My Pit Bull Puppy

Hi WordPress!  Hope everyone has had a good week.  There has been a change in our household but I’ll get to that soon.  Dasia, my pit bull puppy is 19 weeks old and weighs 32 pounds.  She gained 9.8 pounds since her last vet visit 3 weeks ago; I could hardly believe it.  Today Dasia got her 2nd Lyme Disease vaccination and she is sore.  She whimpers every time she moves.

While at the vet, Dr. Carter discussed the spay procedure with me.  It made me feel a little emotional knowing that they are going to cut my baby open.  Even so it is the best choice for her and for me; and the appointment has been made.  One thing that makes me feel better is knowing that Dr. Carter & the Vet tech’s adore Dasia, so I’m sure she’ll get some extra love while she’s there.

Cyrus & Dasia

Training:
Training is going well.  When training I use blue buffalo training treats.  At 19 weeks old (almost 5 months) Dasia knows all of the basic commands, sit, stay (the most useful), down, lay down, no, and get-in-your-bed.  Leave it, back-up, drop it, and easy are some of the other commands we are currently working on.  The biggest challenge I face training my Pit Bull puppy (American Staffordshire Terrier) is greeting people, though she is getting better.  The difficult thing about teaching Dasia not to jump on people when she greets them is people saying “it’s ok” and then calling her up.  It really gets under my skin but I remain calm although Dasia becomes an over excited “Attention Junkie”.  I typically respond with “she is learning doggie manners.  I don’t want her jumping on people or kids when she’s over 50 pounds.  Dasia sit, stay…”  Usually people respectful after my brief explanation.

Last but not least, Dasia goes potty outside 99.999% of the time!  The only time she has an accident is if she’s slept in my bed all night (12 hours, snoring) and she didn’t get out the front door in time.  She’ll have her harness and leash on and just before I can open the door, it happens.  I don’t sleep well at night so I’m thinking about waking her up in the middle of the night for a quick potty break.

Exercise/Playtime/Socialization:
Because Dasia is fully vaccinated, playtime and exercise has evolved!  My pit bull puppy remains a healthy, socialized dog.  Walks have gradually increased, and will continue to increase as she grows.  I take her on 2 fifteen minute walks because that is all she’s willing to do (because I think she gets overwhelmed by all the new sounds).  I asked my vet about walking Dasia, how much is too much.  The response I got was start small and gradually increase the walks; and Dasia will let me know when she’s had enough.  Dr. Carter is right, Dasia does let me know.  She will stop, turn around and sit at my feet.  Exercise also comes in the form of playdates with her sister and visits to the dog park… playdate with Roxy one day, dog park the next.

Taking Dasia on walks is a great way to socialize, as is the dog park.  I allow her to greet other calm pets, no matter the size.  She is allowed to greet people, though not all people.  The reason for this is she needs to learn that she can’t approach people whenever she wants to, that there is a time for people interaction.

Feeding:
Feeding hasn’t changed, though it will be soon.  My pit bull puppy eats 3 rounded cups of dry puppy food (no corn, wheat or soy products) divided by 3 meals a day.  She eats at 8am, 1pm and 7pm.

Ok, now about the latest change in our household.  My sister moved and then learned that pit bull breeds weren’t allowed because of insurance reasons.  Upon hearing the news last week, I decided to go get Cyrus (Dasia’s father) and later re-home him with my grandparents-in-law.  Well, I picked up Cyrus but have decided against re-homing him.  My husband, our kids, my grandmother and me love my sister’s pit bull.  He’s the reason we wanted a dog.  Since impregnating Mocha (dasia’s mom), he’s been neutered so he can’t make any more adorable little puppies.  Dasia and Cyrus get along great and have taken up a good portion of our bed.

Until next time…  Have a great weekend!

My 4 month old pit bully puppy

Hi WordPress Community!!!  It’s been 3 weeks since my last post, which means Dasia is now a 4 month old Pit Bull puppy!  Last weekend she hit a growth spurt and now stands almost as tall as her siblings.  She has gotten so big and still has a great temperament.  Everyone she encounters loves her, and in turn she loves people and other dogs.  I’ve watched Dasia go from an unsure puppy learning about the world around her to a confident, well-behaved puppy.

