh meat', so to speak).

One way to tell if people are going to buy them for fighting is if they are a male looking all by themselves.  If they have a woman with them when they are puppy shopping (or better yet, children too), then they have a better chance of looking for a family pet.

No offense, but I agree with LL7970 -- your boyfriend sounds inconsiderate & selfcentered (and I would be highly suspicious if his friend's "motives" for wanting to impregnate your dog.  There's one of two reasons his friend wanted his dog to have sex with your dog, and the "nicest" of the two reasons are to get his rocks off by seeing his dog lose his virginity -- still creepy).

[Ghilly]

I agree, pit bulls are wonderful dogs.  The problem is not the dogs, it's the people who seek to own them.  While many families have given wonderful homes to pit bulls, unfortunately they are far outnumbered by the other type of people who want to own a pit bull - the person who wants the status dog, the person who wants pit bulls to guard his house or apartment when he's not there because that's where he keeps his drug stash, the person who is in love with the idea of owning a vicious dog that loves to beat up other dogs, the list goes on.  

It's difficult enough to find a good, responsible home for a quiet, sedate dog that gets along with other animals.  A breed that is as sought after as pit bulls by all the wrong people is a nightmare to place in a home.  You want to believe people when they tell you their story and why they want that type of dog, but how do you know who to believe?  People will tell you anything at all to get what they want, and unfortunately, many of these disreputable types can be extremely charming and extremely convincing when they come to see the puppies.  I have done all-breed rescue and cat rescue for 30 years.  People who dedicate their time and energy to rescuing pit bulls have my utmost respect, because it's a horrendous job to have to do.  

Ghilly

[Ghilly]

How long ago was your dog bred?  If it wasn't more than a month ago, you can still have her spayed and they can take the litter along with it.  Pit bulls are not a breed to be taken lightly, and they should not be bred by just anyone.  Please don't be offended by what I'm about to say, but if you have to ask how you can tell when a dog is ready to give birth, you shouldn't have a dog that's going to be having puppies.  If it's further along than a month (the gestation period for a dog is 63 days) you can still have her spayed, but the procedure is a bit riskier the further along the puppies are.  

Normally, when they are ready to have puppies, they will refuse all food.  She might start panting heavily and you will be able to see her having contractions.  You can usually predict when she will have them, within about a 24 hour period, by taking her temperature every day.  Normal temperature for a dog is 101.5.  When her temperature takes a sudden dive down to about 99 degrees, birth usually happens within 24 hours.

Best of luck to you with this.  I don't envy you having to find homes for this breed, because of the type of people who usually want this breed.  I would also, however, think twice before going ahead and spending my life with someone who would totally disregard my feelings and breed my dog behind my back.  To me, that's a sign that he's selfish, immature, and not to be trusted.  This was a horrible thing to do to you and your dog.

Ghilly

[conscious83]

my friend owns pitbulls an they are the most friendliest dogs i have met..i researched abit about pits and as we know they are alot of the time used for dog fighting not human killings...so aslong as you bring them up in family as pets they should make great companions..its only when people start making their dogs aggressive thats when the dog turns...and to be honest any dog could be aggressive is trained that way...i own very large french mastiffs and ifi was to make them aggressive towards people and other dogs, they'd probably do worse damage than a pit could do..when it comes to finding homes for pups choose the people very carefully whom they go to and then get ur ***** spayed..hope this helps

[mv336]

pitbulls do not have to be trained to be aggressive..it is in their nature..it is the responsibility of the owner to socialize the dog at an early age with people and other animals.i grew up with 2 pits and currently have a 7 month red nose APBT named Cali.i moved to a high class neighborhood 5 months ago and was told they didnt accept pitbulls because of their aggressive nature..so i made a deal with the homeowners association to take her to puppy classes at petsmart and get her certificate of completion...she graduated and is the best citizen in town..lol

[Jizi]

LOL...he's definitly putting in more than I am. Like i said before I was so upset when he did that, my pitbull is like my baby and i want whats  best for her.

[LL7970]

iI didnt mean to be harsh ... to you.  How much is your fiancee chippin in?

[Jizi]

Well thanks for your answers and for LL7970 we put money away from my tax refund to answer your question. You really didnt have to be so harsh.

[Kande]

Hello,  I have owned pitbulls, they are the sweetest dogs! None are born mean. They have to be trained to be mean, so you don't have to worry about that. As far as how many pups? You will just have to wait and see. They can have large litters. You will know your dog is about to give birth when she starts losing milk from her nipples,(within 24hrs.). I agree with LL7970, too many pitbulls end up in the wrong hands. I would make very sure that the new owners just want a good pet!!! Not for fighting dogs. Pitbull are a precious breed, they don't deserve bad owners! And good for you LL7970, saving pitbulls, God Bless You!!

[LL7970]

If you don't like irresponsible pet owners - I first suggest, you find a new fiancee.  Bring the dog to the vet for an x-ray, to see how many pups there are.  $  who will pay if there are complications in the birth?  $  shots for the pups?  $  You say you didnt have the money to spay her?  Watch what it costs you now !  Just what the world needs - another litter of poor pits, that end up in the pound, only to end up in the wrong hands, or put to sleep.  Is what I say harsh?  YES!  I rescue pitbulls !