Guest Post: The Puppy Chronicles

By far no one gets more attention then Dosa, the puppy on our Big Apple Pittie Pack Walks!  Dosa's parents are experienced dog owners and usually make sure everyone knows the rules on our Walks and help out Gerti from Prettie Little Pittie lead the way.  Dosa has grown before our eyes and everyone loves remarking on how big she gets each walk.  She even has been attending Bully Project  classes on Sundays to work on her skills.  We asked her parents to impart some Puppy Knowledge...

Hello!  You may have noticed this little blue monster appearing in some of Havi's latest sideshows. Well, the monster has a name: Dosa, and I am here to introduce her.  Dosa is a four and a half month old pitbull.  We have had her since she was eight tiny weeks old. She is a truly amazing little pup and brings us joy everyday in so many ways. 

It might be Dosa's coloring, or her overall cuteness but people are constantly stopping us to oooh and aaah and ask us what kind of dog she is. We are huge fans of the breed and have a wide array of experiences with pitbulls (for another post), so we are thrilled at the opportunity to talk to people about pitbulls.  Some people love her pittie-ness right away and some are shocked that this cute, friendly, (usually) well-behaved puppy is in fact a pitbull.  It our hope that Dosa's friendly outgoing disposition and all the work we pour into her create a cute little ambassador that represents what a pitbull should be.  

Dosa's favorite activities include play time with the other neighborhood pups, amongst her favorites are a brussels griffon and a husky shepard puppy.  She loves a good nap in the sun and time with her squeaky toy or a puffed pig ear.  She loved attending puppy class at Unleashed by Petco, where Kate Senisi helped us learn to train her using positive reinforcement, and lots of treats.  Oh, and going on pack walks with Havi, Gertie and company is the best!

Anyhow: now onto the do's of introductions (we will save the don'ts for our next post) when we meet on the crazy streets of the city.

1) Please stop us and say hello - don't feel silly, we love it when people stop to chat with us.  We want Dosa to meet all sorts of people, and she has made many friends both old and young, big and small.  We would like her to be a breed ambassador and eventually go into therapy work so stop and say hello, but first...

2)  Talk to the owner before you throw your face in front of a dog-you-don't-know's face - this is a great forgotten practice.  It is a very confrontational stance and not all dogs love this behavior.  Please ask the owner if you can say hi to the dog first.  (We are crazy dog people and stop other people and their dogs all the time.  Don't be shy!)  

3) Be patient - we are working on a lot of new skills with Dosa.  When someone acknowledges her presence, she turns into a wiggling ball of love and it's hard for her to pay attention and listen.  I might ask that you wait until she sits, to avoid reinforcing her jumping all over you.  It's cute now because she is small, but it won't be so cute later.  Don't be afraid, don't be freaked out, don't think you are wasting time - it's great practice for us!

A future post will include some don'ts, but what other "do's" do you guys recommend?

See you on the streets!