Growling Pitbull Puppy

I have a 5 month old Pit puppy and when new people try to approach her, she puts her tail between her legs and growls. I'm afraid she'll bite someone. What can I do?

By Dellylah from Las Vegas, NV

Answers: Growling Pitbull Puppy

Read answers for this question below.

By 10/15/2010

I have a now 2 year old pit bull that was not scared but was aggressive towards strangers as a baby. A leash was our best friend. I think that people really need to learn not to just walk up and try to pet a strange dog, but as a pit owner the dog has to be taught to sit and accept other people. I taught my dog this by keeping her on a leash when introducing her to new people and letting them give her a treat. I also taught her that when I say "okay" it means that the person is alright for her to be friendly towards. She has also been taught "enough" dogs sometimes get worried by some people and there is nothing to be done about it, but if it someone that is going to be in their life they must learn not to growl. When she is told "enough" she will stop growling and lay down. Pits are bred to be protective and usually, all they are doing is looking out for their people.

By 08/05/2009

I had a pit bull puppy and he and she did the same thing don't let them be around people that aren't regularly going to be around! If someone does come over that is a friend or someone that just stopped by but the puppy in another room or in a cage don't let just anyone touch her or pet her pit bulls are protective!

By 07/22/2009

She sounds scared to me. Don't just train your dog, train the strangers. How do strangers approach her? There are a few things that some people do and don't realize that it can be a sign of aggression from the person.

By 07/03/2009

Don't waste your time with obedience classes, they don't do a lot of good. Better to go to leerburg.com and in my opinion, strangers don't really have any business petting your dog. The dog is scared. I would keep treats on your and when someone comes up to the dog like family.....or friends. I would let the person drop the treat at first no matter what the dog does, and then later only drop when the dog is behaving nicely.

Sometimes, dogs don't see strangers as a pleasant experience and they really have no business coming up and handling your dog. I would tell them please don't pet the dog, it bites.(whether it does or not...)

If it is a family member have them marker train the dog by calling and dropping a treat. Marker training is covered in leerburg.com and you should have a lot of success with it.

If the pup thinks you are not protecting it from others, it will not see you as trustworthy and not respect or see you as the (kind yet firm) leader. Love and kisses to the pup and go to leerburg and look at the articles, podcasts and ebooks. They are free. Remember when playing with the dog not to get it overexcited. Also have fun with marker training, and clicker training. I make the click sound with my mouth. I like to train the first clicker training session to target my hand. This is done by calling the dog and when it comes to you then let it touch your palm of your hand with its nose, or if it does not do this gently put your palm on its nose and say yes at the moment it is done and one second later no more no less, drop a piece of the 20 pieces of treat cut into little pieces that you have on you. :) Repeat about twenty times or so.

The treat should be a piece of soft jerky like treat that the dog can eat in a hurry, cut into about twenty or more pieces that you can drop and the dog can snarf in a second or two. Whenever Shadow my GSD gets in trouble he knows to run to me and put his nose on my hand. Since he runs to me and targets my hand, then I praise him for it since he abandoned the previous bad behavior. He was a slightly scared rescue too, as far as German shepherds go. Pit bulls are really sweet, but all dogs have their own personality and we can train around those. Feel free to write me for any more comments or concerns.
Robyn

By 07/02/2009

Time to get a trainer for your dog and you. These behaviours must be nipped in the bud ( pardon the pun) Speak to your Vet read dog books but correct it now while he's a pup. Remember a well trained dog is a dog you can be proud of and take places with you. An untrained dog is a liability.

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Growling Pitbull Puppy

I have a seven and half week old blue pit puppy and today he started growling at me. So I turned him up side down to show him that I'm alpha and he got more mad and tried to bite. How do I prevent this?

