TWO MALE PITBULLS, WILL THEY EVER GET ALONG?

Question
Hello,

I am hoping and praying that you will be able to give me some type of guidance on my situation. I have had my three year old unfixed pitbull he is now calm, doesn't like other people besides me and my husband but has the ability to get along with other dogs. Recently, we rescued a four year old male pitbull (fixed) that loves people but was brutally attacked by a Shepard (from what the previous owners told me) so bad that he is missing a piece of his tongue and a piece of his ear.

My three year old wants to play with him we tried the whole situation with having them both in muzzles but the four year old just really wants to tear into him. Currently, our house is divided the three year old lives downstairs with my husband and I am upstairs with the new boy.

Could you please give me some type of pointers? Or some type of contact information for a behavioral specialist?

Will my house ever be able to come together with everyone getting along?

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Rhiannon

Answer
Rhiannon-

Unfortunately, in this situation I would be very surprised if the two of them were ever able to entirely co exist peacefully, but there is always hope. There are certainly methods that you can use, such as only introducing the dogs in neutral territory on leash (I would not use muzzles, those can actually make a dog much MORE defensive because they feel scared and trapped), swapping blankets with the dogs smells, switching their food bowls around so they get the other dogs smell, etc. First and foremost, if you feel you have good control over each dog, I would recommend walking them near each other. In a safe place away from the house and yard, take both dogs on strong leashes and allow them to walk in the same area, near each other, so they can see, smell, and hear each other but not get to each other. Doing this over and over again will help desensitize your new boy to your younger kid, and help him feel a little less defensive. Is the four year old aggressive towards all dogs? or just your 3 year old? Just unaltered dogs?

Neutering your three year old can also help... removing the extra hormones can make a big difference.

I'm going to give you the name of a person that I have used for many years when I have animals that I want insight on. She is not a behaviorist exactly, but she is an excellent first step to learning why your dogs are doing what they are doing, and it can make a huge difference in how you train. Her name is Patty Summers, and I have used her multiple times with GREAT success. http://www.psanimal.com/

I really hope things work out- there is nothing more painful then having two loved ones that don't get along, no matter the species! Good luck!