Yesterday was her Vet appointment…  Happy to report she is healthy, weighs 23.4 pounds, which is perfect given her frame.  This week she received her rabies shot.  Dr. Carter (I love Dr. Carter, she’s awesome) said it’s safe to take her to the parks now, yay!  Granted, I don’t plan on allowing her to play at the dog park unless there are no other dogs around.  I refuse to set Dasia up for failure.  Not all dog owners are responsible so why take the risk.  I allow her to social with other pets when I’m able to fully control the situation, ie: on walks, the pet store, and playdates.

Dasia, my beautiful 4 month old pit bull puppy (AmStaff), is pretty cool!  She absolutely loves to go bye-byes (no matter where it is).  All I have to do is grab my keys and she’s ready to go.  She recognizes the word “treaties” and “food”!  In fact those are her 2 favorite words, and there is nothing she won’t do for treats or food.  The “come” command is not a command she follows all the frequently unless there is a treat involved.  Funnier is when she does something she knows is wrong, I catch her and say “really Dasia”, she’ll instantly stop what she’s doing.  It is actually more effect than saying “no”.

My puppy is rotten and is always testing her boundaries.  She tries to chew on the furniture (only when her sister is here), got in the trash looking for chicken (hasn’t done it since), always trying to secretly eat anything she encounters outside (she’s not good at hiding it, lol).  She has gotten out of her crate when I wasn’t home but I’m assuming I didn’t latch the bottom latch.  Awesome thing was that she didn’t get into anything!  Dasia doesn’t go potty in the house unless I’ve missed her signals.

Training/Exercise/Playtime:
Training is ongoing.  Things don’t always go the way I expect and that’s ok; it’s a learning process.  The commands Dasia knows or is familiar with are:  No, down, sit, stay, come, go/ok (given when she can rush to her food bowl).  Sometimes when we get outside she gets a little stubborn because of distractions.  We have started taking walks and she does very well, basically stays at my side.  However, she gets excited when she sees people or pets, and instantly wants to great them.  I keep it consistent, same rules apply every time we go outside.  She approaches other pets slowly and calmly sniffs…  people is a bit trickier because she wants to jump up, even when asked to sit.  It’s like the excitement takes over, she wants love so our success rate is about 50% outside, 75% success greeting people inside.  We met the pet trainer at Petsmart and will be enrolling to ensure I’d doing things correctly.

Exercise/Playtime:
I have officially started taking my 4 month old pit bull puppy on walks!  We don’t take long walks because she is only 4 months old.  Healthy bones and joints are important to me.  I’m not much of a jogger but I’ll jog a short distance with her (very short) because she likes to run.  Playtime with her sibling still offers most of her exercise.  They run around chasing each other, playing tug-0-war, wrestling, learning their boundaries.

Feeding:
I’m feeding Dasia a rounded cup full of puppy food 3 times a day.  Most of the time she acts likes she’s still hungry but when I asked the Dr. Carter she assured me Dasia is not underfed.  It’s natural for a puppy to want to over endulge in food.

I am super happy I decided to become a pet owner!  It is a great experience and I love, love, love our puppy!

Well go to go 😦    I’ll update later with a pic.  I’ll be posting updates every 2-3 weeks rather than every week.  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

13 Week Old Pit Bull Puppy

12.5 weeks old

13 weeks old wearing new harness

Hello WordPress Community!  I missed posting last week, sorry.  My (AmStaff) pit bull puppy turned 13 weeks old on 1/12/2012.  That’s right, my baby is a whopping 3 months old!  We just got back from another great vet visit.  This was our 4th visit and I’m still impressed that they know Dasia by name.  Banfield’s wellness program is awesome!  Thirty-eight dollars a month is all it costs to ensure Dasia gets all of the vaccinations she needs without having to fork out $120-$300 a visit…  and it will cover the spay procedure in three months.  My goodness, in 3 months Dasia will be 6 months old.  They say time flies when you’re having fun…  I guess I might be having too much fun because it seems like yesterday Dasia was 3.5 weeks old.  I am so thankful for all of the information and useful tips posted on other sites by other dog owners and breeders.  My vet has been a great help too.  Dasia is my first puppy/dog and things are going great!

