I'm about to SNAP!!!

[parfait]

HOLY FUCK!!! Please pardon my french, but I just got a new dog about 3 weeks ago. He's a full-blooded pit bull. He's very lovable, loves attention, and is a very beautiful dog. He's been doing better and better each day with the potty training, etc... He's 5 months old. He's chewed a couple of insignificant things over the last couple of weeks... nothing serious.

I come home tonight after going out to eat, and he's chewed a floor vent, an indian vase I had by the fireplace, and has RIPPED ABOUT A 4 FOOT SECTION OF MY FAMILY ROOM CARPET!!! FUCK!!!!!!!!! He's shredded it big time. I grabbed that fucker, shoved his face in it, and whipped his ASS!!! I am SOOOOO fucking pissed right now. I'll probably have to replace a 25 x 30 foot piece of carpet now because of that little bastard!!!


FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why would you get a pitbull, dude? Those dogs are for HGH juicers and people wearing Ed Hardy.

Get a real dog that you can work out with instead. Labrador for example.

[Ehwmatt]

HOLY FUCK!!! Please pardon my french, but I just got a new dog about 3 weeks ago. He's a full-blooded pit bull. He's very lovable, loves attention, and is a very beautiful dog. He's been doing better and better each day with the potty training, etc... He's 5 months old. He's chewed a couple of insignificant things over the last couple of weeks... nothing serious.

I come home tonight after going out to eat, and he's chewed a floor vent, an indian vase I had by the fireplace, and has RIPPED ABOUT A 4 FOOT SECTION OF MY FAMILY ROOM CARPET!!! FUCK!!!!!!!!! He's shredded it big time. I grabbed that fucker, shoved his face in it, and whipped his ASS!!! I am SOOOOO fucking pissed right now. I'll probably have to replace a 25 x 30 foot piece of carpet now because of that little bastard!!!


FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why would you get a pitbull, dude? Those dogs are for HGH juicers and people wearing Ed Hardy.

Get a real dog that you can work out with instead. Labrador for example.

I agree. Maybe pit bulls get an unfairly bad reputation, maybe they don't. I wouldn't know. What I do know is that there are a lot more friendly dogs out there than a pit bull that offer just as much companionship without the liability. I just don't see the need.

[Peartree12249]

It's unfortunate that the shelters are full of unwanted pit bulls and in most cases, the owner's didn't want to take the time to properly train the dog. Sure some of it's breeding, but most problems people have with dogs are generally caused by the owner and not the dog. Owning a dog requires committment, discipline & patience. If poople aren't willing to invest the time and effort they should get a cat instead.

[Ehwmatt]

It's unfortunate that the shelters are full of unwanted pit bulls and in most cases, the owner's didn't want to take the time to properly train the dog. Sure some of it's breeding, but most problems people have with dogs are generally caused by the owner and not the dog. Owning a dog requires committment, discipline & patience. If poople aren't willing to invest the time and effort they should get a cat instead.

For the sake of the argument, I'm willing to accept the proposition that a perfectly trained pit bull is just as safe as the friendliest family dog you can name. With that in mind, given the inherent difficulty in PROPERLY training them, what is the reason to have such a risky dog over a nicer, friendlier dog? I'm just curious why people would feel the need to own such a difficult dog to handle with such a potential for violence if improperly trained.

[mikemarrs]

[mikemarrs]

jim when you caught the lil bastard was the look on your face similar to the one above>?

[G.I.Jim]

jim when you caught the lil bastard was the look on your face similar to the one above>?

Yep... pretty much. I know all of you are trying to give me advice to be helpful (and some IS helpful), but I think a lot of you fail to understand how we got the dog. I didn't wake up one day and say "damn... I think I'll get a man-killing dog today!". My wife thought he was very cute and lovable, and she didn't want to see him go somewhere that he wouldn't be loved.

I've had dogs my entire life, as well as a lot of other creatures many of you would never own. I've had reptiles of all types, birds, etc... I haven't had anything but dogs for years, but I'm a HUGE animal lover. My last two dogs have been chows which most people are very afraid of. They have a TERRIBLE reputation, yet mine were both very sweet dogs who have never harmed anyone. I watch them like a hawk, and would NEVER allow them to bite or hurt someone.

With that said... this dog is in good hands (if we keep him). We've already set him up for obedience classes last week, but they don't start until NEXT Sunday. If we still have him, he WILL go through a 12 week training program. He will be a good dog if he sticks around. The agreement is that if he rips up something like the carpet again... he's going back to my Brother-In-Law's. We just can't afford to have such a destructive dog in here.

