Training a Pitbull Puppy

Archives: Request: Training a Pitbull Puppy Archived on 09/30/2009 I had a female pitbull puppy, she was thirteen weeks, I gave her back to her owner because he wanted her back. His sister gave her away and I have come to find out the reason that she did was because he was abusing her. I feel so bad now because I sent her back there. I did get in touch with this girl and she said that she is gonna take her back and bring her back to me. I was suppose to get her either last night or sometime today. When I get her back, knowing everything she has been through and, I know that it isn't too late for her to learn that she will be safe with me. I just want to be responsible and train her in a way that makes sure she is not aggressive. I also would like some potty training advice. If anyone has any advice, that would be great. Once I get her I'll take a picture and let you guys see her, she is so beautiful, I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. Thank you. i feel bad 19 from NH Feedback: RE: Training a Pitbull Puppy Lots of love and patience and love and patience. Never strike your puppy, this will only cause problems in the future and he will probably not know why you hit him anyway. This only causes confusion. In one weekend I trained a six week old pup and he has not used the house one time. He will be six in October. It took all weekend, but every time he started to look for a spot, I would take him outside and wait for him to do his business. They learn fast, but you must be consistent. Do not take him out one time ever 3 or 4 hours, he can't hold it that long. Love the your puppy and he will reward you much later on. (08/24/2006) By Sue RE: Training a Pitbull Puppy Never take a puppy away from their mother before 6 weeks. This is especially important with pit bulls, because it is so important that you socialize them early, and they learn things from their mother and siblings in those first six weeks that you can't teach them. Make sure to meet the parents of you dog if at all possible to make sure they have good temperments. When you take your puppy home, have your house prepared for him. Have a kennel set up. If it's a wire kennel, drap a towel over it to give it a cozy "den" like feel. Put some sort of comfy mat or bed in it, if the puppy chews on it or goes on it, remove it immediately and don't give it back until the puppy is completely house broken. Have plenty of toys available. Puppies need to chew and love to play. Have two stainless steel, non-tip bowls ready. Make sure to always have water available, and wipe out the bowl and change the water if the puppy gets food in his water bowl. Buy age and breed appropriate food. When house training, never scold or "rub his nose in it". Pit bulls are very clever dogs and all he will learn from that is to go where you won't find out, and that means stains. If he does go in the house, put him outside (on a leash) and clean it up (don't let him see you clean it up) use a good carpet cleaner and vinegar and water to neutralize the odor. Dogs like to go where they've gone before, and if you get rid of his scent, you'll reduce his urge to go in the house. Make the crate a happy place. Train the puppy to go in his crate on command, and never put him in his crate as punishment. Keep your puppy in his crate when you can't be watching him, because puppies need constant supervision. When leaving him in his crate for extended periods (try to keep them as short as possible) be sure to take him outside before hand and leave a chew bone in there for him. Neuter or spay. There are too many pit bulls out there with out homes already, we don't need anymore. It also helps with temperament and house training, and makes them much less likely to run away. Please, do the responsible thing and get all of your pets spayed or neutered. Socialize. This is especially important with dogs like pit bulls. When they're young, take them for walks to public places and allow people to pet the dog and see that they really are a sweet breed. Petco is a great place for this sort of thing. Introduce you puppy to friendly dogs in safe situations. Watch you dog carefully when doing this, and if he starts to show signs of feeling uncomfortable, take him home. Introduce you puppy to old people, young people, cats, dogs, cars, heavy traffic, and as many situations as possible, but make sure it's always fun, safe, and he's always comfortable. Teach him. A well-trained dog is a happy dog. The more tricks you teach the dog, the more well behaved he will be in general. Only use positive reinforcement and ever scold a dog for not doing a trick. Training is a fun time for you and the dog to bond and learn. Take your dog for walks. Puppies are full of energy and if you let him burn it off he will be better behaved at home and much healthier too. Play. It bonds you with your dog, it teaches them, it keeps them healthy, and most of all it's fun. If at all possible, play fetch with your dog instead of tug-of-war, because it's much less aggressive and fetch also teaches the dog the very important command of "drop". If you do want to play tug, make sure you win, it helps establish dominance. If the dog gets too "into it" tell him to drop it and take it away, replacing it with a calmer toy. Don't play rough and don't allow you puppy to bite you. Puppies love to gnaw on people (especially feet) and this is a very bad behavior to encourage, because it can lead to biting later on in life, and because of their reputation, if a pit bull shows any signs of aggression, it will most likely be put down. If you puppy bites, give a strong "NO!" If they persist, flip them over on their back (showing your dominance