At 13 weeks old (3 mos. old), my AmStaff puppy is 19 pounds, nicely proportion and is in great health.  I was hoping to be able to take Dasia to the dog park this week and enroll her in a puppy education class this month but she doesn’t get her rabies shot until 18 weeks old so we have to wait a little longer.  In addition to the rabies shot she will get vaccinated against lyme disease.  Her temperament towards people is still super friendly.  She gets so excited when greeting people that she whines before she lets anyone pet her.  As far as other dogs, she is pretty good.  She displays NO aggressive behavior and is no longer intimidated by small breed dogs barking at her.

Dasia and her sister Roxy (23 lbs.) get really rough with each other when playing but they are starting to settle down and respect each others boundaries.  Dasia still doesn’t mind sharing her toys.  I suspect it’s because she has shared her toys since bringing her home at 3.5 weeks old.  However, toys are starting to be destroyed.  If it wasn’t for me buying new toys every time we visit the vet, she wouldn’t have any left.  She is teething and last week Dasia lost one of her teeth.  Had I not read about it, it would have most likely freaked me out.  Over the last two weeks Dasia has become a little stubborn and is pulling on the leash a lot.  More than a handful of times she went up on her back paws, front paws in the air, basically choking herself.  Other times she’s got all four paws digging in, trying to pull.  For as small as she is, she is strong!  Her choking herself really bothers me, more than it bothers her I suspect.  Anyways, I measured her, added the two inches to the measurement and purchased a harness and new leash.  We’ve only used it twice but I’ve noticed a difference.  The true test will come this afternoon when her sister Roxy gets here and they’re outside.

Training:
Training is going well, yet it has it days!  As I said earlier, Dasia has become a little stubborn.  She listens great inside.  Outside is another story.  She is so interested in everything else that is going on that she doesn’t want to listen.  She pulls on the leash and doesn’t obey the “come” command unless I have a treat in my hand.  My beautiful AmStaff puppy is only 3 months old so I’m sure it is normal and I just have to remain consistent, stand my ground.  The “sit”, “no” and “down” commands are going really, really well.  The “stay” command she is getting better at.  I never try to train her if I’m pressed for time.  Rushing doesn’t yield positive results.  It only sets us both up for failure, so we do training when we have at least 10-20 uninterrupted minutes.  I typically play with Dasia before and after training.  Potty training is going as expected, good with a few accidents here and there.  She has taken up shredding potty pads so I’ve done away with those.  She can go all night, from 11pm to 7am without waking up to go potty.  When the girl sleeps, she sleeps.

Dasia will follow me around all day and night, and I’m taking that as a good sign.  As much as my puppy pulls on her leash, she also pays a lot of attention to me and will typically stay at my side, as long as there are no distractions (people).  It’s almost as if I’ve been teaching her “heel” but I haven’t.  At least not yet.  She still barks at my daughters when they get her hyped up but she is starting to listen to both girls like she does for me.

Feeding:
Feeding time has gotten a lot better.  When I ask her to sit and wait for her food she does.  She is starting to respecting that I’m in charge, that I’m the leader of this household.  She eats almost 3 cups of dry puppy food divided between 3 meals a day.  I’ve learned that the amount of food a puppy should receive varies upon age, weight and brand of food.  She gets treats (puppy milkbones or blue buffalo snacks) during training, however, I make sure it doesn’t interfere with her regular feedings.  Dasia still tries to eat everything that she comes across outside and in, including my clothes, plastic, car fuses, mulch, grass, rocks, etc..  The funny thing about her trying to eat clothes is  she doesn’t bother my husbands, the kids or my grandmother’s clothes, just mine.

Exercise/Playtime:
My (Amstaff) pit bull puppy is only 3 months old so I still don’t “exercise” her.  To be honest I don’t think she needs it.  She gets most of the exercise she needs from playing and taking short walks when it’s time to go potty; and she has the figure to prove it.  We play fetch with her ball and soft frisbee.  She wrestles with her stuffed toys and her sister Roxy.  She plays with the kids.  She gets normal, fun exercise.  Exercise shouldn’t consist of weights or any thing of that nature.  Puppies should be allowed to develop naturally.

