Q&A: New bullie puppy, suggestions and helpful tips for a healthy pup?

Posted by admin on 06/13/2011

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Q&A: New bullie puppy, suggestions and helpful tips for a healthy pup?
I have a new bullie puppy on the way, about 3 weeks out. I’ve raised st. bernards with my dad, labs, and rescued dogs. I’ve always loved dogs but this one will be my first “baby” on my own, so to speak. I’ve been reading up on all the material I can get my hands on and talking to other owners to have a better idea of how to go about these first few months so that my puppy will be healthy and have a well temperament. I thought that maybe a puppy obedience class at my local clinic would be a good idea when he’s a little older so that he can interact with many different breeds as well as people. I’ve done this with other dogs and it has been great but since this is my first time with this breed, I wanted some opinions on whether or not that would be a good idea. I’d also like to know a little bit more about food while he’s a puppy. I have always used as close to natural brands as I can with all my dogs but I’ve noticed many books and others talking about allergies caused by many brands of food that occur later on in a pitbulls life. This has confused me somewhat and I was hoping for maybe some clarification, if there is any. I purchased a bag of large breed puppy mix by Wellness, but I wanted to try and make sure if that would be a good brand so problems wouldn’t occur later. I want my puppy to be happy and healthy, so tips on the food would be appreciated very much. I’ve also already got a springpole for when he gets older as well as a harness for walking him. I’m not sure if I want him out pulling weights once he’s old enough, as to not send the wrong message to those living around me, and at the same time so as not to do anything the dog wouldn’t enjoy. I have heard and read that it is great for them but this could come from those training dogs for competitions etc. I just wanted to hear from those that have the animal as their family pet and friend if weight pull would be something viable later on once the dog has matured. I hope these questions don’t seem trivial, and any other suggestions about anything pertaining to the breed and raising them would be more than welcome. Thank you.

The following is the answer:

Answer by Karla
Well, you must train it or you will have big problems. You should try not to leave it at alone to much. I don’t know much about dog food but, you need to keep a puppy busy with new toys, treats, and tricks. Keeping your dog busy means your dog will be happy. =)
If you need more help purchase Cesar Millan books

Hopes this helps

Answer by Marie P
A good place to ask your pit bull questions is spbr.org

Answer by marley
The Best Friends Pet Care Library has some great short articles and I’ve included the URL below in the source section.

The group class sounds terrific for socializing your puppy! The most important thing about this puppy is socializing the dog in every way. Expose the puppy to everything and make everything a positive experience! This will help ensure the puppy isn’t afraid of things later that are new, because you did such a wonderful job socializing and providing positive experiences.

Always remember to keep training positive – bully breeds are especially interested in pleasing you! And remember that dogs only learn in the immediate present – if you don’t catch them doing something great at the moment and praise them right then, then they won’t know what to associate the praise, and same thing goes for correction – you must catch them doing the behavior right at the moment. They aren’t less smart than us, but they learn differently, and we need to catch them in the act and give them a praise party for doing the things we want them to do! So, if you can’t supervise your puppy when you’re busy, then give your pup something fun to do and crate the pup during that time, so the puppy doesn’t get a chance to make a mistake when you’re not looking.

And remember to neuter him before he is 6 months old. And non-neutered dog often elicits aggression from OTHER dogs, so it’s important to neuter him. Plus, this breed is dying in our shelters by the thousands every day, so you don’t want to breed this type of dog when so many GREAT bully dogs are dying.

Remember to microchip your dog, so if it ends up lost in a shelter, the dog’s life will be saved because the shelter will hopefully scan the dog for a microchip and contact you. Microchipping can be a lifesaver!

Answer by kdoulos
The fact that you are doing research on your own, and are concerned about appearance shows responsibility which I like. Socialization is key with these breeds. Your idea for puppy classes is an excellent one. get that dog around as many people and other dogs as you can, and it wouldn’t be bad to get your pup his CGC (canine Good Citizenship). I feed my pup Taste of the wild. It is a high quality grain and wheat free food which is good for dogs who have allergies. You can get it at any Tractor Supply Co. for around 42 dollars for the big bag.
As for the springpole, be careful. I don’t recommend them as a trainer unless you plan to compete because you are actually teaching your dog the proper techniques to bite and hold, and it encourages behavior that may not be appropriate. Just make sure when your dog gets too excited that you make it leave the pole alone for a while. Broken teeth are also an issue with spring poles along with other injuries. Just make sure you monitor your dog during springing sessions.
Weight pulling should only be done if you are competeing. It is hard on a dog, and it requires a special diet, equipment, etc. that most people don’t want to spend the money on. I wouldn’t recommend it.
I love the treadmill. These are high energy dogs, and the treadmill has been an invaluable tool for me. In the winter when there isn’t much to do, the treadmill is ideal.
Puzzle toys, and lots of STRONG chew toys like kong, and nylabones are essential because this is a breed that loves to chew, and are excellent at it.
They are escape artists as well. Make sure you have a fenced in yard, and that it is reinforced so there is no jumping over or digging under.
If you have a staffie or a pit I will tell you that you never leave these dogs uncrated around other dogs in your home or smaller animals without supervision becasue anything can happen. I’ve been called to too many cases where a pit killed a smaller animal/dog or even another pit because the owners thought it was safe to leave them home alone. Never a good idea. These dogs are dog aggressive by nature, and you need to take every precaution to make sure a fight doesn’t happen.
Pits are usually ok with other dogs up until the age of 1 year. This is when a pits “Dog Sensitivity” can suddenly key up. What I mean by this is that a dog who was once ok going to the dog park could one day decide he hates the fluffy poodle pestering him, and takes the dog out. Bullys especially pits are notoriously hard to read. They don’t give the normal warning signs before they attack so it is especially important for you to be intimately familiar with your dogs body language. You should probably avoid dog parks because most dogs that are there have an unstable temperament. Bully breeds are easily excited, and are easily set off. Two dogs chasing a ball, and one bumps the other… instant fight. No matter who starts it, the bully will always get the blame.
The best motto with a bully breed is, early/constant socialization and training, and its always better to be safe than sorry.
Enjoy your pup, and keep on reading and researching.