As far as crating goes, we tried it for the first three days. Two of those days, he broke out of the crate like freaking Houdini! also, we noticed that he was pissing on the floor MUCH more on the days he was crated (once he was out of the crate). It's like he was retaliating for being cooped up in it.

The final thing I want to comment on is the opinion by one here that I would put my 9 year old dog in harms way (as if I don't care what happens to him). Are you out of your freaking mind? I love that dog as much as any other family member! First off, my chow is much bigger than the pit bull. Secondly, I can tell that he knows that our Chow is the alpha male. If I see any aggression towards my chow, do you think I'd keep him? You've been eating some spoiled sushi again, haven't you!???

[steveo777]

jim when you caught the lil bastard was the look on your face similar to the one above>?

Yep... pretty much. I know all of you are trying to give me advice to be helpful (and some IS helpful), but I think a lot of you fail to understand how we got the dog. I didn't wake up one day and say "damn... I think I'll get a man-killing dog today!". My wife thought he was very cute and lovable, and she didn't want to see him go somewhere that he wouldn't be loved.

I've had dogs my entire life, as well as a lot of other creatures many of you would never own. I've had reptiles of all types, birds, etc... I haven't had anything but dogs for years, but I'm a HUGE animal lover. My last two dogs have been chows which most people are very afraid of. They have a TERRIBLE reputation, yet mine were both very sweet dogs who have never harmed anyone. I watch them like a hawk, and would NEVER allow them to bite or hurt someone.

With that said... this dog is in good hands (if we keep him). We've already set him up for obedience classes last week, but they don't start until NEXT Sunday. If we still have him, he WILL go through a 12 week training program. He will be a good dog if he sticks around. The agreement is that if he rips up something like the carpet again... he's going back to my Brother-In-Law's. We just can't afford to have such a destructive dog in here.

As far as crating goes, we tried it for the first three days. Two of those days, he broke out of the crate like freaking Houdini! also, we noticed that he was pissing on the floor MUCH more on the days he was crated (once he was out of the crate). It's like he was retaliating for being cooped up in it.

The final thing I want to comment on is the opinion by one here that I would put my 9 year old dog in harms way (as if I don't care what happens to him). Are you out of your freaking mind? I love that dog as much as any other family member! First off, my chow is much bigger than the pit bull. Secondly, I can tell that he knows that our Chow is the alpha male. If I see any aggression towards my chow, do you think I'd keep him? You've been eating some spoiled sushi again, haven't you!???

The Dog is doing a great job.........of training you!

[G.I.Jim]

jim when you caught the lil bastard was the look on your face similar to the one above>?

Yep... pretty much. I know all of you are trying to give me advice to be helpful (and some IS helpful), but I think a lot of you fail to understand how we got the dog. I didn't wake up one day and say "damn... I think I'll get a man-killing dog today!". My wife thought he was very cute and lovable, and she didn't want to see him go somewhere that he wouldn't be loved.

I've had dogs my entire life, as well as a lot of other creatures many of you would never own. I've had reptiles of all types, birds, etc... I haven't had anything but dogs for years, but I'm a HUGE animal lover. My last two dogs have been chows which most people are very afraid of. They have a TERRIBLE reputation, yet mine were both very sweet dogs who have never harmed anyone. I watch them like a hawk, and would NEVER allow them to bite or hurt someone.

With that said... this dog is in good hands (if we keep him). We've already set him up for obedience classes last week, but they don't start until NEXT Sunday. If we still have him, he WILL go through a 12 week training program. He will be a good dog if he sticks around. The agreement is that if he rips up something like the carpet again... he's going back to my Brother-In-Law's. We just can't afford to have such a destructive dog in here.

As far as crating goes, we tried it for the first three days. Two of those days, he broke out of the crate like freaking Houdini! also, we noticed that he was pissing on the floor MUCH more on the days he was crated (once he was out of the crate). It's like he was retaliating for being cooped up in it.

The final thing I want to comment on is the opinion by one here that I would put my 9 year old dog in harms way (as if I don't care what happens to him). Are you out of your freaking mind? I love that dog as much as any other family member! First off, my chow is much bigger than the pit bull. Secondly, I can tell that he knows that our Chow is the alpha male. If I see any aggression towards my chow, do you think I'd keep him? You've been eating some spoiled sushi again, haven't you!???

The Dog is doing a great job.........of training you!

Don't make me beat you Steve.

[Jana]

jim when you caught the lil bastard was the look on your face similar to the one above>?

