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I got a 3-4 month old pit bull just last thursday. I bought from a friend of a friend who said they fed it twice a day and pretty much an outside dog. I carried the dog to my car since i figured the dog might run away if i tried to put down. It seems like she has a fear of getting picked up since i sort of struggled picking her up.When I took it home it didn't walk around at all. I figured it just needed time to adjust.
I carried her to the garage since that's where I set up her food and she ate like she hadn't eaten all day. Afterwards I tried to show her how to get inside the house but she just sat there looking at me. Figuring that she would at least follow the way i showed her, I just started watching tv for about 5 minutes. Then I heard whining so I picked her up and brought her inside.
The only time she would actually walk is if she's gonna go potty. She just goes back to where she were before sitting and stays there. Whenever she wants to eat, she would whine and whine when here food is barely 10 feet away. Had no choice but to carry her there. She also never had a name, they just called her puppy. But I decided to name her Peanut. Now she oesnt respond to me at all. She is almost 2 ft long and weighs roughly around 30 pounds. It takes a toll on me having to carry her all the time and honestly it's getting tiring....FAST.
I want to give this dog a fighting chance since this is my very first pup. Any advice would definitely suffice and greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Oh wow, sounds like little Peanut has a lot of issues that need to be worked on. The biggest one being her confidence. All pups will need some time to adjust to a new home and will be a bit nervous, but my goodness, she should at least be walking around, sniffing new things, and showing some curiousity. She definitely didn't get the proper socialazition earlier in life when she needed it most. Thank you for giving this puppy a better home and a shot at a happy life. Our dog experts will pop in and give you advice on how to socialize her and build her confidence. I can tell you that it will take a lot of time and above all patience. Please don't get fed up with her and give up. Oh and another quick tip, don't carry her to her food. A lot of dogs tend to get nervous when a person hovers over their food trying to make them eat. Show her where it's at then walk away. Usually, the dog will go eat it. Give her lots of love and encouragement. Hopefully she'll start to warm up and walk on her own to try to discover new things in your home. She's still young, so she certainly has a good chance of coming around.
That is all quite strange even for being in a new home. I would definitely get her to the vet next week. Take any medical records you have. If she hasn't had any shots or you don't know, don't worry about it. Most of the early shots don't take. It is easier to give a series of shots, than tell when is the right time for the one that is all they need.
I thought this was going to be another ''won't walk on lead'' question. Won't walk at all? Perhaps try the same thing as works well on lead. If coaxing won't get the puppy to move, drop back and run by in baby steps calling ''Go, go, go!'' in a happy, excited voice. Don't push her too much for a while, giving her time to adjust to her new home. On the food, perhaps let it set, and wait until she walks to it. If she doesn't eat or a day or 2, it shouldn't hurt.
Here are some things you can do to give her the leadership she needs and help bond with you:
''Elevation for small puppies: Sit on the floor and gently put your hands around your pup's middle, below his front legs, and lift him up. He is facing you. Hold him for 15 seconds. Repeat until he no longer struggles. If he is past 10-12 weeks, lift his front feet off the ground, but don't pick him up.
Cradling for small puppies: Hold your puppy gently on his back, as you would cradle a small baby. If he struggles, hold him firmly until he quiets for 10-15 seconds. With larger pups, you can do this as your sit on the floor, with your pup between your legs.
Quiet lying down: Place your pup on the floor on his side, with all 4 legs pointing away from you. Use your hands on his neck/shoulder area and middle, to hold him in this position. When he is quiet, praise him. Lengthen the time that you keep him quietly in this position. When he accepts this position well, handle his paws and muzzle, while keeping him quiet.''
The quotes mean this isn't my original work. It is copied from my Puppy Raising Manual. I have long used these or minor variations of them, and they are very effective. You may want to give him a belly rub while he is on his back too. Helps bonding. There is a big difference between him rolling over and demanding a belly rub, and you choosing a time to roll him over and rub his belly. The latter cements your place as pack leader.
