My Temporary (Potentially Permanent) Addition

[Roxyluvsme13]

Well, I was really sad that we had to rehome Duke, but I've discovered that I'm not a hound dog person and he is very happy in his new home.

I started looking on Petfinder and of course, I was drawn to a particular breed. However, I never figured my mom would agree to this, but here he is.

Meet Brennan!


I've researched my eyeballs out on Pit Bulls, but I've realized that you really don't understand a lot of the research and things people say until you are actually "owning" one.

He is very energetic, is a work in progress training-wise, and is a huge lovebug!

I, of course, expected the cats and Lily to have a bit of a freakout, and they did. I rushed into introductions though, but I have realized I have to slow things down and take the time to really think about things, as he is a Pit Bull and there are of course risks in owning one.

I think we're leaning towards keeping him, but we'll see how tonight and tomorrow goes to decide for sure.

He's getting enrolled in obedience classes very soon too, as he definitely needs them. I think I'm going to try a "training in your home" trainer. I have to call and make an appointment for her to evaluate him .

Just wanted to introduce him, as I've been exploding with excitement all week in keeping him a secret!

[Freedom]

Hi Brennan!

Wow, he is handsome! How old is he?

Pitties are a wonderful breed, but they do need constant training -- reminding of what's allowed and what isn't (kinda like my Willy, lol).

I always tell folks to take group obedience classes. A dog doesn't learn much in one hour, but you sure do. And you learn from watching others, they make comments which help you. And your dog is around other people and other dogs, which helps with socializing. One on one costs lots more, and you are missing a whole element. There are situations where 1 on 1 is proper, but not for initial training unless the dog is anti dog social.

Well, good luck with him! Cats do take time to adjust to a newbie in the home, and new dog takes them longer than a new cat. Mine start by hiding. Next I'll see them peaking around corners, gazing down from counter tops and the fridge. Eventually they will walk in and out of the room the dog is in, lol.

[Roxyluvsme13]

Hi Brennan!

Wow, he is handsome! How old is he?

Pitties are a wonderful breed, but they do need constant training -- reminding of what's allowed and what isn't (kinda like my Willy, lol).

I always tell folks to take group obedience classes. A dog doesn't learn much in one hour, but you sure do. And you learn from watching others, they make comments which help you. And your dog is around other people and other dogs, which helps with socializing. One on one costs lots more, and you are missing a whole element. There are situations where 1 on 1 is proper, but not for initial training unless the dog is anti dog social.

Well, good luck with him! Cats do take time to adjust to a newbie in the home, and new dog takes them longer than a new cat. Mine start by hiding. Next I'll see them peaking around corners, gazing down from counter tops and the fridge. Eventually they will walk in and out of the room the dog is in, lol.

He's a little over a year old they think, but can't tell for sure as he was rescued off the streets. Poor guy was living on mulch when his previous family found him and took him in.

I'm having a lot of trouble finding any obedience classes around here. I don't really want to do a Petsmart/Petco class as I read online that they're not usually the best. I really need to keep searching though and see if I can find a class. He's definitely gotta get enrolled as soon as possible.

Yeah, the cats hide, but as soon as I take Brennan in my room and crate him, they come out. He tries to chase them (as they are a new object and I guess the high prey drive thing?) but he has to learn they are not chew toys or breakfast!

I've already seen some of the constant reminding needed in action! lol. It's going to be a lot of work, but I think I can handle it.

[Sowa]

He is beautiful. I hope it works for you and him

[Roxyluvsme13]

Thanks

The cats are fine as long as Brennan is in another room, so with time, I think they may be able to adjust.

We've decided we're keeping him .

So, here's a couple more pictures!




We're off to buy him some dog food. Probably starting him on 4health lamb and rice for now, might switch to something completely grain-free later on.

And I'll try getting some better pictures of him outside in the near future when I have time .

Learned this morning that he's going to need constant reminders, as Sandie said! But he's still doing well with "sit" and "Down".

[luvofallhorses]

He is very handsome! Bri, you need to know he some day may not get along with Lily. You need to be prepared to seperate them permanently. It's a HUGE commitment. He may never learn that cats are off limits either. Please get a breakstick ASAP. It's better for you to have one, than him going after Lily or your cats and you cannot get them apart and he can do more damage to your cats and Lily than they can since they are little compared to him.

