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Post by eulonia on Apr 16, 2008 12:54:34 GMT -5
My husband and I are new to pit bulls. On our way to church three days ago, we found a pit bull puppy in the middle of a state highway. She was very dirty and kind of lethargic and obviously not well taken care of. So we took her home and then took her to the vet the next morning. The vet estimates her age at 7-8 weeks. Here is my question. She has perked up considerably and is very sweet -- but doesn't want my hand anywhere near her food bowl. She will eat out of my hand, but if I put my hand in her bowl (which I understand to be one way of dealing with food aggression), she snarls like I've never heard a puppy snarl. My guess is that she has had to fight for her food in her short life, but I would appreciate your thoughts on how best to tackle this problem.
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Post by RealPitBull on Apr 16, 2008 13:02:25 GMT -5
Pick up Jean Donaldson's MINE! (see www.dogwise.com ) and contact a professional ASAP. A Pit Bull pup this young with resource guarding tendencies needs the guidance of a professional.
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Post by eulonia on Apr 17, 2008 6:58:33 GMT -5
Thank you. I agree that we need professional help.
I have one other question. She doesn't seem all that interested in my husband and me. She's very interested in our two other dogs and cats and wants to play with them, but even if we sit on the floor, she doesn't pay any attention to us. And when she takes a nap, she'll go to another part of the room and even a different room. Is this out of the ordinary, or is it common behavior?
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Post by RealPitBull on Apr 17, 2008 8:08:41 GMT -5
Thank you. I agree that we need professional help. I have one other question. She doesn't seem all that interested in my husband and me. She's very interested in our two other dogs and cats and wants to play with them, but even if we sit on the floor, she doesn't pay any attention to us. And when she takes a nap, she'll go to another part of the room and even a different room. Is this out of the ordinary, or is it common behavior? I wouldn't say it is abnormal behavior, but it tells me that this pup probably did not imprint on humans (maybe she was born into the world as a stray and did not have early human contact). It also tells me that she is likely very prey-driven - this strong interest in other animals to the point that she ignores people at such a young age is a bit concerning to me. She is a pup that really needs to be guided carefully along through puppyhood into an adult that learns to ignore/tolerate other animals (this breed tends towards animal-aggression/strong prey drive). The good news is that she is still young enough to be molded by her environment - she still is in the socialization period, and her young mind is very open to new experiences which will shape her behavior into an adult. After 12 weeks of age, it will be more difficult to circumvent hardwired (inherent) traits. Where are you located? If possible, I'd like to recommend a trainer to you - one who hopefully understands Pit Bulls.
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Post by bullymommy25 on Apr 25, 2008 19:03:14 GMT -5
Since she's so small, I wonder how successfully you could give her food, and practice removing the bowl and returning it to her. When we brought our pit home, I would constantly give her food and then mess with the bowl, touch the food. Now she is 14 months and I could pretty much take something from out of her mouth without her caring. She'll take apple slices from my mouth, too, and she uses just her lips! Maybe the puppy was very hungry. Has your vet recommended you give a little Esbilac (puppy formula) to her, even in a bowl, incase she missed out on something from mom? My dog has a VERY high prey drive and she too is constantly following the cats around. With our cats she will groom them and love them because she has learned they are packmates. My newest rescue was also accepted and not hurt, even though he (the cat) HATES the dog and will hiss and hit her. Stella (our pit) just tries to lick him. However, she will hunt and kill an OUTSIDE small animal in seconds, so no matter if your dog bonds to your cats, don't ever assume that he'll like ALL cats!! I think a good trainer could help you out a lot. Even a few sessions could give you stuff to work on! Pit bulls are INCREDIBLY smart and eager to please. Your little guy is probably just a bit shell right now. Make sure your trainer loves and has worked with pit bulls! Good luck!
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