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

[nightingale2u 42]

Mandy... That is so wonderful!!! I know our humane society... has a very long wish list! I am going to have to stop by our dollar store and check out puppy and kitty toys!

[piercedqt78 658]

I figured they gave us the blessing that is Bella, the least I could do was make a donation to the furbabies I had to leave behind. I wish I could take them all, ya' know? ~Mandy

[nightingale2u 42]

Yep... I sure do... I want to take them all home with me every time I leave! THe next best thing is helping in the ways that we can... toys... food... leashes... even something as simple as bleach and mop heads! It's really heart breaking to go see first hand how unprepared many humans are for the responsibility of pet ownership. If we had a fenced yard I think I would at least foster some of the dogs that are totally stressed in the shelter environment. Like you... I'd love to have a big ole farm with room enough for all of them!

[pplqueen 0]

I love that name instead of pit bull. We have had pit bulls for years and we always tell people that they are staffordshire terriers that way the don't prejudge them. They are great dogs. the brindle is beautiful!!!! Good luck.

[piercedqt78 658]

Darcy, there is something about the pure undying love of a dog and the honesty in their eyes, that just melts my heart. I am also a cat person. I think I am just an animal person all around. We have a dog, 2 cats and a bird, not to mention the 55 gallon fish tank and the 2 gallon tank in my dd's room with frogs in it. My mom calls it my little zoo and I couldn't be happier being head zoo keeper.

pplqueen, There is a difference in the breeds but I don't blame you at all, people are closed minded sometimes. The Staffs are *smaller and not as strong. * pit bulls around here are as large as 110 pounds, the breed standard is much smaller, but breeders are getting crazy about it. The staffs have bigger heads, and shorter legs, my Bella is 54 pounds.

~Mandy

[nicka 0]

congratulations for having such an adorable dog!

[Angels 0]

Piercedqt78, first your dog is so precious and as someone else stated she does look like a Boxer. We purchased a Boxer in March for our 10 year old son's birthday. He is just gorgeous but like you stated it is more work than a baby. His name is Tyson Ali and he is brindle. He will be 6 months old on June 30, 2006. Good luck with your new family member.

[nightingale2u 42]

Two Dogs and three cats here... I live in Hairball City. I do have a Frog... but he's in the garden hiding under my Tomato plants.

[piercedqt78 658]

We have a waterfrog, 2 of them actually. They are cool to watch but you can't hold them or anything. It's funny, both of my sisters and myself have "mean breeds" that are just big babies. My oldest sister has Rotties, my middle sister has boxers and I have the staffie. I am putting her in the local "badass dog show" it is for dogs of known mean breeds that are really sweet hearts. It gives the community a chance to see how sweet they really are. I can't wait, she is so goofy around other dogs people will crack up about her. ~Mandy

[nightingale2u 42]

I have a badass dog too. Ava is a long coated German Shepherd... it's funny... people come up to her with free abandon because she has a long coat and looks fluffy and pretty... not a good idea with this girl... grrrrrrr.

[Northernsun 4]

Congrats and a big Thank You for adopting your baby. Bully dogs are sometimes hard to find homes for and for some reason brindles are the hardest because they seem to look meaner (??). She looks like my adopted baby Jake who is a bit bigger(!) and American Bulldog ( with a bit of pit maybe?) who goes 90 lbs. If more people would look past the bad reps to see the sweetest, most loving dogs around more of them would be adopted. Fighters and bad attitude bully dogs are made, not a natural breed standard. Mine also came with a bit of baggage from being abandoned in Duluth Minn in the winter. I sometimes think there are a few parts they forgot to include at the factory but we think he is the greatest. May you have a long and happy time together!

[Poodles 0]

I have a pit/shephard mix named Angel, also a pound puppy. They make the best pets.

My recommendation on potty training is using chicken. Take a piece of baked chicken outside with you and if she goes give it to her with a "good girl" and a good petting. If she does not potty, she does not get the chicken. (They learn really quickly). Then make them ask out. When you take her to the door ask her "do you want to go outside?" This usually gives them the idea that the door means outside, and means chicken. When outside use a commmand for her to go. I say "go potty". After they get the hang of asking out and going outside then use the chicken every other time, and then every third time, etc. Alway use the good girl and the petting. Eventually you just have to use the "good girl" and they are trained.

The longest time I have ever had using this method was 3 weeks with a puppy... and with that puppy I did all the same as above, but would put him in the crate if he did not go. Then once he did go he had run of the house. So I guess it was a positive/negative reinforcement with him. (He was a maltese/jack russell mix. Small and stubborn.)

Good luck! And thanks for being a rescue Mom!

[piercedqt78 658]

I am a rescue mom 3 times over, every animal I have ever had was a shelter rescue or a side of the road rescue. The best cat I have ever had came from a box on the side of the road, I lost him to cancer when he was just 4 years old and it just about killed me too. My 2 cats that I have now are both rescue boys and they are great, my big guy (24 pounds) needs a band, he lets my daughter push him in a doll stroller and he willing sleeps with her even though she is a very rough sleeper. The other cat is more my husbands cat, but he allows me and my daughter to live in the house, if he had his way we would be banished to the garage. I am not allowed to go into the animal rooms at the shelter for a while as every time I do we get a new baby. I am a big softie when it comes to the sad eyes that they all seem to have. I also have to buy my pet food at petco because petsmart has shelters in there with animals and my husband says there is no more room for anymore babies in our house. I would bring them all with me if I could. I love Bella, she steals my heart every day with her goofy antics. Do they all snore like a chainsaw? She is soooo loud, and she sleeps right through everything. Some guard dog she is....~Mandy

[GrizGirl 0]

I strongly believe there is a special place in the cosmos for people who adopt animals from shelters. Older animals are usually extremely hard to place with families!!

I'm a shelter animal mom/hand me down dog a couple of times over too.

My favorite dog came from the city pound. He was a one year old German Shepherd. He got very ill when he was about 7 years old and we had to put him down. His ashes are stored in a cedar box in our china cabinet!

I have pictures of all of my dogs along with pictures of my daughter in my office at work. No pictures of the hubby!! What does that tell you!!

Kudos to you and your family for taking this lucky dog in.

[piercedqt78 658]

Ok, here is my lucky dog story of the day. I did the poop in the hole thing and she is no longer digging. She is however still trying to eat my kitties. They of course want nothing to do with her, they think she is the devil. Her newest trick is to throw her toys over her head and then go and get them, she is playing fetch with herself. It is a riot to watch. She also skins tennis balls, and then plays with the fuzzy skin not the ball, also a riot to watch. I have to invest in a video recorder, I could win $10,000 with Bella and her antics. ~Mandy