Pit Bull Owners! Help!

[monaliesa]

This I also posted in the Behavior section...but I need as much feedback as possible...sorry to be annoying!

Ack...I'm pretty upset now...we took Buddha to his first puppy kindergarten class last night and we've got some problems with aggression it seems. He's a pit mix, but Pia (the trainer) says that he looks like he's at least 90% Pit....and that he doesn't act like a 14 week old puppy....he was more interested in following Pia around and sitting so he could get treats than he was in playing with other dogs...when he did go to play with the puppies...there were some growling incidents...and she says he has an aggressive stance...he stiffens up and puts his haunches forward....she said that its 'just the way he is' and that he's probably always going to be aggressive and to keep him in classes as long as possible...do MAAAAJOR socialization...she basically gave the impression that he has a lot of potential to be a dangerous dog....and since he came from the SPCA, he could have been bred from fighting dogs....and the way that they are...they're very non agressive to people...bred so that they can be pulled out of a fight and not ever bite the person...

the thing is...he's such a sweet little boy...he doesn't have any problems with people at all...and he isn't possessive at ALL with food or treats or toys....him and Riely eat and drink out of the same bowl ALL the time...at the same time even...he's never so much as growled at a dog in the pet store....he's always been fine on walks and stuff....it's just in the playing environment that he starts to get aggressive...she said that we should never take him to a dog park in an off leash environment....i'm so attached to him already and the thought that she thinks my little affectionate loving puppy could be dangerous and we might ultimately have to get rid of him is killing me...she said to get some freeze dried chicken...or some cheese...and POUR praise on him when he's good....because any scolding will make him worse...she made it sound like he's gonna kill Riely someday playing...

I feel like a burden in that class...like we're the one with the BAD dog that the other puppy parents are scared of....she made us stay after the class and gave us a big talking to...."i don't want to scare you...but he is acting like an adult dog...and he's only a 14week old puppy"....i mean...will we EVER be able to board him? or take him to playdays there?

she even told us that we might even want to tell people that he's a boxer mix...because of the stigma with pitt bulls....I had to stop myself from crying a couple times....

Has ANYONE had an experience like this? How has it turned out? ANY words of advice would help at this point...

this morning when i left....i was laying with him on the bed about to say goodbye...and I bursted out in tears...looking at him makes me sad...i love Buddha so much already...and now i feel like a dumbass crying at work....

Does this look like a killer to you? http://img3.ranchoweb.com/images/monaliesa/cuteness.jpg

[aly]

Is Buddha in a crate when you're not home? Just wondering because if you're worried about Riley, I wouldn't let them together unsupervised until you know for sure his play style has become less aggressive.

I've seen puppies as young as 7 weeks acting in extremely dominant and/or aggressive ways. In some cases, the puppy had to be put down BUT that was because of aggression towards people.

What kind of dog is Riley?

I think it would be wise to stay in classes as long as possible. It may even be good for him to play with a dog who will correct him when he acts tough... put him in his place. I might also have a session with a behaviorist. The behviorist can evaluate your situation and tell you what to do.

I am sorry you're going through this and I wish you the best of luck in correcting the problem.

[monaliesa]

Buddha is in a crate when we are not home. Riely gets the run of the house. Riely is a lab/terrier...about a year and a half old...she is still bigger than him and has about 20 pounds on him....she's the princess...and she does occasionally put him in check...one day she snapped at him because she was chewing on her big meaty bone and he was bugging her and trying to get the bone...so for the rest of the night he steered pretty clear of her bone....but usually she doesnt mind if he chews on it...but they get along very well actually...when Buddha gets tired he curls up next to Riely and sleeps on her...and Riely tolerates his nibbling on her tail and stuff...he actually prefers to curl up next to her....rests his little head on her butt or whatever...they're never left alone together though...unless we're just outside the house talking or whatever...but I don't think that either one of them will hurt the other...they seem to have a pretty good relationship...they just play kind of rough...but neither one of them has ever been hurt...and there is never any yelping or anything...he's just an annoying little brother...we werent quite sure if they were duking it out for dominance or not...so thats why we didn't intervene too much...but Riely is now in her humping phase...so I think its pretty clear that she wants to stay the dominant one...and I think he'll listen...

neither one of them is resourse aggressive in the least...they dont care if you take away their food or treats...they eat out of the bowl at the same time...you can pull them away or mess with them while they're eating and they dont care...they play kind of rough though...and he usually only growls when he's pinned down on his back when playing with Riely...but we're not going to let them play remotely rough anymore...we're gonna put him on a lot of time outs...and redirect his attention with treats...making him do tricks...and probably a couple squirts of a water bottle...

our friends have a full grown male pit bull (Buddy) that is completely gentle and wouldn't hurt anyone...person or dog...he's a big pushover...they also have a small pit mix....we used to take Riely over there to play a lot...Riely liked to play with Cookie...and Buddy would usually just wander around....i believe my fiance has taken him over there before when I wasn't home yet though...I think we should take him over there some more...so he can get more perspective from another Male Pit....kinda like a mentor...heh...i dont know if it works that way with dogs...but Buddy would put him in check no problem...in a non-hurtful way though...http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/monaliesa/sleeping.jpg

[aly]

Aww, what a sweet picture :) Both of your dogs are beautiful.

