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I recently switched Lillie from purina. I went onto several sites to compare content, and price. I like science diet, and nutro for not too expensive natural dog food. Neither is made with the “animal meal”(the parts we humans won’t eat..). Science diet is corn based, and here in fla. a 40 pound bag of just regular adult food is 44.00. Nutro has lots of variety, and most pet stores can order any variety from them. Also, they have special blends, too, and the one I like most for pits is the “adult high energy” blend-for obvious reasons. It runs about 40.00 for reg. adult, to 45.00 or more for specialty blends. The other brand I tried is Rachael ray’s nutrish, which Lillie LOVES. It is made with real chicken as the first ingredient, and a 28 lb. bag is 26.00. Pet smart and Petco have a tool on their sites where you can pick 5 different foods to compare ingredients, price, etc. You can also go straight to the website for that particular food brand.
My dog is 2,and she’s always dreamt.I always heard that most dogs stop dreaming after they turn 1. Lillie’s have gotten more vivid. The other night,every muscle in her body was twitching,AND she was growling and barking. I love watching her dream,she’s funny. not to mention the fact she snores as loud as a grown man,I wish I could record it.I would do just about anything if I could see what she’s dreaming!
I told my husband to be careful if he takes lillie with him, anywhere,because I have seen probably 200 articles about this happening.How sick and twisted that people are going around shooting dogs,just because they are pits(well,actually,they are usually called “pitbull type” dogs.Even though There is no such thing,either the dog is a pit or the dog isn’t a pit)But,if they say that lab did something wrong,it won’t be as popular as saying “blood-thirsty,ravenous,baby killer”did it.
Agreed.I groom at a facility that does boarding,and daycare,and they don’t take any dogs over 30 lbs.Including me, everyone but the owner of the place has a pit. She recently took in a pit mix that is 7 months old,and her name is Lilly-just like mine! When she was accepted into the facility, the owner came to find me, so she could introduce me to the dog.She likes this dog alot,as she is funny,and clever(I was out in the yard with her 2 days ago,and she learned after 3 days of watching ppl un latch the gate,how to paw it,and if she’s on the inside,she can unlockit!Where she was in the yard,she couldn’t unlock it,so she tried to vault over the 6.5 ft. gate,and would have made it if I didn’t take her in immediately. Of course,no one knew she could do this,but now they do!)Well,as I’m talking with her about pits in general,she tells me that all she has ever heard is negativity(of course),and that among other things, she’d never leave one alone with a small child.So,I told her that I wouldn’t leave a GOLDFISH alone with a small child,and she started asking me about my dog, and how she gets along with my cats,(well, not just mine,all cats)and what I know about the breed,etc.The next time I worked there,I went outside with her and the 30 plus yappy ankle biters,and the pit(that in addition to having the same name as my dog,also shares the paralyzing fear of all small dogs).I told her that I am going to an event on October 22 in Tampa. I also told her what the events were for, and asked her if she would like to come with me. She was surprised to say the least,and very flattered that I would ask her to go with me to an event for pitbull awarness day. I haven’t gotten a positive “yes” from her yet,but even if she doesn’t go,I told her that I will get some material for her to read, and see what challenges face all pitbull owners,and what the drawbacks and rewards are with the breed.She was so happy that I would even offer to help her learn more about the breed.I just keep trying to put the good word out there.I demand a lot from my dog,I want her to be a positive representitive for her breed.She’s got to be polite on her leash, can’t jump on ppl, and isn’t allowed to go after anything(not that she would,she’d be frozen in terror),and if a dog comes up to her,she isn’t allowed to act a fool,but I will keep her from being hurt(I carry pepper spray,and a walking stick). A lot of ppl are blown away when they’re seeing a 55 pound rock solid pitbull not only sit,but also look at me until I tell her she can get up.Of course,once they see this,their dog is in big trouble!
I have seen a couple of brands like sergeants introduce new products in the last few months, and for the most part, these products do not work. However, Frontline seems to have lost the patent they’ve had for years, and now these other brands can make a product with the exact same ingredients as frontline. I have tried “pet armor”- which is Walmart’s brand, and I have seen a similar product at Publix(and it might have been sergeants). Look at the boxes, and see which brand has the same contents in the same amount as frontline, and whatever brand name it is under doesn’t matter. I have used the Pet Armor on Lillie, who has severe flea bite dermatitis, and my boss(that has 3 dogs) used it as well, and it works exactly as well as frontline, but instead of $50 a box, we paid $28+tax.
