i found stray, pitbull mix 4months ago. Vet guessed she was 6wks old. doesn't respond to discipline like normal pit bull or dog in general. "No!" and spanking is her trigger to play fight. doesn't change reaction for anything its always wrestling until nap. I scold anytime i see it's feel horrible yelling at her 24-7, but i refuse to play rough with her. i don't like constant gnawing its hard to get anything done with becoming a target . shes not attacking its playful, but its all the time. she wont let you pet her she immediately starts chewing on you or play snapping.
2006-09-24 13:43:01 · 9 answers · asked by cori c 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
ive owned a few pups before and several friends have pitts. my favorite dog that past, Max, a red nose pittbull. he was the best dog in the world. i had Max for years, He had a few triggers mainly very tall men with hats he would go into protection mode otherwise he was the sweetest dog who in his puppy years did like to play spar so i do know pitts. when i said yell i really should of used stern authoritive voice. i just feel like a nag. To help ive invested a small fortune in chewing treats. weekly she gets soup bones,steak bones put in her dish not to mention the reg dog bones, pigs ears and treats daily. ive bought her at least 10 hew toys that are mostly destroyed after day 3.( shes the only dog ive ever heard of actually get the little squeeky noise maker out of every toy that has one.lol.) i dont work so im with her all the time i do try playing fetch with her in our yard to tire her out because her energy level is insane. (i havent even told you about her seperation problem)
2006-09-24 19:36:58 · update #1
You need to socialize her with other dogs. this is best done before 6months. Puppies nip each other, and playing together will cull their biting. They will also learn acceptable behavior.
SOCIALIZING is one of the most IMPORTANT things you can do for a dog.
2006-09-24 16:23:36 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
First and formemost YOUR PUPPY NEEDS MORE EXERCISE!
This is truly the key to solving the behavior problems. In your question you refer to having/being around "pits" before and they weren't like this...you need to look past the breed, especially when it comes to "pitbulls" because that is such a vague term that constitutes a wide array of dogs in all shapes, sizes and temperments. It seems you have a very active puppy and in order to develop into a well adjusted adult it will need to have its exercise requiremnts met. It you do not have the energy level/time to do this you really need to decide if you should have this dog. Excessive pent up energy can lead to serious behavior problems down the road, and since your dog can be considered a "pitbull" it is imperative you take the necessary steps to avoid this. Also stop yelling/spanking when your dog is over excited. This is counter productive. You are now becoming excited which just increases your dogs excited state. If she is out of control take her for a walk/run. An unactiive person and a very active dog can be a very bad combination for both the dog's and the person's mental health.
2006-09-29 14:15:38 · answer #2 · answered by Matt O 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, you should never NEVER hit a Pitbull for any reason what so ever! You are only encouraging her to be aggressive. Second, you should not be yelling at her either.
Now, this is normal puppy behavior. She also may be teething. Do you have chew toys for her? Buy one of those large 3 knot rope toys to play with her with. Encourage her to bite on that instead of your hand.
Since it sounds as if you don't any experience in raising/handling the Pitbull breed I would suggest that you and her go through obedience classes together. All large breed dogs need to be handled and trained the proper way. You have to make sure that they are obedient at all times, you don't want to have to put her down in a few years because she attacked someone.
In the meantime, here are some websites concerning Pits, their history, their temperament, etc.
http://www.americanhumane.org
http://bless-the-bullys.tripod.com/
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/americanpitbull.htm
http://www.realpitbull.com/
http://pitbullsthetruth.tripod.com/
2006-09-24 20:58:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Best thing to do would be to never hit or yell at her. Teething and mouthing are perfectly normal puppy behaviours, but you should absolutely not tolerate this on anything other than designated chew toys. Don't confuse her by bombarding her with a huge variety of toys - stick to the same toys and treats of the same type.
I highgly recommend having one or two permanent toys (eg: kong or knobbly wobbly) and only one type of edible ones (eg: cow hooves). Bitter apple may work as a deterrent for your hands! These supplies are very cheap online at www.idrdogs.org/store and can be picked up at local pet supply stores. I know others have already said this, but go to obedience classes if possible! A properly trained dog won't have any of these problems.
2006-10-01 01:30:49 · answer #4 · answered by audreyannlow 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a pit puppy too. He is now 10 months old. All I can say is just have a little patience. He did all the same things for the first 6 ro 7 months. then more and more I noticed that he enjoyed snuggling while I watched tv. Soon after I noticed him snuggling with my son, and always wanting to be with me and be petted. He still does play a little rough, but he is now about 80% of the time calm, and 20% wild. yelling won't work. Just lending a little personal experience.
2006-09-26 22:29:08 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Enroll your puppy in a reward based training class. Your puppy is entering into teenage stage and it will get worse before it gets better. A reward based class will help give your puppy something to do and help you learn how to deal with your puppy. Most Pits (and any other terrier for that matter) can be very hard headed and yelling at them doesnt do you any good, without teaching the desired behavior you would like in place of the naughty one. Most Pits do tend to be mouthy when playing, you will need to teach your puppy 'bite inhibition'. Puppies learn that when you escalate play (pushing them away, putting your hand in their mouth, ect) they are allowed to recipricate. Instead tell your puppy, in a mildly angry deep voice, OUCH THAT REALLY HURT...mutter mutter mutter, as you walk away from your puppy and leave her in her own space alone. Come back in 60 seconds later and ask your puppy to be calm and then play can resume. Repeat this as needed....about every 6 seconds when starting out :) Gradually decrease the pressure that creates your OUCH response, until it is eventually a barely there occurence. If you dont want to join a group class...even though I really recommend them, pick up a book by Dr. Ian Dunbar called Before and After Getting Your Puppy. It deals with all of the normal things that you are or will be dealing with, for your pup.
2006-09-24 21:34:32 · answer #6 · answered by madfly80 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First she is old enough to get spayed. Please take her to the vet to get spayed. Sometimes spaying does calm them down. You do have to understand though she is still a puppy. Puppy's will play, but dont encourage an aggressive or rough play. Just spend a lot of time touching her.
2006-09-24 20:46:46 · answer #7 · answered by apha_barrelracer 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
spaying is an excellent idea! that will help some.
also, you can try a product called granny's bitter apple. its horribly bitter, put it on your hands before you play with her.
2006-09-24 20:57:28 · answer #8 · answered by Duckie 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
this is not a cuddly breed
2006-09-24 20:59:10 · answer #9 · answered by mups mom 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