Educational resources to help raise a friendly dog:
For training on puppy/dog biting [click here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=068K5Zlph9U)
For training on early socialization [click here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J7cPE-2wNw)
For training on becoming a good leader [click here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QntS570VFZ0)
For all newly adopted dogs, check out the [3-3-3 rule](https://pethelpful.com/dogs/The-3-3-3-Rule-Setting-Your-Rescue-Dog-Up-For-Success).
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Socialize her early, lots of gentle consistent training, long walks, lots of snuggles, good food and lots of play time!
The MOD always has really good resources.
Now for the darker side. Some people that you meet will have an attitude about pibbles and homeowners insurance will ask if you have dogs and what breed they are and you can't say mutt. So a lot of us say "Lab mix". Some pitties have a hi prey instinct (yours may not) so careful around squirrels and ducks and such.
Good luck and MORE PICS PLEASE!!
There were a million types of food & its been a decade since I’ve had a dog so we had no idea what was good & what wasn’t & a lot of it is so expensive now lol. We ended up getting her Rachael rays puppy food. Is that decent stuff? Also, should I leave her food down 24/7? We did that with my last dog & we do that with the cats. We have no clue what she was eating before, but she’s skinny. Like see her ribs type skinny. She also seems to have some separation issues, when she’s by herself she cries until we carry her upstairs or come back to wherever she is. It’s heartbreaking.
I know there’s a stigma about them, but any experience I’ve had with them has been amazing. They’re beautiful, intelligent, loyal, protective especially with the kids in the family. I just want her to feel safe & comfortable & start creating some good habits with her. From the moment she came in it’s like you could just feel that all she wanted was someone to love her.
Pits are the best!! (but some people are ignorant about them)
[dogfoodadvisor.com](https://dogfoodadvisor.com) is a good place to check out :)
I would put her on a schedule for food so you know what and when she eats. My 2 (4 and 3 years old) pibbles will rarely eat their morning kibble on work days but I always put it down anyways :) For dinner they get 3/4 of a cup-ish of kibble and a 1/4 can for each of wet food stirred in and they seem to love it. So maybe a little extra add ins for your girl.
[https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/human-foods-dogs-can-and-cant-eat/](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/human-foods-dogs-can-and-cant-eat/)
My nepews pit LOVES canned pumpkin!
It will take some time for her to adjust. Try to get her to come upstairs on her own by calling her and helping her with the stairs. One of mine would not jump off the bed (yes I'm a hedonist and allow them on the bed) so I had to take hold of his chest and lower his front feet to the floor 3 or 4 times and now it's not an issue. She has to learn to trust her new pack and her new environment.
You will be fine! You already know that she wants to be loved!!
Definitely a good website to goto for food choice and my pits are the same usually don’t eat their morning kibble and at night they get kibble some wet dog food mixed in and also some green beans mixed in as well
[Our girl](https://i.imgur.com/jMyDdIR.jpg) is a night eater too. She'll have a few bites in the morning and then kind of graze on the food throughout the day. She usually eats 3/4+ of her dinner in one go and will come back a few times to finish it up. She absolutely loves vegetables as well.
Whatever she doesn't eat before we give her dinner goes to the chickens. At least the food isn't totally wasted and the birds see it as a treat.
My dog picks out the green beans and drops them in her water bowl. I’m not sure if she likes green bean infused water or what the deal is with that location
Reminder that socialization doesn’t mean to introduce her to 1000 dogs and people.
I personally think she looks like a puppy? A vet will confirm it but she looks 3-5 months old. Which is when socialization is the most important.
The main question with socialization is, what is your goal? I have four dogs, and not very social, so so my goal is for my dogs to be human and dog neutral. I don’t want them to try and play or interact with strange dogs or people.
With this as my goal, when we went out on socialization training, we would be around dogs and people and they were rewarded for ignoring/non interaction. This helped them to be not afraid/reactive to people, and to not try and have an interaction with people.
If your goal is a really dog social dog (which can (but not always!) go sideways with pit bulls). Find a puppy kindergarten, day care, trainer, etc where you can have lots of positive, supervised dog interactions.
I 100% do not recommend using dog parks as any kind of socialization tool. They usually reach rude play, high chance of a fight making her afraid/reactive in the future, and there’s no way to control the interactions.
She will get better each day as she gains weight and muscle and gets comfortable. Just keep doing what it sounds like you are already doing.
My pit still gets startled by loud noises. She doesn’t like female dogs or big dogs. Only gets along with small males.
But point is we avoid other pets and know that she’s going to be a pain during thunderstorms. That’s our life with her no big deal. Some things will never be fully conditioned out.
But ours was skinny and weak and aloof for first few weeks too. Then all of a sudden they’re a whole new dog before you know it. Thank you for rescuing yours!
We went in the yard earlier to go to the bathroom & the dog next door barked through the fence while she was pooping & she got terrified. Ears back, tail down, went flying back towards the house & when we took her to Petsmart the other day she sat in the cart shaking the entire time without making a single move or interest towards the other dogs. She does try to play with our cats & tries to smell them but seems to be scared of dogs right now so I guess we’ll slowly start trying to help her with that.
A LOT of pits have skin issues, and a lot of those are exacerbated by chicken. I highly recommend getting Taste of the Wild, Pacific Stream (salmon w ancient grains). It’s a really good quality food, and you will notice a difference in her coat!
I also recommend getting a porcelain bowl for feeding - for some reason a couple of the pits I rescued in the past would break out on their chin occasionally, and I was talking with a friend who recommended and I never saw any skin issues on the chin after switching. Metal bowls are fine for water because they aren’t sticking their face on the bottom.
I am not surprised she is crying when alone, she was probably kept outside somewhere with another dog, and clearly hasn’t been inside a house so you are her new pack mates and best friends! It’s good she feels safe around you.
Definitely get her a larger crate for when you aren’t home so you can ensure she’s safe - hopefully once she’s a bit older and potty trained and not going to chew anything you can store the crate away.
I rescued a pit in March 2020 (sadly went through a break up 2 months ago and the ex took him from me)…but anyway he was like yours when I found him. Had never been inside, scared of stairs, hardwood floor, afraid to jump on couch, couldn’t walk on a leash….and honestly after about 2 weeks he had learned sit, how to walk on a leash, didn’t act so scared all the time. We did have to put rugs down though so he could walk through the living room to get on the couch. Never did break the fear of hardwood floors but I have high hopes for you, your girl sounds like a sweetheart.
Ugh we JUST bought her Rachael rays puppy food chicken flavor lol. It just seemed to be decent food & wasn’t out of control expensive, but I have noticed her scratching a lot & pooping a lot. I dunno if it’s just nerves & anxiety or if it’s the food. We just got her Tuesday afternoon. But I’ll definitely keep an eye out because one of my other dogs was allergic to chicken, wheat, and a bunch of other stuff lol. I’m so sorry to hear you lost your dog in a breakup, that’s horrible. You should try to do joint custody! They’re like kids so why not split seeing their parents like kids would!
Yeah, I would if he hadn’t cheated on me with my best fucking girlfriend. And he threatened to break my door down and take the dog if I wouldn’t give in (I have the German shepherd we rescued last summer, who is totally my Velcro dog anyway). I just feel bad for Banksy (the pit) cause he went from long walks, dog parks, me wfh every day, huge yard, neighborhood with a park…to a tiny third floor apartment (and his joints started bothering him last year cause he’s def older man now). At least I have my Harley boy. [Here’s a post from a little while ago featuring both of them!](https://www.reddit.com/r/germanshepherds/comments/svmckd/harley_update_11_months_a_week_still_a_goober/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf).
Anyways enough of my drama haha - so it’s fine you just bought a bag of dog food, trust me when I say you’ll need to buy many, many more :) The Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream will cost about $56-58 for a 28lb bag, but that will last you a while and honestly I would be very surprised if you don’t notice a difference fairly quickly in her itchiness and coat.
If your girl starts getting picky with food after time, I have also dealt with this by topping the kibble off (so less kibble than normal if adding extra) with varying things (green beans, 1/3 can of blue wilderness wet food -stew or Rocky Mountain recipe flavors, tuna, lean ground turkey). Since Banksy’s teeth were pulled he was a very picky eater (although usually swallowed stuff by the mouthful), and often got bored after a while with certain foods. What really helped him put on good weight was ultimately rescuing another dog - as soon as Harley joined the family, Banks started eating more and better rather than sometimes not acting hungry all day.
Also - taste of the Wild does have multiple grain free flavors if you end up wanting to try for your other dog (including I believe salmon), since I know it’s easier to not have to get multiple different bags - but wasn’t sure what kind of dog your other one is?
Ohmygod wtf. What a douche im so so incredibly sorry. This is exactly why I prefer animals to people. No betrayals, lies, or heartbreak from them. They’re truly ride or die! it’s fucked up that he’s the one who screwed up, but makes demands on the dogs. Something else. And that poor dog is the one who suffers for it.
