My pitbull puppy is good with kids. Will he be protective later?

It is very, very important that you stop treating Zeus like a baby RIGHT NOW, so he does not associate any change in your behavior towards him with your new daughter. It is not a good idea to treat him like a baby anyway, as he is not a baby. He is a dog. If he is accustomed to a certain amount of attention from you, he is going to expect it to continue once the baby is here, so you need to get him used to less attention from you right away. Remember that your baby will take up a lot of your time, and he can become resentful and start to act out . As soon as you bring the baby home, sit on a chair with her, cover her with a light blanket, and have someone bring her slowly towards you. Praise him if he is good along the way, and give him a sharp "NO!" if he starts to act aggresive. If he makes it to your chair, give him a treat and praise and "introduce" her to him. He will not understand your words, but he will get from your tone of voice that this is a good thing. If he is calm, you can start to remove the blanket from her feet and let her sniff and lick them. Be sure to keep praising and treating. Gradually lift more of the blanket from her upward as long as he behaves. Continue to praise and treat. Let him lick any part of her except her face, and give her a baath immediately after the exercise. Should he start to misbehave, simply have the other person remove him from the site. Do not scold, or he will make a negative association with the baby, and you holding her. Try again later. This may take several attempts, but if they are introduced in the right way, you may find that he becomes her greatest friend and protector. As she grows, watch for signs of possessiveness when other family members or friends are around. Good luck with this!

Hello, its likely that Zeus is seeking your attention more so than being angry at you. Often dogs show aggression, by growling and grinning their teeth at you. I would apprach Zeus in a neutral environment. Have him removed from your room by another family member and meet him outdoors so that he may smell you and interact with him there. Alternatively, you can call him into your room and see if he is more friendly then. If you are still concerned that he may bite you, then do not approach him until you have someone else with you. Most often however, dogs that are protective an aggressive will show these behaviors obviously, and its highly unlikely that he is mad at you for being away for 4 days. He is more likely curious and wants to interact with you. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Any breed can be dangerous around children, or perfectly safe - all dogs are individuals, so it's always hard to make predictions based on breed. If you met the puppy's parents and they were easy-going and friendly, then it's more likely that the puppy will be this way when he grows up as well. Because your puppy will grow up to be very large, there is always a bit more of a danger that serious injuries could happen if he ever does show any aggression. I would recommend making sure that the puppy has lots of positive experiences with your children as he grows to help prevent any problems. Since you are first time dog owners, with a very large dog and young children, I would strongly recommend enrolling him in a puppy kindergarten class right away so that you can get some hands-on guidance over the next several weeks to make sure that you are setting everyone up for success.

If he has had his vaccines, consider obedience training and socialization classes. Most pet stores or even your veterinary clinic may offer them. these will teach appropriate behavior and basic commands in addition to acclimating him to other people and pets. Reinforce the training at home by making Zeus "work" for everything. This can be as simple as having him sit or wait to eat, to play, to go out, etc. He should not be allowed to initiate contact or play. This should be done on your terms. He should not be allowed on furniture or bedding. provide a crate or bed on the floor for him. these actions will teach him his place in the pack. Right now, he is trying to establish himself as the dominant dog in these situations. As he gets older and stronger, this behavior is unacceptable as it could escalate. A bite typically follows a growl. You can also discuss early neutering with your veterinarian. Most males are neutered at 6 months of age, but if both his testicles have descended, he could be neutered as early as 4 months. Some pups are done even earlier.

As a puppy, Zeus does not know what is appropriate behavior towards strangers and other dogs, and he is reacting with aggression when his personal space is invaded. This is a very important time in Zeus's life where he needs to learn how to socialize with other people and dogs. He has to be taught how to interact correctly so that he doesn't display aggressive behaviors as he grows up. One of the best ways to do this is to enroll him in puppy preschool or training groups. I would speak to your vet for a recommendation to one of these, where he will learn how to react appropriately when approached by strangers or other dogs, and can also learn basis commands such as sit, stay, and lay down.

Zeus is a puppy, and he's going to continue to grow during the first year of his life. The good news is that his growth will slow down. Fully grown, Zeus can weight up to 66 pounds, and at around five months of age, he should be getting close to 3/4s of his full grown weight. The only thing you can do is keep feeding him puppy food according to the package instructions, and make sure he exercises for 25 minutes a day twice a day :-)

Zeus is one handsome guy! He certainly appears to be a Pit Bull mix, but it is impossible to precisely determine the other breeds in his mix simply by sight. From his appearance, I agree that German Shepherd or Labrador may be in the mix too. If you want a more precise answer, consider looking into a DNA test (Wisdom Panel - http://www.wisdompanel.com).