QuestionTHANK YOU VERY MUCH DANIELA... BUT I'M PRETTY SURE HE REALLY WAS AROUND THREE WEEKS BECAUSE I TOOK HIM TO THE VET AFTER I HAD HIM FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND THE VET SAID THAT HE LOOKED ABOUT 4WKS, NOT 3...(THAT WAS MY FAULT, I FORGOT TO TELL YOU). AND FOR THAT WEEK I FED HIM 3 TIMES A DAY(AND STILL DO) AND GAVE HIM MILK SOMETIMES IN BETWEEN SO BY THE TIME I TOOK HIM TO THE VET, IM SURE HE WAS WELL NOURISHED... I WISH I HAD CONTACT WITH THIS GUY CUZ I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHEN RASCAL WAS BORN... I ALSO REALLY THINK HE JUST TOOK THE PUPPIES AWAY FROM THE MOTHER TOO SOON... I KNOW THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AT LEAST 6 WKS, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU... I DON'T THINK HE CARED... IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND I'M SURE HE WAS JUST TRYING TO GET RID OF THEM, YOU KNOW... ALSO, ABOUT THE HOUSEBREAKING... I WILL DEFINITELY BE PATIENT AND CONSISTENT... I JUST WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT AGE IS NORMAL FOR ME TO TRAIN HIM WHERE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM... I'M SURE THERE IS AN AGE WHERE IT'S TOO YOUNG... I DON'T WANT TO BE GETTING FRUSTRATED IF IT'S NO USE ANYWAY BECAUSE THE DOG DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON YET, YOU KNOW... IS THERE AN ACTUAL AGE WHEN I SHOULD BE ABLE TO SAY..."OK, NOW IF HE DOESN'T LEARN, THAN III HAVE FAILED, AND NOT BECAUSE SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH HIS BLADDER OR ANYTHING"... IS THERE THE RIGHT AGE WHEN THEY START BEING ABLE TO COMPREHEND WHEN I TELL HIM "NO" AND HIS MIND ACTUALLY STARTS TURNING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT I'M SAYING AND WHY I PUT HIM ON THE PAPER... AND IF I HIT HIM WITH A PAPER NOW ON THE BUTT AND HE IS ONLY A FEW WEEKS, WILL THAT MAKE HIM SCARED OF ME, OR PEOPLE OR JUST IN GENERAL? ... I DON'T WANT HIM HAVING FEAR PROBLEMS BECAUSE I KNOW IT WILL LEAD TO AGGRESSION IN THE FUTURE AND I DON'T WANT HIM TO FEAR ME, I WANT HIM TO RESPECT ME... THANK YOU!
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The text above is a follow-up to ...
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HEY DANIELA! I SEE YOU'RE GREAT WITH ADVICE AND YOU'RE STRAIGHT TO THE POINT, SO...
I GOT A NEWBORN APBT ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO OUTSIDE OF PETSMART AND THE GUY LIED TO ME AND SAID HE WAS 8WEEKS... ME, NOT KNOWING ANY BETTER, BELIEVED HIM BUT WHEN I ASKED A VET AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE RAISED PITS, SAID HE LOOKED CLOSE TO 3 WEEKS... SO I'M ASSUMING HE'S ABOUT 6 WEEKS NOW... I'VE BEEN FEEDING HIM GOAT'S MILK FROM A SMALL NEWBORN PUPPY BOTTLE AND MUSHED-UP, DRY, ORGANIC PUPPY FOOD MIXED WITH WATER AND SOMETIMES THE GOAT'S MILK... I WANT THE BEST FOR HIM, HOWEVER,...
1) I REALLY DON'T KNOW IF HE'S STILL TOO YOUNG AND IF IT'S DEFINITELY OUT OF THE QUESTION TO TRAIN HIM NOT TO GO ALL OVER MY APT, BUT IN THE LITTER OF NEWSPAPERS... I HAVE SCOLDED HIM WHEN I FIRST GOT HIM BUT AFTER READING UP ON EVERTHING, REALIZED I WAS FOOLISH AND I SHOULD JUST PICK HIM UP WHEN HE'S FINISHED AND PLACE HIM WHERE I WANT HIM TO GO... IT HAS DONE NOTHING... HE HAS GONE ON THE NEWSPAPERS A FEW TIMES BUT THAT'S IT...