Dasia loves to play, loves to jump and loves to snuggle!  She can officially jump on the couch without a running head start and she fully takes advantage of it.  I have decided not to let her sleep in my bed at night but do let her nap with me during the day.  She is getting big fast and when she’s in the bed at night I don’t sleep well.  She takes up a lot of room because she is a bed-hog!  Love, breed & general dog education and positive reinforcement are giving me great results.  I can’t wait to enroll in the puppy training class next month.  So far it appears we are on our way to raising a well-adjusted dog!  I am really proud of my baby.

Last week Dasia starting “humping” her sister, Roxy, to establish dominance.  I am sure that I don’t want her doing that but will be talking with the vet tomorrow via the phone.

Well it’s time for my baby to go outside so that’s my cue to wrap up.  Enjoy the weekend!!  If you have a tip you’d like to share I’d love to hear from you!!

10 week old pit bull puppy

Hello WordPress community, hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  My baby is now a 10 week old pit bull puppy and she is absolutely rotten!  Dasia received her 2nd set of vaccinations on Friday, and I’m happy to report she is doing well.  She weighs 15 pounds, is in great health, well-behaved for a 10 week old puppy… and her temperament towards people and other animals so far is great!  Everyone that meets Dasia adores her, and it tickles me.

10 week old playing with her raccoon

Christmas Eve – 10 Weeks old

Christmas Day – 10 weeks old

Training/Feeding:
Training is training, never-ending.  Every day is different.  Somedays she listens really good while others she is determined to do the opposite unless you have a treat in hand.  Dasia knows “sit” and “down”, though sometimes she chooses not to listen.  She is learning the stay “command” and is doing pretty good with it.  Housebreaking her hasn’t been too difficult.  It’s only a problem when I’m not paying attention or it’s raining outside.  When she’s old enough I’m going to enroll us in an agility training course. Until then she will be enrolled in a puppy education class. Spending the money to enroll her in a puppy education class will be beneficial to her and I both.  It will give her a chance to socialize with other puppies and people.  As for feeding…  Blue Buffalo and Merrick are still too rich for her young digestive system so I’ve switched her to one of the Purina puppy foods.  Don’t worry I checked the ingredients before placing it in the cart.  She gets almost 3/4 of a cup of dry puppy food 3 times a day at 8am, 1pm and 7pm.  If I take her outside around 11pm she tends not to have an accident in her crate.  I also remove her water after 11pm.

Exercise/Playtime:
Exercise still comes in the form of play time or when its time to potty.  Tug-o-war, trying to ger her critters, playdates, chasing the ball, getting the frisbee (though she hasn’t learned to let me have it), she loves to do it all!  Dasia likes to jump and already at 10 weeks she is pretty agile.  She is really active, loves attention and is never unsupervised when out of the crate, which is most of the time. I read somewhere that her breed loves to be a part of the family so she is very much a part of the family. The crate is only used when I can’t supervise her or she needs to take a time out to calm down.

Having a puppy/dog is a big responsibility but it is also a blast.  Puppies get big quick.  Today Dasia jumped up on the couch for the first time.  Obviously I have some big decisions to make and fast.  I was one of those people who was against pets on the furniture or in the bed.  Now that I have a puppy of my own I have been guilty of letting her sit on the couch with me and she naps in the bed when she wakes up at 6:30 in the morning.  This is cute now but I can’t say that I will be fond of it when she’s a year old and 55-60 pounds.

Based on Dasia and her sister Roxy I’ve noticed the differences in their behavior based on training methods and alloted family time.  Roxy is very nippy still, is always in a constant stage of excitement and has a habit of lunging for faces.  Even the vet mentioned something about Roxy being so nippy.  Anyways, Roxy’s owner has her in the crate more than not and doesn’t get much family (pack) time.  Also Roxy’s owner first attempt to stop the nipping by tapping her on her nose or the side of her mouth and/or hold Roxy’s mouth closed.  Needless to say it was getting under my skin and I wouldn’t stop commenting about it.  I’d even go as far to say during playdates “I better not catch anyone correcting Dasia by hitting her or holding her mouth closed or I will do the same to the one that abuses my puppy”.   Happy to say Roxy’s owner no longer does those things because it’s not right, she got embarrassed and I was having better results without being physical.  Roxy is doing better.  I can pet her now without getting bit but only after I’ve calmed her down.  Roxy’s owner is realizing that out of crate time makes a better adjusted puppy and overall a well-adjusted dog!  It is as much of a learning experience for Roxy’s owner as it is for me.  I think the biggest difference is I take advantage of the internet.