It sounds like you're doing everything right and I'm sure you won't have too much of a problem.

[monaliesa]

When you get your animals from the SPCA, you kind of have to deal with the luck of the draw...when we went to get Buddha...he was one of 2 puppies there...and the other one was his sister (but we had to get the male because we HAVE a female)....we unfortunately don't know his background or anything...but since he is a pit mix...i knew that we would HAVE to do all we could to make him non-threatening because he already has the stigma of the breed riding on him...I knew we'd have to take him to all the classes and get him VERY well trained...and socialized...and give him a non-threatening name...

I wanted to make sure he's not like Riely...shes hyper...and not as socialized as she should have been...shes a brat...she likes to bark at other dogs...in the car...in the pet store...shes that dog that barks at other dogs from the window of a moving car...she's a pain...but a TOTAL sweetheart...she only jumps on people because she wants to drown them in kisses....she goes to Planet Pooch for playdays on a fairly regular basis...and shes okay...she gets some time outs...but she's good at heart....we're going to enroll her in the Grumpy Pup course because of her behavior when shes on a leash....like in the pet store...shes the ONLY dog barking at every dog she sees...its embarassing...Riely doesn't listen very well when shes amped up either...she cant be trusted off leash because she bolts and doesn't come when shes called...

i wanted to make sure that HE will come when he is called if ever he did get off a leash...

[mugsy]

It doesn't seem like there's an aggression issue with Riley at all from the picture on the couch...and yes, he is a sweetie. I am still of the opinion that if you make sure that you are solidly the alpha in the house and as long as they both recognize it, there shouldn't be a problem since he's so young. My guess is that he probably WON'T have an issue with Riley since she was there first. I would probably find a more open minded trainer myself. Your trainer sounds like she's anti-Pit, just from your comments. A good trainer should be able to train at least some of that aggression out of him. I agree with Aly, that he should be crated when you're not home. Good luck...don't get rid of him just because someone else doesn't seem to like him. You'll be fine.

[monaliesa]

like I said...I seriously don't think that I'll have a problem with him and Riely...he likes to annoy her...yeah...but they're affectionate...they give each other kisses....they sleep together...they eat together...riely always grabs a ball or the rope when he gets sleepy and tries to entice him to play more...I've seen Riely snap at him just one real time...but he listened....shes always humping him too lately...I can tell that he thinks of her as the Alpha...and Riely will do ANYTHING her Daddy says....when Riely REALLY pisses Jason off she KNOWS...and she rolls RIGHT over on the floor belly up....or tries to give him LOADS of kisses...like...'I'm sorry daddy, please dont be mad at me!'....Buddha definitely gravitates towards me over Jason though...he comes over and cuddles up next to me...and sleeps on me...Riely would rather lay down on the floor by Jason when he's at the computer though...it's like shes in love with him....I fall somewhere in between...with Riely...she loves me...but if Daddy is around..I'm chopped liver to her....Buddha...I'm the one who takes care of him...I take him out potty all the time...I woke up in the middle of the night to take him out every single night...I'm constantly affectionate with him....I play with him...i always hold him and scratch him and pet him...we definitely have a bond....and I know he'll listen to me...

he is crated when we're not home though...always had been...its a HUUUGE kennel...its big enough for me and jason to both sit indian style inside it at the same time...it's definitely a comfy environment for him...he has room to move around...but not TOO much....I don't want to get rid of him or anything...i LOVE that dog so much....i'm mostly worried that he wont improve...that its just "they way he is"....and that we'll never be able to take him for playdays...and never be able to board him if we want to go on a trip....or worse...that he'll somehow hurt another dog and have to be put to sleep....I'm just terrified that I'll have to part ways with him sooner than I would like...

[mugsy]

Don't go into it with that attitude. Dogs are super sensitive to emotions and you wouldn't want to damage the relationship. Just go with the flow and relax and enjoy him and teach him how to act and what's acceptable and what's not.

[angelpuppy]

It sounds to me more like your dog trainer maybe has an issue herself with pit-type dogs. How can anyone pass the judgement that Buddha is a "bad dog" and "that's just the way he is" when he is so young?!? Puppies' personalities can change as they grow, just like everything else about them, and it seems like he is well behaved anyway!!

My advice: don't take the trainer's opinion to heart. And FIND A NEW TRAINER that is not so biased!!!

[monaliesa]

hi guys...

