Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I just recently have begun to notice our dog itching around his neck and under his chin–we thought it was his collar, so we decided to buy another one…something a little softer and doesn’t hug his neck too tight. We started taking his collar off when he’s in the house. The area where his collar sits appears to be getting better…but the area under his chin and just above his neck–in very close proximity to each other–he has to be itching it somehow (we’ve never seen him itch this area), but it’s red, irritated, and I can see where his fur has been rubbed off. I’m making an appt today to see the vet…but is there a particular shampoo/medicine that others have used for possible allergies?
Ignorant people will continue to have their opinions, and there’s not much we can do about it, unfortunately. 🙁 I just experienced the other day while walking not necessarily the typical “pit bull will bite my face off” ignorant person…but this particular lady is aware that we’re training our dog to not be overly excited when people/pets walk by. We always have our dog sit/wait while people/pets walk by. However, she sees him, kind of smiles (just a tish), and then says “Oh, I know you’re training him,” and walks on the other side of the street. Which, I wish people would know, doesn’t help the dog at all–grrr.
I think people who automatically assume pitbulls are bad and aggressive and will “kill” at will…they must have something going on in their lives which makes them target whatever is around them–be it people, pets, etc. And it’s sad, truly sad. I just want to know that I’m doing what I can to be a responsible dog owner, and that my dog grows up happy and healthy. And if people hate him because he’s a pit bull, that’s their loss, because they could have had the chance to become really great friends with an awesome pet!!
We’ve used different Kongs–the black one, were given a pink one free (not by choice, but not sure that our male dog cares much, lol)…and recently bought the Kong Wobbler–can put food and small treats inside, and the dog has to paw at the toy to get the food to spill out. O’Shea gets all the little bits of food/treat out in less than 5 min, it seems…but he enjoys leaving a few bits in it, and will get to it when he’s ready. He also likes the Kongs when we layer peanut butter and special, meaty type treats (Nat. Balance tubes–cut up), then freeze it. We also had this squirrel toy that has squeakers on both ends, but no stuffing–O’Shea ripped one of the squirrels ears off to get the squeaker, we threw the squeaker away, but he loves the squirrel; it’s like his best friend. 😛
Thank you! We’re hoping we can devote a lot of time in the evenings/weekends to the loose leash walking. And perhaps the choke chain would be best for him. I think a lot of times he just finds all the smells and people around him interesting, so he tugs a bit to get to those things. As far as meet ‘n’ greets go…on the CGC test will the dog meet another dog? O’Shea just gets real excited around other dogs–he wants to meet and play with them (hasn’t ever gotten to do this)…but when he does meet people, we always have him sit, maybe lay down if it’s a really small child, and he seems to do extraordinarily well with this. If you have any other tidbits that would be helpful in prepping for a CGC thing, let me know!! 🙂
Yes, we’re trying to use “heel” for “come to my left side.” Mostly used if he gets ahead of us and pulls a bit too much. And we use “come” for if he lags behind.
We have tried the holding treats to keep him there; it’s a good thing he’s treat oriented. But it hasn’t quite sunk in yet. I guess we could try the mixing spoon thing, too. Thanks for your comments. 🙂
I hope all goes well with the food switch. Sometimes they’ll be real sensitive, but if your dog is anything like mine, he doesn’t care what he gets a hold of, as long as it tastes good (and of course, is good for him, lol; at least we as the owners know that; he doesn’t). 😛 oh, dogs…I love ’em!
I don’t know of specific benefits, but regular dog food has ingredients that puppy food does not–especially for that adult dog. 🙂 Our pit bull is about the same age as yours, and is eating adult food, a maintenance blend. We wondered if a large breed food would be appropriate, or something else. Just weigh your options, think about the ingredients–a meat, a grain, some fats are good, perhaps vitamins/minerals. It seems to me the more natural the better; I’ve heard about a lot of sensitive pittie stomachs on this site. 😛 Oh, goodness–our pit bulls are so sensitive, even their stomachs. 🙂
I’m a new pit owner, so I’ll have different bits to say about this. 🙂
We, before getting O’Shea, went and walked dogs at a shelter nearby. It’s best to get the necessary bowls, food, some toys, maybe a bed, leash, harness (if necessary; sometimes harnesses won’t work well on pits) BEFORE you get your pet.If you plan on being out of the house for awhile, a crate could be a good choice; I know our pit gets into mischief when left alone for LONG periods of time–he’s not crated, but we have baby proofed our house a lot, and since getting him, he’s more than content with the toys and treats we leave for him. 🙂
Be aware that people around you will not like that you have a pit, even those who love you and should be your best advocates. Pits should def be socialized and trained–and LOVED LOVED LOVED. You will be his/her best advocate, and I have to say, out of all the websites and articles I’ve read on pit bulls, I’ve found TONS of useful and helpful information here from pit owners themselves. Best of luck to you, and let us know how all goes! 🙂
I agree 100% to the nth degree on the training. My family, once we had said we got a pit bull, they immediately resorted to “ah, what????” and “NEVER HAVE KIDS DURING HIS LIFE.” I thought to myself “who are you to tell me how to live my life? I’m an adult, responsible, and can bring this dog up to appreciate life to its fullest.”
