ORIGINAL: spiritdogs
JMHO, but you asked for opinions and got them. Owning a dog and providing the proper training, equipment, and medical care can be expensive. If your parents aren't willing to help, and you don't have the funds for that, it's too bad you didn't plan better before getting a dog. But, now that you have him, if he has needs, well, it's up to you to try as hard as you can to meet them. It's called responsibility, and sometimes that requires overtime, a second job, and a few missed parties...
A gentle leader isn't that expensive - about $21. And, as I said, you can get "Attention" lessons free on the Internet at [linkhttp://www.clickerlessons.com,]www.clickerlessons.com,[/link] to help your dog pay attention to you better. Also, who cares if it looks like a muzzle. You can explain that it isn't, and your dog will look a lot less intimidating walking more politely with you, than he does in a prong, or pulling you along. People are often very frightened of Pits if the owner does not appear to be in control of the dog. So, I still vote for the GL if it works. On some dogs, you may want to tie it back to the buckle collar so that the dog can't pull it over their head and get loose. But, in terms of leverage, that gives you the most. After all, I can walk my 1000 pound horse on a halter...
Spiritdogs, I am well aware of the expense of having an animal. I'm not sure if you have visited the introduction section or read any of my posts up to this date. Thor is not
my dog. My parents got him for my 9 year old brother for christmas last year. Therefore, No, I did not plan to be responsible for the funds needed to take care of him, and I'm not. I don't pay for his vet bills, and I don't buy his food. However, I am putting in the effort to teach him how to walk on a loose lead. How dare you assume that I am not willing to work longer hours or "miss parties." You don't know anything about my social life, but since you have misconceptions about me, I'll tell you about it just to clear things up.
I wake up, feed and potty the animals, and go to school in the mornings from 8-2.
After that, I come home, eat, play/potty with the animals, and then I go to work at five. I get home between 10-1130 at night, depending on whether it is a weeknight or a weekend. I go home, play with the animals, potty the dog, and go to sleep. When I wake up, its the same thing all over again. So don't tell me about being responsible. I already mentioned in an above post that all of
my personal expenses(food, school, vet bills) are paid by me, I have to work hard to get what I need and I don't appreciate you incinuating that I need to be more responsible and " get a second job and miss parties." I appreciate your input and I believe I said I was going to go to that link and see what it was about, did I not? Walking "politely" in a prong, or
olitely wearing a GL is the same thing. Is it not? I do not fear that I am injuring my dog by using the prong collar. As I said, I put it on myself and could not get it to hurt me, and as sheprano said earlier, Pits have high pain tolerances. So, If a prong collar is going to show me results, what makes the GL better?
My dog, that I planned to get, is well taken care of. He eats good quality food, he is currently recieving his shots, and he gets plenty of love, attention, and exercise. The dog my parents got, is also well taken care of, he eats food on the upper end of commercial kibble(not my choice but, again, it's not MY dog) is current on all his shots, and is exercised and given plenty of attention by me.
I am trying to extend my efforts onto the training aspect of his life, because that is an area that my parents have no interest in. So, no, while I don't have money lying around to buy him high quality food etc. I am making my best effort to make him a more balanced dog.
But thank you, for assuming that I am an irresponsible teenager who got a pet on an impulse and is now ignoring its needs.