I feel much better today...last night Buddha was sooooo good....whenever him and Riely started getting too heated...or if he was biting or growling trying to tug the ball away from her...we just said 'hey hey hey'...or 'muzzle' and they quieted right down....if you say 'muzzle' in my house...doggies listen...heh...

we lurve the muzzles...its our way of 'time out'...if they get too rowdy...or we need to clip their nails...or if they're jumping all over people and scratching them when they come in...we put the muzzles on and they become completely calm....they usually only have to wear them for 5 minutes or so....during with they usually lay down and rest...it kind of puts them on a lower intensity level....and we use them when we have to clip their nails or clean their ears because they don't squirm very much when they have them on...and they cant nibble their way free....

most of the time all we have to do is say the word....we only ACTUALLY put them on them 1 in 20 times we have to say the word.....

anyway...Buddha was being SO good...and we practiced his puppy class homework last night....I can now stand anywhere in the room...call his name...and he'll come sit in front of me and look in my face...i was actually teaching him stay too...unfortunately Riely saw that he was getting all the treats and kept interrupting...and distracting him...so I was trying to train them BOTH...but Riely was jumping on me....and wouldn't sit until i SAID sit....and then putting her paws up all over Buddha...like pushing him away like 'don't give him any treats'....

he's totally more well behaved than she is...and then...they both got tired...and Riely curled up on the couch....and Buddha curled up next to her butt...and they slept....and Riely moved to the floor a long while later...and he got up and moved to the floor and put his little head on her butt and slept...i swear...he loves his big sister...he just likes to annoy her....he's not fast enough to get the ball when we play fetch...so he just tries to thwart Riely's attempts at getting back to me with the ball...and starts biting her butt and tail as shes running...and hopping in front of her face trying to grab the ball...

I still have to go to 4 more puppy classes....I already paid for them...but she'll see...he's a good boy...he's just not used to being around puppies...and ones that move fast around him...i think he's not used to it and it makes him nervous that they're fast and can come after him....i did some thinking...and besides Sunday...when he was with only 2 puppies...one of which was very timid and didn't move much...he didn't growl at all..he just chased the other puppy around...he hasn't really ever been around other puppies....besides that class tuesday...with about 10 other dogs...and he was probably on sensory overload....

[mugsy]

You know, I'm so snotty that I'd probably make sure I rubbed it in her face everytime I went to the class about how well he's behaving and how quickly he's learning and then knowing me....as sarcastic as I am...I have to throw in a couple of catty comments about how mean and rotten Pits are. I'm really good at public humiliation! lol Must be in my genes!! You're much nicer than I would be. I'm glad that Buddha is doing so well. I knew he'd be fine. I had faith.

[monaliesa]

heh...i still do have to take him for 4 more classes...and Riely still loves going there for playdays...its a really good place...they even have webcams so you can watch them at work...im not the type to burn bridges...and there is the possibility that i took some of her comments too personally...i mean...she did seem to like him...she kept commenting on how cute he is...but i mean...how do you start off saying 'i dont mean to upset you BUT...he may kill your other dog some day and he wouldn't care at all'....i mean...what the hell is THAT?

ergh...i mean...give the poor guy a chance...yeah...he's a little fiesty...he's USED to playing with a LARGE dog...

I'm still waiting to hear if I've been laid off....today is the day...and because of some mistake with them not turning off a last paycheck alert type thing on the email...they shut down all the email systems at my work so that people weren't notified by email about being laid off...

so, since my job is based on answering email requests...i'm stuck doing menial crap...processing tax exemptions...cleaning up the database...stuff I've been meaning to do...but been too busy...i hate this 'in limbo' feeling...i haven't honestly gotten the impression that I'm going anywhere thus far...and logistically it doesn't make sense that they would want to get rid of me...i dont make very much...im the only one in the company with good understanding of how to set up vendors...my colleagues CAN do it...but they still have questions...and they're way slower than me...

bleah...im just trying not to think about it...

[monaliesa]

never mind...im still employed...

rock.

[grassbur]

I agree with Mugsy. It sounds like your trainer is breedist, or at least prejudiced against pits. No one with a brain in use would take an owner aside, at a first class, and give them a warning like that.

The behavior toward other the puppies sounds to me like Buddha is a natural alpha. If you've never seen a litter of puppies interact, or pups in a kennel setting, it can be confusing. But some pups are naturally the leaders, just like some kids. They have to be king of the mountain or there's hell to pay. ;) Others just go with the flow, and still others tend to be submissive. Alphas tend to be smarter, too, and so you'll have Buddha's rapid progress to crow about. :D

You're smart to want to give him the most training you can, especially since you've seen the result of not doing that for Riely. But pit bulls aren't naturally hateful toward all other dogs, and Buddha will be just as protective towards Riely as to you, as he grows up.

