American Pit Bull Terrier: Your Happy Healthy Pet

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Your Happy Healthy Pet™

American Pit Bull Terrier 2nd Edition

GET MORE! Visit www.wiley.com/ go/apbt

Liz Palika

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Your Happy Healthy Pet™

American Pit Bull Terrier 2nd Edition

GET MORE! Visit www.wiley.com/ go/apbt

Liz Palika

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This book is printed on acid-free paper. Copyright © 2006 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. All rights reserved. Howell Book House Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4355, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Wiley, the Wiley logo, Howell Book House, the Howell Book House logo, Your Happy Healthy Pet, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising here from. The fact that an organization or Website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at (800) 762-2974, outside the U.S. at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, please visit our web site at www.wiley.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Palika, Liz, 1954– American pit bull terrier / Liz Palika.—2nd ed. p. cm.—(Your happy healthy pet) ISBN-13: 978-0-471-74822-9 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-471-74822-6 (alk. paper) 1. American pit bull terrier. I. Title. II. Series. SF429.A75.P34 2006 636.755'9—dc22 2005024914 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2nd Edition Edited by Beth Adelman Photo research by Marcella Durand Book design by Melissa Auciello-Brogan Cover design by Michael J. Freeland Illustrations in chapter 10 by Shelley Norris and Karl Brandt Book production by Wiley Publishing, Inc. Composition Services

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About the Author Liz Palika is an award-winning author and a well-respected dog trainer. Her work has been published in all the major pet magazines, including DogWorld, Dog Fancy, AKC Gazette, Cats, Cat Fancy, Dogs USA, Puppies USA, and others. Her work has also appeared in mainstream publications such as Newsweek, the Saturday Evening Post, and Women First. She is the author of more than fortyfive books, including Save That Dog!, which won a Maxwell Award from the Dog Writers Association of America and the first ASPCA Pet Overpopulation Award. Her dog training book, All Dogs Need Some Training, was named one of the ten best training books available to dog owners by Pet Life magazine. Liz is the owner of Kindred Spirits Dog Training in southern California, where she teaches family pet obedience classes, as well as noncompetitive agility and therapy dog training. She was a founding member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and of the International Association of Canine Professionals.

About Howell Book House Since 1961, Howell Book House has been America’s premier publisher of pet books. We’re dedicated to companion animals and the people who love them, and our books reflect that commitment. Our stable of authors—training experts, veterinarians, breeders, and other authorities—is second to none. And we’ve won more Maxwell Awards from the Dog Writers Association of America than any other publisher. As we head toward the half-century mark, we’re more committed than ever to providing new and innovative books, along with the classics our readers have grown to love. This year, we’re launching several exciting new initiatives, including redesigning the Howell Book House logo and revamping our biggest pet series, Your Happy Healthy Pet™, with bold new covers and updated content. From bringing home a new puppy to competing in advanced equestrian events, Howell has the titles that keep animal lovers coming back again and again

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Contents Part I: The World of the American Pit Bull Terrier Chapter 1: What Is an American Pit Bull Terrier? The Bull Breeds The APBT’s Physical Appearance The APBT’s Character Mythology

Chapter 2: The APBT Yesterday and Today Origins of the APBT The Ancient Bulldog The Blood Sports The Bull-and-Terrier Arrival in America The Dog of the Day Media Monster Breed-Specific Legislation The APBT Today

Chapter 3: Why Choose an APBT?

9 11 11 12 15 18

21 21 22 23 24 24 27 28 29 32

33

Are You Ready for a Dog? The Pet APBT Working APBTs Defective Dogs If APBTs Could Choose Their Owners

33 35 38 38 40

Chapter 4: Choosing Your APBT

41

Breeder, Rescue, Shelter, or Free? Finding the Right APBT Choosing the APBT Puppy for You The Puppy Temperament Test Choosing an APBT Adult

41 46 47 50 52

Part II: Caring for Your American Pit Bull Terrier Chapter 5: Getting Ready for Your APBT A Secure Yard Puppy-Proofing Your Home Basic Supplies The Great Crate Puppy Essentials Pet Professionals

Chapter 6: Feeding Your APBT Commercial Dog Foods Homemade Diets

55 56 56 58 60 61 62 63

65 65 66

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Nutrition Throughout Your Dog’s Life Changing Foods Reading Dog Food Labels Seven Mistakes to Avoid

Chapter 7: Grooming Your APBT Brushing Bathing Your APBT Trimming Toenails Cleaning Those Pearly Whites Making Your Environment Flea Free Cleaning Ears

Chapter 8: Keeping Your APBT Healthy Internal Parasites External Parasites Health Problems Handling Common Problems Emergency How-To’s When to Call the Veterinarian How to Make a Canine First-Aid Kit Spaying and Neutering for a Happier, Healthier Dog

67 69 69 70

72 72 74 76 77 78 79

81 81 84 86 88 91 92 95 98

Part III: Enjoying Your American Pit Bull Terrier

102

Chapter 9: Training Your ABPT

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Understanding Builds the Bond Practical Commands for Family Pets Training for Attention Teaching Cooperation

Chapter 10: Housetraining Your APBT Your Housetraining Shopping List The First Day Confine Your Pup Watch Your Pup Accidents Happen Scheduling Basics

Appendix: Learning More About Your APBT Some Good Books Magazines On the Internet Organizations

Index

105 111 120 123

124 124 126 128 131 132 134

137 137 138 139 139

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°Shopping List You’ll need to do a bit of stocking up before you bring your new dog or puppy home. Below is a basic list of some must-have supplies. For more detailed information on the selection of each item below, consult chapter 5. For specific guidance on what grooming tools you’ll need, review chapter 7. Food dish

Nail clippers

Water dish

Grooming tools

Dog food

Chew toys

Leash

Toys

Collar

ID tag

Crate There are likely to be a few other items that you’re dying to pick up before bringing your dog home. Use the following blanks to note any additional items you’ll be shopping for. _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

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Pet Sitter’s Guide We can be reached at (___)_____-________ Cellphone (___)_____-________ _____________________________________________________________ We will return on ____________ (date) at ____________ (approximate time) Dog’s Name ___________________________________________________ Breed, Age, and Sex _____________________________________________

Important Names and Numbers Vet’s Name ____________________________ Phone (___)_____- ________ Address _______________________________________________________ Emergency Vet’s Name ____________________ Phone (___)_____- _______ Address _______________________________________________________ Poison Control ____________________________________ (or call vet first) Other individual to contact in case of emergency _______________________ _____________________________________________________________

Care Instructions In the following three blanks let the sitter know what to feed, how much, and when; when the dog should go out; when to give treats; and when to exercise the dog. Morning ______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Afternoon _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Evening ______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Medications needed (dosage and schedule) ____________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Any special medical conditions _____________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Grooming instructions ___________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ My dog’s favorite playtime activities, quirks, and other tips________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

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Part I

The World of the American Pit Bull Terrier

Stifle

Pastern

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Forechest

Cheek

Flew

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The American Pit Bull Terrier

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Chapter 1

What Is an American Pit Bull Terrier?

T

he American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is both the most beloved dog breed today as well as the most feared and despised. People who know APBTs praise the breed’s affectionate nature, intelligence, and wonderful sense of humor. Other people fear the breed’s reputation for aggression, strength, and violence. Unfortunately, those who despise the breed are often quite vocal, and in many cities, counties, and states in the United States, Canada, and Europe, legislation aimed at entire breeds, rather than at individual aggressive dogs, has targeted APBTs, as well as other similar and related breeds. (That legislation will be discussed in chapter 2.) Luckily, the breed has also had its fans. Thomas Edison owned one; as did Teddy Roosevelt. Pete, the Pit Bull star of the Little Rascals and Our Gang comedy series, proved the intelligence and adaptability of the breed by being the only animal actor to make the transition from silent movies to talkies. Author John Steinbeck is famous for his book Travels with Charlie about traveling the country with a Poodle, but he also shared his life with an APBT.

The Bull Breeds American Pit Bull Terrier is the official name of the breed of dog recognized by the United Kennel Club and the American Dog Breeders Association. Although often referred to as Pit Bulls, the name Pit Bull is actually a generic term that

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Part I The World of the American Pit Bull Terrier applies to the various breeds that share the same ancestry or have a similar appearance. This includes the APBT, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Terrier. Sometimes people even refer to the Bull Terrier, the Miniature Bull Terrier, or the American Bulldog as Pit Bulls. Although enthusiasts of these different breeds can easily tell them apart, to those who are unfamiliar with them many of the breeds appear quite similar. We’ll look at these breeds in chapter 2, as well as their relationships to one another (or lack thereof ). Just keep in mind that this book is about American Pit Bull Terriers and not the other “Pit Bull” breeds.

The APBT’s Physical Appearance Most people recognize a specific dog or breed by the dog’s appearance. Papillons have butterfly-like ears with sweeping fringes of hair and Irish Setters have gorgeous red, flowing coats. Although personality, temperament, intelligence, and character are vitally important, too, the dog’s physical appearance provides people with that important first impression. In this section I’ll briefly describe the APBT. To read the official breed standards, go to the web sites of the United Kennel Club, the American Dog Breeders Association, or the American Pit Bull Registry (they’re listed in the appendix).

The Head

The American Pit Bull Terrier’s head is strong and distinctive.

When looking at an APBT, the dog’s head is the first thing that catches your eye. The APBT has a strong head, blocklike in shape, wide between the ears and eyes, with strong, flat cheeks. The muzzle should be of medium length; not long and narrow like a Collie’s or short and abrupt like a Boxer’s muzzle. The jaws and cheeks are well muscled to provide power to the jaws. The skin of the head should fit smoothly and the lips should not be pendulous. The ears can be either natural or cropped. Either way, the ears should be set high on the head and should

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What Is a Breed Standard? A breed standard is a detailed description of the perfect dog of that breed. Breeders use the standard as a guide in their breeding programs, and judges use it to evaluate the dogs in conformation shows. The standard is written by the national breed club, using guidelines established by the registry that recognizes the breed (such as the UKC). Various sections of the breed standard give overviews of the breed’s history, general appearance, and size as an adult. Next is a detailed description of the dog’s body, including head, neck, back, legs, and so forth. The standard then describes the ideal coat and how the dog should be presented in the show ring. It also lists all acceptable colors, patterns, and markings. Then there’s a section on how the dog moves, called gait. Finally, there’s a general description of the dog’s temperament. Each section also lists characteristics that are considered to be faults or disqualifications in the conformation ring. Superficial faults in appearance are often what distinguish a petquality dog from a show- or competition-quality dog. However, some faults affect the way a dog moves or his overall health. And faults in temperament are serious business.

not be wrinkled. Cropped ears should stand upright (this is known as prick ears). Natural or uncropped ears are usually half-prick ears (they stand upright but then fold over about halfway up) or rose ears (folded back so that part of the inside of the ear shows). Hanging ears (such as seen on Beagles and Basset Hounds) are not desirable. The APBT’s eyes should be round and set far apart, low on the skull. When the outside corner of the eye is in line with the indentation seen directly over the beginning of the cheek muscle, the eyes are set at the most attractive height in relation to the skull. Any color is acceptable, but the eye color should compliment the dog’s coat color. The eyes should show animation, intelligence, and a willingness to serve.

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Part I The World of the American Pit Bull Terrier

The Body An APBT’s body should convey an impression of incredible strength; this is a muscular breed with immense power. An APBT should never be soft, flabby, or obese. The neck is well muscled, slightly arched, and tapers from the head to the shoulders, where it blends smoothly with the shoulder muscles. The shoulders are strong and muscular, with sloping shoulder blades that are well covered with muscle. The chest is deep with wide ribs that provide plenty of room for the big heart and lungs. The back is short and strong. The dog’s loin (waist) should have a slight indentation so that he does not appear to be chubby. An APBT with good proportions is a square dog. This means if you measure from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock, and then from the top of the shoulder (called the withers) to the ground, the two measurements should be almost the same.

Other Characteristics The APBT’s legs should be heavy-boned enough to support the muscular dog well, yet not so heavy that they bog the dog down. The pasterns (the area between the wrist and the toes) are straight, the thighs well muscled, and the feet round and strong. Most APBTs are between eighteen and twenty-two inches tall at the shoulder, with males slightly taller than females. The weight varies, too, from thirty to eighty pounds, with males usually heavier than females. The proportions of each individual dog are more important than measurements; the dog’s height and weight should be well balanced. The tail should be natural and not docked or bobbed. The tail is thick at the base and tapers to a point. When hanging naturally, the tail should end at or just above the hocks (the point on the rear leg that faces backward). The coat is short and stiff to the touch, but it should be glossy and Dogs should be heavy-boned and muscular but shiny. All the APBT breed standards should not look round or chunky.

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Chapter 1 What Is an American Pit Bull Terrier? say any color coat is allowed, but dogs have recently been appearing with merle coats and this has raised some questions among APBT experts. A merle pattern is one in which lighter and darker hairs form a variable color pattern that includes spots and shadings of color. Although the merle pattern is very common in some breeds (including Australian Shepherds, Shetland Sheepdogs, and Welsh Corgis) it has not been seen in APBTs until recently. Experts guess this color was introduced into the breed by people who intentionally crossed APBTs with Catahoula Leopard Dogs. The controversy arises, then, over whether the dogs are truly purebreds.

The APBT’s Character Ask APBT owners about their dogs and words such as “powerful” and “strong as an ox” will be mentioned. But more often you will hear about the breed’s devotion, loyalty, intelligence, and sense of humor. The ideal APBT will defend his family against all enemies, even to the death. Yet he will also be a silly, gentle playmate to the children, and a quiet, obedient, companion for mom and dad.

Friends and Companions APBTs are devoted dogs. When you’re loved by an APBT, you will be greeted with a wagging tail, wiggling body, and grinning smile each and every time you’re seen, even if you’ve only been out of sight for ten minutes. When they’re extremely happy, many APBTs also dance on their front feet, lifting them up and down, up and down, as they grin wildly and the rest of their body wiggles. Even though APBTs love their owners enthusiastically, they are not necessarily one-person dogs. They have plenty of love to give and can also be wonderful family dogs. When they’re raised with children, they can be gentle and patient. Their playtime with kids should always be supervised, though, because these powerful dogs, when overexcited, could accidentally harm a child. APBTs are adaptable companions. If you want to play, your APBT will always be willing to join the games. If you need to work at home, your APBT will grab a spot on the sofa and snooze until you’re done. If you’re feeling down, an APBT is wonderful therapy, snuggling close and providing all the affection you need.

Loyal Protectors Although APBTs are always willing to play, don’t let the breed’s comical side fool you; they can also be protective. At home, the APBT will bark when anyone approaches the house, with the bark turning to joy when the person is recognized. If the person is a stranger, the barking will continue until you say “that’s

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APBTs are good friends, easy to train, and hard workers.

enough.” If the stranger breaks into the house or tries to cause harm to family members, an APBT will not hesitate to use force to defend the house or family. Some APBTs, especially as puppies, are so cute, so happy, and so overly enthusiastic that owners wonder whether their dog really will be protective if the need arises. An APBT’s protective instincts don’t kick in until about 10 to 12 months of age. A puppy younger than this who shows aggression may be overly fearful or aggressive and may have problems later. All APBTs should be well socialized, beginning in puppyhood and continuing on into adulthood, so they can learn discretion. An APBT who has been isolated from everyone other than family members may be afraid of all other people, and this could lead to dangerous behavior.

Intelligence and Trainability Not many breeds are smarter than APBTs. This is a very intelligent dog, able to think through problems and create his own fun. APBTs have been known to figure

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Chapter 1 What Is an American Pit Bull Terrier? out how to open doors, including sliding glass doors, and the latches of gates. Obviously, intelligence isn’t always a good thing! Luckily, most APBTs also want to please their owners. This desire to please, combined with high intelligence, means that training must be a part of every APBT’s life. Training should be positive and fun, yet firm. APBT experts all agree that these dogs must also respect their owners, recognizing that the owner is in control. Otherwise, the APBT may decide to establish his own rules, and that could be a disaster.

Versatile Companions APBTs were once bred as fighting dogs (as you’ll read in chapter 2), but today they best serve their owners as versatile working dogs. APBTs are working as search and rescue dogs, finding and saving people in urban disasters, wilderness searches, and when the young and old have become lost. APBTs are also serving as drug, bomb, and contraband detection dogs. These dogs are also well suited to therapy work. With so much love to give, they comfort those who need warmth and affection. APBTs are working in hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, and special education classrooms. APBTs have also learned to pull wagons loaded with groceries from the car to the house, or to bring that forty-pound bag of dog food inside. They have

The Pit Bull breeds have been demonized in myths, but the truth is that they are much like any other working dog breed.

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Part I The World of the American Pit Bull Terrier competed in weight-pulling contests, invariably beating all other dogs in their weight classes. These wonderful dogs have participated in a number of sports, including obedience, flying disc contests, agility, and flyball.

Mythology Numerous myths and urban legends have turned the APBT and other Pit Bull breeds into legendary, almost demonic characters. Most have no basis in fact at all, or the facts have been so distorted they are no longer real. Let’s take a look at some of the most commonly heard APBT myths.

Pit Bulls Have Locking Jaws When asked about this myth, a veterinarian responded, “What exactly is a locking jaw?” APBTs and the other Pit Bull–type breeds have jaws just like those of other dogs. Granted, the APBT’s jaw muscles are stronger, but the jaws do not lock. This myth probably originated because of the APBT’s style of fighting: These dogs grab on and hold, whereas most other dogs grab, rip, grab again, and rip again.

Pit Bulls Are Dangerous Around Other Dogs Most of the Pit Bull–type breeds were created to fight, both other animals (usually bears and bulls) and other dogs. They do, therefore, have the instinct to fight other dogs. However, a well-socialized and well-trained APBT is usually very safe around other dogs. Many are much safer than dogs of other breeds who have not been well socialized or trained. APBT owners must keep in mind, however, that some individual dogs of this breed may have stronger fighting instincts and the owners of these dogs must make sure dogfights do not arise. They should focus on obedience training to maintain control of their dog and should not allow other dogs to challenge their APBT.

Pit Bulls Are Dangerous Around Other Animals APBTs are terriers, and terriers are very prey driven. Anything that runs away can trigger the chase instinct, and this is as true of APBTs as it is of Jack Russell Terriers, Welsh Terriers, and Border Terriers. The prey drive of many other breeds, including Greyhounds and Border Collies, is also triggered by movement. Training can help control this behavior, especially a good, reliable “come” command. Keeping the dog on a leash or a long line in situations where running animals may be encountered can also help prevent problems.

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Chapter 1 What Is an American Pit Bull Terrier?

APBTs can be great companions for children if both the dog and the child are taught to be calm and respectful around each other.

APBTs can coexist nicely with other pets as long as they are raised together. These include cats, rabbits, and birds. If the APBT has not been raised with other pets, however, the dog may think of the other pet as prey rather than a family member. The socialization of an APBT puppy should include introductions to a variety of animals.

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Pit Bulls Are Not Safe Around Kids The sad fact is that thousands of children every year have been killed or hurt by dogs. Dogs of all breeds (not just Pit Bull–type dogs) are capable of harming children. Parents should always be TIP active and attentive, making sure all Famous people who have kids are safe. That means a child and owned Pit Bulls a dog, no matter how well loved and trusted the dog is, should never be Anthony Robbins left alone together. If the parent is Alicia Silverstone leaving the room for a moment, Malcolm-Jamal Warner either the dog or the child should go James Caan with the parent. Baby sitters, grandMichael J. Fox parents, and anyone else who spends David Spade time with the child must observe the same rules. Mo Vaughn Training the dog to be well Shaquille O’Neal behaved and gentle around the kids Tamika Dixon will also help. Some children are hurt Robert Ferguson when the dog is playing rough and knocks the kid down, or jumps up on the kid, or grabs a pant leg too roughly. The dog must also be taught that he cannot use his mouth to play with the kids. If the dog is used to grabbing a hand to get the child to do something (such as throwing a toy), that grabbing may become too rough during the excitement of play. The children must also learn the rules of life with a dog. There should be no wrestling or tug of war games that might overstimulate the dog, and no riding the dog like a horse. The kids should never pull on ears or tails, or poke eyes, or grab toys away from the dog unless the dog offers the toy. Parents should always supervise all interactions between dogs and kids. If the parent cannot supervise, the dog (or the kids) should go outside or go to another room.

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Chapter 2

The APBT Yesterday and Today

A

rchaeologists agree that dogs were the first animals domesticated by humans, before even cattle, goats, or horses. Cave drawings from the Paleolithic era, 50,000 years ago, show men and dogs hunting together. Dogs also gave warning of trespassers or enemies. Over time, humans found additional uses for dogs: herding domesticated livestock, pulling travois, wagons, or sleds, and carrying burdens. The earliest known ancestors of the American Pit Bull Terrier served as guards and draft animals, but they were especially esteemed as dogs of war.

Origins of the APBT The ancient Greeks had huge, ferocious dogs of a type called Mollossian, which historians believe originated in Asia. During the sixth century B.C., Phoenician traders brought some of these Greek guard dogs to Britain. There they flourished and became the ancestors of Britain’s early Mastiff-type dogs. When the Roman Legions invaded Britain, they were met on the beaches by the Britons’ fierce Mastiff-type war dogs, fighting side by side with their owners. The Romans admired these fighting dogs so much that they sent many of them home to Italy. There the dogs were called Pugnaces, which means “broad-mouthed dogs of Britain.” As the Roman legions spread across Europe, so did the dogs.

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Part I The World of the American Pit Bull Terrier

Today’s APBTs are descended from ancient Bulldogs and Mastiffs—both tenacious, fearless breeds.

The Ancient Bulldog During ancient times, there were no dog breeds as we know them today and dogs were usually named for the work they did. For example, in Britain all guard dogs of massive size were considered Mastiffs, and all dogs quick, brave and small enough to enter a hole in the ground (terra is the Latin word for earth) after wild game, such as badgers or foxes, were called Terriers. Eventually, some of the Mastiff-type dogs became specialists. A 1632 dictionary defined the Alaunt as a Mastiff-like dog used by British butchers to round up and pen fierce oxen. The Bandog was any large guard dog who was kept chained during the day. And the Bulldog, of course, was the gladiator. George R. Jesse, the famed British canine historian, wrote that the Bulldog was the result of selectively breeding Mastiffs to produce a smaller, more agile dog with a recessed nose and a protruding jaw. This, Jesse contended, would enable the dog to breathe freely while holding onto a bull.

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Chapter 2 The APBT Yesterday and Today

The Blood Sports Blood sports (primarily pitting dogs against bulls or bears, although other animals were often also involved) were very much a part of daily life in ancient Britain and were not just entertainment for the working classes. In fact, kings and queens often mandated that contests be arranged. When French ambassadors visited the court of Queen Elizabeth in 1559, the queen entertained them with a fine dinner followed by an exhibition of dogs baiting bulls and bears. Britain passed the Humane Acts in 1835, making blood sports illegal. Although dogfighting was popular before then, it was often just one part of a full day of blood sports, a kind of warm-up before the main event. But interest in dogfighting grew rapidly after blood sports were abolished because, unlike bullbaiting rings, dogfighting pits did not require much space. Contests could be secretly held in cellars and the back rooms of pubs.

This painting by Benjamin Marshall shows Dustman, a Bull-and-Terrier dog.

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The Bull-and-Terrier During the early 1800s, some Bulldog breeders tried something new, hoping to breed faster, fiercer fighters. They bred the most formidable baiting and fighting Bulldogs with the toughest, quickest, and bravest terriers. This cross was believed to enhance the fighting ability of the Bulldog by reducing her size while maintaining her strength and increasing her speed and agility. Although some historians say the smooth-coated Black-and-Tan and the White English Terrier (now extinct) were most frequently crossed with Bulldogs, others say the Terriers were chosen only on the basis of gameness and working ability, and that a variety of Terrierlike dogs were used. The result of these crosses was called the Bull-andTerrier or the Half-and-Half. As time passed and Bull-and-Terriers were selectively bred, they became recognizable as an emerging breed. An early Bull-and-Terrier named Trusty was so famous in Britain that an article and picture of him appeared in an 1806 edition of The Crib with Rosa, two top British Bulldogs, were Sporting Magazine. The picture is the painted by Abraham Cooper in 1817. first known one of a Bull-and-Terrier cross. Trusty was “as renowned for his battles as [Napoleon] Bonaparte,” according to the article, and “fought 104 battles and was never beat.” Raised by a prizefighter and later owned by a succession of boxers, Trusty was eventually purchased by Lord Camelford and came to be known as Lord Camelford’s dog. Later Camelford changed the dog’s name to Belcher and presented him to Jim Belcher, boxing champion of England. Camelford explained that “the only unconquered man was the only fit master for the only unconquered dog.”

Arrival in America Blood sports were popular in America, too, and the first Bulldogs and Bull-andTerriers imported to the New World were brought over for that purpose. While bearbaiting was banned in New England as early as the 1600s, public spectacles such as bullbaiting, rat-killing competitions for dogs, dogfighting, and cockfighting were extremely popular in New York City during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Nearly all of America’s early fighting dogs were

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Famous Fighters Dogfighting was so widely accepted in America that in 1881, when a fight was held in Louisville, Kentucky, between the famed British imports Lloyd’s Pilot, owned by “Cockney Charlie” Lloyd, and Crib, owned by Louis Kreiger, the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad advertised special excursion fares to the big battle. Upon arrival in Louisville, bettors and spectators were taken to a fine hotel, where they were warmly welcomed by the president of the Louisville board of aldermen, the police chief, and other local officials. The referee for the fight was William Harding, sports editor of The Police Gazette, and owner-publisher Richard K. Fox served as stakeholder. Pilot and Crib each weighed in at just under twenty-eight pounds and thrilled the spectators by fighting gamely for an hour and twenty-five minutes before Pilot won the victory. Lloyd imported other dogs who gained fame fighting in America and were also used for breeding. Among them were Lloyd’s Paddy, Pat, and Rafferty. In fact, some of today’s American Pit Bull Terrier owners can still trace their dog’s ancestors back to several strains of superior fighting dogs who arrived in America during the 1800s. A few of these strains are Corvino, Delihant, Farmer, Feeley, and Tudor from Britain; and Colby, Corcoran, Gas House, Lightner, Noonan, and Semmes from Ireland. The designation “Old Family,” still in use today, refers to the Irish dogs.

British or Irish imports, bred for generations to do battle, and many of the Americans who imported them continued breeding them for the same purpose.