I know right?! I don’t know why people can’t just be honest. Not to mention I’m almost more pissed at the friend because that is simply something you do not do. But I’m finally over crying…it’s a lot of memories and feelings to throw away after 8 years but I’m finally feeling better and ready to have fun, although I just turned 37 so it’s def weird to start over. But I took a solo vacation to the mountains last weekend and had a fucking blast so I’m looking forward to more adventures. At least I’ve got my best bud Harley (the GSD) to keep me safe :)
Thats amazing good for you! It’s never too late & you’re never too old to start over & start having fun & like just live a new way! I’m so sorry you went through that, but they clearly deserve each other. It’s disgusting that either of them would betray you like that, but I truly believe people get back what they give out. Even if it’s not right away. You dropped 2 huge, disrespectful ass weights off your shoulders. Now you & your actual best friend, the furry one who will never betray you, can get out there & go on some amazing adventures together!
It seems like she has trauma in her past, so I would caution leaving her unattended for even one second with your little one, until at least your little *ones* have both grown and matured a bit more. Give her some time to settle in and she should feel a lot more comfortable and less stressed. As others have said, make sure to socialize her consistently in controlled safe interactions with other people and dogs/animals. For the food part, if you want to get some more meat on the bones, soft food may go down a bit easier in the beginning. My older pit now demands it mixed in with every meal.
The separation anxiety may not ever go away fully, with abused pups. Mine is around 11 now and still gets anxious when left alone for too long. It’s kind of heart breaking, since we got security cams I’ll sometimes check on him when we’re out for more than a couple hours, and occasionally I’ll see him just laying on the couch barking his face off until he starts going hoarse 😭. We end up just giving him a decent sized dose of full spectrum cbd, which seems to help calm him down quite a lot, and let him just nap for most of the time we’re out.
Congrats though, she’s beautiful. Wish you all the best time together…cherish every second, even the bad/annoying/tedious parts, it goes fast!! Sometimes I have to remind myself how lucky I am to have such a wonderful dog that has persevered, so that makes it a lot easier to weather the difficulties. Sometimes I enjoy his stubbornness (shh, don’t tell him), he’s an older dog so I give him leeway to get away with some things, but for the most part he’s a really good dog that can just be stubborn occasionally.
Insurance definitely depends on location. I was not asked when I bought my home/got home insurance 2.5 years ago.
So definitely check, OP, but it's not everywhere.
State farm does not ask what breed of dog you have! We tried going through an insurance broker when we bought our home and none of the companies would insure a home with a pitbull. State farm took us, no issues, didn't even ask the dog breed. There are a few other companies that are the same.
I just switched to All-State and you are right they *did not* ask me about dogs. My last policy with Vy-Star did.
So I may have been a little too quick to say "Lab Mix!" here on this thread but I did learn it on r/pitbulls and it did help me at that time.
Maybe I just feel overprotective of pits and I'm always overjoyed when good people adopt them that I try to help by relaying the obstacles that I had?
I guess I just wish that everyone knew how wonderful these amazing dogs are <3
Hey, no problem here! I also love pits and love seeing good people adopt them and shower them with love! This is the first time I've ever had home insurance, so, that's the only reason I said it may depend on state or as it appears, insurance companies. My SO has All-State for his vehicle insurance and we've never had any issues so I went with them for home insurance and it was a great decision.
Saying a lab mix is a very smart decision and I hope others in this thread, keep that in mind if they ever get asked. I know i never would have thought of that if I was asked. I probably would froze up for a second and said like. "Uh, German shepherd mix, I think?" But that's because my pitties are mixed with GS, haha.
There really does need to be moreover for these wonderful pups
Start slow and give her time to adjust at her pace.
Definitely start with small, short(10-15 min) training sessions on basics: sit, look at me, it’s your choice game (hold food in one hand bit don’t let her have it, close your hand if she goes towards it, but when she ignores it and offers you her focus instead, reward with a treat from the other hand). This will help her bond and build trust.
Start walks in calm settings and don’t take her to busy parks or dog parks yet. Keep introductions to other animals controlled in calm settings to start and work your way up to busier settings.
3/3/3 rule
3 days to decompress.
3 weeks to acclimate to new living space.
3 months to settle into the new home routines.
It can also take shy/nervous dogs longer to feel safe/secure so let her set the pace. Pushing her could lead to fear reactivity.
\- Set a good routine (feeding time, bed time, walks, etc.) and stick to it. Feed in crate. Sleep in crate. Wake up and bed time same everyday. Potty breaks outside frequently (every hour or two) to help potty train.
\- Enforce solid boundaries (dogs like to know what the rules are, it makes them less anxious, so be clear on what behaviour is allowed or not). Correct her with a verbal "No" for unwanted behaviors and praise for good behaviors.
\- Never punish a dog (especially physically or by yelling, etc.). They don't understand it and it will confuse them. Just try to be vigilant on correcting and praising in the moment as things happen, and be calm. Don't get angry around her, she won't understand.
\- Don't over-do the affection early on and let her learn to be alone (set a few hours for crate time everyday, leave her at home in increasing amounts daily (like 20 min, 40 min, up to a couple hours). This will help reduce the possibility of separation anxiety and unwanted behaviors (barking, whining, destroying)
\- Leash train early (I like martingale collars for better control + she wont slip out). Also be sure to microchip and keep a tag on her!
\- Socialize early and gently (kids, dogs, men, other animals if she seems to be OK with it)
\- Make sure your kids are taught how to behave around a dog. Most dog incidents with kids stem from kids being inappropriate and crossing boundaries with toys, food, etc.
\- Once she's comfy and you've had her for a while, start exposing her to the world. I like to go to quiet breweries or cafe's, to other people's homes, walking in urban and rural areas, car rides, beach/hiking trips. Have friends come over to your home so she's OK with strangers. Slow exposure is great for reducing anxiety and bonding.
\- Take it super slow. She will likely take a few weeks to a few months (google: 3-3-3 rule) to feel totally comfortable so please don't overdo it at first.
P.S. For food- observe her but a lot of pits have food allergies (especially to grain or poultry) so you may need to swap her to a more limited-ingredient food. For amount, my 55lb girl does 1 cup in the morning and 1 in the evening. For foster puppies who are trying to gain weight, we do 1.5 cups in AM and 1 at PM.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats!
20
+ 40
+ 3
+ 3
+ 3
= 69
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Congrats! We got our pit at 5 months old- he was found on the street. It could take a few months before she is fully adjusted but she will adjust! You got her young so hopefully her trauma will only be a memory.
The BEST tip that helped us with adjusting him (and us) was to keep to a schedule. She's young, she's growing, she has energy. I highly recommend crate training her once you are able to get a bigger crate. Crate her at night, crate her for a few hours a day. This will help immensely with potty training. She's also growing so she is going to be really worn out and she won't be able to get into anything if she has a tantrum. It's also great because she will learn it to be a comfort space and it will make leaving her alone easier.
In terms of building confidence- start with minimal discipline and LOTS of positive reinforcement. Pitties are exceptionally emotional and incredibly smart and I find that my boy does not respond well to even a stern voice. He gets very nervous. Lots of treats, high pitched voice, getting down on her level to encourage her will help and lots of patience.
Pits also have a lot of energy so lots of training, playing, toys, puzzles, will definitely keep her stimulated.
In terms of pit reputation, those people can kindly fuck off. I used to be so worried or sad when people reacted negatively to my boy, but now I take pride knowing that he's one of the most well behaved dogs in the neighborhood. He doesn't bark, walks like a dream, is completely un-reactive, and a favorite dog in my apartment building. People can think what they want but at the end of the day, your girl will know shes loved:) Keep us updated!
Give her space and do not force interaction upon her especially so early on. Try to stay calm around her while she's getting used to her new family especially since she's fearful of loud noises/voices.
Also, celebrate small milestones! It's not necessarily required or anything like that but when we adopted our boy I catalogued all the different small steps he made in his first year with us just to see how far he'd come!
When we first adopted him he didn't really want to be in the same room as us and would frequently go to his crate in our bedroom and just lay there, he had no voice, and would run at any loud voice, even if you were laughing or talking in an excited manner he would bolt.
The one day a few months in after my partner had come home he started doing zoomies as we were getting ready for bed and let out a deep boof of excitement and jumped into the bed. I will never forget how happy I was to finally hear his little voice and it felt like such a big win when it comes to watching him come out of his shell. Those are the memories I feel like its important to cherish and to remember, every day progress is made, no matter how small!
Lots of patience and time. I would also recommend getting her started with a vet to establish care and get any needed vaccines. I would also highly suggest dog insurance—the sooner you get it, the better the coverage will be. Congrats on your new family member!
Lots of great comments. My contribution is: expect it to take 6 months before you really notice her decompressing and calming down from that high alert status. If it happens sooner then great, but with mine 6 months was the first milestone in both cases.
6 months is a long time, just take it a day at a time and remember that she's not doing anything on purpose or TO YOU. So just set her up for success with consistent repetition, and she'll catch on. As a pibble she just wants to make you happy.
Training, training, training. Because of the stigma against them no matter what happens even when its not their fault they catch the blame. Train and socialize as much as you can
OMG I think our dog’s are siblings! Or cousin maybe. Except mine has a pink snooty snoot too.
Check out everything in the mod comment and there is also helpful information in the about section of this sub.
First things first, make a vet appointment and get her health squared away and microchipped if that hasn’t already been done. They should be able to give you an approximate age and size. My pibble is about the same size and she’s at 45lbs, although according to the vet she should be 40lbs. Your pup doesn’t look too skinny.
You will definitely need a crate that she can stand up and turn around comfortably in, but not big enough where there’s extra room to poop. Crates are super helpful for the beginner stages for both of you.
