Hello from MA

[Maximus]

Hello my name is Gevo and i have a 8 weeks and 3 days old pitbull/amstaff. I am 21 years of age and live with my girlfriend of 2 years. I have owned 2 dogs before, one mutt and the other was a hotdog. Since i was 11 have not owned any dogs. I have been reading and doing all the research I can. Sometimes my girlfriend is way too nice to the puppy, he gets out of control with her and she doesn't put a stop to it.

About my puppy. His name is Max. When I went to get Max, I had the first pick out of 10 puppies. I picked the cutest and the biggest one. After choosing Max the owners told me he was the first born out of the 10. I have owned Max since he was 5 weeks old. I understand people say "8 weeks is the earlier you should take a puppy", but i do not agree with that too much. I think IF the mother had a bad temper the longer you leave the more it gets passed down (No matter what the owners say you can never really know the mothers temperament unless you live with it)So I didn't want to take any chances. Since i have gotten Max, I have been training him night and day. I do not want my dog to be another bad media dog. I do know that pitbulls are very smart, and the aggression from pitbulls can be suppressed by the way its be raised. I have been training Max for 3 weeks now and these are the results.

COMMANDS LEARNED

Come - 100% Done (This took about 10 treats and 2 days to do)
Sit - 100% Done (Treat or not he does this very well)
Stay - 85% Done (Make him sit and stay while i walk away and come back, or call him to me)
down - 10% Done (He does not like laying down not sure why)
Wait - 95% Done (When i place food/treats and I say wait. He doesn't not eat till I say "GOOD BOY MAX")
leash walking no pull - 80% Done (I have been training him inside the house mainly)
Heel with/without leash - 75% Done ( Started this only a week ago doing AMAZING!)
Drop It - 25% Done ( I am having a hard time with this, but he does have a 8 week old puppy mentality)
Puppy Nipping - 90% Done (When he gets too excited sometimes nips at my girlfriend but never me)
Potty training - 25% Done (Never goes to the bathroom in a car/beds/couches only on the floor. Soon will be trained to go outside)

I do understand there is no such thing as "being done with training", i am just showing the success rate as of 8 weeks and 3 days old.

Last but not least THE MAN HIMSELF

this is the day i got him 5 Weeks old.


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Max today at 8 weeks 3days


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[Stormi]

I have owned Max since he was 5 weeks old. I understand people say "8 weeks is the earlier you should take a puppy", but i do not agree with that too much. I think IF the mother had a bad temper the longer you leave the more it gets passed down (No matter what the owners say you can never really know the mothers temperament unless you live with it)So I didn't want to take any chances.

Genetics are ingrained, its not something you can wish or train away. If the mother has temperment issues, she has no business being bred in the first place and I wouldn't be giving this so-called breeder my money for him to continue popping out puppies with temperment issues. Removing a pup from their mother and littermates means the pup has no opprotunity to learn bite inhibition, social skills, stress and frustration tolerance, and mental development. These things may not be evident now, but as he grows older you will likely have some troublesome behaviors on your hands. These early weeks are crucial for their development and are not to be taken lightly.

[Stormi]

Here's a link that details out the developmental stages of puppies:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=139802

[Azul]

I agree that 5 weeks is a little young, but it looks like the puppy owner is very concerned and diligent about raising a puppy the responsible way.

I enjoyed reading your post Maximus because it is well organized and your writing is clear and concise. Thanks for joining!

[spammie]

Hi there.
Please read the link Stormi posted . Taking a puppy away from a bitch with a bad temperament will not change the outcome of the pups temperament. It's genetic. Also, slow down on the training. An 8 week old pup can not learn all the commands you've listed. Take things slow and work on one or two things at a time. About the aggression issues, please read all you can on dog aggression vs human aggression. Your dog is a terrier and some are intolerant or aggressive to other dogs when they mature. It's not how you raise them, again, it's genetic.
Can you tell us a little about yourself?

[Stormi]

Here's a link that details the results of a study done on dogs who were removed from their litter too early, and those who were not removed until the proper age:

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/he ... dults.aspx

If your main concern was raising your pup to be a breed ambassador and avoiding behavioral troubles in adulthood, removing him at such a young age is going to do more harm than good.

[Maximus]

week 7 - 8 he spent with an 3 year old and 4 year old pitbulls. I had to leave town so im assuming it made up at least for some lost time.

[spammie]

Here's a link to a sample intro for ideas on what we're looking for
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=64327

[Maximus]

Here's a link to a sample intro for ideas on what we're looking for
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=64327

Does this mean my intro is not sufficient?

[spammie]

I don't want your ATM pin number we just like to know what attracted you to this breed, are you involved in sports with your dogs, any plans for your dogs, that kind of stuff

[Maximus]

I don't want your ATM pin number we just like to know what attracted you to this breed, are you involved in sports with your dogs, any plans for your dogs, that kind of stuff

I love all dogs and need one in my life i think. The reason why i got a pit is to change peoples minds about the breed.

[spammie]

sigh