Recent content by Gisella

The one issue I still have is if Vinnie or Nicholas pick up one of the babies, Oscar lunges at the ftont of his crate. Nick, trying to help me, heard the baby crying and went to get him from my bed room, well Oscar was in his crate, did not bark at Nick,until he picked the 1 yr old up, then...

Oh sweet success!!! Oscar (while on the leash) goes right over to Vinnie and allows Vinnie to pet him. I was very excited (and a little nervous)the first time Vinnie got the nerve to call Oscar over to him, Vinnie was smart about it and armed with a pork chop and some left over grilled chicken...

And might I add, the media induced frenzy does not help, everytime a dog attacks, the word "pitbull" or rottweiler is thrown around, making ppl so fearful of the breed that they "see pitbulls everywhere". Every dog that barks or lunges on a chain, in a car or at the door, starts looking like a...

The reality is that ALOT of people do not know a pitbull from an old English bull dog, american bull dog, or even a boxer. Many of the attacks by these "pitbulls" may not have even been commited by pitbulls at all, there are also presa canario's, they look similar, cane corso's, they don't...

I live in a very small town,we have one animal control officer. Nice guy. He came out when Oscar bit Vinnie. He told me and the police officer that there would be no citation because Oscar was secured at the time of the bite etc. The police officer decided to go "all vigilante" and is charging...

Bad idea? Point taken and thought is officially out of my head. On a seperate note, we are making awesoms progress with oscar and Vinnie. Vinnie can walk into my bedroom when Oscar is crated and Oscar does not react with aggression. Last night Vinnie went into my room,(without me) approached...

Dogs typically become very possessive and protective over what ever it is that they are tied to. Making them "sit" or "lay down" will help to desensitize them to noises or movements that make them "protect/alert you". Eating the bird, pretty normal. My pitbull ate a baby squirl. Dogs...

Hi LizzyBeth,I was reading an artical about guard breeds etc. It was talking about how many breeders of the more agressive guard breeds (for example the Presa canrio and Fila) tell the buyer of the pup, that guard training is not necessary because the dog is bred to do it, which is misleading...

Just to add, Oscar also really does not have any Alpha tendencies, our female Pitbull Terrior is definitely the boss of the two male dogs in this house and she falls into "rank" right under the humans. Jack (the cat)would come in right under the female, Buddy the English/Bull Mastiff mix, and...

Where in PA are you from?

I do believe that the poster was talking about the mother dog, grooming the 2 week old puppy. And Alpha absolutely works, in every mammel species the parents dominate the babies, that is why when a puppy is running off the mother picks him him up and moves where she wants him, because she is the...

Oscar has been socialized since I picked him up from the airport. He does not act aggressively outside of our home,property or the car. He never has. I feel comfortable because I trust that my animal trust me and he reads me for his cues, like any other well trained animal, if I am relaxed he is...

This is a picture of Oscar right before his first birthday with my son Isiah, right before his second birthday.

My name is Gisella I am the proud mommy of 4 (human) sons, ages 1,2,7,9 and two (human) stepsons 9 and 13. I also have 4 four-legged children, Oscar a 17 month old Fila, Fat Girl an 8 yr old pitbull terrior, Buddy a 22 month old English mastiff/Bull mastiff mix and then there's Jack a 1 year...

You are absolutely right, this animal is trying to dominate you. If he is growling and biting when told "NO" he is certainly not playing. I own a brazilian mastiff ( Fila) He acted the same way,only he was younger, I hired an animal behaviorist to train him when he was 12 weeks old. And I will...