Here is a picture of my new baby....

[piercedqt78 658]

We adopted her a few weeks ago and are still working on potty training. She is 18 months old and has spent the last 6 or so months in a cage, we literally saved her from being put to sleep, she was on the list for the next batch to be put down. She is an American Staffordshire Terrier and I am just crazy about her. ~Mandy

[NJChick 3]

Awwwwwwww she's precious. I'm glad you saved her.

[piercedqt78 658]

Here is another of my 2 babies. ~Mandy

[JMO 0]

looks alot like my boxer I adopted, she also was going to be put down. She is so perfect and fits right in at our home. We were told that she was given up because her owner had a new baby with asthma, and she was great with the kids in the shelter. Then we got her home she nearly fell apart when my DH got home. She was barking, and growling but only when he came up to her in a standing position. When he was sitting down she would creep up to him very slowly for him to pet her. We think she was abused by a man. One night my DH got the belt out to threaten the kids and she saw it a ran and jump in my arms while I was standing up. That tells me she has been hit with one. My other boxer desen't even know what a belts for much less scared of it.

Anyways your new BABY is beautiful!!!When I first read your post I could not see the pic and thought it was a real baby until I scrolled down. lol

[piercedqt78 658]

I'm glad we saved her too, she is really sweet and loving, just not really smart. She has spent so much time in a crate or cage that she has to relearn housebreaking, social interaction and how to not be a fool when people pay attention to her. She is mega hyper, but that is cute. She is really working on pottytraining, but she still gets a bit scitzo with any attention. She is 54 pounds and wants to sit on my lap whenever she gets the chance. I don't think she was ever an indoor dog as the furniture seems like a mystery to her. She is also curious about my 2 cats, they HATE her and won't have anything to do with her, she just wants to be friends. The shelter had her in with kittens with no problems. There were 22 of the staffies there, and no hope for any of them, they look too much like pit bulls and people are affraid of them. She is just the sweetest, she was found wondering the streets in -10 winter in Chicago, poor thing, that will NEVER happen to her again. She is in a home where she is loved and has a forever family now. I wish I could have taken them all but I only have oom for her. I joke that our next house has to sit on mega land and have at least 3 or 4 heated barns for all the animals I want to save. My DH says I can't save the world but I am always willing to try. I did find homes for 3 other staffies with our friends and they are doing great just like my Bella. I wish I could have found 100 homes not just 3. ~Mandy

[piercedqt78 658]

I think this is more work then an actual baby. I thought I was done cleaning up puddles when Abigale was finished potty training, and here I am doing it again. Does anyone have advice on potty training and also how to stop her from digging in the back yard? I had to fill in a hole that was there when we moved in and she is just amazed with the black dirt I put in that hole. I want to plant grass soon and I think her digging will be a major problem. My DH says to just really limit her time outside to going potty and then make her come right back in, but she has spent so much time in a cage she just loves to run laps arond the yard. I hate to keep her inside when she loves being free in the yard sooooo much. Grass takes time to fill in, so if anyone has any suggestions I am more than happy to listen. I am already considering doing 1/2 the yard and then the other 1/2 later so she can have half the yard to run in. Any other thoughts? ~Mandy

[nightingale2u 42]

Hi Mandy... Your Baby is really beautiful!

Maybe try going out with her when you let her out and throw a ball for awhile... and then come back in with her. You could make a special digging pit made with sand and bury different prizes ... kongs filled with treats... bones... etc. You can also hide prizes around the yard to keep her busy. Maybe put a kiddy pool for her to splash in too. THis is a gross option... but sometiems it works... you can put some of her poo in the hole that she digs and then cover with dirt... she shouldn't like finding that when she digs. It sounds like she is going to need lots of exercise to keep her mind calm! As far as potty training... I know she has been caged a lot... but after pottying outside... bring her in... play... and then kennel. Wait an hour... let her outside and wait until she goes... come back in... play... kennel. Most dogs like having a kennel/ safe place. THe goal would be for her to have little opportunity for an accident in the house and all the opportunity to build the habit for going outside. Praise... treat and have a darn party everytime she goes outside. Good Luck! There is a pit bull at our humane society where I volunteer... her name is Sweat Pea and that's exactly what she is! I can't believe she hasn't found a home yet!

