How do you retrain a Pit bull from attacking other dogs?

Question

I have a Pit who use to be a dog fighter. I am trying to retrain her not to like other dogs but at less to stop her from trying to attack them everytime she sees a dog.

Answer 1

Good luck, the fighting urge is strong in an ex fighter. You may never make it safe wuth other dogs.

Answer 2

Well, I had 2 that happned with. We let a relative keep them while we moved from house to an apartment & then another house & that took 3 mo's they FOUGHT them & we did not know until we picked them up (they lived 4hrs away) WELL those dogs are now 14 yrs old & STILL want to attack other dogs. I asked a vet this same question & he said LOTS OF LOVE. We just made sure to keep them on leashes ALWAYS when walking them & making sure they could NOT get out. Also remember the SOLE reason they are trying to fight the other dog is out of FEAR they are in a constant state of FEAR of being killed or attacked becasue that is what they think the other dogs will do IF they do not attack 1st, once they have been faught some do not know how to stop it. Like a War Vet that switches into a VIGILANT mode and cannot turn it off sometimes.

Also you might want to watch or buy videos or a book by the Dog Whisperer Ceasar Milan. He does this all the time on his show & he gets them to stop being aggressive! So good luck. I LOVE this breed & too many people are negative about them!!! Ankle biter dogs are MORE aggressive but becasue they do less damage with their little YAPPY mouths no one pays attention!!

Answer 3

Keep in mind that socializing dogs to be friendly with other dogs occurs at puppy-hood and it is virtually impossible to take a dog that has been bred and trained to be dog aggressive and turn this around.

Professional training might help make her more stable overall and teach you how better to handle her, but you will never be able to trust her in situations where other dogs are present, even if you are just walking her down the street.

Pitbulls are big strong dogs and can be very loving toward people even if they are dog aggressive. Her physical strength may mean that she will likely be able to pull you down the street to get at another dog, even if she has a pinch or other corrective collar on her. You will always have difficulty with her in public and you need to be aware of the risks.

And if she is loose in your yard, make sure that you have fences that are very strong and high that she can't climb, break or dig under, so she can't break free to attack another dog.

Because of public attitudes toward pit bulls and because of her past, you have taken on a big project. And if something goes wrong, you could bear a lot of liabaility. I'm not trying to discourage you, just making sure you know what you are facing.

Answer 4

Don't listen to the ignorant jerks saying to put her down.
One thing anyone owning a pit bull type dog of any breed needs to know is that there is a very high probability it will be aggressive towards other dogs, and you HAVE to always assume they will be, fighting past or not. Even if you do put her through obedience training you still cannot trust her around other dogs. You wont be able to leave her alone with other dogs or take her to a dog part. All of that is simply being a responsible pit bull owner.
Good luck with her! They are the best dogs in the world!

Answer 5

from one pit bull lover to another; i don't even want to say this, except in very rare cases, a fighter can't be retrained. i'm so sorry. i also do volunteer work with aggressive breed dogs that have behavioral issues, so this is not a wild, uneducated opinion. i do not envy you in your situation. my pit bull is a rescue and i've had her for several years now. while she's made many vast improvements, we still have a long way to go. this situation is one of the thousands that we need stiffer penalties on these criminals that serve this breed a death sentence before they have been weaned from the mom. keep trying but be prepared to keep her from doing any harm to anyone or anything. you've got a big job and some bigger responsibilities, keep vigilant with your training and don't ever let your guard down with your supervision

Answer 6

This breed is considered to be dangerous. If this dog has been dog fighting, the instinct is still there and will never change. You will save yourself from civil lawsuits, and many vet bills if your dog is not allowed to get a hold of another dog. If you love your dog, keep her away from other dogs. You need a big yard and a tall fence that is re-inforced with concrete so she won't be able to get out. If for any reason she gets a hold of another dog and they pursue a civil case, your dog will definitely be euthanized especially with the dog fighting history. I don't even know how you managed to get a dog that has been a fighter. They usually put them to sleep no matter what.

Answer 7

You are so sweet to be helping this dog. Most dogs in this situation are not so lucky. Just because a dog was once forced to be in the fighting ring to fight other dogs does Not mean it will be aggressive to humans. Though i do not think she will ever be able to live with other dogs, or be around other dogs while unsupervised, i think professional training might help her to be able to walk on a leash nicely, without you having to worry about the other dogs. If i were you i would start by asking obedience trainers if they can do some kind of private lesson. Because if you go to a class there will be other dogs there. But private lessions to start might be a good idea. And other than that, i know it is a long shot, and i know a lot of people think it is dumb, but i personally would try to contact Cesar Millan. He is an animal behavior specialist, the 'Dog Whisperer.' He is amazing, and has a soft spot for pit bulls. I have a friend who sent in a video to see if he could come out and help. His book might also be able to help you. Good Luck with your dog, you are a very nice person to try and help her!!!

Answer 8

Retraining a dog that was bred to fight and then was used for that purpose is going to be a challenge. Most dogs that are fight dogs are not always violent around other dogs, your going to want to start socializing it with other dogs at a shelter or place equipped to handle it. Getting the dog socialized with other dogs is your first step in trying to get the dog into some sort of normalcy.

You must also establish yourself as the leader of the pack, and if its a male dog your going to be in for a challenge. Start by taking its food away from it when its eating, and then move on from there.

The best advice I can give you is to contact the Humane Society and see what classes are availible in your area, and let them know the history of the dog. They will be able to help you.

Answer 9

According to the websites written by pitbull supporters, you are supposed to just keep your dog under control and away from other dogs. Regardless of the dog's past, no offleash dogparks for pitbulls. At least that's what pitbull supporters advise. So you'll just have to hang on to the leash really tight. I have also seen owners take a detour to avoid running into other dogs. That's very sensible. Oh yeah, and a muzzle is the responsible way to go.

Answer 10

Get a remote control electric shock collar. (Try Cabelas). Put it on your dog every day for a week but do not use it. Just let the dog get use to it. After a while, the dog will not give the collar a second thought. THEN, set it on HIGH. Take your dog out and have your finger on the button. The second your dog goes after another dog, you hit the button. (Do not yell "no" or anything else.) Your dog will learn that when it even THINKS about going after another dog it gets a SHOCK. It will not be too long before it will leave other dogs alone.

If it continues to go after other dogs even though it is getting shocked, time to get rid of the dog.

Answer 11

It is very hard to retrain an pit bull but it can be done. you will however never be able to completely trust her around other dogs or animals. I would start by getting in touch with whoever you rescued her from and have them give you the name of good trainer that you can work one on one with at first, and then as you gain more confidence in her possibly in group obedience you will however have to be sure they are familar with training animals from fighting/ abusive backgrounds. Don't give up though just because she is has been in fighting situation. At least give her chance to prove herself. But as someone esle said never have her off leash or not under control. because she has been in fighting situation her prey drive is going to be very high and she won't back down from a fight either.