2) I'VE READ THIS IN THE OTHER QUESTIONS BUT DIDN'T FULLY GET THE POTENTIAL ANSWER SPECIFICALLY REGARDING MY DOG... SINCE HE'S ABOUT 6 WKS NOW, I WOULD GUESS HIM CONSTANTLY GOING FOR MY HANDS AND TRYING TO NIP AT MY FACE IS NORMAL... HOWEVER, IF I TELL HIM "NO" FOR TRYING TO PLAY ROUGH, OR TAKING HIM OUT OF HIS CRATE TO CLEAN UP HIS MESS, HE REALLY SNAPS AT ME AND STARTS TO GROWL SO BAD, IT SCARES ME... HE DOES IT TO MY BOYFRIEND AND MY FATHER TOO SO I KNOW IT'S NOT JUST A "FEMALE THING". ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF HIS AGE, I'M WORRIED THAT HIM ALREADY SHOWING HIS TEETH TO ME AND GOING CRAZY IS SHOWING HIS PERSONALITY WHEN HE'S AN ADULT... AND AT LEAST I CAN CALM HIM NOW BUT PUTTING HIM ON HIS SIDE AND SAYING "SHHHH" IN A FIRM TONE BUT I'M AFRAID WHEN HE GETS OLDER AND DOES THAT, HE CAN SERIOUSLY ATTACK ME... I HAVE ONLY HIT HIM HARD ONCE ON HIS BUTT FOR DOING THAT TO ME AND I JUST TRY TO CALM HIM NOW CUZ I DON'T WANT HIM TO BE AGGRESSIVE AT ALL BUT I STILL WANT HIM TO KNOW THAT IM THE "LEADER" AND WANT HIM TO SUBMIT TO ME... WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN??? PLEASEEEEEEEEEE HELPPP... I WOULD SO GREATLY APPRECIATE IT...
OTHER THAN THAT, HE SLEEPS WITH ME AND MY BOYFRIEND, HE COULD BE SUCH A SWEETHEART, HE LOVES PEOPLE BECAUSE I HAD HIM AROUND EVERYONE I KNOW SINCE I GOT HIM AND OTHER DOGS AS WELL... IT'S JUST THE TRAINING, I DON'T KNOW HOW OLD HE SHOULD BE AND IF IT'S IMPOSSIBLE AT THIS AGE AND IF IT'S NORMAL THAT HE GOES INTO ATTACK MODE WHEN HE'S PLAYING... IS IT BECAUSE HE'S AWAY FROM HIS MOM AND SHE COULDN'T TEACH HIM NOT TO PLAY ROUGH? I READ THAT SOMEWHERE...
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hey, to you too!!thank you for your compliments, I'm great with advice ( because, i know a lot) and yes, i'm straight when it comes to pit dogs!. you did put a smile on my face, you remind me when i first started with pits about 21 years ago, i had similar questions and confusion about..... let's start( this won't be short, because it can't be and i want to help you to do the right thing in raising your new puppy) 1)i do not believe he was 3 weeks old, puppy should not be separated from their mother until 6 weeks old , puppy 3 weeks old is very small and fragile, probably he was looking that young because he was unnourished. you can't be sure is he real pit, ( could be mix, but looking like a pit) i guess you didn't get no any paper( pedigree) for him. you're feeding him the right way, you can get eukanuba puppy( it's the best) and grind the food and mix with warm water. it will take some time to train him and need a lot of patience( I'm sure you have it, you "sounds" very promising and smart, I'm sure you'll make it!!)2)about his aggressiveness, there's nothing to worry about, he's still just a puppy. BUT, REMEMBER, NEVER, NEVER LET HIM TO SNARL ( when he get little older, around 2 months old), SNAP OR SHOW ANY AGGRESSION TO YOU OR ANYONE ELSE( HUMAN) YOU HAVE TO CUT THIS IN EARLY STAGE, HE STILL DO NOT KNOW AND UNDERSTAND HIS STRENGTH AND POWER, BUT, LATER HE'LL KNOW, AND HE WON'T BE PUPPY ANYMORE, HE'LL HAVE A REAL TEETH AND HE'LL BE STRONG, AND HIS AGGRESSION WON'T BE A JOKE ANYMORE!!. the best thing is to slam him with a magazine or newspaper( they make a noise and he'll be afraid of,on his back end, not a head!!) EACH TIME HE SHOW ANY AGGRESSION TO YOU OR OTHERS, TRY DO NOT HIT HIM WITH YOUR HANDS, ONLY IN EXTREME SITUATIONS( later about this)i have been bitten by pits a few times, few times by my puppies(8 of them were playing on the back yard, and they usually start fighting around some toys or so, it was one male more aggressive than others, he start fight and soon all of them was involved in fight, i stopped the fight and he bit me in the face, but this WAS THE ONLY ONE TIME HE EVER BITE ME , OR BEEN AGGRESSIVE TO ME, HE REMEMBER HIS LESSON VERY WELL!!.) few times i was bitten by adults, but they were my friends dogs who were enough stupid to keep this kind of dogs!. my dogs never bite me( i use to have more than 25 adults on my back yard). REMEMBER, IT'S UP TO YOU IF HE'LL GROW UP LIKE AN AGGRESSIVE BULLDOG( MANY TIMES GENES PLAY THE ROLE TOO, BUT THIS IS ANOTHER STORY, stay in touch and I'll inform you in a future to come!! you have to know that is almost every pit( not all)when they mature will become dog aggressive, what is o.k.