Rescue story - BUT I NEED ADVICE

[Djenks]

Well, sunday the 4th was a great day for two pitbulls.

Before church service ended, two baby pitbulls came slowly walking into the church. They were pitch black (from dirt and mud), they were so skinny you could see all their ribs, and the female pit was throwing up the little contents left in her stomach.

My mother took them home and gave them a long bath, fed them dog food, and let them drink. They drank more water than i have ever seen a dog take down in my entire life.

I have owned a lot of dogs in my life...3 pugs, a 2 akitas, a german shephard, and i've been around them all my life: needless to say, i am very suitable for dog ownership and there's no way in hell that these pits are going to a shelter. At the current moment, i dont have a dog and now they are our new ones.

I need your guys' advice on how to raise these pits so they are as nice as possible. Kreutz (the male) couldnt be more friendly...he lays on his back (good sign of trust), is great around children and is not starlted by anything.

I do things like:
- take his toy away from randomly
-keep him on the cage when im gone and when we're sleeping
-reprimand him when he softly bites while playing
-never let him sleep at the head of the bed or near my head
-take him to the dog park (since yesterday morning, hes gone twice, LOVES other dogs)

----what else should i do with this little friendly guy to keep him like this??------ I'm on the right track i know for sure, but i though you guys would have some advice for me

thanks!!!

dave

[Cat&Dog mom]

First of all congratulations, and i'm happy you have taken them into your home and not a shelter. It sound like you are on the right track to me, one more thing you may want to do is stick your hand in their food and water bowls while they are eating and drinking, so they don't become food aggresive, especially since they were already starved once, and socializations is very important, both home and away, make sure to have a good number of people coming over. Just treat them right and love them and they should become great dogs. I have a rotty, and he is the sweetest thing ever, because I treated him right, with love and respect. Have fun. Oh yeah, about how old do you think they are? Can you share any pics? What is the female like? And please get them fixed, there are to many unwanted dogs/cats out there already.

[Djenks]

well, thanks for the support. I introduced him tonight to a much older, MUCH bigger Akita and he was very submissive around food and water...thats a good sign. They got along really well when territory was established.

Anyways, thanks for the advice about the food, those are the little tips and tricks i was looking for and i will definately be doing that now.

I will post up pics ASAP. My girlfriend took some today with her camera. he may be one of the most beautiful pitt puppies i have ever seen (despite his unhealthfully skinny bod, but we're working on that...he's eating great!)

Unfortunately, the female isnt doing well at the very moment, but is on her way to being better every minute. She had very loose stools and was throwing up for awhile. She seems to be better, (shes staying with my mothers friend who is taking her in, and hes taking good care of her). Shes a little more traumatized by their short, previous life but shes warming up well.

I'll be sure to keep you guys updated becuase these dogs are remarkable. Kreutz is going into the vet tomorrow morning, i'm excited for him.

thanks for the advice and if anyone has any other suggestions i'd love 'em!!

thanks

dave

EDIT - we also think they are between 2-3 months old, but his little dog doc appointment will give us a more accurate guess. His birthday has been declared: the 4th of July!

[Djenks]

this pic was taken about 5 minutes ago on a camera phone....i'll have better ones up later

Kreutz picture (http://www.geocities.com/jeffrola/Picture015.jpg)

if it doesnt work, copy and paste:

http://www.geocities.com/jeffrola/Picture015.jpg

[Python]

Do what your doing now and you will have no proble with him

[Squawksx3]

Hi Dave and welcome :)