Mac

[monaliesa]

yeah...i knew Buddha would be totally protective over Riely...even though Riely is the Alpha...i can tell...he loves his sister...and Riely is such a brat...she barks at dogs all the time...one of these days shes really gonna piss one off...and Buddha will probably be standing guard...

the classes are good for teaching us how to teach Buddha to behave....I almost wish that we didn't have the other puppies around so he wouldn't draw attention to himself in a bad way...he's so well behaved otherwise...

*sigh*...I lurve my puppy...and he loves me...

[Andie]

I got Bull pretty much trained so there was never any classes for him (Bad Andie!!!)

He does play pretty rough but all we have to do is say his name and he stops. He's never hurt anyone (other than their pride) other than a few brusies on my butt :o (he's a butt man) and I don't really see him doing it in the future.

I have to agree, I think it's the trainer.

Buddha looks like the sweetest dog (though I might be bias since he look like a little Bull to me)


Here's Bull Boy:


http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid36/p4e12a72159aaa49d97d968cd67bbf7c4/fd21d914.jpg

[monaliesa]

you're right! they do look soooo silimar...Buddha has a little patch of white on his nose though...and more of the whites of his eyes show...i always say that he has 'people eyes'...

but they do look a LOT alike... how cuuuute...

Buddhas always had the Alpha mentality...even when we were adopting him...he was biting his sister (the other one there for adoption)...and jumping on her...being an annoyance...

:) he used to be SOOOO mouthy....a total biter...the ride home he kept chomping on my arm...and my hand...and my leg...shoelaces...ANYTHING....

he's so much better now...he just nibbles...he knows how hard to bite now....

[Andie]

Originally posted by monaliesa

:) he used to be SOOOO mouthy....a total biter...the ride home he kept chomping on my arm...and my hand...and my leg...shoelaces...ANYTHING....

he's so much better now...he just nibbles...he knows how hard to bite now....

Bull use to be like that! He use to try to pull Dad's dog Katie around by her ear now he has discovered her collar!!! LOL :D He'll walk up with this "We're doing what I want" look, grab her by the collar and try to pull. When he figures out it's not going to work, he just looks so sad. He's figured out the cat is alot more fun to annoy now. :rolleyes:

[monaliesa]

thats so funny because...before we stopped them from playing rough...they were so funny...Buddha and Riely were ALWAYS trying to bite onto each others ears...sometimes one of them would get a good hold on the ear...and the victim would start biting the others leg...and it was almost like a game of doggie twister...

no more fun n games for them though...heh...not until he can learn to control that little growl of his...

[Redneck Pit Lover]

I understand how you feel about buddah he's such a perty pit looks a lot like Bull to im Andies soon to be hubby and Bulls soon to be daddy :)

[monaliesa]

awww...

Bull was totally cute...yer a lucky guy..

Buddhas puppy class # 2 is tonight...I hope he isn't as much of a butthole as he was last time..

I hate the fact that the other puppy parents look at you with your dog and they're like..fearful..."stay away from THAT dog"....you know?

Buddha is a loving little man...and he listens well...he is a little edgy around other puppies...but thats just the way he is...


Oh well...I hope he's okay tonight...I really dont want to be all upset again...

[Andie]

Any update on Buddha?

[monaliesa]

we took him to another class last Tuesday...he was a lot better...only because any time he got anywhere near a dog I shoved cheese in his face...

but the retarded trainer made him wear a red bandana so that 'everyone knows to be extra careful around him'...she only used a bandana on one other dog...who was SUPER shy...

[Andie]

:mad: :mad: Stupid trainer!
*Grumbles* (There's some words in there that shouldn't said on here)

[mugsy]

Stupid people are everywhere! I'm not sure I would have let him wear the bandana. I probably would have taken it off and put it around my neck and told the trainer that I should wear it to tell people that I could be dangerous when around stupid people.

[Bullygirl]

I just wanted to tell you that what he's doing is perfectly normal-Pit Bulls don't like other dogs. Most of them hate dog parks, dogs next door, dogs walking in the neighborhood, passing dogs on walks, dogs in kennels barking ect. Dog aggression is totally normal with pits. Now, don't get me wrong, there are plenty of perfectly social pit's at the dog park, but not many. When a pit first meets another dog, 2 things go through their mind-do I want to play with your, or are you a threat?-just be a cautious owner and keep him on a leash, don't let him run up to random dogs-basically don't set him up for failure (that's the biggest thing we've learned in this whole 'pit bull' process) bring other dogs over to the house and be close by in case something erupts. Our female doesn't like other dogs-so we don't introduce her to other dogs. We've tried to socialize her and she's just not having it, so we've just come to grips with that and we only allow her around other dogs in a controlled situation with us very nearby, and our hands tightly on her collar incase she decides to be a butt head and until we feel comfortable. Don't give up! Dog aggression does not equal people aggression-as long as he doesn't show any aggression to you, you'll be fine, and he will be the best friend you'll ever have.
p.s.-One other thing pit's don't like are unwelcome strangers, and trust me they know the difference! Don't let anyone sneak in and surprise you, it'll freak him out! They are protective of their family, and do not like surprise guests they've never met-unless you make it seem ok. And one other tip-do not hang a 'beware of dog' sign! if the meter man decides to open the gate and take a peek at your meeter, he might not expect your little guy whose silently creeping up to see who is in 'his' yard. Once he decides he has never met the meeter man-hopefully MR. Utility is smart enough to get out quickly! A beware of dog sign is saying you have an aggressive dog, and can be damaging if your dog acts out. Anyone entering your property uninvited will have to find out on their own to 'beware of dog'!

