How Long Does A Pitbull live?

Pitbulls are known for being strong, tough dogs. They tend to be loyal, protective, and loving companions. However, it’s essential to be aware of the risks associated with owning this type of dog. Most importantly, how long does a Pitbull live? This article will provide information that will help you understand what factors influence your pet’s life expectancy, as well as tips on caring for them during their senior years.

Pitbulls can live anywhere from 8-15 years on average, which is quite long considering the breed is still considered young at 10yrs old.

The life expectancy of a Pitbull depends on its lineage and how it is cared for throughout its life. If taken care of properly, you will see your dog reach their full lifespan or even longer!

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In conducting your research, you may have come across various posts detailing what a Pitbull is and can do, and some of them can be quite disheartening. The reputation that has been ascribed to Pitbulls is not a representation of what the dogs are. Every dog is an individual, and while they do have common characteristics, how you bring one up will determine what kind of individual it will be.

This is not just with pit bulls. All dogs can become monsters if they have been raised to be so. A pit bull, just like all dogs out there, can be extremely sweet and charming. They are also known to be very protective of the little children in the family. When paired with a border collie, they are the perfect combination to keep your child out of trouble.

As is common with other dogs, not all will get to go to high school with us and then walk us down the line several years later. That’s the most tragic part about having these furry little creatures in our lives. But we love them anyway.

If You Have No Clue Yet, What Is A Pit Bull?

The pit bull is actually a name that is ascribed to four different breeds of dog. These are the American Pitbull Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Bulldog.

These breeds were originally bred from two different breeds. These are the bulldog, which is known as a very strong dog, and a terrier, which are known to be very agile dogs. This is why pit bulls are ranked as one of the world’s strongest dogs. The reason they were bred for is actually appalling.

The pit bulls were actually bred for blood sports such as bear-baiting or bull-baiting. Luckily this sport was banned when animal welfare laws were enacted in the United Kingdom. This, however, did not stop people from other blood sports such as dogfighting. In fact, it was easier to hide this as they could be conducted indoors.

And this is the reason why this breed has such a bad reputation. The blood sports shifted over to the United States, and pit bulls continued to be used for some time until the total outlawing of blood sports. The fights still continued underground, though, and they still do.

Read More: Beagle Pitbull Mix

Despite the history of the dog, they actually have other features that make them the perfect pet. Even though they were bred for unfortunate reasons, it is just a matter of how you socialize the dog with people and other animals that will determine what kind of dog it will turn out to be.

How Long Will A PitBull Bring Joy To Your Home?

It is a common theme among dogs that are medium or large in size to live fewer years than smaller dogs such as Yorkies or Corgis. As such, the average age that a pit bull will gladly follow you around is 12 to 14 years. However, this is just an average. Your own might end up living for 20 years, long enough to photobomb your wedding photos and take all the attention from you.

What Affects The Lifespan Of Your Pittie?

As is the case with all the other dogs, it is no guarantee that your dog will get to live to 20 years trouble-free. There are various issues that are associated with the pit bull, such as congenital heart disease, but some can be caused by you; the parent did not look after the health of the pup.

So what are they?

Hip dysplasia: This is a common occurrence with medium to large dogs. What it basically means is that your dog will be more likely to dislocate its hips in comparison to dogs that don’t have this condition. Jumping from high places can bring on or aggravate this condition.
Obesity: Oh yes. You may love your pup and want to provide it with as much food as you can afford. However, your pup won’t know anything about portioning and will eat anything that comes it’s way. As a result, you have yourself a pup that is grossly overweight. This can lead to other issues such as issues with breathing and also heart attacks. The nutrition the animal gets should be proper.
Heart disease: This can be brought on by a number of things. The first, as already mentioned, is obesity. The second is by parasites known as heartworms. These are spread by mosquito bites, and they can be particularly painful, even fatal, to a dog. If you are looking at getting a pit bull that is older than seven months, the first thing you should do is go to a vet to get it tested for heartworms.

If positive, the dog will be assessed for the severity of the issue and appropriate treatment administered. This usually comes in the form of two injections which, by the way, are not cheap.

If negative, then your best bet is prevention. There are a number of prescription pills that you can get from your vet. These can come in chewable or non-chewable forms. This will all depend on how accommodating your pup is. If you’d prefer it, there is an injection for that.

Poor diet and exercise regimen: You may be feeding your dog, but are you feeding it the right thing, in the right proportions? It’s common for dog owners to assume that their dog will eat anything they do, which can translate into vegans thinking their dog must also go vegan. This is a terrible idea, and you can mess up your dog’s chemistry.

You may also be feeding it quite well, but a pit bull is still a dog. It needs plenty of exercises to keep it healthy and engaged enough to stop it from destroying your house due to boredom.

Conclusion

As long as you understand the risks and take care of them during their senior years, a Pitbull can be an excellent companion for your family. I hope now you know how long does a Pitbull live? If you have any questions about caring for your dog in old age, feel free to contact us! We’ll help answer all of your questions so that you know what to expect when it comes time to say goodbye.