New puppy..

[Kathy]

Redneck, you have just earned my greatest respect. I always believed that when you adopt an animal, you adopt for life - that they are not disposable products or something you just return when you want. They are living souls and come into our lives for reason. I really admire you for taking the time to work with her and love her and put forth the commitment to ensure she has a healthy and loving home. I wish there were more people like you in this world. Princess is a beautiful name - and I can just see you walking her with the pink leash and collar with hearts.

 

[JColt]

Nice pup! My brother had 2 of them and they are a dog that you have to master and show your in charge but if you do that then hopefully like my brothers dogs you wont have any problems

 

[pitbulllady]

I really didn't mean to offend you Tommy I really do believe you a good animal person & will put in the necessary work.

It's just that I see/hear so much about working/herding dogs ending up in the wrong situation, I hate it when things turn out badly in the end. Especially since some breeds can turn out dangerous. I'm just more concerned with your, your family, & the puppy's wellbeing If you keep her, please do get involved with some locals that have experience with her breed, that really would be awesome.

The people i've known with them didn't all have dangerous dogs either. The non-working homes were people with young dogs with 9-5 type jobs. Those dogs didn't show aggression, they just found ways to entertain themselves. But I have a feeling that you probably have a large yard or land, which would make your situation still better then theirs as were in apartments & subdivision type areas. The couple of people that we knew were dangerous ones were simply idiots who thought you can simply turn guard dogs loose & allow them to guard without any form of training or control

I really hope I didn't offend you to much You don't strike me as the type to abandon a dog over something like a little bit more work, but I don't think there is any harm at all in anyone saying a breed isn't a suitable mix. My family members have gotten us so many poor choices in dog breeds that we later had to rehome (mom decided to adopt a greyhound...we lived on 40 acres with no fenced in yard ) due to breed traits, i'll never get another dog without extensive research

That is the point I'm trying to make. It ALWAYS helps to know what you're getting and how it is LIKELY to act and what YOU have to do in order to maximize the positive, whether it's a snake, or a tarantula, or a dog. Catahoulas have a very different breed personality from American Pit Bulls because they were bred for a different purpose, and knowing what that purpose, or rather, PURPOSES, is a key to understanding the dog. They are also not bred primarily as pets and show dogs, as most APBT's are, even the "game-bred" lines, but almost strictly as working or hunting dogs, and the traits which make them so well-suited for those tasks also make them poor pets for MOST people. However, as long as the owner knows what to expect, and knows how to deal with it, and is not in denial about the dog's nature as most pet owners are, the problems can be kept to a minimum. Most of the people I sold pet puppies to believed that they could "love" the unwanted traits out of the dog, or that their puppy would be different from all the rest, or that their experience with Shih-Tzus or Labs would prepare them for a Catahoula. In other words, they refused to believe me when I told them what to expect from that cute little blue-eyed puppy as it grew into a powerhouse of a working dog. My aunt is currently experiencing the same heartaches and hassles because she bought a female German Shepherd that is bred directly from serious European(Czeck and German lines)military/police/Schutzhund lines. She'd had old-fashioned American "farm-type" German Shepherds, but soon discovered that the name is about the only thing the European dogs have in common with the dogs she grew up with! She was very ill-prepared for this high-drive, intense, highly-intelligent working dog, and both she and the dog are miserable as a result, yet she refuses to place the dog with someone else. She is not an "Alpha", and the dog IS, and she lives a low-key lifestyle, which is not suitable for this type of dog, OR a Catahoula, since both were bred exclusively to be working dogs. I'd rather "scare" someone into being vigilant and have them be prepared for the problems that WILL arise, than to blow smoke up their butts and have them become complacent and be shocked when the dog does something that the owner won't like at all. It is also vitally important with ANY merle dog, regardless of breed, to know just what all that gene entails and what physical issues it can cause, to be prepared to deal with those IF and when they show up, and this is especially true if the merle dog has a lot of white on it. The old adage, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" applies really well here.

pitbulllady

 

[Redneck]

