new dog

[~vxn~]

wow, i can't believe my victim let me have a dog!  (he's a cat person.)  i think he secretly likes this dog more than he lets on.  i've seen him go into the back yard and talk to her.     that's so cute.

[Locutus]

What kind of dog is it?

[~vxn~]

the former owner claims she is a pit mix.  (she looks a little like a lab + ?)  i think she is under 2 years old.

they starved her all summer.  i fed her daily and brought her water.  they are moving this weekend (and it seemed they planned to leave her there to die). 

i'll try to get a pic uploaded somewhere and post it.

[~vxn~]

well, that was quick.  lol.

here is the dog this past summer with one of her pups:



happy dog:


looking to see what's in the window:


mmm... it's a cat!

[Sandy Eggo]

I think she's wrong about her being a pit-bull mix too.

The body shape is interesting and actually reminds me of a boxer (ignore the bobbed tail). Boxers can come in brindle too:



But the head, especially the snout is definitely not boxer. It could be lab, like you said or Sheppard.



Just guessing. Maybe we should just call her a "lucky girl", 'coz she now has a loving home. What a good mommy she seems to be.

[~vxn~]

my brother told me last night that they tried to tell him the dog was a purebred.  (he took one of her puppies this past summer.)  there is no way. 

she is such a sweet animal.  the kids love playing with her.  she's not a fetcher-bringer-backer... she a fetcher-grabber-keep on goinger.  lol.

[Exterminator]

Yay for your getting a dog and you're awesome for rescuing her!!!

You can teach her to be a fetcher-bringer-backer...just takes time and two tennis balls.  Throw one and as soon as she runs and gets it, make the one you're holding the new fun toy.  If she drops the first ball before coming back, walk to where it is before throwing out the second.  Since the fun is in chasing the moving ball, she'll figure out pretty quickly that the sooner she brings back the last ball, the sooner she gets to run after the next one.

What you're seeing in action is a survival instinct dating back to before dogs were domesticated from wolves.  We call it prey drive and it was necessary for wolves to effectively hunt for their food but can also be useful in many aspects of training.  Feel free to give me a shout anytime you have any issues or problem behaviors.  I can usually help.  In the meantime, look for a book from the Monks of the New Skete called "How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend."  It'll be well worth your time and is a great starting point.

Notes: Keep your play/training sessions short and fun and always leave her wanting more; that'll keep her enthusiasm up.  When you're done with play/training, you take the balls and put them up; they're yours and she gets to play with them only on your terms...besides, the hair on tennis balls is abrasive and will wear the enamel off of her teeth if you let her chew on them.

Good luck!

[Sandy Eggo]

Thanks Ex, I learned something I didn' know about tennis balls. Think I'll replace the tennis ball that I've given him w/one of the hard rubber Kong balls.

[kimmi]

Her brindle color is so pretty!  My friend had two dogs that are pit mixes and they are the sweetest (sometimes whimpiest) dogs I know! 

[~vxn~]

thankx for the advice and recommendation... i'll look for that. 

i'm trying to break her of jumping on ppl.  (i'm afraid she might knock down the kids)  it seems she mostly jumps on me.  i think she just wants more affection.  (it's usually when i stop petting that she starts jumping...)

i'm still having a hard time thinking she looks pit... there really is no telling.  she's pretty either way. 

(the kids want to re-name her princess chewbacca....)  lolol..... they crack me up.

[tallulahdahling]

Squirt bottle filled with water will condition her to not jump.  Every time she jumps, give her a squirt and loudly say NO!

It works!   

[Exterminator]

The squirt bottle might work for some dogs but isn't very practical.  It can make a mess of your floors and clothing and how often do you just happen to find yourself carrying around a squirt bottle anyway?  When she jumps up, simply hold her up by her front paws and talk to her calmly. At some point she'll get uncomfortable and want down but don't let go. Eventually she will start to mouth your hands...that when to drop her.  If you do this every time she jumps on you, she'll figure out that jumping leads to an uncomfortable situation and she'll stop.

[Sandy Eggo]

What about if they jump on other people? Especially men. Our puppy has figured out that my daughter and I are cuddlers and he comes to us when he wants affection, however, my son wrestles with him and he thinks all men want to wrestle, so if I'm walking past someone, he leaps and dives to get to them. He's about 75 lbs now and it's getting harder to hold him back. (I'm guessing at the weight, but he weighed 65 at the vets 3 months ago).

[Exterminator]

To solve this you'll need to actually set the dog up to fail so that you can correct him.  It would be easier to explain to your son that his behavior is inconsistent with what you are trying to teach the dog (not) to do.

[~vxn~]

thanks again, e.  i will try this out...

(she was howling today--so i walked outside sat next to her and howled too.  she licked my face.  lol....)

my grandmother used to say dog's howling meant death.