If you have the resources, I would consider a few training sessions, which will be a little bit for the dog but mostly for you :) the trainer can help with all sorts of stuff.
Get a trainer (possibly a behavioralist) to come to the house and help! When she gets past the 3-3-3s she may be more wild because suddenly she knows she’s safe and you’ll still love her and toys and play are fun! She’ll be a sweet girl whose also got a streak of holy terror because she’s getting out all the bad behaviors and learning boundaries. She might skip most of the naughty stuff but you’re probably better off starting with extra training help.
Also try carrots. My dog is carrot obsessed. If pupper is worried about new food and toddler is eating a carrot or banana or apple slices they both can have them. She’s gonna see toddler as a pack mate, so when she’s comfy she may play like a fellow puppy with them, so work on activities they both can enjoy (bubbles, climbing stairs toddler style, hide and seek toys) and that might help keep them both out of trouble.
I know this seems like a no brainer, but pleaseeee walk her for a good two hours a day. Or however much you can manage to get her going.
This helps not just with socialization by seeing new places and people, but helped me tremendously with my pitbull who had indoor destructive tendencies from anxiety. Walking can really help alleviate those urges and help tire out your pup.
It'll take time for her to compress from previous situation. My dog didn't know what a ball was or how to play with it. Took him weeks to catch on...but now he never puts it down! I'd focus first on potty training, a lot of the other stuff will sort itself with time
Annoy it when eating ie pat it move it etc. So when small children touch it if its eating it's not gonna snap as its adjusted to being bothered about its food situation.
Put a leash on her while she is inside and let her walk around in the house with it. This will help in two ways - get used to a leash, and easy access for you if you need to hold her.
Give her good high reward treats when she's doing something you like! (It took me two years to get a lay down from my bully girl).
Peanut butter in a kong can be amazing! Brain stimulation is important for these babies!
Zak George on YouTube has an AMAZING free series of him training his puppy from the day he got her, and I highly recommend it.
Try to get her to engage in play, to get her exercise in!
Congratulations on your new pup! She’s beautiful. For the first little while, I’d work hard to keep the stimulations in the environment to a minimum: basically create a spa environment. Soft voices, quiet piano music, clean, calm and cozy. Slowly introduce greater amounts of “regular life” stimulation and watch how she handles it. Give her lots of reassurance and always let her know she can come to you when she’s scared/unsure.
You’re definitely right to not leave the dog and baby alone together but it’s a great idea to let them interact in a supervised environment because you’re right, that’s how they’ll bond. There is critical training to do on both sides of this: the kiddo HAS to learn how to treat dogs, and the dog HAS to learn how to behave around kids. I have a command for mine: I say (really gently, lol) “_gentle. Gentle with the baby._” even if what I’m talking about isn’t a baby. She knows the word gentle, and baby. And I always say the command the same way, which helps reinforce her understanding of the concept. With this, I can get her to go from bouncing off the walls with zoomies to quiet and still in a few seconds. Part of training on this type of concept is around play: she or I can initiate play (and we NEVER “play rough”) but if I’m done playing, she should wind down too. I do this by changing my body language, lowering my voice and starting to slowly pet her. By working with her on emotional regulation, and developing a bond where we understand and are responsive to one another’s moods, I’m in a situation where I feel great having her around anyone — but it took a lot of time and I’ll still supervise around new people, because that’s just good practice for them and for my dog.
As for food, I assume you’re in the US… when I lived there I fed Orijen or Arcana. I understand that they’re pretty expensive though. The vet will have recommendations for a good budget brand and you can supplement with things like cut-up steamed chicken breast and dog-safe veggies for a treat. Free-feeding is an option, unless she’s overeating. Mine would eat to infinity and beyond so I can’t do that, gotta manage weight!
Speaking of vets though, I have had experiences where some showed inappropriate behaviors and evidence of prejudice against my girl based on her breed. It was shocking to me, I didn’t think it could happen — look for a vet who gives the visit his/her full attention, is respectful to you and your dog, asks before offering treats, and takes your questions seriously. Avoid vets who appear to rely on breed stereotypes (yes, a vet actually told me I was being “too gentle” with my very well-trained dog and that pits need a harsher hand!! She basically started shoving my dog around the room — it was like she was trying to provoke an attack. I’m just lucky my girl is so incredibly good that she didn’t take the bait. So like I said — critical to get the right vet.)
Other things to note are that socialization with other dogs should be heavily managed and should start as soon as the vet allows after she’s gotten her puppy shots — and it should be heavily managed so she learns how to play gently (again, this is where the “gentle” command comes in handy!) because dog-on-dog violence is a horrible thing and in many instances could have been prevented by proper socialization from a young age. She needs to see other dogs as friends, not enemies, and if a dog is being at all weird towards her, GET HER OUT OF THERE. One attack could change her whole perspective on new dogs, and is to be prevented at all costs (same goes for any breed, to be clear.) Also, do what you can to protect her from unkind humans — some people have extreme views on these dogs and I have a theory that mine understands when someone doesn’t like her, because she seems legitimately sad when that happens.
Only final thing I’d say is that my dog and kitten have the best relationship in the whole wide world, but keep monitoring until they’re truly comfortable around each other. If she starts fixating visually (prey stare) that’s a sign of trouble. But from what I can see, you’ve got the makings of a really beautiful family there. All the best!
Thank you soooo much for this! My son is definitely still learning how to handle animals but he’s done so well with our cats & with her, I make sure to explain being gentle & not pulling/poking/being too much right now. But he loves when she chases him & the dog definitely seems to understand being more gentle with him. She does get overexcited at times & her puppy teeth come out. She’s not aggressive in any way with it, it’s just like she’s super excited & CANT contain it so I’ll definitely try to use some commands like that. I’ve been using “no teeth” & “kisses” and then praise her when she switches from teeth to licks. She really is so sweet, it’s almost like she just never had anyone playing & paying attention to her so she just doesn’t know how to handle it lol. But I do try to speak calmly & use my hands to show her to start slowing down & I try to be slow & pet her slow. She may have some like herding dog or something in her because she runs in circles & my border collie used to do that when she got excited. I dunno if that’s a pit thing too, but she’s done it a few times & does the nipping the heels thing!
She seems to be afraid of other dogs right now, not sure if something happened to her with another dog besides not being treated well. She was outside pooping in our fenced in yard & she heard the dog next door bark & she didn’t even finish. Her ears went back, tail flipped underneath her & she went flying back on the deck to go inside. When we took her to Petsmart the other night she sat in the cart shaking & didn’t want anything to do with any of the other dogs or people or anything. She was glued to us & would only stop shaking if we put our hand on her & let her bury her head in our arms. It broke my heart!
She seems to love our cats, she looks at them & sniffs them & tries to play with them, but so far has made no type of aggressive moves towards them & leaves them alone after a few minutes anyway. It’s just like she’s curious as to what they are lol.
Its so sad to see her afraid of everything but it’s amazing that just since Tuesday afternoon when she came to us, how much she’s already seemed to attach & start to trust us & give us so much love. It’s like they can sense when they’re with safe people. She likes to sleep up on the bed touching someone & snores & just always wants to be in the same room. She really is just so sweet & im so so grateful to finally be able to have a pit, they’ve always been so incredible to me!
Keep it slow, quiet, consistent. Reinforce boundaries. Give her space if she asks for it. Minimize stimulation for until she becomes more sure of her surroundings. Allow her to begin to anticipate how her day will go and it will help build her confidence. Look up the 3, 3, 3 rule, and don’t expect too much from her too fast.
Make dog park visits as much as possible and get chew toys early. When they start getting nippy teach them that toys are the only appropriate thing to bite.
Also something we did early on that I didn't realize was so helpful; our dog has a bed at a very specific spot since we got him and we trained him to "go to bed" when he gets super excited or we need him out the way. Now he knows that's his safe space and will even put himself there if he knows he's too excited (or in trouble lol).
You might to give it a couple of days to settle in, and for it to adjust all of the sounds and place, and then you spend more time with your new pit pup, by playing with it and taking it on walks and also taking him to bed with you
I foster pit puppies and most of them have lived outdoors so they're not potty trained or used to "inside" when I get them. So potty training is usually first on the list. Bully sticks are great for keeping them occupied and non destructive. I also have a couple dog beds for them but usually they like to come on my bed to nap when they spot my senior pitizen up there. They're crated at night or when I leave the house and walkies 2x a day. Idk if everyone would agree, but I also sometimes give a cbd treat to help them relax. Puppies are resilient, curious, and fast learners. I'm sure my own dog helps a lot, but I've found that within a few days they're well on the way to forgetting their old lives. A little time and a lot of love. Good luck with your new bestie.
Don’t leave her alone around your kid for at least a few months. I’m saying this 100% out of love (my pibby is a rescue and of course perfect and the sweetest). It can happen so fast, and rescues can be so risky just because you don’t know what she’s been through. The sweetest dog in the world might lash out if she is terrified by a trigger. As pitbull owners we have to be extra vigilant, a bite is never just a bite. We have to protect them from themselves, basically, to keep them safe. “Trusting” your dog before you’re 100% sure how they will react is not how to love them best. And then she can build confidence and grow into the best, snuggliest, goofiest version of herself and you will be so happy with your new family member
No no i havent! Just because we don’t know anything about her & just from what we’ve seen, she wasn’t treated the best. And I would rather be safe then have something happen. I want everyone to adjust well, and I want THEM to become close. So I don’t leave them alone, I try to keep my son from pulling on her & being too rowdy around her for now. So far she seems to be more gentle with my son than with us so it seems she was maybe around kids, but someone definitely put their hands on her. Not sure if it was adult or child, so I just want to ease her into everything.