Americanization of the Breed Pilot and Crib, two of the most famous fighting dogs of their day, weighed less than twenty-eight pounds, yet the weight of a male Pit Bull today ranges from

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What Is a Breed Club? Breed clubs are made up of enthusiasts who all enjoy the same breed of dog. These groups may be informal, with people in the same local meeting for picnics, dog walks, or seminars; or they may be more formally recognized, even incorporated. The clubs usually promote the breed, sharing information about physical conformation, temperament, training, health issues, and sports. With APBTs, most clubs are also involved with legal issues, especially breed specific legislation that can potentially threaten the continued existence of the breed. The United Kennel Club and the American Dog Breeders Association are breed registries. (The American Kennel Club does not register APBTs.) Their main function is to record the pedigrees of dogs of the breeds they recognize. Proof of registration is a guarantee that a dog is purebred, but it is absolutely not a guarantee of the quality of the dog.

forty to sixty-five pounds. What happened? Pilot and Crib were at fighting weight, but though they would normally have weighed several pounds more, it would not have been nearly enough to make up the difference. One explanation is that because Americans always seem to believe bigger is better, they selected bigger dogs for breeding and thereby created a larger animal. Although this is partly correct, there is more to the story. It is believed that the breed’s general usefulness on the frontier was a factor in increasing its size. The American pioneers discovered the Bull-and-Terrier’s versatility, bravery, and devotion, and soon the dogs traveled west, becoming indispensable members of many ranch and farm families. The dogs were well suited to life on the frontier, and they guarded homesteads and children with confidence and authority. Many of them also helped round up livestock. In addition, they protected the farm animals from predators and varmits ranging from rats and snakes to coyotes and bears. Eventually, the settlers probably decided that a slightly larger dog with the same body style and bravery would have an even better chance of defending the livestock against marauding

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The APBT’s versatility and strength made her a great all-around farm dog.

mountain lions and ravaging wolves. Consequently, when selecting breeding partners for their dogs, they chose larger specimens.

The Dog of the Day Every dog has her day, and the Pit Bull certainly did. Her day was just before and during World War I, when she was so highly regarded that she represented the United States on a World War I poster depicting each of the Allied forces as a gallant dog native to her country. During that time, many issues of Life magazine featured political cartoons with Pit Bulls as the main characters. Pit Bulls The first Pit Bull movie star was even graced the cover of Life on whelped on September 6, 1929. February 4, 1915, and March 24, Pete, a brindle-and-white bred by 1917. The first picture, captioned A. A. Keller, achieved fame on stage “The Morning After,” showed a and screen as the dog actor in the bandaged and scarred Pit Bull; the Little Rascals and the Our Gang comlater one, captioned “After Six,” disedy series. Owned and trained by played a gentlemanly Pit Bull in a Harry Lucenay, Pete’s UKC-registered bow tie and top hat. Both were name was Lucenay’s Peter. drawn by Will Rannells.

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Part I The World of the American Pit Bull Terrier During World War I, the breed proved deserving of her country’s esteem. A Pit Bull named Stubby was the war’s most outstanding canine soldier. He earned the rank of sergeant, was mentioned in official dispatches, and earned two medals: one for warning of a gas attack and the other for holding a German spy at Chemin des Dames until American soldiers arrived. Following the war, the Pit Bull’s popularity continued to grow. Depending on what she was used for and where she lived, the breed was still known by many different names, including Bulldog, American Bull Terrier, Brindle Bull Dog, Yankee Terrier, Pit Dog, and, of course, American Pit Bull Terrier.

Media Monster As the years went by, pockets of underground dogfighting activity continued in the United States. By the late 1960s, some dog lovers were determined to put a stop to it, and in 1970 the American Dog Owner’s Association (ADOA) was established with the goal of terminating dogfighting. The ADOA was instrumental in getting the Animal Welfare Act revised, leading to the arrests of many people involved in dogfighting. Meanwhile, the media focused its cameras and commentary on the teeth and muscles of the

Distorted news stories about the APBT and exploitation of the breed by uncaring owners have given these dogs a bad name.

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Chapter 2 The APBT Yesterday and Today bloodied, exhausted dogs picked up during police raids, instead of on the people who placed those dogs in the fighting pit and wagered on the outcome. A media monster was born, and its name was Pit Bull. The distorted headlines and television stories about the Pit Bull attracted the type of people who weren’t going to do the breed any good. When the media manufactured a “bad dog” monster, young toughs—those who revel in flaunting their badness—believed that swaggering through their turf with a Pit Bull by their side would enhance their image. When thugs heard stories about teeth that locked and incredible jaw pressure, they not only believed them, but exaggerated them when they bragged. Soon drug dealers, gang members, and other hoodlums all wanted Pit Bulls. The media myths about Pit Bulls have been discredited, but the punks read headlines, not academic reports. Thus, the same breed of dog that laid her life on the line for her dogfighter owners became the preferred mascot of minor mobsters. It didn’t remain the same breed of dog for long. While the dogfighters, like the bullbaiters before them, never wanted and never bred a dog who was aggressive toward people, the thugs had something else in mind. With no knowledge of genetics or dog breeding, they indiscriminately mated their dogs to larger and nastier dogs of any breed. The result was mixed-breed dogs that the punks still proudly and defiantly called Pit Bulls. They used them to terrorize their enemies, guard drug caches, and slow down the police during drug raids. These dogs, now mixed with Rottweilers, various shepherds, and mean mongrels, are no more American Pit Bull Terriers than puppies from a Border Collie–Labrador Retriever cross are still Border Collies. But the press, and sometimes the courts, still persist in lumping together the mobster’s mongrels with carefully bred, registered dogs.

Breed-Specific Legislation The result of the rash of Pit Bull headlines across the nation was that some cities sought to pass laws banning the breed. Unfortunately, these kinds of laws, collectively known as breed-specific legislation, have been enacted all over the world. A very small sampling includes:

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Ontario, Canada, March 9, 2005, Public Safety Related to Dogs Statute Law Amendment Act. The new legislation came into effect on August 29, 2005, banning Pit Bulls and their importation into Ontario. The new law also places restrictions on existing Pit Bulls; those already legally residing in the province before the date the law comes into force may remain legally in Ontario, subject to certain conditions, such as compliance with leash, muzzle, and sterilization requirements.

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Denver, Colorado, April 8, 2005. The Denver District court upheld the constitutionality of Denver’s ordinance that prohibits Pit Bulls in the city and county of Denver. The law prohibits any person from owning, possessing, keeping, exercising, or selling a Pit Bull in the city and county of Denver. Pit Bull owners were given thirty days to remove their dogs. The original ban went into effect in 1991 but was challenged in 2004. Belgium has banned not only Pit Bulls but American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and Bull Terriers, as well as Rottweilers, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and Akitas.

Breed-specific legislation has been passed and enacted, or has been proposed and not yet defeated, in Australia, Britain, Finland, Denmark, Holland, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, and in many states across the United States, including Missouri, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington, Texas, Washington, D.C., and more. Breed discrimination has also occurred in other ways. Some dog trainers will not allow Pit Bull–type dogs of any kind in a group training class, and some selfserve dog wash businesses exclude Pit Bull–type dogs. Several homeowners insurance companies will not insure a home with a Pit Bull–type dog (or an Akita, Rottweiler, or Chow Chow). Obviously, breed-specific discrimination and legislation is not fair. First of all, how is a breed to be identified, especially something as generic as “Pit Bull?” Even the owners of many bull breeds have a hard time telling an APBT, a Staffordshire Terrier, and a Staffordshire Bull Terrier apart. When so many dogs may also be mixes, that just makes things more difficult. If a Pit Bull is illegal, is a Pit Bull–Poodle mix illegal, too? Breed-specific legislation punishes the breed (or breeds), when in reality the owner is the one who should be held responsible. Not all dogs of any breed are “bad” or dangerous. An irresponsible owner can create a dangerous dog of any breed, though. Many communities have also found that when a specific breed is banned, the thugs—owners who want a dangerous dog—simply turn to another breed that has not yet been banned.

Workable Alternatives Unfortunately as long as people own dogs, there will be conflicts between dogs and people. Some arise between neighbors (perhaps a dog is barking too much), while others may arise because some dog owners are not responsible. However, conflicts can be kept to a minimum. Dog clubs, dog trainers, humane societies, animal control, veterinarians, and other professionals who work with dogs can emphasize responsible dog ownership. Flyers, brochures, classes, and discussions can help dog owners learn more

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APBTs have been victims of breed discrimination, blaming an entire breed for the bad acts of a few dogs owned by callous dog owners. In fact, most APBTs are owned by caring, committed people who socialize and train their dogs to be great pets.

about their dogs and how to train and care for them properly. Owners can be encouraged to pick up after their dog and bags can be easily available for that purpose. (Oceanside, California, has a walk around the harbor that is popular with dog owners. Bags are available on posts throughout the walk.) Dog-bite prevention programs in day care centers and schools have been very effective and popular. Many dog clubs offer these, and the American Kennel Club has a free education program created for elementary school children. The Foundation for Pet Provided Therapy has a dog bite prevention program called WAGS that visits schools and day-care centers all across the United States. Owners should be held responsible for the actions of their dogs. If a dog is running loose, the owner should be responsible. If the dog attacks another dog, the owner should be responsible. If a dog attacks a person, the owner should be responsible. When legislation addresses the specific problem of an out-of-control dog owned by an irresponsible individual, it is much fairer to all involved. Many dedicated people and dog clubs have been fighting breed-specific legislation. It’s a hard battle because so many times emotions run high; especially if there has been a serious dog attack in the community involved. ADOA was formed to eliminate dogfighting and today still does that. But the organization also strives to uphold the rights of dog owners and to combat legislation that could threaten those rights. Since 1970, the ADOA has spoken to legislators

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The working instincts of APBTs can be channeled into agility, weight pulling, and many other canine sports.

across the United States and has even gone to court to fight for dog owners’ rights. For more information, go to www.adoa.org.

The APBT Today The real American Pit Bull Terrier, the one registered with the UKC or the ADBA, is the same affectionate, reliable, hard-working, people-loving dog she always was. A multitalented companion, the well-trained APBT is suited for a variety of exciting activities. She excels at obedience, agility, and weight-pulling competitions—events that showcase intelligence, trainability, and strength. Today, because dog shows emphasize balanced structure and fluid movement and obedience competition emphasizes trainability, the Pit Bull is sometimes an even more attractive companion then she used to be. In addition, the breed still functions as a farm dog in rural America. The Pit Bull began her ranch work on the homesteads of frontier America and is still depended on for varmit control, rounding up livestock, and sometimes even stopping and holding an angry steer. The American Pit Bull Terrier has always been a dog with a strong desire to please her owner. When that owner wanted her to fight, no matter how overmatched the dog was, the Pit Bull fought gamely. And today, when an enlightened owner raises her to be a happy, dependable family companion, that is exactly what she becomes. No dog does it better.

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obust, quick, and brimming with vigor, today’s American Pit Bull Terrier is an intelligent roughneck who wants to please and is ever hopeful of being a lap dog. Supremely confident, he views the world as a giant playhouse created especially for his amusement and is something of a perennial puppy: He enjoys playing tug, catch, and other games well into old age. Good-natured with children, the APBT has the sturdiness not to mind if his tail or toe is accidentally stepped on, and can play for hours. Some APBTs even seem to sense which children enjoy rough-and-tumble games and which ones are too tiny for such shenanigans. The APBT also enjoys training sessions and learns quickly as long as his trainer is fair, firm, and praises a job well done. But the APBT is not the right dog for everyone. Many people wish to have a dog who is more compliant, or calmer, or less animated. Other people are worried about the breed’s fighting history.

Are You Ready for a Dog? Adding a dog to your household should be a well-thought-out decision. You are taking on responsibility for a living, thinking, caring creature who would be willing to give his life for you. A dog should never be acquired as an impulse; there is too much at stake. It’s always best to think through what’s involved in owning a dog and be honest with yourself. So let’s take a look at dog ownership and see if you can do what’s needed for any dog, and then think specifically about an APBT. 33

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Having a dog requires adjustments to your lifestyle, your home, and your yard. Are you ready?

First of all, do you have time for a dog? Dogs need time. They need your companionship and affection, which requires that you spend time with them. Dashing in the door, tossing down some dog food, and taking off again are not enough. Do you live in a place where a dog can live happily? Are dogs allowed? Will your neighbor complain? Is there a place where a dog can run and play? Not all neighborhoods are dog friendly. Will you be living alone with the dog or are there roommates or other family members? Does everyone want a dog? If you want the dog but someone else does not, that can be very difficult for all concerned. Is there someone in the household who might have trouble with the dog? Perhaps a baby, young kids, or a senior citizen? Although these people might enjoy life with the dog, they may need to be taken into consideration when you choose the right dog for your home. Do you have any other pets in the home? Many dogs will live quite nicely with other pets, but other dogs are not at all safe with them. Have you lived with a dog before? Do you know what to expect? You may want to borrow a friend’s dog for a weekend and see if this lifestyle change is going to be something you’ll be happy with. Are you a meticulous housekeeper? Do you have white carpet? It’s tough to be happy with a dog in the house if you’re worried about dirt being tracked

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Chapter 3 Why Choose an APBT? inside. Dogs do track in dirt, and they shed, and sometimes drool. A wagging tail can knock over knickknacks, and puppies chew on everything. This last point may seem politically incorrect and it’s certainly not something most people want to talk about, but it needs to be addressed: Can you afford a dog? Yes, you can adopt or buy a dog relatively inexpensively, but that’s just the beginning of the costs you’ll face. You will need to go shopping before you bring home your dog so that you’ll have all the necessary supplies on hand. You’ll need dog toys, chew bones, a leash and collar, grooming supplies, and more. Your dog will need nutritious food every day. Plus, he will need to be seen by a vet shortly after you bring him home so that you know he’s healthy, and he will need regular check-ups. You will also want to set aside some money for emergencies; the emergency veterinary clinic is not cheap! Dog ownership is wonderful. A dog can definitely be a person’s best friend. But make sure you’re ready for a dog. If you are, keep reading.

The Pet APBT Even though the APBT’s history was often one of fighting bulls, bears, and other dogs, he was never allowed to be aggressive toward people. Fighting dogs had to be handled by people all the time, even when they were overstimulated for a fight. In fact, because they were handled in all sorts of circumstances, fighting dogs had to be especially friendly, steady, and reliable around people. During the era of bullbaiting, when the bull tossed a dog, his owner tried to break his fall by catching the dog on his own shoulders. Today, a properly bred APBT is so exuberantly happy upon meeting his owner’s friends (or even friendly strangers) that new owners sometimes worry their dog is too sweet and fun-loving to protect their home and family. Never fear: The joyous tail thumper who greets a friendly stranger without hesitation is the same dog who will steadfastly stop an unfriendly stranger. In fact, one of the attributes of the APBT is his ability to tell the difference between friend and foe. The protective instinct of the American Pit Bull Terrier usually surfaces when the dog is around ten months old, although this time can vary by three months or so. An APBT with the correct temperament will not threaten to attack a human without a very good reason, but will begin becoming alert to the doorbell or the sight of a stranger approaching the house. There have been numerous cases that prove the exceptional ability of the family APBT to sense, and signal to his family, when a person or a situation could be dangerous. (Exceptions to letting a APBT guard at will should be made if the dog is overly aggressive, or if he is destined to be used in a specific type of protection work.)

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You’ll have to socialize your dog extensively if you want him to be friendly with strangers and other dogs.

Some APBTs of either sex are maternal with baby animals of almost any species, and females have been known to nurse almost anything, from orphaned kittens to potbellied pigs. Although most APBTs dislike unfamiliar cats, they will live peacefully with the family cat. APBTs exude self-confidence, not only at home but in the park or on a noisy city street as well. They don’t respect territorial rights as so many other breeds do, but act as if whatever property they happen to be standing on is theirs. While the degree of aggression toward other dogs varies among individuals, APBTs are often so self-assured that they ignore dogs of other breeds rather than pick fights to prove themselves. But this is not always the case. You should be aware that during adolescence (from about nine to fourteen months of age), your APBT could suddenly develop a desire to test his strength against other dogs. That’s one of the reasons why training is so important. When an APBT is out for a walk on a leash and is eyed menacingly by another dog, the APBT’s immediate reaction might be to face the other dog, ready to take him on. If the APBT is trained, however, and his owner corrects this breech of manners and redirects the dog’s attention, the APBT will often ignore the other dog.

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The Dog’s Senses The dog’s eyes are designed so that he can see well in relative darkness, has excellent peripheral vision, and is very good at tracking moving objects—all skills that are important to a carnivore. Dogs also have good depth perception. Those advantages come at a price, though: Dogs are nearsighted and are slow to change the focus of their vision. It’s a myth that dogs are colorblind. However, while they can see some (but not all) colors, their eyes were designed to most clearly perceive subtle shades of gray—an advantage when they are hunting in low light. Dogs have about six times fewer taste buds on their tongue than humans do. They can taste sweet, sour, bitter, and salty tastes, but with so few taste buds it’s likely that their sense of taste is not very refined. A dog’s ears can swivel independently, like radar dishes, to pick up sounds and pinpoint their location. Dogs can locate a sound in 6⁄100 of a second and hear sound four times farther away than we can (which is why there is no reason to yell at your dog). They can also hear sounds at far higher pitches than we can. In their first few days of life, puppies primarily use their sense of touch to navigate their world. Whiskers on the face, above the eyes, and below the jaws are sensitive enough to detect changes in airflow. Dogs also have touch-sensitive nerve endings all over their bodies, including on their paws. Smell may be a dog’s most remarkable sense. Dogs have about 220 million scent receptors in their nose, compared to about 5 million in humans, and a large part of the canine brain is devoted to interpreting scent. Not only can dogs smell scents that are very faint, but they can also accurately distinguish between those scents. In other words, when you smell a pot of spaghetti sauce cooking, your dog probably smells tomatoes and onions and garlic and oregano and whatever else is in the pot.

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Working APBTs If you feel the desire to do volunteer work, you may just decide to have your dog volunteer with you. An APBT thrives with a job to do and will be happy to work by your side. APBTs enjoy being the center of attention, are confident enough to adapt to unusual surroundings, and have a higher than usual tolerance for pain. These traits place them among the top breeds in canine therapy work. They gleefully show off their obedience Characteristics of the APBT training and their favorite tricks at Strong desire to please children’s hospitals, senior centers, and schools for the mentally and Intelligent and trainable physically challenged. Petting sesProtective and watchful sions often follow the programs, and Energetic, strong, robust APBTs excel at giving affection in Enjoys being the center of institutions because they aren’t bothattention ered by an occasional bump from a cane or a walker. Laying their heads in the laps of the elderly in rockers and children in wheelchairs, they look up lovingly and grunt happily, even when petted or poked a little too hard. APBTs are also serving as search and rescue dogs. Again, their high pain tolerance enables them to work in urban rubble that might intimidate other dogs. Although some breeds are known to have keener senses of smell (Bloodhounds, German Shepherds, and Doberman Pinschers, for example), APBTs are well able to learn air-scenting and tracking techniques and learn it quite proficiently.

Defective Dogs American Pit Bull Terriers with temperament problems used to be the rare exceptions, but unfortunately they have become more common. This must be mentioned because a dangerous disposition is a menace to your family, your neighbors, and the breed itself. Every breed produces occasional problem dogs who never become enjoyable companions, but the APBT is simply too strong and capable to be allowed any mental instability. Beware of the extremes—dogs who are either aggressive or extremely timid around people. APBTs who are aggressive toward people are not representative of the breed and are far too dangerous to be pets. Painfully shy dogs are also atypical and may bite out of fear.

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Flaws in character are usually the result of bad breeding, Get your dog from a conscientious breeder and you will be off to an excellent start.

Good breeders are careful to choose animals of fine character for breeding stock but, infrequently, a bad pup may still emerge. Even with the best breeding pair, rare problems, such as too little oxygen during birth or a tumor on the brain, can destroy what would have been a delightful disposition. The primary cause of bad temperament, though, is bad breeding. Breeding is an art, and those who decide to breed must educate themselves about genetics and about the breed. Unfortunately, bad dogs can also be created. Some people delight in owning a dangerous dog. Such people might acquire a friendly little puppy and encourage him to become mean. Eager to please, the dog will grow up to be just as bad as his owner desires. In addition, unfair and overly harsh discipline can reduce an outgoing pup to a cowering bundle of nerves—the first step on the way to biting out of fear. Finally, neglect probably negates more happy-go-lucky puppy personalities than any other error of dog ownership. Seldom done on purpose, it just seems to happen when the novelty of having a puppy wears off. Soon the young dog is constantly confined to a crate, tied out on a chain, or left alone in the kennel or yard with no human contact except at feeding time. Lonely, bored, and isolated from his human family, the puppy will be unable to develop his unique character and could become aloof, shy, cranky, or aggressive.

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If APBTs Could Choose Their Owners If dogs could choose their owners instead of the other way around, APBTs would probably look for owners who are blessed with high spirits and the joy of living. This dog sometimes romps around and around the room simply to convey his own delight in life. In fact, many people consider the breed’s perennial puppiness an endearing plus! The APBT still wants to frolic long after his muzzle turns gray, and most owners enjoy playing with their dogs. A dog owner can be silly, laugh a lot, and yet still maintain control of both the dog and the situation. Play is wonderful—for both dog and owner—and should happen every single day. APBT owners must be willing to take the time to train their dogs, because all APBTs must be trained. A breed as strong and robust as this one, especially with instincts to fight, must be well trained and that training must begin in puppyhood and continue throughout the dog’s life. Successful owners know this and are APBT owners take time to train their dogs. This pup is wearing a weight-pulling harwilling to take on the responsibility and ness as a first step in learning to channel his fun of training their dog. energy into this popular sport. Above all, the best APBT owner loves their dog.

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our new dog will be a vital part of your life for the next twelve to fourteen years. It’s important, then, to make sure you choose your new best friend wisely. Although any dog may be able to fit into your life, when you make a well-researched, educated choice your chances are much better of that dog being “the perfect one.”

Breeder, Rescue, Shelter, or Free? You can find an APBT in many places: from a breeder, from an APBT rescue group, at your local shelter, or even in a cardboard box outside the local grocery store. Although the puppy outside the grocery store will be the cheapest and you may get a sense of satisfaction from saving the life of a dog facing death at the shelter, is one of these dogs really the right choice for you? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each. The process of choosing the right puppy for you should begin long before you set eyes on fat, wiggling, adorable APBT babies. If you wait until you see those puppies, you won’t do any research at all! But if you want a well-bred, healthy, mentally sound APBT, you’ll need to do some research.

Reputable Breeder A breeder is someone who breeds dogs of a specific breed. In the terminology of dog fanciers, a reputable breeder is someone who knows his breed well, has studied the genetics of the breed, and chooses the sire and dam of each litter carefully.

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Part I The World of the American Pit Bull Terrier Reputable breeders usually show their dogs in conformation competition so that judges (who are often also breeders) can evaluate the dogs in their breeding program. Many breeders also compete in other canine sports (obedience, agility, herding, carting, or weight pulling) so their dogs can use their minds and bodies. Reputable breeders keep up on health issues in the breed, too, and have the necessary health tests done before breeding any dogs. A reputable breeder screens the people who come to buy one of their puppies because they’re concerned about the puppies’ future. The breeder may ask you to fill out an application, may ask for referA reputable breeder screens his breeding stock ences, and will certainly ask you if you’ve for temperament and health problems, and owned dogs before. If you don’t sound like screens puppy buyers to make sure they are an ideal APBT owner, they will not sell ready for an APBT. The result is a delightful puppy going to the right family. you one. Don’t take this personally. The breeder is not saying you’re a bad person; they’re just saying you aren’t the right person for their puppy. Many reputable breeders have waiting lists for future litters and if you want one of their puppies, you may have to pay a small deposit and put your name on the waiting list. If you decide to buy an APBT from a reputable breeder, you will be getting a puppy from someone who will be there for you in the future. He will answer questions for you as your puppy grows up. You will have been able to see the mother of the litter, and hopefully the father, too. This will give you a good idea of your future puppy’s temperament and size. Your puppy will have been introduced to friendly people and will have heard a variety of household sounds. Your puppy will have had her first worming and first set of shots. You will not be allowed to bring her home before 8 weeks of age and often not until 10 weeks old. And although it’s impossible to predict the future, you will be able to take some comfort that the breeder has done everything possible to make sure you have a strong, healthy, well-adjusted puppy.

Backyard Breeder A backyard breeder is someone who has bred their dog but does not have the knowledge (or desire, or energy, or finances) to do what is necessary to produce

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Chapter 4 Choosing Your APBT the best dogs possible. This could be someone who has a female APBT and, because they want puppies, they breed their female to a friend’s male down the street. No health checks were done, no studies of genetics or background checks were done, and in many instances the dogs may not have been registered, either. A backyard breeder may also be someone who hasn’t spayed their female APBT and then doesn’t keep her safe when she comes into season and is bred by a wandering male. The puppies may or may not be purebred; the male (or males) may not even be known. With APBTs, unfortunately, the term backyard breeder also applies to those people who hope to breed bad dogs—dogs with aggressive, violent temperaments. These dogs are used for illegal dogfighting or as accessories (or weapons) in other illegal activities. Backyard breeders may produce some nice puppies. It has happened, and the smart backyard breeder will ask for help from an experienced, reputable breeder. But they are just as likely to produce dogs with problems. In addition, once the puppies are born, the backyard breeder rarely knows what the puppies need to grow up well, so the pups may not be handled enough or correctly, may not have the socialization they need, and may not have their first sets of shots. Backyard breeders often sell their puppies as soon as they are weaned, which may be between 5 and 6 weeks of age; this is much too soon for the pups to leave their mother and littermates.

Rescue groups evaluate each dog before they offer her for adoption.

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APBT Rescue Not everyone wants or needs a puppy. Many times the best choice is an APBT past puppyhood. After all, puppies are a lot of work. They are babies and need constant supervision and guidance, and it takes two to three years before an APBT is grown up. If you think a half-grown puppy, a young adult, or even an older APBT might be the best dog for you, you may want to contact a local APBT rescue group. Purebred rescue groups are organized by local breed clubs or simply by groups of people who love their breed. These people wish to save homeless dogs of their breed from death at local shelters and find these dogs permanent, loving, educated homes. Some rescue groups will take in dogs from the local shelters, while others only take in dogs from owners who can no longer keep them. The homeless dogs are usually kept in foster homes where they are evaluated for temperament and physical health, are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and trained. People who wish to adopt a dog go through an application process much like that for a reputable breeder. An application is required, as are references. A home inspection is usually required also, as is a securely fenced yard.

Dogs in shelters, and those offered for free, are basically unknowns. Choose carefully if you decide to get a dog this way.

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Chapter 4 Choosing Your APBT Although the adopter of a rescue dog may not know as much about the background of their dog as they would if they bought a dog from a reputable breeder, the evaluation process is usually very thorough. APBT rescue groups are careful not to adopt out dogs who are aggressive toward people or overly aggressive toward other dogs. Rescue groups are also very good about following up after the adoption. If you need help or simply have questions, the group will be there for you.

Shelter APBTs Dogs end up in animal shelters for many reasons. Some people buy an APBT without researching the breed, and when the puppy is half grown they find they are in over their head and cannot handle this powerful, exuberant young dog. Other APBTs have not been spayed or neutered and escape from their yard and are picked up as strays. Sometimes an owner passes away and other family members do not want the grieving dog. Because APBTs are often the status symbol pet for some people involved in unscrupulous activities, some APBTs end up in the shelter when their owner has gone to jail. Shelters are as good or bad as the community that supports them. Some shelters are wonderful. The dogs are housed well, kept clean, and get a lot of attention. Other shelters are horrible. An APBT in a shelter is basically an unknown. With the dog kept in a run, you won’t know whether she is good with kids, other animals, or different people. You may be able to take the dog out for a walk to see if she’s had any training, but the dog will be so excited to get out that the walk may not show you anything except how strong she is. You won’t know anything about the APBTs breeding, health, or how she was treated. A dog from a good shelter will have had a health checkup, will be spayed or neutered, will be microchipped (for identification), and will be up to date on all vaccinations. She may also have been evaluated for temperament. But shelter evaluations of scared dogs in stressful conditions are not always accurate. Many people like to adopt a dog from a shelter because they like the feeling of saving a dog’s life. And that’s wonderful, as long as you understand that you are getting an unknown.

