Color chart for those that won't to Know whats what
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Responsible Pit Bull ownership:
1. Never allow your Pit Bull to roam free. Dogs are just like human children. When not supervised, the decisions they make are often not for their best interest. When a Golden Retriever runs up to a person, they say, “How sweet!” When a Pit Bull does the exact same thing, people say, “Vicious dog!” The public doesn't wait before calling animal control or even the cops when they see a Pit Bull on the loose. Due to their bad reputation, these dogs are frequently killed by police officers. This is an unfortunate truth. Let’s not make the reputation of the Pit Bull worse than it already is. For the safety of your dog and the general dog population, keep your Pit Bull behind a fence!
2. Always keep your Pit Bull on leash. Even if you believe you have full control of your dog and a good recall, you can't predict his/her reaction if a cat or a squirrel runs in front of him. Keep in mind that those dogs are "Terriers". A high prey drive and urge to chase other animals is an inherent trait of the breed.
3. Never take your Pit Bull to a dog park. Even if you think your Pit Bull is wonderful with other dogs, all it takes is once. If a Labrador starts a fight and your Pit Bull finishes it, whom will everyone blame? Let’s face it; the Pit Bull is always at fault in the eyes of the public.
4. Take your Pit Bull to obedience classes. Yet again, in the eyes of the general public Pit Bulls are menacing creatures. The more socially acceptable they are by having impeccable manners, the better the reputation they will have. And remember, once is NOT enough. Ongoing obedience classes are best.
5. Socialize your Pit Bull as much as possible before and after they reach maturity. A shy Pit Bull is a pathetic creature indeed. Not only is being shy an abnormal Pit Bull trait, it also could be dangerous. You want your dog to be able to handle new situations with confidence and pleasure. As with obedience classes, once is not enough! Ongoing socialization will ensure your dog’s happiness by showing him the world is a wonderful place. And please remember, socialization does not mean your dog running around with other dogs off leash! An obedience class in which he may never get to ‘say hi’ to any other dog is socialization!
6. Be a responsible parent! Do not allow your Pit Bull to be subjected to people who are belligerent or cruel. By ‘forcing’ your dog to ‘say hi’ to these types of people, you are being an irresponsible parent! You would never expect your human child to simply take whatever you dish out and like it. Please do not expect this from your dog.
7. Know where your dog is at all times. Don’t leave your Pit Bull outside unattended. Who knows what is going on in the back yard while you are away. Are children teasing your dog? Is your dog learning to be aggressive by having to defend himself in these situations? Don’t leave the parenting up to others. Responsibility is the key to proper and safe Pit Bull ownership.
8. Pit Bulls need a job. Whether this job is obedience classes, taking a walk with you everyday, sitting at your feet while you are on the computer in the evenings, or something more intense such as search and rescue, a Pit Bull needs to feel important and needed. They are highly intelligent animals with fine tuned problem solving skills. They need an outlet for this energy.
9. Daily exercise is a must! Playing fetch, hiking or whatever you love to do, your Pit Bull will be more than willing to participate.
10. Spay and neuter your Pit Bull. Altered pets live longer, "happier" and healthier life. They are also more stable and easier to raise when not triggered by their sexual hormones. To date, no fatal dog attack by an altered dog was ever reported.
11. Understand that Pit Bulls may be dog-aggressive. The breed was initially created and developed for the sport of dog-fighting. As a result, Pit Bulls have an important predisposition for dog-aggression. Take precautions and use common sense. Don’t allow your Pit Bull to run up to unknown dogs and never allow unknown dogs to run up to your Pit Bull. Remember, you are the leader! Pit Bull owners should not expect their dog to be friends with unfamiliar dogs. Some Pit Bulls cannot be around any other dogs at all. With Pit Bulls you cannot ‘train out’ the desire to fight another dog anymore than you can ‘train out’ the desire to chase running rabbits in the Greyhound. You can curb this behavior and often control it, but not stop it altogether. As long as you understand this and can love your dog for who and what he is, you’ve got it made!
12. Never leave Pit Bulls alone and unsupervised with other animals. Even though you think they are the best of friends, it’s better to be safe than sorry! All it takes is one time for a fight to break out. This is especially true with multiple Pit Bulls in one household. Don’t take any chances and remember this saying… Never trust your Pit Bull not to fight another dog… ever!
13. Keep your Pit Bull in an enclosure that is escape proof. Pit Bull proof your fence. Those dogs are very strong and resourceful. Pit Bulls should be kept in the house in crates when home alone. This is the most safety. Just make sure your dog cannot get out to roam. If your dog makes a mistake, all Pit Bull owners pay for it!
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How Do I Tell If My Dog Is Pregnant?
1. Her vulva, genital area, will be more slightly swollen, than it would be after her estrus period has ended.
2. Her teats, or nipples, will become more pronounced and hard.
3. Her temperament will change, she should be less puppyish. She maybe quieter, more lazy and want more attention. Being quieter, is a wolf trait. A pregnant female is more vulnerable, and it pays to be less conspicuous.
4. Two weeks after mating, there might even be bouts of morning sickness, which will last a week or so. Some dogs are prone to sick up yellow bile in the morning if their stomachs are empty. Always give your dog a few dry hard biscuits first thing in the morning. Make sure that they contain a few of the black charcoal ones. A pregnant dog should definitely have a few biscuits with extra black ones if possible, first thing.
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If you have mated the dog 2 - 3 times successfully, and got your estrus dates correct, and the items above are prevalent, the dam is probably pregnant. Your vet will wait around 30 days before he / she can examine the stomach of the dog and tell for sure that the dog is pregnant.
