I took Caesar to Marine park this past weekend for a picnic and boy did he have fun! and here are also some random pictures from the house…

Brooklyn · Bully · Julius Caesar · Pitbull · Razors Edge

Julius Caesar’s cone finally came off! This is him playing with a Silky.

Bully · Dogs · Julius Caesar · Ladies Man Heff · Pitbull · Razors Edge · Silky

Julius Caesars first day at the park after he got all his vaccinations!

Bully · first day at the park · NYC Pitbull Club · Pitbull · pitbull playing · Rome Za

So crate training began on the first night in our home. Check for the story of the first night on FIRST BITE.
On the second night I went to bed at 12 and 8 pm was Julius Caesars last meal. I took him out to pee and poop right after his meal and right before bed. So he fell asleep at first, but I knew I was in for a long night, so I prepared with some ear plugs. I was determined to make him stay in there for the time that I am sleeping, no matter how much he cries/howls/barks/etc. So he started crying at 3, cried for 20 minutes and fell asleep. He kept doing it in intervals of 3 hours. At 6 am, he woke up and started crying and I figured it was time to take him out. I looked in his bed and there was a bit of poop and some urine. I took him out and he peed and pooped.

The next night he slept through the whole night without howling until 6 :30 am with no accidents. I took him out and he unloaded a river and some feces. So now it has been a week with no more accidents and it is going pretty good. He is learning very fast and only using the bathroom outside.

Here are some steps I used for crate training that will help you get started…

• Make sure the crate is big enough for him as an adult, because you don’t want to be changing crates as they grow.
• Put a divider in the crate just so that the dog has enough room for his bed. If the crate is too big then he will use one side as the bathroom and the other to sleep.
• Keep a wee wee pad by the crate for rainy days if he doesn’t make it to the bathroom outside. But make sure the wee wee pad is clean of all feces and urine. So change it often so there is no smell on it.
• Bring the  soiled wee wee pad outside in the area that you want him to pee.
• Bring him outside after he wakes up from every nap.
• Bring him outside 5 minutes after he eats or drinks.
• Bring him outside after he plays for a few minutes.
• Make sure that you don’t keep the puppy in the crate too long because their bladders are small.
• When you put them back in the crate make sure that they are tired. Best time to crate them is after some training and after they use the potty.
• When you put them in the crate use a word that signifies that you want them in the crate.
• Put them in the crate with a toy that they can work on for a while. So praise them while they are going in.
• Never use the crate as a punishment!
• When you crate them don’t let them out when they start howling, crying, barking, etc. because they will get used to you giving in to their crying.
• Dont communicate with them when they are in their crates.
• If they start complaining that they are in their, make sure you pay no attention to them because they will just get tired and fall asleep.
• Make sure everyone in your house is on the same mindset and that they follow all the same rules.
• Change toys if he gets bored of the same toy. I personally like the KONG TOY, with cream cheese and a freeze dried liver cube.
• When you bring him outside and he potty’s make sure that you don’t put him back in the crate right away and that you exercise, play with him, or train him so he gets a bit exhausted. Then put him in with a toy.
• Dont ever punish the dog for urinating or defecating in the crate, It is a baby, would you punish a baby for peeing in his diapers?!
• Dont ever stick a dogs nose in urine, would you enjoy that if you had an accident?!

Those are the simple guidelines that I stand by when I am crate training my dog. And by day 2 I have him using the bathroom outside only, and maybe one out of twenty times he uses the wee wee pad. But after day 2 of crate training, there were no more accidents…

If you have any question’s or comments feel free to leave your input.

Crate training · Julius Caesar · Rome Za

Potty training, Crate training, and his RAW diet all began on the first day.
He is 16 lbs at 8 weeks…

So his potty training is one step forward and 2 steps back. Accidents are the norm but I am incorporation some amazing Freeze dried Beef Liver Treats. The treats also helped me teach him out to sit. Ill put up videos of Julius Caesar learning how to sit at 8 weeks old! =]

Crate training is going as its supposed to, he howls, barks and cries at night, luckily I have a great pair of ear plugs to deafen the sounds. Luckily I have a great Precision Crate that he can live inside, in style. 

Beef Liver Treats · Julius Caesar · Potty Training · Precision Crate

Bringing home a puppy, is like bringing home a child. This is a checklist on how to prepare for the day that you bring your puppy home.

Puppy Proofing

1. Make sure all wires are not accessible for the puppy
2. No small objects laying around that the puppy can choke on
3. No strings on the floor, if a puppy swallows this it can obstruct their stomach
4. Put away all shoes and other things that you don’t want your puppy chewing

Supplies

1. If you are going to be crate training your puppy, get a crate that will fit them when they get older and a divider so it can grow with them as they get bigger
2. Dog food, whether you are feeding raw or commercial make sure it is the same type of meat as the breeder was feeding him
3. Collar and leash for the puppy
4. Training pads
5. A lot of bounty and cleaner for the puppy urine/feces
6. Toys for the puppy, make sure they can fit in their mouth but aren’t to small
7. Treats for rewarding the puppy
8. Ear plugs for when he howls, barks, cries, when he is crated at night

• A lot of patience and just staying with it because eventually they will get it
• If you live with other people, teach them how to be consistent with the puppy as well.
• Be prepared for a lot of crying, howling, barking, etc.
• Puppies don’t have a long term memory for things that they did, so learn how to punish the bad, and immediately praise the good
• Be committed to what you want to accomplish

Puppies are just like babies, they need a lot of attention. You need to be committed to having the puppy succeed so everything has to be set up in the easiest possible way for the puppy to prosper. Everyone in your household has to be onboard in making this mission a successful one.  Enjoy raising your puppy, take a lot of pictures, and just soak in the moments that you share together!

