Puppy Question

[LuvConan]

Hi everyone. I've been reading the posts here and you guys seem to know a lot about the breed and have given great advice. I have a couple questions about my 11 week old pit bull. The first is on his eating habits. He doesn't eat very much no matter what I do to get him to eat. I started him out on dry food and he ate all of his food all the time for about a week. Then he stopped eating it completely. So I started adding a little bit of wet food and he loved it for a while. Now I have trouble even getting him to eat that and I don't want him to get too skinny or malnurished. Do you think he is just being picky? Have any ideas?

The second question I have is on potty training. He is an absolutely brilliant puppy and catches on to everything really fast. He is completely potty trained at home and has learned to sit at the top of the stairs and bark when he needs to go out. The problem I'm having is that I take him to work and he refuses to go to the bathroom outside. Even if I go outside with him for 1/2 hour, the second we walk back inside he goes on the floor. Why would he be doing this?

Any advice you have is really appreciated.

[loves-da-pits]

That's funny. My Reese is the same way. I took him to work and he wouldn't go outside. When he was a pup, he would end up going on the shop floor. When he became an adult, he would hold it all day till he got home. Even when he has to spend the day at the vet for a physical or something, he won't go. It's a wonder he doesn't explode. One things nice, though, we can go for a walk and I don't have to take a plastic bag or a pooper scooper with me. He's kind of like me. I don't like to use gas station rest rooms When I travel.

[Angie]

I'm sorry I can't help you out but you might want to start by putting down paper at work for him to go on.

Do you feed him table food at anytime?

[k9resq]

I am the proud Mommy of a 12 week old pit, but have been rescuing dogs full time for many years. First the food-if you change your dogs food, it teaches them to be picky. It also upsets their tummy (which causes them not to eat-making us think they don't like the food soooo we change again!!) Find a good quality food and stick with it. Your puppy may need time to adjust, but he will eat when he's hungry.
Now to the potty problems. Our new baby will stand at the door and just DIE to come in, we let her in she pees!! Crate training is the only way to go!! I have trained the most stubborn of dogs with a crate. They hate to potty in their own little space,so they learn to hold it until you take them out. There is a lot of info about crate training on the web if you want to look it up and learn more.
GOOD LUCK !!!!!!

[Sara]

Crate training,

Feeding on a schedule

Feeding by hand sometimes are all great ways to get the dogs to eat and to potty train them.

I switched from dry to wet food when my pup got tired of one... She'd quit eating the dry so I'd go to watering it down...etc... it worked pretty well...I also fed her by hand at times... She was a dog that didn't eat too.

[LuvConan]

Thanks for all of the tips you guys gave me. I don't feed him any people food because I don't want him to get in the habit of eating that. So I guess I'll just stick to the food he's on now... I've been giving him Natural Choice puppy food... I'll try doing all of the things you said and let you know how it's going. =)

[BossierCityPit]

I almost had the same problem, my pit could eat but he would vomit it right back up. came to find out it was some rare complication... But try to but somthing sweet in with its food. (carole syrup). if you are concerned about the wieght you can go to a local pet store and buy a product named (petcal) it comes in a toothpaste tube, its high pro. and cal. the dog will love it.