Armywife_Barrett

Forum Replies Created

Viewing 10 posts - 16 through 25 (of 25 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • in reply to: people scaring me #15840
    Armywife_Barrett
    Participant

    PIT BULL TRAINING!!!! Be aware of trainers who “force” commands or “make” your dog listen. These people are idiots! Pit bulls are sensitive and despite their appearance and reputation, they require patience and encouragement to become well rounded mentally. Only employ a trainer who uses positive reinforcement technique and never let them train your dog without you there. Plus they should teach You how to train your dog, as it builds the bond between you and establishes you as a pack leader.

    in reply to: pit bull/lab mix….what to expect? #15839
    Armywife_Barrett
    Participant

    I had a shelter pit/lab mix. He was food aggressive toward my cats and other dog, but had no problem with my hand in his dish. Lab’s are very food driven. Pits are naturally protective of their things.

    He also growled at strangers but quickly accepted them. He seemed to be unsure about many things. He chewed through a LOT of toys too so buy the more expensive top quality ones (mydogtoy.com).

    I had a hard time with Jericho because of his stubbornness too. I had to remind him often that I was the pack leader (which is a MUST with pitbulls!)

    Definitely watch the food aggression. Jericho’s “little” problem that I avoided by feeding my 2 dogs several feet apart was his undoing. Long story short my at the time boyfriend was (not) watching him and he got into a scuffle with a giant schnauzer over a thanksgiving turkey that wasn’t being claimed or watched by any human pack leaders. Neither dog was hurt, but the other owner was angry. Just keep in mind the way a dog thinks. 🙂

    in reply to: Pit Bulls going to dog park #15837
    Armywife_Barrett
    Participant

    Chris968…you rock. I love that you go ahead and defend us dog park goers. I posted a reply argument toward the same “supposed” pit bull lover you did in another thread. I agree with you; my dog loves the park (in Michigan) and was raised going there every week (in California). I would never deny her the excitement and chance to run and play because of her breed. It’s amazing to me that there are those of us owners who wish to encourage people to think better of pits, and other owners who think badly of their very own furry companions. No wonder our breed gets a bad rep.

    I understand that some of you have your opinion of “No pits in dog parks”. Good for you. And yes I read through some of the articles and “attack” news clips you all posted so I’m not avoiding it all. But the bottom line is that I know my dog inside and out, I have a degree in animal training, and am confident in my role as pack leader. My dog and I will continue to attend our local dog park and Sasha will continue to be an ambassador for her breed.

    in reply to: Chewing Toys #15835
    Armywife_Barrett
    Participant

    http://www.mydogtoy.com

    “1 layer of fleece, 2 layers of industrial grade luggage material, and 1 layer of plastic coating at the center. All 4 layers are bonded and sewn together…assembled with 7 seams…4 seams hold the product together, then another layer of material is added to cover the assembly stitching, then 3 more seams are added.”

    My last dog would shred everything. He was a pit/lab shelter dog. He would shred rope toys all over the house, chew little pieces off kongs (and eat them), and work on a toy until he chewed a small hole in it to pull all the stuffing out. I got him a “tuffy” from mydogtoy.com and the thing lasted forever. It took him 4 weeks working at the smae spot to get through the material to the stuffing, and even then the stuffing is sewn in so he couldn’t get it pulled out!

    My current pit turns her nose up at kongs and rawhide gives her diarrhea. She’ll chew on plain bones if she’s bored but sometimes she cracks pieces off so I only give them to her with supervision, usually with frozen peanut butter inside to keep her interested in licking not chewing. Rope toys she shreds, tennis balls she peels open, and nylabones only interest her some of the time. Now she loves her Tuffy shark. She’s had it 2 weeks, and she chews and chews on the stitching and it hasn’t shredded yet. 16x9x5, machine washable, and it floats! It has a tough scale of 7 (which is “really tuff” compared to 10 “tuffest/mega tuff”) and was only $18.50. For a large toy that us tough and that she ACTUALLY plays with that’s not bad. I’ve spent a lot on “tough” toys in the past that she won’t even look at.

    She also enjoys tires. You can get bone shaped tire chunks from some pet stores. If your dog is like mine and shreds but doesn’t ingest it’s a great buy. Less than a dollar and takes days to shred up. It’s real tire but with thread stitching instead of wire so it’s safe for their mouths.