The breaksticks are only to be used with pit bulls though, not other breeds. No dog parks or dog daycares for him either! I really hope it works out, but you need to sit down with your mom and really think about it before making such a huge commitment and have her look at these links as well so you are on the same page. I know you said he is your responsibilty, but she may learn some things too about this wonderful breed.

http://www.pbrc.net/breakfight.html
http://www.pbrc.net/shop/bsticks.html
http://www.pbrc.net/multidogs.html

http://www.pbrc.net/rotate.html

Doing intros the right way:
http://www.pbrc.net/training_cat_dog.html
http://www.pbrc.net/dogintros.html

http://www.pbrc.net/training.html

http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/leash-walking/

You also need to make sure your house insurance will cover a pit bull. Check into it, if you're keeping him, you will have to get insurance that covers him.
http://www.badrap.org/insurance-providers

http://www.badrap.org/node/97
http://www.badrap.org/what-expect

[Roxyluvsme13]

He is very handsome! Bri, you need to know he some day may not get along with Lily. You need to be prepared to seperate them permanently. It's a HUGE commitment. He may never learn that cats are off limits either. Please get a breakstick ASAP. It's better for you to have one, than him going after Lily or your cats and you cannot get them apart and he can do more damage to your cats and Lily than they can since they are little compared to him.

The breaksticks are only to be used with pit bulls though, not other breeds. No dog parks or dog daycares for him either! I really hope it works out, but you need to sit down with your mom and really think about it before making such a huge commitment.

http://www.pbrc.net/breakfight.html
http://www.pbrc.net/shop/bsticks.html
http://www.pbrc.net/multidogs.html

http://www.pbrc.net/rotate.html

Doing intros the right way:
http://www.pbrc.net/training_cat_dog.html
http://www.pbrc.net/dogintros.html

http://www.pbrc.net/training.html

http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/leash-walking/

You also need to make sure your house insurance will cover a pit bull.
http://www.badrap.org/insurance-providers

http://www.badrap.org/node/97
http://www.badrap.org/what-expect

Yeah, I've thought about that. We're borrowing his previous family's crate for now and keeping them separated until we get our own crate. Doing a crate and rotate situation, or something very similar to that without the crates for the cats.

I'm hoping that if he ever has issues with Lily I'll be able to move out by that time where he is an only dog, but if not we can handle separation.

I've already informed my mom to keep them separated and all of the other important things, I'll have to teach her about a breakstick too.

Thanks for all the info, I'll be sure to read everything

[IRescue452]

No dog parks? My dogs play with pitties at dog parks all the time. Of course with any new adult dog you want to be sure of their personality and training first.

He's beautiful. Please remember that cats can take weeks to get used to a new dog. My mom's cat, Jojo, still runs sometimes when the dogs get too hyper. He will rub up against them if they're calm. She's had him for almost a year I think.

[luvofallhorses]

You are welcome! I love his sweet face, he reminds me of Gotti from our shelter who got adopted and Bandit a pit bull I worked with.

Irescue: No dog parks because they do not need dog friends. If another dog instigates a fight and your dog reacts the dog will get blamed because it's a pit bull. I would not risk it as there is enough bad rap on this wonderful breed don't need more news stories. All the training in the world can not bring out dog aggression. You can only manage it. There are safer places to take a pit bull than a dog park. Bri, there is a sticky on PBC about pit bulls and dog parks and safe places to take your bulldog.

[IRescue452]

I just don't agree with that. If you know your pittie has been socialized and does fine with other animals then you shouldn't treat it like you expect it to bite, or maybe it will bite because its reacting to your body signals and being on end all the time. Dogs learn how to be dogs and obey "dog" rules by learning from other dogs. There are limits to how much humans can communicate with dogs. Not to mention that mental stimulation is way more important to mental health than straight physical exercise. Running next to a bicycle with no ability to sniff and take things in is only enough for the body, nothing for the mind. If you were trapped in a room with nothing but a treadmill to run on you'd go nuts even if you got physical exercise every day. Put a muzzle on your dog if you want to be perfectly safe against your dog biting. My dog has been attacked by a beagle at the dog park. A beagle! No dog is 100% safe at the dog park but any breed has the potential to be 90% safe. You can't live in a bubble and its inhumane to keep a dog in a bubble just because of its breed. Might as well put all pitties down than have them have that quality of life. I'm not saying they should go to the dog park per se, but they should get mental stimulation and walks in places where there are scents and sights of other animals is great for that. Its not something that should be off limits to all pitties as soon as they are born.