If anyone has a tip or advise my ears are always ready to listen!

9 week old pit bull puppy

Thursday my pit bull puppy (Amstaff puppy) turned 9 weeks old.  She’s grown so much in the six weeks that I’ve had her.  It’s amazing.  I’m guessing she’s between 13 to 15 pounds now.  She eats almost 2 cups of puppy food divided between three meals a day.   Because Dasia is getting bigger, doing her “business” by the patio is no longer working.  She wants to walk, sniff, and try to eat everything before doing her “business”.  she still has accidents but that is still to be expected.  The steam cleaner is my new best friend.

Yesterday we encountered 2 big dogs, they barked and Dasia tried to dart back in the house.  My first reaction was to pick her up but then I remembered something I read online, and let Dasia work it out on her own.  Her mommy and daddy aside (neither are barkers), she hasn’t really been around older dogs so they intimidate her when they bark.  People are a different story.  Dasia is an attention junky.  If she spots a person her tail gets to wagging a mile a minute.  She is all about meeting new people.

Dasia loves to play with her toys and she doesn’t mind sharing them with Roxy, her sister.  After about an hour of playing with her sister she’s ready to take a nap.  If the playdate runs late she gets an attitude.  The other day Dasia did something totally unexpected.  Someone knocked on the door and Dasia jumped off the couch ran to the corner of the love-seat, stopped and barked once at the door.  Thank goodness my couch doesn’t sit that high off the floor and I had two couch pillows laying where she jumped.

Training is going well.  Dasia loves car rides and napping in my bed or my grandmother’s bed.  One of the things that tickle me the most about Dasia is her love for my grandmother.  Every morning after breakfast she rushes off to nanny’s room with her tail wagging.  My baby is a tad high maintenance, especially where the crate is concerned.  She doesn’t mind sleeping in it but she prefers to sleep outside the crate on a blanket or her little bed.  She will protest napping in her crate during the day.  All and all there’s not a great deal to share this week.

Happy Holidays!

My 8 week old pit bull puppy

Yesterday my pit bull puppy (American Staffordshire terrier) turned 8 weeks old!  She is getting so big, gained 3.7 pounds in ten days.  On Friday (last week) I took Dasia to get her first vaccinations.  The vet techs recognized her immediately, commenting on how big she’s gotten over the last week and a half.  I was impressed.  They showered her with attention and Dasia ate it up!  It was a great visit.  She was such a good girl that I had to buy her a couple new toys since they were on sale.  Dasia pranced around confident at my side, drawing the attention of other shoppers in petsmart.  I must have been stopped a dozen times by pet lovers asking to pet her and commenting about her green eyes, soft coat and friendly nature!  I am such a proud momma!

Dasia 8 weeks old

Dasia 8 weeks old

I know I touched on this once or twice already but it really gets under my skin when I read a post from someone asking for advise and 98% of the responses are so negative.  For anyone who may have adopted a puppy before 6-8 weeks for whatever reason, don’t listen to those who say your pup will have behavioral problems, health problems or will die.  Take the proper precautions against parvo and other potentially fatal diseases/viruses, keep in contact with a trusted vet, be attentive, set boundaries, socialize puppy with people and other animals, read up on the breed and dog care in general and shower it with lots of love!  The vet (Dr. Clark) said my Dasia is healthy, has a good temperament and her behavior in general is normal and I’ve had her since she was 3 weeks old.  Below are things I’ve learned from experience, the vet or other pet owners that are working for me and Dasia.

