If you have young children and are considering adopting a Pitbull, it is normal to be curious if a Pitbull is a dog breed that is considered good with children.
We all want to keep our children safe while having the ability to adopt the dog we desire.
Are Pitbulls Good with Children?
Yes, Pitbulls are good with children. Pitbulls are loving and affectionate dogs and take a strong liking towards children in the home. To ensure your Pitbull will be good around children, you need to start socializing your Pitbull when they are young and provide supervision.
The rest of this brief post is designed to break down what I know about Pitbulls with children and the experience I can share with you as a Terrier owner myself.
Here is how I intend to break down the information for you today:
- Are Pitbulls Good with Children
- Are Pitbulls Dangerous Around Babies?
- Would A Pitbull Be Considered A Good Family Pet?
- In Summary, Can You Trust a Pitbull Around Your Kids?
Are Pitbulls Good with Children
Assuming a Pitbull is raised in an ethical home by a loving family or a loving owner, they make for a wonderful family pet and affectionate companion for everyone in the household.
This applies to the children in the home as well.
At one point in time, Pitbulls seemed to be the subject of negative news and were publicized for being an aggressive dog.
Fast forward several years down the road, and enough studies have been performed. The tune has changed quite dramatically when it comes to a Pitbull and the aggression they can have.
In fact, most would agree that Pitbulls, if raised in an ethical and loving home, become one of the best potential dog breeds you can choose to adopt and can be great dogs for children.
Especially when the owner takes the time to enforce discipline and start socializing your Pitbull at a young age.
Socialize Your Pitbull Around Children Immediately After the Adoption
This is the case with nearly all dog breeds.
Pitbulls included.
The younger you expose them to children, young kids, and even babies, the better they will be at handling that interaction.
It is even essential to socialize a Pitbull with other pets if you have them in the household.
If you do this and get your Pitbull accustomed to being around children, they can grow into a loving and affectionate companion for your children and the entire family.
How To Socialize A Pitbull To Be Great Around Young Children and Babies
Here is how I would go about socializing your Pitbull to be around young children.
When you first arrive home after adopting your Pitbull, be sure to start allowing your Pitbull to interact with your young children right away.
Of course, you will want to supervise.
No matter how loving a dog is known to be, a puppy is still a puppy, and I would personally never be recommending allowing any dog breed around a young child or a baby without supervision.
However, after time passes, this will change. You will begin feeling more comfortable with your Pitbull’s behavior and temperament and likely will allow interactions with less supervision.
Especially once your Pitbull and children are both older and more mature.
Every day, I would try and allow further interaction between your Pitbull and your children.
Be around and teach the children to play nice with your Pitbull puppy.
Do not let the name of the game be roughhousing and playing rough.
Teach your children how to pet and cuddle your Pitbull without crossing any boundaries.
On the flip side, reward your Pitbull for showing calm and loving behavior.
Again, it is my opinion that an aggressive Pitbull is typically the product of bad parenting and bad execution on the owner’s part.
It would be rare for me to place this blame on the Pitbull.
Sure, a Pitbull can grow to be protective in nature but is rarely violent.
They simply want to be around their family, make sure everything is okay, and is a social and loving dog overall.
Are Pitbulls Dangerous Around Babies?
No, Pitbulls are not dangerous around babies.
Still, you have to exercise the same common sense and training methods we have already begun mentioning in this post thus far.
Make sure your Pitbull and the baby are exposed to each other early in the relationship.
Teach the toddlers and young children how to respect your Pitbull and interact with them in a calm fashion.
In fact, Pitbulls can make an excellent guard dog for your children and your entire family and make for excellent playmates for a family and a young child.
However, due to their large muscular builds, I would always recommend keeping an eye on the situation until you are 100% confident in both your children’s behavior and your Pitbull’s behavior when they interact with one another.
This will not take long, but it is still essential to use some patience.
Your kids may find a way to get on your Pitbulls nerves in the beginning and may not 100% understand how to interact with your Pitbull in the correct fashion.
Make sure you are teaching your children and Pitbull as you go and providing regular training for your Pitbull.
Overall, Pitbulls love babies and can make excellent companions and be your babies’ new protector and guardian.
I would not hesitate to adopt a Pitbull even you currently have young children or a baby in the home.
Do Pitbulls Get Jealous of Babies?
It is possible that a Pitbull will get jealous of a baby,
However, it is crucial to understand what your Pitbull is actually getting jealous over.
It really has nothing to do with the baby but is the fact that your time is now diverted towards the baby.
This does not mean that a Pitbull is not a good fit for a family expecting or planning for children.
It only means that you may need to find clever ways to devote time to your loving Pitbull and your children in order to keep everyone happy.
This may be something as simple as performing some exercise with your Pitbull in the morning or just playing some fetch in the backyard.
Nonetheless, spending a little time with your Pitbull to ensure they understand that they have not been forgotten is a great way to avoid a Pitbull being jealous of a baby or any child in the home.
If you don’t ignore your Pitbull and leave them home alone a majority of the time, they will understand the dynamic in the household and learn to love your baby and children as much as you.
Why Do Pitbulls Love Kids So Much?
Pitbulls are affectionate dogs and are one of the favorite dog breeds to adopt in recent years.
Pitbulls love to play and love to interact.
If they can get some movement and fun throughout the day, they are happy to take part in whichever activities you have time to offer them.
Of course, young kids are excellent for this and love playing with the family dog.
Even my 4-year-old son arguably interacts with my Terrier more frequently than I do.
Anyone in the house that shows attention towards your Pitbull is going to get a lot of love in return, which often ends up being the children.
This is likely the reason that Pitbulls are known to love children and why Pitbulls gravitate towards children in the home so frequently.
The children simply interact, love, and play with the dog frequently, which forces your Pitbull to grow a deep love and affection back towards your children.
Would A Pitbull Be Considered A Good Family Pet?
Yes, a Pitbull would be considered a good family pet.
A Pitbull can be one of the best dogs you can choose to adopt if you provide a loving home.
Of course, this also means that you are providing training, discipline, and regular exercise.
Overall, a Pitbull who is shown the attention and love that they deserve can not only make for one of the best dogs in general but can arguably be one of the best dogs you can adopt if you have young children.
In Summary, Can You Trust a Pitbull Around Your Kids?
Pitbulls are great dogs and can certainly be around kids and babies in the home.
While I recommend socialization to begin early and often, I also recommend supervision until a strong trust and comfort have been formed with everyone in the household.
Nonetheless, a Pitbull is quickly shedding their old reputation of having aggression and becoming one of the favorite dog breeds in the world to adopt and one of the favorite dog breeds for families to adopt who have young children.
Plan on training, loving, and caring for your Pitbull and introducing your kids to your Pitbull right away.
If you do, you just created a new member of the family and a companion that will unconditionally love you back!
Luna and I wish you the best of luck with your new Pitbull Terrier if you decide to adopt and the journey you have ahead of you.
Do You Have a Pitbull In Addition to Young Children?
What is your opinion about having a Pitbull around young children?
Do you agree with me that they can make for excellent family pets and be great dogs around children?
Be sure to share those thoughts, stories, and concerns by dropping a comment below.
As always, Luna and I appreciate you, and we will see you next time.