Bless you for taking in these pits.. so many people would've turned their heads because of the breed....they are wonderful, very loving and loyal dogs when in the right hands. Kreutz is gorgeous!. Are you just keeping him or are you keeping the female also.. the female will need a vet check as soon as someone can get her in.. its very important to get them vaccinated immediately since you dont know where they came from. Sounds like you're going in the right direction... lots and lots of attention, love and socializing. Also, it might be a good idea to keep a toy on hand so when he starts play biting you, redirect him to the toy. Pits normally are animal aggressive, not human aggressive since they are taught to fight other dogs. Most of the stories you hear about Pits attacking humans/kids are those that are used as muscle, guard and fighting dogs. I really dont think you need to do anything different that you would normally do with other breeds.. especially since these guys are still young... and actually, they list Akita's at the top of the list for being unpredictable and an aggressive breed... so I think you'll be fine in doing the right things. Are there any signs of scars or wounds from possibly fighting?... I didnt see any in the pic.. and hopefully, they were not started in the training. They start these guys out very young. Best of luck to you and your new fur-kids.. keep us updated on how its going. Isn't it funny how they seem to find you... and in a church at that... ya think maybe God was leading the way for these two.... ;)

[dlaura]

Welcome to the site Dave and good for you & your mom for helping these two poor animals!

Jan - I can't see the picture --- help please.

[Squawksx3]

Ask and you shall receive :D

How did the vet visit go Dave?.

[dlaura]

What an angel -- sleeping there so peacefully. He reminds me of the dog that used to be on "The Little Rascals".

Thanks Jan!

[starr]

you are a good person to take both of these puppies in. i think you have the idea and are doing a great job already. i can't wait to see the female. :)

[mirrasmom]

It warms my heart to hear stories such as this. You have done a very good thing here and those puppies will love you forever for doing such. As others have said, it sounds like you are doing great raising them to be well behaved pitbulls. You may want to find a breed specific site or buy a book on pit bulls (the Dummies series has a good one) and see if they can offer any other information and/or tips for you.

Thank you for being such a good person and giving these dogs a home.

[Djenks]

well, here's our update as of 7/6/04:

I called a vet that i have known as a friend all my life, he works in a dog hospital literally one mile from my house and he squeezed Kreutz in around noon...he wanted to see him right away.

He cleaned out the ears and did some tests and found no ear mites, just A LOT of dirt. Based on his teeth he is around 10 weeks old. He predicted that he'd also get pretty darn big looking at the size of the paws. He also got his heartworm pill today and his shot. Did the rest of the physical and results were normal. He's going to start filling out with his regular food schedule now. The scraps and abbrasions on his underside were most likely caused from less than ideal sleeping conditions, but they are nothing to worry about.

Then he got his rewarding trip to the dog beach down off Lake Shore drive in chicago. We ran him around, he got to play with probably 15 labs, 2 rots, a baby german shephard, and of course the Golden retrievers there. He did really well and seemed to be just as interested in the people there as well as the other dogs. He got pushed around a little bit, but thats good for him i think...

anyways, the female is with my mom's friend that i don't know too well. I'm sure shes in good hands b/c if any of you knew my mom, she wouldnt have done it any other way. From what my mom has told me, she is doing better with regular food and water, but i think she has yet to see a vet. This guy apparently lives two blocks from me, so i might be able to pick her up this week and take her in.

I just think these two dogs felt some good vibes coming from our church. They just walked right in, poor guys. I have absolutely no worries about Kreutz at all at this point, hes not afraid of people or dogs and he honestly couldnt be more friendly.

Anyways, thanks for the support and i'll be sure to get on the ball with the female.

take care guys and thanks for the warm welcoming....

dave

[Cat&Dog mom]

Awww... what a little angel, i'm glad everything is going well. Keep us posted, we love hearing stories.

[Python]

All the stuff you see on the news and in the paper about pitbulls atking people and kids is true.Because there owner keeps them chained up or in a cage you dont want to keep pitts chained up or caged up because they will get mean..Ive onwed pitts over the years and my dogs have never been mean.

"All Pit Bulls are vicious", or "Pit Bulls are born mean". No one breed as a whole is bad, the same as no one race of humans is bad. Much has to do with the individual, it's genes, upbringing, and training. In the case of Pit Bulls, a breed that was created to be especially gentle with people, all of the human aggressive dogs are victims of one or more of the following: poor breeding, bad training, or irresponsible upbringing. There are thousands upon thousands of Pit Bulls that are loving, loyal, safe pets, who will live and die without ever having bitten a human. They are the proof that this "born bad" idea is fiction, pure and simple.

