New family member

Edtv24

Hello , this is my first post but I've been reading this forum for the last few weeks as I searched local rescues for a BT;  About 10 days ago we adopted Penny!  She is a 10mo old Mini Brindle .  Her age is approximate and I'm assuming she is a mini because she weighs only 30Lbs.  We absolutely love her.  Her temperment is excellent and very easy compared to our last dog who was a very dominant Staffordshire terrier (he died of cancer several months ago)

I do have a few question I'd love some input on!

-Feeding: she was getting Kirklands Natures Domain adult from the rescue so I kept her on it but have transitioned her to Kirkland signature Puppy over the last 10days  but plan move her to TOTW soon -  Does that seem ok or should I stay with the Kirkland Puppy that gets an excellent rating for dogfoodadvisor.com?

- Backyard logistics: Right now we are doing crate training since she is not housebroken yet.  I work from home about 3 days per week and walk her frequently but the other 2 days I'm out for about 6hrs (8:30a - 3pm) and would like to allow her to use the dog door we have for access to 1 room in our home and the backyard.  My concern while we are in the yard together I see her eating grass, plants and sometimes picks up wood chips.  I want to give her free run of the yard but I'm afraid she will eat something that will hurt her.  Is she better just left in the (large) room of the house or in her crate?  I try to be with her as much as possible but can't do 100% of the time! 

Any input is greatly appreiciated!

forgive the crummy pics

Soapskid

@edtc - the Nature's Domain (all stages)in comparison to TOTW is almost identical but Spud had a bag of the Nature's Salmon and Sweet Potato and did a lot better than TOTW. I believe they are distributed from the same plant yet not identical in terms of ingredients., i.e.similiar to tv displays made in one factory and rebadged by company.

I'd either stick with that if he's fine since it's a no grain food. Dogfood advisor states its a 3 star food but who is dog food advisor to say it's not good for your dog when he's doing well on it and its high quality.

I switch back from Victors GF Salmon and Natures with no issues. Stools are solid and never runny. Good skin and nice coat but then again each dog differs. I also do give Spud 3-4 lbs of raw chicken a week usually M-W-F and one weekend day. So far so good.

exiled

Love your pictures!  Penny looks so happy, especially the adorable picture with your son.  I'm not much help with advice, so I'll leave that to others.  Couldn't resist commenting, though, on how nice Penny looks.

BulliesofNC

@EdTV24 - Welcome to the Forum!
I would not suggest leaving her to having free run of the place when you are at work. She's still a young puppy which can be destructive and chew and swallow anything. I can understand your concern in regard to not wanting her to be crated for a prolonged period of time. I wish others had the same mind set as you because many don't see anything wrong with crating their Bull Terrier for 8+ hours a day while they are at work. Personally I feel this will only cause stress and anxiety thus develop OCD and other health problems. If it were my choice I would build (or purchase) her a little outside run where she had room to run and play so she could exert some energy when she needed to. The run could be maintained safely to ensure she couldn't get into things that she wasn't supposed to. I would suggest a nice dog house for her and a cover for the top to keep her out of the rain, etc.  Here are a few examples:

Edtv24

Thank you all so much for the feedback!

BulliesofNC - I actually do have a dog run on the side of the house so the best answer is to start using that... the concern with that was there is no access into the house so on the very hot or very wet days I'd have to bring her in.  Being that I'm in Southern California we have about 300 days a year that are fine.... and there is plenty of shade....

Thanks again!

Boyda

Awwwwwweeee! You're going to get a lot of attention when you walk that shinny Penny around town! I have personally tried natures domain and had no issues. But have switched out for a personal choice, not because they were doing bad.
As for your backyard, right now she's feeling everything out and will probably eat/chew everything due to adjustment, plus she's still young. I would try my best to keep an eye on her, last thing you want is for her to get her mouth on something that's harmful. Try redirecting her attention to toys, I would suggest giving her a large JollyBall for the back yard along with a couple other string free chew toys.

Good luck and keep us posted with her cute photos!

Xtracho

Lovely girl and my hat is off to you for adopting her! So many bullies out there deserving of loving homes. She will fill your life with her mischief....but most of all her love and loyalty. Welcome to the forum and stick around a while....bunch of good people here with lots of knowledge. 

Edtv24

Thanks for the comments! Penny is doing great! I've set up the dog run on the side of the house which she is doing fine with... the only thing I've noticed is she only like to do her "business" on our lawn even when she get multiple walks she never pees or anything until we get home! Very different from our last Staffordshire terrier who was a male and always tried to mark every tree and bush!

-Ed

philsergeant

Here's my two cents worth, going cheap for free.... Within the dog run, is it possible to get her an "asbestos cement" dog house, or even just a decent length of large diameter asbestos cement pipe ?.. That she could shelter in and stay dry and cool ( floor draining outward in case it rains ) ... That's typically cooler... Or even perhaps run some fan or cool air from the house into that "hutch"... Our other concern, and I don't know whether it's a concern in your area, is snakes... Are you sure to keep snakes out? Steve, I know in heaven there are no snakes, but what do you do about that threat in NC? Another stupid thought, dependent on area, is theft.... Some felons know value... And I come from places where everyone wears their wristwatch on the right arm in case someone snatches it right off your arm if it's close to the drivers open window.....just food for thought ....
Oh! On the pee and poop location... Take liver treats, when she poops off site ... Big treat ... When she poops at home, big NOOO!... Won't take long.... On the "doing business" comment... We're all pee and poop people here.... Only Jewish EBT's do business, and I've never met one.... ( just kidding, for the record I love Jews)

Edtv24

Philsergeant - Thanks for the comments.... I am looking into a dog house for extra shelter (searching craigslist for a good used one) Here in southern california we have rattle snakes but our yard is very secure with only the occational rabbit that gets into the yard.  She does have plenty of shade; heat is my biggest concern (its 80+ plus here today!)  We live in a very safe residential community and you can't gain access to the dog run from the front of our home.... Thanks for the tips on motivating her to Poop on her walks!   - and btw, I am jewish and if or EBT and do better business she could pay for her keep!! 

philsergeant

Ha! Luv the last comment! I started once with our last EBT to keep a good ( Jewish) tally of all the expenses associated with having and holding her... I gave up when the number started to get really scary .... Advise to young people, ... Rather have a kid and send it to a non-state college! The big thing is keeping cool, Bullies hate the heat... Ask me, I'm in FL... They go from the window seat to under a desk or couch constantly, they can't stay outside more than 10 minutes, but love to go there... unless it's before or after 7.

bhardypr

So excited for you! I know Penny is a great addition to your family. I highly recommend using the crate for keeping her safe (and your house, too!) while you're not at home. All of my bullies have been crate-trained and actually love it. They are more than happy to stay in their crate; in fact, they often choose to go in their crate on their own!

Definitely make use of that dog run. Bullies have so much energy!