Dale from Colorado

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

Have you ever seen The Dog Whisperer? Cesar Millan is THE MAN. I think the show comes on Discovery, and you can probably rent or Netflix it. He also has a book. As for an immediate fix, you're on the right track. You grab it by the scruff, firmly say "NO," pin it to the floor, and don't let it up until it's calm and submissive. Then reward it every time it does something good. If it misbehaves again, tell it no and pin it to the ground again. This works surprisingly fast. Good luck- You'll need it, especially since many people are so unfairly biased against pit bulls and will be on the lookout for anything that could possibly seem aggressive... It's always good to start training any breed to be polite while young. (05/21/2007)

By Beth - MA

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

I second Cesear!!! I am not a dog person, but if my husband ever gets his wish and gets another, then we are doing it the Dog Whisperer way! Pit bulls are one of his favorite breeds. Here is the link http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/dogwhisperer/ (05/21/2007)

By michawnpita

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

I have a Maltese and a puppy mill surviver, Bichon Frise. When the malt was a puppy he was teething and would nip at my hands. I told him "No bite" very firmly and put him on his back and put his own paw in his mouth. Took once, I think, and he never growled or bit again. (05/24/2007)

By daiquiri

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

Why in the world would you turn him upside down? He did not understand that. You should never physically or mentally hurt a dog. They do not forget and will not ever be situated to being a good pet, You must be firm, but not hurtful. You should be the alpha, but you must do it the proper way, just like a mother dog would do to a pup. Proper dog training takes much time and patience and has to be consistent to ever create a dog with good manners. This is a breed to be very consistent with but not to the extent of harmful. (05/24/2007)

By sue

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

My sister has a Rottweiler who as a puppy would growl and want to "take over". They tried putting the puppy on her back and she got very nasty. Then my sister put the dog in the bathroom without turning on the overhead light. The dog was left in the bathroom for maybe four or five minutes. This action tells the dog that she is "banished from the pack" and did help to let the puppy know that she was not the boss. Some dogs are difficult and you have to keep an upper hand with them. Please consult books and your veterinarian. Puppy snacks or tidbits of food can be given to reward good behavior. Good Luck. (05/24/2007)

By Barbara

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

One of our two dogs was becoming very aggressive towards the other. She was getting bigger and older and was trying to be dominant. The next time she showed dominance towards the other dog, I quickly pushed her to the floor by her neck, gently but firmly. I yelled no very loud. It's ten years later and she has never done it again. I read that by doing this I was showing her that I was the boss and that she doesn't rule the household, I do. (05/25/2007)

By Laura

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

I read your message and I think you misunderstood me. I have never and will never hurt my puppy/dog. I gently turned him up side down and rubbed his stomach which is something I read off the web. I'm raising this puppy with love compassion not hate. (05/25/2007)

By dale1531

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

You have more guts than I do!! I love dogs, but a pit bull is one that I won't even come close to, even if it would belong to a friend! Too temperamental and high strung. Even IF they are raised with compassion and treated nice, they can go off at any time! Good luck! (06/01/2007)

By healthaidefrog1959

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

I have a 3 year old pit bull from a rescue-when I first got him, he would make this strange noise that I thought was a growl but he always seemed to be in a good mood when he did it. I spoke with the lady that runs the rescue I got him from and she said pit bulls make a growl-like sound which is really a laugh. We call it talking in my house. When we get home from work and before he goes for a walk, he really gets to "talking". As far as trying to bite you goes, since he is just a puppy, he may think it's a game-if my dog does something bad, I pop him real light under the chin-he's really sensitive and even though it doesn't hurt, he looks so pitiful if I do it. Good luck-we've really enjoyed our pit and I'm sure you will too! (06/04/2007)

By Trooper's Mama

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

When you held the dog upside down, he took that as a sign of aggression from you. And since dogs quite often learn their behavior from the alpha, you don't want to teach him aggressive behavior. To stop behavior you don't want, just get a spray bottle filled with water, and spray him in the face when he displays behavior you don't like. Dogs hate to sprayed in the face, and it is a non-aggressive way to teach him what not to do. But each time you spray him, say something like "no growl", or "no bite", or which ever word is appropriate for the action. (06/09/2007)

By JParker145at.aol.dot.com

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

It's right to put the puppy on his back until he is calm. He needs to learn to be submissive to you, and this is how dogs do it to each other. Do it every time he misbehaves, and it will soon make you the alpha dog. It doesn't hurt him one tiny bit and it is not cruel. You are being a responsible owner who doesn't want a future problem for you or your dog. Good luck! (06/26/2007)