Yep... pretty much. I know all of you are trying to give me advice to be helpful (and some IS helpful), but I think a lot of you fail to understand how we got the dog. I didn't wake up one day and say "damn... I think I'll get a man-killing dog today!". My wife thought he was very cute and lovable, and she didn't want to see him go somewhere that he wouldn't be loved.

I've had dogs my entire life, as well as a lot of other creatures many of you would never own. I've had reptiles of all types, birds, etc... I haven't had anything but dogs for years, but I'm a HUGE animal lover. My last two dogs have been chows which most people are very afraid of. They have a TERRIBLE reputation, yet mine were both very sweet dogs who have never harmed anyone. I watch them like a hawk, and would NEVER allow them to bite or hurt someone.

With that said... this dog is in good hands (if we keep him). We've already set him up for obedience classes last week, but they don't start until NEXT Sunday. If we still have him, he WILL go through a 12 week training program. He will be a good dog if he sticks around. The agreement is that if he rips up something like the carpet again... he's going back to my Brother-In-Law's. We just can't afford to have such a destructive dog in here.

As far as crating goes, we tried it for the first three days. Two of those days, he broke out of the crate like freaking Houdini! also, we noticed that he was pissing on the floor MUCH more on the days he was crated (once he was out of the crate). It's like he was retaliating for being cooped up in it.

The final thing I want to comment on is the opinion by one here that I would put my 9 year old dog in harms way (as if I don't care what happens to him). Are you out of your freaking mind? I love that dog as much as any other family member! First off, my chow is much bigger than the pit bull. Secondly, I can tell that he knows that our Chow is the alpha male. If I see any aggression towards my chow, do you think I'd keep him? You've been eating some spoiled sushi again, haven't you!???

three days of crating is nothing. The first week is bad. We had to have the crate in the bedroom right by the bed b/c she woke up crying all night, and I could put my hand down and pet her. After a few weeks the crate was moved when she became used to it. Crating does, like RVW said, make them feel safe and set boundaries for puppies. I had friends crate after I did and they said what a difference. If he broke out, you need a different crate. I put a towel over the top to make it darker for her to settle down but could still look out from the front. You have to stay consistent and not give in to the dog. And if he is going more on the floor, then you need to regulate his water and you need to take him out more often. Potty training is hell for a while with certain dogs.

[Babyblue]

jim when you caught the lil bastard was the look on your face similar to the one above>?

Yep... pretty much. I know all of you are trying to give me advice to be helpful (and some IS helpful), but I think a lot of you fail to understand how we got the dog. I didn't wake up one day and say "damn... I think I'll get a man-killing dog today!". My wife thought he was very cute and lovable, and she didn't want to see him go somewhere that he wouldn't be loved.

I've had dogs my entire life, as well as a lot of other creatures many of you would never own. I've had reptiles of all types, birds, etc... I haven't had anything but dogs for years, but I'm a HUGE animal lover. My last two dogs have been chows which most people are very afraid of. They have a TERRIBLE reputation, yet mine were both very sweet dogs who have never harmed anyone. I watch them like a hawk, and would NEVER allow them to bite or hurt someone.

With that said... this dog is in good hands (if we keep him). We've already set him up for obedience classes last week, but they don't start until NEXT Sunday. If we still have him, he WILL go through a 12 week training program. He will be a good dog if he sticks around. The agreement is that if he rips up something like the carpet again... he's going back to my Brother-In-Law's. We just can't afford to have such a destructive dog in here.

As far as crating goes, we tried it for the first three days. Two of those days, he broke out of the crate like freaking Houdini! also, we noticed that he was pissing on the floor MUCH more on the days he was crated (once he was out of the crate). It's like he was retaliating for being cooped up in it.

The final thing I want to comment on is the opinion by one here that I would put my 9 year old dog in harms way (as if I don't care what happens to him). Are you out of your freaking mind? I love that dog as much as any other family member! First off, my chow is much bigger than the pit bull. Secondly, I can tell that he knows that our Chow is the alpha male. If I see any aggression towards my chow, do you think I'd keep him? You've been eating some spoiled sushi again, haven't you!???

The Dog is doing a great job.........of training you!

Don't make me beat you Steve.

[The Sushi Hunter]

[Don]

Cesar is the man. If you can't get him, at least get his book. I know people who have raised dogs their entire life and still learn something new from this guy. And even Cesar himself has admitted to learning new things from different people while on his show.

[Arianddu]

Why would you get a pitbull, dude? Those dogs are for HGH juicers and people wearing Ed Hardy.

