Pitador

Pitador or Labrabull is a hybrid breed, combining the genetics of the American Pit Bull Terrier and the Labrador Retriever. Pitadors have a medium size, and they are energetic and loyal. The babies inherit the qualities of both their parents.

Pitadors have various other names like Lab-Pit, Pit-Lab, the Pitador-Retriever, Labrabull, a Labrador Pit bull Mix, and a Pit bull Labrador Mix. These dogs can sometimes be confused with Bulladors.

History

The Pitador is a fairly new breed of dog, first emerging during the “designer dog” boom of the 1990s, wherein many of the mixed breeds we know today first gained prominence. The two dogs that make up this breed, the Labrador Retriever and the Pit Bull, both have long, impressive histories of their own.

Labrador Retrievers originated from the St. John’s water dog in Newfoundland, Canada, and were further developed as bird-hunting dogs in England during the 1800s. It wasn’t until these dogs were imported to the United States that they became as popular as we know them to be today. Their loyalty, intelligence, and calm, loving demeanor have led them to consistently rank as America’s favorite dog in many polls.

The Pit Bull has a much different cultural connotation due to their long history of use in illegal dog fighting competitions. Many breeders who utilized Pit Bulls for these nefarious purposes sought to isolate and reproduce traits in the breed, such as strength and aggression, that would make them better fighters. Despite being long used for violent and illegal activities, Pit Bulls themselves are not to blame for this bad reputation, as with a loving and caring owner, these dogs can make fantastic and harmless pets.

3 Pros and Cons of Owning Pitadors

Before you buy or adopt a Pitador, it is imperative to know what works for them and what doesn’t. Since they require a lot of attention, you need to decide if they are compatible with your existing lifestyle. Here are a few pros and cons of owning a Pitador:

Size and Weight

The Pitador is a hybrid breed, but it is generally medium in size. Reports suggest that it is hard to figure out the exact size of a Pitador due to the variations in genetics. Typically, the females can be about 20 to 22 inches tall, while the males can be about 22 to 24 inches tall. Females can weigh about 45 to 60 pounds, but males tend to be slightly bigger at 75 to 90 pounds.

Common Health Issues

Like all other living creatures, Pitadors also come with several health problems, including the possibility of OCD, which is a mental health issue. This problem can often be supported with soothing and loving time with their owner. Issues with the eyes, ears, and heart are also common, as these problems often arise as a result of their genetic makeup. Epilepsy can often develop, causing the dog to have seizures that could be detrimental to its brain health. If you notice any seizures, bring your dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible.

Bloating and hypothyroidism can occur. The latter is an issue in the thyroid gland, preventing the metabolism from working correctly. Pitadors can also develop acute moist dermatitis (a skin disease) and allergies.

Temperament

Pitador or Labrabull is an alert breed, which is perfectly combined with its innate ability to be protective, powerful, loving, and loyal. This dog can also be very enthusiastic and can turn aggressive if he thinks that you are in some danger.

However, if Pitadors are introduced to a social circle early on in life, they can be very well-rounded and friendly with other pets. This is also an intelligent dog, so training this dog isn’t so much of a problem.

These dogs absolutely love to chew, so they would always need something to chew on. They are energetic but would also love to snuggle with you. However, these dogs love attention — if you are someone who already has a relatively busy schedule away from home, they can suffer from separation anxiety.

How to Take Care of a Pitador

It is very important, before buying any pet, that you know how to take good care of it. Here are a few things you would need and want to keep in mind while taking care of Pitadors.

The Best Dog Food

You would need to feed your Pitador 3 to 4 cups of good-quality dry dog food every day. The food should be split into at least two meals per day.

If your Pitador deals with allergies, try looking up the available limited-ingredient foods intended to help alleviate dogs’ allergies.

Maintenance and Grooming

Pitadors need a moderate amount of grooming. Brushing the coat of this dog daily keeps it shiny and detangled. The color of their coat depends on their parents. However, brown is a common color.

These dogs also shed too much, so sometimes you would need to use a vacuum cleaner to clean up after them. Whenever needed, you can give your dog a bath using dog shampoo. After that, you would need to wipe his ears clean and dry. The ears need to be cleaned once a week to check for any kind of ear infections.

You would also need to trim the nails when they grow too long and brush the Pitador’s teeth at least two to three times a week using dog toothpaste.

Training

Pitadors are intelligent and moderately easy to train. It is not very easy or very difficult to train these dogs. Training Pitadors would need some time, patience, and effort. You will also have to use some positive training methods.

Consistency is also the key to the training of Pitadors — they need strong direction from their Alpha leader. You will sometimes need to be a firm trainer to make sure that the training goes well. It is also very necessary to introduce Pitadors to a social circle early on in life so that they can pick up good habits.

Exercise

The Pitador has an energetic nature and is very active. These dogs love going for long walks, playing games like fetch, and chasing chipmunks. However, leaving these dogs in your open yard would not suffice for their physical needs, and these dogs would need some real activity and movement. However, these dogs are not really suited for apartment life, where the space is limited for them to play around.

Puppies

You would have to take care of the Pitador puppy the same way that you would take care of an adult. However, you would have to introduce the Pitador puppy dogs to a social circle very early on in life so that they can develop good habits. Not only that, the food for your puppy would have to be divided into several meals, as their small stomachs usually can’t take a lot of food at one time.

Pitadors and Children

These dogs are loyal and friendly and are extremely good with children. They are protective and playful around the kids of the family. However, they can turn aggressive if they see a stranger around the children.

Similar Breeds

Here are a few dogs that are similar to Pitadors:

• American Pitbull Terrier: These are one of the parent dogs for the Pitadors. They have incredible energy and exude a loving nature, paired with their famously clownish grin.
• Labrador Retriever: These dogs make the other parent for the Pitador and have a loyal, easy-going, and friendly nature.
• American Bulldog: These dogs have a strong build and are loyal. They are fun and friendly toward everyone.