APBTs for Free My grandpa had a saying: “If you get something for free, that’s exactly what it’s worth.” Although a free dog may seem like a bargain (and sometimes she is), she may also be a very expensive mistake. The APBT puppy in the box outside the grocery store may not be an APBT—she may be something totally different. It’s hard to tell many breeds apart when they’re young. Or the puppy may be an

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The right dog for you will fit easily into your home and your lifestyle.

APBT mix; who knows what the daddy was? The chances are also pretty good that the puppy was never wormed (momma dog probably never saw the inside of a veterinarian’s office!) nor received any vaccinations. Waiting in the box for a new owner, the puppy was petted by many people, many of whom have dogs at home. What diseases was that puppy exposed to? You will also never know what the parents of that puppy are like, and you should be extremely skeptical of anything the person with the puppies says. After all, if the mom and dad are so wonderful, why are the puppies in a box outside the grocery store? Hmmm? Free APBTs are not a bargain. Those puppies in a box and dogs offered free through classified ads are not the best APBTs you can find. With a breed as robust and powerful as APBTs are, and with the potential for damage they can have, you need to choose the best companion possible.

Finding the Right APBT It’s not hard to find an APBT; they are very popular. It may be more difficult, however, to find the right APBT for you. But many resources are available to you.

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Chapter 4 Choosing Your APBT Tell people you’re looking for a nice APBT puppy (or adult). Ask if they know someone who has bought one from a good breeder and is happy with the dog. If you see a handsome, well-behaved APBT, talk to the owners. Ask where they got their dog. APBT clubs can also be a good place to find a dog. Do an Internet search for a club in your area (for example, on a search engine such as Google, type in “APBT club + [your city or county, state]”). Go to a club meeting or two, or an event, and introduce yourself to people. When they learn you’re serious about finding a good pet and companion, they will be more than happy to help you. Don’t be insulted if people are standoffish initially, however, because APBTs sometimes attract the wrong crowd of people. Once you get a few referrals to some breeders or rescue groups, call and ask if you can set up an appointment to talk with them. Some may prefer to talk on the telephone, while others may want to meet face to face. Ask a few questions: How long have you been breeding? Do you show your dogs? Do you compete in any dog sports? What health screening do you do? What kind of sales contract and guarantee do you offer with a puppy? You can ask questions of the rescue group volunteer, too: Where do the dogs come from? How much do you know about the dogs you foster? How long do the dogs stay with a foster home? Do you know whether the dogs are good with kids, other dogs, or other pets? Are the dogs spayed or neutered? Vaccinated? Microchipped? The breeder and rescue volunteer will ask you some questions, too. Why do you want an APBT? What are your goals for the dog? What kind of training will you do with her? Where do you live? Do you own your home or rent? If you rent, do you have a written okay from the landlord to have an APBT? Do you have a securely fenced yard? Will the dog live in the house or outside? Have you owned dogs before? What happened to them? The answers to these and other questions will determine whether the breeder will sell you a dog, or the rescue group will let you adopt one.

Choosing the APBT Puppy for You Breeders, dog trainers, and service dog experts have developed puppy tests that enable people to evaluate puppies’ responses to specific stimuli and, as a result, choose puppies for certain situations. Service dog trainers are then able to train only those dogs who are best suited for their work, for example, without wasting their time and efforts on dogs who could not do the work. Puppy tests can help pet dog owners, too, because you can then choose the best dog for you, your

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Part I The World of the American Pit Bull Terrier personality, and your goals for your dog. If you want to do obedience competition in the future, for example, or therapy dog work, you can find the puppy best suited for that work. The puppy tests are best done when the puppies are 6 to 7 weeks old. Many breeders do puppy tests, so if your dog’s breeder does, just ask if you can watch. If the breeder doesn’t, ask if they’ll let you do it. Many will allow it. On a sheet of paper, list all the puppies. With an APBT litter, many have different markings, so you can use that to differentiate them. If the puppies are marked alike, put colored ribbons around their necks to tell them apart.

Look at the Whole Litter Without getting involved, watch the litter as a group. By 6 weeks of age, the puppies will be playing with one another, bouncing around clumsily, mock fighting, growling, and barking. Make notes about their behavior. The boldest puppy (who is often also the biggest, but not always) is the first to do everything. She is usually the first to the food, the first to the toys, and the first to investigate something new. This puppy is usually a great search and rescue dog—a super working dog because she is so bold. This would not be the best dog for someone who lives alone and works long hours, or for a person with a less than dominant personality, or for a senior citizen who wants a calmer dog. The fearful puppy is the one sitting in the corner by herself, just watching what’s going on. Her tail will be tight to her hindquarters and she may duck her head. Although some fearful puppies can come out of their shell with a calm, caring, knowledgeable owner, these dogs will always have the tendency to be afraid. These dogs are not good for active, noisy families, families with children, or people who have never owned a dog before. Most puppies will fall between these two extremes. In one situation the puppy will be bold and outgoing, while in another situation she may fall back and watch. While you’re watching, see who’s the crybaby, who is more outgoing, who always gets the toy, and who wants to investigate everything. Take notes.

The Test Now you’re ready for the Puppy Temperament Test in the box on pages 50–51. Have your pad of paper at hand and make notes as you go along, or better yet, ask the breeder or a friend to make notes for you. Test each puppy individually. Don’t go through the scores until you have tested all the puppies.

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Choose the puppy who seems to best fit into your life. And don’t forget to listen to your heart!

Looking at the Results There are no right or wrong answers to these tests. Rather, they are simply a guide to help you choose the right puppy for you. No one has figured out how to accurately foretell the future, but these tests can help us make an educated guess. The puppy who scored mostly A’s is a middle-of-the-pack dog in terms of dominance. This is not the most dominant puppy nor the most submissive. If this puppy also scored A in tossing a ball, this puppy will suit most families with children or active couples. This puppy should accept training well, and although she may have some challenges during adolescence, she should grow up to be a nice dog. The puppy who scored A’s and B’s will be a little more dominant and will probably challenge you a little more as an older puppy. If the puppy scored B or D on tossing a ball, training could be more of a challenge. The puppy who scored mostly B’s is a more dominant personality. She could grow up to be a great working dog with the right owner or handler. A dog like this is not good for a person with a soft personality; this dog will need someone as strong as she is. This dog will need the structure of training from puppyhood on into adulthood.

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The Puppy Temperament Test Test each puppy in the litter individually, and be sure to take lots of notes. Pages 49–51 explain how to interpret the results. But don’t go through the scores until you have tested all the puppies. And remember that there are no right or wrong answers.

Walk Away Place a puppy on the ground at your feet. Stand up and walk away. Does the puppy: A. B. C. D.

Follow you. Put herself underfoot, climbing all over your feet. Do a belly crawl to follow you. Ignore you and go the other direction.

Call the Puppy Move away from the puppy, bend over and call her, spreading your hands and arms wide to encourage her. Does the puppy: A. B. C. D.

Come to you, tail wagging. Chase you so fast you don’t have a chance to call her. Come slowly or crawl on her belly to you. Ignore you.

The puppy who scored mostly C’s is a more fearful or timid personality. She must be handled carefully since this puppy could, if pushed too far, bite out of fear. She needs a calm environment, careful socialization, and a calm, confidant owner. This dog could do well in a home with a quiet couple or a single adult. The puppy who scored C’s and D’s may have trouble bonding with people, and yet when she does bond, she will be devoted. Slightly fearful, cautious, and

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Gentle Restraint Gently roll the puppy onto her back in your arms and place a hand on her chest. Restrain her this way for thirty seconds—no longer. Does she: A. B. C. D.

Struggle for a few seconds but then relax. Struggle for the entire thirty seconds. Cry, tuck her tail up, and perhaps urinate. Struggle for fifteen seconds then stop, look at you, or perhaps look away.

Lifting When the puppy is on the ground, place both hands under her rib cage and lift her paws off the ground for thirty seconds. Does the puppy: A. B. C. D.

Quietly accept it without struggling. Struggle for at least fifteen seconds. Accept it with a tucked tail, some crying, and perhaps some urinating. Struggle for more than fifteen seconds and try to turn and nip at your hands.

Tossing a Ball With the puppy close to you, show the puppy a ball, and then toss it just a few feet away. Does the puppy: A. B. C. D.

Dash after it, pick it up, and bring it back to you. Bring it back but not want to give it to you. Go after it but not pick it up or get distracted by something else. Pick it up but then walk away.

yet independent, this dog could be a challenge. The dog will need calm, positive, yet firm, patient training. The dog who scores mostly D’s is an independent soul who isn’t convinced she needs people. She will need to spend lots of time with her owner so she can develop a relationship and bond with someone. Although this dog would be okay in the backyard for hours at a time, that would not be good for her mental health or for her relationship with her owners.

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Listen to Your Heart After evaluating the scores, take another look at the puppies. Set aside the puppies who definitely do not meet your needs and look at the remaining ones. Now you need to listen to your heart. Which one of these puppies makes your heart go thump? Which one are you drawn to? Watch the puppies’ reaction to you, too. Which one keeps trying to climb up your legs? Which one is staring at you, trying to get your attention? Although these tests can help you narrow down your choice, it’s still up to you to make the final decision, so take your time. This decision will be with you for twelve to fourteen years!

Choosing an APBT Adult Choosing an adult dog is both a little easier and a little harder than choosing a puppy. A puppy is the result of her genetics and the care she’s received as a baby, but she is also all potential. But an older puppy or adult APBT is exactly what

An adult dog can make a super pet.

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Chapter 4 Choosing Your APBT you’re going to get. If you want a smaller, petite female, you can choose one; if you would prefer a large, muscular male dog, you can choose that, too. An older puppy or adult APBT also has a history. That history could be a loving home where the APBT was a treasured member of the family, or it could be a neglectful home where she was ignored, unfed, and thirsty. Worse yet, she may have been discarded from a dogfighting operation. The things that happened before she ended up in a shelter or a rescue group all have a bearing on her future. If she was beaten, she may duck every time she sees a broom, mop, or rake. She may try to bite when a hand reaches for her collar. Or she may urinate every time someone moves quickly in her direction. APBTs are, luckily, very forgiving and many can overcome horrible beginnings. But they will always carry with them those things that happened previously. It’s important that you find out as much as you can about the dog before you decide to bring her home. Ask the shelter personnel or rescue volunteers as many questions as you can think of: What is her personality like? Does she appear afraid of anything in particular? Does she appear aggressive toward anything (or anyone) in particular? Is she calm around people of all sizes, shapes, and ethnic backgrounds? Is she worried about brooms, mops, water, the hose, or buckets? Is she frantic to get out of a run or a pen? Tests used on baby puppies do not work on older puppies or adult dogs, so you have to rely on the information you can get from people who have been caring for the dog. Spend some time with her, ask more questions, and if you can, take her for a few walks. You may also want to spend a weekend with her—take her home—before you decide whether this is the right dog for you.

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ringing home your new APBT is very exciting. Just think of the companionship this dog will provide you and the adventures you’ll have together! When you bring home your new APBT, you are bringing home a new best friend. There are a few things you need to do, however, before you bring him home so that his adjustment will be easy and you’ll be prepared for anything that happens. First you will want to make sure your house and yard are safe for him. APBTs, both puppies and adults, are insatiably curious and will get into things you may not expect. So it’s important that you create a safe environment for your new dog. When you first introduce your APBT into your household, and while he’s growing up and learning the rules of the house, keep the house, yard, and garage as safe as possible. The box on pages 58–59 explains how.

A Secure Yard APBTs are not happy spending all their time outside away from people; they are family-oriented dogs. However, they can reasonably spend some time outside each day. For an APBT to do that safely, it’s vital that he have adequate shelter from heat, rain, and cold, and that he be securely confined to your property. The following are several possibilities for safe outdoor confinement. A high, well-installed chain-link fence, a solid wooden fence, or a concrete block wall are sufficient for most (but not all) APBTs. Keep a careful eye on the condition of your fence, especially around the bottom where your APBT may try to dig his way out, and watch to see if your APBT develops exceptional jumping ability. 56

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Your yard may not be as secure as you think. Examine the fence carefully for gaps that a dog may wiggle through or dig under.

If your yard is not secure, or if you would like to keep your APBT away from certain areas of the yard, you may want to build a dog run. A dog run is also a good idea if your APBT is an escape artist. A high chain-link kennel run, with six inches of fence buried underground and anchored in cement, a wire roof, and a doghouse at one end, should keep your APBT where he belongs even if he grows into an Olympic-caliber jumper. Shade screen over the wire roof and down one or two sides of the run will help cool the area. Patio blocks or cement finished to a rough surface make good, easily cleaned flooring for the pen. Outside, even a big stainless steel water bowl could easily turn into a play toy. And once the water is spilled, your dog could then get thirsty, especially if you aren’t home. A big galvanized tub (five-gallon size) makes a great outside dog water bowl that even the most enthusiastic APBT would have a hard time tipping over. Chances are that more Pit Bulls have been raised on chains than any other way, but this method of confinement should never be used as a substitute for safe fencing. If your APBT is an escape artist, confine him in a dog run; do not chain him. Dogs on chains feel vulnerable and will often bite out of frustration, especially if someone teases them and then walks within their reach. Many pet supply stores have excellent doghouses for sale, or you can make one yourself. There are only a few requirements for building a good doghouse.

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Puppy-Proofing Your Home You can prevent much of the destruction puppies can cause and keep your new dog safe by looking at your home and yard from a dog’s point of view. Get down on all fours and look around. Do you see loose electrical wires, cords dangling from the blinds, or chewy shoes on the floor? Your pup will see them too!

In the kitchen: • Put all knives and other utensils away in drawers. • Get a trash can with a tight-fitting lid. • Put all household cleaners in cupboards that close securely; consider using childproof latches on the cabinet doors.

In the bathroom: • Keep all household cleaners, medicines, vitamins, shampoos, bath

• • • •

products, perfumes, makeup, nail polish remover, and other personal products in cupboards that close securely; consider using childproof latches on the cabinet doors. Get a trash can with a tight-fitting lid. Don’t use toilet bowl cleaners that release chemicals into the bowl every time you flush. Keep the toilet bowl lid down. Throw away potpourri and any solid air fresheners.

In the bedroom: • Securely put away all potentially dangerous items, including medicines and medicine containers, vitamins and supplements, perfumes, and makeup. • Put all your jewelry, barrettes, and hairpins in secure boxes. • Pick up all socks, shoes, and other chewables.

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In the rest of the house: • Tape up or cover electrical cords; consider childproof covers for unused outlets.

• Knot or tie up any dangling cords from curtains, blinds, and the telephone.

• Securely put away all potentially dangerous items, including medicines and medicine containers, vitamins and supplements, cigarettes, cigars, pipes and pipe tobacco, pens, pencils, felt-tip markers, craft and sewing supplies, and laundry products. • Put all houseplants out of reach. • Move breakable items off low tables and shelves. • Pick up all chewable items, including television and electronics remote controls, cellphones, shoes, socks, slippers and sandals, food, dishes, cups and utensils, toys, books and magazines, and anything else that can be chewed on.

In the garage: • Store all gardening supplies and pool chemicals out of reach of the dog.

• Store all antifreeze, oil, and other car fluids securely, and clean up any spills by hosing them down for at least ten minutes.

• Put all dangerous substances on high shelves or in cupboards that close securely; consider using childproof latches on the cabinet doors. • Pick up and put away all tools. • Sweep the floor for nails and other small, sharp items.

In the yard: • Put the gardening tools away after each use. • Make sure the kids put away their toys when they’re finished playing. • Keep the pool covered or otherwise restrict your pup’s access to it when you’re not there to supervise.

• Secure the cords on backyard lights and other appliances. • Inspect your fence thoroughly. If there are any gaps or holes in the fence, fix them.

• Make sure you have no toxic plants in the garden.

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The floor should be raised off the ground two or three inches to protect it from rain, snow, dampness, and morning dew. A removable roof, or one on hinges, will make it easier to clean the inside. The door should be to one side of the house and partitioned off, with the sleeping space on the other side away from the drafty door. To conserve body heat, the sleeping space should be cozy—just the right size for your APBT to curl up comfortably. The very best bedding is cedar chips. They smell wonderful, stay clean and dry for a long time, and help your APBT keep cool in summer and warm in winter. If you can’t find cedar bedding, wood shavings are a dependable second choice. Make the bedding deep, especially in winter.

Basic Supplies The box on page 62 outlines most of the basics you will need for your dog. The breeder may also give you a list of supplies you’ll need. We’ll discuss dog food in more detail in chapter 6, but plan on having on hand some of the food your APBT has been eating. Ask the breeder or rescue volunteer what food your APBT is used to, and then plan on feeding that for several weeks. If you want to change the food, you can do so gradually later.

You’ll need to do some shopping to get your dog everything he needs—including toys.

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Chapter 5 Getting Ready for Your APBT You will want to put some identification on your APBT right away, so have a tag made up at your local pet store with your name and phone number. If you know your new dog’s name, put that on it too, but don’t worry if you haven’t figured out his name yet. You can always have another tag made up later. Put the identification tag on a buckle collar (nylon or leather) that will remain on your dog all the time. If you’re bringing home a puppy, he will need a couple of collars in gradually increased sizes as he grows up. A leash is necessary for taking your APBT out for a walk and when he’s outside of the house and yard. Do not take your APBT outA crate will make everything from housetraining to side the house and yard without a travel easier. leash. Not only is it illegal, but it sets him up to get in trouble and learn bad habits. It only takes one dash away for him to learn he can run away, so keep him leashed and safe.

The Great Crate Dogs are descended from denning animals who spent a great deal of their time in the relative security of their lair. That’s why it will take only a brief period of adjustment before your APBT feels comfortable and protected in a dog crate. Rather than being cruel, as some new dog owners imagine, dog crates have saved dogs’ lives and owners’ tempers. Buy your APBT a crate that is large enough for a grown American Pit Bull Terrier to stand up and turn around in comfortably. The crate will be a tremendous help with housebreaking, because your APBT will soon learn not to soil his bed (see chapter 9 for details). It can also serve as a safe playpen, so your APBT can’t damage furniture or swallow something dangerous when you are away or asleep. Your APBT’s crate should be snug, soft, and comfortable inside. A crate will serve as your puppy’s new bed. The bedding should be easy to change and not dangerous if chewed or swallowed. You can put some old towels in the crate;

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Puppy Essentials You’ll need to go shopping before you bring your puppy home. There are many, many adorable and tempting items at pet supply stores, but these are the basics.

• Food and water dishes. Look for bowls that are wide and low or

• • • • •

•

•

weighted in the bottom so they will be harder to tip over. Stainless steel bowls are a good choice because they are easy to clean (plastic never gets completely clean) and almost impossible to break. Avoid bowls that place the food and water side by side in one unit—it’s too easy for your dog to get his water dirty that way. Leash. A six-foot leather leash will be easy on your hands and very strong. Collar. Start with a nylon or leather buckle collar. For a perfect fit, you should be able to insert two fingers between the collar and your pup’s neck. Your dog will need larger collars as he grows up. Crate. Choose a sturdy crate that is easy to clean and large enough for your puppy to stand up, turn around, and lie down in. Nail cutters. Get a good, sharp pair that are the appropriate size for the nails you will be cutting. Your dog’s breeder or veterinarian can give you some guidance here. Grooming tools. Since your dog has a short, slick coat, grooming is easy. He will need a soft-bristled brush, a grooming glove, shampoo, and conditioner. We’ll discuss how to use all this equipment in chapter 7. Chew toys. Dogs must chew, especially puppies. Make sure you get things that won’t break or crumble off in little bits, which the dog can choke on. Very hard plastic bones are a good choice. Dogs love rawhide bones, too, but pieces of the rawhide can get caught in your dog’s throat, so they should only be allowed when you are there to supervise. Toys. Since even baby APBTs are rough and tough, these toys need to be sturdy. Watch for sharp edges and unsafe items such as plastic eyes that can be swallowed. The best toys are heavy-duty squeaker toys (APBTs love squeakers!), the heavyweight rubber toys (like the Kong toys), and rope tug toys. All dogs will eventually destroy their toys; as each toy is torn apart, replace it with a new one.

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Chapter 5 Getting Ready for Your APBT don’t buy an expensive dog bed or TIP pad for the crate, because your Do not give your dog toys that could APBT will only chew it up. Some lead to bad habits. No old shoes or towels that are easy to wash are fine. socks, please! Later, when your APBT is all grown up, you can buy him a nice bed and then he’ll appreciate it. Every time you put your APBT in his crate, toss a favorite toy or a special treat in the crate ahead of him. Say “crate” and, as gently as possible, put your APBT in and shut the door. Your APBT may cry the first few times he is introduced to his crate, but if you walk away and don’t take him out of the crate until he settles down, he’ll soon become accustomed to it.

Pet Professionals Before you bring home your new friend, you will want to find a few pet professionals you will be able to work with. A veterinarian will help you keep your new APBT healthy, as well as provide necessary vaccinations. They will also be able to spay or neuter your APBT. A trainer can guide you through the pitfalls of puppyhood and canine adolescence and help you train your dog to be a good companion. These people will be of great help to you in the coming months, and you want to be able to talk with them and trust their opinions. You can find both of these professionals through referrals. Ask dog-owning friends and neighbors whom they recommend. Once you have a few names, call and make an appointment to talk to them. Although not all will charge you for the initial meeting, be prepared to pay for their time.

The Veterinarian The veterinarian to whom you choose to give your business to will become your partner in your dog’s continued good health. Like a family physician, the veterinarian will get to know your dog, keep records on her weight and physical condition, and will help your dog through any physical difficulties. Call and make an appointment with the veterinarian you are considering, and go in without your APBT. Expect to pay an office visit fee, since you are taking up the veterinarian’s time. Then ask some questions, beginning with, “Are you familiar with American Pit Bull Terriers? Do you like APBTs?” Unfortunately, some people do not like the breed or are afraid of them—even

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veterinarians. You do not want someone who dislikes or is afraid of the breed to be responsible for your dog’s health-care needs. If the vet does like APBTs and is familiar with them, ask about their veterinary experience, education, and office policies. What problems does the vet normally see with APBTs and how do they handle them? Does the vet expect APBTs to be muzzled in the office or do they make an individual decision based on each dog? How does the vet handle emergencies or after-hours problems? If a dog is kept overnight, is there anyone in the clinic with the dog? Does the clinic A well-trained dog is a pleasure to be with. accept credit and debit cards? When you have had a thorough discussion with the vet and feel comfortable with them, go ahead and make another appointment so you can bring in your dog. At this appointment, the vet can see the dog when he’s healthy, weigh him, and note his vital statistics (heart rate, temperature, and respiration). This way, the vet will know what is normal for your dog.

The Trainer When you meet with the trainer, ask if they like APBTs and other Pit Bull–type breeds. Some do and others do not. If the trainer has reservations about the breed or requires that dogs of that breed all be muzzled, ask why. If you are not happy with the answer, take your business elsewhere. Ask the trainer about the training techniques they use. What is their experience with APBTs? When talking about them, does the trainer smile or frown? Ask if you can watch one of the ongoing classes. Make sure you will be comfortable with their training techniques.

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Feeding Your APBT

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PBTs love to eat, and every dog deserves to eat the best possible foods you can supply her. Although your dog could survive on foods of lesser quality, good nutrition will help her live better and longer. Dog food is one item where you usually get what you pay for. The more expensive foods (often called premium or super premium dog foods) are more expensive but are made from better-quality ingredients that offer better and more complete nutrition. The cheaper foods (especially the plain label or generic foods) are made from lesser-quality ingredients that offer less nutrition.

Commercial Dog Foods Most commercially prepared dog foods are balanced to provide your dog with optimal nutrition. Dry dog foods come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some types are in meal form, with the ingredients simply mixed together. Biscuit food may be made up of whole or crumbled biscuits. It is formed by adding flour to the dry ingredients and baking the mixture. Some dog foods are pelleted, while others are extruded (pushed through a machine that forms the food). Read the labels on the dry food you buy, because some are meant to be fed dry; others form gravy when moistened and are meant to be fed slightly wet, and some may be fed to your dog either dry or moistened. Canned foods are usually made up of meats or meats and other ingredients such as vegetables. Canned foods are also significantly higher in water content than dry kibble foods and so more food must be fed to the dog to achieve the 65

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A high-quality diet will enable your dog to remain active and healthy throughout her life.

same level of nutrition. Canned foods are also significantly more expensive than dry foods. While convenient and less expensive than the better-quality canned foods, semi-moist food usually is high in salt, sugar, and preservatives. Although it’s tempting because of its simplicity, you can get the same ease of feeding by packing portions of high-quality dry food in self-sealing baggies. Good dry formulas are better for your dog and even help to clean her teeth. Keep in mind that every dog is an individual and not every food is right for every dog. Just because your friend’s APBT is eating Brand A and thriving on it doesn’t mean your APBT will. You need to feed a good-quality food that your dog likes and can thrive on. And remember that bargain dog food is seldom a bargain. Even though the nutritional information on the package says it has the same amount of protein as the better-known brands, what’s important is the amount of usable (digestible) protein. For example, shoe leather is protein but it has no nutritional value at all.

Homemade Diets Some dog owners have begun feeding their dogs homemade diets because they feel they can provide better-quality ingredients in a diet tailored specifically for

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Chapter 6 Feeding Your APBT their individual dog. Some of these diets are made from raw ingredients (such as raw meats, complete with bones, and raw vegetables), while others are cooked foods. Although many of these dog owners are very enthusiastic about the results, many veterinarians are still skeptical. Formulating a complete and balanced diet can be very difficult, and nutritional deficiencies often do not show up until a dog is quite sick. If you would like to look into a homemade diet, do some research first. Talk to the owners of some dogs using these diets, get their recipes, and then do some Internet research and some reading. Any It’s not easy to prepare an entirely homemade diet for your dog, but it’s also not impossible. homemade diet will have to be carefully Work with a veterinarian to get it just right. balanced, with all the right nutrients in just the right amounts. It requires a lot of research to make a proper homemade diet, but it can be done. It’s best to work with a veterinary nutritionist.

Nutrition Throughout Your Dog’s Life There is a fine selection of dog foods available for all stages of your dog’s life. Choose a reputable brand of puppy food, one that has been on the market for many years, then feed your APBT according to the label directions and she should be well nourished. While your APBT is growing, remember to gradually increase the size of her meals as she gets bigger. At 7 weeks old, she will need to eat three meals a day. By the time she is 5 months old, she will probably need about twice what she ate when she was 3 months old, but she doesn’t have to eat as often. By then, two meals a day are sufficient. As an adult (more than 12 months old), she will probably eat slightly less than she did as a growing puppy. Look at her to tell whether her food keeps her in top condition. Her coat should shine, her eyes should be bright, and she should have good, solid flesh. Whatever you do, don’t allow her to become fat. Roly-poly puppies may look cute, but many serious health problems in dogs have been traced directly to obesity.