Get a real dog that you can work out with instead. Labrador for example.

Nope. No labradors around little kids unless you can monitor them every single second. People think labradors are are an easy choice for a good family dog - WRONG! Labs can be great family dogs, but they need a hell of a lot of work, because they are smart. Smart dogs are harder to train, because they can spot your inconsistancies and work out 'if I don't obey, what are you going to do?'
Labradors are hell-hounds for chewing and creating havoc until they settle down at around three years. On top of that, you look at any list of breeds rated by attacks on children, labs will always be the top breed. They don't handle change that well, and they tend to react badly when they are afraid; all you need is the dog having a bad day and a kid getting rough and it's game over. No way I'd ever leave mine around kids unsupervised.

[Rick]

Why would you get a pitbull, dude? Those dogs are for HGH juicers and people wearing Ed Hardy.

Get a real dog that you can work out with instead. Labrador for example.

Nope. No labradors around little kids unless you can monitor them every single second. People think labradors are are an easy choice for a good family dog - WRONG! Labs can be great family dogs, but they need a hell of a lot of work, because they are smart. Smart dogs are harder to train, because they can spot your inconsistencies and work out 'if I don't obey, what are you going to do?'
Labradors are hell-hounds for chewing and creating havoc until they settle down at around three years. On top of that, you look at any list of breeds rated by attacks on children, labs will always be the top breed. They don't handle change that well, and they tend to react badly when they are afraid; all you need is the dog having a bad day and a kid getting rough and it's game over. No way I'd ever leave mine around kids unsupervised.

That's the truth right there. My brother had a black Lab and one day I went to his house, and I asked him why his TV was sitting in such a peculiar place, and he said "Go look behind it". So I did, and that dog had chewed a hole in the wall almost as big as that console tv. I asked him why he still had the dog, and he said "fuck if I know".

[Arianddu]

WTF is it with Americans and crating dogs? If you lived in an apartment, ok, maybe (although I'd be saying don't have a bloody dog if your only option is to keep it in a cage!)

Jim, IIRC, you have a yard, right? You've got the equivalent of a thirteen year old boy on a growth spurt hitting puberty with a toddlers teething problems, who has more energy jumping out of him than he knows what to do with. Pit bulls can be great dogs, sweet and good natured, and I only know of three bad things about them: 1. they tend to attract dick heads for owners who want aggresive, tough looking dogs (which isn't the dogs fault; 2. Like staffys and bullys, if they do attack another dog, they do it without warning (I'm not saying he will, just that you won't get any growling or displaying first, which means any signs of tension betweent the boys and you should probably seperate them); 3. They are high energy, low boredom threshold dogs that are very needy for company.

That last one is your problem. You've got a dog that is easily bored and wants to be around people all the time, and unfortunately you've gotten him at the most difficult point of his life. Fuck crating - the last thing he needs is to be put in a cage on his own where he can't run and he's got nothing to do; he'll go nuts. If your yard isn't secure, build him a large secure pen in it; dig the fencing mesh down about 2 feet and bent into the centre of the yard so he can't dig his way out, put a decent kennel in it, and stuff for him to do (if you can build it around a tree or bush, even better!) Make it as big as you comfortably can, and if possible, locate it so he can see the street and the comings and goings. Whenever there is no one home to monitor him, he goes into the pen. So he doesn't associate it with being alone, feed him there, take him there to put his harness on to take him for a walk (bull terrier breeds do MUCH better on harness than a lead on the collar), play with him there. Get him about a dozen different toys (kong brand are great and he won't be able to destroy them in a single day) and rotate them; he gets a new toy every time he goes in the pen; the trick is, he has 5 toys in the pen, and when you give him one, you take one away; that way they don't get bored with their toys. If your chow sleeps in the house, let the puppy sleep inside too, but during the day when there's no one around, he'll be a hell of a lot happier being an outside dog.

Hope it all goes well; they can be lovely dogs, but you've got some work ahead of you!

[Arianddu]

Labradors are hell-hounds for chewing and creating havoc until they settle down at around three years. On top of that, you look at any list of breeds rated by attacks on children, labs will always be the top breed. They don't handle change that well, and they tend to react badly when they are afraid; all you need is the dog having a bad day and a kid getting rough and it's game over. No way I'd ever leave mine around kids unsupervised.

That's the truth right there. My brother had a black Lab and one day I went to his house, and I asked him why his TV was sitting in such a peculiar place, and he said "Go look behind it". So I did, and that dog had chewed a hole in the wall almost as big as that console tv. I asked him why he still had the dog, and he said "fuck if I know".