Answer by BulliesRock
Puppy classes at 10 weeks. Don’t wait. You need to start socializing early. Continue on with beginners, intermediate and advanced. Neuter by 6 months. Take the hormones out of the equation early. Take the puppy everywhere with you that you can. They need to meet as many new people per day as you can fit in. It will help to do it while he is still cute and little because the bigger he gets, the less people will want to pet him (trust me on this) no matter how friendly he is (in fact, his friendly gestures will be viewed as unfriendly). Even with dog socialization starting young, he still might be not remain dog social. You just want to be sure he is dog tolerant. He doesn’t have to go to a dog park, he doesn’t have to have friends, he just needs to be steady around other dogs (with the right training, this doable).

I don’t know anything about Wellness. We did Canidae as a puppy before moving on to RAW. Unfortunately, with our last pup, we had severe allergies develop so it’s been a pain. Digestive issues took us off raw back onto kibble (EVO grain free), but we may be switching again thanks to a chicken allergy. She is what they consider blue fawn. The vet says her coloring is the problem – when they crossbred to bring the blue line it, it brought the allergies. The longer the line of allergies, the worse each litter gets. We don’t know he background as the backyard breeder dumped the entire litter at the shelter at 5 weeks of age due to losing his home and wasn’t forthcoming with information. Sweet as pie, but just a mess physically. This is our first time dealing with allergies this bad in this breed, but we normally have gone with TRUE American Pit Bull Terriers. If yours is truer to the breed than the blues are, and came from solid stock, you might escape the allergy fiasco.

You shouldn’t need a harness with good training. A flat collar is sufficient. Harness increases the pulling (or it has for us).

As for what activities to involve him in later, you’ll figure that out as he starts to mature. When our male was younger, he loved agility. He was a natural at it. Our female is now two – so sweet and gentle with children from the time she was a pup so we’re therapy dog training now. As their personalities develop, you’ll see what he loves to do. Our foster dog starts nosework classes at the end of the month since he has shown a propensity for sniffing.

Lost of love, indoor living, neuter, socialization and training – if you are a responsible owner, you’ll end up with a great dog!

https://pawsandlearn.org/Family_Pit_Bulls.php

Answer by nicey
Hi,

American Pit Bull Terriers should not be left outside for long because they can’t tolerate the cold well. Even regardless the climate, these dogs do best as housedogs. They form strong attachments to their families and will suffer if left alone for long periods. Here’s more info:

http://chahwisa.notlong.com

Answer by luckydog
I have read the other answers and there is a lot of good information there. I would like to add my views on some of the things you have mentioned with regard to training…harness, pulling, springpole. The springpole is actually illegal in some places as it is associated with training for dog fights.. I have a pit mix and I have never never allowed even remotely agressive/dominance games when he was a pup. I did NOT play tug of war, or pulling weights. I did put in a lot of hours with training “homework” from some obedience classes which was fun for both of us. He was raised with another dog, a small old girl who is now 16…no problems there..but I am on top of them supervising always. He used to go to the dogpark regularly but that 2 year old thing DID happen to him. I can still take him but I go very early when there are less than 10 dogs..most of those he knows. We playdate with about 3 other dogs on a regular basis. I take him everywhere…stores, mechanics garage…he is very well behaved and I believe that you can’t teach a dog to behave everywhere unless you take him everywhere. At home some of the games we play are things that will engage his nose and his brain. I hide his stuffed toys and tell him to go find them. I hide treats under plastic cups and he will find them. He gets lots of exercise hiking and yes, I have to get up way early to run him from 7 to 9 am, but they say a tired dog is happy and obedient. Finally, when he was 2, I was introduced to a training facility that does all types of training but we chose to do ecollar. The training comes with group classes for life. We go 2x a week…what a great way to work him and get him used to behaving around other dogs. Lots of work, but fun for us both. Again, if you are looking for a well behaved pet…training, exercise and avoid any agressive or win/lose games..good luck!!

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