over the dog), and tell it no again. If you really want to, spray your hands with "bitter apple" or any anti-biting/chewing spray so they learn that humans tastes bad. Play with you dog's ears, tail, and paws (gently) while it's young. This helps improve the dogs patience and temperment and will make nail trimming and ear cleaning much easier down the road. Pit bulls are low-maintenance dogs, as far as grooming is concerned. Brush with a soft bristle brush, never with a wire brush, it'll hurt the dog. Shampoo only as needed, washing the dog too much can deplete it's natural oils and do more harm than good. Get the dog used to having it's teeth brushed young, it'll save you lots of money and keep you safe from dog breath. Try to "puppy-proof" your home, as well. Keep your dog away from cords, get rid of any poisonous plants, move breakable things out of the way, and get some baby-gates to keep your dog out of rooms you want to keep nice. It'll pay off in the end. Keep the name short, two syllables is usually best because it's short, but longer than most commands (sit, down, no) that could confuse the dog. There is no actual "pit bull" breed. The most common breed referred to is the American Staffordshire Terrier Here are some helpful links: aspca.org akc.org happypitbull.com If at all possible, please try to rescue a pit bull instead of getting one from a breeder. There are hundreds available across the country who desperately need homes. pbrc.net Have fun with your dog, never hit them, and take them to the vet at least twice a year, and everything should work out just fine. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me, I'd be glad to help you out. (02/04/2007) By sun_dog RE: Training a Pitbull Puppy (Sent in by Email) You should never hit your puppy this can lead to aggression later on in the dogs life causing it to fear you instead of obeying you. You should praise it every time it uses the box laid out for him, but it is better to take the puppy out every time even if it seems a hassle, it will eventually work out in the long run if you take it out immediately. If you notice the puppy sniffing around this is a sign of having to go to the bathroom. After every feeding, when you wake up and right before you go to sleep take the puppy outside to urinate and poop. When you clean the waste left by the puppy inside of your home, leave the puppy in another room where it can't see you clean the waste up. Also use vinegar and cleaning agent to clean floor with to clear the odor or the puppy will sniff out the same spot to go again. Never scold the puppy just take it outside leave it there if possible for 10 to 15 minutes giving it time to waste outside. If possible train with treats to promote good potty training habits. If the puppy wastes outside praise it and give it a small treat. Never yell or scold the puppy for using the bathroom in the house. If you do this it will develop the thought of going to the bathroom is bad and will look for places to use the bathroom that you won't catch it. Remember have patience a dog will do only what it knows so train it to do what you want it to do and don't give up perseverance is the key with puppies. As for your second questions, yes pitbull puppy breeds are known for their weak bladders they will urinate frequently for the first 4 to 5 months so taking them to urinate outside if possible every 1 1/2 to 2 hours would be advisable and also after every meal they consume. It is best to feed them on a schedule that will be easier for you and healthy for them. Robert (03/18/2008) By ThriftyFun RE: Training a Pitbull Puppy I have 6 dogs, 2 13 week boy pits, one 5 year old pit mix, and 3 beagles. Thank you for getting her back. Please watch "Dog Whisperer" with Ceasar Millan. That's my best advice and with 6 dogs all happy sweet dogs I had a few problems along the way and all stopped when I watched and learned from that show. It's on National Geographic channel, you will have the best pitbull ever. I swear it talks about all problems and he has a puppy DVD you can buy, but I just watch the show. (09/23/2008) By Sandy RE: Training a Pitbull Puppy In training a pitbull; please, please never be aggressive, always be calm yet assertive. These breeds are very smart and learn very quickly, but patience is a must when training these little guys. Here is a pic of my little guy, George he is now 10 weeks. (02/18/2009) By Shana RE: Training a Pitbull Puppy Puppies chew on everything. Any 8, 10, 12 week old puppy will use their teeth to explore their surroundings. That often seems like biting, but it is more like feeling. However, it is "not" acceptable since they will eventually have big teeth, so it is important to nip it in the bud. The best thing to do is 'get back to good" as fast as possible, which means replace your hand, etc. with a chew toy and then "praise". This way, the puppy is learning not to bite your hand, but also that it's good to bite chew toys (and not furniture). Also, for the peeing everywhere, a little puppy needs to be restricted to a small space, especially when alone. If you're letting your puppy wander all over your house and she is peeing everywhere, it is because she is overwhelmed by the space and trying to make it familiar with her scent. The best thing you can do is keep her in one room (with a babygate) when you're playing with her for a few weeks until she gets used to the smells of the house. And then slowly introduce her to other rooms. And remember to take her out a lot for a pee break. Puppies under 12-16 weeks need to go out every 2-4 hours after sleeping, and every 30 minutes when playing really hard and excited. (they have teeny weeny bladders that actually cannot hold it