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Pet Food vs. People Food Many of the foods we eat are excellent sources of nutrients— after all, we do just fine on them. But dogs, just like us, need the right combination of meat and other ingredients for a complete and balanced diet, and a bowl of meat doesn’t provide that. In the wild, dogs eat the fur, skin, bones, and guts of their prey, and even the contents of the stomach. This doesn’t mean your dog can’t eat what you eat. A little meat, dairy, bread, some fruits, or vegetables as a treat are great. Fresh foods have natural enzymes that processed foods don’t have. Just remember, we’re talking about the same food you eat, not the gristly, greasy leftovers you would normally toss in the trash. Stay away from sugar, too, and remember that chocolate is toxic to dogs. If you want to share your food with your dog, be sure the total amount you give her each day doesn’t make up more than 15 percent of her diet, and that the rest of what you feed her is a topquality complete and balanced dog food. (More people food could upset the balance of nutrients in the commercial food.)

During adolescence (5 to 11 months or more of age), your APBT may appear rangy and gangly, but as long as she has boundless energy and a gleaming coat, her nutritional requirements are probably being met. Poor nutrition almost always shows up first in the quality of the coat. If her coat is dry or dull, consider it an early warning sign that something is wrong. Have your veterinarian examine her, because it’s possible that the quality and quantity of her food are fine, but she needs to be dewormed or treated for a condition unrelated to nutrition. As your APBT grows older, she may show less interest in her food, for a number of reasons. One of them is sore teeth. If dental problems are causing her pain, your veterinarian can help. The dog may need to have her teeth cleaned or may need a broken tooth pulled. If age is dulling your APBT’s senses, warming her food (or adding a little hot water or broth) will give it a more appetizing aroma. Also, offering much smaller amounts of food several times a day, instead of one big dinner, sometimes entices an old dog to eat.

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Reading Dog Food Labels Dog food labels are not always easy to read, but if you know what to look for they can tell you a lot about what your dog is eating.

• The label should have a statement saying the dog food meets or

•

• •

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exceeds the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutritional guidelines. If the dog food doesn’t meet AAFCO guidelines, it can’t be considered complete and balanced, and can cause nutritional deficiencies. The guaranteed analysis lists the minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat and the maximum percentages of crude fiber and water. AAFCO requires a minimum of 18 percent crude protein for adult dogs and 22 percent crude protein for puppies on a dry matter basis (that means with the water removed; canned foods should have more protein because they have more water). Dog food must also have a minimum of 5 percent crude fat for adults and 8 percent crude fat for puppies. The ingredients list the most common item in the food first, and so on until you get to the least common item, which is listed last. Look for a dog food that lists an animal protein source first, such as chicken or poultry meal, beef or beef byproducts, and that has other protein sources listed among the top five ingredients. That’s because a food that lists chicken, wheat, wheat gluten, corn, and wheat fiber as the first five ingredients has more chicken than wheat, but may not have more chicken than all the grain products put together. Other ingredients may include a carbohydrate source, fat, vitamins and minerals, preservatives, fiber, and sometimes other additives purported to be healthy. Some grocery store brands may add artificial colors, sugar, and fillers—all of which should be avoided.

Changing Foods If you decide to change from the breeder’s brand of dog food, during the first week of the change, feed your dog three-quarters old food and one-quarter new food. For example, if she’s normally getting two cups of dry food, give her a cup and a half of her old food and half a cup of her new food. If, at the end of the first week, your dog is doing well and her stools are normal (not runny or soft),

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Puppies do not need the same diet as older dogs.

then begin feeding half old food and half new food. If her stools are soft, decrease the new food slightly and keep feeding at this amount until her stools are normal and solid. Then increase the new food slightly. If she’s looking good and her stools are normal at the end of the second week, begin feeding one-quarter old food and three-quarters new food. By the end of week three, most dogs can then begin eating just the new food without any problems.

Seven Mistakes to Avoid 1. Don’t feed your APBT chocolate, raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, onions, or any highly spiced, greasy, or salty foods. Chocolate, raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts and onions are bad for dogs (and potentially toxic), and spicy sauces and junk food lead to stomach upsets. 2. Don’t believe ads that encourage you to vary your dog’s diet. Dogs do best when they are fed the same brand of food daily at regular times. If you must add something to your APBT’s food dish, mix a few tablespoons of a high-quality canned dog food or a tablespoon of cottage cheese or yogurt with her dry dinner.

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Chapter 6 Feeding Your APBT 3. If you change a food for a specific reason, feed the new food for at least six weeks. It takes several weeks for a new food to change a nutritional deficiency or solve a problem caused by diet. 4. Don’t fill your puppy up with table scraps. Puppies can’t hold much food at a time, and no matter how nutritious your dinner is for humans, chances are your puppy’s food is better for her. It’s especially important not to feed your dog directly from the table. Dogs fed during dinner become accomplished beggars and are soon a major nuisance at mealtimes. 5. Don’t give your APBT any bones other than raw knucklebones. Chicken, turkey, or porkchop bones, for example, can shatter and slice open the dog’s intestines with their sharp points. Cooked knucklebones are more easily shattered, so offer the knucklebones raw. Always supervise your APBT when she has a bone and take it away if she shatters it or bites small pieces off it. 6. Don’t leave your APBT’s food dish down for longer than ten minutes. If the dog hasn’t finished her food by then, remove it until the next meal. That helps your dog learn to eat when and what she is fed. 7. Don’t forget to take along food and water from home when you’re taking your dog on a long outing or on vacation. In an unfamiliar area, it may be difficult to find the same food your dog is accustomed to, and an abrupt change of diet frequently gives dogs enough stomach trouble to spoil a vacation.

The best indicators that your dog is eating well are her appearance and energy level. A well-fed dog looks and acts fit.

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Chapter 7

Grooming Your APBT

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oo many people think shorthaired dogs such as APBTs do not need regular grooming, but that’s a serious misconception. Grooming is much more than the fancy haircut some Poodles get; it’s regular care that contributes to a dog’s continued good health. Grooming consists of regular brushing, bathing, ear and teeth cleaning, nail trimming, and more. By caring for your APBT regularly, you can spot potential problems before they turn into bigger health concerns.

Brushing Daily brushing will make your APBT sparkle, because brushing removes dander, dirt, and dead hair while stimulating the secretion of natural oils that keep his coat sleek and shiny. Two types of brushes will be effective with your APBT. The first (and the one you will use most often) should be a handheld brush with medium-soft bristles. Brush your APBT’s coat gently but firmly in the direction of growth. When no more loose hair or dander comes out and his coat gleams, you have brushed enough. To groom your APBT’s face, use a damp cloth instead of a brush and gently wipe his face, again in the direction the hair grows. Your second brush should be a rubber curry brush that’s about palm size. When you can actually see the dirt on his coat, use the curry before using your regular brush. Curry by moving the rubber brush in small circles all over the upper part of his body. Skip his legs, feet, belly, and face (and the genitals on a male), as the curry is too rough for those areas. Your regular brush will easily 72

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Regular brushing will keep your dog’s coat shiny and beautiful—and will mean less dog hair around your house, too.

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remove dirt or dried mud from your APBT’s legs and feet, and a damp cloth will clean his nearly bald belly and his face (and a male’s genital area). An APBT’s coat is also short enough that you can use a flea comb. These finetooth combs (plastic or metal) can help you find any fleas that may be lurking in your dog’s coat. Just gently run the comb through your APBT’s coat, especially on his head and on the hips near the tail. The comb is not to be used for total flea control, but rather it can help you discover whether your dog has fleas. Inspect your APBT while you’re brushing him. Look for open wounds that need washing and treatment, signs of skin disease, external parasites, and bumps, warts, splinters, or anything else that could signal the start of a problem. Remember that ticks sometimes hide between the toes, in the ears, or in the thickest part of your dog’s coat (usually the neck and rump area). Separate your APBT’s hair by roughing it against the grain to look for fleas. Even if you do not see any fleas, tiny dark specks are evidence that your dog is being used as a bed and breakfast. Ask your veterinarian to recommend preparations to rid your APBT (and your home) of these parasites, and use the products exactly as advised on their labels.

Bathing Your APBT Brushing your APBT will get a lot of the dirt out of his coat, but dirt and oil can still build up, giving your dog a doggy smell. Regular bathing will keep him clean and smelling sweet. Years ago, the conventional wisdom was that bathing a dog regularly stripped the natural oils from his coat and skin, thereby making the skin and coat dry and unhealthy. Products available for dogs today have changed. Although you can still strip the oils from the skin and coat if you use a harsh soap for bathing your dog, most of the products today are better and gentler than the older ones. If you use a good-quality dog shampoo, you can bathe your dog regularly without harming his coat. After all, therapy dogs who make weekly visits to nursing homes must be bathed before each visit. Treat your dog nicely when you give him a bath. If you decide to give your APBT a bath in the driveway with cold water out of the hose, you will have a battle on your hands. Your dog will hate baths and will struggle every time you try to get him wet. It’s worth your time to pamper and spoil him a little, and make the bath warm and comfortable. In return, he won’t fight you nearly as much. He may even learn to like it! Take the dog shampoo and a couple of towels to your bathroom. Turn the water on in the tub and let it warm up. Then, with a leash on your dog, walk him to the bathroom. Help him into the tub and gently splash him with warm water. Talk nicely to him (“What a good boy!”) as you get him wet. When he’s wet,

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New Products in the Fight Against Fleas At one time, battling fleas meant exposing your dog and yourself to toxic dips, sprays, powders, and collars. But today there are flea preventives that work very well and are safe for your dog, you, and the environment. The two most common types are insect growth regulators (IGRs), which stop the immature flea from developing or maturing, and adult flea killers. To deal with an active infestation, experts usually recommend a product that has both. These next-generation flea fighters generally come in one of two forms:

•

•

Topical treatments or spot-ons. These products are applied to the skin, usually between the shoulder blades. The product is absorbed through the skin into the dog’s system. Among the most widely available spot-ons are Advantage (kills adult fleas and larvae), Revolution (kills adult fleas), Frontline Plus (kills adult fleas and larvae, plus an IGR), K-9 Advantix (kills adult fleas and larvae), and BioSpot (kills adult fleas and larvae, plus an IGR). Systemic products. This is a pill your dog swallows that transmits a chemical throughout the dog’s bloodstream. When a flea bites the dog, it picks up this chemical, which then prevents the flea’s eggs from developing. Among the most widely available systemic products are Program (kills larvae only, plus an IGR) and Capstar (kills adult fleas).

lather up the shampoo, using your hand to rub it into his coat and skin, making sure to lather his entire body. Be careful you don’t get any soap in his eyes. When you rinse, begin at his head, letting the water run away from his nose, eyes, and ears. Hold each earflap close to his head to close one ear at a time as you rinse. Then rinse down the neck and chest, then back, belly, hips, and then finally his legs. Make sure you rinse thoroughly, getting all the soap off him. Any

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Check your dog for fleas and ticks every day during the warm months.

soap remaining on his body or in his coat could cause him to itch and scratch, thereby creating sores. When your dog is thoroughly rinsed, towel him off using the first towel to blot and get all the excess water and the second towel to dry him. When he’s completely dry, you can brush him again with the bristle brush to remove any hairs loosened by the bath.

Trimming Toenails Your APBT’s toenails are too long if they make clicking noises on the floor when he walks on a hard surface. Dogs with very long nails tend to walk on the backs of their feet, leading to splayed toes and an unattractive gait. Not only is this uncomfortable for the dog, but it can lead to foot problems. Long nails are also more apt to break or tear during exercise or play. To clip your APBT’s nails, sit on the floor and invite him to lie down in front of you, between your legs, with his head in your lap. Give him a tummy rub to

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Chapter 7 Grooming Your APBT relax him. Then take one front paw, holding it gently but securely, and isolate one nail so you can hold it between a finger and your thumb. Using a pair of nail clippers made for a dog of this size (either the scissors type or guillotine type), trim off the excess nail, making sure you do not hit the quick. If your APBT has white nails, your job is easier than if his nails are dark, because the quick is a blood vessel that is clearly seen through white nails. Trim the nail just beyond the quick. You will not be able to see the quick in dark nails, so make the cut just beyond the hooklike projection on the underside of the nail. Continue trimming the rest of the nails on that paw. Then let him relax, rub his tummy, and then do the other front paw. To do the back paws, you can have him change position on your lap. If your APBT is worried, stressed, or is trying to fight you, trim just one paw and stop. Later, you can do another paw. If he’s trying to mouth your hand as you trim, give him a spoonful of peanut butter. He’ll be thinking about the peanut butter and won’t even know you’re touching his paws! When you cut the nail properly, your APBT will feel nothing more than slight pressure, the same as you feel when cutting your own toenails. If you accidentally cut the quick, your APBT’s nail will hurt and bleed. Stop the bleeding with a styptic pencil made for human use, or use the styptic powder sold at pet supply stores. (In a pinch, cornstarch will also do.) Pressing the bleeding nail into a soft bar of soap for a minute or so will also stop the bleeding.

Cleaning Those Pearly Whites Your APBT’s teeth are naturally very handsome—bright white and nicely in proportion to his head. When a dog’s adult teeth come in (after losing the puppy teeth), they are strong and white. He will need your help to keep those teeth white; dirty or broken teeth can significantly affect your APBT’s health. When teeth have accumulated plaque or are broken and infected, they harbor bacteria that can affect the body in many areas, including the heart and kidneys. In addition, when you clean the teeth often, you can spot problems, including gum problems, teeth that need to be professionally cleaned, and chipped or broken teeth that might need to be extracted. There are many ways to keep your APBT’s teeth clean. Feeding dry dog food and biscuits can help scrape the teeth as he eats. Hard chew toys can also scrape some plaque off the teeth. But to CAUTION! keep the teeth really clean, you will Never use toothpaste for humans need to get more actively involved. on your dog. He can’t rinse and spit Although toothbrushes and the way you can. toothpastes are available for dogs, the easiest way to clean the teeth is

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Making Your Environment Flea Free If there are fleas on your dog, there are fleas in your home, yard, and car, even if you can’t see them. Take these steps to combat them.

In your home: • Wash whatever is washable (the dog bed, sheets, blankets, pillow covers, slipcovers, curtains, etc.).

• Vacuum everything else in your home—furniture, floors, rugs, everything. Pay special attention to the folds and crevices in upholstery, cracks between floorboards, and the spaces between the floor and the baseboards. Flea larvae are sensitive to sunlight, so inside the house they prefer deep carpet, bedding, and cracks and crevices. • When you’re done, throw the vacuum cleaner bag away—in an outside garbage can. • Use a nontoxic flea-killing powder, such as Flea Busters or Zodiac FleaTrol, to treat your carpets (but remember, it does not control fleas elsewhere in the house). The powder stays deep in the carpet and kills fleas (using a form of boric acid) for up to a year. • If you have a particularly serious flea problem, consider using a fogger or long-lasting spray to kill any adult and larval fleas, or having a professional exterminator treat your home.

to use some gauze and baking soda. Take a piece of clean gauze and wrap it around your index finger. Wet it, then dip it in a little baking soda. Invite your APBT to lie down in your lap, as you did to trim his nails. Steadying your APBT’s head with one hand, rub that baking soda and gauze against the outside of a couple of teeth. Praise him as you’re working on him. Then rub the gauze against the inside of those same teeth. As you work, change the gauze and add more baking soda. If your dog really doesn’t like this—and many do not in the beginning—just do a few teeth then give him a break and play with him. Later, you can clean a couple more teeth. As he gets used to it, he will be more accepting. As you clean, look for any problems in your dog’s mouth: broken teeth or red, swollen gums, as well as any cuts or sores in the mouth. If you find anything out of the ordinary, call your veterinarian.

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In your car: • Take out the floor mats and hose them down with a strong stream of water, then hang them up to dry in the sun.

• Wash any towels, blankets, or other bedding you regularly keep in the car.

• Thoroughly vacuum the entire interior of your car, paying special attention to the seams between the bottom and back of the seats.

• When you’re done, throw the vacuum cleaner bag away—in an outside garbage can.

In your yard: • Flea larvae prefer shaded areas that have plenty of organic material and moisture, so rake the yard thoroughly and bag all the debris in tightly sealed bags. • Spray your yard with an insecticide that has residual activity for at least thirty days. Insecticides that use a form of boric acid are nontoxic. Some newer products contain an insect growth regulator (such as fenoxycarb) and need to be applied only once or twice a year. • For an especially difficult flea problem, consider having an exterminator treat your yard. • Keep your yard free of piles of leaves, weeds, and other organic debris. Be especially careful in shady, moist areas, such as under bushes.

Cleaning Ears Compared to trimming toenails and cleaning teeth, cleaning the ears is easy. Several commercial ear-cleaning solutions are available; just ask your veterinarian which one they recommend. Then dip a cotton ball in the solution, squeeze out the excess, and gently wipe the inside of your APBT’s ears. If your APBT is dirty, you may have to use a couple of cotton balls per ear. Clean only the inside part of the ears that can be easily reached with the cotton ball; never force the cotton ball down inside the ear canal. If the ear is very waxy or is red and sore, your ABPT may have an ear infection. Stop cleaning and call your veterinarian; he will want to see the ear before you clean it.

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Regular cleaning will keep your dog’s teeth white and healthy.

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Keeping Your APBT Healthy

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PBTs are strong, hearty, active dogs. Although sometimes an APBT will injure herself during play, simply because she is so strong, the injuries are usually mild. (They do tend to play like a bull in a china store!) But for the most part, these dogs are healthy. There are, however, a few health issues that you need to be aware of so that you can protect your dog. Your APBT cannot care for herself and will need your help throughout her life to remain healthy.

Internal Parasites On your first visit to the veterinarian with your new dog, the vet should check your APBT for internal parasites, such as intestinal worms and heartworms. Your veterinarian will need a sample of your APBT’s stool to check for roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms, and hookworms, while a blood test is necessary to detect heartworms. No matter how carefully you care for your APBT, she can still become infested with all of these worms except heartworm. Well-caredfor dogs shouldn’t get heartworm, because their owners give them the preventive medication prescribed by their veterinarian.

Intestinal Worms The symptoms of roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms, and hookworms are all similar, and include a rough, dry coat, dull eyes, a generally unsound appearance, weakness, weight loss despite an enormous appetite, coughing, vomiting,

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Vaccines What vaccines dogs need and how often they need them has been a subject of controversy for several years. Researchers, health care professionals, vaccine manufacturers, and dog owners do not always agree on which vaccines each dog needs or how often booster shots must be given. In 2003, the American Animal Hospital Association released vaccination guidelines and recommendations that have helped dog owners and veterinarians sort through much of the controversy and conflicting information. The guidelines designate four vaccines as core, or essential, because of the serious nature of the diseases and their widespread distribution. These are canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus, canine adenovirus-2, and rabies. The general recommendations for their use (except rabies, for which you must follow local laws) are:

• •

Vaccinate puppies at 6–8 weeks, 9–11 weeks, and 12–14 weeks. Give a booster shot when the dog is 1 year old.

diarrhea, and sometimes bloody stools. But don’t wait for symptoms to show up; few dogs have all of the symptoms, and some dogs lose their appetite entirely when infested with worms. Other dogs show no symptoms at all until they become seriously anemic from a heavy infestation. Have your veterinarian check your dog’s stool at least twice a year, then give your dog the prescribed medication exactly as instructed.

Heartworms Heartworms are a different story. They are transmitted from dog to dog by the bite of a mosquito, and eight months or more may go by from the time a dog is bitten until the worms mature. Treatment is dangerous (although less dangerous

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Give a subsequent booster shot every three years, unless there are risk factors that make it necessary to vaccinate more or less often.

Noncore vaccines should only be considered for those dogs who risk exposure to a particular disease because of geographic area, lifestyle, frequency of travel, or other issues. They include vaccines against distemper-measles virus, canine parainfluenza virus, leptospirosis, Bordetella bronchiseptica, and Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease). Vaccines that are not generally recommended because the disease poses little risk to dogs or is easily treatable, or the vaccine has not been proven to be effective, are those against Giardia, canine coronavirus, and canine adenovirus-1. Often, combination injections are given to puppies, with one shot containing several core and noncore vaccines. Your veterinarian may be reluctant to use separate shots that do not include the noncore vaccines, because they must be specially ordered. If you are concerned about these noncore vaccines, talk to your vet.

than the deadly worm itself ), but your dog should not have to undergo treatment, because heartworms are preventable. Puppies can be put on preventive medication at a young age, and from then on should be tested annually. Because the medication may make a dog who is harboring adult heartworms critically ill, adult dogs must test free of the worms before they can begin a preventive regimen. Symptoms of heartworm infestation include a chronic cough, weight loss, and exhaustion, because the worms interfere with the action of the dog’s heart. Prevention is the only defense, and it must be started early and continue throughout the dog’s life.

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Many puppies are born with worms, especially if their mom is an active dog who spends a lot of time outdoors. Treatment by your veterinarian is easy and effective.

External Parasites Fleas, ticks, mites, and lice are all looking for a free lunch and a cozy home, compliments of your APBT. Deer ticks are especially dangerous because they may carry Lyme disease. Symptoms of Lyme disease include fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, and sometime swollen glands in the neck. In areas where the deer tick is prevalent, avoid those wonderful walks in the woods, keep your lawn well trimmed, and take precautions to keep field mice from nesting in your home. Other types of ticks may also be dangerous. Ticks can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tick bites can cause paralysis in dogs. When you visit your veterinarian, ask for preventive suggestions based on your area of the country. Ticks come in a variety of sizes, and in colors ranging from brown to gray to rather blue. They are fairly easy to see on an APBT because of her short coat. Ticks usually bed down on the dog’s head or neck, but may be found anywhere on the body. During tick season (which, depending on where you live, can be spring, summer, and/or fall), examine your dog every day for ticks. Pay particular attention to your dog’s neck, behind the ears, the armpits, and the groin. Ear mites live in the ear canal, irritating your APBT’s sensitive ears and producing a dry, rusty brown to black discharge. See your veterinarian if you suspect ear mites—the condition is easily treatable.

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Chapter 8 Keeping Your APBT Healthy Lice seldom bother APBTs, and when they do they can be quickly destroyed with modern preparations. Fleas, on the other hand, are never easy to get rid of. They often become resistant, or actually adapt to insecticides, so new and updated versions of flea dips, powders, and sprays appear on the market every year (see the box on page 75). Sarcoptic mange is caused by mites. It will make your APBT itch and you will see tiny red bumps and patchy, crusty areas on her body, legs, or stomach. Take her to the veterinarian. The condition is treatable and will respond to topical medication. A different type of mite causes follicular mange. Also called demodectic mange or red mange, this condition may or may not make your APBT itch. Whether it bothers her or not, you will notice small, circular, moth-eaten-like patches, usually on her head and along the back, sides, and neck. Cases involving a young dog with only a few patches might be stress-related. Perhaps your APBT recently spent a few days in a boarding kennel. Some females, for example, get a patch or two of mange when they come into season for the first time. Your veterinarian has medication to clear up this condition, but if your APBT ever gets a generalized case of this mange (covering much of her body), don’t use her (or him!) for breeding, as this susceptibility could be passed on.

How to Get Rid of a Tick If you find a tick on your dog, use a pair of tweezers to grasp it as close as possible to the dog’s skin and pull it out using firm, steady pressure. Check to make sure you get the whole tick (mouth parts left in your dog’s skin can cause an infection), then dab the wound with a little hydrogen peroxide and some antibiotic ointment. Watch for signs of inflammation. Ticks carry very serious diseases that are transmittable to humans, so dispose of the tick safely. Never crush it between your fingers. Don’t flush it down the toilet either, because the tick will survive the trip and infect another animal. Instead, use the tweezers to place the tick in a tight-sealing jar or plastic dish with a little alcohol, put on the lid, and dispose of the container in an outdoor garbage can. Wash the tweezers thoroughly with hot water and alcohol.

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Ticks lurk everywhere in the great outdoors and can harbor very nasty diseases. Make sure you check your dog every day.

Your veterinarian knows which preparations work best in your area, so if your dog or your home is bothered by creepy crawlies, ask for professional help.

Health Problems Your APBT may never encounter any of the following problems, but it’s sensible and safe to be aware of them:

Fleabite Allergic Dermatitis This is an allergic reaction to fleabites. It can occur at any time in your dog’s life— even if she previously had no reaction to flea bites. Symptoms include intense itching and reddened, swollen, hot skin. If your APBT becomes allergic to fleabites, she will continuously scratch, lick, and even bite at the affected area. Prompt veterinary treatment is important to relieve the allergy symptoms and prevent secondary infections in the spots where your APBT opened her skin in an effort to relieve the itch.

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Ringworm In spite of its name, ringworm is a fungal infection, not a worm. Ringworm causes small, round, itchy bald patches, which are often inflamed because the dog cannot help but scratch them. They are easily cured by the fungicide your veterinarian will recommend.

TIP Ringworm, mites, and fleabite allergic dermatitis have similar symptoms, as do several other skin problems your APBT might develop. Since it’s difficult to determine exactly which condition is making your APBT itch, and each one requires a different medication, leave the diagnosis and treatment to your veterinarian.

Clogged Anal Glands If your APBT is scooting along the floor on her haunches, she probably has clogged anal glands. Anal glands are located on each side of the anus, and they secrete a substance that enables your dog to pass her stool. When they become clogged, they are extremely uncomfortable, smell bad, and could get infected. Your veterinarian can quickly unclog the anal glands. Blood or pus in the secretion is a sign of infection, so if either one is present, take your APBT to the veterinarian.

Hip Dysplasia Hip dysplasia is caused by an abnormality of one or both hip joints. If your APBT has a borderline case, it may never be noticeable to her or to you, and the only way you would know is by having her hips X-rayed. In more severe cases, hip dysplasia causes lameness in the hindquarters, ranging in severity from a slightly odd gait to the inability to stand. Hip dysplasia is incurable, but there are several ways to lessen its pain, including surgery in some cases. Your veterinarian will have to X-ray your APBT to determine the best treatment for her.

Only a healthy dog with sound hips can play like this. Make sure your dog’s parents have been checked for hip dysplasia.

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Ruptured Cruciate Ligament The cruciate ligament is in the stifle joint, and its rupture is similar to the knee injury that puts many top athletes on the bench. This is an athletic injury that will cause your APBT to limp noticeably or even refuse to walk on one of her rear legs. Because this injury most often sidelines heavily muscled, extremely active dogs, the APBT’s structure and personality combine to make her a prime candidate. In most cases, a ruptured cruciate ligament must be corrected surgically.

Hypothyroidism The result of a thyroid hormone deficiency, hypothyroidism affects your APBT’s metabolism. Symptoms include reduced activity level and sluggishness—in other words, less playing and more sleeping. Eventually, your APBT will lose interest in family fun and won’t seem as bright or alert as before. Your veterinarian will take a blood test to confirm the problem and determine the proper dosage of a daily thyroid hormone supplement.

