Raising a Puppy: Mia the Blue-Nose American Bully Pit—48 weeks old

A day in the life with Mia the American Bully (Bully Pit) puppy. 48 weeks old, 62 pounds, 18 1/2 inches from the ground to the highest point of the shoulders (the withers).

A perk-eared, wide-chested, blue nose American Bully Pit is sitting in a driveway and she is looking forward. Her head is slightly tilted to the left. Both of her ears are up.

48 weeks old (11 months)

Playdate

A person in blue and white Penn State Sweats is being led on a walk by a blue nose American Bully Pit.

Amie hyjacked Mia again for the day. She took her for a mind-calming pack walk before going to the crossfit gym, lunch in town and a playdate with Duncun the Staffy / Frenchie mix.

A blue nose American Bully Pit is standing in grass on the bank of a pond looking into the water.

Mia loved the pond at Duncun's house.

A blue nose American Bully Pit is pulling herself out of a pond.

It was a chilly day, but that didn't stop her from enjoying the water.

A blue nose American Bully Pit and a black and white Frenchie Staffie dog are laying face to face in fallen brown leaves and sharing a stick.

Mia and Duncun share a stick.

The back of a blue nose American Bully Pit is standing on leaves next to a black and white Frenchie Staffie. They are playing with a stick.

Tug-of-stick wars

A blue nose American Bully Pit dog is sitting in leaves and looking down at a black and white Frenchie Staffie dog that is laying down and chewing on a stick.

Mia takes a breather while Duncun chews on the stick.

Two Dogs are standing in a yard filled with leaves. A black and white Frenchie Staffie is chewing on a stick and next to him is a blue nose American Bully Pit dog that is sniffing the Frenchie Staffie.

Breaks over, let me have that thing!

A black and white Frenchie Staffie is walking across a rock path with a stick in its mouth. There is a blue nose American Bully Pit that is walking alongside him wanting to get the stick.

Sorry, sticks mine...

A black and white Frenchie Staffie and a blue nose American Bully Pit are chewing on a stick together.

Oh fine, we can share it.

Posers

A blue nose American Bully Pit is sitting on a black top surface next to a brown brindle Boxer dog with a wooden playground in the yard behind them.

Mia with big brother Bruno the Boxer

A blue nose American Bully Pit, a blue nose Pit Bull Terrier and a brown brindle Boxer are sitting on a blacktop surface. They are all looking up.

Mia with big brothers Bruno the Boxer and Spencer the Pit Bull Terrier. Yep, Mia put herself in front, "Excuse me brothers, I need to sit here."

A blue nose American Bully Pit, a blue nose Pit Bull Terrier and a brown brindle Boxer are sitting behind a big pile of bones on a hardwood floor.

Seriously? Mommy, this is all we get?! Can't we have more bones? The pups get a new bone from the butcher a couple of times a week. The old bones get tossed into the toy bin. Time to clean house and get rid of the bones that lost their flavor. Those elk horns never lose flavor. They will be staying. Mia loves them.

Always Testing the Limits

Bruno was on the dog bed chewing on an elk horn. Spencer was laying down a few feet from him also on a dog bed and Mia was across the room. I was about to head into the kitchen to eat breakfast when I heard a growl come from both Bruno and Mia. I turned to find Mia trying to steal Bruno's horn. Without thinking I assertively yelled "HEY!" with a growlly voice. Mia immediately stood up and headed across the room away from me as if to say "Yikes!" Then in mid motion she suddenly scooped up a stuffed toy, lowered her head and wiggled her way back to me. She began dancing around my legs with her entire body wiggling, tail wagging, head low, ears back and a toy hanging from her mouth. Meanwhile Bruno resumed his horn chewing. In dog language Mia was telling me she gives up, she accepts she's not boss and she will let me have the roll. The toy was a gift. I just stood there looking at her keeping my emotions in "Mamma-Bear mode". Mia walked over and laid down next to Bruno, but this time she did not try and take his elk horn. The entire time Spencer had remained laying down in a relaxed manner on the dog bed a few feet from Bruno. He didn't even flinch as he knew that he had done nothing wrong and none of that was directed at him. He tends to wag is tail when a human tells Mia no.

This video shows an example of Mia in gift giving mode. Here she has the same elk horn she had tried to steal from Bruno.

A blue nose American Bully Pit, a blue nose Pit Bull Terrier and a brown brindle Boxer are laying on a green orthopedic dog bed pillow and they are each chewing on a bone.

The next day Mia happily chews a new tasty bone next to Bruno and Spencer. As usual, when you remind Mia of the rules she goes back to following them. She will most likely always be the type to test her limits, but as long as someone is here to jog her alpha brain she will be a balanced, happy dog.

Raising a Puppy: A day in the life with Mia the Blue-Nose American Bully