[Cheshirekatt]

Hi there!

I'm so sorry I didn't see this post until now. It sounds like you've got a good grasp on the situation. I agree that you might need to find another trainer when the puppy classes are over.

It's good to keep him socialized and active. Classes are very good for all dogs but especially pits. All three of mine went through basic obedience and Joxer was the only one to go to off-leash class. The other two could have gone, but due to dog aggression would have had to have been muzzled. So I took Joxer, learned the class and then taught the other two at home.

Pittys like to play rough. Very rough. And the problem starts when it gets too heated because pittys have trouble recognising submissive signals from the other dog. Never trust pittys not to fight. For the most part, they like fighting. I know Wilma does.

Although I'm not a huge fan of dog parks, Joxer can go but Wilma and Buford never could.

Wilma is the big instigator in my house. I absolutely cannot leave her out with the other dogs unsupervised. She is extremely dominant and will pick fights with the boys.

I've never, ever had a problem with people aggression with any of my dogs. Dog aggression and people aggression is totally different.

As for the red bandana, why don't you put one on him all the time? That way he looks cute and will be used to wearing it. Make it seem like it's a treat. :)

[trayi52]

Seems like you have everything under control now, whatever the case, both of you dogs are so cute, and seem okay on the couch snoozing together, CUTE!

Tray

[Karen]

Originally posted by monaliesa
we took him to another class last Tuesday...he was a lot better...only because any time he got anywhere near a dog I shoved cheese in his face...

but the retarded trainer made him wear a red bandana so that 'everyone knows to be extra careful around him'...she only used a bandana on one other dog...who was SUPER shy...

Frankly, I bet Buddha looks extra handsome with a bright red bandana against his dark lovely coat - he should wear one ALL the time - it's a fashion statement, dahling! Good for you and him, by the way!

[monaliesa]

My BooBoo has grown so big...wow..

He's definitely my favorite of the 2 doggies...he's so loving and adorable...he makes me laugh every day...(except when he's hoggin the bed)...

This dog must chase his tail like 2 hours a day...and he growls and barks at it...going full speed...knocking into the wall or chair...he's the biggest scaredy cat in the world...he's afraid of plastic bags (he runs from the sound of rustling plastic every time)...he was afraid of the stairs for DAYS when we moved...i had to drag him up and down by his collar and left nail trails in the carpet...

he likes to 'argue' with me when he wants to go outside and I dont wanna get up and let him out...first he walks over and is like "i'm at the door mommy'.....then if I dont move...he's like "hrm...lemme try this again...gonna walk over here...see me mommy?....okay...I'm walking to the door"....and he stands there and looks at me expectantly....then he starts to get annoyed...so he comes over to me...and kinda hops towards me and does his high pitched houndy bark...and I say something like "what? can I help you???'.....and he hops and grunts....'no...I dont WANNA take you out'....then he hops again and barks louder...

heh...he's such a baby...

then...i let him outside...and if its really cold...or even sprinkling a TINY bit...he's like 'oh HELL no Mommy....I'm not goin out there...its raining out there...are you CRAZY?'.....

and if he doesn't get enough love when we get home...and I'm laying on the couch...he comes over and leans against the couch right next to me...and gives me kisses...when he leans against the couch he wants me to give him hugs...and he just sits there...'yeaaah....scratch my butt....ohhhh'.....and i just hug him for a while...

and he's still obsessed with food...we call him 'fatass' a lot...he's really not fat...he just drops EVERYTHING if he thinks there is an opportunity to get food...'ooh...daddy is goin in the kitchen!'....ou can hear it in his head...'food? food....foood???? food...mmmm foood....'