Handling Common Problems Loss of Appetite By itself with no other symptoms, a brief lack of interest in food is seldom serious. For example, many dogs need less food during the heat of summer and may occasionally leave some, or even all, of their dinner untouched. If your APBT misses one meal, don’t worry. But if she refuses all food for two days in a row, she should be checked by your veterinarian. Visit your veterinarian right away if loss of appetite is accompanied by other symptoms, such as diarrhea, obvious pain, lack of interest in household activities, fever, or difficulty breathing.

Vomiting If your APBT has no other symptoms of sickness but vomits once or twice, simply keep a close watch on her. She may have eaten some grass or something else that disagreed with her, and after throwing it up, she may be back to normal in no time. A dry, unseasoned cracker, such as a plain Saltine, may help settle her stomach. If your APBT vomits three or more times, lacks interest in household activities, and appears lethargic, or has symptoms such as frequent diarrhea in addition to vomiting, see your veterinarian the same day.

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If the pavement outside is very hot, keep your dog on cooler surfaces.

Diarrhea At the first sign of diarrhea, remove all food from your APBT for twenty-four hours, but make sure she has a constant supply of fresh drinking water. If, after twenty-four hours, your APBT has not passed a stool at all or the stool appears firmer, give her a small portion of cooked rice with a bit of boiled chicken or cooked ground beef (drained of fat) mixed through it. If, after the first twenty-four hours without food, your APBT still has diarrhea, or if you see blood in the stool or she vomits, lacks appetite, or has little interest in household activities, see your veterinarian immediately. Take a stool sample with you. To do so, turn a ziplock bag inside out and pick up a portion of stool. Turn the bag right side out, close it, and take it to your veterinarian while it is still fresh. Do not wait twenty-four hours to take your APBT to the veterinarian if the diarrhea is severe. She needs immediate treatment if the diarrhea is liquid and has a vile odor, or if she has stomach pain or is straining in addition to the diarrhea.

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Mild Lameness If your APBT is lame for no apparent reason (check her pads for cuts or brush burns) and has no other symptoms (that is, she still eats well and interacts with the family), wait a day or two before calling the veterinarian. Dogs get bruises, strains, and sprains just as people do, and often heal quickly. Also, use common sense. Before walking your APBT in the heat of summer, check the temperature of the sidewalk. It may be unbearable. In the winter, dogs often act as if they were lame when snow or ice builds up between their pads.

Coughing Know what is the normal body temperature for your dog, and then call the vet if your APBT’s temperature is higher or lower.

Your dog’s eyes should be bright and clear at all times.

A persistent cough signals the possibility of a respiratory infection and should be treated by your veterinarian.

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Emergency How-To’s Muzzling Even the sweetest, most loving dog may try to bite when she’s in pain. Using a muzzle is the quickest, safest, and most humane way to keep from being bitten when handling an injured dog. 1. Use a piece of soft material such as a nylon stocking, necktie, or strip from a T-shirt, and talk soothingly to your APBT while applying the muzzle. 2. Holding the material with one end in each hand, make a loop and close it with a half-knot. 3. Slip the loop around your APBT’s muzzle and draw it tight with the halfknot on top. 4. Make a second loop around the muzzle, this time tying the half-knot under your APBT’s bottom jaw. 5. Finish the emergency muzzle by bringing the two ends (one on each side) to the top of your APBT’s neck. Then tie the ends of the material together in a tight bow on top of her head, just behind the ears. 6. Check the muzzle to make sure it does not interfere with your dog’s breathing.

Even the calmest, sweetest dog may lash out when she’s in pain. Muzzle your dog if she has been injured, so you can handle her safely.

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When to Call the Veterinarian Go to the vet right away or take your dog to an emergency veterinary clinic if:

• Your dog is choking • Your dog is having trouble breathing • Your dog has been injured and you cannot stop the bleeding within a few minutes

• Your dog has been stung or bitten by an insect and the site is swelling

• Your dog has been bitten by a snake • Your dog has been bitten by another animal (including a dog) and shows any swelling or bleeding Your dog has touched, licked, or in any way been exposed to a poison Your dog has been burned by either heat or caustic chemicals Your dog has been hit by a car Your dog has any obvious broken bones or cannot put any weight on one of her limbs • Your dog has a seizure

• • • •

Make an appointment to see the vet as soon as possible if:

• Your dog has been bitten by a cat, another dog, or a wild animal • Your dog has been injured and is still limping an hour later

Severe Lameness If you suspect that lameness is due to a fracture, take your APBT to your veterinarian immediately. Signs of a broken bone are holding the injured leg up off the ground, pain, swelling, a dangling or severely swollen leg, no use of the hind leg, or the dog’s inability to move the injured leg. To transport your dog, first put a muzzle on her, then move her carefully, trying not to aggravate the injured limb. To do this, place a blanket or other strong piece of material on the ground beside your APBT and gently, by the scruff of the neck, pull her onto the blanket. Two people (one at each end) can lift the blanket to put your APBT in the car for transport to the veterinarian.

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• Your dog has unexplained swelling or redness • Your dog’s appetite changes • Your dog vomits repeatedly and can’t seem to keep food down, or drools excessively while eating

• You see any changes in your dog’s urination or defecation (pain dur• • • • • • • • • •

ing elimination, change in regular habits, blood in urine or stool, diarrhea, foul-smelling stool) Your dog scoots her rear end on the floor Your dog’s energy level, attitude, or behavior changes for no apparent reason Your dog has crusty or cloudy eyes, or excessive tearing or discharge Your dog’s nose is dry or chapped, hot, crusty, or runny Your dog’s ears smell foul, have a dark discharge, or seem excessively waxy Your dog’s gums are inflamed or bleeding, her teeth look brown, or her breath is foul Your dog’s skin is red, flaky, itchy, or inflamed, or she keeps chewing at certain spots Your dog’s coat is dull, dry, brittle, or bare in spots Your dog’s paws are red, swollen, tender, cracked, or the nails are split or too long Your dog is panting excessively, wheezing, unable to catch her breath, breathing heavily, or sounds strange when she breathes

Other causes of lameness that require veterinary attention are a deep cut that may need stitches or a puncture wound. In either case, your APBT must be treated to avoid infection.

Heatstroke If your APBT suffers heatstroke, she must have immediate attention. Sometimes only a cold-water enema applied by a veterinarian (do not do this yourself, though, as it can cause life-threatening shock if not done correctly!) will save her. Symptoms include some, but usually not all, of the following:

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Rapid or heavy breathing with the mouth and tongue a very bright red Thick saliva

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Vomiting Bloody diarrhea Unsteadiness on her feet, and possibly falling A hot, dry nose with legs and ears hot to the touch In extreme cases the dog may be glassy-eyed and her lips may appear gray

When a dog’s rectal temperature is 104 degrees or more, she is in serious trouble. If you suspect heatstroke, immediately take your APBT somewhere cooler and wet her down gradually with cool (not ice cold) water. Give her cool water to drink, but in small amounts, never all at once. Apply cold compresses to her belly and groin area but do not suddenly put your overheated dog into extremely cold water. While cooling your APBT, make preparations to get her to your veterinarian. In very hot weather, even mild exertion can be Be especially cautious if your enough to cause heatstroke. APBT has already suffered a heatstroke and survived. After a dog has one such stroke, she seems to be more prone to getting another.

Snakebite Symptoms of poisoning from a snakebite include swelling, labored breathing, glazed eyes, and drooling. The best first aid you can give while rushing your APBT to your veterinarian is to keep her warm and as calm and inactive as possible.

Shock Shock is a possible result of severe trauma such as loss of blood, poisoning, second- and third-degree burns, serious infection, or dehydration, and is most often seen in accident cases. Best described as a state of collapse, shock can range from mild to life-threatening. A dog in shock has a glassy-eyed appearance; takes quick, shallow breaths; has a rapid, weak pulse; has a low body temperature (is cold to the touch); appears weak (usually lies down); and has pale gums. If you suspect your APBT

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How to Make a Canine First-Aid Kit If your dog hurts herself, even a minor cut, it can be very upsetting for both of you. Having a first-aid kit handy will help you to help her, calmly and efficiently. What should be in your canine first-aid kit?

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Antibiotic ointment Antiseptic and antibacterial cleansing wipes Benadryl Cotton-tipped applicators Disposable razor Elastic wrap bandages Extra leash and collar First-aid tape of various widths Gauze bandage roll Gauze pads of different sizes, including eye pads Hydrogen peroxide Instant cold compress Kaopectate tablets or liquid Latex gloves Lubricating jelly Muzzle Nail clippers Pen, pencil, and paper for notes and directions Pepto-Bismol Round-ended scissors and pointy scissors Safety pins Sterile saline eyewash Thermometer (rectal) Tweezers

is in shock, keep her warm by covering her with a blanket, towel, or jacket, and talk soothingly to keep her as calm as possible. Control any bleeding and take her to the nearest veterinarian immediately.

Choking Signs of choking are saliva dripping, using the front paws to claw at the mouth, trying to vomit, or an open mouth that the dog seems unable to close.

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ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has a staff of licensed veterinarians and board-certified toxicologists available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The number to call is (888) 426-4435. You will be charged a consultation fee of $50 per case, charged to most major credit cards. There is no charge for follow-up calls in critical cases. At your request, they will also contact your veterinarian. Specific treatment and information can be provided via fax. Put the number in large, legible print with your other emergency telephone numbers. Be prepared to give your name, address, and phone number; what your dog has gotten into (the amount and how long ago); your dog’s breed, age, sex, and weight; and what signs and symptoms the dog is showing. You can log onto www.aspca.org and click on “Animal Poison Control Center” for more information, including a list of toxic and nontoxic plants.

Your dog will rely on you to be calm and take decisive action in an emergency.

If your APBT shows one or more of the above signs but is still somewhat able to breathe, take her to the veterinarian right away. If your APBT’s tongue is turning blue and she seems close to passing out, wedge an item, such as one end of a tightly rolled-up newspaper section or magazine, between her upper and lower back teeth on only one side of her mouth. This will keep her mouth open so you can see in. Check the roof of her mouth, the back of her throat, and between her teeth for the item causing the obstruction. Taking care not to be bitten, check the back of your

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An innocent poke in the garden can yield a nasty insect bite or sting. Watch for signs of pain or swelling.

APBT’s tongue by pulling the tongue forward and a few inches out of her mouth. When you discover the object causing the problem, pull it out with your fingers or with long-nosed pliers. As a last resort, if the object is lodged so that you cannot remove it, lift your APBT by the hind legs so her head is dangling toward the floor and shake her hard. This may loosen the object and clear the airway. If your APBT is not breathing after the obstruction is removed, give mouth-to-nose resuscitation (see below).

Mouth-to-Nose Resuscitation If your APBT stops breathing, first check to see if a foreign body is obstructing her airway (see “Choking,” on page 95). To give mouth-to-nose resuscitation: 1. Lie your APBT on her right side. Her head should be back and her mouth must be closed. 2. Using one hand to hold your APBT’s mouth shut, place your mouth over her nose and breathe into it deeply about six times. (If you’re working on a little puppy, use quick, shallow breaths.) 3. Your APBT may begin breathing again after the first six breaths. If she does, keep a careful watch on her for the next several hours.

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4. If your APBT does not resume breathing right away, continue with mouth-to-nose breaths at a speed of about twenty breaths per minute or one breath every three seconds. Continue until your APBT breathes on her own, and then watch her carefully while taking her to the veterinarian. 5. If, after ten minutes, your APBT is not breathing on her own, her gums and tongue are blue, her pupils are dilated, and she doesn’t blink when you touch her open eye, she is probably dead.

Spaying and Neutering for a Happier, Healthier Dog The nicest thing you can do for yourself, your family, and your APBT is to have your dog spayed or neutered. Females spayed before their first season, usually at around 6 months of age, are at much less risk of developing breast cancer than unspayed females. Because spaying removes the female’s reproductive organs, spayed females never suffer cancers or infections of the ovaries or uterus. In addition, they don’t have unwanted pregnancies and won’t bleed all over your rug for several days twice a year. Spaying a female when she is young gives her a healthier life, gives you fewer hassles, and doesn’t add to the pet overpopulation problem. Neutering a male dog before he is a year old could save him the pain of prostate problems, including cancer, when he ages. It will also make him easier to live with. Male hormones make dogs desire every female in season whose scent wafts by on the wind, and some of them break doors, windows, and fences to find the female. Male hormones also make dogs more aggressive toward other dogs, and sometimes contribute to housebreaking problems, as with scent marking (when the male lifts his leg and urinates on objects inside the home to stake out his territory). Sexual frustration (caused by male hormones) is what makes a dog embarrass his owner by mating with the boss’s leg during a dinner party. While neutering won’t immediately cure a frustrated, dog-aggressive, escape artist with a housebreaking problem, it eliminates the production of male hormone and almost always starts him on the road to improvement.

Myths, Lies, and Cartoons It is a myth that spaying or neutering makes a dog fat and lazy. Overfeeding and lack of exercise do that. In fact, spayed and neutered pets are often the best performers in obedience, agility, and other competitive events. Neutered males can

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Why Spay and Neuter? Breeding dogs is a serious undertaking that should only be part of a well-planned breeding program. Why? Because dogs pass on their physical and behavioral problems to their offspring. Even healthy, well-behaved dogs can pass on problems in their genes. Is your dog so sweet that you’d like to have a litter of puppies just like her? If you breed her to another dog, the pups will not have the same genetic heritage she has. Breeding her parents again will increase the odds of a similar pup, but even then, the puppies in the second litter could inherit different genes. In fact, there is no way to breed a dog to be just like another dog. Meanwhile, thousands and thousands of dogs are killed in animal shelters every year simply because they have no homes. Casual breeding is a big contributor to this problem. If you don’t plan to breed your dog, is it still a good idea to spay her or neuter him? Yes! When you spay your female:

• • • •

You avoid her heat cycles, during which she discharges blood and scent. It greatly reduces the risk of mammary cancer and eliminates the risk of pyometra (an often fatal infection of the uterus) and uterine cancer. It prevents unwanted pregnancies. It reduces dominance behaviors and aggression.

When you neuter your male:

• • • •

It curbs the desire to roam and to fight with other males. It greatly reduces the risk of prostate cancer and eliminates the risk of testicular cancer. It helps reduce leg lifting and mounting behavior. It reduces dominance behaviors and aggression.

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Spaying or neutering your dog solves a lot of problems before they start.

consistently keep their mind on their work, and spayed females can compete throughout the year without losing six to eight weeks when in season. Nearly all service dogs (guide dogs for the blind or deaf, and dogs who help the physically handicapped) are spayed or neutered. It is not true that neutered males don’t make good guardians. Not only will they loyally protect their homes and families, but they concentrate on their job better then males who have the scent of a female on their mind. Spayed females are also reliable guardians. Cartoonists and comedians often get laughs by implying that male dogs think like humans and are sad or resentful about being “castrated.” While such skits are funny at the comedy club, the concept is absolutely ridiculous in real

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Chapter 8 Keeping Your APBT Healthy life. Dogs don’t have human feelings about romantic love and sex. Dogs don’t miss the hormones that frustrated them and drove them to get into trouble. In fact, after they are neutered, most dogs become closer to their family, where they really want to be.

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Enjoying Your American Pit Bull Terrier

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Chapter 9

Training Your ABPT by Peggy Moran

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raining makes your best friend better! A properly trained dog has a happier life and a longer life expectancy. He is also more appreciated by the people he encounters each day, both at home and out and about. A trained dog walks nicely and joins his family often, going places untrained dogs cannot go. He is never rude or unruly, and he always happily comes when called. When he meets people for the first time, he greets them by sitting and waiting to be petted, rather than jumping up. At home he doesn’t compete with his human family, and alone he is not destructive or overly anxious. He isn’t continually nagged with words like “no,” since he has learned not to misbehave in the first place. He is never shamed, harshly punished, or treated unkindly, and he is a well-loved, involved member of the family. Sounds good, doesn’t it? If you are willing to invest some time, thought, and patience, the words above could soon be used to describe your dog (though perhaps changing “he” to “she”). Educating your pet in a positive way is fun and easy, and there is no better gift you can give your pet than the guarantee of improved understanding and a great relationship. This chapter will explain how to offer kind leadership, reshape your pet’s behavior in a positive and practical way, and even get a head start on simple obedience training.

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Understanding Builds the Bond Dog training is a learning adventure on both ends of the leash. Before attempting to teach their dog new behaviors or change unwanted ones, thoughtful dog owners take the time to understand why their pets behave the way they do, and how their own behavior can be either a positive or negative influence on their dog.

Canine Nature Loving dogs as much as we do, it’s easy to forget they are a completely different species. Despite sharing our homes and living as appreciated members of our families, dogs do not think or learn exactly the same way people do. Even if you love your dog like a child, you must remember to respect the fact that he is actually a dog. Dogs have no idea when their behavior is inappropriate from a human perspective. They are not aware of the value of possessions they chew or of messes they make or the worry they sometimes seem to cause. While people tend to look at behavior as good and bad or right and wrong, dogs just discover what works and what doesn’t work. Then they behave accordingly, learning from their own experiences and increasing or reducing behaviors to improve results for themselves. You might wonder, “But don’t dogs want to please us”? My answer is yes, provided your pleasure reflects back to them in positive ways they can feel and appreciate. Dogs do things for dog reasons, and everything they do works for them in some way or they wouldn’t be doing it!

The Social Dog Our pets descended from animals who lived in tightly knit, cooperative social groups. Though far removed in appearance and lifestyle from their ancestors, our dogs still relate in many of the same ways their wild relatives did. And in their relationships with one another, wild canids either lead or follow. Canine ranking relationships are not about cruelty and power; they are about achievement and abilities. Competent dogs with high levels of drive and confidence step up, while deferring dogs step aside. But followers don’t get the short end of the stick; they benefit from the security of having a more competent dog at the helm.

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Our domestic dogs still measure themselves against other members of their group—us! Dog owners whose actions lead to positive results have willing, secure followers. But dogs may step up and fill the void or cut loose and do their own thing when their people fail to show capable leadership. When dogs are pushy, aggressive, and rude, or independent and unwilling, it’s not because they have designs on the role of “master.” It is more likely their owners failed to provide consistent leadership. Dogs in training benefit from their handler’s good leadership. Their education flows smoothly because they are impressed. Being in charge doesn’t require you to physically dominate or punish your dog. You simply need to make some subtle changes in the way you relate to him every day.

Lead Your Pack! Create schedules and structure daily activities. Dogs are creatures of habit and routines will create security. Feed meals at the same times each day and also try to schedule regular walks, training practices, and toilet outings. Your predictability will help your dog be patient. Ask your dog to perform a task. Before releasing him to food or freedom, have him do something as simple as sit on command. Teach him that cooperation earns great results! Give a release prompt (such as “let’s go”) when going through doors leading outside. This is a better idea than allowing your impatient pup to rush past you. Pet your dog when he is calm, not when he is excited. Turn your touch into a tool that relaxes and settles. Reward desirable rather than inappropriate behavior. Petting a jumping dog (who hasn’t been invited up) reinforces jumping. Pet sitting dogs, and only invite lap dogs up after they’ve first “asked” by waiting for your invitation. Replace personal punishment with positive reinforcement. Show a dog what to do, and motivate him to want to do it, and there will be no need to punish him for what he should not do. Dogs naturally follow, without the need for force or harshness. Play creatively and appropriately. Your dog will learn the most about his social rank when he is playing with you. During play, dogs work to control toys and try to get the best of one another in a friendly way. The wrong sorts of play can create problems: For example, tug of war can lead to aggressiveness. Allowing your dog to control toys during play may result in possessive guarding when he has something he really values, such as a bone. Dogs who are chased during play may later run away from you when you approach to leash them. The right kinds of play will help increase your dog’s social confidence while you gently assert your leadership.

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How Dogs Learn (and How They Don’t) Dog training begins as a meeting of minds—yours and your dog’s. Though the end goal may be to get your dog’s body to behave in a specific way, training starts as a mind game. Your dog is learning all the time by observing the consequences of his actions and social interactions. He is always seeking out what he perceives as desirable and trying to avoid what he perceives as undesirable. He will naturally repeat a behavior that either brings him more good stuff or makes bad stuff go away (these are both types of reinforcement). He will naturally avoid a behavior that brings him more bad stuff or makes the good stuff go away (these are both types of punishment). Both reinforcement and punishment can be perceived as either the direct result of something the dog did himself, or as coming from an outside source.

Using Life’s Rewards Your best friend is smart and he is also cooperative. When the best things in life can only be had by working with you, your dog will view you as a facilitator. You unlock doors to all of the positively reinforcing experiences he values: his freedom, his friends at the park, food, affection, walks, and play. The trained dog accompanies you through those doors and waits to see what working with you will bring. Rewarding your dog for good behavior is called positive reinforcement, and, as we’ve just seen, it increases the likelihood that he will repeat that behavior. The perfect reward is anything your dog wants that is safe and appropriate. Don’t limit yourself to toys, treats, and things that come directly from you. Harness life’s positives—barking at squirrels, chasing a falling leaf, bounding away from you at the dog park, pausing for a moment to sniff everything—and allow your dog to earn access to those things as rewards that come from cooperating with you. When he looks at you, when he sits, when he comes when you call—any prompted behavior can earn one of life’s rewards. When he works with you, he earns the things he most appreciates; but when he tries to get those things on his own, he cannot. Rather than seeing you as someone who always says “no,” your dog will view you as the one who says “let’s go!” He will want to follow.

What About Punishment? Not only is it unnecessary to personally punish dogs, it is abusive. No matter how convinced you are that your dog “knows right from wrong,” in reality he will associate personal punishment with the punisher. The resulting cowering, “guilty”-looking postures are actually displays of submission and fear. Later,

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Purely Positive Reinforcement With positive training, we emphasize teaching dogs what they should do to earn reinforcements, rather than punishing them for unwanted behaviors.

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Focus on teaching “do” rather than “don’t.” For example, a sitting dog isn’t jumping. Use positive reinforcers that are valuable to your dog and the situation: A tired dog values rest; a confined dog values freedom. Play (appropriately)! Be a consistent leader. Set your dog up for success by anticipating and preventing problems. Notice and reward desirable behavior, and give him lots of attention when he is being good. Train ethically. Use humane methods and equipment that do not frighten or hurt your dog. When you are angry, walk away and plan a positive strategy. Keep practice sessions short and sweet. Five to ten minutes, three to five times a day is best.

when the punisher isn’t around and the coast is clear, the same behavior he was punished for—such as raiding a trash can—might bring a self-delivered, very tasty result. The punished dog hasn’t learned not to misbehave; he has learned to not get caught. Does punishment ever have a place in dog training? Many people will heartily insist it does not. But dog owners often get frustrated as they try to stick to the path of all-positive reinforcement. It sure sounds great, but is it realistic, or even natural, to never say “no” to your dog? A wild dog’s life is not all positive. Hunger and thirst are both examples of negative reinforcement; the resulting discomfort motivates the wild dog to seek food and water. He encounters natural aversives such as pesky insects; mats in

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Chapter 9 Training Your APBT his coat; cold days; rainy days; sweltering hot days; and occasional run-ins with thorns, brambles, skunks, bees, and other nastiness. These all affect his behavior, as he tries to avoid the bad stuff whenever possible. The wild dog also occasionally encounters social punishers from others in his group when he gets too pushy. Starting with a growl or a snap from Mom, and later some mild and ritualized discipline from other members of his four-legged family, he learns to modify behaviors that elicit grouchy responses. Our pet dogs don’t naturally experience all positive results either, because they learn from their surroundings and from social experiences with other dogs. Watch a group of pet dogs playing together and you’ll see a very old educational system still being used. As they wrestle and attempt to assert themselves, you’ll notice many mouth-on-neck moments. Their playful biting is inhibited, with no intention to cause harm, but their message is clear: “Say uncle or this could hurt more!” Observing that punishment does occur in nature, some people may feel compelled to try to be like the big wolf with their pet dogs. Becoming aggressive or heavy-handed with your pet will backfire! Your dog will not be impressed, nor will he want to follow you. Punishment causes dogs to change their behavior to avoid or escape discomfort and threats. Threatened dogs will either become very passive and offer submissive, appeasing postures, attempt to flee, or rise to the occasion and fight back. When people personally punish their dogs in an angry manner, one of these three defensive mechanisms will be triggered. Which one depends on a dog’s genetic temperament as well as his past social experiences. Since we don’t want to make our pets feel the need to avoid or escape us, personal punishment has no place in our training.

Remote Consequences Sometimes, however, all-positive reinforcement is just not enough. That’s because not all reinforcement comes from us. An inappropriate behavior can be self-reinforcing—just doing it makes the dog feel better in some way, whether you are there to say “good boy!” or not. Some examples are eating garbage, pulling the stuffing out of your sofa, barking at passersby, or urinating on the floor. Although you don’t want to personally punish your dog, the occasional deterrent may be called for to help derail these kinds of self-rewarding misbehaviors. In these cases, mild forms of impersonal or remote punishment can be used as part of a correction. The goal isn’t to make your dog feel bad or to “know he has done wrong,” but to help redirect him to alternate behaviors that are more acceptable to you.

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The Problems with Personal Punishment

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Personally punished dogs are not taught appropriate behaviors. Personally punished dogs only stop misbehaving when they are caught or interrupted, but they don’t learn not to misbehave when they are alone. Personally punished dogs become shy, fearful, and distrusting. Personally punished dogs may become defensively aggressive. Personally punished dogs become suppressed and inhibited. Personally punished dogs become stressed, triggering stress-reducing behaviors that their owners interpret as acts of spite, triggering even more punishment. Personally punished dogs have stressed owners. Personally punished dogs may begin to repeat behaviors they have been taught will result in negative, but predictable, attention. Personally punished dogs are more likely to be given away than are positively trained dogs.

You do this by pairing a slightly startling, totally impersonal sound with an equally impersonal and very mild remote consequence. The impersonal sound might be a single shake of an empty plastic pop bottle with pennies in it, held out of your dog’s sight. Or you could use a vocal expression such as “eh!” delivered with you looking away from your misbehaving dog. Pair your chosen sound—the penny bottle or “eh!”—with either a slight tug on his collar or a sneaky spritz on the rump from a water bottle. Do this right as he touches something he should not; bad timing will confuse your dog and undermine your training success.

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Chapter 9 Training Your APBT To keep things under your control and make sure you get the timing right, it’s best to do this as a setup. “Accidentally” drop a shoe on the floor, and then help your dog learn some things are best avoided. As he sniffs the shoe say “eh!” without looking at him and give a slight tug against his collar. This sound will quickly become meaningful as a correction all by itself—sometimes after just one setup—making the tug correction obsolete. The tug lets your dog see that you were right; going for that shoe was a bad idea! Your wise dog will be more likely to heed your warning next time, and probably move closer to you where it’s safe. Be a good friend and pick up the nasty shoe. He’ll be relieved and you’ll look heroic. Later, when he’s home alone and encounters a stray shoe, he’ll want to give it a wide berth. Your negative marking sound will come in handy in the future, when your dog begins to venture down the wrong behavioral path. The goal is not to announce your disapproval or to threaten your dog. You are not telling him to stop or showing how you feel about his behavior. You are sounding a warning to a friend who’s venturing off toward danger—“I wouldn’t if I were you!” Suddenly, there is an abrupt, rather startling, noise! Now is the moment to redirect him and help him earn positive reinforcement. That interrupted behavior will become something he wants to avoid in the future, but he won’t want to avoid you.