By Stngray

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

My pit puppy was this same he would growl at me so I put him on his back, and he used really fight with me and try and bite me, but I just keep holding him till he came down. It wasn't easy. He was a strong little sucker. After a while he stopped. I can do anything to him and he will growl at me. I can put him on his back and hold him, pull his ears, I mean anything. He is a great dog he is going to be 6 months on 26th, and I have a little girl that's his sister, and she is great, too. I love them both to death. The best 2 dogs I ever had. (02/07/2008)

By pitbull lover

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

Puppies growl when they get frustrated. Ignore bad behavior and praise good behavior. I get most of my training ideas from watching dog whisperer. On that show Caesar Mullan always starts by exercising the dogs. If they aren't exercised they are going to be more aggressive. You want to always wear your puppy out before you try to train them. Play tug a war, run around the house, go on a walk, anything to get them tired. Then go ahead and train them. A Tired puppy is a Happy puppy! (03/25/2008)

By janessa

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

I have a dominate pit bull pup. He is 1 year next week. I have put him on his back since he was 6 weeks. He growled at me then and does sometimes now. I have to be alpha. Not harsh just consistent. If I ignore him for 4 days, only food and potty, little else in the way of affection, he does better. (09/04/2008)

By Telisa m

Growling Pitbull Puppy

I have a 1 year old Pit Bull male. He growls at me sometimes. He has been to obedience classes and has a 7 month old sister who is an English Mastiff. He has been growling since he was 6 weeks old. How do I stop him from thinking he is alpha?

Telisa from Imperial, MO

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

Doing the "alpha roll" on a dog is not harmful. It is the same thing dogs do to each other to decide who is in charge. We have four Olde English Bulldogs (stubborn) and we have done the roll on them since they were pups, and still must do it occasionally now that they are grown. All of our kids have laid across them so that the dogs know the kids are higher up than they are. Dogs are not people and you can't use any sort of reasoning with a dog. They have to know who the pack leader is. The Dog Whisperer is a good source, as is picking the brains of those who have Pitbulls and know how to train them. Good luck. (09/12/2008)

By Wendopolis

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

I'm also a fan of the "Dog Whisperer", but I think that Animal Planet's "It's Me Or The Dog" offers safer ways of training, than the often confrontational style Cesar uses. The show airs every weekday afternoon at 5pm Central Time, and Saturday nights at 7pm Central Time.

It stars Victoria Stilwell, who uses positive reinforcement (giving treats, etc.) to help calm aggressive dogs. She's turned some absolutely psycho dogs into model pets, without resorting to the "alpha roll" that Cesar often uses.

Honestly, I would not attempt doing the "alpha roll" on a Pit Bull, or any dog, for that matter. "Dog Whisperer" often carries the disclaimer, "Do not attempt these techniques without consulting a professional" and for good reason. "It's Me Or The Dog" carries no such disclaimer, because Victoria's methods are much more low-key, and safer.

So watch both these shows, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Hopefully you'll find something to help your Pit Bull calm down and relax. (09/14/2008)

By WildIrish

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

Your dog may have been through obedience training, but you are not being an effective leader. Just because a dog will sit on command does not mean you are in control. Both shows have their good and bad points. Watching them is not good enough. You have to be ready and willing to spend the time and energy with your dog so you both can be happy.

First you really need to objectively look at the times the dog growls at you. Is his favorite person gone? Do you have food in your hands? Praising the other dog? You get the idea. Often, growling problems are more fear based than an attempt to gain dominance. You have to look carefully and get another candid opinion if needed. Then listen to the opinion even if they tell you something like you need to be less afraid.

