I joined this group so I can read the articles on training, diet, breed characteristics & just about all I need to know about the pitbull breed. I'm dedicated to being a responsible pit owner; I'm currently working on socializing my dog & introducing her to to other dogs, animals & people. Venus loves the attention she gets from people & wants to walk over to everyone for a hug & affection. I have a 5 year old daughter who Venus loves to play with & since she's four months old, she is a little clumsy so play is always monitored.
I have a cockatiel, a female shih tzu/ four years old & a holland lop rabbit almost a year old. My pitbull is curious about our rabbit & has kissed it through its cage. My shih tzu plays & licks Venus but when Venus "steps on her" she becomes nervous & nips at our pit. I correct the behavior quickly & try to let them play when they're both calm for a few minutes but most of the time, they are seperated by baby gates (with an adult present) or Venus is in her crate.
I bought a crate for my dog to sleep in but also to help with housebreaking. She has picked up on "doing her business" outside in two days! I'm so excited to see her show me how intelligent she really is. She las learned sit, down, stay & leave it in the two days since I started working with her.
My question is that we've only had Venus for one week & I was wondering about the proper way for dogs to play. My shih tzu has always been alone & has played with small dogs like herself but was bitten twice by a pitbull we were given who was dog & people aggressive. This other pitbull, Missy, was eventually surrendered to the ASPCA because she showed many warning signs to convince me she was a threat to humans & other animals. That was heartbreaking!
So, how can I keep both of my girls happy & healthy co-existing in the same home
& raise a "good" pitbull? Thanks!!!
Karina
