I've fallen in love with a pit bull (1 Viewer)

[Eric Eash]

good luck rain, i'm a huge dog lover, not so much for cats. i do like cats that act like dogs, but that's why i have dogs. i would take it very easy while introducing the dog to the cats. very easy, like dating a girl that wants to stay a virgin til she's 30, very slow. like 20 dates before a hug slow. once a cat gets in their mind that the dog is a threat, i don't think it will ever change, and everytime the cat makes body langauge like the dog bothers them, this will entice the dog. on the plus side, pit bulls are great dogs. they are great guard dogs, they can be very obidient, and can be some of the sweetest dogs around. but they can also be mean, like in all the reports. as long as they are cared for and loved, this shouldn't ever be a problem. another thing to do is to introduce him to as many dogs and people as possible. let kids come and pet him, let everyone pet him, with his muzzle on for awhile. it sucks about all the attacks so you might not get that many people who want to pet him, but reassure them and they will. getting him used to kids will be one of the best things you can do, whether it's a pit bull or golden retrevier. one of the things that make the pit bull so dangerous is the amount of energy they have. amazing amounts. i once saw my friends pit bull chew through a tree with a 3in. diameter just because he said to. because of this energy, he will need lots of walks and probably runs to keep him from getting bored quickly. another suggestion is to keep the punishments very easy. it is perfectly okay to correct him, but be careful about using your hands to do it. use something like a rolled up newspaper or paper towel roll, or even a squirt bottle. this will lower aggresion towards you while he is getting corrected. i have a 110lb. alaskan malamute who could fit my neck in his mouth easily if he wanted to, but ever since he was a puppy, i've let him know i was boss. most times when he acts up, i slam him to the ground and just hold him there for a few seconds. this is something his mother would do, so it's okay. i just try to get my point across without hurting him, and he doesn't get irate and i know he understands. after i correct him i make sure to reassure him that i love him and then he's real good for awhile. i try to remember that he is a dog, so i let alot of stuff slide. the funny thing is that he doesn't get upset went i correct him, but he does when i tell him to get off the bed. he's so funny. anyways, good luck again, can't wait to see the pic. here is a pic of my pups
Dogs

eric

 

[Rain]

Sally really isn't an issue. She has no credibility with the shelter staff at all. On the other hand, they have come to trust me.

If I didn't have the cats, I'm pretty sure they'd give me Red without hesitation.

 

[Rain]

Now without further hesitation...




You'll have to take my word that he's cuter in person. The colours in the photo got a little botched, as it was taken from an Adobe file.

 

[Eric Eash]

he looks pure bred with very good skull structure and those famous jaw muscles. how is his skin cause it looks a little "red" around his eyes and nose, could be just the photo, but my mal started to get that around his nose, turns out he is allergic to plastic, so i had to change his water bowl to glass. good looking pit though, what a smile.

eric

 

[Rain]

Eric,

The picture is overly red due to the transfer from Adobe.

The skin condition your dog got from drinking out of a plastic bowl was likely not an allergy to plastic, but rather acne.

Acne on a dog or cat doesn't look like it does on people. It can become quite red and inflamed and look pretty scary.

It is caused by bacteria, which hangs out in the little microscopic nooks and crannies in plastic bowls.

No animal should ever be fed from plastic dishes. Stainless steel (which is what Red eats from), ceramic or glass are the only ways to go.

 

[Eric Eash]

oops, wrong thread. sorry guys

eric

 

[MattBu]

do you guys think that a bunch of extremely powerful magnets will do anything to my receiver, dvd player, and amp or no. the design i'm working on uses many powerful magnets. new thoughts just keep popping into my head, this thing is going to work.

Uhh...soconfusedamI.

 

[Eric Eash]

rain, that's what the vet said it was and once i changed bowls, it slowly went away.

eric

 

[Walt N]

I've never heard that about plastic bowls before, but my Shepherd has had low grade rash around his muzzle that I've been treating on and off with antibiotics for around a year now. I toss their bowls into the dishwasher once a week, but maybe that's not enough. I never even thought of his bowls as a suspect, but it makes sense.

My vet never suggested anythng about changing bowls, but I did change them all to stainless steel and I'm going to sterilize them more often. Thanks for the tip, I hope it helps keep that rash from coming back.

That's a good looking dog there, Rain. There's a passing resemblence to Mike Tyson but he looks more intelligent. Good luck with him, I hope he finds a good home with you eventually, or someone you think will treat him like a king.

