The words Dog Breed Info with the letter D inside of a black paw print

Raising a Puppy: The 43rd Week in his New Home—Spencer the Blue-Nose Brindle Pit Bull

A day in the life with Spencer the American Pit Bull Terrier puppy. Spencer's 42nd week—52 weeks old (1 year), 79 pounds, 22 1/2 inches from the ground to the highest point of the shoulders (the withers).

Front view - A blue-nose Brindle Pit Bull Terrier is sitting in grass and he is looking forward.

1 year old!

Getting the Profile Pic

close up - A blue-nose Brindle Pit Bull Terrier is sitting in grass and he is looking forward. He is leaning forward.

I always bring treats out with me when I take Spencer's Profile picture. I usually have to make kissy sounds or hope a cat comes over, or get Sara to come out and do tricks with him so he perks up his ears. Otherwise he puts his ears slightly back as I go from holding the camera back to getting a treat out. As soon as I go for the treat he perks up, but when I go for the camera he will often get a pathetic look on his face. He's not sad, just submissive enough not to get a begging look on his face and wait patiently.

It only took me until he was a year old to realize that if I got him used to me tossing the treat at him he would perk up with anticipation knowing the treat could be tossed at any time, rather than waiting for the normal, sit there for a bit, then a command to come get the treat. Dang, I should have been throwing the treats at him all this time! Now if only that cat would move.

A blue-nose Brindle Pit Bull Terrier is sitting in grass and his eyes are closed. An orange cat is rubbing across the chest of the dog.

Oh, and about the cat. That's Pumpkin. It looks like Pumpkin is really loving up on the Spencer-pup, but a little cat psychology: when a cat rubs all over something it does not mean love. That cat is marking Spencer as "his." Yep, the cat rules the Pit Bull and the Pit Bull has no other choice but to accept it, ‘cause that cat is no weenie. That's one tough kitty. If Spencer even tries to get out of line he knows he'd get a scratch across the face.

Happy 1st Birthday Spencer-Puppy!

Front view - A blue-nose Brindle Pit Bull Terrier is laying on a hardwood floor and he is wearing a birthday hat. He is looking down.

Today's your birthday! Happy Birthday to you! Sara made Spencer a party hat. He didn't much like it but he tolerated it so I could get a picture.

A blue-nose Brindle Pit Bull Terrier is sitting on a tiled floor and he is looking down at three doggie cakes on a plate. There is a brown brindle Boxer sitting behind him.

Sara also made him a peanut butter birthday cake with baby carrots sticking out of the top as candles with some sprinkled dog food from a doggie treat recipe.

A blue-nose Brindle Pit Bull Terrier is standing on a tiled floor and he is eating one of the doggie cakes.

He loved it.

A girl is holding one of the doggie cakes and a blue-nose Brindle Pit Bull Terrier is eating it out of her hand. A brown brindle Boxer is laying on a tiled floor behind him.

He didn't even mind when Sara helped him out and handed him a piece.

A blue-nose Brindle Pit Bull Terrier is eating a doggie Cake off of a plate. There is a brown brindle Boxer laying on a tiled floor and is looking at the doggie cake on a plate.

As much as he would have loved to, he was not allowed to eat the whole thing, though. It surely would have made him sick if he did.

A blue-nose Brindle Pit Bull Terrier is eating the doggie cakes on a plate. A girl in green is reaching behind him and giving a brown brindle Boxer laying behind the Terrier a treat.

No worries, Bruno got some too. Just not too much because that boy has got some mean gas in him that he loves to share if he eats too many treats.

Tug-of-War Lazy Style

Now this is what I call Lazy Dog Play. Watch Bruno the 3-year-old Boxer play with his 1-year-old brother Spencer the PIt Bull. A good tug-of-war game. This is Bruno's idea of play without much effort. Hey whatever keeps the kid brother happy, right? ;-) Even though Bruno's joints have been sore he still enjoys playing with Spencer.

Bruno does get up to play sometimes, however. If he does not go for a walk his play gets on the rough side. It's a tricky thing giving him the right amount of exercise so he does not go mentally nuts and watching that he does not injure his hip, knee or back any more than they already are. I think the play is harder on his body than the walk. Hoping to get Bruno feeling better soon so he can get his normal walks in. He was having a good day when this clip was taken.

Walking Curbs

A blue-nose Brindle Pit Bull Terrier is  walking across a log outside on a walk.

This silly pup, who is no longer a pup the nickname just stuck, still likes to walk on curbs. If he can get close enough to one during the walk he will hop right up and walk it like a tightrope. Here he starts walking a piece of wood that divided the grass from the stone path. It was not exactly a curb but the thin line somehow enticed him to carefully walk it.

Video of Spencer walking the wood and then walking a curb.

Barking Growling Dogs

The side of a blue-nose Brindle Pit Bull Terrier that is standing in a street. He is looking at a small red and tan dog that is in a yard behind him.

On one of our walks a little Shiba Inu came running over into the street barking and growling. This little fellow was baring his teeth as he ran at us. Spencer turned to look at the dog and I just kept walking, encouraging Spencer to keep going. Spencer kept trying to look behind him and he may have been a little unsure about the situation. After all, there was a dog smelling his rear baring its teeth, but he kept walking with me as he tried to turn to also look behind him. Spencer didn't show any signs at all of aggression. His tail was down but not curled under, and he was not puffed out at all. He didn't make any sounds; he was silent. I think this Shiba sensed he meant no harm because he growled his way back to his yard and didn't try and run over again, even when I stopped to take a picture. Either that or the Shiba considered our action of continuing to walk as him winning the battle of who owns that yard. It was most likely both. However, continuing to walk when a dog runs at you barking and growling is your best bet at avoiding any negative confrontations. I need to continue to teach Spencer that you do not challenge a dog back. He must leave it up to me to handle the situation.

Raising a Puppy: Spencer the Pit Bull