You might be able to do this, but be gentle. Lay your dog on her side, if you are right-handed she should be facing right, and her head away from you. Slide your left-hand slightly beneath her around her middle, and place your right-hand over her abdomen, just below her ribs. Gently squeeze your hands together and feel for little golf balls, these are, we hope, puppies. With some gentle practise, you will be able to count the puppies, but do not stress the dog at all.
5. In the 4th week you may notice a muscle thickening of her sides, between her ribs and hip bone.
6. In the 5th week her abdomen may swell sufficiently to show that she is pregnant, similar to a human pregnancy. Some bigger dogs carry the pups high up in the rib cage, thus not showing so much, and it might not be so easy to notice.
7. In the 6th week most dogs will show, and she will be visibly pregnant. There maybe clear, or even slightly bloody discharge somewhere in the last couple of weeks. The discharge also has the consistency of Vaseline and generally has no smell. If she is anything other than this, call your Vet. A discharge that is green or quite bloody, and smelling quite bad, definitely call your Vet.
8. A dog pregnancy lasts for about 9 weeks or about 62 days. By the 8th week you will be able to clearly feel the puppies moving about inside the mother's tummy.
Careing for the female
Make sure that she has had all her vaccinations say in the last 6 - 12 months.
She will require supplementary food during the last month or so of pregnancy. In general, puppy complete food is formulated both for puppies and pregnant or nursing bitches. Read the label. Try to mix the biscuits with some tasty meat stock and fat.
We hope that you have taken her to the vet prior to mating and then informed the vet that she has fell. Read Heat Cycle Page Then taken her for a visit in the first week and then about every couple of weeks after that. Dogs can have miscarriages. Illnesses, diseases, or infestations that the bitch picks up during her pregnancy and these can obviously can affect the puppies. When walking your pregnant dog, keep her away from other dogs, and if possible from where other dogs tend to congregate. Simple safeguards will save you money and aggravation.
On most occasions your dog will give birth quite naturally and, with your help, as if she had done it a 100 times. But complications during whelping are wholly possible, and be aware that they might happen, especially in the middle of the night. Be prepared to get her to the vet quickly in an emergency.
Be also prepared for still births. Read the Heat-Cycle page. Different sizes of dogs have different numbers of newborn. Expect that you may have at least one of your puppies to be born dead, or very small or very weak, or even deformed in some way. Be prepared and understand that this is Nature's way.
When all the pups are out, the mother should clean them up. Even the friendliest dog may be a little protective here so be careful, the most loving dog may give you a nip. Try and keep a vigilant eye on them for the first week as they can be crushed under her weight, or left out in the cold, away from the rest, or even bullied by the others.
During the time whilst the bitch is nursing the puppies, she will require about three times the amount of food she normally eats. Leave food down for her all the time, and of course as much clean water as possible. Feed her some of her favorite food to encorage her. In the early days of the litter, if she goes off for a feed, or for some fresh air etc., be prepared to have a hot-water bottle wrapped in a thick towel to help the puppies stay warm.
Puppys
After the puppies are born, consider that you will have between 1 - 15 little monsters, that all want to eat as much as they can and then make as much mess and wet as they can. There are many strategies for lining and protecting the birthing area. Whatever you use, prepare to use a lot.
The mothers first milk, the colostrum, is important as it contains much goodness and anti-bodies. Try to make sure hat all your puppies get a first feed.
All newborns MUST be kept very warm. A young baby needs as much help in the first few weeks as possible. It will use up valuable energy keeping itself warm, the less the need for this, will put it in good stead for survival. Therefore, the room must be heated to, but no more than, 90 degrees F and 33 degrees C, at first. This can be brought down to normal as the pups grow older and stronger. As they all get bigger, they will become bigger handfuls and you may even have to expand your puppy area.
But at all times, watch them like hawks, make sure that they are safe and well away from anything that could hurt or poison them. This does include the mother; many babies are squashed or rejected by the mother; watch her as well, watch any unusual reactions by her. make sure that they cannot escape the confines of the delivery room.
As soon as possible, look at all your pups closely, you will know the ones that are not as healthy as the others. At first they will be just balls of fur, eyes closed like little rats slowly scampering about, not knowing where to go, or be, unless they are feeding off mother.
But as soon as they get a few days older, they will soon buck up. Their tails must be pert as they should be, running and playing and fighting. If one is up the corner, take concern over its wellbeing. Or if they are all packing together the room might be too cool.
At every opportunity, handle your little dogs, cuddle and play with them, touch them on every part of their body, checking not only to see if everything is OK but to reaffirm to it, that humans are OK. This association is paramount. It must learn that humans are friends.
Larger litters will require supplemental feedings if you want the smaller ones to survive. The mother might not be able to produce sufficient milk to go round. You will need to rotate the pups making sure they all get a chance. Make sure you know what dog, is who. You do not want to stop the mother producing but every calorie of food at this early stage is valuable. If any of the pups refuse to or cannot suckle on the mother, and also will not suck on your baby bottles, you may have to tube feed it, just past the back of the mouth. But be very careful and take it slowly as you might drown the poor little thing.
If you have a full-blooded litter, you must keep a record book. Record the date of birth, and all of the puppy's initial given names. This includes any still-births. Then fill out and send in your litter registration forms, as soon as possible, since many registries can take up to 6 weeks; any new owner will want to see these prior to any purchase.
When they are older than five weeks start them off on solids. Mush it up at first and ad warm water, or goat's milk. Read the labels carefully. Any that has been untouched for more than two hours remove and throw away. Puppies need to be fed very well but do not allow them to over-feed. Watch for those that are getting fat and those that are not and balance things up.
At week six you should vaccination and worm the pups, and have them checked for heart murmurs, hernias, males for testicles, deafness, and eye problems. But as you have been already looking at your new dogs, this should be OK. Get the vet to fully check the mother.
Always be prepared with something going wrong, and things might just be OK.
