Q. I just bought what I was told is an American Pit Bull Terrier. The facial features are consistent with the breed standard. The people we purchased her from were asking $600, but I offered $100 and we took her away. She is easily trainable and obedient, which I understand is also consistent with the breed standard for the American Pit Bull Terrier, but I’m thinking of having her spayed to avoid dealing with impure pups.
The advice I’m asking is how I can go about tracing the blood lines to assure I have gold, not a mutt. I would appreciate your help.
A. A responsible breeder would provide pedigree papers for the dog at the time of purchase. It doesn’t sound like this is the case since you’re asking about tracing her blood lines. There are some breed identification blood tests out there that you can ask your vet about if you really want to know the dog’s breed. The good news is that it sounds like you have a very intelligent dog that will probably be loyal companion to your family for many years to come with the proper care and training. It sounds to me like you already struck “gold” with this very unique Mixed Breed dog or “Muttigree” as we call them. It is a very good idea to have your dog spayed because this will keep her from wandering away from your home and prevent her from going into “season” and attracting stray male dogs. You can check out the Web for low cost spay/neuter services in your community. One such site is www.spayusa.org. Best of luck with your new dog.