New pit mix owner

[Randeehess]

I have a 8 week old pit-chow mix and I have some questions about her. I think she has a bladder infection because she is peeing all the time. I will taking her to the vet but I want to know if anyone has a similar breed or if all pits are about the same? I will post some pictures of her. I enjoy learning from all of you. Also I live in Las Vegas and I was wondering if anyone here if familiar with any pit laws in Nevada? Please let me know, THanks

Randee

[spencerpits]

First, let me say welcome and congratulations! As for the peeing - that sounds normal for an 8 week old puppy. They have little bladders, and their bladder/bowel control isn't fully 'functional' yet. As for the Nevada laws, I can't help ya there. Try doing a search on Google.com

[MyPetTherapyDog]

Congratulations on your new baby.
Try calling your town/city's ACO office or the town/ city hall and ask them if they have any BSL laws in place.
Again, congratulations!

[Randeehess]

Thank you for welcoming me! I really enjoy all of the information that is offered on this website. I think it is very informitive. I will continue to work with Dixie on potty training and chewing. I will be uploading some pic's of her as soon as I figure out how!! Thanks for all the information!

Randee

[spencerpits]

Here is an article on potty training that I just came across:

Housetraining a Puppy
By Wendy Dreyer

The Three Laws of Learning

1. Behavior that is rewarded is most likely to be repeated. Reward the behavior you want, ignore the behavior you don’t want, unless it is dangerous or destructive.
2. Behavior that is not reinforced (rewarded) is most likely to be extinguished. Note: Some behaviors are self-reinforcing.
3. Once a behavior is established, occasional reward makes the behavior stronger. This is also called the Gambler’s Syndrome.

I have housetrained many puppies with great success, in all seasons. The method below is not my invention. In fact, it is not a “method”. This is about learning your puppy’s needs, physiology, behavior and ability to learn.

The Crate
Watch the puppy. Crate your puppy when you can’t watch him. You and the puppy need a safe place for him to go when you can't watch him every second, where he won't learn bad habits. Dogs are DEN animals. A crate is like a den. A small room like a bathroom or back porch is not the same. It is too big, the ceiling too high, and nothing like a den. If you can't afford a crate, borrow one. A crate for your puppy (and when he’s an adult) is as important as a bed for your child. Keep the crate in a busy convenient location such as the kitchen or living room where the family spends a lot of time.

When you eat dinner, he goes in the crate. When the phone rings, he goes in the crate before you answer the phone. When you leave for work, the dog goes in the crate. When he eats, he eats in the crate. When he naps, put him in his crate. When you just need a break from puppy watching, crate him! Put him in the crate in a happy voice, have a nice soft fleece for him to lie on, give him a favorite chew toy and shut the door. Ignore fussing, don’t talk to him, and don’t let him out when he is fussing (Law #2). If he learns that fussing gets him out of the crate to be with you (Law #1), then he will fuss louder and longer every time.

Elimination
Every time you take the puppy out of the crate, put the collar and leash on the puppy and take him outside, even if you have a fenced yard. Very young puppies (8-10 weeks, maybe to 12 wks) need to be carried from crate to door, or they will urinate before they get outside. Don't ever put him out by himself! This physical connection is very important for bonding and training. The leash is not for corrections or pulling the dog, but only to keep the pup close to you. He should not wear a collar when he is inside, as he may get tangled in it and injure himself. I have seen puppies get their lower jaw hooked on a collar, or foot stuck through a collar. It is too great a risk.


Do not rely on a puppy to tell you when it's time to go out. That is expecting too much responsibility and communication at too early an age. It is up to you, the adult human (This is not a child's job!), to know when he needs to go out. Watch his activity level and the clock. An 8-12 wk puppy that is busy playing may need to urinate every 15-20 minutes, whereas a resting puppy might go for an hour, and a sleeping puppy can go 8 hours at night. Activity makes urine! Activity makes urine! Repeat this 10 times, slowly. This is a very important lesson for new puppy owners. Dogs have an instinctive sense of cleanliness for their den. They are reluctant to wet or soil it, and will keep it clean and dry if physically possible. Eventually this sense of cleanliness will eventually extend to your entire house.