You dog should be neutered. If not; get it done ASAP. No excuses. Some dogs have situations where they may have no behavior problems from not being spayed or neutered, but you are not an effective enough leader for that to be the case for you. This alone should help quite a bit.
The other dog should also be spayed. Many people think they might make money by breeding or may want a puppy in the future, but you have no idea how much work and expense is involved or how to pick a good stud. Keep them both as pets and don't become a backtard (bad) breeder.
Exercise-at least 30 minutes of good exercise twice a day every day and longer when possible is "necessary". That means you taking the dog for a jog or at least a very brisk walk. Strolling like you're sleepwalking is "not" exercise enough by any means. With a long enough lead and possibly a pole that's made for bikes, you can ride and let him run alongside or you can rollerblade, etc.
He's obviously "not" at the point to take him to a dog park and just throw a stick around. Letting him into a yard by himself doesn't do it either.
Alpha Roll- or placing the dog on his side until he calms down is a partial tool to help with this problem but it does "not" solve it. Personally, I do not use this technique, but there is nothing wrong with it when used in conjunction with all the changes you need to make. Alone it will "not" solve your problem.
Control- You have to know you're in command and have confidence. Your tone should be calm and no-nonsense. The second you sound angry; you know you've lost control. Use your body to block the dog, breathe and calmly/firmly repeat your command.
Use control when walking the dog. You need to lead, period. If he pulls, simply but firmly change directions and move assuredly. You may need to give a sharp noise to distract him when you do this. Forget about what anyone might think of you when going through the training. Go a good 5 feet or so and then turn around again and continue where you want to go.
Repeat every time he pulls. Don't give up. It won't take long for him to learn "if" you stay committed.
Feeding- make sure the dogs are respectful. They should wait for you to put the food down and release them before they eat. Either show can help you with that if it's a problem.
General Training- you have to reward the dog when he's doing what he should. They are intelligent dogs and need mental stimulation. They will "not" get that from another dog. If your prior training attempts have failed; why would you expect a dog to succeed in your place?
Go through the basics with sit, stay, down, all that. I prefer "quiet" as the command to stop making any noise. I hold my ground, keep my arms folded and simply don't back down. Once you get the confidence; it really comes easily and the dogs will respond.
If he growls when he has something in his mouth; you really need to teach the "drop" command. You can do this by saying "drop" when he's about to naturally drop something and immediately praise/reward when it happens. Repeat relentlessly and soon he will learn to drop whatever he has for the treat. "No" is too general and quickly becomes overused and the dog isn't sure what you mean at a point.
Treats- have to be something really good like chicken. Using something like a dog biscuit won't cut it. It has to be a small, but very scented food to get his attention and hold it. Treats made for dogs do not do this. Cocktail wieners or small pieces of sausage or a little cheese can do as well.

Don't allow the dogs on your bed or furniture. It puts them on an equal importance level with you and they should not be. "Off" and treats work great to solve this one. Separate doggie beds should also be added if you don't have them.

It has "nothing" to do with the breed. I know people are lazy and feed off the mob mentality of what's spoonfed to them off TV; but all 4 breeds of"Pitbull" are long noted to be "great family dogs". If you're afraid of high strung dogs; stay away from all small breeds, Spaniels and Labs because all you're getting is puppymilled/backyard bred problems. (09/15/2008)

By Shelter Worker

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

Have you noticed that Cesar puts them on their side, never on their back? If the dog is on his back, he feels he's being put to death and he becomes very defensive and terrified. Put on his side and then he decides "Two is good - I can be second." Hold him there until he is submitted, sighed, calm and goes ten seconds without an attempt to struggle. Use your fingertips to hold his neck down. He instinctively understands dog psychology, so that's why this works so well. (09/15/2008)

By kimhis

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy

(sent in by email) I have a Pit Bull and am a dog trainer. He is doing what he would do to other puppies. Do not Alpha Roll him! Make a high pitched noise (as if he tore your arm off. Get up and go away from him. Ignore him. Go back try again. Also, pet him with one hand while feeding him treats with the other. At another time of course.

Make him think if he bites too hard or plays rough you will not play with him. Teach him to drop it and fetch. Play with him with a toy and then put the toy away until you want to play again. He will love that toy and you and will do anything for you and that toy.

Pits were bred not to give up easily. But alpha rolls make them frustrated and it does not make them submissive. Do not try what Cesar does, he is a expert and is working with dogs that sometimes want to kill him or other dogs not puppies. By ThriftyFun

RE: Growling Pitbull Puppy