My son recently rescued a Pit

Hello Fletcher500 and welcome to the forum! Tough question but I'll give it a shot. Because of these dogs DNA aggression towards other dogs is not uncommon, they were originally bred to fight other dogs. This does not happen in every one of the dogs and those that it does it can usually be managed, not trained out but managed.

Like any other breed of dog they will respond to the owners emotions. If the owner feels threatened or afraid the dog is likely to sense this quickly and react to it. For instance if when walking the dog the owner gets uptight when another dog approaches the dog does too and will usually respond to it. When dogs are treated as "children" it can lead to the dog being insecure and various behavior problems. These dogs don't just snap and become vicious. Often the dogs you hear about that attack people are not true pit bulls. The only true pit bull is the American Pit Bull Terrier and these dogs although usually dog aggressive are seldom human aggressive. It is usually backyard breeders that breed dogs for a color or looks instead of temperament, health and structure that develop problems and instability. Sincerely hope this helps and congrats on the rescue. We love to see some pictures of your sons new boy.

Jttar, thank you for the reply. Photo is from today. I think he spent most of his life on concrete as evidenced by the callouses on his joints, so it’s likely his first time laying on a blanket.

He loves his exercise, but is also an exceptional couch potato and lays quietly while my son was working today at his home office. He has only had him a few days. As previously noted, a real sweetheart.

He is well behaved, but no training has been done and he pulls hard while on a leash. My wife and I will be watching him for weekends on occasion so I am hoping my son can improve his walking skills.

Do you think a 5 year old will be willing to learn how to walk better, stay on command, etc?

We are committed to him for the long haul, and will take him to classes.

Great picture Fletcher500! Your boy is living the good life now, no more concrete for him. All dogs can be trained and 5 years old is still young. One thing I'll mention is that these dogs LOVE to pull. If you are taking him to classes it will be one of the fundamental things that they cover but he can be trained. He reminds me of my girl Athena in looks. What is his name?

Thanks Jttar, appreciate the input. His name is "Chicken", I know, strange name; long story.

The strength of these dogs and their body mass/strength weight ratio is truly amazing. I think he is a tad underweight at this point. My son will be exercising him at least 2 hours per day (mostly walking and some light running) as he knows these are working dogs and that is what they need.

I am still grappling with how these animals have been treated by some people. I didn't know the extent of it, so I am very thankful for these rescue missions and websites like this that can educate people like myself who are trying to figure this all out.

He is going to the Vet today for a check up and to get some Rx for the red rash on his stomach which is visible in the photo.

This weekend my son is taking to him a responsible pit owners training class.

My son is a recent college grad and not much in his bank account, so my wife and I are covering all of his pup related expenses for the next year. Its the least we can do and we are very proud of him taking a rescue.

Good to hear Fletcher500. The trip to the vet and the training class shows that you are responsible owner. I have owned bully dogs for many years and they are one of the most loving and sensitive dogs there are BUT they are also one of the most head strong and stubborn. It is important to that they don't feel like they are the boss or that they need to defend you. You need to be the one in charge and the one who decides things. This is not done by dominance but rather reward by you. They train easily for what they want whether it be a treat, a walk or your attention (anything from playing to petting or just an "atta boy". Once the dog knows what it is that you want to do it will strive to do that knowing it pleases you AND they get a reward.

As you know, these are high energy dogs that need lots of physical and mental exercise. That is why this breed is not for everyone. You have to be active with them and twice as stubborn as they are, LOL. They truly are a wonderful breed and fantastic companions when trained properly. There is a ton of information out there but if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. One of us will try to help.

Chicken eh, not even going to ask but you could always give him a nick-name. 😁