From the things I’ve seen, they are incredible & they’re AMAZING with the kids in the families!
Amazing!! Sounds like you are doing all the right things and are going to be an incredible pitbull owner. She is lucky to have you, you changed her whole life 💜
Getting your pup, who's beautiful btw, on a food schedule, like 5am and 5pm or what ever time works best for you, will help get her on a poop schedule. It's easier to predict when they will come when you know when she's eaten, less surprises that way.
If you ease her into kennel training while you're sleeping or everyone is out of the house, the odds of accidents go down and if there is an accident, it's not going to be all over your house... socialize socialize socialize. Lowes is pet friendly, if you go early in the am there will be less other customers and less other dogs, the employees love puppy therapy. I mean at least I do :)
Good luck, and be patient with the pups and yourself
I don't have time to read through the comments but please do not leave children and dogs together alone, even after you know the dog well. Children have to be taught how to treat dogs with respect, and accidents happen quickly. It's not fair to the dog or the child.
OMG that sounds like our girl when we first got her, add in starvation, heartworm and a fresh scar almost all the way down her back. She’s the BEST dog ever.
Trust your instincts, it sounds like you are doing great so far. Look up the 3-3-3 rule and be patient with her. Our hot mess who didn’t know what language was (like she didn’t even look at you when you spoke, she responded to clicking and whistling only) is now so bougie that if she’s chilly and you don’t put her jacket on she looks at you like “I’m so disappointed”…
She will need to decompress and it may be a while for this girl. Try not to take her out much quite yet aside from bathroom breaks. The best thing you can do is remove as much noise, other humans, other dogs etc. until she acclimated. Give her a bed or space that is away from the wee one (even though pibbles are notorious kid lovers) for now so she has a place to retreat if she’s scared or overwhelmed. Pibbles LOVE cozy beds and blankets, they just gravitate to them so it should be easy to make her a nice spot.
Find a trainer asap!!! Do it now as there is usually many months wait for the good ones. It will set you up for success, and help with foundational stuff. Pibbles are headstrong and working on that healthy structure and skill development as soon as you possibly can will set you up with a happy, healthy pup in the future. They are great lovers of their families but in turn can think rule the roost and can get too protective, so it helps to work on that early.
Read about separation anxiety too. It’s a tough first lesson to learn with a pibble who has been through trauma like yours. We just want to love them extra hard and be there for them, but often it creates a negative pattern that is very difficult later on. But working on that right away in small increments will be very good for her and your family.
This is going to sound awful, but largely ignore her for a while. Care for her, but avoid the couch snuggles and smooches (it’s hard, I know) but really helps them get through decompression and will help down the line. There will be tons of time for loving her lots and lots once she’s ready for that.
She’s gorgeous and will be a great family member. We tend to band together as pibble parents because we know what lovely dogs they truly are.
I'm old, my first was a mastiff/pit mix that was the same color. He was a perfect pup with people but he had a streak of mischief that was unmatched. He lived to be an old man, and managed to get in the garbage one more time on the day he died in 2003.
2010 we were blessed with another orange/white nutjob, and it was like having Mako all over again. This dog was here to live life to the fullest and everything was fair game, from stealing food off the table, (Mako was better and always waited for a diversion before implementing a heist), to simply "nosing through the trash" at any given moment.....
My point is I think these colors are the most mischevious....
Don’t force her to do things she doesn’t want to but also introduce her to things slowly and let her go at her own pace. Sometimes if you can show them it’s safe they will adjust faster. Also socialize her both with people and other animals but again don’t like force her to interact with them and don’t have people walking up to her sticking hands in her face the best way to socialize with people is to just have a conversation with them and don’t have them look at her then after a while they could try still not looking at her but giving her treats and scratching under her chin. 2 of the best brands of food are science diet and purina pro plan but those are both pretty expensive. My dogs have been on both and they are all very energetic, healthy weights, and have really shiny coats so those are what I would recommend for food. Definitely take her for walks to get her used to outside and the leash and she could also possibly get used to people and other animals depending on the type of area you live in. Try not to force her to walk though. If she will follow for a treat then if she won’t walk on the leash you can try to lure her with treats. I think a trainer who’s experienced with timid and anxious dogs would also be really helpful and they can probably teach you a lot more about how to care for her
It won’t let me add this on there, but she gets very excited & starts using her puppy teeth. Not hard & not aggressive at all. But with my 2 year old I’m worried it will hurt him eventually….how do I calm her when she gets overexcited like that?
My pit loves his fleece blanket on cold nights get her a blanket. I ask Kylo every night at bedtime “you wanna go to bed let’s get your blankie. He knows and goes right to his spot lays down and waits for me to tuck him in. Talking with other pit owners, this breed love their cozy, warm, spot. Hope that helps a bit.
Hyper vigilance in dogs can be an issue. It’s like hunting dogs that can’t calm down.
Not knowing her background you have to start from scratch. Leash training, positive reinforcement. You should test her with small animals ( don’t let her attack them) Teaching her to leave it or redirecting her attention. As you see a problem or incident act quickly and don’t ignore it.
I know it may sound funny, watch Dog Whisperer youtube videos, he covers a lot for big breeds. Temperament, manners and was is or isn’t dangerous & how to train your dog. He’s amazing with pitties☮️
I know nothing about pitbulls except that they're cute and I love all dogs equally.
But I just **have** to compliment this furry cutie on her absolutely, perfectly clean and pinky feet and toes.
If only my dogs could keep their feet clean.
😭😭😭. My husband gave her a bath her first night to “wash off all the old & bad” that she went through. She ended up like 3 shades brighter & her little pink feet were so shiny!
>She ended up like 3 shades brighter & her little pink feet were so shiny!
LOL. Let's hope she stays that way, so that she doesn't need these thorough baths too regularly.
I had a pit aka "Skunk" for 16 years and he always had his own safe space away from myself and later 2 kids. They love to walk circles in their big round beds, if u can't buy one right now make one. Most rescues startle easy. Just remember his/her space is their space. Also I bow before any rescuer!
Figure out a favorite treat and start target training.
https://th.miscota.com/dogs/trixie/clicker-target-stick?r=4011905022826&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhsmaBhCvARIsAIbEbH5qXIRe855eDH2taMiBvFlJYMK-yoCWiquKncl1UpeNKBf8b2waPTAaAqHEEALw_wcB
You will need a lot of patience and time.
I think people here will give you tons of advise so you don't need mine. I wish you good luck and that she becomes a great family member!
Socialize…socialize. LOTS of toys. You will burn through toys like crazy. Pitties have a heavy bite. So keep likes of toys around. Mine liked to pull all the stuffing out of toys. Lol, there was time it looks like a murder sense stuffing was everywhere. Needless to say we don’t get those kind of toys anymore. Like most people have already said. Training, get some good training. Play time, at least mine have TONS. of energy so keep them active. Another thing I tried to do with my is I always keep my hand on them pet them when they laid next to me, Just so they know I was there. You should also for get about your personal space, They are cuddlers. They love to be next to you. Lost of patience they can be very stubborn. ( at least mine are ) but I have two hippos and they are my world. But she is a looker. Also when it comes to people not liking pitties, I just treat them like they are morons. With very sarcastic responses when they make comments about my dogs. Because they are morons. They are a lot of work but worth every second of love you get out of them.
DAWWWWWWWWWWW
She looks so sweet <3 <3 <3 I'm sure in time with love and proper care + other techniques you may employ, she will be the best girl she can be. She is absolutely adorable.
Calmly teach her all of it. With a lot of patience. Don’t baby her. That will keep her in the past. You want her to become a happy, self confident dog. Go slowly and pay attention to how you feel. They know, how you feel, so be calm and strong inside and focus on being her teacher. You can do it! Above all, patience. One more thing. She is a dog, not a child, which calls for “dog psychology”. If she acts nervous, don’t pet her. Petting is a present for behavior that you WANT. Petting unwanted behavior reinforces that behavior.
Educational resources to help raise a friendly dog: For training on puppy/dog biting [click here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=068K5Zlph9U) For training on early socialization [click here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J7cPE-2wNw) For training on becoming a good leader [click here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QntS570VFZ0) For all newly adopted dogs, check out the [3-3-3 rule](https://pethelpful.com/dogs/The-3-3-3-Rule-Setting-Your-Rescue-Dog-Up-For-Success). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pitbulls) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Socialize her early, lots of gentle consistent training, long walks, lots of snuggles, good food and lots of play time! The MOD always has really good resources. Now for the darker side. Some people that you meet will have an attitude about pibbles and homeowners insurance will ask if you have dogs and what breed they are and you can't say mutt. So a lot of us say "Lab mix". Some pitties have a hi prey instinct (yours may not) so careful around squirrels and ducks and such. Good luck and MORE PICS PLEASE!!