Practical Commands for Family Pets Before you begin training your dog, let’s look at some equipment you’ll want to have on hand:

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A buckle collar is fine for most dogs. If your dog pulls very hard, try a head collar, a device similar to a horse halter that helps reduce pulling by turning the dog’s head. Do not use a choke chain (sometimes called a training collar), because they cause physical harm even when used correctly. A six-foot training leash and a twenty-six–foot retractable leash. A few empty plastic soda bottles with about twenty pennies in each one. This will be used to impersonally interrupt misbehaviors before redirecting dogs to more positive activities. A favorite squeaky toy, to motivate, attract attention, and reward your dog during training.

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Baby Steps Allow your young pup to drag a short, lightweight leash attached to a buckle collar for a few supervised moments, several times each day. At first the leash may annoy him and he may jump around a bit trying to get away from it. Distract him with your squeaky toy or a bit of his kibble and he’ll quickly get used to his new “tail.” Begin walking him on the leash by holding the end and following him. As he adapts, you can begin to Lure your dog to take just a few steps with you on assert gentle direct pressure to teach the leash by being inviting and enthusiastic. Make sure you reward him for his efforts. him to follow you. Don’t jerk or yank, or he will become afraid to walk when the leash is on. If he becomes hesitant, squat down facing him and let him figure out that by moving toward you he is safe and secure. If he remains confused or frightened and doesn’t come to you, go to him and help him understand that you provide safe harbor while he’s on the leash. Then back away a few steps and try again to lure him to you. As he learns that you are the “home base,” he’ll want to follow when you walk a few steps, waiting for you to stop, squat down, and make him feel great.

So Attached to You! The next step in training your dog—and this is a very important one—is to begin spending at least an hour or more each day with him on a four- to six-foot leash, held by or tethered to you. This training will increase his attachment to you—literally!—as you sit quietly or walk about, tending to your household business. When you are quiet, he’ll learn it is time to settle; when you are active, he’ll learn to move with you. Tethering also keeps him out of trouble when you are busy but still want his company. It is a great alternative to confining a dog, and can be used instead of crating any time you’re home and need to slow him down a bit. Rotating your dog from supervised freedom to tethered time to some quiet time in the crate or his gated area gives him a diverse and balanced day while he is learning. Two confined or tethered hours is the most you should require of your dog in one stretch, before changing to some supervised freedom, play, or a walk.

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Chapter 9 Training Your APBT The dog in training may, at times, be stressed by all of the changes he is dealing with. Provide a stress outlet, such as a toy to chew on, when he is confined or tethered. He will settle into his quiet time more quickly and completely. Always be sure to provide several rounds of daily play and free time (in a fenced area or on your retractable leash) in addition to plenty of chewing materials.

Dog Talk Dogs don’t speak in words, but they do have a language—body lanTethering your dog is great way to keep him calm guage. They use postures, vocalizaand under control, but still with you. tions, movements, facial gestures, odors, and touch—usually with their mouths—to communicate what they are feeling and thinking. We also “speak” using body language. We have quite an array of postures, movements, and facial gestures that accompany our touch and language as we attempt to communicate with our pets. And our dogs can quickly figure us out! Alone, without associations, words are just noises. But, because we pair them with meaningful body language, our dogs make the connection. Dogs can really learn to understand much of what we say, if what we do at the same time is consistent.

The Positive Marker Start your dog’s education with one of the best tricks in dog training: Pair various positive reinforcers—food, a toy, touch—with a sound such as a click on a clicker (which you can get at the pet supply store) or a spoken word like “good!” or “yes!” This will enable you to later “mark” your dog’s desirable behaviors. It seems too easy: Just say “yes!” and give the dog his toy. (Or use whatever sound and reward you have chosen.) Later, when you make your marking sound right at the instant your dog does the right thing, he will know you are going to be giving him something good for that particular action. And he’ll be eager to repeat the behavior to hear you mark it again!

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Next, you must teach your dog to understand the meaning of cues you’ll be using to ask him to perform specific behaviors. This is easy, too. Does he already do things you might like him to do on command? Of course! He lies down, he sits, he picks things up, he drops them again, he comes to you. All of the behaviors you’d like to control are already part of your dog’s natural repertoire. The trick is getting him to offer those behaviors when you ask for them. And that means you have to teach him to associate a particular behavior on his part with a particular behavior on your part.

Sit Happens Teach your dog an important new rule: From now on, he is only touched and petted when he is either sitting or lying down. You won’t need to ask him to sit; in fact, you should not. Just keeping him tethered near you so there isn’t much to do but stand, be ignored, or settle, and wait until sit happens. He may pester you a bit, but be stoic and unresponsive. Starting now, when you are sitting down, a sitting dog is the only one you see and pay attention to. He will eventually sit, and as he does, attach the word “sit”—but don’t be too excited or he’ll jump right back up. Now mark with your positive sound that promises something good, then reward him with a slow, quiet, settling pet. Training requires consistent reinforcement. Ask others to also wait until your dog is sitting and calm to touch him, and he will associate being petted with being relaxed. Be sure you train your dog to associate everyone’s touch with quiet bonding.

Reinforcing “Sit” as a Command Since your dog now understands one concept of working for a living—sit to earn petting—you can begin to shape and reinforce his desire to sit. Hold toys, treats, his bowl of food, and turn into a statue. But don’t prompt him to sit! Instead, remain frozen and unavailable, looking somewhere out into space, over his head. He will put on a bit of a show, trying to get a response from you, and may offer various behaviors, but only one will push your button—sitting. Wait for him to offer the “right” behavior, and when he does, you unfreeze. Say “sit,” then mark with an excited “good!” and give him the toy or treat with a release command—“OK!” When you notice spontaneous sits occurring, be sure to take advantage of those free opportunities to make your command sequence meaningful and positive. Say “sit” as you observe sit happen—then mark with “good!” and praise, pet, or reward the dog. Soon, every time you look at your dog he’ll be sitting and looking right back at you! Now, after thirty days of purely positive practice, it’s time to give him a test. When he is just walking around doing his own thing, suddenly ask him to sit. He’ll probably do it right away. If he doesn’t, do not repeat your command, or

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Chapter 9 Training Your APBT you’ll just undermine its meaning (“sit” means sit now; the command is not “sit, sit, sit, sit”). Instead, get something he likes and let him know you have it. Wait for him to offer the sit—he will—then say “sit!” and complete your marking and rewarding sequence.

OK “OK” will probably rate as one of your dog’s favorite words. It’s like the word “recess” to schoolchildren. It is the word used to release your dog from a command. You can introduce “OK” during your “sit” practice. When he gets up from a sit, say “OK” to tell him the sitting is finished. Soon that sound will mean “freedom.” Make it even more meaningful and positive. Whenever he spontaneously bounds away, say “OK!” Squeak a toy, and when he notices and shows interest, toss it for him.

Down I’ve mentioned that you should only pet your dog when he is either sitting or lying down. Now, using the approach I’ve just introduced for “sit,” teach your dog to lie down. You will be a statue, and hold something he would like to get but that you’ll only release to a dog who is lying down. It helps to lower the desired item to the floor in front of him, still not speaking and not letting him have it until he offers you the new behavior you are seeking.

Lower your dog’s reward to the floor to help him figure out what behavior will earn him his reward.

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He may offer a sit and then wait expectantly, but you must make him keep searching for the new trick that triggers your generosity. Allow your dog to experiment and find the right answer, even if he has to search around for it first. When he lands on “down” and learns it is another behavior that works, he’ll offer it more quickly the next time. Don’t say “down” until he lies down, to tightly associate your prompt with the correct behavior. To say “down, down, down” as he is sitting, looking at you, or pawing at the toy would make “down” mean those behaviors instead! Whichever behavior he offers, a training opportunity has been created. Once you’ve attached and shaped both sitting and lying down, you can ask for both behaviors with your verbal prompts, “sit” or “down.” Be sure to only reinforce the “correct” reply!

Stay “Stay” can easily be taught as an extension of what you’ve already been practicing. To teach “stay,” you follow the entire sequence for reinforcing a “sit” or “down,” except you wait a bit longer before you give the release word, “OK!” Wait a second or two longer during each practice before saying “OK!” and releasing your dog to the positive reinforcer (toy, treat, or one of life’s other rewards).

You can step on the leash to help your dog understand the down-stay, but only do this when he is already lying down. You don’t want to hurt him!

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Chapter 9 Training Your APBT If he gets up before you’ve said “OK,” you have two choices: pretend the release was your idea and quickly interject “OK!” as he breaks; or, if he is more experienced and practiced, mark the behavior with your correction sound— “eh!”—and then gently put him back on the spot, wait for him to lie down, and begin again. Be sure the next three practices are a success. Ask him to wait for just a second, and release him before he can be wrong. You need to keep your dog feeling like more of a success than a failure as you begin to test his training in increasingly more distracting and difficult situations. As he gets the hang of it—he stays until you say “OK”—you can gradually push for longer times—up to a minute on a sit-stay, and up to three minutes on a down-stay. You can also gradually add distractions and work in new environments. To add a minor self-correction for the down-stay, stand on the dog’s leash after he lies down, allowing about three inches of slack. If he tries to get up before you’ve said “OK,” he’ll discover it doesn’t work. Do not step on the leash to make your dog lie down! This could badly hurt his neck, and will destroy his trust in you. Remember, we are teaching our dogs to make the best choices, not inflicting our answers upon them!

Come Rather than thinking of “come” as an action—“come to me”—think of it as a place—“the dog is sitting in front of me, facing me.” Since your dog by now really likes sitting to earn your touch and other positive reinforcement, he’s likely to sometimes sit directly in front of you, facing you, all on his own. When this happens, give it a specific name: “come.” Now follow the rest of the training steps you have learned to make him like doing it and reinforce the behavior by practicing it any chance you get. Anything your dog wants and likes could be earned as a result of his first offering the sit-in-front known as “come.” You can help guide him into the right location. Use your hands as “landing gear” and pat the insides of your legs at his nose level. Do this while backing up a bit, to help him maneuver to the straight-in-front, Pat the insides of your legs to show your dog exactly where you like him to sit when you say “come.” facing-you position. Don’t say the

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word “come” while he’s maneuvering, because he hasn’t! You are trying to make “come” the end result, not the work in progress. You can also help your dog by marking his movement in the right direction: Use your positive sound or word to promise he is getting warm. When he finally sits facing you, enthusiastically say “come,” mark again with your positive word, and release him with an enthusiastic “OK!” Make it so worth his while, with lots of play and praise, that he can’t wait for you to ask him to come again!

Building a Better Recall Practice, practice, practice. Now, practice some more. Teach your dog that all good things in life hinge upon him first sitting in front of you in a behavior named “come.” When you think he really has got it, test him by asking him to “come” as you gradually add distractions and change locations. Expect setbacks as you make these changes and practice accordingly. Lower your expectations and make his task easier so he is able to get it right. Use those distractions as rewards, when they are appropriate. For example, let him check out the interesting leaf that blew by as a reward for first coming to you and ignoring it. Add distance and call your dog to come while he is on his retractable leash. If he refuses and sits looking at you blankly, do not jerk, tug, “pop,” or reel him in. Do nothing! It is his move; wait to see what behavior he offers. He’ll either begin to approach (mark the behavior with an excited “good!”), sit and do nothing (just keep waiting), or he’ll try to move in some direction other than toward you. If he tries to leave, use your correction marker—“eh!”—and bring him to a stop by letting him walk to the end of the leash, not by jerking him. Now walk to him in a neutral manner, and don’t jerk or show any disapproval. Gently bring him back to the spot where he was when you called him, then back away and face him, still waiting and not reissuing your command. Let him keep examining his options until he finds the one that works—yours! If you have practiced everything I’ve suggested so far and given your dog a chance to really learn what “come” means, he is well aware of what you want and is quite intelligently weighing all his options. The only way he’ll know your way is the one that works is to be allowed to examine his other choices and discover that they don’t work. Sooner or later every dog tests his training. Don’t be offended or angry when your dog tests you. No matter how positive you’ve made it, he won’t always want to do everything you ask, every time. When he explores the “what happens if I don’t” scenario, your training is being strengthened. He will discover through his own process of trial and error that the best—and only—way out of a command he really doesn’t feel compelled to obey is to obey it.

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Let’s Go Many pet owners wonder if they can retain control while walking their dogs and still allow at least some running in front, sniffing, and playing. You might worry that allowing your dog occasional freedom could result in him expecting it all the time, leading to a testy, leash-straining walk. It’s possible for both parties on the leash to have an enjoyable experience by implementing and reinforcing wellthought-out training techniques. Begin by making word associations you’ll use on your walks. Give the dog some slack on the leash, and as he starts to walk away from you say “OK” and begin to follow him. Do not let him drag you; set the pace even when he is being given a turn at being the leader. Whenever he starts to pull, just come to a standstill and refuse to move (or refuse to allow him to continue forward) until there is slack in the leash. Do this correction without saying anything at all. When he isn’t pulling, you may decide to just stand still and let him sniff about within the range the slack leash allows, or you may even mosey along following him. After a few minutes of “recess,” it is time to work. Say something like “that’s it” or “time’s up,” close the distance between you and your dog, and touch him. Next say “let’s go” (or whatever command you want to use to mean “follow me as we walk”). Turn and walk off, and, if he follows, mark his behavior with “good!” Then stop,

Give your dog slack on his leash as you walk and let him make the decision to walk with you.

When your dog catches up with you, make sure you let him know what a great dog he is!

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squat down, and let him catch you. Make him glad he did! Start again, and do a few transitions as he gets the hang of your follow-the-leader game, speeding up, slowing down, and trying to make it fun. When you stop, he gets to catch up and receive some deserved positive reinforcement. Don’t forget that’s the reason he is following you, so be sure to make it worth his while! Require him to remain attentive to you. Do not allow sniffing, playing, eliminating, or pulling during your time as leader on a walk. If he seems to get distracted—which, by the way, is the main reason dogs walk poorly with their people— change direction or pace without saying a word. Just help him realize “oops, I lost track of my human.” Intersperse periods of attentive walking, where your Do not jerk his neck and say dog is on a shorter leash, with periods on a slack “heel”—this will make the word leash, where he is allowed to look and sniff around. “heel” mean pain in the neck and will not encourage him to cooperate with you. Don’t repeat “let’s go,” either. He needs to figure out that it is his job to keep track of and follow you if he wants to earn the positive benefits you provide. The best reward you can give a dog for performing an attentive, controlled walk is a few minutes of walking without all of the controls. Of course, he must remain on a leash even during the “recess” parts of the walk, but allowing him to discriminate between attentive following—“let’s go”—and having a few moments of relaxation—“OK”—will increase his willingness to work.

Training for Attention Your dog pretty much has a one-track mind. Once he is focused on something, everything else is excluded. This can be great, for instance, when he’s focusing on you! But it can also be dangerous if, for example, his attention is riveted on the bunny he is chasing and he does not hear you call—that is, not unless he has been trained to pay attention when you say his name.

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When you say your dog’s name, you’ll want him to make eye contact with you. Begin teaching this by making yourself so intriguing that he can’t help but look.

When you call your dog’s name, you will again be seeking a specific response—eye contact. The best way to teach this is to trigger his alerting response by making a noise with your mouth, such as whistling or a kissing sound, and then immediately doing something he’ll find very intriguing. You can play a treasure hunt game to help teach him to regard his name as a request for attention. As a bonus, you can reinforce the rest of his new vocabulary at the same time.

Treasure Hunt Make a kissing sound, then jump up and find a dog toy or dramatically raid the fridge and rather noisily eat a piece of cheese. After doing this twice, make a kissing sound and then look at your dog. Of course he is looking at you! He is waiting to see if that sound—the kissing sound—means you’re going to go hunting again. After all, you’re so good at it! Because he is looking, say his name, mark his behavior with “good,” then go hunting and find his toy. Release it to him with an “OK.” At any point if he follows you, attach your “let’s go!” command; if he leaves you, give permission with “OK.”

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Using this approach, he cannot be wrong—any behavior your dog offers can be named. You can add things like “take it” when he picks up a toy, and “thank you” when he happens to drop one. Many opportunities to make your new vocabulary meaningful and positive can be found within this simple training game. Problems to watch out for when teaching the treasure hunt:

• • •

You really do not want your dog to come to you when you call his name (later, when you try to engage his attention to ask him to stay, he’ll already be on his way toward you). You just want him to look at you. Saying “watch me, watch me” doesn’t teach your dog to offer his attention. It just makes you a background noise. Don’t lure your dog’s attention with the reward. Get his attention and then reward him for looking. Try holding a toy in one hand with your arm stretched out to your side. Wait until he looks at you rather than the toy. Now say his name, then mark his behavior with “good!” and release the toy. As he goes for it, say “OK.”

To get your dog’s attention, try holding his toy with your arm out to your side. Wait until he looks at you, then mark the moment and give him the toy.

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Teaching Cooperation Never punish your dog for failing to obey you or try to punish him into compliance. Bribing, repeating yourself, and doing a behavior for him all avoid the real issue of dog training—his will. He must be helped to be willing, not made to achieve tasks. Good dog training helps your dog want to obey. He learns that he can gain what he values most through cooperation and compliance, and can’t gain those things any other way. Your dog is learning to earn, rather than expect, the good things in life. And you’ve become much more important to him than you were before. Because you are allowing him to experiment and learn, he doesn’t have to be forced, manipulated, or bribed. When he wants something, he can gain it by cooperating with you. One of those “somethings”—and a great reward you shouldn’t underestimate—is your positive attention, paid to him with love and sincere approval!

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Housetraining Your APBT Excerpted from Housetraining: An Owner’s Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet, 1st Edition, by September Morn

B

y the time puppies are about 3 weeks old, they start to follow their mother around. When they are a few steps away from their clean sleeping area, the mama dog stops. The pups try to nurse but mom won’t allow it. The pups mill around in frustration, then nature calls and they all urinate and defecate here, away from their bed. The mother dog returns to the nest, with her brood waddling behind her. Their first housetraining lesson has been a success. The next one to housetrain puppies should be their breeder. The breeder watches as the puppies eliminate, then deftly removes the soiled papers and replaces them with clean papers before the pups can traipse back through their messes. He has wisely arranged the puppies’ space so their bed, food, and drinking water are as far away from the elimination area as possible. This way, when the pups follow their mama, they will move away from their sleeping and eating area before eliminating. This habit will help the pups be easily housetrained.

Your Housetraining Shopping List While your puppy’s mother and breeder are getting her started on good housetraining habits, you’ll need to do some shopping. If you have all the essentials in place before your dog arrives, it will be easier to help her learn the rules from day one.

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Newspaper: The younger your puppy and larger her breed, the more newspapers you’ll need. Newspaper is absorbent, abundant, cheap, and convenient. Puddle Pads: If you prefer not to stockpile newspaper, a commercial alternative is puddle pads. These thick paper pads can be purchased under several trade names at pet supply stores. The pads have waterproof backing, so puppy urine doesn’t seep through onto the floor. Their disadvantages are that they will cost you more than newspapers and that they contain plastics that are not biodegradable. Poop Removal Tool: There are several types of poop removal tools available. Some are designed with a separate pan and rake, and others have the handles hinged like scissors. Some scoops need two hands for operation, while others are designed for one-handed use. Try out the different brands at your pet supply store. Put a handful of pebbles or dog kibble on the floor and then pick them up with each type of scoop to determine which works best for you. Plastic Bags: When you take your dog outside your yard, you must pick up after her. Dog waste is unsightly, smelly, and can harbor disease. In many cities and towns, the law mandates dog owners clean up pet waste deposited on public ground. Picking up after your dog using a plastic bag scoop is simple. Just put your hand inside the bag, like a mitten, and then grab the droppings. Turn the bag inside out, tie the top, and that’s that. Crate: To housetrain a puppy, you will need some way to confine her when you’re unable to supervise. A dog crate is a secure way to confine your dog for short periods during the day and to use as a comfortable bed at night. Crates come in wire mesh and in plastic. The wire ones are foldable to store flat in a smaller space. The plastic ones are more cozy, draftfree, and quiet, and are approved for airline travel. Baby Gates: Since you shouldn’t crate a dog for more than an hour or two at a time during the day, baby gates are a good way to limit your dog’s freedom in the house. Be sure the baby gates you use are safe. The old-fashioned wooden, expanding lattice type has seriously injured a number of children by collapsing and trapping a leg, arm, or neck. That type of gate can hurt a puppy, too, so use the modern grid-type gates instead. You’ll need more than one baby gate if you have several doorways to close off. Exercise Pen: Portable exercise pens are great when you have a young pup or a small dog. These metal or plastic pens are made of rectangular panels

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Remember that puppies are babies and cannot control their physical functions. Don’t expect your young dog to have the control of an adult.

that are hinged together. The pens are freestanding, sturdy, foldable, and can be carried like a suitcase. You could set one up in your kitchen as the pup’s daytime corral, and then take it outdoors to contain your pup while you garden or just sit and enjoy the day. Enzymatic Cleaner: All dogs make housetraining mistakes. Accept this and be ready for it by buying an enzymatic cleaner made especially for pet accidents. Dogs like to eliminate where they have done it before, and lingering smells lead them to those spots. Ordinary household cleaners may remove all the odors you can smell, but only an enzymatic cleaner will remove everything your dog can smell.

The First Day Housetraining is a matter of establishing good habits in your dog. That means you never want her to learn anything she will eventually have to unlearn. Start off housetraining on the right foot by teaching your dog that you prefer her to eliminate outside. Designate a potty area in your backyard (if you have one) or in the street in front of your home and take your dog to it as soon as you arrive

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home. Let her sniff a bit and, when she squats to go, give the action a name: “potty” or “do it” or anything else you won’t be embarrassed to say in public. Eventually your dog will associate that word with the act and will eliminate on command. When she’s finished, praise her with “good potty!” That first day, take your puppy out to the potty area frequently. Although she may not eliminate every time, you are establishing a routine: You take her to her spot, ask her to eliminate, and praise her when she does. Just before bedtime, take your dog to her potty area once more. Stand by and wait until she produces. Do not put your dog to bed for the night until she has eliminated. Be patient and calm. This is not the time to play with or excite your dog. If she’s too excited, a pup not only won’t eliminate, she probably won’t want to sleep either. Most dogs, even young ones, will not soil their beds if they can avoid it. For this reason, a sleeping crate can be a tremendous help during housetraining. Being crated at night can help a dog develop the muscles that control elimination. So after your dog has emptied out, put her to bed in her crate. A good place to put your dog’s sleeping crate is near your own bed. Dogs are pack animals, so they feel safer sleeping with others in a common area. In your bedroom, the pup will be near you and you’ll be close enough to hear when she wakes during the night and needs to eliminate. Pups under 4 months old often are not able to hold their urine all night. If your puppy has settled down to sleep but awakens and fusses a few hours later, she probably needs to go out. For the best housetraining progress, take your pup to her elimination area whenever she needs to go, even in the wee hours of the morning.

Don’t Overuse the Crate A crate serves well as a dog’s overnight bed, but you should not leave the dog in her crate for more than an hour or two during the day. Throughout the day, she needs to play and exercise. She is likely to want to drink some water and will undoubtedly eliminate. Confining your dog all day will give her no option but to soil her crate. This is not just unpleasant for you and the dog, but it reinforces bad cleanliness habits. And crating a pup for the whole day is abusive. Don’t do it.

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Your pup may soil in her crate if you ignore her late night urgency. It’s unfair to let this happen, and it sends the wrong message about your expectations for cleanliness. Resign yourself to this midnight outing and just get up and take the pup out. Your pup will outgrow this need soon and will learn in the process that she can count on you, and you’ll wake happily each morning to a clean dog. The next morning, the very first order of business is to take your pup out to eliminate. Don’t forget to take her to her special potty spot, ask her to eliminate, and then praise her when she does. After your pup empties out in the morning, give her breakfast, and then take her to her potty area again. After that, she shouldn’t need to eliminate again right away, so you can allow her some free playtime. Keep an eye on the pup though, because when she pauses in play she may need to go potty. Take her to the right spot, give the command, and praise if she produces.

Confine Your Pup A pup or a dog who has not finished housetraining should never be allowed the run of the house unattended. A new dog (especially a puppy) with unlimited access to your house will make her own choices about where to eliminate. Vigilance during your new dog’s first few weeks in your home will pay big dividends. Every potty mistake delays housetraining progress; every success speeds it along. Prevent problems by setting up a WAT E R controlled environment for your Make sure your dog has access to new pet. A good place for a puppy clean water at all times. Limiting the corral is often the kitchen. Kitchens amount of water a dog drinks is not almost always have waterproof or necessary for housetraining success easily cleaned floors, which is a disand can be very dangerous. A dog tinct asset with leaky pups. A bathneeds water to digest food, to room, laundry room, or enclosed maintain a proper body temperaporch could be used for a puppy corture and proper blood volume, and ral, but the kitchen is generally the to clean her system of toxins and best location. Kitchens are a meeting wastes. A healthy dog will automatiplace and a hub of activity for many cally drink the right amount. Do not restrict water intake. Controlling families, and a puppy will learn betyour dog’s access to water is not the ter manners when she is socialized key to housetraining her; controlling thoroughly with family, friends, and her access to everything else in your nice strangers. home is. The way you structure your pup’s corral area is very important. Her

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Confining your dog when you’re not around to supervise will help prevent accidents.

bed, food, and water should be at the opposite end of the corral from the potty area. When you first get your pup, spread newspaper over the rest of the floor of her playpen corral. Lay the papers at least four pages thick and be sure to overlap the edges. As you note the pup’s progress, you can remove the papers nearest the sleeping and eating corner. Gradually decrease the size of the papered area until only the end where you want the pup to eliminate is covered. If you will be training your dog to eliminate outside, place newspaper at the end of the corral that is closest to the door that leads outdoors. That way as she moves away from the clean area to the papered area, the pup will also form the habit of heading toward the door to go out. Maintain a scent marker for the pup’s potty area by reserving a small soiled piece of paper when you clean up. Place this piece, with her scent of urine, under the top sheet of the clean papers you spread. This will cue your pup where to eliminate. Most dog owners use a combination of indoor papers and outdoor elimination areas. When the pup is left by herself in the corral, she can potty on the ever-present newspaper. When you are available to take the pup outside, she can do her business in the outdoor spot. It is not difficult to switch a pup from indoor paper training to outdoor elimination. Owners of large pups often switch early, but potty papers are still useful if the pup spends time in her indoor corral while you’re away. Use the papers as long as your pup needs them. If you come home and they haven’t been soiled, you are ahead.