What an adorable puppy! on the pink collar with the hearts. That's awesome. Fear the vicious puppy! Looks like I came in too late with the name thing. I was going to suggest "Mischief" 'cause in that last picture she looks sort of guilty, like she's just done something. When she grows up, her and your chihuahua will make a funny pair going for walks and stuff. Hopefully, since she is growing up with him from a very young age she will take a less aggressive view on other dogs. I would try to introduce her to as many different sizes and shapes of dogs and humans as possible over the next while, myself. I have no experience with pitbulls or catahoulas so must defer to pitbulllady's greater knowledge as far as those guys, but my own experience with other types of highstrung working dogs is that they make absolutely awesome and loyal pets as long as they have enough to stimulate their minds and plenty of exercise. We haven't talked much, but from reading posts and following threads I have seen your obvious dedication to the animals you keep. I am sure that you will give Princess an excellent home.
And I love the white tip to her tale, and her little freckled nose, and her cool eyes, and her half propped-up ears.... Congrats on the new bundle o' cute!

Thanks! She is such an awesome pup so far! She is pretty much house trained.. She made a mess a little after I got home the first day.. Was my fault though.. I just thought she wanted some water.. I forgot puppies need to go outside more often!

But since then.. She whines I take her out.. She does her business.. Comes in and sleeps!

She is even almost leash trained, listens to the commands sit & stay.. She stayed where I told her to for 30 minutes.. Then after I called her.. She came running over! I wonder if she is learning from Tyler? Do pups do that?

Tyler is leash trained.. Listens to sit, stay, lay, come, heel, (He used to roll over.. But not much now with his old age..) speak, ect., ect.. When he needs to go out.. I say "Let's go outside" and he gets all excited and runs aound until I take him out.. The puppy is following suit..

The only problem I am having with the puppy on leash training.. She dont want to walk out the door on a leash nor does she like walking off the grass onto the road.. She will just stop dead in her tracks.. Like.. She is afraid of the porch or afraid of the road... I can pick her up and carry her over the porch or pick her up and place her on the road.. Then she walks fine.. But she just stops dead in her tracks when I try getting her to walk over either of them.. Weird! I guess its something that I will have to get her to over come with time.. I mean.. She is only 8 weeks as of 3 days ago...

She's an adorable pup, Redneck. Try not to be too intimidated by all of the suggestions on what this dog "will" be like because of her breed/mix; while every breed has certain behavioral traits, most of the less favorable ones can be curbed by careful training and thorough socialization. The ammount of effort you invest in your dog will generally be reflected in its behavior, irrespective of its breed. Just be aware of the potential problem areas and work on them from the get-go - and stay consistent over time, of course. Best of luck with her!

Thanks Ren! Im not much "intimidated" by all the comments really.. I am glad to hear people voiceing what I should expect though.. Its giving me a head up really.. And I greatly appreciate that! I really do!

I really didn't mean to offend you Tommy I really do believe you a good animal person & will put in the necessary work.

It's just that I see/hear so much about working/herding dogs ending up in the wrong situation, I hate it when things turn out badly in the end. Especially since some breeds can turn out dangerous. I'm just more concerned with your, your family, & the puppy's wellbeing If you keep her, please do get involved with some locals that have experience with her breed, that really would be awesome.

The people i've known with them didn't all have dangerous dogs either. The non-working homes were people with young dogs with 9-5 type jobs. Those dogs didn't show aggression, they just found ways to entertain themselves. But I have a feeling that you probably have a large yard or land, which would make your situation still better then theirs as were in apartments & subdivision type areas. The couple of people that we knew were dangerous ones were simply idiots who thought you can simply turn guard dogs loose & allow them to guard without any form of training or control

I really hope I didn't offend you to much You don't strike me as the type to abandon a dog over something like a little bit more work, but I don't think there is any harm at all in anyone saying a breed isn't a suitable mix. My family members have gotten us so many poor choices in dog breeds that we later had to rehome (mom decided to adopt a greyhound...we lived on 40 acres with no fenced in yard ) due to breed traits, i'll never get another dog without extensive research

Niki.. Being that I knew what you meant.. You only offended me a little.. The only reason I felt offended.. You just assumed (Or so I read it that way..) that just because I might have to put more effort or time into the puppy I would be best off just reselling her..

