Puppy Power

This might be a great method with Old English Sheepdogs (I don't know having never trained one) but it's really not for pit bulls. They respond much better to positive reinforcement because of their stubborn nature. It's much easier to get pit bulls to do something because they want to do it rather than because they think you're forcing them to do it. As well, some dogs just think you're playing. At least with my pup, he thinks a swat on the nose is an invite to start a wrestling session and he goes crazy for the negative attention.

The easiest way to break a bad habit in a dog is to ignore it or distract them. If a dog is jumping on you, turn away from him until he calms down, then make him sit and pet him. Eventually he'll get the idea that sitting = petting and jumping = being ignored.

The most important thing to remember when you train a dog is that patience is key, and not every dog gets trained the same way. There will be no easy fixes, and if you get frustrated and angry, your dog just won't learn. Every behavior can be modified, it just takes time and consistency and learning what your dog's motivation is. Mine will do anything for a bellyrub, while another dog in the same training class would kill for a chance at the tennis ball. Toys/treats/attention are the three big motivators, so finding out what your dog's is will be very helpful for future training.

Also with the jumping thing, the best way to correct it is to keep the dog on a leash when it meets new people. You don't have to hold it, just keep one strapped on. Then when he greets new people, try to keep him sitting down when they pet him. If he jumps, step on the leash. It will keep him on the ground and he'll realize he can't jump up to meet people.

 

Then you aren't swatting him hard enough.

 

This is not true. You can absolutely have an overaggressive dog that will require much more care or supervision. Pitbulls, Doberman's, American Bulldogs, German Shepards, Rott's are all dogs that can be dangerous. They can be especially dangerous in the hands of an irresponsible, neglectful owner. The animal could be brought up with nothing but hugs and kisses, but that does not mean it can't run out the door and attack someone (or much more probable) another dog/pet. I don't know if I would call a person a "bad owner" if they left their front door open by accident, but you need to be very alert with some of these breeds.

If you get a breed like this you need to be extra careful and very watchful over the animal, 99% of them end up fine but the other 1% can cause quite a problem. Be very, very consistent. I would recommend crate training for the first two years. I also never, ever beat a dog but you do need to physically discipline them. NEVER use your hand, I roll up a magazine and tape it together. Occasionally I give a soft pat on the bottom, but mostly I hit the magazine in my hand and raise my voice. I have found taking the dog to their mess to be successful and useful, (don't start this until month 6 at least, they have no clue what they are doing) I also held their mouths shut when they did playful yips and bites and said "NO" very loud and firmly. Every time I took out the magazine they knew they had done something wrong, they needed to recognize something as a sign of bad behavior.

I have had friends who have used the squirt bottle as well as putting coins in a salsa can and shaking it (this was used for barking) I still have issue's with barking. I strongly recommend the harness and leash (especially with a Pit) they are STRONG dogs and will have no problem yanking you around a neighborhood.

Whoever made the point about introducing the dog to as many people as possible made a good one, a dog who is used to being handled is generally more docile. However be careful with other dogs, a non fixed male pit bull around another dog can be an incredible handful, that is putting it lightly. Please unless you are a breeder get your pet fixed.

I have had two boxers and a slew of mutts, I actually do pin them down belly first when we are playing just to show them who is boss. (please resist this Ball-Sac it's a lay-up for you I know....) Don't give them stuffed animals or they think all thing's of that nature are theirs to chew.

For the most part She-Girl is right, owners are the one's who make the dog a problem. I have had a Dalmation (that I suspect was inbred) that was just way to nasty and protective and I eventually had to get rid of her. If you feel you have done everything you can for the dog it may be your only choice, please contact a rescue before you have to do the worst and put it down. However you must remember if it's the choice of getting rid of your pet or disfiguring the neighbor or meter man make the right choice, no matter how hard it is. Trust me I know it can be awful, my aunts Dalmation (from the same litter) bit a 9 year old boy on the face and gave him 12 stitches, you don't want that.

The best piece of advice I can give is too carefully research your dog BEFORE you buy it. Do not buy a Pit Bull because you think they are cool, trained poorly this dog can become a weapon, trained carefully and with respect it can become your best friend. One of the most popular rescue foundations for dogs is specifically for Pit Bulls because people get them as pets and can't handle them, be careful and give it the time and patience it requires and you will have a lifelong friend.

Good Luck!!!

 

You got that right, Frebis. And if you're not sure exactly how hard to hit him, I would advise a simple beating with a stick.

