Jerica
02-23-2008, 11:44 PM
Well, I had wanted to wait to get a new puppy only because I'm 8 months pregnant (well 8 1/2 now) and thought it'd be best to wait till the baby was a bit older, especially since we already had my two dogs, 4 chinchillas, and some dwarf hamsters, but when we went to my husbands aunt and uncles house to see their pitbull puppies, how could I refuse? I've always been such and animal lover and when someone offers me a pet and I know we can care for it its hard for me to refuse. I blame it on my husband, he wanted a dog of his own, my dogs I had before we got married and he really wanted his own. He wanted a boxer or a pitbull, both breeds I like (ok so I love all dogs lol) and well I couldn't refuse. So we brought home a little brown male with just a spot of white near his nose, some white on his chin down to his chest and then three white toes on each front paw. He has blue eyes right now, but I believe they will turn yellow when he gets older as both parents are yellow eyed.
Both parents are sweet dogs, he looks just like his momma. He was not quite 6 weeks old when we brought him home, which I felt kind of bad taken him so soon, but he was eating solids and everything and he is being socialized with dogs we know (won't meet other dogs till he's vaccinated) He plays with my dog Willow, but Shiloh doesn't care for him (he's almost 14 and not so happy with a playful pup). My dogs pretty much live on the heated back porch and have a doggie door to the back yard, but they come in the house occasionally. This little guy will be a house dog for the most part as we are working on the housebreaking now, my dogs unfortunatly have had to live outside pretty much the whole time I've had them (when I still lived with parents and when I was in college).
We've named this little guy Hooch, after the dog in Turner and Hooch the movie, hopefully he'll be a lot better of a dog though lol. We keep getting criticisim for bringing a pitbull into our home especially since we are having a baby soon, but I tell everyone, as long as he is raised right he will be a good dog, the parents have very good temperments also so that is a definatly in his favor. He will not have his tail docked or ears cropped like some people dog (I hate when they do that though I do understand if a dog is to be shown it must be done ) He will also be neutered once he is old enough. he's about 7 1/2 weeks old right now and having a good start in housebreaking. He is being crate trained, he whines when he needs to go out (which is a couple times a night) but he still hasn't figured out that he needs to tell us when he needs to go out when he's not in the kennel. I'm home all day with him so I can let him out all the time, but don't always catch him before he has an accident. He has told me when he's thirsty by dragging his bowl around and actually by scratching at the door so he can go out an lick ice. I don't leave water out all the time to hopefully prevent accidents and of course give him water when he does these things.
He growls and bites when playing right now, which we are working on, sometimes having to roll him onto his back and holding him down till he quits. I also say "NO" everytime and sometimes have to hold his muzzle, and other times he stops if given a toy. He can be quite the troublemaker already and he tires me out waking me up all the time to take him out, but once he's sleeping through the night all will be ok, then I'll just have the baby waking me up every 2 hours lol. Hopefully he'll be housebroken and a little better trained by the time the baby comes which I think is a reasonable goal (about 6 weeks). He wears a collar already and tolerates being pulled on by little kids and carried oddly by them, though sometimes resorting to play biting when they start playing, but I know he will outgrow it with our training. He is getting lots of attention from other people and my dogs and friends and family dogs so I hope this starts him getting socialized. This coming week around when he turns 8 weeks we'll be getting his shots and getting him dewormed (I know he has roundworm as they are in his poo). He had fleas when we first got him, but we took care of that with a dish soap bath :)
Anyways, if anyone bothered to read all this lol, I am happy we got the pup even though he can be a pain, I feel like I finally have a chance to raise a dog my way, most of the dogs I've had I got when they were adults and our family dog (Kit a chihuahua) we got as a pup but I was only 10. So beings that this is mine and my husbands dog and I'm home all day with Hooch he is going to be raised my way. We are going to start working on basic commands like sit and such, he already knows his name and comes when called so he's got a good start. I love training dogs so this is fun for me, even though housebreaking isn't so fun, but the day he really understands he needs to ask to go out and from then on has no accidents I will be so proud. He's already so close to that point :) He's a smart little fellow. I hope to at some point get a pic up, but I don't have internet at home so we'll see. But thanks for reading if you read it all. :)
Both parents are sweet dogs, he looks just like his momma. He was not quite 6 weeks old when we brought him home, which I felt kind of bad taken him so soon, but he was eating solids and everything and he is being socialized with dogs we know (won't meet other dogs till he's vaccinated) He plays with my dog Willow, but Shiloh doesn't care for him (he's almost 14 and not so happy with a playful pup). My dogs pretty much live on the heated back porch and have a doggie door to the back yard, but they come in the house occasionally. This little guy will be a house dog for the most part as we are working on the housebreaking now, my dogs unfortunatly have had to live outside pretty much the whole time I've had them (when I still lived with parents and when I was in college).
We've named this little guy Hooch, after the dog in Turner and Hooch the movie, hopefully he'll be a lot better of a dog though lol. We keep getting criticisim for bringing a pitbull into our home especially since we are having a baby soon, but I tell everyone, as long as he is raised right he will be a good dog, the parents have very good temperments also so that is a definatly in his favor. He will not have his tail docked or ears cropped like some people dog (I hate when they do that though I do understand if a dog is to be shown it must be done ) He will also be neutered once he is old enough. he's about 7 1/2 weeks old right now and having a good start in housebreaking. He is being crate trained, he whines when he needs to go out (which is a couple times a night) but he still hasn't figured out that he needs to tell us when he needs to go out when he's not in the kennel. I'm home all day with him so I can let him out all the time, but don't always catch him before he has an accident. He has told me when he's thirsty by dragging his bowl around and actually by scratching at the door so he can go out an lick ice. I don't leave water out all the time to hopefully prevent accidents and of course give him water when he does these things.
He growls and bites when playing right now, which we are working on, sometimes having to roll him onto his back and holding him down till he quits. I also say "NO" everytime and sometimes have to hold his muzzle, and other times he stops if given a toy. He can be quite the troublemaker already and he tires me out waking me up all the time to take him out, but once he's sleeping through the night all will be ok, then I'll just have the baby waking me up every 2 hours lol. Hopefully he'll be housebroken and a little better trained by the time the baby comes which I think is a reasonable goal (about 6 weeks). He wears a collar already and tolerates being pulled on by little kids and carried oddly by them, though sometimes resorting to play biting when they start playing, but I know he will outgrow it with our training. He is getting lots of attention from other people and my dogs and friends and family dogs so I hope this starts him getting socialized. This coming week around when he turns 8 weeks we'll be getting his shots and getting him dewormed (I know he has roundworm as they are in his poo). He had fleas when we first got him, but we took care of that with a dish soap bath :)
Anyways, if anyone bothered to read all this lol, I am happy we got the pup even though he can be a pain, I feel like I finally have a chance to raise a dog my way, most of the dogs I've had I got when they were adults and our family dog (Kit a chihuahua) we got as a pup but I was only 10. So beings that this is mine and my husbands dog and I'm home all day with Hooch he is going to be raised my way. We are going to start working on basic commands like sit and such, he already knows his name and comes when called so he's got a good start. I love training dogs so this is fun for me, even though housebreaking isn't so fun, but the day he really understands he needs to ask to go out and from then on has no accidents I will be so proud. He's already so close to that point :) He's a smart little fellow. I hope to at some point get a pic up, but I don't have internet at home so we'll see. But thanks for reading if you read it all. :)