But I know you dint really mean it in an offensive way.. So we are still alright!

As for working.. It seems I will be not working for a little longer.. The new job I was trying to get decided they would rather have someone with a valid DL than someone that has one suspended..

So.. It give me more time to spend more of my savings & more time to get the puppy trained.. < Thats for the part of spending more of the savings!

Redneck, you have just earned my greatest respect. I always believed that when you adopt an animal, you adopt for life - that they are not disposable products or something you just return when you want. They are living souls and come into our lives for reason. I really admire you for taking the time to work with her and love her and put forth the commitment to ensure she has a healthy and loving home. I wish there were more people like you in this world. Princess is a beautiful name - and I can just see you walking her with the pink leash and collar with hearts.

Thanks Kathy! I did feel sort of weird walking her yesterday with the pink collar and leash with hearts.. I really didnt walk her much though.. I put one end on Tyler and let him assist me in walking her.. He is such a good dog! They both sleep together in her Kennel.. Tyler has always slept with me.. Until I brought her Kennel in.. Now he jumps in the Kennel with her!

So cute that he is being all "daddy" like..

Nice pup! My brother had 2 of them and they are a dog that you have to master and show your in charge but if you do that then hopefully like my brothers dogs you wont have any problems

Thanks! I am honestly still learning how to actually "master" a dog..

I have seen that Cesar Millan on TV.. Plus the Pitbull Chat that I was suggested to join by another member..

Some of the tricks I picked up off of Cesar's show.. Like.. Not sure how to explain it.. But where he gently grabs the scruff of the neck to get the attention of the dog.. I think he said its what the mother or dominate dog would do to "discipline" the pup if it was acting up.. The ignoring the pup when it whines for attention..

The puppy is a good learner.. So that is really helping me out alot to!

That is the point I'm trying to make. It ALWAYS helps to know what you're getting and how it is LIKELY to act and what YOU have to do in order to maximize the positive, whether it's a snake, or a tarantula, or a dog. Catahoulas have a very different breed personality from American Pit Bulls because they were bred for a different purpose, and knowing what that purpose, or rather, PURPOSES, is a key to understanding the dog. They are also not bred primarily as pets and show dogs, as most APBT's are, even the "game-bred" lines, but almost strictly as working or hunting dogs, and the traits which make them so well-suited for those tasks also make them poor pets for MOST people. However, as long as the owner knows what to expect, and knows how to deal with it, and is not in denial about the dog's nature as most pet owners are, the problems can be kept to a minimum. Most of the people I sold pet puppies to believed that they could "love" the unwanted traits out of the dog, or that their puppy would be different from all the rest, or that their experience with Shih-Tzus or Labs would prepare them for a Catahoula. In other words, they refused to believe me when I told them what to expect from that cute little blue-eyed puppy as it grew into a powerhouse of a working dog. My aunt is currently experiencing the same heartaches and hassles because she bought a female German Shepherd that is bred directly from serious European(Czeck and German lines)military/police/Schutzhund lines. She'd had old-fashioned American "farm-type" German Shepherds, but soon discovered that the name is about the only thing the European dogs have in common with the dogs she grew up with! She was very ill-prepared for this high-drive, intense, highly-intelligent working dog, and both she and the dog are miserable as a result, yet she refuses to place the dog with someone else. She is not an "Alpha", and the dog IS, and she lives a low-key lifestyle, which is not suitable for this type of dog, OR a Catahoula, since both were bred exclusively to be working dogs. I'd rather "scare" someone into being vigilant and have them be prepared for the problems that WILL arise, than to blow smoke up their butts and have them become complacent and be shocked when the dog does something that the owner won't like at all. It is also vitally important with ANY merle dog, regardless of breed, to know just what all that gene entails and what physical issues it can cause, to be prepared to deal with those IF and when they show up, and this is especially true if the merle dog has a lot of white on it. The old adage, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" applies really well here.

pitbulllady

I really enjoy reading your posts.. They IMO are not really ones that scare me.. But you are blunt & to the point about each breed.. Its more of an eye opener to me.. And as I said before.. I greatly appreciate it! I dont want to go all half cocked thinking the wrong thing or expecting the pup to be one way.. When truely she is going to be the exact opposite.. So again I thank you for you participation in the thread!