That being said–socialization, training, and more socialization. We’re working with our pit right now on loose leash walking and calming down just a bit when he meets new people and dogs. But when we do walk, it’s difficult to socialize when others see you and turn the other way or get on the opposite side of the street. If you can form a connection of friends around you (say, since the vet LOVES pits, try to find others who do–takes time, I know), that just helps spread the word. 🙂
And love ’em, love ’em, love ’em! I think that should be number one, along then with socialization and training. Hope to hear how you’re doing with your pittie in the coming months. 🙂
Do you happen to know the brands of collars you use? I know the nylon used on some will cause a reaction to a dog’s skin…but we use what’s called a Premiere collar. It doesn’t have buckles, which is nice, and doesn’t fit tight against the skin, but if they pull at all, it will fit up snugly against them (and it’s not as harsh as one with buckles would be). Hope you’re able to find something that helps! You never want to see your lovely pet in pain. I’ll be thinking of you! 🙂
I wish we were able to get our pit when he was a puppy…but actually, we were pretty lucky to have a stray that was treated so well. Obedience classes definitely help, and when your pit bull is out on walks, people see how well behaved they are, and seem surprised. Often times, we’ve witnessed, too…people don’t even know he’s a pit bull, but because his ears are cropped, that gives it away. I agree it’s so pathetic, but what we as responsible owners can do is spread the good word about this breed. Our pit bull has been the only dog we’ve been able to a) give a bath easily, b) open his jaw (yes, so called “locking jaws” we can open) and get junk out of his mouth, and c) STAND and stay while waiting for a treat and or his food.
We try to take O’Shea everywhere we can, especially to events where there will be other dogs. It’s so interesting how he LOVES most other dogs (esp. the small ones, haha), but they are the ones who seem to have an issue first.
I’m hoping that we can walk by the shepherds’ house, and maybe see them in that environment…and if the owners are around, maybe we could bring one shepherd out at a time, and have ’em meet? I don’t know–I’m not sure how old these shepherds are, either. They seem to be at least a couple years older than O’Shea.
Well, we just saw the shepherds on our nightly walk (ironic, esp. after I just said “we hadn’t seen them for awhile on a walk”). The last time they met, just the “daddy” was walking the two, and tonight “mommy” and “daddy” were each walking one (daddy with the male, and mommy with what we believe was a female). The shepherds started the growling/barking first…we walked on the grassy area by the road and the shepherds walked on the sidewalk. I think it was more of a dominance thing–O’Shea has never met a larger dog on walks; all of the other dogs in our town are mostly smaller than him (except for those shepherds).
And this time, O’Shea didn’t bark; he just tugged at the leash a bit, whimpering/growling a bit. But the shepherds started the barking and growling first this time. 😛 We wonder, if the shepherds are at a home with a fence, if they met through the fence. Would that change anything?
and I’ve heard that sometimes breeds just won’t like each other–or personalities “clash;” just like humans! Haha–we haven’t seen the shepherds on walks since that time (not that we’ve been avoiding each other)…
But it’s funny how that is the only time he has ever done that; other dogs (usu. smaller ones) will bark and yip at him, but we simply walk by, with O’Shea turning around a lot, wanting to go meet them. 😛
I know lots of times puppies (12 weeks is still very much puppy stage), they have to go all the time, it seems. I don’t know much about having puppies–but are you gone for hours at a time during the day? Do you keep Cookie in a crate when you are away, or does someone come to take her out for a walk when you aren’t home? I guess the only thing I can think of is that, with being a puppy, her need to go is different than Toqui. Hope this helps. 🙂