That would be right! My golden lab is now getting on for six, and he's settled down a lot, but he'll still steal things to chew up if he's bored, or he's grumpy with me (like I forgot to walk him). I had a friend stay with me for a week a few years ago, and she thought Digby was the cutest thing around. I'd warned her to keep the door to her room closed at all times, but she still didn't listen, which is why she was lovingly woken one morning by Digby giving her back her shoe, sans heel and toes. Covered in dog slobber and plonked on her pillow with an invitation to join him in playing tug of war, which he had been doing with my other dog and all of her bras.

[Rick]

Labradors are hell-hounds for chewing and creating havoc until they settle down at around three years. On top of that, you look at any list of breeds rated by attacks on children, labs will always be the top breed. They don't handle change that well, and they tend to react badly when they are afraid; all you need is the dog having a bad day and a kid getting rough and it's game over. No way I'd ever leave mine around kids unsupervised.

That's the truth right there. My brother had a black Lab and one day I went to his house, and I asked him why his TV was sitting in such a peculiar place, and he said "Go look behind it". So I did, and that dog had chewed a hole in the wall almost as big as that console tv. I asked him why he still had the dog, and he said "fuck if I know".

That would be right! My golden lab is now getting on for six, and he's settled down a lot, but he'll still steal things to chew up if he's bored, or he's grumpy with me (like I forgot to walk him). I had a friend stay with me for a week a few years ago, and she thought Digby was the cutest thing around. I'd warned her to keep the door to her room closed at all times, but she still didn't listen, which is why she was lovingly woken one morning by Digby giving her back her shoe, sans heel and toes. Covered in dog slobber and plonked on her pillow with an invitation to join him in playing tug of war, which he had been doing with my other dog and all of her bras.

[The Sushi Hunter]

WTF is it with Americans and crating dogs? If you lived in an apartment, ok, maybe (although I'd be saying don't have a bloody dog if your only option is to keep it in a cage!)

Jim, IIRC, you have a yard, right? You've got the equivalent of a thirteen year old boy on a growth spurt hitting puberty with a toddlers teething problems, who has more energy jumping out of him than he knows what to do with. Pit bulls can be great dogs, sweet and good natured, and I only know of three bad things about them: 1. they tend to attract dick heads for owners who want aggresive, tough looking dogs (which isn't the dogs fault; 2. Like staffys and bullys, if they do attack another dog, they do it without warning (I'm not saying he will, just that you won't get any growling or displaying first, which means any signs of tension betweent the boys and you should probably seperate them); 3. They are high energy, low boredom threshold dogs that are very needy for company.

That last one is your problem. You've got a dog that is easily bored and wants to be around people all the time, and unfortunately you've gotten him at the most difficult point of his life. Fuck crating - the last thing he needs is to be put in a cage on his own where he can't run and he's got nothing to do; he'll go nuts. If your yard isn't secure, build him a large secure pen in it; dig the fencing mesh down about 2 feet and bent into the centre of the yard so he can't dig his way out, put a decent kennel in it, and stuff for him to do (if you can build it around a tree or bush, even better!) Make it as big as you comfortably can, and if possible, locate it so he can see the street and the comings and goings. Whenever there is no one home to monitor him, he goes into the pen. So he doesn't associate it with being alone, feed him there, take him there to put his harness on to take him for a walk (bull terrier breeds do MUCH better on harness than a lead on the collar), play with him there. Get him about a dozen different toys (kong brand are great and he won't be able to destroy them in a single day) and rotate them; he gets a new toy every time he goes in the pen; the trick is, he has 5 toys in the pen, and when you give him one, you take one away; that way they don't get bored with their toys. If your chow sleeps in the house, let the puppy sleep inside too, but during the day when there's no one around, he'll be a hell of a lot happier being an outside dog.

Hope it all goes well; they can be lovely dogs, but you've got some work ahead of you!

Wouldn't it be a lot easier to just get rid of the pit bull instead of chancing if it's going to maul someone or something and having to make a "compound" out of your yard? I say get rid of the pit bull, it's the chow's house anyways.

[G.I.Jim]

WTF is it with Americans and crating dogs? If you lived in an apartment, ok, maybe (although I'd be saying don't have a bloody dog if your only option is to keep it in a cage!)