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When setting up your pup’s outdoor eliminating area, put your lounging area as far away as possible from the potty area, just as with the indoor corral setup. People with large yards, for example, might leave a patch unmowed at the edge of the lawn to serve as the dog’s elimination area. Other dog owners teach the dog to relieve herself in a designated corner of a deck or a patio. For an apartment-dwelling city dog, the outdoor potty area might be a tiny balcony or the curb. Each dog owner has somewhat different expectations for their dog. Teach your dog to eliminate in a spot that suits your environment and lifestyle. Be sure to pick up droppings in your yard at least once a day. Dogs You’ll want to establish a potty spot in the yard have a natural desire to stay far away that’s far from the areas you use for lounging and recreation. from their own excrement, and if too many piles litter the ground, your dog won’t want to walk through it and will start eliminating elsewhere. Leave just one small piece of feces in the potty area to remind your dog where the right spot is located. To help a pup adapt to the change from indoors to outdoors, take one of her potty papers outside to the new elimination area. Let the pup stand on the paper when she goes potty outdoors. Each day for four days, reduce the size of the paper by half. By the fifth day, the pup, having used a smaller and smaller piece of paper to stand on, will probably just go to that spot and eliminate. Take your pup to her outdoor potty place frequently throughout the day. A puppy can hold her urine for only about as many hours as her age in months, and will move her bowels as many times a day as she eats. So a 2-month-old pup will urinate about every two hours, while at 4 months she can manage about four hours between piddles. Pups vary somewhat in their rate of development, so this is not a hard and fast rule. It does, however, present a realistic idea of how long a pup can be left without access to a potty place. Past 4 months, her potty trips will be less frequent. When you take the dog outdoors to her spot, keep her leashed so that she won’t wander away. Stand quietly and let her sniff around in the designated area.

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If your pup starts to leave before she has eliminated, gently lead her back and remind her to go. If your pup sniffs at the spot, praise her calmly, say the command word, and just wait. If she produces, praise serenely, then give her time to sniff around a little more. She may not be finished, so give her time to go again before allowing her to play and explore her new home. If you find yourself waiting more than five minutes for your dog to potty, take her back inside. Watch your pup carefully for twenty minutes, not giving her any opportunity to slip away to eliminate unnoticed. If you are too busy to watch the pup, put her in her crate. After twenty minutes, take her to the outdoor potty spot again and tell her what to do. If you’re unsuccessful after five minutes, crate the dog again. Give her another chance to eliminate in fifteen or twenty minutes. Eventually, she will have to go.

Watch Your Pup Be vigilant and don’t let the pup make a mistake in the house. Each time you successfully anticipate elimination and take your pup to the potty spot, you’ll move a step closer to your goal. Stay aware of your puppy’s needs. If you ignore the pup, she will make mistakes and you’ll be cleaning up more messes. Keep a chart of your new dog’s elimination behavior for the first three or four days. Jot down what times she eats, sleeps, and eliminates. After several days a pattern will emerge that can help you determine your pup’s body rhythms. Most dogs tend to eliminate at fairly regular intervals. Once you know your new dog’s natural rhythms, you’ll be able to anticipate her needs and schedule appropriate potty outings. Understanding the meanings of your dog’s postures can also help you win the battle of the puddle. When your dog is getting ready to eliminate, she will display a specific set of If you see your dog sniffing and starting to squat in the house, whisk her outside so you can praise her postures. The sooner you can learn to for doing the right thing, rather than scolding her read these signals, the cleaner your for getting it wrong. floor will stay.

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A young puppy who feels the urge to eliminate may start to sniff the ground and walk in a circle. If the pup is very young, she may simply squat and go. All young puppies, male or female, squat to urinate. If you are housetraining a pup under 4 months of age, regardless of sex, watch for the beginnings of a squat as the signal to rush the pup to the potty area. When a puppy is getting ready to defecate, she may run urgently back and forth or turn in a circle while sniffing or starting to squat. If defecation is imminent, the pup’s anus may protrude or open slightly. When she starts to go, the pup will squat and hunch her back, her tail sticking straight out behind. There is no mistaking this posture; nothing else looks like this. If your pup takes this position, take her to her potty area. Hurry! You may have to carry her to get there in time. A young puppy won’t have much time between feeling the urge and actually eliminating, so you’ll have to be quick to note her postural clues and intercept your pup in time. Pups from 3 to 6 months have a few seconds more between the urge and the act than younger ones do. The older your pup, the more time you’ll have to get her to the potty area after she begins the posture signals that alert you to her need.

Accidents Happen If you see your pup about to eliminate somewhere other than the designated area, interrupt her immediately. Say “wait, wait, wait!” or clap your hands loudly to startle her into stopping. Carry the pup, if she’s still small enough, or take her collar and lead her to the correct area. Once your dog is in the potty area, give her the command to eliminate. Use a friendly voice for the command, then wait patiently for her to produce. The pup may be tense because you’ve just startled her and may have to relax a bit before she’s able to eliminate. When she does her job, include the command word in the praise you give (“good potty”). The old-fashioned way of housetraining involved punishing a dog’s mistakes even before she knew what she was supposed to do. Puppies were punished for breaking rules they didn’t understand about functions they couldn’t control. This was not fair. While your dog is new to housetraining, there is no need or excuse for punishing her mistakes. Your job is to take the dog to the potty area just before she needs to go, especially with pups under 3 months old. If you aren’t watching your pup closely enough and she has an accident, don’t punish the puppy for your failure to anticipate her needs. It’s not the pup’s fault; it’s yours. In any case, punishment is not an effective tool for housetraining most dogs. Many will react to punishment by hiding puddles and feces where you won’t find them right away (like behind the couch or under the desk). This eventually may lead to punishment after the fact, which leads to more hiding, and so on.

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Frequent potty breaks, at home and on the road, will help prevent accidents.

Instead of punishing for mistakes, stay a step ahead of potty accidents by learning to anticipate your pup’s needs. Accompany your dog to the designated potty area when she needs to go. Tell her what you want her to do and praise her when she goes. This will work wonders. Punishment won’t be necessary if you are a good teacher. What happens if you come upon a mess after the fact? Some trainers say a dog can’t remember having eliminated, even a few moments after she has done so. This is not true. The fact is that urine and feces carry a dog’s unique scent, which she (and every other dog) can instantly recognize. So, if you happen upon a potty mistake after the fact you can still use it to teach your dog. But remember, no punishment! Spanking, hitting, shaking, or scaring a puppy for having a housetraining accident is confusing and counterproductive. Spend your energy instead on positive forms of teaching. Take your pup and a paper towel to the mess. Point to the urine or feces and calmly tell your puppy, “no potty here.” Then scoop or sop up the accident with the paper towel. Take the evidence and the pup to the approved potty area. Drop the mess on the ground and tell the dog, “good potty here,” as if she had done the deed in the right place. If your pup sniffs at the evidence, praise her calmly. If the accident happened very recently, your dog may not have to go yet, but wait with her a few minutes anyway. If she eliminates, praise her. Afterwards, go finish cleaning up the mess.

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Soon the puppy will understand that there is a place where you are pleased about elimination and other places where you are not. Praising for elimination in the approved place will help your pup remember the rules.

Scheduling Basics With a new puppy in the home, don’t be surprised if your rising time is suddenly a little earlier than you’ve been accustomed to. Puppies have earned a reputation as very early risers. When your pup wakes you at the crack of dawn, you will have to get up and take her to her elimination spot. Be patient. When your dog is an adult, she may enjoy sleeping in as much as you do. At the end of the chapter, you’ll find a typical housetraining schedule for puppies aged 10 weeks to 6 months. (To find schedules for younger and older pups, and for adult dogs, visit this book’s companion web site.) It’s fine to adjust the rising times when using this schedule, but you should not adjust the intervals between feedings and potty outings unless your pup’s behavior justifies a change. Your puppy can only meet your expectations in housetraining if you help her learn the rules. The schedule for puppies is devised with the assumption that someone will be home most of the time with the pup. That would be the best scenario, of course, but is not Establish a regular schedule of feeding, playtime, always possible. You may be able to nap time, and walks, and your dog will soon be ease the problems of a latchkey pup housetrained. by having a neighbor or friend look in on the pup at noon and take her to eliminate. A better solution might be hiring a pet sitter to drop by midday. A professional pet sitter will be knowledgeable about companion animals and can give your pup high-quality care and socialization. Some can even help train your pup in both potty manners and basic obedience. Ask your veterinarian and your dog-owning friends to recommend a good pet sitter. If you must leave your pup alone during her early housetraining period, be sure to cover the entire floor of her corral with thick layers of overlapping newspaper. If

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you come home to messes in the puppy corral, just clean them up. Be patient— she’s still a baby. Use this schedule (and the ones on the companion web site) as a basic plan to help prevent housetraining accidents. Meanwhile, use your own powers of observation to discover how to best modify the basic schedule to fit your dog’s unique needs. Each dog is an individual and will have her own rhythms, and each dog is reliable at a different age.

Schedule for Pups 10 Weeks to 6 Months 7:00 a.m. 7:15 7:30 7:45 8:00 9:00 9:15 10:00 10:15 11:30 11:45 12:00 p.m. 12:15 1:00 1:15 3:30

Get up and take the puppy from her sleeping crate to her potty spot. Clean up last night’s messes, if any. Food and fresh water. Pick up the food bowl. Take the pup to her potty spot; wait and praise. The pup plays around your feet while you have your breakfast. Potty break (younger pups may not be able to wait this long). Play and obedience practice. Potty break. The puppy is in her corral with safe toys to chew and play with. Potty break (younger pups may not be able to wait this long). Food and fresh water. Pick up the food bowl and take the pup to her potty spot. The puppy is in her corral with safe toys to chew and play with. Potty break (younger pups may not be able to wait this long). Put the pup on a leash and take her around the house with you. Potty break (younger pups may not be able to wait this long). continues

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Schedule for Pups 10 Weeks to 6 Months (continued) 3:45 4:45 5:00 5:15 5:30 7:00 7:15 9:15 10:45 11:00

Put the pup in her corral with safe toys and chews for solitary play and/or a nap. Potty break. Food and fresh water. Potty break. The pup may play nearby (either leashed or in her corral) while you prepare your evening meal. Potty break. Leashed or closely watched, the pup may play and socialize with family and visitors. Potty break (younger pups may not be able to wait this long). Last chance to potty. Put the pup to bed in her crate for the night.

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Appendix

Learning More About Your APBT Some Good Books Coile, Caroline, Pit Bulls for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, 2001. O’Neil, Jacqueline, The Ultimate American Pit Bull Terrier, Howell Book House, 1995. Stratton, Richard F., The Truth About the American Pit Bull Terrier, TFH Publications, 1991.

About Health Care Arden, Darlene, The Angell Memorial Animal Hospital Book of Wellness and Preventive Care for Dogs, Contemporary Books, 2003. Messonnier, Shawn, DVM, 8 Weeks to a Healthy Dog, Rodale, 2003. Shojai, Amy, Complete Care for Your Aging Dog, New American Library, 2003.

About Training McCullough, Susan, Housetraining for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, 2002. Palika, Liz, All Dogs Need Some Training, Howell Book House, 1997. Palika, Liz, The KISS Guide to Raising a Puppy, Dorling Kindersley, 2002. Smith, Cheryl, The Rosetta Bone, Howell Book House, 2004.

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Appendix

Dog Sports and Activities Davis, Kathy Diamond, Therapy Dogs, Howell Book House, 1992. Palika, Liz, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Trick Training, Alpha Books, 2005. Volhard, Jack, and Wendy, The Canine Good Citizen: Every Dog Can Be One, Howell Book House, 1994.

Magazines The American Pit Bull Terrier Gazette P.O. Box 1771 Salt Lake City, UT 84110 members.aol.com/bstofshw/magapp.html Bloodlines United Kennel Club 100 E. Kilgore Rd. Kalamazoo, MI 49002-5584 (269) 343-9020 www.ukcdogs.com Dog Fancy P.O. Box 37185 Boone, IA 50037-0185 (800) 896-4939 www.dogfancy.com DogWorld P.O. Box 37186 Boone, IA 50037-0186 (800) 896-4939 www.dogworldmag.com Full Bully 1910 4th Ave E #88 Olympia, WA 98506 www.fullbully.com

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Appendix

On the Internet The American Pit Bull Terrier FAQ, www.nyx.net/~mbur/apbtfaqcov.html American Pit Bull Terrier Network, www.apbtconformation.com Breed-specific legislation, www.pbrc.net/breedspecific.html Defense of the American Pit Bull Terrier, www.dapbt.org Dog Patch dog sports and activities, www.dogpatch.org Dog Play dog sports and activities, www.dog-play.com International Weight Pull Association, www.iwpa.net The Real Pit Bull, www.realpitbull.com Weight pull information, www.apbtconformation.com/weight_pulling.htm Working Pit Bull, www.workingpitbull.com

Organizations American Dog Breeders Association P.O. Box 1771 Salt Lake City, UT 84110 (801) 936-7513 www.adba.cc American Dog Owners Association 1654 Columbia Turnpike Castleton, NY 12033 (518) 477-8469 www.adoa.org United Kennel Club 100 East Kilgore Rd. Kalamazoo, MI 49002 (269) 343-9020 www.ukcdogs.com Photo Credits: Courtesy of the American Kennel Club: 23, 24 Kent Dannen: title page, 8–9, 11, 12, 14, 17, 21, 22, 27, 28, 31, 33, 34, 36, 39, 41, 42, 43, 44, 49, 52, 54–55, 56, 57, 60, 65, 66, 67, 70, 73, 81, 84, 86, 89, 90 (bottom), 91, 97, 124, 126, 129, 134 Jean M. Fogle: contents page, 16, 19, 32, 40, 46, 61, 64, 71, 72, 76, 80, 87, 90 (top), 94, 96, 100, 102–103, 104, 130, 131, 133 Howell Book House: 10

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Index

AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials), food guidelines, 69 accidents, cleanup, 132–134 adolescent dogs aggression concerns, 36 nutrition considerations, 67–68 protectiveness development, 16, 35 rescue groups, 44–45 selection criteria, 52–53 vaccination guidelines, 82–83 adoptions, 44–53 adult dogs nutrition considerations, 67–68 rescue groups, 44–45 selection criteria, 52–53 vaccination guidelines, 82–83 Advantage, spot-on flea treatment, 75 affection, personality trait, 38 aggression, 16, 22, 36–39 America, 24–27, 30 American Animal Hospital Association, 82–83 American Dog Breeders Association, 11–15, 26 American Dog Owner’s Association (ADOA), breed history, 28–29 American Kennel Club (AKC), 26, 31 American Pit Bull Registry, 11–15 anal glands, symptoms/treatment, 87 animal shelters, 45, 52–53 Animal Welfare Act, 28–29 appearance, standard guidelines, 12–15 appetite loss, symptoms/treatment, 88 ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, 96 attention focus, training, 120–122

baby gates, housetraining uses, 125 backyard breeders, avoiding, 42–43 Bahamas, breed specific legislation, 30 baking soda, teeth cleaning, 78 bathrooms, puppy-proofing, 58 baths, grooming techniques, 74–76 bedding, doghouses, 60 bedrooms, puppy-proofing, 58 BioSpot, spot-on flea treatment, 75 blood sports, 23, 24–25 body language elimination posture, 131–132 training element, 113 body (trunk), standard guidelines, 14 bomb/drug detection dogs, owner/dog activity, 17 bones, avoiding, 71 breed clubs dog enthusiasts 26 research resource, 47 breed development history, 21–31 breeders backyard, 42–43 defective dog indicators, 38–39 desirable traits, 41–42 food recommendations, 60 questions (by you), 47 questions (for you), 47 referral resource, 46–47 breeding defective dog indicators, 38–39 spay/neuter issues, 98–101 breed-specific legislation, 29–32 breed standard, 12–15 Britain, 21–24, 30

140

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Index brushes, grooming techniques, 72–74 brushing, grooming element, 72–74 buckle collars, training tool, 111 Canada, breed-specific legislation, 29 canned foods, pros/cons, 65–66 Capstar, systemic flea product, 75 cars, flea prevention/treatment, 79 chains, avoiding confinement, 57 chew toys, purchasing guidelines, 62 children adult supervision required, 15, 20 dog-bite prevention programs, 31 choking, emergency first aid, 95–97 coats, 14–15, 72–74 collars, 62, 111 colors, 14–15 combs, grooming tools, 74 come command, training, 117–118 commercial foods, varieties, 65–66 companionship, 15, 34 conditioner/shampoo, 74–76 cooperation, training techniques, 123 cotton balls, ear cleaning, 79 coughing, symptoms/treatment, 90 crates, 63, 125, 127 curry brush, grooming technique, 72 demodectic (red) mange, 85 diarrhea, symptoms/treatment, 89 diets, homemade foods, 66–67 discrimination, breed-specific, 30–31 dog-bite prevention programs, 31 dogfighting ADOA (American Dog Owner’s Association), 28–29 Animal Welfare Act, 28–29 breed development history, 23, 25 doghouses, outdoor dogs, 57, 60 dog runs, outdoor dog confinement, 57 down command, training, 115–116 drug/bomb detection dogs, 17 dry (kibble) foods, pros/cons, 65–66

ear mites, external parasites, 84 ears cleaning techniques, 79 cropped/uncropped, 13–14 hearing sense, 37 infection indicators, 79 standard guidelines, 12–13 elimination accident cleanup, 132–134 indoor/outdoor conversion, 129 puppy guidelines, 127–128 emergencies, first aid techniques, 91–98 enzymatic cleaners, 126 equipment. See supplies/equipment Europe, 21–24 exercise (X) pens, 125–126 external parasites, 84–86 eyes, 13, 37 family members, 34–35 feet, 37, 76–77 females, 14, 98–101 fencing, yard guidelines, 56 fights, APBT myth, 18–19 financial burden, ownership, 35 first aid kit, components, 95 fleabite allergic dermatitis, 86, 87 Flea Busters, flea-killing powder, 78 flea combs, grooming technique, 74 fleas, 75, 78–79, 84–86 follicular mange, mites, 85 food dishes, 62, 71 foods, 65–71 Foundation for Pet Provided Therapy, WAGS program, 31 Frontline Plus, spot-on flea treatment, 75 gait, breed standard element, 13 garages, puppy-proofing, 59 gauze, teeth cleaning, 78 Google, research resource, 47 Greece, 21 grooming, 72–79 grooming tools, 62, 72, 74

141

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Index Half-and-Half, 24 hanging ears, undesirable trait, 13 head, standard guidelines, 12–13 health problems. See individual problem hearing sense, dog versus human, 37 heartworms, symptoms/treatment, 82–83 heatstroke, emergency first aid, 93–94 height, standard guidelines, 14 hip dysplasia, symptoms/treatment, 87 homemade diets, pros/cons, 66–67 homeowner’s insurance, liability, 30 household pets, aggression, 18–19 housetraining, 126–136 hypothyroidism, symptoms/treatment, 88 ID tags, information guidelines, 61 insect growth regulators (IGRs), 75, 79 insecticides, prevention/treatment, 78–79 insurance, liability issues, 30 intelligence, personality trait, 16–17 internal parasites, 81–84 Internet, dog research, 47 Italy, 21 jaws, APBT myth, 18 joints, ruptured cruciate ligament, 88 K-9 Advantix, spot-on flea treatment, 75 kennel runs, 57 kibble (dry) foods, pros/cons, 65–66 kitchens, 58, 128 lameness, 90, 92–93 leadership, training development, 106 leashes, 61, 62, 111–113 legislation, 23, 28–32 legs, 14, 80, 90, 92–93 let’s go command, training, 119–120 lice, external parasites, 84–86 life’s rewards, 107 lifestyles, ownership adjustments, 33–35 littermates, puppy selection element, 48 locking jaws, APBT myth, 18 Lyme disease, deer tick concerns, 84

males, 14, 98–101 mange, symptoms/treatment, 85 markers, training aids, 113–114 media myths, damage to breed, 28–29 medium-soft bristle brush, 72 merle patterns, 15 mild lameness, symptoms/treatment, 90 mites, external parasites, 84–86 mouth, teeth cleaning, 77–78 mouth/tongue, taste sense, 37 mouth-to-nose resuscitation, 97–98 muzzles, emergency first aid, 91 nail clippers, 62, 76–77 neck, breed standard guidelines, 14 neglect, behavior problem reason, 39 neuter/spay, pros/cons, 98–101 noncore vaccines, guidelines, 83–84 nose, smell sense, 37 nutrition, 67–69 OK command, training techniques, 115 outdoor dogs, 57, 60 owners, desirable traits, 40 pack theory, training, 105–106 pain tolerance, personality trait, 38 parasites, 81–86 people foods, pros/cons, 68, 71 personality traits adult dog selection element, 53 affection, 38 companionship, 15 defective dog indicators, 38–39 intelligence, 16–17 pain tolerance, 38 protectiveness, 15–16, 35 Puppy Temperament Test, 48–51 self-confidence, 36 trainability, 16–17 versatility, 17–18 physical punishment, versus positive reinforcement, 107–111 plastic bags, housetraining uses, 125

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Index poison, emergency first aid, 96 poop removal tools, 125 positive markers, training aids, 113–114 positive reinforcement, versus physical punishment, 107–111 prey driven, APBT concerns, 18–19 problem behaviors, 109–111 Program, systemic flea product, 75 protectiveness, personality, 15–16, 35 puddle pads, housetraining uses, 125 Puerto Rico, 30 punishment, 107–111, 132–134 puppies elimination frequency, 127–128 elimination posture, 131–132 first day housetraining, 126–128 free dog, 45–46 housetraining accident, 132–134 housetraining schedules, 134–136 leash introduction, 112 littermates, 48 nutrition considerations, 67–68 Puppy Temperament Test, 48–51 rescue groups, 44–45 selection criteria, 47–52 table scrap, 71 vaccination guidelines, 82–83 puppy corral, 128–131 Puppy Temperament Test, 48–51 questions research element, 47 trainers, 64 veterinarians, 63–64 raw (homemade) diets, pros/cons, 66–67 recall command, training techniques, 118 red (demodectic) mange, 85 referrals, research resource, 47 release words, training element, 115 rescue dogs, owner/dog activity, 17, 38 rescue groups, 44–45, 47, 52–53, 60 research, dog selection element, 46–47 resources, 46–47, 137–139

respiratory system, coughing, 90 retractable leash, training tool, 111 Revolution, spot-on flea treatment, 75 rewards, positive reinforcement, 107 ringworm, symptoms/treatment, 87 Rocky Mountain spotted fever, 84 Romans, 21 ruptured cruciate ligament, 88 sarcoptic mange, mites, 85 scent markers, puppy corral uses, 129 schedules, housetraining, 134–136 search/rescue dogs, 17, 38 self-confidence, personality trait, 36 semi-moist foods, pros/cons, 66 senses, dog versus human, 37 shampoo/conditioner, 74–76 shelters, 45, 52–53 shock, emergency first aid, 94–95 shoulders, breed standard guidelines, 14 shyness, defective dog indicators, 38–39 sit command, training, 114–115 size, height/weight standard, 14 smell sense, dog versus human, 37 snakebites, emergency first aid, 94 socialization, 16, 18–19, 36 soda bottles, training tool, 111 sounds, remote consequence, 109–111 spay/neuter, pros/cons, 98–101 spot-ons, IGRs, 75 squeaky toy, training tool, 111 stay command, training, 116–117 supplies/equipment baking soda, 78 chew toys, 62 collars, 62 cotton balls, 79 crates, 61, 62, 63 emergency first aid kit, 95 foods, 60 food/water dishes, 62 gauze, 78 grooming tools, 62, 72–74 housetraining aids, 124–126

143

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Index supplies/equipment (cont.) ID tags, 61 leashes, 61, 62 nail clippers, 62, 76–77 shampoo/conditioner, 74–76 toothbrush, 77–78 toothpaste, 77–78 toys, 62 training tools, 111 systemic products, IGRs, 75 table scraps, avoiding, 71 tails, breed standard guidelines, 14 taste sense, dog versus human, 37 teeth, cleaning techniques, 77–78 temperament breed standard element, 13 defective dog indicators, 38–39 Puppy Temperament Test, 48–51 terriers, 24 tethers, owner/dog, 112–113 therapy dogs, owner/dog activity, 17, 38 ticks, 84–86 timidity, defective dog indicators, 38–39 toenails, trimming, 76–77 toothpaste, teeth cleaning issues, 77–78 topical treatments, IGRs, 75 touch sense, dog versus human, 37 toys, 62, 111 trainability, personality trait, 16–17 trainers, 30, 64 training attention focus techniques, 120–122 body language, 113 canine nature, 105, 107 come command, 117–118 cooperation techniques, 123 down command, 115–116 equipment/supplies, 111 leadership development, 106 let’s go command, 119–120 OK command, 115 owner/dog tethering, 112–113 pack theory, 105–106 positive markers, 113–114

positive reinforcement versus physical punishment, 107–111 puppy/leash introduction, 112 recall command, 118 release words, 115 remote consequence, 109–111 sit command, 114–115 stay command, 116–117 training classes, discrimination, 30 training tools, types, 111 travel, food/water dish guidelines, 71 treasure hunt, attention focus, 121–122 treats, positive reinforcement, 107 trunk (body), breed standard, 14 United Kennel Club (UKC), 11–15, 26 vacations, food/water dishes, 71 vaccines, health considerations, 82–83 versatility, personality trait, 17–18 veterinarians, 63–64, 82, 92–93 vision sense, dog versus human, 37 vomiting, symptoms/treatment, 88 WAGS program, Foundation for Pet Provided Therapy, 31 watchdogs, personality trait, 15–16 water, 57, 128 water dishes, purchasing, 62 weight-pulling contests, 17–18 weight, standard guidelines, 14 whiskers, touch sense, 37 World War I, 27–28 worms, internal parasites, 81–84 X (exercise) pens, 125–126 yards designated potty areas, 126–127, 130 flea prevention/treatment, 79 puppy-proofing, 56–57, 59 Zodiac FleaTrol, flea-killing powder, 78

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Bonus 1

Getting Active with Your APBT

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PBTs are active dogs; they love to go places and do things. A healthy APBT likes to use his strong body to run and jump and play. Although APBTs will spend some time on the sofa being lazy and comfortable, they would prefer not to spend too much time there. In fact, many behavior problems (such as destructive chewing and digging) are caused by boredom, inactivity, and not enough exercise. Doing things with your APBT has added benefits. It can help increase your own personal fitness—after all, you’ll have an exercise buddy to work out with. But probably more important, at least for your dog, is that your relationship with him will be better, too. The more time you spend with your dog and the more you interact with him, the better your communication and understanding will be. You will learn what to expect from your dog in certain situations, you will learn how to tell what he’s thinking, and you will be better able to control him. And your dog will get to know you in the same way. You will also have more fun with him because you will know each other better. People call their dog their best friend for a very good reason!

