Dogsitting

wisconsinpittylover2468 · 10-13-2011, 03:27 PM

I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice. I have a 2yr old boxer/american bulldog mix and my friend has a 4yr old am. staf that i'm going to be dogsitting this weekend. they are both females. I've had a bad experience in the past when i had to male bullies pitty mix and american bulldog and they got into 2 fights before we got rid of them. So i'm kind of nervous about bringing another bully into the house for the weekend. My female listens better to me than my males did. What advice do you have to offer?

**Carriana** · 10-13-2011, 03:47 PM

Are either of the dogs crate trained?

If so I would try slow introduction on neutral ground first to see how it goes. You will want to keep them apart when you are unable to watch them closely.

We have several threads on crate and rotate, you may want to read up on it.

texasgame · 10-13-2011, 03:57 PM

well if you are this nervous goin ito the introduction something will probably happen your dog is going to pick up on your anxiety and if its on her grounds in your house and the other dog comes through the door there will or very likely be a confrontaion i would allow them to meet on netural terms and crate like the above post remember to stay as calm as possible energy travels to our animals.

**angelbaby** · 10-13-2011, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texasgame

well if you are this nervous goin ito the introduction something will probably happen your dog is going to pick up on your anxiety and if its on her grounds in your house and the other dog comes through the door there will or very likely be a confrontaion i would allow them to meet on netural terms and crate like the above post remember to stay as calm as possible energy travels to our animals.

you have just as likely a chance of having a fight happen with 2 females then you do with 2 males. I agree with above posts. Crate and rotate is best , but if your already nervous I wouldnt even bring the other dog in your home they will feed of that energy and more often then not that alone will cause issues between them. You girl may feel your energy and feel she needs to protect you or feel there must be something up with this other dog if your feeling like that. I would pass completely on watching the other dog if your uncomfortable.

wisconsinpittylover2468 · 10-13-2011, 07:21 PM

thanks for the advice. I think i'll do the crate and rotate. The girls have meant before with no problem but that was before mine was 1yr old. Also i would love to hear some advice on screening new homes for my 4yr old Am. Staf. Also has anyone dealty with skin issues. She seem to have seasonal allergies that cause her to shake her head to the point her tips of her ears start bleeding

**angelbaby** · 10-13-2011, 07:33 PM

shaking her head is usually a sign of ear infection and there are some good threads here on how to treat those. Are you rehoming because of her allergies? Id just be very upfront about everything so the new owners know what they are getting into , if you dont know the cause of the allergies the tests can be costly and not something to dump on someone unexpectedly. Is she fixed yet? if not I would deff recommend fixing her before rehoming her to prevent her being used for breeding over n over especially with her skin issues already. Are you prepared to take her back if something doesnt work ? or is it more when she is gone you are done? if you are prepared to take her back to prevent her from landing in a shelter later you could write up a contract that states that or states that they must contact you 1st before rehomming to assure its a proper home ect. My pups I had rehomed we microchipped them and kept them in our name so if a shelter picks them up off the street we get contacted you may want to think of that as well { i believe if they are surrendered they dont check the chip though}.
Make sure they are knowledgable about the breed and possible DA in the breed they arent for dog parks , if its someone looking to take there dog for walks to the dog park and play off leash this isnt the breed for them. Make sure if they are renters they show you proof of permission from the land lord that they can have a dog and this breed { best to call landlord yourself} if they own ask for proof. If they happen to be in a different city make sure the bylaws allow this breed there are some citys here who have bans or muzzle laws I personally turned people down who lived in the muzzle only areas.
ask for a vet refrence make sure they have a vet lined up or if they can use yours even better , just make sure they planned ahead. Go over the family life how long will she be alone daily , who is in the home kids, cats, other dogs? you know what she would be suitable with if any of those arent good then it isnt the right fit. Look for someone who asks questions and has some common sense , the people that come with cash and just want to pick up are usually the ones that end up dumping them at shelters cause they dont fit in with there life style.

wisconsinpittylover2468 · 10-13-2011, 09:25 PM

Its not my am. staff its my friends. She has taken her to the vet several times and have changed her diet several times and still having figured out what is causing it. The vet has determined she is just allergic to life which in my opinnion sounds like a line of crap.

**ames** · 10-13-2011, 10:22 PM

could it be Demodecric Mange? Its such a guessing game. I am having the same kind of problems with my AmStaff. he will be 3 in July. Has head/ear shakes, behind the ear scratches, toe licks, sneezing fits, bad belly. I had been to about 3 different vets, and the last one I went to said it appeared to be Mange. Not saying he isn't allergic, but he has gotten no better and he is on Benadryl daily and a grain free diet. His belly is now great, but until he was treated with something a few weeks ago, the symptoms stayed. Apparently this is very popular ailment in this breed and their immune systems just cant fight it off like other breeds can.

Since I have noticed a change with whatever the vet put on him, it also had heartworm medicine in it, sorry I can;t think of the name of it. Its amazing the difference though. In addition to that medicine, 2 times a week I give him a oatmeal bath.

Just regular oatmeal (not the instant or any flavor) and blend 1 cup to a fine powder, mix it with boiling water to dilute it. Then fill the tub with luke warm water that the pup can stand and mix the oatmeal in, put your pup in for 15 minutes. Don't get it in his eyes, but pour cups over his back and top of ears/head and try to get him to sit and wait it out. Do not rinse him off (unless there are clumps.) and dont rub him dry, pat him dry. Anyway, its amazing how clean it gets him and might help since it seems ike you have tried everything else.