[kcoulsto]

I recently found a 5-6 week old pit mix puppy (I think she has a tad bit of boxer in her). I have been unable to find the original owner, so I'm thinking she may have been dumped. I have taken her in and gotten her de-wormed and started her puppy shots.

I know that this age is way too young to be away from the liter, but she has been eating fine and I'm trying to work with her on bite inhibition.

She is almost potty trained at 7 weeks and also knows a few basic commands, like 'sit' very well.

A few nights ago, she started growling when I was playing with her, but I chalked that up to just being playful. However, once or twice when I've tried to discipline her, she has growled as well. Is this normal? and what should i do in these situations.

Also, I have introduced her to a few dogs that I know are vaccinated and in good health. She has done well with all but one. The ones she has done well with are all 6+ in age, so when/if they play with her it's not rough.

However, my future roommate just got a 4 month old hound mix from the shelter. When we tried introducing them, the hound mix, who is super hyper tried playing rough with her and my puppy does not like her at all. She will growl and bark nonstop at the hound. They do well together on walks though. But as soon as we try to get them to interact off the leash, the hound gets overly excited and rough and causes my dog to act somewhat aggressive. I honestly think she's scared and trying to stick up for herself, but it just worries me that this happens. We have had 2 playdates so far with the same results. Is this age gap too drastic to introduce them in? I've tried finding puppies her own age to play with but no luck.

I am just super concerned with raising the puppy correctly and do not want these tendencies to continue as she grows older. What can I do to ensure she grows up to be a balanced dog?

Any help at all is appreciated.

 

[aus_staffy]

Hi and welcome to the forum. This sounds like puppy play to me. It sounds like you've got the basics covered. In answer to your first question, I'd say she is probably just a naturally vocal dog.

Your second question regarding your roommate's dog: I would get that dog under control first. At 4 months its still a pup but should be learning some manners in regards to play. It shouldn't really be up to your 5-6 week old puppy to have to stick up for herself. Just supervise the play and step in before it gets out of hand.

In regards to your third question, it kind of depends. Judging from your pic (hard to judge from one photo), she may not have any APBT blood at all so there are specific things you might not have to deal with. But just generally keep her fed, socialised and at this age RESTED a lot and she should be fine. People can tend to overcomplicate dog ownership but if you use common sense you should be OK.

BTW she's very cute.

 

[Celestial88]

Sounds more like play to me too, how exactly are you disciplining her?

When puppies play they growl to let the other dog know that they're doing something they dislike.

I've seen a lot of people who correct dogs improperly and only increase the negative response.

Also, parvovirus can get on shoes and feet, it's in the ground. So a vaccinated dog could still carry it.

On the socializing, I would see how the dogs you want to socialize her with act like before socializing her with them. If she gets used to all dogs she meets being very pushy and hyper she may grow up to dislike them. Try to find a nice, and respectful dog to socialize with.

 

[angelbaby]

Hi and welcome to the forum. This sounds like puppy play to me. It sounds like you've got the basics covered. In answer to your first question, I'd say she is probably just a naturally vocal dog.

Your second question regarding your roommate's dog: I would get that dog under control first. At 4 months its still a pup but should be learning some manners in regards to play. It shouldn't really be up to your 5-6 week old puppy to have to stick up for herself. Just supervise the play and step in before it gets out of hand.

In regards to your third question, it kind of depends. Judging from your pic (hard to judge from one photo), she may not have any APBT blood at all so there are specific things you might not have to deal with. But just generally keep her fed, socialised and at this age RESTED a lot and she should be fine. People can tend to overcomplicate dog ownership but if you use common sense you should be OK.

BTW she's very cute.

:goodpost: agree

 

[Patch-O-Pits]

Click below to go to the thread..http://www.gopitbull.com/obedience-...ing-american-pit-bull-terrier-your-puppy.html

 

[kodiakgirl]

On the socializing, I would see how the dogs you want to socialize her with act like before socializing her with them. If she gets used to all dogs she meets being very pushy and hyper she may grow up to dislike them. Try to find a nice, and respectful dog to socialize with.

:goodpost: I was going to say the same thing. Welcome to the forum! Even if she doesn't have any APBT in her, you can still learn a lot of valuable training information here. There are a few members around here who do not own APBT's.

 

[kcoulsto]

Thanks for the advice! We just did another play date with my roommates dog. Things went significantly better this time. She's still not completely comfortable but they did play a little better this time. I think letting Willow play with my sisters older dog (Boston Terrier- 6 years- still hyper but good mannered) helped. She may not have any pit in her, but a lot of people that have seen her thinks she does. They either say that or boxer. Who knows. but she's definitely a sweetie

 

[kodiakgirl]

That's good, looks like you are on the right track. The majority of people don't know what a true APBT or APBT mix should look like, that is why many people label dogs as "pitbulls," when most of the time, dogs that are being put down in shelters because they are thought to be "pitbulls" are not pitbulls at all. The name "pitbull" is somewhat of a slang term used to describe any dog that looks somewhat like an APBT, bully, bulldog, or anything of the sort. We have several professionals around here with many years of experience with the breed, so I hope you stick around, you can learn a lot about the breed. As your pup matures, her features will become more prominent and it might be easier to identify what breeds she might be mixed with. She is adorable nonetheless!

 

[aus_staffy]

:goodpost: I was going to say the same thing. Welcome to the forum! Even if she doesn't have any APBT in her, you can still learn a lot of valuable training information here. There are a few members around here who do not own APBT's.

Totally agree. Regardless of breed, this is one of the friendliest dog forums around.

 

[PerfectPit]

She is a cutie, that is for sure. I agree it sounds like puppy play at this point.

 

[IzzosMommy]

Really sounds like puppy play to me right now , and honestly she looks like she has mastiff in her more then a pitbull . But on the other hand I am no expert , and you'll see more as she grows.

 

[bahamutt99]

People are probably telling you "pit" or Boxer because of the brindle. Lots of breeds carry that color, though. Even Labradors can produce brindle. I personally would not peg that dog for a pit mix. But I hope you are able to work out her problems either way with some good old-fashioned dog sense. She's a cute cookie.