She does need to see a vet. DaBess, please do this as soon as possible. Since this was a "friend of a friend" who kept her outside all the time and now at her age, was looking to get rid of her, you might be in for a bit of heartache. There has definitely been some sort of damage, either physically or mentally (or both), for this puppy not to walk or follow you around. When you walk her to go potty, does she appear to have any trouble with walking, act skittish, or have a low energy level? At that age, she should be a very bouncy and happy outgoing girl. Please have the vet check to see if she has any fractures or extensive bruising. They won't be easy to find as broken bones, but give the vet as much information as you can about her background and tell them exactly what she is doing and not doing. I also strongly suggest you speak to the vet about recommendations for good trainers in your area. This dog needs to be evaluated for disposition by someone who really knows what they are doing. Once you know what the issues are (medically & socially), you can start working on getting her through them. If she has been abused and/or not socialized properly, at her age, there is definitely hope for her to come around. But, please be prepared to put in the time to really work with her. Pitbulls in general, but particularly ones that have a difficult time early on, need a lot of hands on training to ensure they are properly "balanced" dogs that will not attack people, especially you, her new owner. Understanding your role as the leader will be key here. Please review the link that labman has given to you. It is chock full of very good and useful information.
Please post back and let us know what the vet says and how your pup is doing. We will help as much as possible, but I do believe that you are going to need "hands on" help which is difficult to do online.
I definitely agree with Ruby and labman about this needing a vet and a local, hands-on trainer. However, I am curious... does the puppy not walk at all, or will she walk for short amounts? I'm just thinking that if she has been chained on a short leash all her life, she may not comprehend that she CAN walk more than a few steps without having something stop her. Still, this is all stuff that you should discuss with experts.
The vet was appt only and I didn't get to another one in time. I'll look for another vet on monday. But for the whole walking thing, she is starting to come around. At times she would walk around in the house but within a few feet from her sleeping spot. Whenever she's in the backyard though she walks a lot, but since I live in seattle it is so cold she just walks back to me.
DaBess, your original post stated that you had her since last Thursday. When I read it yesterday, I assumed you meant the Thursday before this past one. If it was only Thursday of this week, then you only had her for two days. Two days as opposed to more than a week is a huge difference. If I misunderstood, and it was Thursday that you picked her up, then it may very well be something as simple as her adjusting to her new home. When any dog is taken out of the environment it is accustomed to they don't understand what is going on. They will be very confused and scared. This reaction is very normal with all dogs, but she may be slower than others to adjust because you are handling her so completely differently than she is used to. Froggy made a good point with the possibility that she may have been tied up on a short lead. You just need to be patient with her. Obviously, you are doing something right in that she is starting to come around. She needs to know that you are her leader now. I cannot stress enough how much proper socialization is important to a dog's mental health. Right now, keep her on a lead and keep her with you. Even if it warms up and she wants to run around in the backyard on her own, don't let her. Always have her "tethered" to you and watch everything she does. This week get her into the vet for a complete health evaluation and get the names of trainers, as suggested. Keep us posted as to how you both are doing.
hey rubypitbull, I'm sorry if I didn't make it clear, lol. I picked her up on 11/08. I bought her a harness and a 6ft leash. I let her walk on her own in the backyard with the leash but she doesn't like it when I tried to lead her. She just sits there like a stump and I don't want to force her. Should I just let her lead me?
Also I'm trying to give her a set schedule on eating but she doesn't eat at that time. I read somewhere that I have to be strict on the schedule even if she doesn't eat for 1 to 2 days. Is that true? I usually just leave her food bowl full and let her eat whenever she wants.
I checked around for a good vet but are they all that expensive? The most cheapest one I found were $400 for a "puppy package". I want to give her what she deserves but I just don't have that kind of dough right now. I hope I find a cheaper one soon.
Dabess if you have a petsmart around they have pets insurance and a vet inside the store. Their puppy package should be a lot less than that. They expalined to me that alot of people get it and then cancel after the puppys first year.
There are also clinics where you can take them in for their shots, some vets will even have, maybe some hours where they just see a tech and get their shots at a lower fee.
As far as spaying her there are many programs that give out vouchers to get puppys spayed/neutered, I gave out 3 this week to people at work they will be gettting their dogs altered for 25 dolllars - 35 dollars, they are also giving those people shot discounts if given that day. *edit* applications for vouchers
There are many local programs, just call around, google spay/neuter vouchers, or spay /neuter programs for your state or surrounding state. Ask the local vets if they know of such programs, call the vets in the next town over or the closet largest town. You will be suprised at how much help is out there. Good Luck
I checked around for a good vet but are they all that expensive? The most cheapest one I found were $400 for a "puppy package". I want to give her what she deserves but I just don't have that kind of dough right now. I hope I find a cheaper one soon.
Holy cow! $400?!?!? That's got to include the altering. I've never been to Seattle but that seems outrageous! Typically, and office visit for a check up is around $30-$40. Then of course you'd pay for her shots. And a fecal exam should be done too. If she needs meds, you'll pat for those too. It adds up, but not to $400. You are right, keep looking, I'm sure you'll find a clinic with reasonable prices. Good luck!
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