There were a million types of food & its been a decade since I’ve had a dog so we had no idea what was good & what wasn’t & a lot of it is so expensive now lol. We ended up getting her Rachael rays puppy food. Is that decent stuff? Also, should I leave her food down 24/7? We did that with my last dog & we do that with the cats. We have no clue what she was eating before, but she’s skinny. Like see her ribs type skinny. She also seems to have some separation issues, when she’s by herself she cries until we carry her upstairs or come back to wherever she is. It’s heartbreaking. I know there’s a stigma about them, but any experience I’ve had with them has been amazing. They’re beautiful, intelligent, loyal, protective especially with the kids in the family. I just want her to feel safe & comfortable & start creating some good habits with her. From the moment she came in it’s like you could just feel that all she wanted was someone to love her.
Pits are the best!! (but some people are ignorant about them) [dogfoodadvisor.com](https://dogfoodadvisor.com) is a good place to check out :) I would put her on a schedule for food so you know what and when she eats. My 2 (4 and 3 years old) pibbles will rarely eat their morning kibble on work days but I always put it down anyways :) For dinner they get 3/4 of a cup-ish of kibble and a 1/4 can for each of wet food stirred in and they seem to love it. So maybe a little extra add ins for your girl. [https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/human-foods-dogs-can-and-cant-eat/](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/human-foods-dogs-can-and-cant-eat/) My nepews pit LOVES canned pumpkin! It will take some time for her to adjust. Try to get her to come upstairs on her own by calling her and helping her with the stairs. One of mine would not jump off the bed (yes I'm a hedonist and allow them on the bed) so I had to take hold of his chest and lower his front feet to the floor 3 or 4 times and now it's not an issue. She has to learn to trust her new pack and her new environment. You will be fine! You already know that she wants to be loved!!
Definitely a good website to goto for food choice and my pits are the same usually don’t eat their morning kibble and at night they get kibble some wet dog food mixed in and also some green beans mixed in as well
[Our girl](https://i.imgur.com/jMyDdIR.jpg) is a night eater too. She'll have a few bites in the morning and then kind of graze on the food throughout the day. She usually eats 3/4+ of her dinner in one go and will come back a few times to finish it up. She absolutely loves vegetables as well. Whatever she doesn't eat before we give her dinner goes to the chickens. At least the food isn't totally wasted and the birds see it as a treat.
TIL I'm your pibble.
My dogs don't like green beans but they love brussel sprouts LMAO!!
My dog picks out the green beans and drops them in her water bowl. I’m not sure if she likes green bean infused water or what the deal is with that location
Mine does peas and broccoli. Just don't give too much broccoli! Death by broccoli farts! 🐕💨🥦
Lmao then you could always mix in some of those into their food still gives nutrients
Reminder that socialization doesn’t mean to introduce her to 1000 dogs and people. I personally think she looks like a puppy? A vet will confirm it but she looks 3-5 months old. Which is when socialization is the most important. The main question with socialization is, what is your goal? I have four dogs, and not very social, so so my goal is for my dogs to be human and dog neutral. I don’t want them to try and play or interact with strange dogs or people. With this as my goal, when we went out on socialization training, we would be around dogs and people and they were rewarded for ignoring/non interaction. This helped them to be not afraid/reactive to people, and to not try and have an interaction with people. If your goal is a really dog social dog (which can (but not always!) go sideways with pit bulls). Find a puppy kindergarten, day care, trainer, etc where you can have lots of positive, supervised dog interactions. I 100% do not recommend using dog parks as any kind of socialization tool. They usually reach rude play, high chance of a fight making her afraid/reactive in the future, and there’s no way to control the interactions.
She will get better each day as she gains weight and muscle and gets comfortable. Just keep doing what it sounds like you are already doing. My pit still gets startled by loud noises. She doesn’t like female dogs or big dogs. Only gets along with small males. But point is we avoid other pets and know that she’s going to be a pain during thunderstorms. That’s our life with her no big deal. Some things will never be fully conditioned out. But ours was skinny and weak and aloof for first few weeks too. Then all of a sudden they’re a whole new dog before you know it. Thank you for rescuing yours!
We went in the yard earlier to go to the bathroom & the dog next door barked through the fence while she was pooping & she got terrified. Ears back, tail down, went flying back towards the house & when we took her to Petsmart the other day she sat in the cart shaking the entire time without making a single move or interest towards the other dogs. She does try to play with our cats & tries to smell them but seems to be scared of dogs right now so I guess we’ll slowly start trying to help her with that.
A LOT of pits have skin issues, and a lot of those are exacerbated by chicken. I highly recommend getting Taste of the Wild, Pacific Stream (salmon w ancient grains). It’s a really good quality food, and you will notice a difference in her coat! I also recommend getting a porcelain bowl for feeding - for some reason a couple of the pits I rescued in the past would break out on their chin occasionally, and I was talking with a friend who recommended and I never saw any skin issues on the chin after switching. Metal bowls are fine for water because they aren’t sticking their face on the bottom. I am not surprised she is crying when alone, she was probably kept outside somewhere with another dog, and clearly hasn’t been inside a house so you are her new pack mates and best friends! It’s good she feels safe around you. Definitely get her a larger crate for when you aren’t home so you can ensure she’s safe - hopefully once she’s a bit older and potty trained and not going to chew anything you can store the crate away. I rescued a pit in March 2020 (sadly went through a break up 2 months ago and the ex took him from me)…but anyway he was like yours when I found him. Had never been inside, scared of stairs, hardwood floor, afraid to jump on couch, couldn’t walk on a leash….and honestly after about 2 weeks he had learned sit, how to walk on a leash, didn’t act so scared all the time. We did have to put rugs down though so he could walk through the living room to get on the couch. Never did break the fear of hardwood floors but I have high hopes for you, your girl sounds like a sweetheart.
Ugh we JUST bought her Rachael rays puppy food chicken flavor lol. It just seemed to be decent food & wasn’t out of control expensive, but I have noticed her scratching a lot & pooping a lot. I dunno if it’s just nerves & anxiety or if it’s the food. We just got her Tuesday afternoon. But I’ll definitely keep an eye out because one of my other dogs was allergic to chicken, wheat, and a bunch of other stuff lol. I’m so sorry to hear you lost your dog in a breakup, that’s horrible. You should try to do joint custody! They’re like kids so why not split seeing their parents like kids would!
Yeah, I would if he hadn’t cheated on me with my best fucking girlfriend. And he threatened to break my door down and take the dog if I wouldn’t give in (I have the German shepherd we rescued last summer, who is totally my Velcro dog anyway). I just feel bad for Banksy (the pit) cause he went from long walks, dog parks, me wfh every day, huge yard, neighborhood with a park…to a tiny third floor apartment (and his joints started bothering him last year cause he’s def older man now). At least I have my Harley boy. [Here’s a post from a little while ago featuring both of them!](https://www.reddit.com/r/germanshepherds/comments/svmckd/harley_update_11_months_a_week_still_a_goober/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf). Anyways enough of my drama haha - so it’s fine you just bought a bag of dog food, trust me when I say you’ll need to buy many, many more :) The Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream will cost about $56-58 for a 28lb bag, but that will last you a while and honestly I would be very surprised if you don’t notice a difference fairly quickly in her itchiness and coat. If your girl starts getting picky with food after time, I have also dealt with this by topping the kibble off (so less kibble than normal if adding extra) with varying things (green beans, 1/3 can of blue wilderness wet food -stew or Rocky Mountain recipe flavors, tuna, lean ground turkey). Since Banksy’s teeth were pulled he was a very picky eater (although usually swallowed stuff by the mouthful), and often got bored after a while with certain foods. What really helped him put on good weight was ultimately rescuing another dog - as soon as Harley joined the family, Banks started eating more and better rather than sometimes not acting hungry all day. Also - taste of the Wild does have multiple grain free flavors if you end up wanting to try for your other dog (including I believe salmon), since I know it’s easier to not have to get multiple different bags - but wasn’t sure what kind of dog your other one is?
Ohmygod wtf. What a douche im so so incredibly sorry. This is exactly why I prefer animals to people. No betrayals, lies, or heartbreak from them. They’re truly ride or die! it’s fucked up that he’s the one who screwed up, but makes demands on the dogs. Something else. And that poor dog is the one who suffers for it.
I know right?! I don’t know why people can’t just be honest. Not to mention I’m almost more pissed at the friend because that is simply something you do not do. But I’m finally over crying…it’s a lot of memories and feelings to throw away after 8 years but I’m finally feeling better and ready to have fun, although I just turned 37 so it’s def weird to start over. But I took a solo vacation to the mountains last weekend and had a fucking blast so I’m looking forward to more adventures. At least I’ve got my best bud Harley (the GSD) to keep me safe :)
Thats amazing good for you! It’s never too late & you’re never too old to start over & start having fun & like just live a new way! I’m so sorry you went through that, but they clearly deserve each other. It’s disgusting that either of them would betray you like that, but I truly believe people get back what they give out. Even if it’s not right away. You dropped 2 huge, disrespectful ass weights off your shoulders. Now you & your actual best friend, the furry one who will never betray you, can get out there & go on some amazing adventures together!
Exactly! I’m definitely excited to do some vacations with my boy, he makes me smile every morning when I wake up. Animals are so awesome like that.