in once they have to pee. They will be physically able to hold much longer after 4 months). That way you will minimize the mess and maximize the praise and cuddles and love. (02/23/2009) By Raspy Report Spam or Abuse Request: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy Archived on 02/15/2005 I need help in potty training my 5 week old Pitbull puppy. I have a box laying on its side near his bed, and I have newspaper in it. He goes pee-pee on the paper most of the time. He only poops there when he is in the room where his bed is. If he is in another room, he will pee or poop in whatever room he is in. When he does that, I put his face close to the poop or pee, and I smack his bottom with a rolled up newspaper and tell him "no", and he goes straight to his bed. What is the best advice anyone can give me to help me train his to go either outside, or on the newspaper? I still think he is young yet, and he can't hold his bladder well yet. Any tips? Thanks in advance for anyone's help. Stephanie in New Jersey Answers: RE: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy I breed and raise Pit Bulls and the only advice I can give, maybe others do it differently, but I wanted my dog to learn to go outside so I started with Puppy Pads and newspapers and put them where he/she decide they want to go all the time, for some reason, my dogs always want to do it in the middle of the living room floor. So I started in the living room and eventually moved the pads/newspapers towards the kitchen, then out of the kitchen, then next to the back door until I know that when he/she goes towards the back door, then its time for a walk. Then I stop putting down newspapers or puppy pads and they do learn to go to back door and give a little cry. In the meantime, the only thing to do is watch them and when it looks like they are ready to go, take them and put them on the newspaper then they learn that that is where they need to "go". Pit bulls are VERY SMART and EASY to train- given the time and attention, and they are eager to learn. Also, maybe try giving him a treat for when he does a good job, maybe not every time, but every now and again. Good luck! Enjoy him, they grow so fast! I have a pit bull that I raised from a couple days old (I had to bottle feed her since there was a problem with mother's milk) and she is my pride and joy! She loves me as much as I love her. (Erica) (02/15/2005) By eslatham RE: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy I have trained several puppies over the years and have had great success. I don't like or use the paper training method. It takes twice the time and twice the work. They are trained directly to the outside. It usually takes only a week or two to house break a puppy and more often it is sooner then that. But you have to be persistent and watch them constantly. First I have found that puppies always have to go potty as soon as they wake from a nap, which is often because they sleep a lot and second they almost always have to go after they eat. I pick them up when they wake up or finish eating and put them outside immediately. I'd rather they start sniffing around outside for a place to do their business then inside the house and that way they have fewer if any accidents. They get the idea very quickly that they have to get outside to go. I would not let the puppy have any free range of the house without my eyes on it until it is house broken. Keeping confined to a cage or large carton during the night is wise. Your puppy may take a little longer due to the fact that it is younger than 8 weeks old but it will be worth it in the end. You and your puppy will be happier. (02/16/2005) By grannyz RE: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy Your puppy shouldn't even have been taken from his mom yet. But, since he is, taken him out immediately after eating, first thing in the AM , before bed and every 2 hrs or so during the day. Tell him to go potty, and praise him with love, pats and treats when he does. It helps to take him back to where he has gone potty before so he can "smell" what he should do there. If you are not playing with him, in your lap, etc, keep in a crate. (02/16/2005) By Linda RE: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy I can't believe that no one told you that it is not a good thing to hit a puppy ever! Training with fear is always counter productive and you'll just end up with a fearful dog. There is no need to hit your puppy. Keeping the pup crated with a ticking clock in the crate with him will help to ease the anxiety he feels because of being taken from the mother too soon. Always take him out as soon as he's awake in the a.m. and every time he eats. It only takes a few minutes and it's worth it when he begins to ask out himself. Make a big huge fuss when he does the deed and maybe a treat. He'll soon catch on. (02/17/2005) By Bev RE: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy Please be very careful when raising a puppy when it is so young. The ideal age to adopt a puppy is 10-12 weeks old. They should be with their mother and siblings to learn social manners. Since this pup is so young, he may not know how to interact socially. The mother dog usually keeps them in line when they misbehave. I would talk to your vet about this and either buy a book or go to the library and learn how to raise this pup without having future problems especially since he is a Pit Bull. They already have a bad reputation which I blame the owners not the dogs. All dogs need discipline. This can be done firmly without any physical harm. Good luck. (02/17/2005) By mkymlp RE: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy Thank goodness! I read this request at work