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Socialize and train. As long as your APBT is from a responsible breeder and has the proper APBT temperament if you socialize him with all sorts of people and train him properly you should never have a problem with the dog being vicious. Human aggression was never a part of a properly bred ABPT's temperament. Then the breed was originally developed the dogs had to be able to be handled by any human in the ring and dogs that showed signs of aggression toward humans were culled. Poor breeding practices and improper training have caused the problems with people aggressive APBT. The other thing I would suggest is getting your puppy around as many well behaved dogs as possible as soon as he is fully vaccinated. While human aggression is not part of the breed dog aggression is and early socialization with other dogs can help control that

Pits are not a vicious dog, but like any dog, they do need training and socialization. As others have mentioned, find a local puppy kindergarten class and go through this, followed by a basic obedience course.

Make sure everything in the house is consistent between all people, i.e., if you make the decision to not allow the dog in a particular room or on the furniture, then all members of the house must enforce these rules.

Use the same commands, have the same schedule, etc., between people.

Get her out in the "real world" as often as you can, and allow her to see, smell, and hear the world around her. She may be timid at first, but the more she is out, the more she will be comfortable.

This is a very easy question for me.Pits are naturally sweet natured dogs with people,so you will have no problems there at all.

What you DO need to do,is overcome his inbred instinct to fight.Start as soon as he has had all his jags by walking him in places where there are lots of dogs,basically,socialise him,A LOT.Take him to dog parks and let him run.

Get him enrolled for obedience classes as they can be a bit loopy (silly and exciteable),this will also help LOADS with his socialising,as you will then have a well trained dog who you are in full control of.

Basically,your biggest issue with this dog will be getting him to be dog friendly,but that is 100% achievable.

You also say you have adopted him,did he come from a rescue centre,is he castrated?If not,consider it,it will help reduce aggression.In saying that though,mine isn't done,he's 8 and he's a sweetie.

Good luck and enjoy your pit,your kids will love him and he is the perfect dog for youngsters,my little boy is almost 3 and him and Buster are best buds.

One last thing,kids and pits will love to play.It can get a bit boisterous,I always keep an eye on my two and have 'time out' if it starts getting too rough.I'm human mum and doggy mum,so a sharp ahah from me,and play is stopped.The dog won't take long to learn,it'll probably be more difficult keeping the kids under control!!!But be aware,also,watch out for your dog's 'mad half hour'!!He will more than likely tear around the house like a Tasmanian Devil,he's just letting off steam,but stand back,mine used to bounce off the actual walls!!(And never be scared to say enough is enough if things start to get beyond YOUR liking!).

They need to be trained to be vicious. They are loving dogs. I know exactly what you mean about the reputation. I had MANY people tell me never to get a Pit when I had decided on a pit mix three years ago. I did a lot of calling, vets, trainers, etc before I decided to bring one into my house with my children also. I now also own a purebred APBT and wish I had given this breed a chance years ago. Good Luck with the new puppy.

P.S. I'm sure you already know this, but be sure to teach your kids that playing is ok but never pull the tail, ears, or get too rough.

Give him ample exercise and chew toys, they can learn if you run them and let them work it off. An idle, wound up dog will overeact. My pittie used to swing happily from a branch about 6 feet off the ground, and had a whole tire as a chew toy. He tore one of those Kongs into three rings. They have powerful jaws, so if they do bite it is hard, but they can be treated well and trained out of attacking just like any other dog. Also, don't let him strain at the leash, heel him and stay the boss. He is not the alpha, you are. Keep control and he will be OK.

Early socialization will make your puppy a well rounded dog. It will keep people safe around him, and since aggressive dogs are often out down, it will keep safe around people. Give him regular exposure with other dogs, people especially during his early ages, will guarantee a more sociable dog. Remember that friendly dog's are made and not born.

Here are some articles to help you train your dog.

http://dogtime.com/socialization.html

http://dogtime.com/raising-friendly-dog-0-to-6-cen...

good luck

They Liked to be challenge. Exercise is the Best. Don't let them control you, you must control them at a young age. Give affection if they are behaving well, discipline them when they are behaving badly. Let the dog submit to you. This is the way to make your relationship balanced.

Dogs are not humans, they should be treated like dogs, they must follow their Human masters.

One good example are shepherds, one of the best dog handlers. Sheep dogs always obey their shepherds only by whistling. Wish you all the best

Its a good thing that you got him at a young age, it is much easier to train a puppy to not bite than a dog. Its just a lot about discipline. As a young age it may seem like nothing if he nips you. But if he bites and it hurts punish him. Not severely by hitting him so he wants to bite you more. My friend locks her dog in her bathroom in the dark if he pees in the house. Its like time out for children, if you send him there, he knows he is being punished. Create a "punishment zone". When playing with him if he gets too excited and starts getting aggressive you should drop the game and let him calm down. But do not mistake his growling as a sign of aggressiveness, many dogs growl when they're being playful. The difference is a playful growl, is just a growl. When he growls and his snout moves and he starts baring his teeth he wants to bite someone/thing. Again drop everything, sometimes ignoring them for awhile to allow them to calm down.

I hope this helps, by the way pitbulls are adorable. they're not always aggressive, its really just an image they got from dog fighting events. Its actually quite sad. Usually much of it depends on the dog's personality whether they are aggressive or not, its not always about the breed.

Good Luck with your puppy!! =).

Listen- not all pits are vicious.. They need a strong owner- lots of excersize and love.. THats key- don't ever hit them.. they are emotional dogs- just be firm and consitant- love of socialization.. lots of play time.. and love.. youll have a wonderfull dog!

I'm a firm believer that they will turn out how they are treated. If you treat your dog well, don't encourage rough play, discipline him in a non-physical way, and get him used to being around small children (and being gentle with them) there shouldn't be any problems. It is definitely a lot easier to do this since he is so young, he doesn't have any bad habits developed yet. Treat your dog how you wish him to treat you, and anyone else for that matter. Good luck!