With the puppy on a leash, go to the place where you want him to eliminate, and be as boring as possible. Stay in one place. This is not a walk for sniffing and exploring; that comes after. Use commands for elimination. I use a different word for each function (since they use different muscle groups), "Quickly" for urinate, and "Hurry up!" for defecate. You can choose your own words, just be sure they are not words used often in your everyday conversation, or at least have a unique way of saying it.
Say "Quickly!" repeatedly until the pup urinates. It becomes a habit for both of you, and soon you will only need to say it once and he will go immediately. This is the ONLY TIME I recommend saying a command repeatedly in training. (If you are clicker training, click and treat (c/t) as the urine stream ends. The click ends the behavior.)
OVER-REACT with joy when the pup goes. “WOW!!” “Good Boy!” “Aren't you wonderful!!” in a high pitched very happy voice. Be a clown for your puppy! Make him believe you think he is incredible for eliminating outside. Give him a treat and toss a ball or play chase or let him walk around and explore. You want him to learn that first he urinates, and then the fun begins. Since this is such an important part of training your pet, use triple rewards, Treat, Praise, and Play. Eventually he will learn to eliminate as soon as he is out the door. Keep up with the "on command" training, since this comes in very handy when you are traveling. Use the same methods for solid elimination, but substitute "Hurry Up!” for "Quickly!" Be in touch with your dog's elimination needs, so you can predict his need to "Hurry Up". This will help to get it on command. It is wonderful having dogs trained to eliminate on cue, and builds a trust in the relationship of understanding and cooperation.

The behavior behind this training (and perhaps an explanation for problems): Dogs develop substrate preferences for eliminating. By substrate, I mean texture they feel under their feet. In their first few weeks of life they need their mother to lick their genital area to stimulate elimination. Around 4 weeks of age they begin to control this themselves. Elimination is a self-rewarding behavior because it feels good. They associate this good feeling with the environment they are in at the time. This is about the same time they are walking well enough to go outside. If they are taken outside enough, several times a day, during this period of development (4 through 8 weeks) they will associate the good feeling of relieving themselves with the grass under their feet, the sky above, and all the smells and sounds of the outdoors. The tactile experience, the texture under the feet, becomes the cue.

If your puppy does not already have this outdoor experience, then you can start providing it for him when you get him, to retrain whatever “substrate preference” he has already learned.

IGNORE ACCIDENTS IN THE HOUSE. This is the hard part, especially if you have ignorant people telling you to punish. If the puppy has an accident, Oops! You forgot to watch the dog! With practice, your observation and timing will get better. So will your clean-up methods. Remember, you are new at this too! Punishment will just make him think you are unpredictable, a jerk and he can't trust you. We don't punish human babies for going in their diapers, nor is there any place for punishing a puppy for going in the house.

The basic lesson is: Reward behavior you want repeated. Ignore behavior you don't want. Clean up the accident. Blot up the urine, use a good soapy cleaner such as Fantastic, and rinse with a solution of white distilled vinegar and water (1:4). The vinegar chemically counteracts the urine and the soap. SLOWLY you will be able to extend the time between eliminating. Watch your pup's needs. It is his bladder maturity that controls the timing, not your agenda. Be patient!

REVIEW: Learning to eliminate outside is a tactile and environmental experience for the pup. The sensation of emptying the bladder and bowels feels good and is self-reinforcing. The pup will learn to associate that good feeling with the snow, grass, or gravel, etc, under his feet, the sky above, wearing his collar and leash, and your praise. What could be better? His world, starting with you, is dependable, rewarding and trustworthy.
As the dog gets older he will remember the habit of eliminating first, every time he goes out. Keep up with the commands so they are embedded in the behavior. This becomes valuable when traveling, visiting a large city, relatives, a quick trip out in a rainstorm, etc.



Review:
Watch the puppy.
Crate the puppy when you can’t watch him.
Ignore fussing in the crate.
Collar and Leash to take him out.
Teach him to eliminate on command.
Reward him for eliminating with praise, a treat and a brief play session.

[Randeehess]

Thanks for the information on potty training. I really needed help! I have noticed that Dixie dosen't respond to treats. I have been trying to prasie her with treats but It's like nothing to her. I don't know if its just because she dosen't know what it means yet or what but I'm trying the advice that I got on the bitting and I'm still working on it with her. I know it takes patience!!!!! I'm always interested in new advice so keep me informed!!!


Randee

[Piper's Mom]

Although 8 week old puppies do potty a lot, it could still be a bladder infection. Piper had one @ 9 weeks - the vet said it was "from holding it all night long in her crate". I knew there was a problem when she began peeing in her crate after doing so well for over a month. She got to the point where she had an accident in her crate even if she were only in there a short time. Her having accidents in her crate was my clue that she had a problem. The good new is if yours does, it is a problem that is easily solved and gets better quickly. Good luck!