How do you show a dominate pitbull that you are the one in charge without getting hurt?

Question

I'm adopting a pitbull, and he has a dominate additude, how do I show him that I am in charge? I want to be the dominate one over him, but I want to do it without getting bit, is there a way to show my dominance in a safe and effective way? Please help.....he isnt a young puppy, he is 8months old. PLEASE HELP!!!!!

Answer 1

I have experience with pit bulls, as I own two myself and am a dog trainer.

There are things that you can do, that are safe and effective.

However, if you have no experience with dominant dogs, then you need to reconsider this adoption and get one that is more submissive and "easy" to handle.

A dominant dog in an inexperienced house can be a very bad thing!

Answer 2

I would be curious to know why this dog was labeled "dominant." This is a term that is thrown around a lot and often misapplied.

The best way to be the leader is to be consistent and to control resources. This means that the dog must earn anything that he wants. For instance, he must sit before he is fed, lie down before playing, shake before he gets a treat, etc. You can ask him to do anything that he has learned (and keep teaching him new things!). If he doesn't do it, he doesn't get what he wanted. So, if you tell him to lie down for a treat and he stares at you for ten seconds, put the treat away and go do something else. He'll soon figure out that he is only happy when you are happy. For the case of something he must have, like a trip outside to go to the bathroom, ask him to do something easier that he is almost certain to do.

Never tell him to do something and let him get away with ignoring you. If you tell him to sit because you want him to (not because he wants a treat) and he doesn't comply, lure or place him. Never give a command if you know that you don't want to follow through. For instance, if you are lying on the couch watching tv, don't call him to you if you know you aren't going to get up and get him if he doesn't come.

Forget about the rules that you must walk through the door first, you must eat first, he shouldn't be on the furniture, etc. It's your house and you make the rules - you're the boss! If you want to allow him on the furniture or to go through the door first, that's fine. He just has to wait for your permission to do so.

And enroll in a positive training class. It will help you alot in becoming the leader for your new dog.

While I agree with the others that a dominant dog is usually better off with an experienced owner, there's no reason this can't work if you are prepared for some tough work, tough love, and to be patient. This dog will teach you tons!

Answer 3

Call around to different basic obedience classes in your area and find a trainer with experience with Pit Bulls and then go and learn together how to handle the dog. Dominance is not about yelling at, hitting or showing a dog who is boss (not saying that is what you are thinking!) but about being assertive and calm. You have a very strong breed and an excellent one. I have a Pit Bull (largely, she is mixed- mother registered purebred and father a mix) and she has a lot of energy as well as she can get focused on something and want to scramble after it like a jet fighter- to check it out.
Basic obedience classes helped as well as working with the dog with someone familiar with the breed. She is the best dog I have ever had! I bottle fed her from 2 1/2 weeks old and she has been socialized to people and other animals from that age, which really helps!

Answer 4

You may want to allow someone with more experience to adopt this dog. I know your heart is probably in the right place, but pitbulls are best left to experienced owners, especially one with a dominant attitude. They are a handful and you may be asking for more than you can safely handle. If you are unable to control the dog, you are putting yourself, the dog, and others in potential danger.

Don't get me wrong. I am a Pit lover. I've owned 4 and have been around them for over 20 years. They are my favorite breed of dog.

But I've seen way too many times that a Pit gets adopted by some wonderful well meaning person with so much love to give and it turns disastrous because it takes more than love to positively own a dog like this. They need tons and tons of love but also a dominant owner.

I hope you find the right dog for you and kudos to you for wanting to adopt a dog instead of patronizing backyard breeders.

Answer 5

First, I commend you for wanting to rescue a sad and misunderstood dog.

I agree with Libertydogtraining. Reconsider the adoption. I own an APBT and have experience with Dobermans, GSDs and other "powerful" dogs and have found that "dominant" dogs in inexperienced households usually turn out badly - for everyone but especially the dog. He usually gets put down.