    Also she loves horse hooves. They don’t shatter but they do start to smell funny about day 3 or 4 when she gets to the center of them. And Cow ears are a great alternative to rawhide. Cow ears don’t “melt” when they get drooled on and they’re fibrous so they take longer to chew up. They’re the only chew treat my do doesn’t get the runs from.

    in reply to: Dog Park Drama #15834
    Armywife_Barrett
    Participant

    Wow with all the hating of pits in dog parks. My pit was raised in the dog park in SoCal. On any given day there would be 30+ dogs there. Sure there were owners who let their dogs off leash and then didn’t pay attention; that’s why I paid attention. If Sasha got too rough she’d get a time out. Because she has a high pain tolerance she puts up with a lot more play abuse than most others dogs would. But if another dog growls at her she submits and mouth licks. I know that she is a pit, and that it is my responsibility to protect others from her and her from others. She knows I’m the pack leader, and she listens. If there were any doubts in my mind I wouldn’t take her, but she’s been attacked by other dogs before and immediately submitted. She didn’t even try to defend herself. I know my pit inside and out and am a vigilant and responsible owner. I’m very sorry for you, BigRedTJ and bullypaws, that you don’t share the bond with your dogs that I have with mine. I also don’t have a huge, muscled “impressive” pitbull. I have a petite boxer-build 53lb dog. Other owners are not intimidated by her and she doesn’t feel the need to “muscle” her way around.

    in reply to: house training #15833
    Armywife_Barrett
    Participant

    Ewstephy is right. Don’t scold him for going inside. He will just wait until you leave the room or are gone to do it.

    Sometimes my pit won’t potty if she knows I’m leaving because she knows I’ll stay longer waiting on her. I play fetch with her. Once she gets running around she can’t help it, she has to go.

    I had a pit mix that had the same problem as your dog. I ended up crating him while I was gone or there’d be a mess every time. Maybe crate him while you sleep? Take him to potty just before bed then crate him then take him out first thing in the morning. My pit mix had separation anxiety when I left the house. That’s why he’d have accidents. He’d get so nervous in my absence he’d have to go potty.

    Also I would take your dog to the vet and have him checked out. It is possible that there is a problem with him internally. It’s always nice to rule that out.

    in reply to: Skateboards #15832
    Armywife_Barrett
    Participant

    Perfect! Training in steps is the way to go. Desensitizing a little at a time, that way you don’t overload the dog. So glad your son was able to work through it and come out the other side with an even better bond with his dog. 🙂

    in reply to: Skateboards #15831
    Armywife_Barrett
    Participant

    I trained a dog that freaked about bicycles, other dogs, cars, kids, and anything that passed him on a walk. He barked and lunged at them. Once he got to them he’d sniff and walk away, but it was scary for whoever he lunged at and embarrassing for his owners. The woman training him before me called him a “reactive” dog and said nothing was working. I decided simple is best, so I trained him to “leave it”.

    Every time something would come near I would say “leave it” and stick a treat in his face. If he reacted after I’d keep walking. If he didn’t react he’d get another treat. I paid attention to our surroundings at all times so that I could treat him BEFORE he reacted (that’s the key). I just kept it up so that he knew he should focus on me and he’d get a treat.

    Then I started rewarding him only if he looked at me without reacting when I said “leave it”. Then I rewarded him with a treat every other time he focused on me and just a pet and verbal praise the other times (so he wasn’t treat dependent). I walked him 3x a week for 2 weeks.

    On our last walk I said “leave it” and we walked past a playground with screaming, running kids, bikes, and other people with dogs. He didn’t even notice them.

    Every dog is trainable. You have to figure out their learning style.

    in reply to: Very Timid #15829
    Armywife_Barrett
    Participant

    Basically something has programmed him to think that pavement is dangerous and scary. You need to reverse that thinking.

    Do NOT pick him up anymore and do NOT coo and feel bad for him when he freezes. In a dog’s mind this means he has a reason to be afraid. You’re actually encouraging his behavior and fear.

    Build his confidence. Put him on the pavement and squat down a few feet away. If he comes to you pet him and say good boy. Give him a treat. Then move and repeat. He will learn that he is safe on the pavement. Don’t let him climb into your lap and hide. If he does this, stand up and set him back on the ground. Dogs pick up on their owner’s feelings, so be confident and he will be confident.

    Also, try treat trails. One of you hold his leash and the other walk away and leave a treat trail to the yard you want to him to walk to. Then let him lead himself along the trail.

    Let me know if these work. If not I will try to think of other ways to help. It’s hard to give a good plan without seeing the dog first hand, but at least this gives you a place to start. Have patience. Good luck.

    Becky Barrett

    in reply to: PITBULL PUPPIES NEED HOMES #15828
    Armywife_Barrett
    Participant

    Exactly what I was going to post. Being a pet owner means taking responsibility…especially when you own a breed that has a strike against it before it’s even born.

Viewing 10 posts - 16 through 25 (of 25 total)