[kamikura]

I have new pitbull and she mixed with germen (so proud!! ) she is 8 weeks and her name is Mota :p well before I got her I did what your supposed to do. I put away any loose cords that she could choke on (I need to wait awhile before I get socket protectors :/ and she is a spunky little girl and I just need tips for training her because she doesn't like strangers or others dogs... weell basically I want to know what to do and what NOT to do... hahaha I kind of need a doggy manuel. (she doesn't get spanked or yelled at and I'm teaching her how to sit) and I want to know how she will be when she gets older... will she protect me? Will she be overly aggressive?

[Aurora_Bell]

No one will be able to tell you how or if she will be aggressive. It's your job to train her in a way so she never has to feel the need to be aggressive. Dogs who are fearful tend to be aggressive. With such a dominant breed on your hands (neither dog is for a novice dog owner) you will need to establish alpha immediately.

I strongly suggest you enroll her in puppy classes and then obedience classes. Obedience is an excellent way to establish yourself as alpha, and a great bonding experience for you two.

I know it will be hard, but for the time being you need to let her know she is the dog and you are the human. So she should not be on your furniture or sleep in your bed. It's always a great thing for them to have their "own" space. A crate is a great way to do this. A crate will also help with house breaking issues. While you are away, crate. Never use the crate as punishment only as a training tool. Offer her treats and bones inside the crate to help her see it as a happy place. Leave the door open and bring it in your room at night, that way she always feels like she is with her pack, but in her own happy place.

Socialize her right now. As long as she has had her parvo vaccines, get her to the doggy park, let her know that people and other dogs are nothing to fear. Do not make her or encourage her to be stand-offish with humans. A dogs instinct is to protect, so there is no need to fine tune this nature. It almost always results in an aggressive, un happy dog. Bring her to friends houses and teach her manners and how to behave right away.

The three main commands you should start on right away are "sit", "down" and "stay". The more commands a dog knows, the happier they are. When a dog has a job to do, the less they feel they need to "look" for a job (barking, digging, jumping etc... ) offer positive reinforcement and train in short periods over a frequent time span. I like to do 10-15 min intervals, break, and then back at it.

I hope some of this helps. Please ask if you need more info. But again, I really, really, really suggest you enroll her in obedience classes ASAP.

Bella

[tickle]

You, gotcha, karmikura, you have a pretty unpreticable breed mixed up there. I am not saying she is not something you should be worried about, but you sound like there may be problem, which I doubt. Pitbull breed is various, so do you know what exactly is in her, american pit, or whatever, shepherds are very smart, pits as well. This doesn't mean you have two aggressive breeds, you will have to be the ALPHA for this my friend most definitely.

Don't know what you mean you have to hide the cords, not what they go after if they are smart.

As to strangers, well, how could you tell at eight weeks that she doesn't like strangers? Discourage ny tendencies that way, but she is still a baby my friend,

At eight weeks you should not be spanking her, yelling at her or training her it sit. She is a BABY.

You can't know how she will be when she gets older, I hope she will be a well adjusted dog, you can help her be that way.

Tick

[kamikura]

Thnks and to tick well when people come near she barks and runs away :/ and I said I Don't hit her xl and well I had to hide the cords because she's teething and she chews them. And I'm going to try to enroll her. And she is so smart! I taught her to sit and roll over xD she's having trouble with stay though :9 she likes following me everywhere I go. And you can tell a lot from a 8week(well 9 week now) puppy

[tickle]

thnks and to tick well when ppl come near she barks and runs away :/ and i said i DONT hit her xl and well i had to hide the cords cos shes teething and she chews them. and im going to try to enroll her. and she is so smart!! i taught her to sit and roll over xD shes havin trouble with stay though :9 she likes following me everywhere i go. and u can tell alot from a 8week(well 9 week now) puppy

Can you not please textspeak, kamikura. Love you following up but it is isn't appropriate here to textspeak. We like proper english so everyone can understand what is being said.
Tick

[tickle]

Teething tools are cold carrot pieces. It is like placating a baby teething with a cold soother. Try that. It will work.

[kamikura]

Oh.. im sorry and what if I don't have carrot pieces? What would be a better substitute?

[tickle]

oh..im sorry and what if i dont have carrot pieces? what would be a better substitute?

You can buy carrots anywhere. Dogs like them because they have a sweet taste and are crunchy. I don't know a substitute for them. We suggest carrots for teething because they are nutritious and do the job of bringing those adult teeth in and disposing of the baby teeth. It also stops them from chewing on things they shouldn't.
Buy carrots at a grocery store.

[Aurora_Bell]

Some other good teething tools are kongs and nyla bones. I like those the best because if you have strong, hard chewers like I do, they can pretty much destroy anything, the kongs and nyla bones are pretty much indestructible. Tick makes a good point with the carrots. They also act like a tooth brush (as will hard kibble and marrow or nyla bones) and help create nice, hard; strong teeth. Most raw veggies make excellent treats too! My dogs really like raw sweet potatoes frozen. I also do raw or BBQ'd liver and heart and cut up into chunks and frozen.

[tickle]

. Most raw veggies make excellent treats too! my dogs really like raw sweet potatoes frozen. I also do raw or BBQ'd liver and heart and cut up into chunks and frozen.

What fantastic ideas Bella. Liver and heart frozen cut up, inexpensive ideas from the grocery store meat counter. I never thought of sweet potatoes, excellent. You are the man, my girl, you are the man :D

[Aurora_Bell]

Lol! Thanks :o

Yup the liver or heart is usually $1-$4 depending on how big, just be careful when introducing larger amounts protein in, it can cause pancreitis. Should only be used as a treat. :)

[shazamataz]

Fab treat recipe a friend just gave me:

Take a few livers.
Boil them for 20 minutes.
Peel off skin and slice into 1cm thick sheets.
Lay on baking tray and sprinkle with a little garlic.
Bake for another 20 minutes.
Cut into bite sized pieces.

The dogs go crazy for them.