"Dogs that are aggressive towards other animals are automatically aggressive towards people." Human aggression in dogs is entirely different than aggression directed at other animals. Aggression towards animals is a natural trait of the breed (as it is in many terrier breeds, among others). Historically, humans were always in the pit, handling fighting dogs closely, while the animals were in full fight drive. A dog that was a danger to people and prone to biting was not feasible, and therefore carefully selected against.

"Pit Bulls attack more people than any other breed. Bite statistics actually show otherwise. More popular breeds that are generally considered to be "nice dogs" top the majority of lists. It may seem to the general public who is constantly bombarded with disturbing reports on Pit Bull attacks that this is the only breed that harms humans with any great regularity. However, the fact remains that Pit Bulls are hot news items. Dogs of all breeds and mixes bite and attack people all the time, but it is mainly the Pit Bull bites that get sensationalized. A report about the local Golden Retriever that attacks and maims a child isn't considered newsworthy. No one wants to believe that any dogs--even the fuzzy, cute, popular ones--are capable of biting. It's much easier to blow up and sensationalize a story about a vicious dog when it's a member of a breed who's reputation preceeds it. Pit Bulls are already considered the demons. All the reporters have to do is stand in front of the camera, look horrified, and say, "A Pit Bull did it".

[starr]

i agree with you that ANY dog will nip, bite or attack. if any dog feels threatened it will attacked. i think they use pit bulls as the attacking dogs because they look strong and some look "mean". the dog i find that bites the most are chows. i have known alot of people with chows and they have all bitten people. i have yet to see a pitbull bite. smaller dogs are bigger biters then pitbulls. alot more people are bitten by little dogs then pit bulls. it is all in the way you raise your dog, ANY DOG! so, python i agree with you. kim

[mirrasmom]

We were at the vets office last weekend and a woman brough in her three very rowdy pit bulls and I have to admit (with shame) that my first reaction was to pick up my much smaller dog and protect her eventhough the pit bulls gave absolutely no aggressive signs whatsoever. I set her back down on the ground (all dogs involved were on leashes) and one of the pit bulls came up to her and sniffed her a little bit and it was actually my dog that growled a little at him and the pit bull just walked away.
The dogs can look intimidating and unfortunately even me who loves animals more than people was a little uneasy when they walked in the room. It is very sad that they have this reputation b/c these particular dogs that we met were very sweet and I am sure the majority of them are with the proper training and loving human parents.

Again, best of luck to you and you new baby!

[Python]

I gotta tell this story about this pitbull.

I was watching this tv show how it tells of story on how people got killed.Well there was this one story about thie guys wife got killed by a pittbull.This lady was bad messed up well the cops and every one came to the house to check it out and everything like they do to all the murders.Well her hubby and her had a pitbull and while she was leeping and her hubby trained the pitt to kill.Well long story short the hubby had the pitt kill his wife and the cops seen a little bit of blood on the dogs mouth.Well the cops asked the hubby if there pitt killed his wife and jhe said no well the cops took the dog and ran some test on it to see if he would atk them.Well after a couple of hours the dog got all mean of one thing they did so they went to the hubby and took him to jail.Because he had the dog kill his wife

[mirrasmom]

That makes me ill - why would someone do that?!? And then I am sure they euthanized the pit bull simply b/c some stupid idiot man trained him to be mean and vicious. At least they punished the man also, they are the ones to blame many times when pitts attack.

[Python]

Yeah its messed up i think the guy got life for doing that

[Squawksx3]

Wonderful news Dave!. I'm so happy to hear the vet visit went good :) . Thank you so much for giving us an update. So is your moms friend going to keep the female?. That would be so kewl because he lives so close to you and maybe the pups could see each other and play once in awhile ;) . I'm getting goose bumps.. I just love happy endings!!!!!

[ReneeD70]

Bless you for being so caring! Everything you are doing with the pup will lead you in the right direction I'm sure:) He is absolutely the cutest little thing! Congrats! I know I would feel lost without my canine friends.

