Firm Training For Your Pit Bull

By

javamom77

I have recently adopted my brother's St.Bernard/Pit bull (Who was on here under pet essays - Tex). My brother passed away and Tex needed a loving home. He is a bit clumsy and has a tendency to paw at us and it does hurt. I have shown him that I am the dominant one and he knows I am boss, but how do I stop him from pawing at us and jumping up without us having to be aggressive with him.

Even though on the other hand our cat Molly has him running in fear every time she moves his direction. She has definitely showed him she is boss and has never laid a paw on him. I have to admit watching her chase him down the hallway is quite entertaining.

By

angiesmiles37

I have a 5 month old Pitbull/Lab/Rott mix and she chews on everything including my hands and hair and every other limb. I've tried my best to get her to quit biting, I know she doesn't do it aggressively she's playing but I don't want this to grow into aggressive behavior. I've held her mouth closed and firmly said no, she hates water so I've taken a spray bottle and sprayed her when she does, and I've put her in time out but I really don't know what else to do. She is very outgoing and excited constantly she doesn't bite nearly as much as she used to but it is still a regular activity. And she's also knocked down m 2 year old nephew. I know she was playing but that is not ok, I have to find a way for her to understand how to play nicely, not to bite and be very gentle with children. If anyone has any advice please let me know.

By

thughes0215

I have a five month on Pit Bull Terrier. She is a very submissive dog although I don't want her to be Cujo I do want her to not be scared of every noise she also will not bark at people coming towards the house. My other dog will alert us to anyone coming near the house but the pit bull does not bark and if she does then she will bark then run away. Do not mistake me in no way do I want a dog that scares everyone but I also don't want a dog that may get stolen in the future because she is either to friendly or to scared to alert to strangers in the yard. Please Help Someone!

By Bones (Guest Post)

We have a pitbull that wondered into our yard over 8 years ago and he quickly found his place in our pack with 3 other dogs one male (Black Lab) and two females a queensland and queensland mix (All neutered or spayed of course). He is the most submissive and polite dog of the bunch. He loves our neighbor kids and a few times they have fallen asleep with him on his bed. I have worked as a veterinary technician for 11 years and I have seen the occasional pit bull that cant be trusted but more often than not they are one of the most friendly breeds we work with. Their brave and confident nature serves them well in stressful environments where other breeds become aggressive because of thier fear. This actually makes them one of the least likely patients to bite when being handled by strangers in unusal ways. Yes, they can be stubborn and do need you to establish your dominance but that should NEVER require striking them EVER.

By PitBullRescuer BadRap.org (Guest Post)

Please visit http://www.badrap.org "NILIF" or Nothing In Life Is Free is a very successful method to establish dominance that doesn't involve HITTING your dog. Resorting to violence is never an answer for professional/great trainers. When was the last time you saw a Killer Whale trainer beat Shamu? That's because Pure Positive Methods work! Especially for intelligent animals and the people who work WITH them.

By Lori Burke (Guest Post)

I agree that terriers are a strong breed and need a strong leader to follow but as for ruthless and natural born killers i would have to disagree. It is the human animal that turns a dog in to a killer.

By

Jantoo

I think you've overstated the case on ALL terriers. I've had 3, and never had a problem with aggression. They were all born to love. My little Lakeland terrier in particular would roll his eyes in disbelief if he were still here to read your post. (I exaggerate only slightly. Terriers are very smart, as you must know.)

I've been bitten 3 times by a neighbor's black shepherd, and have been charged by the dog 7 times. And the dog has not an ounce of pit bull in her.

But I certainly see your point - pit bull terriers have often been bred to kill, and that is a terrible thing to do to any dog. Good obedience training, done well, is of paramount importance with any dog who exhibits aggressive behavior, pit bull or otherwise. And most aggressive canine behavior can be controlled by a good, caring owner who sees to it that the dog is properly trained.

Our community has an ordinance for wolf hybrids. Owners are required to have a $150,000 insurance policy covering the wolf-dog. I would like to see this raised to $1 million, extended to all "dangerous dogs" (i.e. those who have bitten more than once) and I would also require the owner to have a fenced-in exercise area for the dog that the dog cannot escape from.

It's also worth noting that many property insurance companies will not insure so-called "aggressive" breeds, e.g. pit bulls and German shepherds. Your insurance agent can tell you which breeds your insurer does not cover. And if the dog is initially covered, and bites and bites and bites, the insurance company will eventually cancel their house insurance. Try keeping your mortgage without house insurance. Or try renting with a dog that bites, and see how long the landlord puts up with it. He is liable too, if he allows the dog to be on his premises.

For more info on laws re dog bites, you can check out www.dogbitelaw.com.