Just Get Moving Exercise should always be started slowly. Sore muscles are no fun for people or for dogs, and even though APBTs are all muscle, even those hard canine muscles can be damaged. So if you have an APBT puppy, a senior, or if you and your dog have been inactive for a while, begin your exercise plan slowly so you can both get back into shape without harming yourselves. 1

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Walking Walking your dog can accomplish several things. First of all, for puppies, senior canines, or inactive dogs, a walk can get muscles and joints moving. Puppies can build and slowly toughen those soft baby muscles without doing any harm. Senior canines can keep muscles and joints moving and slow down the stiffness of old age. And inactive dogs can get in shape again before you introduce more strenuous exercise. Although walking for a young puppy should be slow and easy, the pace can vary for other APBTs, depending upon the dog’s fitness level. You can walk easily along the beach, watching the sun set, or you can power walk at a brisk pace to help build fitness. Walking is also a good time to practice your dog’s training skills. Make sure your APBT walks nicely on the leash without pulling. Pulling is a very bad habit, not just because your dog will cause damage to your arms, shoulders, and back, but because it puts your APBT in charge. Psychologically, that’s not a good thing for your APBT to do. As an example, think about the dogs you’ve seen walking in your neighborhood. The calm dogs are walking nicely on the leash, right? The dogs who lunge at your dog, bark hysterically, and act like horrible creatures are all pulling on the leash. That’s because they think they’re in charge of the world. So if your APBT is still trying to pull you around, find a trainer in your area who can help you teach your APBT to walk nicely on the leash. All dogs need socialization to keep a healthy mental attitude toward the world around them, and APBTs are no exception. Walking is an excellent time to do that. Carry some dog treats in your pocket and when you see friendly people on your walk, stop and talk. If they seem worried about your APBT, ask if they would like to give your friendly dog a treat. When your APBT takes it nicely, they will then be more open to him and may even want to pat his head.

Jogging APBTs are not running dogs, as are Greyhounds and Whippets. Instead, they were designed to have brute strength. But APBTs can still run and running can be good exercise. APBTs are just not as fast as many other breeds, nor do they have the stamina to run long distances. Puppies under a year old should not be allowed to run strenuously; let them do their running while they’re playing. Too much running, especially repetitive running on hard surfaces, could damage the puppy’s bones and joints. Senior canines should not run unless a veterinarian examines the dog and says it’s okay. Before you begin jogging with your dog, start walking first. When you and your APBT can walk at a very brisk pace for two to three miles without any sore

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Identifying Your Dog Always put a tag on your dog’s collar. Choose a tag that’s not so big that it will annoy your dog. Many pet supply stores will engrave a sturdy metal one for you, and pet food companies often also do this if you send in a few labels. Put your name and phone number on the tag. When you travel, use a tag that has a replaceable paper insert, so you can update your contact information at every stop. Write your name and cellphone number, your veterinarian’s name and number, and the name and number of the place you are staying on the paper insert. A microchip is a form of permanent identification, in case your dog’s tag falls off or is taken off. A microchip is a tiny transponder, about the size of a grain of rice, encased in sterile glass. It is placed under the skin on your dog’s shoulder by the veterinarian, and remains there forever. Each chip has a unique number. When a microchip reader is passed over the transponder, it reads the chip’s number. That information is useless by itself, though, which is why you must register the number with a microchip recovery service. When you register (for a fee), the number is stored in a database with your contact information and pertinent information about the dog. Make sure you keep your dog’s registration, and your contact information, up-to-date.

muscles, begin alternating walking and jogging. Walk briskly for 100 yards, then jog for 100 yards, then walk again. By alternating the activity, you and your dog can work up to running two to three miles without causing any physical harm. Watch your APBT for signs of stress. An APBT won’t quit, ever, and will continue running just because you have asked him to. So if he begins panting heavily, if his skin is twitching, or if he gets a glazed look in his eyes, stop running immediately. Cool him off, offer small drinks of water, and slowly walk him until he can rest. It’s also best to run when the air temperatures are cool. An APBT’s heavily muscled body produces a lot of heat during heavy exercise and he can overheat

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American Pit Bull Terrier: Your Happy Healthy Pet quickly. Run in the morning or evening, and always make sure the asphalt, concrete, dirt, or sand is not too hot for your dog’s footpads.

Biking If you have a healthy young adult APBT (2 to 7 years of age) who is constantly ready to run, jump, or play and you have a really hard time getting him to settle down, you may want to bike him. If you have a sturdy bicycle, such as a mountain bike, that has good tire contact on the road, you can bike your APBT to exercise him. But don’t just grab your bike and hold your APBT’s leash in your hand on the handlebars; that’s a recipe for disaster! Instead, use one of the commercially available contraptions made specifically for biking dogs. For APBTs, I prefer one that fastens under the rider’s seat, on the pole, and curves out to the side in an S shape with a big spring. (With your dog at your side, you can watch him as he’s running with you.) I remove the plastic emergency release fastener (it’s not strong enough for an APBT) and instead fasten a heavy short traffic lead (twelve inches is good) to the top of the big spring. Walk your dog and your bike for a while, going over bumps, curbs, and anything else that might startle your dog. Make sure he sees the bike move and hears all the sounds it can make. When you feel your dog is comfortable with it being next to him, get on. Begin riding very slowly, using your dog’s obedience commands. Tell him to heel as you begin moving, and tell him “right” or “left” as you turn. He can also learn the meaning of the words “slow,” “easy,” and “fast” as you begin riding. Go for very short rides in the beginning, moving slowly so you can maintain control. As your own skills and your dog’s skills improve, you can increase the distance and speed of the rides. My sister’s APBT, Dillon, loved bike rides in his younger years, and he and I would go for great rides. When our families would go camping together, my husband and I always brought our bikes and we would take turns taking Dillon out. When Dillon wanted to run, he would find the bikes and sit nicely next to one, being very quiet and well behaved, until someone saw him waiting patiently. Then his tail would start going and it wouldn’t stop until he was hooked up to the bike!

Retrieving Games You don’t have to leave home just because your APBT needs exercise. Retrieving games are a great way to help him use up some excess energy. The rules of

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Bonus 1 Getting Active with Your APBT retrieving games are easy: You throw the toy, he goes to get it, and he brings it back to you. When he brings it back, he is not allowed to play tug-of-war with it. APBTs are much too powerful to play tug-of-war. Plus, you don’t want them to learn that it’s acceptable to fight you or use their strength against you. Although some dogs may play tug-of-war with no repercussions, it’s not a good game for APBTs—even though they love it! You can teach your APBT to give up the toy he’s brought back in a couple of ways. First, have several toys that you know he likes. Throw one, and if he doesn’t bring it back and drop it for you to throw again, simply throw a different toy. Keep throwing toys; he has to drop one to pick up another. As he drops it, tell him, “Yeah! Good boy to drop it!” If your APBT is focused on just one toy and will not be distracted by any other toys, and also won’t drop the toy on your command, simply stop the game. Go inside and leave him outside. The key is to do this immediately as he refuses to drop the toy. Don’t beg or plead with him to drop the toy, don’t chase him around the yard, and don’t wrestle with him. Instead, ask him for the toy and if he doesn’t give it to you, be quiet, turn away, and go inside. In half an hour, you can go outside and try again. It may take several repetitions, but eventually he will figure out that if he gives you the toy, you’ll stay outside and play with him.

Fun Training There are all kinds of things that you can do with your dog; it just depends on your interests and abilities. Trick training can be great fun. Teach your dog to do some of the standard tricks, such as shake hands, wave, crawl, or roll over. Or teach him to do some elaborate tricks, such as weave through your legs as you’re walking. There are several great books available for trick training; pick one up and see which tricks look like fun. You can also check with a local trainer and find out if they have an agility course. Noncompetitive agility is great fun for dogs and owners, and is good exercise, too. The dogs jump over hurdles, run through tunnels, and maneuver over obstacles of all kinds. Most trainers require the dog to be obedience trained first because many of the obstacles are best trained off leash. APBTs are great at weight-pulling contests, but you don’t have to compete to teach your dog the skills. Fit him with a padded weight-pulling harness (find one at your local pet supply store or online), and then run a long leash from the rings on each side of his harness to a piece of firewood or a plastic milk jug filled with sand. Encourage your dog to pull (“Come on, Sweetie, pull, yeah!”), and when he pulls the weight, praise him! Gradually, over several weeks, increase the weight.

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American Pit Bull Terrier: Your Happy Healthy Pet Carting is also great fun and good training. You can teach your APBT to pull a wagon. With a wagon, your APBT can haul his own dog food from your car up the driveway to the house. Or he can take plants, potting soil, and other garden supplies from the car to the backyard. He can even take the neighborhood kids for a ride. Carting is great fun, but teaching your APBT to do it safely requires some training; talk to your local trainer for some help doing this.

Your Dog and Your Community Step outside your home with your dog and you are no longer just a family—you are both part of your community. This is where the phrase “responsible dog ownership” takes on serious implications, especially for APBT owners. We’ve talked in earlier chapters about breed-specific legislation targeting APBTs, as well as all the other pit bull–type breeds: Rottweilers, German Shepherd Dogs, and Doberman Pinschers. The best thing you can do for your individual dog, and for all dogs, is to provide a good example to all who see you and your dog. For starters, it means you pick up after your dog—not just occasionally, but every time your dog eliminates away from home. That means you have joined the plastic baggie brigade! You always have plastic sandwich bags in your pocket and several in the car. It means you teach your kids how to use them, too. If you think this is yucky, just imagine what a nondoggie person who inadvertently steps in the mess thinks! Your responsibility extends to your neighbors: to their ears (no annoying barking), to their property (their garbage, their lawn, their flower beds, their cat—especially their cat), to their kids (on bikes, at play), to their kids’ toys and sports equipment. There are numerous dog-related laws, ranging from simple dog licensing and leash laws to those that hold you liable for any physical injury or property damage done by your dog. These laws are in place to protect everyone in the community, including you and your dog. There are town ordinances and state laws that are by no means the same in all towns or all states. Ignorance of the law won’t get you off the hook. The time to find out what the laws are where you live is now. Be sure your dog’s license is current. This is not just a local ordinance; it can make the difference between finding your lost dog or not. Many states now require proof of rabies vaccination and that the dog has been spayed or neutered before issuing a license. So keep up on the dog’s immunizations. Never let your dog run loose in the neighborhood. This will not only keep you on the right side of the leash law, but it’s the outdoor version of the rule about not giving your dog the “freedom to get into trouble.”

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Bonus 1 Getting Active with Your APBT

Good Canine Citizen Does your APBT display good, controlled behavior in public? Sometimes it’s hard for a dog’s owner to tell. The AKC’s Canine Good Citizen program was designed to turn your dog into a good neighbor and to teach you about your responsibility to your community as a dog owner. It is open to all dogs, whether or not they are registered with the AKC, and is available through many dog clubs and organizations. If your dog passes the test, he earns the title CGC. Here are the ten things your dog must do willingly to pass the test. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Accept a stranger stopping to chat with you. Sit and be petted by a stranger. Allow a stranger to handle him as a groomer or a veterinarian would. Walk nicely on a loose lead. Walk calmly through a crowd. Sit and down on command, then stay in a sit or down position while you walk away. Come when called. Casually greet another dog. React confidently to distractions. Accept being left alone with someone other than you and not become overly agitated or nervous.

You can contact a local dog trainer for help if your dog needs some more training before taking the test. The trainer may also know when and where a test will be held.

Local Clubs Local dog clubs are no longer in existence just to put on a yearly dog show. Today, they are apt to be the hub of the community’s involvement with pets. Dog clubs conduct educational forums with big-name speakers, stage demonstrations of canine talent in a busy mall, and take dogs of various breeds to schools for classroom discussion. The quickest way to feel accepted as a member in a club is to volunteer your services. Offer to help with something—anything—and watch your popularity (and your interest) grow.

Therapy Dogs Once your dog has earned that essential CGC and reliably demonstrates a steady, calm temperament, you could look into what therapy dogs are doing in your area.

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American Pit Bull Terrier: Your Happy Healthy Pet Therapy dogs go with their owners to visit patients at hospitals or nursing homes, generally remaining on leash but able to coax a pat from a stiffened hand, a smile from a blank face, a few words from sealed lips, or a hug from someone in need of love. Nursing homes cover a wide range of patient care. Some specialize in care of the elderly, some in the treatment of specific illnesses, some in physical therapy. Children’s facilities also welcome visits from trained therapy dogs to boost morale among their pediatric patients. Hospice care for the terminally ill and the at-home care of AIDS patients are other areas where canine visitors are desperately needed. Therapy dog training comes first. There is a lot more involved than just taking your nice friendly pooch to someone’s bedside. Doing therapy dog work involves your own emotional stability as well as that of your dog. But once you have met all the requirements for this work, making the rounds once a week or once a month with your therapy dog is possibly the most rewarding of all community activities.

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Bonus 2

Your APBT and Your Family

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dding a dog automatically increases your family by one, no matter whether you live alone in an apartment or are part of a mother, father, and six kids household. The single-person family is fair game for numerous and varied canine misconceptions as to who is the dog and who pays the bills, whiles a dog in a houseful of children will consider herself to be just one of the gang, littermates all. One dog and one child may give a dog reason to believe they are both kids or both dogs. Either interpretation requires parental supervision and sometimes speedy intervention. As soon as one paw goes through the door into your home, your ABPT has to make many adjustments to become a part of your family. Your job is to help her fit in as painlessly as possible. An older dog may have some frame of reference from past experience, but to a 10-week-old puppy, everything is brand new: people, furniture, stairs; when and where people eat, sleep, or watch TV; her own place and everyone else’s space; smells, sounds, outdoors—everything! Puppies, and newly acquired dogs of any age, do not need what we think of as “freedom.” If you leave a new dog or puppy loose in the house, you will almost certainly return to chaotic destruction and the dog will forever after equate your homecoming with a time of punishment to be dreaded. It is unfair to give your dog what amounts to the “freedom to get into trouble.” Instead, confine her to a crate for brief periods during your absence (up to three or four hours) and, for the long haul (a workday for example), confine her to one untrashable area—perhaps the kitchen or laundry room—with her own toys, a bowl of water, and a radio left on (low volume) in another room. A safe, secure dog run outside is also fine, or an area in the garage or on the porch.

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American Pit Bull Terrier: Your Happy Healthy Pet Never, ever tie out or chain your APBT. Chaining dogs leaves them vulnerable to other dogs, predators, and people who wish to torment or tease them. Unfortunately, many of the APBTs (and dogs of other breeds) who have bitten, maimed, or even killed people have been chained. Your dog is safest behind a secure, closed fence, either in a yard or a dog run. For the first few months, keep your APBT close to you when she’s in the house. Use baby gates to close off hallways and close doors to other rooms. By keeping her close, you can teach her what is hers to touch and what is off limits. You can also supervise her closely so that housetraining becomes very easy rather than a horrible chore.

The All-Adult Family Most dogs in an adults-only household today are likely to be latchkey pets with no one home all day but the dog. When you return after a tough day on the job, the dog can and should be your relaxation therapy. But going home can, instead, be a daily frustration. Separation anxiety is a very common problem for a dog in a household where everyone works. It may begin with whines and barks of loneliness, but will soon escalate into frenzied destruction. That is why it is so important to set aside the time to teach a dog to relax when left alone in her confined area and to understand that she can trust you to return. Let the dog get used to your work schedule in easy stages. Confine her to her spot (room, exercise pen, crate, or dog run) and then walk near her over and over again. Be casual about it. No physical, voice, or eye contact. When the pup no longer even notices your comings and goings, leave the house for varying lengths of time, returning to stay home for a few minutes and gradually increasing the time away. This training can take days, but the dog is learning that you haven’t left her forever and that she can trust you to come home. Any time you leave the dog, but especially during this training period, be casual about your departure. No anxiety-building fond farewells. Just “bye” and go. Remember the “good dog” when you return to find everything more or less as you left it. If things are a mess (or even a disaster) when you return, greet the dog, take her outside to eliminate, then put her in her crate while you clean up. Rant and rave in the shower! Do not punish the dog. You were not there when it happened, and the rule is: Only punish as you catch the dog in the act of wrongdoing. (Obviously, it makes sense to bring your latchkey puppy home at a time you’ll have a week or two to spend on these training essentials.)

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Bonus 2 Your APBT and Your Family Family weekend activities should include your APBT whenever possible. Depending on the pup’s age, now is the time for a long walk in the park, playtime in the backyard, a hike in the woods. Socializing is as important as health care, good food, and physical exercise, so visiting Aunt Emma or Uncle Harry and the next-door neighbor’s dog or cat is essential to developing an outgoing, friendly temperament in your pet. If you are a single adult, socializing your APBT at home and away will prevent her from becoming overly protective of you (or just overly attached) and will also prevent such behavioral problems as dominance and fear of strangers.

Babies Whether already here or on the way, babies figure larger than life in the eyes of a dog. If the dog is there first, let her in on all your baby preparations in the house. When baby arrives, let your APBT sniff any item of clothing that has been on the baby before Junior comes home. Then let Mom greet the dog first before introducing the new family member. Hold the baby low for the dog to see and sniff, but make sure someone’s holding the dog on a leash in case of any sudden moves. Don’t play keep-away or tease the dog with the baby, which only invites undesirable jumping up. The dog and the baby are family, and for starters can be treated almost as equals. Things rapidly change, however, especially when baby takes to creeping around on all fours on the dog’s turf or, better yet, has yummy pudding all over her face and hands! That’s when a lot of things in the dog’s and baby’s lives become more separate than equal. Toddlers make terrible dog owners, but if you can’t avoid the combination, use patient discipline (that is, positive teaching rather than punishment) and use time-outs (for both dog and child) before you run out of patience. A dog and a baby (or a toddler, or an assertive young child) should never be left alone together. Take the dog with you or confine her. With a baby or a youngster in the house, you’ll have plenty of use for that wonderful canine safety device called a crate!

Young Children Any dog in a house with kids will behave pretty much as the kids do, good or bad. But even good dogs and good children can get into trouble when play becomes rowdy and active.

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American Pit Bull Terrier: Your Happy Healthy Pet Legs bobbing up and down, shrill voices screeching, a ball hurtling overhead, all add up to exuberant frustration for a dog who’s just trying to be part of the gang. In a pack of puppies, any legs or toys being chased would be caught by a set of teeth, and all the pups involved would understand this is how the game is played. Kids do not understand this, nor do parents tolerate it. Separate the dogs and kids before you have reason to regret it. This is a time-out, not a punishment. You can explain the situation to the children and tell them they must play quieter games until the puppy learns not to grab them with her mouth. Unfortunately, you can’t explain it that easily to the dog. However, with adult supervision, they will learn how to play together. Young children love to tease. Sticking their faces or wiggling their hands or fingers in the dog’s face is teasing. To another person it might be just annoying, but it is threatening to a dog. We can make the child stop with an explanation, but the only way a dog can make a child stop is with a warning growl and then with teeth. Teasing is the major cause of children being bitten by their pets. Treat it seriously, because the APBT could pay for it with her life.

Older Children The best age for a child to get a first dog is between 8 and 12. That’s when kids are able to accept some real responsibility for their pet. Even so, take the child’s vow of “I will never, ever forget to feed (brush, walk, etc.) the dog” for what it’s worth: a child’s good intention at that moment. Most kids today have extra lessons, soccer practice, Little League, ballet, and more piled on top of school schedules. There will be many times when Mom or Dad will have to come to the dog’s rescue. “I walked the dog for you so you can set the table for me” is one way to get around a missed appointment without laying on blame or guilt. Kids in this age group make excellent obedience trainers because they are into the teaching/learning process themselves and they lack the self-consciousness of adults. Older kids are also beginning to look to the future, and may envision themselves as veterinarians or trainers or show dog handlers or writers of the next Lassie best-seller. Dogs are perfect confidants for these dreams. They won’t tell a soul.

Festive Family Occasions Parties are great for people but not necessarily for puppies. Until all the guests have arrived, put the dog in her crate or in a room where she won’t be disturbed.

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Bonus 2 Your APBT and Your Family A socialized dog can join the fun later as long as she’s not underfoot, annoying guests, or into the hors d’oeuvres. There are a few dangers to consider, too. Doors opening and closing can enable a puppy to slip out unnoticed in the confusion, and you’ll be organizing a search party instead of playing host or hostess. Party food and buffet service are not for dogs. Let your APBT party in her crate with a nice big dog biscuit. At Christmastime, not only are tree decorations dangerous and breakable (and perhaps family heirlooms), but extreme caution should be taken with the lights, cords, and outlets for the tree lights and any other festive lighting. Occasionally a dog lifts a leg, ignoring the fact that the tree is indoors. To avoid this, use a canine repellent, made for gardens, on the tree. Or better yet, keep her out of the tree room unless she is supervised. And whatever you do, don’t invite trouble by hanging her toys on the tree!

Car and RV Travel Before you plan a vacation by car or RV with your APBT, be sure she enjoys car travel. Nothing spoils a holiday quicker than a carsick dog! Work within the dog’s comfort level. Get in the car with the dog in her crate or attached to a canine car safety belt and just sit there until she relaxes. That’s all. Next time, get in the car, turn on the engine, and go nowhere. Just sit. When that is okay, turn on the engine and go around the block. Next, you can go for a ride and include a stop where you get out, leaving the dog for a minute or two. Rides quickly become positive experiences if they lead to something fun, like a walk along the beach or a play date with a canine friend. However, if all rides end up at the veterinarian’s office, then, carsickness or a reluctance to travel will result. Before every trip, take your dog to the veterinarian’s office for a checkup. You want to make sure your dog is healthy and up to date on all vaccinations. Tell your vet where you’ll be traveling in case there are some canine health concerns in that region. While at the vet’s office, get copies of your dog’s immunization records, especially the rabies vaccine, to bring with you on the trip. Before you leave on the trip, put together a package of all your dog’s paperwork. Not only do you want her health records, but also her license. You will want your veterinarian’s office and emergency telephone numbers, and, if your dog is microchipped, the phone number of the registry where that microchip is registered just in case you and your APBT get separated. Your APBT should wear identification at all times, but on a trip it’s even more important because your dog won’t know where home is. Have her continue to

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American Pit Bull Terrier: Your Happy Healthy Pet wear her permanent ID but also put a temporary tag on her that includes your cellphone number and the telephone number where you’ll be staying. As you travel, keep your APBT leashed. Not only is this the law almost everywhere, but it will keep her safe. If you are in a place where you would like to give her room to explore, use a longer leash and move with her. Just keep her on some kind of a leash for both her safety and your peace of mind. Dog owners must be responsible and clean up after their dogs. It’s not only the law, but it’s also the right thing to do. If the owner of a dog doesn’t clean up after her, who else will? Plastic bags are easy to carry and the waste can be dropped in the nearest trash can. As you’re traveling, maintain a schedule as much as possible. Try to walk, play with, and feed your dog at the same times each day. Too many disruptions and changes will cause anxiety and even tummy upsets. Plan ahead for all your travel accommodations. Unfortunately, not all hotels, motels, and campgrounds accept dogs. A great reference for travelers with dogs is www.dogfriendly.com. This web site and magazine offers great tips on traveling with dogs and places where dogs are always welcome.

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Bonus 3

Additional Housetraining Schedules

Schedule for a Pup Under 10 Weeks 11 p.m.

7:00 a.m.

7:15 7:30 7:45 8:00

Lay out easy-on clothes and shoes before going to bed. There will be no time to choose your wardrobe in the morning when you jump out of bed to take your pup to her potty place. And don’t forget your house keys! Get up and take the puppy from her sleeping crate directly to the potty spot. Carry her if necessary. Clean up last night’s messes, if any. Food and fresh water. Pick up the food bowl. Take the pup to her potty spot; wait and praise. The pup plays around your feet while you drink coffee and prepare breakfast. It has now been one hour since you got up. Console yourself that, if you’ve been following this schedule so far, you shouldn’t have had any new messes to clean up for the past hour. continues

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American Pit Bull Terrier: Your Happy Healthy Pet

Schedule for a Pup Under 10 Weeks (continued) 8:15 8:30 10:00 10:15

10:45 11:00 11:30 11:45 12:00 p.m. 12:15 2:00 2:15 2:45 3:00 4:15 4:30

Potty time again. Put the pup in her crate for a nap. When the pup wakes, out to potty. The puppy is in her corral with safe toys to chew and play with. As you watch your pup at play, observe her behavior. Learn to recognize what she does immediately before eliminating. Any sudden searching, sniffing, or circling behavior is a likely sign she has to go. As soon as you see that, carry or lead the pup to her potty spot and calmly tell her to eliminate. Praise her success. If you miss the moment and arrive sometime after the flood, do not scold or punish. It’s not the pup’s fault you were late. Potty break. Playtime. Potty time again. Food and fresh water. Pick up the food bowl and take the pup to her potty spot. Crate the pup for a nap with a safe chew toy. Potty break. Snack and beginner obedience training practice. Potty break. Put the pup in her corral with safe toys and chews for solitary play and/or a nap. Potty break. Make the pup a part of household activities by putting her on a leash and taking her around the house with you. Watch and guide your pup’s behavior. When she needs to eliminate, you’ll be right there to notice, take her to the right spot in time, and praise her good job.

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Bonus 3 Additional Housetraining Schedules 5:00 5:15 5:30

6:00 7:00 7:15

9:00 9:15

10:45 11:00

3:00 or 4:00 a.m.

Food and fresh water. Potty break. The pup may play nearby (either leashed or in her corral) while you prepare your evening meal. Potty break, then crate the pup while you eat and clean up after dinner. Potty break. Leashed or closely watched, this is a good time for the pup to play and socialize with family and visitors for a few hours. Offer the pup water occasionally throughout the evening (a dog needs water to digest her food). Take the pup to the potty spot whenever she acts like she needs to go. Last water of the evening. Potty break. Then crate pup or keep her close to you. Do not let her wander off unescorted. Last chance to potty. Put the pup to bed in her crate for the night. Go to bed yourself and get some rest. You’ve earned it! Your pup awakes and has to eliminate. Take her to the potty spot and make sure she does everything she has to do. Then re-crate the pup with a safe, quiet chew toy and go back to sleep.

You’ll notice that this schedule calls for you to take your pup to the potty area about fifteen times a day. That may be more than your pup needs, but you should take her that often at first. After keeping track for a few days, you’ll start to notice your pup’s own digestion and elimination body rhythms. As you learn your pup’s needs, you can adjust the schedule to meet them.

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American Pit Bull Terrier: Your Happy Healthy Pet

Schedule for Adolescent and Adult Dogs 7:00 a.m. 7:30 7:45 8:00 10:00 10:15 11:45 12:00 p.m. 12:15 12:45 2:45 3:00

5:00 5:15 5:30 7:15 7:30 9:30 10:45 11:00

Get up and take the dog from her sleeping crate directly to the potty spot. Food and fresh water. Pick up the food bowl and take dog to her potty spot. Allow dog to play or lounge with you. Provide chew toys. Potty break. Play and obedience practice. Potty break. Food and fresh water. Pick up the food bowl and take dog to her potty spot. Solitary play in the room with you or outdoors in a fenced yard. Potty break. Put the dog on a leash and take her around the house with you; or, if she is reliably housetrained, this can be free time. Food and fresh water. Pick up the food bowl and take dog to her potty spot. Keep the dog with you while you prepare and eat your meal. Potty break. Closely watched, the dog plays off leash and socializes with the family. Potty break. Last chance to potty. Crate the dog for the night.