 

[Redneck]

Some new pictures..

A few shots I took of Princess..

This one is the first day.. She has that new harness on & is sleeping under my desk!


Day one with Princess (5) by rednecklivin08, on Flickr

Here she is outside at my Mom's playing with my Sister's/Neice's Chihuahua..
Not really a clear shot.. They both were hopping around and playing!


Day two with Princess by rednecklivin08, on Flickr

She is behind Tyler in the floorboard of the truck on the way home.. She seems a bit scared of going for rides in trucks/cars.. Going to have to get her over that fear!


Day two with Princess (2) by rednecklivin08, on Flickr

And just because I love this old dog.. Here is a couple shots of Tyler getting all excited about going outside.. I am so happy to hear.. Chihuahuas can live 18-25 years.. With his health now.. I expect him to hit atleast 24.. Im going for 30 though! It will be a world record! (I dont really expect that.. But it would be nice! Not for a world record.. But just to have him that long! )

He has such big ears!


P1110067 by rednecklivin08, on Flickr

Here he is talking.. The camera is a bit slow..


P1110073 by rednecklivin08, on Flickr

In this shot.. He is just starting to roll over.. Only makes it half way now days..


P1110069 by rednecklivin08, on Flickr

 

[Redneck]

A couple things that have me confused...

When I am at home with her.. She is chill! Jumps around a bit.. Then lays under either my desk or bed & sleeps.. However.. When I take her for a walk around the block (I figure that is good enough for an 8 week old pup.. Right?) I stop at my Mom's hang out for a bit.. While we are there.. She whines non stop! Why is that? Home sick maybe?

Now.. At home.. She is a goof... She will bounce around & play with Tyler when he is in the mood or she will just play with her toy.. Mostly tries to chew on the carpet or my recliner.. But once I get say "NO! Get your toy!" she normally leaves that stuff alone and get the toy..

But.. Why if she has a toy.. Does she feel the need to chew on my recliner & carpet? Should I get her more toys? At the moment she only has a rope with a loop & a knot on one end.. The other end has a knot and shredded rope.. Im thinking she is in need of more toys.. But I dont want to make her feel "spoiled" thinking she can get her way because she whines..

 

[pitbulllady]

A couple things that have me confused...

When I am at home with her.. She is chill! Jumps around a bit.. Then lays under either my desk or bed & sleeps.. However.. When I take her for a walk around the block (I figure that is good enough for an 8 week old pup.. Right?) I stop at my Mom's hang out for a bit.. While we are there.. She whines non stop! Why is that? Home sick maybe?

Now.. At home.. She is a goof... She will bounce around & play with Tyler when he is in the mood or she will just play with her toy.. Mostly tries to chew on the carpet or my recliner.. But once I get say "NO! Get your toy!" she normally leaves that stuff alone and get the toy..

But.. Why if she has a toy.. Does she feel the need to chew on my recliner & carpet? Should I get her more toys? At the moment she only has a rope with a loop & a knot on one end.. The other end has a knot and shredded rope.. Im thinking she is in need of more toys.. But I dont want to make her feel "spoiled" thinking she can get her way because she whines..