he has become the alpha doggie though...Riely wont eat unless Buddha is in the kennel...he growls a bit and becomes a butthole when theres food out sometimes...like...guarding it...like 'if anyone is gettin any...its me'....but then we just put him in the kennel...or give him a time out with the muzzle...or we just put the food away...I've never felt at all threatened by BooBoo....I mean...sometimes he's growled at Riely when I was huggin him and I wasn't the least bit scared...he's just like a lil spoiled kid...and he's scared of everything...laundry...vacuum cleaners...tool belts...tools...he barked at our air conditioner for 2 hours when we first got it...and we bought a wood mail holder that you hang on the wall...took it out of the box and the retard barked at THAT even...i mean...theres no doubt that he's kind of a big dumb lug....but he's totally sweet...and not nearly as much of a pain in the arse as Riely is...she's too darn clever and gets into EVERYTHING...

but we also took care of a tiny dog for a few weeks and he was fine...he was more curious than anything...just following her around sniffin her...and she had lil dog syndrome...was biting his tail and barking and lunging at him...he'd just take his paw and try to smash her...with the 3 dogs it was a chain reaction...the lil dog was trying to get Buddha....Buddha was trying to get Riely...and Riely was trying to get the lil dog...

during the day...we get Buddhas bowl and fill it with food...put the food in the kennel...he follows it...walks right inside by himself...we lock him up for the day...and put down Riely's bowl and leave...and when we come home we put up Riely's bowl...cuz he'll come straight out and either eat it all..or guard it...but he also wants to guard his bowl in the kennel...so he runs back and forth...and wont let Riely go anywhere near either...s

then they roughhouse for a few hours...the Buddha chases his tail...he's gotten increasingly mad at his tail over the last year...'oh its that damn tail again...always following me around...i think Imma surprise it....annnnnd JUMP...damn...almost got it...'...then he gets really pissed and starts chasing it REALLY fast...he slammed his face into our chair once because he doesnt look where he's going...sometimes he'll get it...or pin his butt against the chair and grab it...and then he falls over....

he's just a total sweetheart 95% of the time...

We pretty much resolved that neither one of our dogs is very good with hanging out with other dogs...Riely plays too rough for other dog owners not to get 'freaked out' by...since she's used to playing with Buddha...and she's still a high maintenance butthole...and Buddha just doesn't like other dogs....he's fine with people....he loves people...but other animals...no...so we just keep them at home....and they roughhouse so much that they tire each other out easily...they like to play 'steal whatever toy the other one has'....riely is too smart...Buddha will have a toy she wants...so instead of trying to take it...she does the bait and switch...she just grabs any other toy around and flaunts it in front of him...he drops whatever he's playing with "i want THAT one'....and she gets her toy....but then they just go back and forth doin the same thing...

buddha loves fetch...he's so pathetic though...he comes over and drops the ball...and nudges it towards you...and then gives you the puppy eyes...if you ignore him...he picks it up...and does it AGAIN....he's so hard to say no to....riely still hasn't gotten the grasp of 'GIVE ME THE BALL!!!!!'....I call him 'booboomuffin'....i lub my lil man...but he looks more like a hound now (plott hound/pit bull mix - when we went back to the SPCA for shots they're like 'oh...he's definitely a plott hound mix)

[monaliesa]

more pics

[monaliesa]

...

[DieselsMom]

I hope you don't mind me jumping in...

It sounds like you really need to find a new trainer. Personally, if this were me, I might reconsider even finishing this puppy class. It seems to me that if Buddha is going to be treated differently, that would just encourage him to behave as expected. He sounds like a pretty smart little guy and wants to do what is expected of him. I'd be afraid that bad advice from a trainer could only encourage him.

I know you mentioned his age somewhere, but I don't remember - was it 16 weeks old? If so, then good grief, Is this trainer serious?!?!?!

--Carol

[stacwase]

I'm not a pit bull owner myself. But - I don't see what the problem is!!! He's nice to people and he's nice to your dog. Big deal if he shows a little bit of alpha behavior with small dogs. SOMEBODY has to be alpha! If there's a problem, just don't bring him around small dogs when he's off leash!

I mean - Max is a shepherd/rott mix. He looks big and scary. He's sort of dominant as well. We live on the bus stop corner. Whenever the little kindergartners are being dropped off or picked up, Max is indoors. Whenever we take him for a walk in town, he's on a leash. When smaller dogs are around we keep a close eye on him.

We still love and enjoy him, and we won't let anybody make us feel bad about who he is. Max is Max, and we love him!

Budha is Budha. If he's not hurting anybody, and you're not having problems with him at home, then you're fine. Nobody should try to make you feel bad about him.

[KitKat023]

My JoJo(American Staffordshire Bull terrier/same thing as pitt) was never taken to a "trainer". Her parents were both champion pullers, and they enjoyed what they did. They were both trained very well, non-aggressive towards anything, but they all growled when they played, but it was just a playful growl. She was trained by her breeder, though she tries to play dumb a lot, she is very good with every thing except heel, when she goes for a walk, she's in control. You don't take her where she wants to go and she'll take you. He parents pulled, so can she. She was never trained for pullin, only for showing, but she decided to chase a parked car on day last year and hurt her nose, and put her out of the show ring. She is a sweetheart, and very protective of her brother Artica and her sister Sahara. She had a problem with cats, so when we moved, a friend kept her for a couple of weeks, so the kittens could get their smell about the house, and when JoJo came home, she smelled the cats, and decided they were here 1st. She quit trying to hurt them and now they lay together.