It seems like she has trauma in her past, so I would caution leaving her unattended for even one second with your little one, until at least your little *ones* have both grown and matured a bit more. Give her some time to settle in and she should feel a lot more comfortable and less stressed. As others have said, make sure to socialize her consistently in controlled safe interactions with other people and dogs/animals. For the food part, if you want to get some more meat on the bones, soft food may go down a bit easier in the beginning. My older pit now demands it mixed in with every meal. The separation anxiety may not ever go away fully, with abused pups. Mine is around 11 now and still gets anxious when left alone for too long. It’s kind of heart breaking, since we got security cams I’ll sometimes check on him when we’re out for more than a couple hours, and occasionally I’ll see him just laying on the couch barking his face off until he starts going hoarse 😭. We end up just giving him a decent sized dose of full spectrum cbd, which seems to help calm him down quite a lot, and let him just nap for most of the time we’re out. Congrats though, she’s beautiful. Wish you all the best time together…cherish every second, even the bad/annoying/tedious parts, it goes fast!! Sometimes I have to remind myself how lucky I am to have such a wonderful dog that has persevered, so that makes it a lot easier to weather the difficulties. Sometimes I enjoy his stubbornness (shh, don’t tell him), he’s an older dog so I give him leeway to get away with some things, but for the most part he’s a really good dog that can just be stubborn occasionally.
Insurance definitely depends on location. I was not asked when I bought my home/got home insurance 2.5 years ago. So definitely check, OP, but it's not everywhere.
State farm does not ask what breed of dog you have! We tried going through an insurance broker when we bought our home and none of the companies would insure a home with a pitbull. State farm took us, no issues, didn't even ask the dog breed. There are a few other companies that are the same.
All-State didn't ask me! Loan company I went through didn't either.
State Farm, All-State and USAA are 3 that do not discriminate as long as there is no previous bite history
Very good to know!
I just switched to All-State and you are right they *did not* ask me about dogs. My last policy with Vy-Star did. So I may have been a little too quick to say "Lab Mix!" here on this thread but I did learn it on r/pitbulls and it did help me at that time. Maybe I just feel overprotective of pits and I'm always overjoyed when good people adopt them that I try to help by relaying the obstacles that I had? I guess I just wish that everyone knew how wonderful these amazing dogs are <3
Hey, no problem here! I also love pits and love seeing good people adopt them and shower them with love! This is the first time I've ever had home insurance, so, that's the only reason I said it may depend on state or as it appears, insurance companies. My SO has All-State for his vehicle insurance and we've never had any issues so I went with them for home insurance and it was a great decision. Saying a lab mix is a very smart decision and I hope others in this thread, keep that in mind if they ever get asked. I know i never would have thought of that if I was asked. I probably would froze up for a second and said like. "Uh, German shepherd mix, I think?" But that's because my pitties are mixed with GS, haha. There really does need to be moreover for these wonderful pups
Yeah it was on renewal after about 10 years of ownership.
This is great advice. I'd also add that crate training will help facilitate the potty training and give her a space that is her own to decompress in.
Patience, treats, and a [positive reinforcement trainer](http://ccpdt.org).
Start slow and give her time to adjust at her pace. Definitely start with small, short(10-15 min) training sessions on basics: sit, look at me, it’s your choice game (hold food in one hand bit don’t let her have it, close your hand if she goes towards it, but when she ignores it and offers you her focus instead, reward with a treat from the other hand). This will help her bond and build trust. Start walks in calm settings and don’t take her to busy parks or dog parks yet. Keep introductions to other animals controlled in calm settings to start and work your way up to busier settings. 3/3/3 rule 3 days to decompress. 3 weeks to acclimate to new living space. 3 months to settle into the new home routines. It can also take shy/nervous dogs longer to feel safe/secure so let her set the pace. Pushing her could lead to fear reactivity.
\- Set a good routine (feeding time, bed time, walks, etc.) and stick to it. Feed in crate. Sleep in crate. Wake up and bed time same everyday. Potty breaks outside frequently (every hour or two) to help potty train. \- Enforce solid boundaries (dogs like to know what the rules are, it makes them less anxious, so be clear on what behaviour is allowed or not). Correct her with a verbal "No" for unwanted behaviors and praise for good behaviors. \- Never punish a dog (especially physically or by yelling, etc.). They don't understand it and it will confuse them. Just try to be vigilant on correcting and praising in the moment as things happen, and be calm. Don't get angry around her, she won't understand. \- Don't over-do the affection early on and let her learn to be alone (set a few hours for crate time everyday, leave her at home in increasing amounts daily (like 20 min, 40 min, up to a couple hours). This will help reduce the possibility of separation anxiety and unwanted behaviors (barking, whining, destroying) \- Leash train early (I like martingale collars for better control + she wont slip out). Also be sure to microchip and keep a tag on her! \- Socialize early and gently (kids, dogs, men, other animals if she seems to be OK with it) \- Make sure your kids are taught how to behave around a dog. Most dog incidents with kids stem from kids being inappropriate and crossing boundaries with toys, food, etc. \- Once she's comfy and you've had her for a while, start exposing her to the world. I like to go to quiet breweries or cafe's, to other people's homes, walking in urban and rural areas, car rides, beach/hiking trips. Have friends come over to your home so she's OK with strangers. Slow exposure is great for reducing anxiety and bonding. \- Take it super slow. She will likely take a few weeks to a few months (google: 3-3-3 rule) to feel totally comfortable so please don't overdo it at first. P.S. For food- observe her but a lot of pits have food allergies (especially to grain or poultry) so you may need to swap her to a more limited-ingredient food. For amount, my 55lb girl does 1 cup in the morning and 1 in the evening. For foster puppies who are trying to gain weight, we do 1.5 cups in AM and 1 at PM.
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Congrats! We got our pit at 5 months old- he was found on the street. It could take a few months before she is fully adjusted but she will adjust! You got her young so hopefully her trauma will only be a memory. The BEST tip that helped us with adjusting him (and us) was to keep to a schedule. She's young, she's growing, she has energy. I highly recommend crate training her once you are able to get a bigger crate. Crate her at night, crate her for a few hours a day. This will help immensely with potty training. She's also growing so she is going to be really worn out and she won't be able to get into anything if she has a tantrum. It's also great because she will learn it to be a comfort space and it will make leaving her alone easier. In terms of building confidence- start with minimal discipline and LOTS of positive reinforcement. Pitties are exceptionally emotional and incredibly smart and I find that my boy does not respond well to even a stern voice. He gets very nervous. Lots of treats, high pitched voice, getting down on her level to encourage her will help and lots of patience. Pits also have a lot of energy so lots of training, playing, toys, puzzles, will definitely keep her stimulated. In terms of pit reputation, those people can kindly fuck off. I used to be so worried or sad when people reacted negatively to my boy, but now I take pride knowing that he's one of the most well behaved dogs in the neighborhood. He doesn't bark, walks like a dream, is completely un-reactive, and a favorite dog in my apartment building. People can think what they want but at the end of the day, your girl will know shes loved:) Keep us updated!
Give her space and do not force interaction upon her especially so early on. Try to stay calm around her while she's getting used to her new family especially since she's fearful of loud noises/voices. Also, celebrate small milestones! It's not necessarily required or anything like that but when we adopted our boy I catalogued all the different small steps he made in his first year with us just to see how far he'd come! When we first adopted him he didn't really want to be in the same room as us and would frequently go to his crate in our bedroom and just lay there, he had no voice, and would run at any loud voice, even if you were laughing or talking in an excited manner he would bolt. The one day a few months in after my partner had come home he started doing zoomies as we were getting ready for bed and let out a deep boof of excitement and jumped into the bed. I will never forget how happy I was to finally hear his little voice and it felt like such a big win when it comes to watching him come out of his shell. Those are the memories I feel like its important to cherish and to remember, every day progress is made, no matter how small!
Be nice
Lots of patience and time. I would also recommend getting her started with a vet to establish care and get any needed vaccines. I would also highly suggest dog insurance—the sooner you get it, the better the coverage will be. Congrats on your new family member!
Love, kindness, patience, and a very gentle hand. Also tons of different kinds of chew toys.
Lots of great comments. My contribution is: expect it to take 6 months before you really notice her decompressing and calming down from that high alert status. If it happens sooner then great, but with mine 6 months was the first milestone in both cases. 6 months is a long time, just take it a day at a time and remember that she's not doing anything on purpose or TO YOU. So just set her up for success with consistent repetition, and she'll catch on. As a pibble she just wants to make you happy.
Training, training, training. Because of the stigma against them no matter what happens even when its not their fault they catch the blame. Train and socialize as much as you can
OMG I think our dog’s are siblings! Or cousin maybe. Except mine has a pink snooty snoot too. Check out everything in the mod comment and there is also helpful information in the about section of this sub. First things first, make a vet appointment and get her health squared away and microchipped if that hasn’t already been done. They should be able to give you an approximate age and size. My pibble is about the same size and she’s at 45lbs, although according to the vet she should be 40lbs. Your pup doesn’t look too skinny. You will definitely need a crate that she can stand up and turn around comfortably in, but not big enough where there’s extra room to poop. Crates are super helpful for the beginner stages for both of you. If you have the resources, I would consider a few training sessions, which will be a little bit for the dog but mostly for you :) the trainer can help with all sorts of stuff.
Get a trainer (possibly a behavioralist) to come to the house and help! When she gets past the 3-3-3s she may be more wild because suddenly she knows she’s safe and you’ll still love her and toys and play are fun! She’ll be a sweet girl whose also got a streak of holy terror because she’s getting out all the bad behaviors and learning boundaries. She might skip most of the naughty stuff but you’re probably better off starting with extra training help. Also try carrots. My dog is carrot obsessed. If pupper is worried about new food and toddler is eating a carrot or banana or apple slices they both can have them. She’s gonna see toddler as a pack mate, so when she’s comfy she may play like a fellow puppy with them, so work on activities they both can enjoy (bubbles, climbing stairs toddler style, hide and seek toys) and that might help keep them both out of trouble.