 

[Craig S]

I had not heard the bit about plastic bowls either. I am now going to go buy my cats some stainless steel bowls for Christmas.

It's amazing what you learn on this forum.

Rain, good luck on your continuing efforts with Red.

 

[Rain]

Plastic bowls are problematic, no matter how often you wash them.

_______

I had Red at home again this afternoon. After putting the cats away in another room, I took the muzzle off. He made himself right at home on the sofa and pretty much snoozed the entire time, only stirring when I got up to do something.

He's so much calmer in the home environment than in the kennels, which is nice to see.

I'm going to bring him home on a regular basis and will allow him some limited interaction with the cats (with muzzle) in the hopes that they'll all get a bit more used to each other.

 

[Eric Eash]

i haven't know many people that own big dogs, especially ones that are territorial such as pack animals, my malamute, pit bulls, pretty much anything short of a golden retriever, that also owned cats. i know of a bunch of people that have both, but they said they introduced either both of them as puppies/kittens or at least one of them when they were young. my malamute doesn't like anything that is smaller than him, doesn't matter what it is. as much as i love my malamute, i almost wish i would've got a golden retriever. hell, i should've just gotten a wolf, would probably be the same experience. you mentioned that red was a little skidish, did this stem from any beating? i've heard of dogs having built of anger which is not a good thing. i know you are ready to give him lots of love though which would be what he needs. also glad to hear sally is off your back somewhat. she sounds crazy and very deceitful, so i wouldn't trust her. keep the updates coming.

eric

 

[Rain]

I doubt that Red was beaten because he's really great with people. He's not shy with people and is always happy to get attention from them. Of course I can't be 100% sure as he was abandoned and we don't really know his history.

It's not impossible to introduce a pit bull into a household with other animals. I have a friend who adopted an adult pit bull and successfully integrated him into his home with another dog and two cats.

Anyway, I'm off to the shelter. I figure I have no plans for today, am broke and Red is a cheap date, so I may as well hang out with him again. The truth is, I miss him when he's not around.

 

[Steve Zatkoff]

Here is where his breed is a problem. If I was dealing with a small dog or even a collie or something, I could pretty much let him go after the cats, knowing the cats could adequately defend themselves if needed.

This couldn't be farther from the truth. A Jack Russell terrier could easily rip the stuffing out of a fully armed cat.

If you raise your arm to him in a threatening motion, does he flinch? If so, he may have been abused. We adopted our dog Roscoe when he was 9 months old. A dog trainer indicated that he may have been abused, after he quickly moved his arm toward Roscoe in what could have been perceived as he was going to strike the dog and Roscoe cowered back from him.

Red is a good looking boy

Steve

 

[MattBu]

This couldn't be farther from the truth. A Jack Russell terrier could easily rip the stuffing out of a fully armed cat

That's not true whatsoever. I will put my 16 pound feral cat up against any Jack Russell Terrier in the Universe.



Does more need to be said?

 

[Drew Bethel]

Now we're on - my cat will kick the shit out of your dog

 

[Matt Gordon]

Great pic, Matt!!!!

 

[Steve Zatkoff]

Cute cat.

"I used to tell people who wanted a Jack Russell, 'They could kill a cat,' " says Suzanne Tolleson, a Conway, N.H., breeder. "But a lot of people just look at this cute dog they've seen in the media and don't take it seriously. Now I say, "They could slaughter a cat.'

Go to this http://www.angelfire.com/my/jackruss...atsBarking.htm or any Jack Russell website and you will get the same answer.

Dead cat......

Sorry.

 

[MattBu]

That's your proof? Im sure a Jack Russell thinks it's helluva tough.

And listen, I could be killed for telling you this,

but

My cat is a trained ninja


So...you've been warned.

 

[Rain]

It's been a while since I've posted anything on HTF, but I thought it was about time for an update.

Today is Xmas Day and I spent the day with Red. I couldn't have asked for a better gift or a better day.

The good news is, he's continuing to improve in almost every way. He's completely responsive to me now, has become a very easy walk on the leash and, best of all, he seems to be becoming less and less interested in the cats.

Hopefully the Behaviourist will have a chance to come over some time after Xmas. I think he's going to be encountering a very different dog than the one he met before.

I took some cute photos of Red today, including one holiday-themed shot. Once they are ready, I'll put some up and you guys will see how cute he really is.

Thanks again to everyone who contributed input. Happy Xmas!