Pit Bull from Animal Shelter is great with people...?

Question

and doesn't even really pay attention to other dogs until they either bark at him or growl at him then he wants to go after them. Any ideas how to fix this, anyone? thnx

Answer 1

Dog and animal aggression are common with pit bull-type dogs. Obedience training and regular behavior management will help to modify the dogs behavior to be more neutral around other dogs.

I do not recommend Petsmart-style dog classes. Instead, seek out a trainer who is experienced with bully breeds to help assist you with your training. Pure positive and re-direction are wonderful methods.

Check out www.pitbullforum.com for more training tips and maybe even recommendations for trainers in your area. :)

Answer 2

Ok, first off....WHY IS THIS IS A PROBLEM?!?!?!???? A pit bull is SUPPOSED TO BE WONDERFUL with people!!! Any pit that isnt should be humanely euthanized.

And second, the dog is reacting as a pit bull should. It is AWESOME that the dog ignores until another dog reacts first. There isnt much that can be done in the way of making the dog aggression go away, it can be controlled with obedience classes and love! HOWEVER...the golden rule to pit bull ownership is...NEVER TRUST YOUR PIT BULL NOT TO FIGHT!! The dog may not start the fight, and might not win, but will MOST definitely be blamed for it. So be responsible, never take the dog in public off leash, train him properly, love him like you've never loved before and he will be the best friend (or dog) you will ever have!

Answer 3

He wants to go after them to prove he is the big dog. It's just alpha behavior. Pits are great dogs, but are a breed who is naturally wired to be dominant and dog aggressive. (While not every individual is, a huge percentage of the breed are.) Please understand that your dog is just made that way - and he will always be a bit dog aggressive. It's his personality. You need to keep him leashed always when you know other dogs will be around. Don't ever make him feel you are proud of him when he acts that way.

That being said, though, there are some things you can do. Give him a lot of obedience training (get a good class, and make sure the trainer is experienced with pits - not just softer breeds) - it gets his mental energy out, and a bored dog is more aggressive. Obedience class also encourages him to see you as leader, and he is less likely to feel threatened by the presence of other dogs. You need to commit to doing some obedience work with him every day or every few days, for all his life, in order to have him be a good dog for you. Finally, do take him out where they are other dogs - that will be an important part of him learning about other dogs. If you always keep him apart from them, they will be all the scarier for him when he does see one. So do expose him to other dogs, just use caution - leash him unless you are positive there won't be a fight.

I have a blue heeler who is quite dog aggressive. I watch her like a hawk around other dogs, and make sure she knows rules. But I also make sure she doesn't hurt anyone. However, I do let her be around other dogs - and I have no doubt that if I didn't do this she would be far more aggressive toward them. I have two other dogs - both "soft" breeds, a border collie and a greyhound. She tolerates them well, because neither is an alpha type like her, and because they are both male, and she is female (opposite sex is less threatening).

Pits are some work, simply because they are a 'hard' breed that needs structure and obedience training. So are for example: heeler (Australian Cattle Dog), rottweiler, German shepherd, Dutch shepherd, dobermann, Australian shepherd, Belgian sheep dog, Belgian malinois, etc. amongst others. It is often said these are not dogs for 'amateur' owners, simply because if you don't really train them, they can be very difficult to have around. However, these dogs who tend to be dominant by nature can also be amongst the smartest most trainable dogs! Working on serious obedience training with these breeds can be a real joy.

Good luck.

Answer 4

I know firsthand of a Pit Bull that was entering some basic training classes because of snapping issues. It was the fault of the trainer that she put this dog together with smaller breeds and the Pit literally took the head off of a Bichon.
So if your dog has issues with being agressive towards other dogs as in wanting to go after them, I'd suggest working with a trainer one on one to address this.
I have a Pit mix, mostly Pit who needed a lot of work because when she was a puppy, an unleashed Rottweiler came up to her and tried to bite her while I was walking her. After that experience she became really agitated when passing dogs other than the two she was raised with.
She wasn't a danger to bite because her reaction was more of a snapping-the-air, kind of "Get away from me" reaction.
I took her to the dog park and let her off leash and she got over it.
What you are describing sounds different because you say he wants to go get the other animals.
Before anyone jumps on me for telling another bad Pit Bull story, I own one and I know the breed is an excellent one. The danger I am talking about is because of their size and bite if they are already agressive. I am all for limiting bad stories by not making my dog another one. So if a dog has problems with aggression, training is what I recommend.

Answer 5

Probably a great dog. I've trained dogs over 40 years, and the problem with Pit Bulls is that they are terriers with low centers of gravity...they can really pull. So can Soft-coated Wheaten Terriers, the same body shape with fur---but because they are 'cute' looking, nobody thinks twice.
The problem is, you can't control other dogs, but by taking him to training classes (preferably a class run by a training club), you can bond & focus his attention on you. Just be patient & persistent as well as consistent.

Answer 6

He doesn't need fixing. That's just normal dog behaviour! If a random dog acts out of line, a more mature animal will correct it. That's the way pack order is kept in the wild. As a responsible owner and pack leader it's your duty to keep away rude dogs from your own one. If he knows that you'll keep away unpleasant dogs with no manners then he'll trust you and won't need to fight them off himself. Try to stand in between him and the other dogs.

Answer 7

I would suggest that you join the Yahoo group ag beh. It is a group where trainers give you direction and support with such problems. There are ways to desensitize the dog to other dogs.

Answer 8

As a former breeder and current owner of American Pitbull Terriers....I wonder does he do this everywhere or just at home? If out and about then you may have issues but if at home he I think is being territorial...

Answer 9

Keep him away from other dogs. Pitt Bulls are bred to fight other dogs, so he is acting on his natural instincts.