A pit bull learned how to jump on the bed after watching his two little girls do it. The frisky dog had a blast … and got some seriously impressive air.
It took a little bit of encouragement, but once he started, Loco was having the time of his life. The video shows the two little girls coaxing him onto the bed. Once encouraged, Loco took a flying leap and launched himself onto the mattress, making the girls squeal with laughter.
Loco does a bit of barking as he jumps up and down, experimenting with the feeling of the mattress.
It’s a new experience for this energetic pup, and he and his family are having a blast.
Eventually, he launches himself clear across the room and flies onto the mattress beside one of his owners, making the little girl shriek with laughter.
The girls and their parents clearly adore the happy dog. Loco looks like he’s used to interacting with children.
Plenty of people are hesitant to adopt a pit bull when they have kids in the house.
It’s a somewhat understandable reaction. Pit bulls account for more than 50 percent of dog attacks on people. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be a terrific addition for a family and be an affectionate, safe pet — just like Loco.
“Proper initial puppy training, followed by more intense obedience training, will teach a pit bull how to react to being handled by children and not to respond aggressively to rough play that occurs in a typical household,” said dog trainer Kathy Santo. “An APBT owner should ensure that any obedience training course will cover these bases.”
Most people know that any dog (or any animal, period) is strongly affected by the environment in which it was raised. Animals respond to people the way they have experienced people. So, it only makes sense that pit bulls will be aggressive toward people — and children — if they themselves have been treated badly or modeled aggressive behavior.
One big reason for the pit bull’s reputation as an aggressive attack dog?
They look scary. In past decades, people often wanted pit bulls to serve as home defense dogs. This often led to them being chained up in front yards without much human interaction. Under these conditions, the dogs grew aggressive and unused to people, furthering their reputation as bad news.
These dogs not only were deprived of human interaction but also weren’t trained or taught how to approach people. Some owners even let their pit bulls wander neighborhoods in the hope of intimidating potential break-ins.
Many pit bulls also weren’t neutered.
Male dogs of almost all breeds tend to show more aggressive behavior when they aren’t sterilized — they have a lot of hormones telling them to fight for mates, territory, and alpha male status.
Add all these things together — lack of human interaction, lack of training, and lots of unregulated testosterone — and you’ve got the potential for an aggressive dog that’s nervous around people and ready to attack.
But many owners find that with the right training and homing practices, pit bulls make for affectionate, protective companions that even make great childhood pets.
That’s all well and good, many people say.
But the statistics are significant — there are a lot of pit bulls that attack. So, what’s the best way to introduce a pit bull into your family?
“It’s important to purchase a pit bull from a responsible breeder who screens prospective owners and who has raised the pit bull puppies around other dogs and family members, including children, thus endorsing the pit bull’s people-friendly traits,” said Harrison Forbes, a dog trainer in Savannah, Tennessee.
It’s important both to train your dog to know how to interact with people and teach your kids, if you have them, to respect the dog and not to tease or torment it.
If you’re still nervous, maybe you should consider the other side — pit bulls are notoriously protective of the people who take good care of them.
Just take a look at this video compilation of pit bulls keeping an eye out for their young human companions.
The video shows children of all ages playing and cuddling with their pit bulls, from older kids to little guys who are still toddlers.
At one point in the video, a dad and daughter start chasing one another at the park. Their pet pit bull won’t stand for that, though. Thinking the little girl is in danger, he races up close on the father’s heels, barking and snapping at him.
Watch the adorable videos below.
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