Pitbull with other inhouse dogs?

Question
Hi, I have wanted a pitbull for a few years now but have shyed away because I was afraid having a pitbull may be prove dangerous with my orginal dog. Since then I have aquired two smaller dogs. My dogs are a 3 year old female spayed labrador retreiver, 2 year old male jack russell terrier...neutered, and 9 month old female spayed boston terrier. I still have room/time and money for one more pooch and want a pitbull. I only want a female dog I am not a fan of male dogs and feel I should haev got a female when I got my jack russell as the females seem more loving/cuddley and personable. I was wondering if I bring in a 7/8 week old pitty puppy will there be any problems? my dogs have accepted every dog brought into teh home so far and are even ok with my sisters yorkie that she brings everywhere with her.  

Answer
Tara~

I know many people that have pit bulls in multiple-dog homes and never have a problem. I myself have three dogs- two American Pit Bull Terriers and a pit bull/mix- and have yet to have any serious issues. On the other hand, I also know a lot of people that tried to have multiple dogs and the dogs just weren't very receptive to the idea. The majority of whether it will work for you or not depends on the dog introduced, not just the dogs you already have.

One thing to keep in mind is that pit bulls (although they can be couch potatoes sometimes) are very high energy dogs and have a need for almost constant activity. I am sure that if you already have a Jack Russell you understand how that can go. You really have to ask yourself if you can make that kind of time commitment. If you can, then great. If not, you may want to rethink adding another dog to your home.

I personally do not see anything wrong with you having a pit bull in a home with your other dogs. However, I do not recommend just jumping into it, either. If you really do want to try this, check your area for breed specific rescues or animal shelters that would let you get your dogs and the pup together for a trial run first. See how they respond to one another. Give them time to feel each other out.

You should also check out your local laws if you have not already done so. I am not sure what area you live in...but there are some areas that put limits on how many dogs one person can own. There are also places that put stipulations on the number of animals you can have in relation to the type of home they live in, whether it is in a house or an apartment, etc. If you are a homeowner, you also need to check with your insurance company to make sure that they do not have any restrictions on what kind of dogs you own. Many times insurance companies will drop you if they find that you own a "dangerous breed", regardless of whether or not your animal has ever hurt anyone.

No one can really say whether or not you will have any problems, unfortunately. Dogs are, ultimately, animals and can be unpredictable. That is true of any dog, and not just a pit bull, though. All I can say is...educate yourself about the breed you want to adopt, understand what all you are getting into, and do the best you can! Good luck!