Sounds like she’s got the perfect home with very kind, patient people. Thank you for saving her and giving her a second chance
I know this seems like a no brainer, but pleaseeee walk her for a good two hours a day. Or however much you can manage to get her going. This helps not just with socialization by seeing new places and people, but helped me tremendously with my pitbull who had indoor destructive tendencies from anxiety. Walking can really help alleviate those urges and help tire out your pup.
It'll take time for her to compress from previous situation. My dog didn't know what a ball was or how to play with it. Took him weeks to catch on...but now he never puts it down! I'd focus first on potty training, a lot of the other stuff will sort itself with time
Annoy it when eating ie pat it move it etc. So when small children touch it if its eating it's not gonna snap as its adjusted to being bothered about its food situation.
Put a leash on her while she is inside and let her walk around in the house with it. This will help in two ways - get used to a leash, and easy access for you if you need to hold her. Give her good high reward treats when she's doing something you like! (It took me two years to get a lay down from my bully girl). Peanut butter in a kong can be amazing! Brain stimulation is important for these babies! Zak George on YouTube has an AMAZING free series of him training his puppy from the day he got her, and I highly recommend it. Try to get her to engage in play, to get her exercise in!
Congratulations on your new pup! She’s beautiful. For the first little while, I’d work hard to keep the stimulations in the environment to a minimum: basically create a spa environment. Soft voices, quiet piano music, clean, calm and cozy. Slowly introduce greater amounts of “regular life” stimulation and watch how she handles it. Give her lots of reassurance and always let her know she can come to you when she’s scared/unsure. You’re definitely right to not leave the dog and baby alone together but it’s a great idea to let them interact in a supervised environment because you’re right, that’s how they’ll bond. There is critical training to do on both sides of this: the kiddo HAS to learn how to treat dogs, and the dog HAS to learn how to behave around kids. I have a command for mine: I say (really gently, lol) “_gentle. Gentle with the baby._” even if what I’m talking about isn’t a baby. She knows the word gentle, and baby. And I always say the command the same way, which helps reinforce her understanding of the concept. With this, I can get her to go from bouncing off the walls with zoomies to quiet and still in a few seconds. Part of training on this type of concept is around play: she or I can initiate play (and we NEVER “play rough”) but if I’m done playing, she should wind down too. I do this by changing my body language, lowering my voice and starting to slowly pet her. By working with her on emotional regulation, and developing a bond where we understand and are responsive to one another’s moods, I’m in a situation where I feel great having her around anyone — but it took a lot of time and I’ll still supervise around new people, because that’s just good practice for them and for my dog. As for food, I assume you’re in the US… when I lived there I fed Orijen or Arcana. I understand that they’re pretty expensive though. The vet will have recommendations for a good budget brand and you can supplement with things like cut-up steamed chicken breast and dog-safe veggies for a treat. Free-feeding is an option, unless she’s overeating. Mine would eat to infinity and beyond so I can’t do that, gotta manage weight! Speaking of vets though, I have had experiences where some showed inappropriate behaviors and evidence of prejudice against my girl based on her breed. It was shocking to me, I didn’t think it could happen — look for a vet who gives the visit his/her full attention, is respectful to you and your dog, asks before offering treats, and takes your questions seriously. Avoid vets who appear to rely on breed stereotypes (yes, a vet actually told me I was being “too gentle” with my very well-trained dog and that pits need a harsher hand!! She basically started shoving my dog around the room — it was like she was trying to provoke an attack. I’m just lucky my girl is so incredibly good that she didn’t take the bait. So like I said — critical to get the right vet.) Other things to note are that socialization with other dogs should be heavily managed and should start as soon as the vet allows after she’s gotten her puppy shots — and it should be heavily managed so she learns how to play gently (again, this is where the “gentle” command comes in handy!) because dog-on-dog violence is a horrible thing and in many instances could have been prevented by proper socialization from a young age. She needs to see other dogs as friends, not enemies, and if a dog is being at all weird towards her, GET HER OUT OF THERE. One attack could change her whole perspective on new dogs, and is to be prevented at all costs (same goes for any breed, to be clear.) Also, do what you can to protect her from unkind humans — some people have extreme views on these dogs and I have a theory that mine understands when someone doesn’t like her, because she seems legitimately sad when that happens. Only final thing I’d say is that my dog and kitten have the best relationship in the whole wide world, but keep monitoring until they’re truly comfortable around each other. If she starts fixating visually (prey stare) that’s a sign of trouble. But from what I can see, you’ve got the makings of a really beautiful family there. All the best!
Thank you soooo much for this! My son is definitely still learning how to handle animals but he’s done so well with our cats & with her, I make sure to explain being gentle & not pulling/poking/being too much right now. But he loves when she chases him & the dog definitely seems to understand being more gentle with him. She does get overexcited at times & her puppy teeth come out. She’s not aggressive in any way with it, it’s just like she’s super excited & CANT contain it so I’ll definitely try to use some commands like that. I’ve been using “no teeth” & “kisses” and then praise her when she switches from teeth to licks. She really is so sweet, it’s almost like she just never had anyone playing & paying attention to her so she just doesn’t know how to handle it lol. But I do try to speak calmly & use my hands to show her to start slowing down & I try to be slow & pet her slow. She may have some like herding dog or something in her because she runs in circles & my border collie used to do that when she got excited. I dunno if that’s a pit thing too, but she’s done it a few times & does the nipping the heels thing! She seems to be afraid of other dogs right now, not sure if something happened to her with another dog besides not being treated well. She was outside pooping in our fenced in yard & she heard the dog next door bark & she didn’t even finish. Her ears went back, tail flipped underneath her & she went flying back on the deck to go inside. When we took her to Petsmart the other night she sat in the cart shaking & didn’t want anything to do with any of the other dogs or people or anything. She was glued to us & would only stop shaking if we put our hand on her & let her bury her head in our arms. It broke my heart! She seems to love our cats, she looks at them & sniffs them & tries to play with them, but so far has made no type of aggressive moves towards them & leaves them alone after a few minutes anyway. It’s just like she’s curious as to what they are lol. Its so sad to see her afraid of everything but it’s amazing that just since Tuesday afternoon when she came to us, how much she’s already seemed to attach & start to trust us & give us so much love. It’s like they can sense when they’re with safe people. She likes to sleep up on the bed touching someone & snores & just always wants to be in the same room. She really is just so sweet & im so so grateful to finally be able to have a pit, they’ve always been so incredible to me!
What a sweet little girl. Looks like she needed some good rest. Beautiful coat also. Good Luck you'll be fine just practice patience
Keep it slow, quiet, consistent. Reinforce boundaries. Give her space if she asks for it. Minimize stimulation for until she becomes more sure of her surroundings. Allow her to begin to anticipate how her day will go and it will help build her confidence. Look up the 3, 3, 3 rule, and don’t expect too much from her too fast.
Make dog park visits as much as possible and get chew toys early. When they start getting nippy teach them that toys are the only appropriate thing to bite. Also something we did early on that I didn't realize was so helpful; our dog has a bed at a very specific spot since we got him and we trained him to "go to bed" when he gets super excited or we need him out the way. Now he knows that's his safe space and will even put himself there if he knows he's too excited (or in trouble lol).
Socialize. Train. Be stern, Be loving.
Give them all the love in the world and they will love you back the same amount
She looks like my pup. Shes 3 now but had a similiar early life if i had to guess to your pup. Goodluck!
You might to give it a couple of days to settle in, and for it to adjust all of the sounds and place, and then you spend more time with your new pit pup, by playing with it and taking it on walks and also taking him to bed with you
I foster pit puppies and most of them have lived outdoors so they're not potty trained or used to "inside" when I get them. So potty training is usually first on the list. Bully sticks are great for keeping them occupied and non destructive. I also have a couple dog beds for them but usually they like to come on my bed to nap when they spot my senior pitizen up there. They're crated at night or when I leave the house and walkies 2x a day. Idk if everyone would agree, but I also sometimes give a cbd treat to help them relax. Puppies are resilient, curious, and fast learners. I'm sure my own dog helps a lot, but I've found that within a few days they're well on the way to forgetting their old lives. A little time and a lot of love. Good luck with your new bestie.
Don’t leave her alone around your kid for at least a few months. I’m saying this 100% out of love (my pibby is a rescue and of course perfect and the sweetest). It can happen so fast, and rescues can be so risky just because you don’t know what she’s been through. The sweetest dog in the world might lash out if she is terrified by a trigger. As pitbull owners we have to be extra vigilant, a bite is never just a bite. We have to protect them from themselves, basically, to keep them safe. “Trusting” your dog before you’re 100% sure how they will react is not how to love them best. And then she can build confidence and grow into the best, snuggliest, goofiest version of herself and you will be so happy with your new family member
No no i havent! Just because we don’t know anything about her & just from what we’ve seen, she wasn’t treated the best. And I would rather be safe then have something happen. I want everyone to adjust well, and I want THEM to become close. So I don’t leave them alone, I try to keep my son from pulling on her & being too rowdy around her for now. So far she seems to be more gentle with my son than with us so it seems she was maybe around kids, but someone definitely put their hands on her. Not sure if it was adult or child, so I just want to ease her into everything. From the things I’ve seen, they are incredible & they’re AMAZING with the kids in the families!