Two things right there are REALLY upsetting me, Redneck, as they are among the most-overt symptoms of a deaf puppy! The fact that your puppy is a merle, AND has a lot of white on her, automatically does predispose her to congenital deafness that is linked to this gene. All merle-with-white dogs aren't deaf, but a high percentage are, and having bred Catahoulas for so many years, I've seen my share of deaf puppies. Two key signs that you have a deaf pup are 1) the puppy sleeps a lot, more than most puppies do, and 2)the puppy whines/cries/barks a lot. Catahoulas are not typically vocal dogs. They are not yappy and prone to making a lot of noise unless they have a very, very good reason to do so, not even as puppies. Without exception, every deaf pup I wound up with cried and whined a great deal, something which set them apart from the other pups. They were either very aloof and avoided other puppies and people, OR they were extremely "clingy" and "needy" and required constant company. They also slept a great deal and did not display the level of activity that the other puppies did, and often slept very deeply, completely undisturbed by sounds, since they couldn't hear them. Other Catahoulas, even as young pups, are "hard-wired" to sleep lightly and wake up at the slightest hint that something might be amiss, a trait that you'd expect to see in a guarding breed.

Deaf pups can be remarkably adaptable, though, and quickly learn to keep an eye on you and observe your body language. Often, when you THINK the puppy is responding to your voice, it's not; it's just watching your mouth and facial/body expression, which changes when you're displeased with what the puppy is doing. Often, pups can suffer from incomplete deafness, which allows them to hear certain pitches of sound, and they react to things with those pitches. Some, but not all, deaf pups seem even more clumsy and uncoordinated than others, since the same defect that impairs their hearing also can affect balance, so frequent stumbling or falling over, which is often overlooked as a sign of normal puppy clumsiness/goofiness, can be another sign that something isn't right.

The only real way to be sure of her hearing is by use of what is known as "BAER testing", which most vets do not perform, so you will need to find out who, in your area, does this. Be aware that the merle gene can affect other organs and the immune system as well as hearing, and these defects often won't show up until the pup is much older. I had to put down two pups due to liver shunts; they started out as normal, healthy pups, but after reaching a certain point, stopped growing, and began to have some major heath issues in spite of what I did. I put down two others, in unrelated litters, due to kidney failure before they reached six months of age. I had another promising pup put down before he turned a year old because the growth plates in his rear lets fused when he was only 3 months old, while the front legs continued to grow at a normal rate, resulting in him becoming totally crippled. All of these things were directly connected to the merle gene. I sincerely HOPE your puppy is OK, but you need to know that the possibility of her having something wrong with her is very real and be prepared to handle it. It can be hard enough to deal with a Catahoula with NORMAL hearing, let alone a deaf one. Again, I'm not trying to scare anyone, but to withhold that information would be wrong.

pitbulllady

 

[NikiP]

That's interesting about the merle gene causing the other issues with the fact that it's similar to the bad white genes in horses.

See there's one white gene in horses that can (not always) cause deafness (generally the facial white crosses over the eyes when it's deaf and usually has blue eyes, referred to as splash white) and the other bad one causes completely white foals with incomplete digestive tracts, called lethal white syndrome.

 

[SK8TERBOI]

Wow Man What a Cute Puppy Makes me miss when mine was so Tiny i could let him jump at me and play now if he jumps at me he knocks me down But great looking Pup you got who cares whether it's a special pit it's still really nice wanna trade

 

[Redneck]

Two things right there are REALLY upsetting me, Redneck, as they are among the most-overt symptoms of a deaf puppy! The fact that your puppy is a merle, AND has a lot of white on her, automatically does predispose her to congenital deafness that is linked to this gene. All merle-with-white dogs aren't deaf, but a high percentage are, and having bred Catahoulas for so many years, I've seen my share of deaf puppies. Two key signs that you have a deaf pup are 1) the puppy sleeps a lot, more than most puppies do, and 2)the puppy whines/cries/barks a lot. Catahoulas are not typically vocal dogs. They are not yappy and prone to making a lot of noise unless they have a very, very good reason to do so, not even as puppies. Without exception, every deaf pup I wound up with cried and whined a great deal, something which set them apart from the other pups. They were either very aloof and avoided other puppies and people, OR they were extremely "clingy" and "needy" and required constant company. They also slept a great deal and did not display the level of activity that the other puppies did, and often slept very deeply, completely undisturbed by sounds, since they couldn't hear them. Other Catahoulas, even as young pups, are "hard-wired" to sleep lightly and wake up at the slightest hint that something might be amiss, a trait that you'd expect to see in a guarding breed.

