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Trying to bond with fiance's dog
My fiance and I have recently moved into a house from an apartment. He has a pit bull terrior that is cage trained and that is a year old. Now that we are out of the apartment and in a house he is out of his cage most the time except at night. I have tried for the past year to bond with his dog ever since he got him as a puppy. He is very very hyper and is well trained and also neutered, however I don't know why I feel like I can not connect with his dog. His dog likes me, but I'm not sure if it is because I was bitten once by a dog (smaller and differewnt breed) and I subconsciencely am keeping my guard up...I have no idea! I am the one that always walks him, feeds him, keeps him from chewing up things, etc as my fiance is a disabled vet and I try to help him as much as possible. Also, my DD LOVES this dog and the dog plays and gives her kisses which I love seeing her love animals! Maybe it is because of his breed that I'm a little weary? He really is a sweet dog that acts like a big baby.
I am also trying to get use to dog hair being everywhere! I don't mind it most times, but when it is on the bed it bothers me! Sigh...how do I get past this and make this dog my companion too? How can I reduce his shedding (he has short hair already)? Any tips from keeping him from chewing up my DD's toys? I was thinking about getting a safety gate for her room and of course making sure her things are picked up...
Thanks in advance!
Re: Trying to bond with fiance's dog
To connect with the dog, I recommend signing up for obedience classes with her. You said the dog is well-trained, so maybe intermediate or advanced classes. There are lots of options in my area -- I started taking my dog less than a week after we adopted her to my local Petsmart for classes, not so much to actually learn commands as to learn how to interact with her, get her to trust me, etc. I've read that dogs bond with you best when you walk them or train them.
To reduce the dog hair on your dog, I've read that the Furminator is good. Different grooming places also have "de-shedding" treatments that they will do for you (I think most of them just use the Furminator). It took me a few weeks to get used to dog hair everywhere (I used to keep the house pristine) and I think loving the dog is the only thing that makes me OK with the mess. I don't think I would have handled the transition so well if we hadn't been in obedience classes and I wasn't seeing the constant improvements in her and just feeling proud of her for what she was learning. I know your dog is more advanced than that, but it still might help.
Normally, I advise walking and feeding the dog but you're already doing that. You say he's also well-trained, but hyper -- maybe try taking him to a trick-training class, or maybe a dog-sport like agility or flyball?
I'm really sad to hear that you think it may be because of his breed. The shelter I volunteer for has about 80 to 85% pit bull-type dogs and I have one myself -- they are fantastic dogs. I would suggest reading up about them (The Pit Bull Placebo is free to download) and also check out sites like http://www.badrap.org/, http://stubbydog.org/ and
http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pit_bulls.cfm
About the shedding -- what kind of food does the dog eat? That can make a big difference.
It sounds like you are already making a great effort to bond with the dog. All your chores are care related though...do you ever do anything just to play with him? Like run around a dog park or just go out back to throw balls and goof off? Do you try and talk to him? Dogs are remarkably good listeners =P
Is it just this dog you are having trouble bonding with or have you never owned a dog before? Because with all the effort, it sounds like maybe you just aren't a dog person. And you know, that's perfectly okay. You can see the dog as part of your family and accept them for who they are but just not really be a dog person.
It also sounds like he needs a ton of exercise.:) a dog park nearby you would be the best place to take him.
And he also needs a Furminator. ANy pet store sells them. It works wonders to comb out all the hair that a dog has, including an undercoat.
What you do not wish your dog to chew up, keep out of his reach.:) It's as simple as that --- surely you must have a toy bin with a lid of some kind.
As much as I love my Furminator for my Aussie, it does nothing on pitties, because they don't have an undercoat.
I agree, a friend of mine has one for her German Shepherd (which works wonders on him!), but my pittie's fur is too short. Just a regular dog brush every other day should help with the shedding.
To the OP, I would bet the main issue with your lack of bonding is your subconscious "fear" or discomfort. Dogs can sense that type of thing. I second the opinion of a PP though, pitties are one of the greatest breeds around. They are SO loyal and protective, playful and loving. Don't give up!