# Home study with pit mix dog?



## naturelady

Hi folks, we are in PA, Philly, to be specific, and are just beginning our adoption journey. 

At this point, we are narrowing down on an agency to work with, and we had a question about the home study. 

We have a cat (about 5 years old, fat & mellow) and a dog (also about 5 years old, mellow & cuddly), but our dog is a rescue, which (in Philly) means that she is at least part Pit Bull. 

We have taken classes, she doesn't jump, lick, or even bark (except once when someone was trying to break into our house), she doesn't go on furniture, she lets the cat eat her food & drink her water, she isn't aggressive in any way- even if you try to pull food or toys away from her, or out of her mouth- she is wonderful with the children of our friends & family... but I know that there is a certain amount of breed specific discrimination. 

Does anyone know if this will automatically cause us to fail our home inspection? 

Thanks for any advice you can give. But please, if you're here to tell me that my pit mix is dangerous & could kill me or my child, allow me to tell you now that I don't want to hear it. You do not know our (well trained) dog. And I am not asking your advice on owning a mixed breed dog, I am asking about home inspections. 

Thanks :)


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## Loski83

I know in uk you have to fill out a form about pets and they sometimes test them on behaviour etc.
As long as it's legal to have your dog and you can prove its temperament you should be ok. Don't know how it works for you though.


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## karenh

In Oregon the only thing that automaticly disqualifies you is a felony related to abusing children. You will have to get refrences as part of your home study. Make sure that your friends who have children who are going to be your references mention how well you god is with their children. You caseworker will probably want to interact with your dog just to make sure. Ours didn't ask to meet our dog at all, but he is a dauchsund. Honestly, I think it should be fine. Good luck choosing an agency and along your adoption journey!


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## naturelady

karenh said:


> In Oregon the only thing that automaticly disqualifies you is a felony related to abusing children. You will have to get refrences as part of your home study. Make sure that your friends who have children who are going to be your references mention how well you god is with their children. You caseworker will probably want to interact with your dog just to make sure. Ours didn't ask to meet our dog at all, but he is a dauchsund. Honestly, I think it should be fine. Good luck choosing an agency and along your adoption journey!

Thank you! I hadn't thought about asking friends with kids to talk about how good my dog is with their kids (she is). But I had thought about taking some photos of the dog with some of my friends' babies & toddlers & putting them on the fridge when we have the sw over :)


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## karenh

I think that is a great idea!


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## TTC First

I know here in Canada they ask why breed your dog is but I haven't heard of any dog disqualifying you. The worker comes to the house and will see the dog and the temperament.

I am not sure if this is for fostering or adoption however if it will be fostering I would take other percausions for ANY dog. I have a lab and they are very friendly but I am still cautious. I don't believe it is breed specific so I am not saying this because your dog could be part pit.

My dog is friendly to everyone and is happy to see everyone. But some kids don't understand dogs and can get knockout over easily. I have had many kids try to reach in the dogs mouth and although the dog will turn and close his mouth to avoid the kids hand, the child can get nipped (not the dogs fault because it wasn't the dogs intention to nip the hand). I have kids crawling over my dog and all is fine I just keep a close eye and try to make sure that the dog doesn't get too frustrated with the kids.

I am sure that your dog will be wonderful to kids, I have family members that have had a very loving pit bull in the home around their children. I think that it's just the kids nature to annoy the dogs.

I hope I didn't offend you, it's not about your dog...it's dogs in general.


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## naturelady

TTC First said:


> I hope I didn't offend you, it's not about your dog...it's dogs in general.

Oh, thank you, it didn't at all offend me! 

I am just a little gun shy, since I had posted this same question on another forum & was ganged up on by people telling me I should kill my dog, since pits are only evil & are ticking time bombs- I even had one guy PM me to tell me that he hoped that I never was approved, since I "obviously don't care about the safety of children". When I got done reading those horrible comments, I was shaking & crying. 

So, that's why I added the last part to my question here. It wasn't about the dog, it was about the inspection. 

Thanks for your insight :) Everyone that meets my dog- loves her, and even my mother (who is terrified of dogs, period) calls her a "teddy bear". She even stops me on walks if she hears a baby crying! Just knowing that the SW will meet her, I am 100% relieved. 

And thanks to everyone here who didn't personally attack me based on what they think about mixed breed dogs &#9829;


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## karenh

I can't believe people would say those horrible things! I am so sorry you had to go through that.


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