Rehabilitating a Rescued Pit Bull: An Overview

Rehabilitating a rescued pit bull is rewarding, expensive and challenging. Some pit bulls are directly mistreated by humans and may experience fear aggression towards people, however most pit bulls in need of rehabilitation experience this reaction primarily towards other dogs.

Pit bulls are loyal, protective and strong-willed. While these are positive traits, it takes persistence and emotional strength to outlast a pit bull's constant testing during the rehabilitation process.

Pit bull owners must possess a degree of physical and emotional strength. A dog in need of rehabilitation may unexpectedly chase after other animals with aggression and his owner must be able to physically restrain the dog.

Patience and Persistence

Dog rehabilitation is a controversial topic. Experts like Cesar Millan have been both chastised and praised for their practices.

Adopting and rehabilitating a pit bull in need is an expensive process. Even if the a shelter, veterinarian or previous owner has cared for a pit bull's major medical expenses, the new owner may have to consult one or more dog behavior experts to consistently work on aggressive tendencies. (Many communities also outlaw pit bull ownership due to BSL, or breed-specific legislation.)

Most shelters immediate euthanize rescued pit bulls deemed untrainable. While some can learn socialization, shelters usually won't adopt pit bulls from fighting situations into homes with pre-existing animals -- and most who are willing to adopt pit bulls love animals and already house other pets.

Extreme cases of rehabilitation require constant attention. Some pit bulls cannot go into homes in which someone is not home at all times. Training and reinforcement must be near-constant for these borderline cases.

Pay Attention

Like people, dogs get moody when they don't feel well. While the owner of a rehabilitated pit bull needs to be consistent when it comes to training and combating aggression, it's important to realize the more subtle reactions of a dog undergoing rehabilitation.

If certain behaviors change or get worse, it's possible that the dog is experiencing physical discomfort. Pit bulls are prone to hip dysplasia and senior dogs may experience dental issues. To keep a dog focused in rehabilitation, the owner must be prepared to carefully monitor the dog's health and take her to the vet at the first sign of a health problem.

When our pit bull developed hip dysplasia at a young age, she became guarded of her hip area and constantly licked her hips. This was not due to poor treatment, but a significant health problem that required two separate surgeries.

Perks

There are several animal advocacy groups available to help pit bull owners. Pit bull 'parents' can work closely with their local shelter to select and care for dogs in need of rehabilitation. Additionally, the ASPCA offers free spay or neuter services to adopted pit bulls.