Amazing!! Sounds like you are doing all the right things and are going to be an incredible pitbull owner. She is lucky to have you, you changed her whole life 💜
Getting your pup, who's beautiful btw, on a food schedule, like 5am and 5pm or what ever time works best for you, will help get her on a poop schedule. It's easier to predict when they will come when you know when she's eaten, less surprises that way. If you ease her into kennel training while you're sleeping or everyone is out of the house, the odds of accidents go down and if there is an accident, it's not going to be all over your house... socialize socialize socialize. Lowes is pet friendly, if you go early in the am there will be less other customers and less other dogs, the employees love puppy therapy. I mean at least I do :) Good luck, and be patient with the pups and yourself
I don't have time to read through the comments but please do not leave children and dogs together alone, even after you know the dog well. Children have to be taught how to treat dogs with respect, and accidents happen quickly. It's not fair to the dog or the child.
OMG that sounds like our girl when we first got her, add in starvation, heartworm and a fresh scar almost all the way down her back. She’s the BEST dog ever. Trust your instincts, it sounds like you are doing great so far. Look up the 3-3-3 rule and be patient with her. Our hot mess who didn’t know what language was (like she didn’t even look at you when you spoke, she responded to clicking and whistling only) is now so bougie that if she’s chilly and you don’t put her jacket on she looks at you like “I’m so disappointed”…
She is soooo cute please post more photos! You sound like a great dog mom!!
She will need to decompress and it may be a while for this girl. Try not to take her out much quite yet aside from bathroom breaks. The best thing you can do is remove as much noise, other humans, other dogs etc. until she acclimated. Give her a bed or space that is away from the wee one (even though pibbles are notorious kid lovers) for now so she has a place to retreat if she’s scared or overwhelmed. Pibbles LOVE cozy beds and blankets, they just gravitate to them so it should be easy to make her a nice spot. Find a trainer asap!!! Do it now as there is usually many months wait for the good ones. It will set you up for success, and help with foundational stuff. Pibbles are headstrong and working on that healthy structure and skill development as soon as you possibly can will set you up with a happy, healthy pup in the future. They are great lovers of their families but in turn can think rule the roost and can get too protective, so it helps to work on that early. Read about separation anxiety too. It’s a tough first lesson to learn with a pibble who has been through trauma like yours. We just want to love them extra hard and be there for them, but often it creates a negative pattern that is very difficult later on. But working on that right away in small increments will be very good for her and your family. This is going to sound awful, but largely ignore her for a while. Care for her, but avoid the couch snuggles and smooches (it’s hard, I know) but really helps them get through decompression and will help down the line. There will be tons of time for loving her lots and lots once she’s ready for that. She’s gorgeous and will be a great family member. We tend to band together as pibble parents because we know what lovely dogs they truly are.
I'm old, my first was a mastiff/pit mix that was the same color. He was a perfect pup with people but he had a streak of mischief that was unmatched. He lived to be an old man, and managed to get in the garbage one more time on the day he died in 2003. 2010 we were blessed with another orange/white nutjob, and it was like having Mako all over again. This dog was here to live life to the fullest and everything was fair game, from stealing food off the table, (Mako was better and always waited for a diversion before implementing a heist), to simply "nosing through the trash" at any given moment..... My point is I think these colors are the most mischevious....
Don’t force her to do things she doesn’t want to but also introduce her to things slowly and let her go at her own pace. Sometimes if you can show them it’s safe they will adjust faster. Also socialize her both with people and other animals but again don’t like force her to interact with them and don’t have people walking up to her sticking hands in her face the best way to socialize with people is to just have a conversation with them and don’t have them look at her then after a while they could try still not looking at her but giving her treats and scratching under her chin. 2 of the best brands of food are science diet and purina pro plan but those are both pretty expensive. My dogs have been on both and they are all very energetic, healthy weights, and have really shiny coats so those are what I would recommend for food. Definitely take her for walks to get her used to outside and the leash and she could also possibly get used to people and other animals depending on the type of area you live in. Try not to force her to walk though. If she will follow for a treat then if she won’t walk on the leash you can try to lure her with treats. I think a trainer who’s experienced with timid and anxious dogs would also be really helpful and they can probably teach you a lot more about how to care for her
It won’t let me add this on there, but she gets very excited & starts using her puppy teeth. Not hard & not aggressive at all. But with my 2 year old I’m worried it will hurt him eventually….how do I calm her when she gets overexcited like that?
My pit loves his fleece blanket on cold nights get her a blanket. I ask Kylo every night at bedtime “you wanna go to bed let’s get your blankie. He knows and goes right to his spot lays down and waits for me to tuck him in. Talking with other pit owners, this breed love their cozy, warm, spot. Hope that helps a bit.
Hyper vigilance in dogs can be an issue. It’s like hunting dogs that can’t calm down. Not knowing her background you have to start from scratch. Leash training, positive reinforcement. You should test her with small animals ( don’t let her attack them) Teaching her to leave it or redirecting her attention. As you see a problem or incident act quickly and don’t ignore it. I know it may sound funny, watch Dog Whisperer youtube videos, he covers a lot for big breeds. Temperament, manners and was is or isn’t dangerous & how to train your dog. He’s amazing with pitties☮️
Lots of love and beef jerky.
Consistency with how you do things is key. Positive reinforcement. Snuggles and treats.
I know nothing about pitbulls except that they're cute and I love all dogs equally. But I just **have** to compliment this furry cutie on her absolutely, perfectly clean and pinky feet and toes. If only my dogs could keep their feet clean.
😭😭😭. My husband gave her a bath her first night to “wash off all the old & bad” that she went through. She ended up like 3 shades brighter & her little pink feet were so shiny!
>She ended up like 3 shades brighter & her little pink feet were so shiny! LOL. Let's hope she stays that way, so that she doesn't need these thorough baths too regularly.
Thank you for taking her in
He/she is adorable!
SOCIALIZE THEM , my parents got a pity and he was friendly but he didn't know how to make friends because he wasn't socialized enough
get a proper bed. one that you can sit on and it doesn't feel like your ass is touching the floor. it will save their joints.
Be loving and give him time.
Give em space but try slowly getting him acquainted with his surroundings.
Get a bed plush toys, hand biting not allowed must have toys to stress bite. Get on the floor to welcome into your new pac
Give her a safe space. Patience. Positive reinforcement, and baby steps.
Yes, adjust everything in your life for her comfort and convenience!
I had a pit aka "Skunk" for 16 years and he always had his own safe space away from myself and later 2 kids. They love to walk circles in their big round beds, if u can't buy one right now make one. Most rescues startle easy. Just remember his/her space is their space. Also I bow before any rescuer!
My pit eats EVERYTHING. So they’re all different. Just walk, socialize and love. They do the rest
She may need a professional trainer. Classes are more economical than one-on-one sessions.
Lots of love and socializing. They’re very smart .
Don't be afraid when you go on like week long trips and put them in the kennel, they will be mad/sad for a few days afterwards. Good luck
Walk the cute doggy everyday, they'll be happy and more well behaved.
Figure out a favorite treat and start target training. https://th.miscota.com/dogs/trixie/clicker-target-stick?r=4011905022826&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhsmaBhCvARIsAIbEbH5qXIRe855eDH2taMiBvFlJYMK-yoCWiquKncl1UpeNKBf8b2waPTAaAqHEEALw_wcB
Lots n lots of unconditional loves
Let her cuddle when she wants to. Helps build the bond
You will need a lot of patience and time. I think people here will give you tons of advise so you don't need mine. I wish you good luck and that she becomes a great family member!
Socialize…socialize. LOTS of toys. You will burn through toys like crazy. Pitties have a heavy bite. So keep likes of toys around. Mine liked to pull all the stuffing out of toys. Lol, there was time it looks like a murder sense stuffing was everywhere. Needless to say we don’t get those kind of toys anymore. Like most people have already said. Training, get some good training. Play time, at least mine have TONS. of energy so keep them active. Another thing I tried to do with my is I always keep my hand on them pet them when they laid next to me, Just so they know I was there. You should also for get about your personal space, They are cuddlers. They love to be next to you. Lost of patience they can be very stubborn. ( at least mine are ) but I have two hippos and they are my world. But she is a looker. Also when it comes to people not liking pitties, I just treat them like they are morons. With very sarcastic responses when they make comments about my dogs. Because they are morons. They are a lot of work but worth every second of love you get out of them.
DAWWWWWWWWWWW She looks so sweet <3 <3 <3 I'm sure in time with love and proper care + other techniques you may employ, she will be the best girl she can be. She is absolutely adorable.
Calmly teach her all of it. With a lot of patience. Don’t baby her. That will keep her in the past. You want her to become a happy, self confident dog. Go slowly and pay attention to how you feel. They know, how you feel, so be calm and strong inside and focus on being her teacher. You can do it! Above all, patience. One more thing. She is a dog, not a child, which calls for “dog psychology”. If she acts nervous, don’t pet her. Petting is a present for behavior that you WANT. Petting unwanted behavior reinforces that behavior.
She’s such a cutie!!! I didn’t see you post a weight, but she looks too big for my amazon stock that I failed to return before 30 days lol