Special Pit Bull Story
Diva Dog: Pit Bull on Wheels

Diva Dog: Pit Bull on Wheels is the story of Coral. A Pit Bull that was paralyzed from the waist down after being struck by a hit and run driver. Before her accident Coral was abused until she was rescued by Chris Cory and some friends. Chris ended up keeping Coral as his friend and staying by her side throughout her life.

Coral was not only a Pit Bull. Coral was a disabled dog that had to have a wheel chair in order to get around. Chris Cory stuck with Coral through the tough times, giving her the best quality of life he could provide her and loving her the entire time.

Diva Dog: Pit Bull on Wheels is a documentary about Chris and Coral's journey together. Chris, a film maker and actor out of Los Angeles California decided to help other disabled dog owners learn from Coral's story and to educate the public about the many options disabled dogs have today.

Coral touched many people's lives and inspired people all from a doggie wheelchair. Sadly Coral passed away on June 15, 2006 before the release of her movie. Her story is not over though. Her legacy will live on through her movie and the tireless work of her best friend and life long companion, Chris Cory.

Coral is an ambassador for her breed and she is an official spokes dog for the dias bled animals.

Coral's story touches my heart in so many ways. First as a Pit Bull fancier, second as a dog lover, third as a lover of spirit and triumph. Coral's story can teach us all about unconditional love, trust, and the undying heart of the American Pit Bull Terrier.

Pit Bull Health Tip of The Month:
3 Tips to Help Keep Your Pit Bull Warm this Winter

American Pit Bull Terriers have short hair and this means they need an extra layer or two when they venture out in cold weather. Following are three tips to help keep your Pit Bull warm during the cold months.

Tip #1 - Protect The Tummy. A doggy t-shirt goes a long way to stopping the cold from bothering your pooches very sensitive stomach area. For those extra cold days you could also put on a sweater or a belly protector (look for these in bird dog supplies).

Tip #2 - Dry them off immediately after being outdoors. Bring a couple of dry towels with you and dry your dog off when they get back in the vehicle and remove any wet clothes (doggy t's etc...) from them as well.

When my dogs are wet I dry them off with one towel and then wrap them up with another towel for the trip back home.

Tip #3 - Buy a good dog bed. A good dog bed goes a long way to keeping your dog warm during those extra cold nights. Heat rises so the floor is usually the coldest place in the house. A bed keeps them up off the floor and insulates them so they can retain their body heat.

Common sense will help keep your dog warm this winter. Don't get out in really nasty weather and over do it. Short periods of play a couple times a day is much better than one long play session. If you do take your dog out for a long play session make sure to take breaks in a warm vehicle and give your dog a good rub down to help them stay warm.

Check out the resource section for the dog bed that I recommend.

Pit Bull Training Tip of the Month:
Teaching the Automatic Stay or Why I Don't Teach a Stay Command

I don't teach a stay command for one reason. When you teach a release cue the dog is supposed to stay in the position until released. To add a stay cue is overkill in this situation and in my experience it's easier on the handler and the dog.

How to Teach the Automatic Stay

Start with your dog in a down. Once your dog goes down on command take two steps back. Wait 10 seconds. Then go back to your dog and release them with a release cue. I use, "Okay!" but you can use whatever works for you.

If your dog breaks then shorten the time you require her to wait. Instead of 10 seconds try 5 seconds. Your goal is to work up to 2 minutes without having to start over again.

Why start in the down? Because your dog is going to be more likely to stay put in the down and it will make it easier to teach her the exercise in this situation. Once she starts to understand the release cue then you can start requiring her to stay in a sit position.

Remember you are not going to be telling your dog to "stay" or give any cue to that nature. You want to have them wait until you give the release cue.

Practice this exercise for 5 minutes every day. If you can work the exercise two or three times a day then you should do that as well. Keeping the sessions to 5 minutes in length so you end on a successful note each time.

Resources:
Where to find Great Gear for Your Pit Bull

Legal Stuff and Conclusion

Every thing in this newsletter is Copyright © 2006-2007. Jason Mann & PitBullLovers.com

You can pass the web site address to this newsletter to friends if you like.

That concludes the legal talk.

In Conclusion

Keep your pooch arm this winter and have a good time. Keep up with the training and be consistent.

We have a lot of challenges as Pit Bull owners. Together we can face the ignorance that surrounds us and make some positive changes.

Thank you for being a subscriber to the Pit Bull Lovers Gazette.

Best Regards,

Jason Mann
Senior editor - The Pit Bull Lover Gazette
Proud Doggy Dad - Angel CGC/CTD, Honey and Patch Three of the coolest dogs I've ever had the pleasure of sharing space with.