last night and couldn't reply until I got home this morning but people have already replied and said don't hit the pup! At 5 weeks this pup should still be with its mother who would be washing, (licking) its bottom to either eat the products or, when older, to get it to evacuate outside the 'nest' area. It is far to young to have any idea of bladder/bowel control, as you suspect. My first dog I got at 14 weeks of age so she was easy - every time she trotted around sniffing I assumed she was looking for a place to 'go'. I then took her into the garden until she did go - with lots of praise and loud exclamations! Some times we 'missed' and I spent 15 minutes in my nightdress in the garden for nothing but most times she did the business. She only ever wee'd in the house 3 times in her life before she became old and weak Even when her arthritis was so bad she could barely walk and we were lying on the veranda waiting for the vet to come and euthanize her she managed to stagger to her feet and walk to the edge of the veranda to wee. My second dog, a Jack Russell, I got at 8 weeks old so that took a little bit longer but once he got it, by the same method, he would rather burst than wee in the house. Unfortunately my third dog doesn't agree with this method(!) and would wee anywhere, anytime, from a pup, so lives outside unless I am home. I don't disagree with the 'rolled newspaper' fright method - but for a dog who knows what is 'right' and for some, non medical, reason has slipped up. And it must be done when the dog is 'in the act', not for instance when you get home and find the puddle. You are obviously a caring owner to ask for tips so why not invest in a cheap book on puppy/dog training - it will be much less frustrating if you know what to expect. Regards (02/19/2005) By Jo Bodey RE: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy My puppy's dad was 1/2 pitbull. Training has been an adventure but they do get the idea quickly. He is young so you will have to have more patience with him. He should learn to go outside only and I hope he has been to the vet for shots as well. You have to catch him in the act to tell him no, taking him back to it after the fact won't work. He won't know what you are talking about. He needs to go out often, I took mine out every 30 minutes when not in his crate. Use lots of praise, even if you look like an idiot and watch him closely. Mine will be 6 months this weekend and he sits next to me and stairs when he wants to go out and if I don't move he barks. So listen to him as well. (02/23/2005) By AJM1271 RE: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy I just adopted an 8 week old pitbull puppy from a dog rescue four days ago and today is the first time she didn't go in the house. I put myself on a schedule after I figured out she needs to go ALL THE TIME. I was advised that crate training was the best method so I put it to work. Hope it works for you! Luckily I have a lot of time on my hands and If I'm not there I have my boyfriend to take over, because ITS TIME CONSUMING. Wake up early, let her out of the crate, bring her directly out to go potty (HIGHLY PRAISE HER when she goes), bring her DIRECTLY back in (not play time), feed her, play with her for about 15-20 minutes, Go potty again, and after I lure her back into crate with her toys and treats broken up. Then I get ready for my day. Then let her out again before I leave the house, let her go back into her crate (pet her and give her treats while she is getting used to going into the crate...Never force her in) The puppy will probably whine a little at first while in the crate but just talk to her to let her know you are still around and DON"T take her out if she starts whining because she will think that is what gets her out. Throughout the day, my boyfriend or I will let her out of the crate, bring her directly out to pee, play with her and then let her back in. When I am home for a few hours, I put her crate in the kitchen and block off all entries to other parts of the house that way I can be around while she plays inside or outside of the crate getting used to it and she's not locked up in it ALL DAY. I try to feed her around the same times everyday and repeat the routine. When she is done eating I put away her food dish so she is not nibbling on food all day. If I need to do stuff in other parts of the house I let her go potty first then I keep her only in the room I am in and CAREFULLY WATCH her. Once you hear sniffing, don't even wait for her... just pick her up and bring her out. At night, I tell her to "go to bed" while luring her in with treats again and shut off all the lights in that room. She whines for about 5 minutes but I sit in the other room telling her I'm still here and everything is okay. She actually settles down and goes to sleep. We wake up 2 or 3 times in the middle of the night to let her out because we found that she will not make it through the night. The first two nights were miserable waking up to her crying, but last night and hopefully tonight things were MUCH better! I hope this helps! Also, make sure the crate is just the right size for them to sleep in and move around a little because if it is too big they will go on the other end of the crate! I bought two really good books on Pitbulls and training puppies and so far so good! (03/10/2005) By bali01 RE: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy This may be too late for advice, but my pitbull puppy is 2 and 1/2 months old, and she catches on rather fast, she is down to only going in the house maybe once every 2 or 3 days, but she still messes up, I am use to training boneheaded dogs, so when i yell at her she gets a hurt expression, and that