[piercedqt78 658]

They were calling my Bella sweetie pie and she is a real sweetie. We do the crate thing with her but she still manages to have accidents while we are playing she will not potty outside if we are out there, I have to put her out and then watch from the basement window to make sure she is going. The digging I think I have discovered, is because there are HUGE earthworms in the black dirt I put into that hole. That is where most of the digging is happening. Other than that she is great. It confuses her when the neighbors dog barks at her, she just dosen't understand that everyone in the world doesn't want to be good friends. I love her regardless. ~Mandy

[JMO 0]

I used to breed dogs, and the crate is what I always used. I know she has been is a crate alot but that is probley her "safe place" Use the method Darcy said, it should only take a fews days for that it work. And remember praise is what works on dogs, Not discipline. If she has an accident, show her, tell her no and take her out right then, When she goes potty outside then praise ,praise, praise.... As far as the digging, she is checking out the new place. Roxy (my boxer) did that for about a month, then once she got used to the place she never digs now unless she is hunting something... I would not plant grass till her digging stops it will be a waist of time cause she'll just dig it up.. lol Good luck

[ralheit 0]

My dog is a rescue also. She is the sweetest thing. I think they need love so badly that when they finally get it they are just so grateful they'll do anything. Congrats on your new baby. A beautiful dog.

[paula 4]

awe Mandy - sweet baby's you have there. Thanks for sharing!

Darcy, thanks for the no-digging suggestions. Boy, do I need help with that!

[mousecrazy 2]

Congrats on the new member of your family! With kids and dogs, some things just take time and patience---yours! You have plenty of both, and everything will work out when everyone gets adjusted! Cindy

[nightingale2u 42]

It's unfortunate... but chewing and digging are perfectly acceptable and correct behaviors in a dogs world... just not so appreciated in ours...lol. Mostly I think it's just a lot of fun for them... so when bored or full of energy...what could be more fun???? My brother has replanted his veggie garden 4 times now... his lab thinks he is awesome for giving hime such a grand digging opportunity! I think his name is the same as Paula's DDog. :rant:

[Guest ASPHALT ANGEL]

I agree with the digging box idea. One of my girlfriends has a Doxen and they are bread to dig I guess so she made a diggy box out of sand and dirt that is about 4 feet by 4 feet and she put toys in there and when she caught him digging else where she would tell him no and put him in his diggy box, and then praise with treats when he would dig in his own box. Didn't take long for him to know and she has a beautiful yard now.

Your little baby is so cute too!!

[piercedqt78 658]

Thanks, like I said I think she is just digging for the worms, she is just amazed by any other living thing. She is funny, she puts her toy on my leg or arm and then chews on both me and the toy. The other thing I have to do is teach my dd (almost 5) that toys left on the floor are fair game. She has started closing her bedroom door when she isn't playing in there and we put a baby gate across the playroom doorway. Bella LOVES my little pony and anything stuffed. We have a crate that she likes and she willing goes into when we leave and at night. The crate is big but not too big, we bought the size that the vet recomended. She seems to be happy in there, often sleeping or chewing on her rope toys. I am doing the crazy praise thing for good behavior and I bought really small treats so she wasn't getting too much junk, and they seem to make her happy too. The shelter didn't have the funding for treats or any sort of extras, like toys and such. We just donated a whole box of cat and dog toys and treats. I went to the dollar store and bought all the "big" dog toys they had, they are pretty durable and only a $1. The staff was overwhelmed, and I believe the animals had a good day that day. It was like playing Santa for the furbabies. I know that my Bella has it good, she has more love then she knows what to do with, a nice cool home for the summer and heat for the winter, a food bowl that always has food and pleanty of treats. I think she will be just fine with us. ~Mandy