Training:
At 8 weeks old Dasia is learning  the “down”, “sit” and “no” commands and is doing great!  I’m super proud of her.  I thought training a puppy would be difficult but so far it isn’t.  Training Dasia is pretty easy.  I reward desired behavior (going in her crate to lay down or playing with her toys instead of chewing my furniture)with a treat or “good girl” because it seems to encourage the positive behavior.  Another thing is I keep training short, 30 seconds here and there throughout the day, everyday.  Personally I think it keeps her from getting bored with it.  Funny thing is Dasia automatically sits when she knows she going to get a treat, I don’t even have to ask!  My friend, Roxy’s owner, is so impressed that she has started doing the same things and we’ve noticed a difference.  You couldn’t touch Roxy without her nipping before my friend started rewarding “good behavior”.  If there are children in the home teach them how to train the puppy as well.  It helps the puppy learn to trust the kids.  Dasia listens to my 11 year old like she does me, and my 5 year old is learning.

Exercise:
8 weeks old is a little young for exercise and long walks.  Adequate playtime should be enough.  Dasia plays with her toys, has playdates with another puppy, we play with her with her toys, and I sometimes make her search out her treats to stimulate her mind.  These are intelligent, active dogs and should be treated as so.  Don’t try to “beef up” your puppy, no long walks, NO WEIGHTS, just good fun puppy play.

Discipline:
NEVER get physical or aggressive with your puppy when you discipline.  Fear is not respect!  I do not tap my puppy’s nose, her mouth or her back-end.  I always tell Dasia no, try to redirect her attention, turn away from her, or put her in a time out in her crate for a few minutes to calm down, and guess what, it works.  By not being physical or aggressive she trusts me, respects that I’m the boss and it settles the unwanted behavior.  Also always supervise your puppy!

Overall Care:
Bath your puppy when needed.  I typically bath Dasia once a week if she is starting to smell, otherwise I bath her every 2 weeks.  She eats 3 times a day at 7am, 1pm and 7pm.  Making her last feeding so early reduces my waking up in the morning with a not-so-nice surprise waiting in her crate and her freaking out about it.  Water is available unless she is in the crate (which is only while we sleep).  During the day Dasia is allowed out of the crate and has several beds to sleep in (her favorite is my grandmother’s bed snuggled up to nanny with her teething bone).  My 71 year old grandmother is disabled so it’s pretty cool.  My grandmother is soo tickled by Dasia, she’s been good for her!  Socialization is a must.  I allow her to say hi to just about everyone she meets.  Crate aggression is real.  Don’t keep the puppy crated all day and all night.  They need more than potty breaks.  They need playtime and most of all lots and lots of family time!  Regular visits to a vet for vaccinations is a must.

So far raising a puppy has been an awesome experience and I’m sure it will continue to be so!  Any tips you’d like to share I’d love to hear them!

7 Week Old Pit Bull Puppy

Playtime with Emma (white pup) & Roxy (dark chocolate & black pup)

Today is Dec. 1, 2011 and Dasia is now a 7 week old pit bull puppy.  Did you know that there is something like 47 different breeds that people refer to as “pit bulls”?  Thought it was interesting.  My cousin keeps telling me that I need to stop reading but that is impossible.  Researching on the internet has given me a lot of great information and advise on raising my puppy.  Dasia is 7 weeks old and basically potty trained already.  She has started learning doggie manners though it is a slow process.  As for getting sleep, it’s getting better.   Dasia pretty much sleeps through the night, from about 12am to 7am.  She is also starting to tear up the potty mat and attempts to tear up her bed when she doesn’t want to be in the crate.

This past week I picked up 3 of Dasia’s sisters because my cousin was freaking out, threatening to take them to the pound.  My heart dropped to my feet and I was in the car the next morning on my way to get them.  Happy to say those adorable balls of energy have been placed in good homes, and will be able to have play-dates with Dasia.  Having spent time with 5 of Dasia’s siblings over the past 4 weeks has told me a lot about her personality and that of her siblings.  Athena is submissive, Bruiser is nothing but energy, Romo is a lover and a bully, Roxy is laid back, Emma is loveable and dominate.

Now about Dasia…  Aside from her being a lap dog (mommy’s lap dog), she is as loveable and dominate as her big sister Emma, though not as big.  Dasia is definitely the runt of the litter and at times I swear she suffers from the “little dog” syndrome.  Actually it started when Emma came to stay.  She was quick to let Emma know it was her house, her toys and her laps, and yes it was cute but I wasn’t happy about it.  When either tried to dominate the other I’d correct the behavior by removing toys, laps, attention and even crate them until they settled down.  I’m happy to report Dasia learned to share.  Also her attempts to nibble on us is decreasing.  It mainly happens when she gets over excited or if she’s playing with other puppies.