Reading this makes my heart break for you, and your dogs. I am so sorry that you are going through so much, I can only imagine how you must feel, but I applaud your courage and love for your dogs. Even though I know just by reading this that it was probably one of the hardest decisions you’ve ever had to make, I also see that it comes from a place of love. I know of a girl that runs a rescue in Florida, I really don’t know if she can help you, but she may know someone that can. The rescue is http://www.rugazrescue.com , and Devilyn is the director. She can be reached directly by email at [email protected] .I wish you good luck with finding homes for your friends, and I hope that everything turns right side-up again in your life. Lillie and Leeann
There are alot of online resources for pit owners. They literally have thousands of sites for training, behaviour, feeding, and all that goes with having a pit. There are also lots of groups that you can join that will be “local” clubs, organizations, and pet lovers meet-ups. Areally god site to visit for some awesome information, that you can print, and put out for others to learn a little about the breed. http://www.pbrc.net It is Pitbull Rescue Central.
Well, for all our “well meaning, pitbull bashing, ignorant” neighbors, I submit as states evidence number 1: a video from L.a., of 2 stupid robbers, that were chased(gun and all), right out the front door by the MEANEST DOG IN AMERICA! (It is a 3 pound chihuahua) I actually think I have groomed this exact dog, but for everyones viewing and cracking up pleasure, the page is http://www.tampabay.com , and it is a video of the robbery. Just make sure ur pit is put up, or they might wet themselves,and try to invade ur lap! 🙂 enjoy!
If you do a yahoo search for “calming aides for dogs”, you will get several sites, the one I like best is http://www.holisticpetinfo.com . It gives several different holistic remedies for dogs, and cats. Among them is: ‘composure’ by-vetri-science, ‘pet calm’ by- pet alive, ‘seda plus’ by-thorne rsearch, and a lot more.
When I found Lillie,she was very young,3 months old,and I wondered if she could remember her life before I got her.She is a very friendly dog,but,she is leery of strangers,most especially men.She doesn’t have an aggressive bone in her body,she just is unsure about some things.Most are funny,like when she was attacked by the hole,andthe weed,and the giant grasshopper that tried to eat her,but some are strange.When she’s with my husband,she is fine,but,when she’s with me,she gets spooked easily,and I wonder if something happened before she was dumped in my mother-in-laws yard that she could remember.I asked my cousin(who is also my mentor,and taught me to groom dogs)who has been involved with dogs for over 40 years.She rescued several,and bred champion standard poodles,and also rescued a pit a year after I did.One of her dogs Alex was rescued at 3 months as well,and had the same fear of men,because she had been beaten as a puppy before she was rescued.So,it is possible that this fear comes from her previous history,and the best thing you can do is love her to pieces,and try to comfort her when she is scared.As far as the fear of storms,and loud noises,ALOT of dogs are afraid of these things,and I have seen several natural remedies for calming dogs.There is usually stuff at natural food stores,and pet stores,but always check to make sure whatever you find is safe for your dog.Agood place to start your search is with “calming aides”,at a pet store or vet.
I have a 2year old pit that I rescued when she was 3 months old.I also have 3 cats,and everyone I know has dogs,cats,or both.I am a groomer, and Lillie has been socialized since I got her.She is basically “dog tolerant”,and has lots of doggie friends that she grew up with.I have a woman I groom for,and she has a 2 yr. old pit,a 2yr. old yorkie,and a 6month old yorkie that all get along well.The best thing to do is always supervise your dogs,socialize from day one with other dogs,and any other animals that you can.And,probably the most important things are:always leash your dog,and steer clear of dog parks(only because if anything happens,your dog will most likely be blamed,even if they didn’t do anything).But,it is absolutely possible that your dogs will get along,especially if one is a puppy,and raised with other animals.
