Help!

[sarahann]

I am bawling my eyes out as I write this but Bella and Maddie got into a fight again. I just can't do this anymore, it's killing me but I need to give Bella up. I want her to go to a home where they will rub her belly all the time, perferable without other dogs. I'm so scaried she'll won't go to home where they love her as much as I do and will cuddle her all the time but with being a single woman who is active duty military I just can't do this. When I got Bella she didn't have any aggression issues and a few of my friend said they would watch her if I got tagged for a deployment or something but they all have dogs and now won't watch her. Hill ( the base i'm at) is closing one of there aircraft units and it is a very real possibility i'll be going to Korea soon. I've tried to think of everything I could do but I can't find a solution, (I even considered getting back with my ex just so i would know that my fur-babbies would be taken care of if i could do it). If you know anyone who has experience with Pits and wants a dog that will love them unconditionally and follow them around the house content just to be in the same room with them, I really need the help.

[GoingPostal]

This forum doesn't allow owner surrenders. Shouldn't you be looking for a home for both dogs if you are at risk of deployment so they don't end up in a shelter or being PTS? Dog aggression is normal for the breed, I would keep them separated 100%, crate and rotate so fights cannot happen.

[sarahann]

I guess i didn't realize about the owner surrender thing. The reason i can still have Maddie is because since she doesn't have the dog aggression if I deploy i have a bunch of friends that will watch her while i'm gone, they just wont keep Bella. With her dog aggression I am scared to let her go to just anyone so i was hoping someone one the forum would know what to do. I'm worried about rescue groups because they don't always no where the dogs are going and I refuse to put her on KSL (the local craigslist).

[Otis]

A good rescue always knows where their dogs are going.

I'm sorry you are in this tough spot-but this goes with the territory of the breed. I wouldn't recommend you get another pit bull (or any dog-ANY breed can be dog aggressive) in the future until you are prepared to crate and rotate the dogs for the rest of their lives.

[merriterrier]

I see you are in N Utah. You may want to contact Colorado Pit Bull Rescue http://www.coloradopitbullrescue.com

I have worked with them before, and they do a good job of screening applicants.

[sarahann]

Thank you Merriterrier. And thank you Otis for the advice and don't worry I don't take this lightly, I won't be adopting another dog until i'm sure of my circumstances, and I probably won't own more than one again.

[msvette2u]

Microchip the dog before she goes anywhere. Leave the chip in your own name until you are sure it's a good placement.
CL isn't the most evil thing in the world - if she's spayed and if you screen homes like a rescue would.
Simply say on there "We will be screening the potential home and will require a home visit before you adopt", or something like that.
And as others said, a good rescue not only knows where the dog is going but they will follow up, and make sure the dog is returned to them if it doesn't work out.

[GoingPostal]

The reason i can still have Maddie is because since she doesn't have the dog aggression

And what if she develops dog aggression, gets in a fight with your friends dog or something when you are deployed? Doesn't sound like you have a bully knowledgable home setup for the other dog either. My female is dog friendly with most dogs, but not all and she will still spat given the situation.

[msvette2u]

The reason i can still have Maddie is because since she doesn't have the dog aggression

And what if she develops dog aggression, gets in a fight with your friends dog or something when you are deployed? Doesn't sound like you have a bully knowledgable home setup for the other dog either. My female is dog friendly with most dogs, but not all and she will still spat given the situation.

good food for thought...not to mention, it's going to be pretty tough to find a placement for the DA one since many people already have one dog in the home.

[merriterrier]

Which begs the question: how DA is this dog? How many fights have they had? They are both females right? How does she act with other dogs? With males? What have the fights been over (food, attention, intense situation, etc)? What does your management set-up look like (feeding, sleeping, toys, separation)?

I don't think it's really fair to label a dog as DA if we don't really know the background, it could just be that she doesn't get on well with females.

Please don't think I'm trying to pick on you, but these things are important to know before we label a dog. And possibly can help find a good foster/rescue/adopter.

Colorado Pit Bull Rescue also will do courtesy listing.

I have a great application and a list of questions to ask potential adopters if you decide to try and place her yourself. You can also do private listings on Pit Bull Rescue Central ( http://www.pbrc.net/ )I believe.

If you need guidance I'd be happy to help, just pm me.

[Amy Hendrickson]

It's definitely not fair to label a dog DA just because of people problems. Is she fixed, are they both fixed? How old are they? Close in age? Do you expect them to share toys and treats? Have they been trained? Do they listen? Do you monitor their play to make sure things don't get out of hand? How do you know it's Bella and not Maddie? Maybe Bella is defending herself from behaviors you don't consider a problem but could be putting Bella on the defensive (leg thrown over the back, humping, shoving, standing over, laying on.....the list goes on)

If you allow these things to happen, you can lessen the threshold of aggression causing fights to occur more often and at a greater frequency. By learning your dog's behavior and watching their body language you can prevent a lot of problems before they become problems.

[merriterrier]

[sarahann]

Okay i've calmed down (and stopped crying...mostly) and i'm heading to Walmart to get a tall baby gate. I'm going to keep them seperated and try the crate and rotate. I just can't give up on my fur-baby that easily. Deployments and new assignments are a very real concern and I know this isn't a permenant solution but I have some money coming (hopefully soon (hurry up IRS!)) and I plan on hiring a dog trainer to work with me and Bella (I've been wanting to do this for a while but moneys been an issue) to help maybe cut down on her anxiety around other dogs and help make her "more adoptable" plus help me be more "dog savy". This will buy me time to make sure I find the PERFECT home for her, and hopefully i can do it all before I get moved. If not I've lost nothing by trying because if I do get moved I'll probably end up having to take her to a rescue and if I wasn't so determined to try that what i'd be doing now anyway. Please pray for us, and thank you for all the advice and input. You all had every right to be self rightous and mean to me but you didn't judge and I really apreciate it, asking for help and admiting failure is hard for me. THANK YOU!

[merriterrier]

Great idea to get the help of a trainer. Hopefully they can help you manage the situation so that you can successfully manage your dogs and keep them both. Even if you end up getting deployed and have to place her she will be more adoptable.

You might want to post specifics of your dogs situation in Training and Behavior. There you will attract a larger amount of people who know a few things about dealing with DA dogs. It is no substitute for a real trainer and 1:1 help, but there are a lot of people with good ideas, tips, and knowledge.

[PITtsburgher]

As far as the deployment thing, there are programs (sometimes through shelters) that will care for dogs while their owners are deployed. I don't know anything about Utah, but it would be worth researching ahead of time, just in case.

For example: https://www.netpets.org/militarypet/foster.php