Deaf pups can be remarkably adaptable, though, and quickly learn to keep an eye on you and observe your body language. Often, when you THINK the puppy is responding to your voice, it's not; it's just watching your mouth and facial/body expression, which changes when you're displeased with what the puppy is doing. Often, pups can suffer from incomplete deafness, which allows them to hear certain pitches of sound, and they react to things with those pitches. Some, but not all, deaf pups seem even more clumsy and uncoordinated than others, since the same defect that impairs their hearing also can affect balance, so frequent stumbling or falling over, which is often overlooked as a sign of normal puppy clumsiness/goofiness, can be another sign that something isn't right.

The only real way to be sure of her hearing is by use of what is known as "BAER testing", which most vets do not perform, so you will need to find out who, in your area, does this. Be aware that the merle gene can affect other organs and the immune system as well as hearing, and these defects often won't show up until the pup is much older. I had to put down two pups due to liver shunts; they started out as normal, healthy pups, but after reaching a certain point, stopped growing, and began to have some major heath issues in spite of what I did. I put down two others, in unrelated litters, due to kidney failure before they reached six months of age. I had another promising pup put down before he turned a year old because the growth plates in his rear lets fused when he was only 3 months old, while the front legs continued to grow at a normal rate, resulting in him becoming totally crippled. All of these things were directly connected to the merle gene. I sincerely HOPE your puppy is OK, but you need to know that the possibility of her having something wrong with her is very real and be prepared to handle it. It can be hard enough to deal with a Catahoula with NORMAL hearing, let alone a deaf one. Again, I'm not trying to scare anyone, but to withhold that information would be wrong.

pitbulllady

PBL.. I dont believe she is deaf... I can make the slightest sound & she pops up from her nap..

When I say she sleeps alot.. She normally naps after a long walk.. I have been walking her 3 blocks each day so far.. Stopping at my folks house & letting her play with the other dogs there.. When we make it back home.. She gets some water.. Then lays for a nap for about 30-45 minutes.. Then she wakes up.. Goes outside.. Does her business comes in & plays with either Tyler or myself for a while.. Then.. She stays up for the most part playing with her chew toy.. Then I feed/water, take outside, place in kennel, she barks for a little bit.. Then goes to sleep after about an hour or so..


The only times she whines/barks/cries/ect... She whines when she has to go outside..
She will sit at her food dish and whine when she is hungry or thirsty.. Once I take her out or feed/water her.. She stops.. Also.. She whines & barks when left in her kennel or in a room alone.. Like she is having separation anxiety or is feeling alone? Other than all these.. She is a very quiet pup..

 

[Kathy]

PBL.. I dont believe she is deaf... I can make the slightest sound & she pops up from her nap..

When I say she sleeps alot.. She normally naps after a long walk.. I have been walking her 3 blocks each day so far.. Stopping at my folks house & letting her play with the other dogs there.. When we make it back home.. She gets some water.. Then lays for a nap for about 30-45 minutes.. Then she wakes up.. Goes outside.. Does her business comes in & plays with either Tyler or myself for a while.. Then.. She stays up for the most part playing with her chew toy.. Then I feed/water, take outside, place in kennel, she barks for a little bit.. Then goes to sleep after about an hour or so..


The only times she whines/barks/cries/ect... She whines when she has to go outside..
She will sit at her food dish and whine when she is hungry or thirsty.. Once I take her out or feed/water her.. She stops.. Also.. She whines & barks when left in her kennel or in a room alone.. Like she is having separation anxiety or is feeling alone? Other than all these.. She is a very quiet pup..

Sounds to me like a perfectly normal pup!!! Play, crash, eat, pee, poop, whine when lonely, whine when hungry! Yep! I see nothing to worry about - acts like every puppy I've ever seen.

 

[Miss Bianca]

I know it's late , but congratulations! What a beaut!