Pitbull · Preparing for your puppies First Day · Puppy · Rome Za

A few months ago, I started looking for a pit-bull puppy and asking people who owned Pitbulls how I should go about getting one. The answers were shocking, but after some research and hard work the results were very pleasant. I wrote this article to allow you to find the puppy of your dreams.

1.Rescue is ALWAYS an option. There are tons of beautiful and well behaved dogs being put down everyday! Stop by a few shelters around where you live and see if you can find a dog right for you. The problem with those is, you never know who the parents were. A lot of times they were fighting dogs, which by no means will make your dog human aggressive but dog aggressive a lot of the time they will be. Dog aggression is a liability at times if its not kept under strict supervision.

2.Finding the right breeder is hard. Make sure you are buying from a knowledgeable and responsible person, who cares about his dogs. Not some punk who is trying to just make a buck.  If he starts asking YOU a bunch of questions about owning a dog, don’t be surprised, they are checking if you know anything about raising a pitbull or if you are going to use him/her for illegal purposes. The breeders that care about where their puppy is going is a lot of the time a good breeder.

3.Make sure you do a lot of research on how to raise a Pitbull and the responsibilities that being a Pitbull owner entails. All dogs are cute when they are puppies, especially Pitbulls! That is one of their curses, but when they get older and bigger, people don’t know how to handle all that energy and give it to a shelter.

4.This is a great article, on when you decide that you Want a Pitbull Puppy . Read the article!

5. Talk to the breeders, call them up, email them, and go visit their houses.
If they take too long to answer your calls, or emails, then you dont need that kind of breeder. Imagine when they already have your money, do you think they will answer your phone call?! Or when you get your puppy, will he be willing to help you raise it with tips and suggestions?

6. Don’t put down deposits on your puppy before going to see the puppy!

7. Make sure you meet the parents of the puppy and see their health records. Check for diseases, illnesses, hernias, ACL problems, and other things that your vet can tell you to check for.  Make sure he gives you references to the vet and health clearances are there for you to see.

8. Being registered with the UKC and/or the ADBA isn’t usually that big of a deal because almost anyone can do it. They don’t require any genetic testing.

9.When looking at the Pedigree, “CH” Champion and “GRCH” signify strong blood lines. With Champion breed dogs you have a greater chance at getting a great dog. Dogs with those titles are bread for personality in the show ring and great looks.

10. Make sure the parents and the puppies live indoors, and not outdoors. This builds a strong foundation for the puppy as it grows up. Look for outdoor pens, or kennels.

11. When seeing the puppies make sure they are energetic and playing with each other. By 4-5 weeks, this should be happening already. Puppies sleep a lot, but when they wake up make sure they aren’t weak, or indifferent as this could be a sign of illness.

12.If they are given food, make sure you see them eating it, as lack of hunger can also be a sign of weakness.

13.The dog should be confident and playful in approaching you, at around 6-8 weeks you can do most of these tests with good results. Puppy temperament test. According to what you want, this will help you determine which puppy is a better match for you.

14.No skin problems, coat should be smooth and shiny. No sores or bumps, make sure the puppies aren’t scratching to hard as that could indicate fleas.
Check for dull or missing patches of fur and red spots that could be mange.

15. You should not see discharge coming from the eyes, ears, or nose. No red tracks by the eyes. This could be signs of Parvo virus and it is very dangerous and a lot of dogs die from this each day. Don’t let the breeder tell you that its normal, and the puppy was just crying or something.

16. Puppies should have a clean living area where they spend their time.

17.Puppies should walk and run without any problems.  Otherwise it can indicate hip dysplasia.

18. You should not see the ribs sticking out from the skin, that can indicate malnourishment. Puppies should have formed stool and no diarrhea. Their bellies shouldn’t be distended (both signs of worms).

19. Look for temperament in both parents. Can they both be around people; even strangers and behave appropriately. At the age of 2, dogs sometimes show signs of aggression and become biters.

20. Make sure the parents aren’t too heavy because that can cause ACL and heart problems among other issues.

21. Make sure the breeder feeds them quality food, Make sure its not supermarket food or food you see commercials for on TV. If he feeds them RAW that is definitely a plus.

22. Ask the breeder if he stands behind his pups, if the puppy gets a puppy illness if he will take it back or pay for its medical bills.

These tips are the things that helped me get the puppy of my dreams, and it will help you get a puppy of your dreams as well.

Blue Nose · Bully · How to pick a pitbull puppy · Pitbull · Rome Za

I’m shocked and amazed at how fast he is growing! The changes that happen in one week are incredible!

Blue Nose · Bully · Julius Caesar · Pitbull · Puppy · Rome Za

Julius Caesar playing with his litter mates.

Blue Nose · Bully · Dog · Dog Fight · Fight · Julius Caesar · Pitbull · Puppies · Rome Za

These are my dogs parents, The pictures don’t look as good as they look in real life.

What stood out to me most was how friendly they all were. The guy has 4 Pitbulls living in the same house, and no fights between any of them when they were released together! Now thats awesome!  Plus how gorgeous the mother and father were. Bronco, the father was nominated to be a cancer Patient therapy dog.

This is a video of my 2nd meeting with the dogs, when I came to put down a deposit on Julius Caesar.

Bronco · Julius Caesar · Lola · Rome Za