Our pit bull puppy (who I learned is an American staffordshire terrier) loves to play with the kids.  Sometimes she attempts to dominate my youngest but I am teaching my youngest how to correct Dasia when she does it (usually it’s because the puppy is overwhelmed by my youngest).  Soon I will have the kids feed her on the weekends so she learns they control the food as well as I.  As soon as it’s safe for Dasia I will start taking her to the bus stop to socialize with more people.  Honestly when it comes to people she is somewhat of an attention junkie.

Monday my puppy will get her first vaccinations, I’m so excited.  The only downside to taking Dasia for vaccinations is I don’t like needles and I don’t like to watch shots be given.  I tense up.  I remember when I took my grandparents dog for shots 11 years ago, I teared up, tensed up and apologized to Missy over and over until we got home… granted I was preggers and emotionally challenged.

So what I have learned about my pit bull puppy over the last week:

1) Consistency is key when correcting a puppy     2) She can eat dry food (not moistened)     3) Teaching children how to properly play, correct and train a puppy is a giant positive     4) Some of what I thought to be agressive play isn’t (this made me feel kind of silly but better safe than sorry down the road)     5) Routine is a must     6) Puppies are intelligent     7) DON’T be afraid to tell guests NO (i don’t like rough play with the puppy and I enforce it no matter who it is)     8.) Socialization with other dogs at an early age is VERY important     9) Don’t allow puppy to greet company at the door, create area for guests to greet puppy (ie: living room)     10) 7 weeks is not to early to teach your puppy the “down” command (in fact I find it is necessary at this stage)

6 Week Old Pit Bull Puppy

It’s Thanksgiving and my pit bull puppy is 6 weeks old.  Saturday I took her to the Vet to get checked because icky potty had me worried.  At first I thought maybe it was an ill reaction to the wormer I gave her Friday.  When the vet said blood in the stool could be a sign of Parvo I felt like crying.  I have devoted myself to caring for Dasia making sure she is healthy, clean and loved.  20 minutes and a couple tests later revealed NO parvo and No worms!  The meds they gave her have stopped the icky potty and I’m guessing the Blue Buffalo was too rich for her new digestive system.  As for the rest of her exam, I am proud to report she is in excellent condition and at the ideal weight for her age, size and breed, Yay!  Everyone fell in love with her, the color of her coat, her blue eyes, her sighs, and loveable go-with-the-flow attitude during the exam.

6 weeks - Chewing on her monkey

Also I didn’t take her to Rocky Gorge as I had wanted to, I took her to Banfield (petsmart).  The entire experience was cool and I learned they offer a puppy wellness program.  For $31 a month for a year will cover all needed vaccinations and exams a new puppy will need.  Personally, I feel it is awesome!  I’d rather pay $31 a month than $150-$200 every 2 -3 weeks for the next couple months.  I’ve done the homework, checked with several vets including the SPCA, it’s totally worth it.

The loss of sleep is a little hard to cope with but it’s getting better since I’ve moved her crate into my room, and her 2 brothers have went to their permanent family!  Dasia adjusted quick.  I think she enjoys being the only one as they always seemed to get on her nerves.  At six weeks old Dasia is only in her crate at night.  During the day she runs around the living room or follows me and the girls everywhere.  Once everyone is awake she makes her rounds, says hi to Nanny and then to the girls.  She loves to play with her toys and getting her to chew on them instead of us has been relatively easy.  However, it’s still a work in progress, she’s only 6 weeks.  Collar and leash have been successful.  She’s starting to get the hint leash means she gets to go in the grass off the patio.  Potty training is going well!  She mainly potty’s outside and sometimes she does her business in the potty area of her crate if I don’t hear her in the middle of the night.

The funny, cute thing she’s doing this week is trying to run and jump on the couch.  Even so, we tell her no and redirect her attention.  Next week we are going to start teaching doggie manners and after christmas we will start obedience training.  I figured it will be a great way to keep her socialized, help her be well-adjusted when she’s older, and I’m new at this so some guidance is probably a great thing!