Jim, IIRC, you have a yard, right? You've got the equivalent of a thirteen year old boy on a growth spurt hitting puberty with a toddlers teething problems, who has more energy jumping out of him than he knows what to do with. Pit bulls can be great dogs, sweet and good natured, and I only know of three bad things about them: 1. they tend to attract dick heads for owners who want aggresive, tough looking dogs (which isn't the dogs fault; 2. Like staffys and bullys, if they do attack another dog, they do it without warning (I'm not saying he will, just that you won't get any growling or displaying first, which means any signs of tension betweent the boys and you should probably seperate them); 3. They are high energy, low boredom threshold dogs that are very needy for company.

That last one is your problem. You've got a dog that is easily bored and wants to be around people all the time, and unfortunately you've gotten him at the most difficult point of his life. Fuck crating - the last thing he needs is to be put in a cage on his own where he can't run and he's got nothing to do; he'll go nuts. If your yard isn't secure, build him a large secure pen in it; dig the fencing mesh down about 2 feet and bent into the centre of the yard so he can't dig his way out, put a decent kennel in it, and stuff for him to do (if you can build it around a tree or bush, even better!) Make it as big as you comfortably can, and if possible, locate it so he can see the street and the comings and goings. Whenever there is no one home to monitor him, he goes into the pen. So he doesn't associate it with being alone, feed him there, take him there to put his harness on to take him for a walk (bull terrier breeds do MUCH better on harness than a lead on the collar), play with him there. Get him about a dozen different toys (kong brand are great and he won't be able to destroy them in a single day) and rotate them; he gets a new toy every time he goes in the pen; the trick is, he has 5 toys in the pen, and when you give him one, you take one away; that way they don't get bored with their toys. If your chow sleeps in the house, let the puppy sleep inside too, but during the day when there's no one around, he'll be a hell of a lot happier being an outside dog.

Hope it all goes well; they can be lovely dogs, but you've got some work ahead of you!

Wouldn't it be a lot easier to just get rid of the pit bull instead of chancing if it's going to maul someone or something and having to make a "compound" out of your yard? I say get rid of the pit bull, it's the chow's house anyways.

If I get rid of him, he's coming to your house! I've got my chows back. I would NEVER have a dog that has to be an outside dog. I like a dog to be inside and part of the family. I've never understood why people get dogs just to chain them up in the yard or to put in enclosures. I'm not knocking those that do, but that's just not what I want from a dog.

[The Sushi Hunter]

I thought you had just one chow, you got more then one?

It can't come to my house, my wife won't have that. I already had to beg her just to keep my cat. Once this cat is gone, no more animals period. That was the deal, or she'll cut me up into soft bloody sushi.

[Jana]

WTF is it with Americans and crating dogs? If you lived in an apartment, ok, maybe (although I'd be saying don't have a bloody dog if your only option is to keep it in a cage!)

Jim, IIRC, you have a yard, right? You've got the equivalent of a thirteen year old boy on a growth spurt hitting puberty with a toddlers teething problems, who has more energy jumping out of him than he knows what to do with. Pit bulls can be great dogs, sweet and good natured, and I only know of three bad things about them: 1. they tend to attract dick heads for owners who want aggresive, tough looking dogs (which isn't the dogs fault; 2. Like staffys and bullys, if they do attack another dog, they do it without warning (I'm not saying he will, just that you won't get any growling or displaying first, which means any signs of tension betweent the boys and you should probably seperate them); 3. They are high energy, low boredom threshold dogs that are very needy for company.

That last one is your problem. You've got a dog that is easily bored and wants to be around people all the time, and unfortunately you've gotten him at the most difficult point of his life. Fuck crating - the last thing he needs is to be put in a cage on his own where he can't run and he's got nothing to do; he'll go nuts. If your yard isn't secure, build him a large secure pen in it; dig the fencing mesh down about 2 feet and bent into the centre of the yard so he can't dig his way out, put a decent kennel in it, and stuff for him to do (if you can build it around a tree or bush, even better!) Make it as big as you comfortably can, and if possible, locate it so he can see the street and the comings and goings. Whenever there is no one home to monitor him, he goes into the pen. So he doesn't associate it with being alone, feed him there, take him there to put his harness on to take him for a walk (bull terrier breeds do MUCH better on harness than a lead on the collar), play with him there. Get him about a dozen different toys (kong brand are great and he won't be able to destroy them in a single day) and rotate them; he gets a new toy every time he goes in the pen; the trick is, he has 5 toys in the pen, and when you give him one, you take one away; that way they don't get bored with their toys. If your chow sleeps in the house, let the puppy sleep inside too, but during the day when there's no one around, he'll be a hell of a lot happier being an outside dog.

