Pitbull/beagle

I adopted Mandy (1 year old) from a shelter and they told me she was a lab/retreiver, but the vet said she is a pitbull/beagle. She is adorable and so lovable to us, but she has LOTS of behavior problems. Does anyone know anything about this mix?

What kind of behavior problems does Mandy have?:confused:

Mandy does not like dogs at all. We've only had her for a week, but so far, she barks, growls, and lunges at most dogs. She also barks at most people and likes to jump up on them. SHe loves people though, I think this barking and jumping is more about being excited. She sits on my lap and watches TV and loves to cuddle. But she also ate my coffee table, shoes, phone, remote control in one day when she got into the front room while I was at work. She is mostly housetrained and we walk her frequently, but she will poop or pee when mad at us (like when we shower). She attacks the vacuum cleaner and Swifter, and almost anything else that moves. I signed her up for Canine Charm School, but in the meantime, she's exhausting me.

Yes take her to Obediance class,that will help you a whole lot.And also ask the Obediance intructor about these problems.We had a Beagle and she had lots of chewing problems,like yours.But she got out of it by age 2.:rolleyes: For the Pitbull,they were originally bred to be aggressive towards other dogs.You would probably need to socialize her some more,and dont let her lunge at people and at dogs.I use a training collar for my dog(aka Choke chain) and it works really well for pulling,lunging all that stuff.but wait until you go to Obediance class to ask you instructure,its kindof hard to explain how to use it properly.

Just PM me if you need some help still!:)

I don't think her breed has anything to do with her problems.
I just think it's socialization and training, or lack of in her case.

I highly suggest crate training for Mandy while you are away. It will keep her safe from getting into harmful things, as well as keep your property safe!
If you need any help with crate training, Aly is a GREAT person to ask!

Actually her breed does have a lot, if not everything to do with her aggression towards other dogs. But animal aggression and human aggression are totally different. With this breed, socialization isn't always the key to getting them to like other dogs. Some Pits get along with other dogs, some don't, it's in their nature and no amount of love or training can take it out. Sorry, but that's just how they were bred to be. That doesn't make them bad dogs, it just means she has to be an only dog. Don't feel that she needs to have other dogs to play with to be happy, she has you and to her that's enough. That's good that you will be taking her to training, but until then, get a crate to keep her in while you are gone. She's still a pup and Pits are high energy anyway so they tend to be destructive when they're board. Live by this motto: "a tired puppy is a happy puppy". Regular walks will keep her happy and healthy and less likely to distroy things. Your bond to each other will become stronger with the training classes, so have fun and good luck.

Pit Bulls are my favorite breed and I do know it is in their nature to be dog-aggressive.. BUT.. I do also think that how you raise them can make them less dog-aggressive.

For example, my dog Simba. A GSD/Pit mix.
When we first got him not one dog could walk into or near our home. 6 years later, he now lives peacefully with 2 other dogs and accepts visitors into our home.

There are those exceptions and it can depend on the individual dog, but as a general rule to live by with Pits, they can't always be trusted with other dogs. Sure if you raise them with other dogs, they are less likely to be as dog aggressive as a closely game bred dog or a dog that has been used for fighting or just encouraged to be aggressive, but like the "point" in a Pointer or the "herding" in a Border Collie, you can't raise it or socialize it out of them. It's their nature that's been bred into them for hundreds of years. I have a pair of rescued Pit pups that I hand raised from birth with each other and around other dogs. They did great at first, but the runt started fighting with the other fosters dogs at about 4 months old and when he would get into a fight, his brother would join in to stand up for him. These weren't just little puppy play fights either, these were full blown fights that drew blood. The pups are now 9 months old and sometimes get into fights with each other. Like I said, there are those exceptions, but with Pits, you have to be careful and know that they have potential for animal aggression and they definately have the ability to fight like a pro if the occasion arises. Even if the Pit doesn't start the fight, they will finish it and get the blame in the public's eyes.