[monaliesa]

When I posted that thread...it was about a year ago actually...

now he's a full grown boy...he's about 1.5 years old now..if you look at the pics you can see how huge he is...he's way bigger than Riely...about 85 pounds maybe?

he's a sweet dog...they rarely go out on walks though...Buddha is too much for me to handle...he'd pull me down the street...

and they really play a LOT though...they roughhouse for hours every day so they get more than enough exercise...by the end of the night they're snoozin on the couch because they're tired...they also run up and down the stairs a lot...

it works for our little family though...they're totally content the way things are...they have plenty of fun with each other...

Buddha - he's a lil buttface to Riely sometimes...but she's just as bad...but when Rielys paws were hurt (hubby ran her a lil too much on concrete one day with his rollerblades and her pads got raw)...buddha kept walking over and licking her paws for her...and bringing the ball over to try to get her to play...and when he gets tired...he likes to snuggle with Riely

he did finish his puppy classes...and we still do his commands with him...he's very good at them...much better than Riely with listening...all in all...he's a big loveable doggie....

[KitKat023]

Yeah I saw the pics, and figured time had passed since it was posted, My JoJo is about 2 years and 2 months old. It was just something I saw that I had expirianced, so I though I would post anyways...

[monaliesa]

I feel you on the pulling thing...i mean...he weighs half as much as I do....

hubby says we need to get one of those big chain leads with the leather handle they use for the big dogs...where they have to stay right at your side because its really short...

I almost kinda like how they dont really go outside much...(besides out in the side yard but that is fenced)...they dont get fleas...they dont get worms or anything...they dont get very dirty....and no 'outside forces' to worry about....i mean...we control both of them and what happens in our house...

Buddha gets cold easily anyway...he hates it outside...he seems like he waits till he absolutely HAS to go and then he's like 'lemme back in!!!'....he wont even pee and poo at the same trip outside...he runs out..pees....and then comes back in...and 2 minutes later he's like 'I gotta take a crapppp!!!!'....sometimes he begs at the door for a while and REALLY wants to go out...and we open the door...and either its too cold...wet...raining...or too dark and he wont go out unless I stand out there with him...and he runs away over to the other side of the room and kinda bows down like 'no...you cant MAKE me go!'....

its a SMALL fenced patio...he's such a wuss...

but when they're outside...there might be a cat they wanna chase...or I could be caught off guard and drop the leash...or we could get run over by a car...and in my house theres no strange people I have to worry about whether they'll wanna bark at or lick or whatever...

they have each other...and we play with them inside a lot...they seem like happy campers to me...

[KitKat023]

JoJo, well she seems to get into more trouble then the other 2 dogs, she taught the youngest how to mess up the cat liter, she tried to teach him how to torment the cats, but he took up for the cats. The cat's out number the dogs 2-1, I wouldn't mess with them if I was JoJo, 6 cats and 2 dogs to one dog??? even a pit wouldn't match those odds. I still remember when we couldn't get her to bark, she's very quiet... oh well, so much for quiet now....mailman... gotta go take Artica and Sahara outside to say hi and get their daily treats from him....(JoJo's already outside, but on the other side of the house...)

[monaliesa]

Buddha has his moments...

Like...if we both go upstairs...he sees that as a signal to go poo or pee downstairs...like "i was at the door, but you were upstairs and didn't let me out!"...

i swear...we could be downstairs for 10 hours and the 5 minutes we go upstairs he'd poo...

I think he's just thinking 'muahahaha...now I dont have to go outside in the cold...'....he wouldnt DARE squat if we were sitting right there...but since we're out of sight he's a lil ass....

Riely just likes to chew up random stuff while we're gone...we THINK everything is out of her reach...but she finds SOMETHING off our "learning heap of a kitchen table full of crap we dont want Riely to chew up"....actually I dont think I've ever eaten on that table...even once...its just a 'high surface' for piling stuff on...

[KitKat023]

all mine like paper, or if they see something on a counter top or up high, they will enlist a cat to knock it down, or if a cat want's in something, they will knock it down for the dog to open and well you get the idea.... my house is a disaster after having the flu..... one of our bed rooms has our only bathroom in it, they've decided that if we can go inside so can they.... scary...we've had to restart potty training all over agian....that's exactly why JoJo is outside..... JoJo likes to run off and make me chase her, my other 2 stay in my or my neighbors yards, where I can see them(my neighbors welcome them any time) so I don't keep them on runners like I do jojo. We don't have a fenced in area for any of them as we rent this house(can't wait to get out of here into my mom's house after she builds her new house!) But when we move, they will have a fence and a big yard to play in!

