Caring For A 5 Month Old Pitbull
Everybody loves the idea of caring for a puppy but the actual process of doing so can be very daunting for a lot of people.
Pitbulls have a bad reputation, this comes from terrible dog owners using the breed as a weapon rather than a member of the family.
In reality the breed is like any other puppy; they are adorable and sweet and make amazing family pets.
Taking care of a puppy is never an easy task to undertake and pitbull puppies will need that extra bit of work to ensure they are properly cared for and trained.
Training a puppy is a big task but one every dog owner must embark on to have a happy and healthy dog.
Making sure that your puppy is trained correctly is vital to ensuring that they develop correctly and have the correct behaviors when they are grown up.
This is the same for humans too and raising a puppy is used by many couples as a test run for raising a baby in the future.
We have compiled all the information you will need to care for your puppy.
Caring For A Pitbull
Pitbulls are one of the world’s most misunderstood animals, when raised correctly they can be the best friend to both you and any children.
It’s a major misconception that pitbulls hate children, they see them as they do any other human and when they know how to behave they can be the perfect friend to them.
There are places in the world where pitbulls have been made illegal to own and unfortunately the bad eggs do very bad things because they are either neglected by their owners or have been raised as a weapon by the owner.
Pitbulls by nature are not aggressive but there are certain breeds that were bred to be fighting dogs so can be quicker to anger than other dog breeds.
The exact cause of the aggressiveness is hard to determine and most can be easily attributed to poor training that the puppy was part of during its early life.
We know when they are raised properly they can be the most friendly and gentle dog you could possibly wish for.
The way they look can also be a factor as to why someone could be apprehensive around a pitbull.
Their strong jaws and wide mouth can give the illusion that they are aggressive.
They can look domineering but once again much like their reputation this can also be a positive as when they are happy it looks like they are smiling with being so excited.
If trained well from a young age then your pitbull will never be a danger to anyone and can be the perfect companion and member of your family.
So what are some things that you can do to train your new pitbull pup to be the friendly smiley pet you would want any children to be around.
Here are several things that you can be doing.
Socializing
Perhaps the most important thing you can do to have your hobby be trained properly is to allow it to socialize and be used to being around other dogs and also around new people.
You should start community integration at a young age as this is when they are the most receptive to learning new things and leads them to grow up into a dog that can be comfortable around new dogs and new humans.
Socializing means that you should be walking your dog frequently and allowing it to interact with any dogs and people that it comes in contact with whilst on the walk.
Doing this is crucial as if you shy them away from other animals and people then the dog will grow into one that has a difficult time being around strangers and fellow dogs.
Having them be around other dogs will teach your puppy how it should be behaving, like children learn from those around them, as do dogs and isolating them from that experience will leave them growing up without the correct socialization.
The environment they are raised in is the most important part, animals can be raised alongside other animals and act like their brothers and sisters and not like their species.
So raising your dog with other dogs or having it be around dogs will make them be like their siblings and fellow breeds.
Training
This along with socializing is incredibly important in making your puppy into the well behaving pitbull that you want.
Once again it is much easier to train when the pitbull is younger as they are more receptive to the commands you wish to teach them.
In doing this you will teach your dog to respond to certain words and phrases that can make them behave and stop any negative behavior.
Using words and phrases you can correct behaviors that every puppy will go through as they explore the world around them.
If you notice they are barking or biting too much then teach them a command that will get them to stop.
Stopping your puppy from biting is essential to making them behave as a fully grown pitbull.
Whilst you know that the puppy is just playing and developing by nipping you it does reinforce the idea that biting is okay and when a fully grown pitbull believes it can bite as it was never taught not to.
That bite will hurt much more than it did as a puppy, and despite knowing it was not intentional that does not mean that strangers will not think differently.
When training the puppy you should always use positive reinforcement instead of negative as you want your puppy to be treated the same way you would a person and constantly rebuffering it when it is struggling to learn is not productive or healthy.
Dogs are able to feel and sense emotions using negative reinforcement techniques will do nothing but cause the dog discomfort.
This does not mean that you should not let the puppy know who is in charge as if the pitbull believes it is your equal then you will be in a mess trying to control them.
To get your pitbull to see you as its owner you must be consistent as when the puppy disobeys a command you simply continue to issue the command until it will listen and this will include the dog letting you groom it something that many innately hate.
Vaccinate
This is an essential part of raising a healthy puppy, you have to vaccinate them if you want them to live a happy and full life. It’s not a question.
Vaccinations will protect your pup from the many diseases that can kill dogs.
Puppies should be vaccinated starting from eight weeks of age with boosters being administered three to four weeks later.
Your puppy is five months old so ensure that you check with a vet that your pitbull has had all the vaccinations necessary for its age.
Perhaps the most important vaccination that your pup needs is its Lyme disease and rabies jabs.
In places it can be illegal to not have your pup be vaccinated against these diseases as they can rapidly spread and are incredibly dangerous.
Vaccinating your dog will ensure that your pitbull is protected and safe as it grows and comes in contact more and more with the outside world.
Exercise
Pitbulls are one of the strongest breeds when they are fully grown.
So it is beneficial to allow your puppy to exercise as often as possible to allow its muscles to support their frame that develops as they grow older.
It is recommended that you walk your puppy at least twice a day.
If you cannot for some reason walk your dog then they are especially made for dogs to walk indoors.
There are many different forms of exercise that will allow your dog to thrive and the benefits are endless.
The most obvious benefit is that exercise keeps your dog fit and healthy whilst also burning off their seemingly endless amounts of excess energy.
Keeping your puppy fit and engaged keeps them happy and means they can enjoy the outdoors whilst you know that they have been properly trained.
Pitbulls love to pull on their lead so if you feel you are hurting your dog or are getting frustrated then there are many harnesses available that will help to lower down the pulling.
Mental Stimulation
Mental stimulation is an overlooked part of ensuring you properly care for your pitbull.
Dogs are a lot like us, if you leave them in a room with nothing to do then they will be bored and over time this will make them depressed.
If your dog is bored then it can lead to them acting out and becoming destructive.
This could mean destroying furniture and to stop this from happening you must provide your dog with stimulants that can be enough to keep it entertained whilst alone.
There are various methods to keep the dog stimulated. This can be food dispensing toys, the boys will require the dog to play with the toy until a kibble is released from it, incentivising prolonged play.
This process can take so long that by the time your dog is finished getting all of the treats they will be too exhausted to do anything else destructive, and this simple purchase can save your nice new couch from being torn apart by your bored and lonely puppy.
Final Thoughts
So there we have it all that you need to know about how to take care of a five month old pitbull puppy.
Hopefully you will apply all of these tips to make sure that your pup gets the best possible start to live.
One of the most misunderstood breeds that when treated with proper love and respect can be the best dog to own and raise a family around.
If you follow the tips that we gave you then you will be a successful pitbull owner and can help to combat the aggressive stereotype attached to the breed by those who seek to use them as weapons, than a friend.