makes me feel bad, lol. The hardest part you'll encounter is moderating the "punishment" to the right levels, I never hit the dog, I use a newspaper to make a loud noise on something around her as to get her attention, if you hit them with your hands they'll actually start to mope and shy away when you try to pet them, thats a big part of training a dog. Remember, be a leader, not a boss. (06/28/2005) By logicalbomb RE: Potty Training Puppies Make use of dogs' most important sense of smell to potty train them. As they grow, they choose their potty places by smell. Put newspaper where they seem to have accidents. After they have used the paper, place the used (and smelly) paper where you want them to go. Then take them to their "place" after meals and at potty break time. For young puppies, this must be frequently, as their systems need time to mature and build their potty habits. Be sure to keep clean paper in the areas where they have accidents until they have built their habits to go where you want them to go! (10/12/2005) By wonfivegolf RE: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy bring your dog out side every 30 minutes and he will eventually know to hold it in until you bring him outside (02/02/2006) By jamie RE: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy Pit Bull Puppies need constant attention and communication. It's imperative that you use the "happy voice and the unhappy voice" with your puppy so that they will be able to distinguish the two "tones." You must "connect" with your puppy and know when he or she is about to go to the bathroom. This will happen as soon as the puppy wakes up or soon after they eat. When they start to "sniff" it's pee time! When they "sniff" and then "circle" while "sniffing" it's poop time! You must watch your puppy at all times because they will send you signals, you must catch them in the act of going where they are not suppose too and execute action and take them where they are suppose to go. Keep a set schedule when you take them out and stick to it, don't change it! Remember, YOU ARE THE ONE BEING TRAINED NOT THE PUPPY! THIS IS A PIT BULL AND YOU HAVE TO BE THE ONE IN CONTROL ALL ALL TIMES! Make time for your puppy, it's a lot of work! It will pay off in the long run. If you can't put in the time you may have purchased the wrong breed to deal with. Do the research, check out the literature on Pit Bulls! You'll find all the answers there. I did this long before I picked my puppy dog up. I already knew what I was in for. All I have to do now is look at my Pit Bull and she reacts! Follows me even without me having to call her. AND THIS IS AT 10 WEEKS! IMAGINE IN 1 YEAR! GOOD LUCK! (05/12/2006) By Bruce RE: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy You could also try a product which is sold at petsmart. It could be sold at walmart I'm not sure though. it teaches your pet where to urinate. It comes in a spray bottle and you can spray it in a certain part of your yard or on a newspaper or puppy pad. I have several pits and they have all adapted to using a puppy pad because I spayed this. Also, for biting, you can try YUCK it leaves a bitter taste in the puppy's mouth so it teaches them to stop biting. this also can be found at petsmart. (06/01/2006) By sarha RE: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy I found an adorable Brindle walking down a main street he was underfeed and it was about 90 degrees outside. I already have a 5 year pitbull mix and she was easy to train I have a strong feeling that this pup was mistreated and let go because of his stubbornness not to go outside I am trying my best not to lose my cool but today alone aI have picked up 3 gross piles. I popped him on the rear with a towel and he dropped to the floor in the fetal position. I believe that he can make a good pet I have two children and I won't leave him in the room alone because I know he has a bad past what should I do I won't take him to the shelter because I'm attached and the shelter are overcrowded. (06/02/2006) By Tracy RE: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy Don't smack him, it might lead to aggression. A pitbull puppy has a very weak bladder so it will need to go outside every hour to eliminate what is inside of it. (06/09/2006) By paige RE: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy This is how i have potty trained all of my dogs in the past... Any time my puppies have had to go pee I just take them out back and I pee in the backyard so the puppy sees where to go pee... the puppy without fail will associate the back yard to peeing... and eventually pooping. The longest it has taken me to Potty train any of my puppies was probably 3 days. You just have to make sure that the puppy follows you out to the back yard... now, for a lady trying to train a puppy, you might want to have a guy do it, it might be a bit easier. (06/10/2006) By Jimmy RE: Potty Training a Pitbull Puppy Never put their face in their waste, if they use it inside... just look at it and say ugh then put him or her aside where they can't see and clean it up. If you put their nose in it and clean it in front of them not only does it make them mean but it is a reward for them to see you cleaning it up. Also they don't like to potty where they sleep, they like to potty far away from their beds. Just make sure you bring it potty outside every time they awake from a nap or cry to go outside. A lot of puppies poop right after they eat and if they don't they will poop three hours later. You should NEVER hit a puppy, that's the worst thing to do. When he/she goes outside make sure you look at the waste and point while saying "good job". (08/21/2006) By PITBULL OWNER Report Spam or Abuse