[monaliesa]

our only prerequisite for househunting was 'a fenced area'....

we live in a townhouse...and we finally found a place with a small fenced patio...its probably 15x8' or so...its concrete except for a small strip at the far end where there are 2 small trees...the first thing we did was put up a small fence to fence of that area...

they were so used to being on a leash and going in our front yard when we rented...they headed for the SMALL piece of dirt area in the yard...and were making a mess...

it took them a while to get used to peeing and poopin on concrete...but its easy for us to just scoop and hose down...the old yard was a pain in the ass...with poo...if it rained getting all soggy and stuck in the grass...and the grass was dying from the pee...concrete is much easier...and they dont step in it as much cuz they can see it better...

[KitKat023]

lol, when my youngest pup goes next door(fenced in) for the day, they have more yard that concrete and he goes on the concrete..... don't understand him....I posted about him earlier, about how he acts blind...

[monaliesa]

doggies are weird..

when we first moved they were like...

"but mommy...theres no grass! where do I go???"

[Layka3000]

Doggies are not weird they are sooooo, cute!:mad:

[monaliesa]

weird in a cute way...

okay fine...MY dogs are weird...really...they are..

...but the only reason they get away with HALF of the stuff they do is because they're so darn cute...

Riely is seriously IN LOVE with my husband...like...she seriously is like stalker obsessed...anytime we hug or anything...she's right over his shoulder when I open my eyes...6 inches from my face...staring at me like "what are you doing with MY daddy????"

she edges me out in bed! hubby wakes up and she's wedged herself inbetween us (feet kicking ME of course)...he puts his arm over her in his sleep and wakes up thinking its me...

nope..its Riely...happy as a friggin clam...spooning with my husband....

she's freaks out when he even goes outside to his truck to get something...agitated and whimpering...'noooo come baaaack'...

she spends all day on the back of the loveseat like a cat...looking through the blinds...waiting for daddy...

she can't stand if he pays ANY attention to Buddha...she gets inbetween them...jumps on him...bites Buddha...or tries to divert his attention with a toy...

she just sits at the end of the couch and stares at me...we always make up what we think she's saying in her head "i hate you mommy...I'm gonna kill you in your sleep and then daddy will be ALL mine'...

or... "I wish I were a person...*sigh*..."

and he just encourages her...she's crazy...seriously...

[KitKat023]

ok, funniest thing happened last night, JoJo, Sahara and Artica all 3 got new toys for christmas, we were up at 12 so we gave them to them. Sahara and JoJo both got squeker toys. JoJo won't share with th other dogs, but sahara shared her squeker with Artica. JoJo heard artica's squeker and jumped on him growling and smaked him with her paw(didn't hurt him) he laid down and started crying like he was really hurt. Chris(hubby) picked him up and told him he was alright, he saw me sitting on the couch and jumped right into my lap and hugged me as tightly as he could. He would not get down for anything in the world until we got her out of sight. when it came time for bed, he saw her and jumped right in bed with me, not in between me and chris, but infront of me, chris laid behind me. They are all very jealous of each other, but Artica is patient. He knows that after the other 2 are done jumping and barking and having a fit, he'll get some lovin's! Last night, when he was laying in my lap(he is quite big for a lap dog) jojo even came up, gave chris her toy and licked artica's nose, as if to say sorry. they are so funny sometimes!!

[pit chic]

I'm glad to see you still have Buddha. If you haven't already, do lots of homework on Pit Bulls. It is important to know about the breed's history, especially the fighting aspect. Here is a very important phrase to live by when owning a Pit Bull: never trust a pit bull not to fight. While Buddha may not be a fighter if he ever got into a squabble with another dog, you can expect him to fight like a pro and he won't stop until he or the other dog is dead. Please don't confuse animal aggression with human aggression. They are totally different. Dogs view other dogs as "competition" and we as humans are the providers and protectors, not to be harmed. This especially holds true for Pits. Don't be affraid to tell people what he really is, but be prepared to defend our great breed. That is another reason why you need to learn as much as you can about the breed so that you can defend it and educate others. www.pbrc.net is a good website that gives a lot of non-sugar coated info on the breed. Petsmart also has a magazine called Bully Breeds that gives good info on Pits, AmStaffs, Staffie Bulls and the kinds of activities you can do with your dogs.

Sorry my reply is so late, I'm new to this site.

[KitKat023]

JoJo is an amer staff, she doesn't bite, she slaps, she has gotten into fights and ended up in situations where she protected me and our house, but she has neer bit a person or another dog, she just wrestles them down and uses that growl she has, and keeps the person or dog on the ground until my hubby, my best friend or I call her off. She is rougher than my other 2 dogs at play, but she still has never bit, even when put in a situation where most would.