The best advise I ever got about pits was that I should always have my camera handy, because just when you think they’ve done the weirdest thing they can possibly come up with, they prove you wrong. They are very smart, and insanely creative! Lillie was under 6 mos. when she chewed up my hubby’s leather wallet. Not really weird, except she took out all the cards, and pics, and ate only the leather, she even separated the leather from the cloth inside. I would have been mad, if I wasn’t marveling at the fact that she took everything out. Just the other day, she came up with a new one. She has a bed-it’s really just a huge pillow,but she’s very picky about where she sleeps,and prefers the smallest cat bed she can possibly cram herself into(I have pics in my profile for proof)- and I’m sure we’ve all heard of the princess and the pea, well, that is my dog. She has always “nested” and that process lasts anywhere from 10 mins. to half an hour, well, she has a new way to fix her bed. She stands on one side while she pulls the other sides the way she wants them, and goes around and around until she’s satisfied that it is right. Then, while still standing on the sides to keep them from falling down, she quickly plops herself down, making sure nothing has come out as she’s plopping. Then she repeats this process for whatever amount of time is necessary to get it just right. While all this is going on, my husband and I are laughing histerically. Heaven forbid one of the corners comes out, because the princess and the pea will not sleep if she doesn’t have her bed, and it’s not exactly perfect. No, she will sit up and cry until she gets it perfect. Also when she was really young, and was coming to the grooming shop where I work, she got in trouble a few times, and my boss(and cousin) made her go into a kennel. Lillie is a bit over dramatic, even still, and once she was shoved into the kennel, she started to huff and puff, she was making so much noise, and when we checked on her, she was literally blowing he cheeks out puffing, because she was mad! It was the funnist thing I have ever seen any dog do! So you might want to work on yelling at the dog, even when you can’t yell cause you’re laughing so hard you’re peeing your pants. It will happen, these dogs are clowns, and they’re also big babies, and will pull out the sad eyes, and the pouty face whenever they think they can play you! And, I agree, once these dogs ram their way into yor heart, you’ll never look back. They are amazing, and you’ll have the time of you life being with them. Enjoy, and remember to keep that camera handy! Also, you may wanna check out http://www.pbrc.com , under “pet pitbull”, “pitter patter”, and http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com “inspirations”. They also have magazines all about pits as a breed, and for training these breeds-and we all know they require some special training,cause they’re so smart, and so creative. The best part is that they bond so closely with their ppl. that you’ll have the best friend you could ever want, but never would have thought to ask for.
well, as far as “spazzy” goes, pits of all ages have that somewhere in their description, but they are great family dogs, and love anything and everything related to their ppl. It sounds like you’ve done your homework as far as what to expect from them, and I hope that your family enjoys your new addittion as you seem to :). Always remember, though, you might think you adopted a 60 lb. pitbull, but you really adopted a 60 lb. chihuahua. No matter how big they get, they never believe that they aren’t lap dogs!
Thank you for the info. I’m going to send the address to my family. This is disgusting, I really am shocked and appauled that anyone would have him representing their brand. Not to mention the fact that nike is a HUGE company, with marketing in all sports, even for kids.
Well,it won’t take long to get a ton of funnies, especially with a lab for a play mate! Hope that your new friend keeps getting better and better. Where I live in Fl., there alot of pitbulls. I got Lillie as a puppy-3 mos.- after someone dumped her. She’s 2 now, and, I know that her life is the best a dog could wish for! All the toys she can play with, and no other dogs to share them with…, 3 cats to scare, a boy and a girl to love on, plus a mom and dad. Mom is a groomer, so she also grew up in a grooming shop. When I started researching this breed, I found out so much about them, and I try to make sure that she has everything she could ever need, it sounds like you feel the same way about your friends, and it hopefully won’t take the new friend long to develop a healthy, loving bond with you, your entire family, and all the other critters that you love. One great thing about pits is that they are very loving and loyal, and they tend to bond very closely, and quickly with their owners. So even though he was abused, he will probably have no problem adjusting to his new life. Good luck, and thank god you found Spike, not someone else who wants him for a “status symbol”. There are a few other awesome websites you might want to check out…One is http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com -pet pitbull tab is good, also cute poems, etc. under “inspirations”, also http://www.pbrc.net is a good one. Lots of info, and whatnot…good stuff for training, toys, that kind of stuff.