Renee

[Djenks]

well, it's been a long time since my last post and i'm baby sitting my mom's pugs right now...so i thought i'd share an update for anyone who cares:

Well, Kreutz is doing really well. In MY house he's fully house trained. However, he still has accidents in my mom's house, and "foreign" places. He's really socialized to people and other animals. With the amount of dog-friendly street festivals in Chicago, he's gotten his fair share of loud noises, attention, and dog interaction...he welcomes all of it with extreme happiness.

He's grown so fast. I'm getting him back to the vet this week and we're gonna weigh him again, but hes getting harder and harder to pick up. He still continues to drink more water than any other dog i've have ever seen. I fill his water bowl about 4 times daily.

This dog has more personality than any dog i've ever met. He is honestly my greatest source of entertainment. He has discovered that he can jump...and he can jump high, but he has no control over it yet. So he'll just jump as high as he can in the back yard and just land on his back, or offbalance and fall over...then he gets up and runs around and does it again. i sit and laugh. I'll also throw tennis balls for him and he'll run and execute the most over-exagerrated pounce ever. He'll over-pounce it and end up doing a summer-salt...again, i sit and laugh.

But, for as much as he plays, he sleeps hard. every once and awhile a dog will come around that likes to sleep directly on it's back, stretched out. that's Kreutz. He even gets me laughing when he sleeps. whole belly up, legs up, head as far back as possible...stretched out as far as possible.

As far as his health, he's doing great. His chest and legs are starting to fill in more like traditional pits, and his posture is outstanding...especially when he stands at attention. He is back to his target weight (from what i can tell) and is quite possibly the happiest dog in the entire world.

well, now for the bad news. His sister, Spirit, was stolen. This hasnt been confirmed, but it is my suspicion. the owner has a fenced in back yard, in chicago, and would take her out there regularly. Seeing that in the 3 weeks he had her out there he had never had a problem, he left her back there with some toys and stuff while he was in the house. no later than 15 minutes, shes gone. He contacted police, alerted the neigborhood, went out looking for days. she had tags. Nothing. not one sighting, lead, or anything. to this night, we have still not heard anything.

But, i guess all we can do is hope that she was stolen for reasons better than others. Pit Bull puppies are stolen often becuase of how diversely useful they are. Kreutz never leaves my sight ever, so i guess we're 50% with the rescue.

Anyways, i thought i'd give an update. nothing has ever meant more to me in my whole life so i dont mind writing about my little guy.

take care guys

dave

[Squawksx3]

Hi Dave!!!.. its so good to hear from you.. and so wonderful to hear Kreutz is doing great!. You are almost describing my step daughters Pit thats about a year old now... full of personality and fun :D . Her Pit also sleeps belly up LOL. Im so happy for Kreutz.. bless your heart.
Thats so terrible about his sister :( .. I hope they find her soon.. sending prayers her way. Please keep us updated.

[Newfi lover]

Wow, what a great rescue story! I am so glad your guy has found a wonderful and loving home. :)

[dlaura]

Great story Dave - thanks for taking the time to share it. Sorry about the sister though -- hopefully you'll find her. Please keep us updated.

[GoldenDad]

Some simple advice to raise a friendly, gentle, trusting dog:

1. Socialization...with other dogs and people. The more confident he is around other dogs and people the less prone he will be to mistrusting them or developing antisocial behaviours.

2. Shelter him from any form of rough treatment. This includes family, friends and strangers. Don't let children or anyopne else pull his ears, tail or tease him in any other way. This way he'll develop trust for others and not respond agressively when his tail or ears are acidentally pulled.

3. If he bites playfully appear wounded and let out a big "ouch" so that he knows he's hurt you. No dog wants to injure his alpha and seeing you hurt will be punishment enough for him. Afterwards each time he attempts to bite in such a manner chastise him verbally by saying "no teeth" or "no bite" and mean it.

And of course LOVE. A dog who knows only love will respond in kind to others.

GD :)

[briosis]

he is cute! it is neat to read rescue stories if any one wants to read my rescue story the title of it is Lexie Update!!!

Chels