[kaycountrygal]

Big dog. Big responsibility. Big JOB. Good Luck.

[luvofallhorses]

Oh come on. You act like I am demonizing the breed when you know I LOVE them. It's called being responsible. Never expect a pit bull not to fight, they were bred to fight other dogs and it's just irresponsible to take a pit bull to a dog park with other strange dogs. I would much rather do a play date with a friend's dog the dog knows rather than a dog park where there are strange and rude pushy dogs that could cause a fight and the owner cannot pay attention.

I have been around them my whole life and dog aggression is common and I work with them at a shelter and the adults we get in are dog aggression. It's not a fault, it's just bred into them like a lab is bred to retrieve and a hound is bred to hunt.

I am not telling her to keep her dog in a bubble LOL I am just saying that it's not safe to take a pit bull to a dog park where there are STRANGE other dogs that could cause a fight and her dog might finish it and get blamed. We do not need any more bad press, it's called being a RESPONSIBLE owner. Hell I wouldn't take any of my dogs to a dog park if there was one and when I own my APBT I won't. There are much safer places to socialize your dog than a dog park like a strictly supervised playdate with a friend or relatives dog.

You should read this Irescue. Bad rap is a reptuable organization. Maybe you will understand better..
http://www.badrap.org/dog-parks

[dab_20]

He is a beautiful dog!!! Glad to hear its working out. Good luck with training.

^to the above posts, I avoid taking my dogs to any dog park... Just have had so many bad experiences with them. Better find a friend who has a dog and do play dates. Doggy socialization is a must, especially with a larger dog.

[Roxyluvsme13]

I'm going to take him to Petsmart and places once he calms down some. He's gotta learn some manners before I feel comfortable taking him somewhere like that, as right now he would be a little bit of an embarrassment LOL.

He completely ignored a cat outside when I told him to leave it today. So proud of him . He's doing better, he just needs some work .

ETA: This was my 9000th post, hehe

[*LabLoverKEB*]

He is so beautiful Bri!! Congratulations on your new addition! I'm so very happy for you!

I just don't agree with that. If you know your pittie has been socialized and does fine with other animals then you shouldn't treat it like you expect it to bite, or maybe it will bite because its reacting to your body signals and being on end all the time. Dogs learn how to be dogs and obey "dog" rules by learning from other dogs. There are limits to how much humans can communicate with dogs. Not to mention that mental stimulation is way more important to mental health than straight physical exercise. Running next to a bicycle with no ability to sniff and take things in is only enough for the body, nothing for the mind. If you were trapped in a room with nothing but a treadmill to run on you'd go nuts even if you got physical exercise every day. Put a muzzle on your dog if you want to be perfectly safe against your dog biting. My dog has been attacked by a beagle at the dog park. A beagle! No dog is 100% safe at the dog park but any breed has the potential to be 90% safe. You can't live in a bubble and its inhumane to keep a dog in a bubble just because of its breed. Might as well put all pitties down than have them have that quality of life. I'm not saying they should go to the dog park per se, but they should get mental stimulation and walks in places where there are scents and sights of other animals is great for that. Its not something that should be off limits to all pitties as soon as they are born.

I am very much in-between with agreeing with this as well as no dog parks. Im honestly not really a fan of dog parks, period. BUT, I really truly believe that we cannot clump all dogs that happen to be a bully breed as being aggressive. When really it should be based on an individual dog basis. I had a dangerously dog aggressive LAB! In all my years I have never met any other dog regardless of breed more viscous than she was.... yes, she was what I would consider to be viscous. But then again I'm all for responsible dog ownership and accidents need to be taken into consideration as they very well could happen!