Hope it all goes well; they can be lovely dogs, but you've got some work ahead of you!

Wouldn't it be a lot easier to just get rid of the pit bull instead of chancing if it's going to maul someone or something and having to make a "compound" out of your yard? I say get rid of the pit bull, it's the chow's house anyways.

If I get rid of him, he's coming to your house! I've got my chows back. I would NEVER have a dog that has to be an outside dog. I like a dog to be inside and part of the family. I've never understood why people get dogs just to chain them up in the yard or to put in enclosures. I'm not knocking those that do, but that's just not what I want from a dog.

LOL. My parents brought home an Australian shephard mix. That puppy was wild and big. And since my mom was raised on farms, she believed they should be mostly outdoor dogs with the enclosed porch with ceiling fan going as its shaded part, and inside some. Benji was hysterical. Very destructive, tearing up her flower beds, but he would be inside the house for a while, and he was huge when fully grown, and when my mom would try to put him on the porch he would roll on his back and become dead weight. My mom would have to drag him outside by his front legs. He so wanted to be a total house dog and lap dog, lol, and just sleep in my dad's recliner. When my mother died and then father died, a neighbor took Benji and no more outside unless they were outside doing things, and became total house dog. He had his own bed practically, with their greyhound, and instead got several long walks a day which Benji loved, rather than just being stuck outside in a yard.

[Rick]

I think your brother-in-law just told you he was killing the chickens, instead of telling you he was chewing up every fucking thing they had.

[Don]

I remember as a little kid, I was terified of Bulldogs. After awhile, German Shepards took the title as the baddest dogs out there. A few years down the road, the Dobermans became the dog to fear. In 1985, I went overseas. I come back in the early nineties and find these little Frankenstein Monsters terrorizing everybody. What's going to be the next badass dog or is this the end of the road when it comes to canine killing machines?

[Jana]

WTF is it with Americans and crating dogs? If you lived in an apartment, ok, maybe (although I'd be saying don't have a bloody dog if your only option is to keep it in a cage!)

Jim, IIRC, you have a yard, right? You've got the equivalent of a thirteen year old boy on a growth spurt hitting puberty with a toddlers teething problems, who has more energy jumping out of him than he knows what to do with. Pit bulls can be great dogs, sweet and good natured, and I only know of three bad things about them: 1. they tend to attract dick heads for owners who want aggresive, tough looking dogs (which isn't the dogs fault; 2. Like staffys and bullys, if they do attack another dog, they do it without warning (I'm not saying he will, just that you won't get any growling or displaying first, which means any signs of tension betweent the boys and you should probably seperate them); 3. They are high energy, low boredom threshold dogs that are very needy for company.

That last one is your problem. You've got a dog that is easily bored and wants to be around people all the time, and unfortunately you've gotten him at the most difficult point of his life. Fuck crating - the last thing he needs is to be put in a cage on his own where he can't run and he's got nothing to do; he'll go nuts. If your yard isn't secure, build him a large secure pen in it; dig the fencing mesh down about 2 feet and bent into the centre of the yard so he can't dig his way out, put a decent kennel in it, and stuff for him to do (if you can build it around a tree or bush, even better!) Make it as big as you comfortably can, and if possible, locate it so he can see the street and the comings and goings. Whenever there is no one home to monitor him, he goes into the pen. So he doesn't associate it with being alone, feed him there, take him there to put his harness on to take him for a walk (bull terrier breeds do MUCH better on harness than a lead on the collar), play with him there. Get him about a dozen different toys (kong brand are great and he won't be able to destroy them in a single day) and rotate them; he gets a new toy every time he goes in the pen; the trick is, he has 5 toys in the pen, and when you give him one, you take one away; that way they don't get bored with their toys. If your chow sleeps in the house, let the puppy sleep inside too, but during the day when there's no one around, he'll be a hell of a lot happier being an outside dog.

Hope it all goes well; they can be lovely dogs, but you've got some work ahead of you!

that's your opinion on crating a PUPPY. I crated her at night b/c she would destroy things and chase the cats, and if I penned her in a place she cried forever. I put her in the crate and she slept. When I was at work, she was crated, with a long walk b/f work, a walk at lunch and after work tons of walking and playtime outside with other puppies her size running wild to get her energy used up, plus going wild playing at night until bedtime. And a lot of times I worked at home, but would crate her for her naps, otherwise she wouldn't sleep and was wild and wouldn't let me work, but loose when not napping. I had a book and a pamplet on it and followed it, and dogs are den animals as my vet and trainer told me, so puppies feel safe in there, instead of free will around the house, when no one is home, being destructive, until trained. It's not forever anyway, Puppy time. And my dog hated to be left outside alone and would howl horribly. One day she matured and was fine and out of that stage and no more crate. What people need to know with any energetic puppy is they need a lot of walking and playtime. Mine needed A LOT. It was exhausting.