( I'm not supporting any dog fight, just telling the truth about breed)as long as he's not people aggressive , HE'S JUST FINE!!. KEEP HIM SOCIALIZED, ALONG ANOTHER PEOPLE, LET THEM TO PLAY WITH HIM AND SPECIALLY CHILDREN( as they're much more rough in playing and HE HAS TO USE TO, AND TOLERATE any HUMANS !!. NEVER TRAIN PIT TO BE PEOPLE AGGRESSIVE OR FOR A PROTECTION OF ANY KIND, AS HE CAN TURN AGAINST YOU!!. try to imagine if pit attack a human with the same aggression like he attack another dog, the injuries would be very serious and even deadly!! otherwise, pits a beautiful personality, gentle and kind to children and people ,IF KEPT IN A RIGHT HANDS WITH A GOOD RAISE!!. respect him and he'll respect you! please, stay in touch, I'll help you as much as i can, and ask anything you want to know!! and , no ,he's not aggressive because his mother is not close to him, but the genes could play the role( do you know anything about his parents??) when he's playing it's normal for him to be rough, but the game should be recognized from aggression and any REAL AGGRESSION SHOULD NOT BE TOLERATED( when older) AT ALL, AT ANY TIME!!so much for now, i wish you all best, stay in touch, and i hope this answer( looong!!)help!. sincerely. P.S.T. be sure to give him a shots and wormer
Answerhi, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR FB, IT'S HIGHLY APPRECIATED!!!.i know very well that kind of people who selling pups on the road, you can't expect from them to tell you the truth,all what they want, just like you said, to get rid of their unwanted "cargo". but, you did a great thing, gave this innocent dog a good home, be proud of yourself!!look, there is not really right age when to start training, but not for sure when he's so young!!. i would tell as soon he start secure walk and run around he's ready for schooling, around 2 months of age!. i trained my puppies as early as 8 weeks old. first you have to decide where you want him to do toilet things, i train them to go and ask to go out of the house for their needs. like people, some dogs learn sooner , some later, my dog shauk ( now in house, 12 years my bellowed pit) learn after about 5 or 6 times me teaching him what and where to do his pee and poo-poo, he was 10 weeks old and was already asking to go out!!!. the best thing when he pee or poo in the house, you stick his nose in his mess and raise your voice and firmly pick him up and take him to the place where you want him to do this in future, be sure this is the place where you want him to go in future, do not change places, as this will only make him be confused!!pits are intelligent dogs and they're fast learner( but has exceptions), and you'll need lot of patience for this period of time, but he'll learn!! take him out, so he can walk( be sure to give him his shots, the first one should be received at 6 weeks of age, taking the unvaccinated puppy out you risk him to picking up a disease, so do't take him out untill he receive his all 3 shots in a period of 3 weeks between shots, and be sure to give him a wormer, if you not sure what shots or wormer, please ask!! and be sure to give him specially prepared milk for puppies, do not give him a regular milk( later you can, but mix it with warm water), because regular milk is high in fat, and will cause worms to develop in his dg system. in a later stage( as he get older, no milk should be give to any dogs, they don't need it and it's not good for them, just a clean, fresh water). don't worry you wont fail, you are great and responsible owner, just use to him to recognize when are you playing with him and when you're serious about his actions and when is not a joke any more and he has to listen your orders, no exceptions, don't let him animate you, you must be strong and definite in your orders, so he'll learn not to take advantage of you at any time, and with time he'll grow up in a BEAUTIFUL BULLDOG AND YOU'LL BE AN PROUD OWNER, BECAUSE YOU DID EVERYTHING FOR HIM, AND WILL COME TIME WHEN HE'LL SHOW YOU HIS APPRECIATION!!!!. CHEERS, GOOD LUCK AND ASK MORE ANY TIME, YOUR FRIEND IN PITS, SINCERELY