If you don't know what you're doing, don't adopt this dog. Darling, there are many many pitties out there who are "big babies" even after the trauma of being in the fighting pit (My Baby Blue is one of those - rescued from a fighting pit where he was used as a bait dog to train a more aggressive dog)

And don't worry that a "big baby" won't be protective. My Baby Blue is a "big baby" - and he barks whenever someone comes on the property - not a mean bark, mind you - but enough to let people know that he's there keeping an eye on things.

Answer 6

First of all, you need to start the "Nothing In Life Is Free" (NILIF) training method ASAP. This is a non-violent method of training using doggy language your dog will understand. Pit Bulls are a very pain tolorant breed, so yanking them about & hitting them is not condusive. In the case of most Pit Bulls, you don't outmuscle, you outsmart! ;o)

Here is a link to the NILIF method of training:

http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

As a final note, if the dog is showing any human aggression whatsoever, I would recommend the dog be put to sleep.

Human aggression it not a typical a pit bull trait. In fact, contrary to what hysterical soccer moms & the media spin doctors will tell you, pit bulls were actually bred for a people FRIENDLY temperment.

However, the pit bull has become a very popular breed & as a result it is begininng to suffer from the effects of overbreeding. Thus unstable animals are being produced by unethical breeders who care about nothing but the money. They'll breed an unstable dog so long as it's puppies sell, thus producing more unstable dogs. :o(

Then you have the unknowledgable breeders who think human aggression in a pit bull is "cool." So the breed has been hit by a double whammy!

This is why it is of unmost importance to get your pit bull puppy (or any puppy) from a reputable & knowlegable breeder! It may cost more up front as far as price, but it will pay off in the long run when you get a stable, happy, healthy puppy!

But let me get back to pit bulls - human aggression is NOT part of the breed & it is NOT cool & it should NOT be tolorated. If your pit bull is human aggressive, please do the right thing for everyone involved & have the dog put down.

Remember, it a pit bull bites a human can get you put in jail, get the dog euthanized & it gives the breed another black eye. So the victim isn't the only one who suffers when a pit bull bites.

I hope this has helped you.

Good luck! ;o)

Answer 7

Go out right now an buy the Dog Whisperer video, your going to need it. This is the best approach that I've seen even though I don't agree with every approach.

He's got to understand that you're in charge. Don't let him get away with anything. Use treats to reinforce positive behavior. Turn your back and ignore him with negative behavior. Spanking, hitting, etc. only works to a point and only instill fear not obedience. He wants to make you happy, work with this. Don't be afraid of him. It sounds as though you're afraid. If he realizes this you're screwed. If you are afraid, you shouldn't have this dog.

Answer 8

As a APBT owner I would suggest that if you have never trained a dog especially a dominate dog find a dog that is less dominate. I'm not saying don't get a APBT, I'm saying find one that is submissive and learn how to train them. APBT's are very hard headed and I would start there.

Answer 9

If they respond to water you can get them with a spray bottle or hose. If it is too intense you can use a pepper spray but mist it lightly since their sense of smell is so strong and you don't want them to be in any pain (it won't hurt them if your use sparingly and only as a last resort). Discipline them by putting them in their crates if you use crates afterwards. Don't use treats because they are rewards and the treat for a bribe will encourage it. If they fight when they are outside, let them out seperatly. If inside try to keep them seperate, if they are the same sex, one is trying to take the head dog position away from the other mostlikely. Please be careful when stopping the fighting so you don;t get injured. I know they are your babies but you need to watch yourself, it is better one of them than you. If you can't get them to stop fighting you may need to get rid of one of them. You can also check with your vet on suggestions. They are gonna fight eachother over a bone or whatever but it shouldn't be something that lasts or you cant safely stop. Good luck

Answer 10

There is a great video from Cesar Milan, "Becoming a Pack Leader". You should think about getting this. There are a few things you can do. I watched the video and used his techniques and now I am the leader of my household. I have 3 dogs, American Bulldog, Boxer, and Boxer/Mastiff. All 3 of my dogs tried to be the leader, but I quickly fixed that.