[mikemarrs]

I think your brother-in-law just told you he was killing the chickens, instead of telling you he was chewing up every fucking thing they had.

i lived on a farm once when i was growing up.every two or three months my german shepards mysteriously disappeared so i'd get a new one.after about a year my father sat my down and told me our neighbors which happened to be an old aunt and uncle were poisoning my dogs because they kept killing all their chickens.man i was pissed and never did get another dog.

[Jana]

I remember as a little kid, I was terified of Bulldogs. After awhile, German Shepards took the title as the baddest dogs out there. A few years down the road, the Dobermans became the dog to fear. In 1985, I went overseas. I come back in the early nineties and find these little Frankenstein Monsters terrorizing everybody. What's going to be the next badass dog or is this the end of the road when it comes to canine killing machines?

I have been bitten twice by German Shepherds. I had a neighbor who had a Rottweiller - those dogs freak me out - and he lunged through the screen door at the postman. One day I was out jogging and ended up going by their house and saw the dog in the front yard (big lot, so far away). I froze and was terrified. I just stood there and stood there forever b/c of my fear of big mean dogs. After 15 minutes of me frozen in place, watching it and it not moving, I realized it was a big tree stump. I was slightly embarrassed.

[The Sushi Hunter]

I remember as a little kid, I was terified of Bulldogs. After awhile, German Shepards took the title as the baddest dogs out there. A few years down the road, the Dobermans became the dog to fear. In 1985, I went overseas. I come back in the early nineties and find these little Frankenstein Monsters terrorizing everybody. What's going to be the next badass dog or is this the end of the road when it comes to canine killing machines?

I have been bitten twice by German Shepherds. I had a neighbor who had a Rottweiller - those dogs freak me out - and he lunged through the screen door at the postman. One day I was out jogging and ended up going by their house and saw the dog in the front yard (big lot, so far away). I froze and was terrified. I just stood there and stood there forever b/c of my fear of big mean dogs. After 15 minutes of me frozen in place, watching it and it not moving, I realized it was a big tree stump. I was slightly embarrassed.

That happened to me once about 26 years ago. I was riding my 10 speed at night cutting through this huge city park on my way to my high school girlfriend's house. At the other end of the path, I saw this huge giant dog standing there. I stopped and looked at it from a few hundred yards away and it was just standing there. So I just turned around and rode my bike a few blocks out of my way around the entire park. Turned out that it was a bronz statue of a huge dog. I walk past it to this day during my walks and remember back that night when I thought it was a real dog standing there.

[Don]

I remember as a kid, living in a small place outside Chester PA. I would always pass this house that had a German Shepherd chained in the front. I would walk by in a manner so as not to disturb him. Now, back in those day's we had the Mom relay system. When dinner was ready, your mom would shout your name in the direction that you had gone. After the second or third yell, another Neighbor, closer to where you were would come out and yell your name also and this would continue down the line. Well, when I heard my name and realized I was late for dinner, I took off running for home, completely forgetting I would be passing that dog. SNAP! went his chain and he was on my ass like white on rice. I kept in front of him for awhile but finally it happened, the terrible pain in my ass as he bit clean through my jeans and underwear. I yelped and that was that. The dog gave up the chase, having gotten me out of his territory and returned home. I got home and had to explain what happened, leaving out the running past the dog part. My dad ended up going down to the house with me in tow and had me repeat the story. This time I came clean and admitted to tearing past the yard at full speed, and pretty much letting the dog know that the game was afoot. My dad apologized to the guy for my actions and took me home. Having been around Shepherds (My dad was enjoying a very brief career as a cop in the canine unit back then) I had been brought up to know better then to do what I did. The only thing that saved me from a whuppin' was that my butt was already suffering from the dog bite.

Imagine if this happened today. The dog would probably be put down, and the owner sued. Times have sure changed.

[The Sushi Hunter]

One of our neighbors had a dog from Africa, it was a small short haired brown thing. It was always attacking people and we learned one day that if we just don't move, it will only smell us and then run away. It was a bastard dog though, every other day there would be a squirrel skin laying in their yard, nothing but the hide left on the ground.