My friend's dog used to always jump up on me and want to lick my hands until I beat him with a stick. Every time he jumped up on me, I beat him with a stick. I've done this with dozens of dogs and they all learn immediately that I am the boss. After a few beatings, they would always cower in the corner every time I came by because they knew not to misbehave around me. Every dog I've beaten with a stick has learned this lesson exceptionally fast. Now all my friends acknowledge that my method is best, though usually they only admit this after I beat them with a stick.

 

DON'T do this (a very gruesome story of a dude I used to know):

Spoiler

Seriously, it's fucking horrible.

NSFW

Dude had some serious psychological problems before this incident happened, but no one knew about them but him, so keep that in mind.
His girlfriend was living with him at the time and at the time, she was home on vacation visiting her family. She owned a small dog, I think it was a dachshund or something similar, that was at the house with the guy when she was away. For absolutely no reason at all this kid cracked and pummeled the dog until it was dead, set it on fire, then proceeded to chop it up into small pieces and put the pieces in different bags, then toss the bags in random garbage cans in the neighborhood. After a couple days, he called the girl and told her what he did in a fully calm, and nonchalant manner like nothing ever happened.

 

Key points said thus far:

Socialize, socialize, socialize. You don't want your dog to be freaked out or act aggressive towards other dogs when he shouldn't be. A good solution is to take him on walks with other dog owners or maybe become a neighborhood dog walker and hook up with girls that want you to walk their smaller white puff balls.

Try and let your dog experience as many new situations as much as possible too. You don't want him to be freaked out when he sees a horse for the first time and decides to bolt across the enclosed dog park and jump over the gate with his tail between his legs.

It's a ton easier to start training him now about behavior you like and don't like in the house. Oh and beware about teaching your dog the trick "speak". It's not as easy as teaching him to shut the fuck up if he wasn't a barker before.

Don't feed him scraps of food from your plate, and don't accept any form of begging. That shit blows and he will tend to sit and drool while you eat if you do. And on that note, make sure your roommates don't feed the dog either or reinforce any bad habits. Just like children, it's easier to train the guy when the parents are in the same page.

Above all, spend time with your dog, take him on walks and make sure he has a way to let out his energy. Buy lots of chew toys, and keep a special toy for him when he does something really cool. You might not want to use edible treats as a reward too much because if your dog is aloof he will only listen if you have food. So instead I'd go for making sure he listens every time you say a command and to give tons of praise when he completes whatever you want him to do.

OH AND TEACH HIM - "STOP", "LEAVE IT", and "COME HERE". Works wonders if your dog has a gopher in his mouth and wants to drop it on your bed.

 

My mother used to be a pedigree dobermann breeder, so I grew up around dogs and trainers. Close friends of hers even had contracts for the training of police and corrective services dogs.

A lot of dealing with dogs and how they behave comes down to the way in which you treat and train them. That being said, some species of dog have been bred specifically for certain tendencies; predominantly those have centered around aggression and combat ability. This has been everything from muscle density and size, to things like loose skin in folds for defence. Other breeds have been bred to work (such as cattle dogs, huskies and malamutes). They get bored if you don't keep them active, and will destroy things. I've seen cattle dogs actively try and herd anything they can out of instinct; including children. Then they nip them on the heels, and all hell breaks loose. There's other breeds that have been designed to be small, fast and chase things down holes (like rabbits). Jack Russells are a good example of this.

Any dog is potentially dangerous (even the little rat things I refuse to call dogs, but they're more an annoyance). Certain breeds have a higher propensity to be dangerous. Amongst that, dogs have individual personalities. Training, socialisation and treatment has to approached accordingly. Ultimately, it comes down to the owner. The dog's just going to do what comes natural to its nature; unless it's been taught otherwise. People who buy pit bulls and think they don't have to be cautious, put in a lot of work and limit opportunities of danger are kidding themselves. There will always be instances where the best of training can't overcome a dog's base nature.

We've all seen instances where the loving family dog just snapped and attacked the children. One of our first dobermanns was the loveliest, gentlest, most motherly animals I have ever seen. She would "adopt" anything she could, and never showed any signs of aggression. We'd had her since birth, and she'd never so much as barked at anyone in anger. When she was about nine, she suddenly snapped one day and attacked my dad, ripping a six inch gouge in his arm. Then she went back to being fine and passive until the end of her days. If it was a child, she could have killed them. Don't ever pretend a dog is safe all the time.

And you don't smack dogs on the snout. That's one of their most sensitive places and you can do some serious damage. Plus, you're just begging to get bitten.

 

This is the problem that pit bull owners face the most. The trouble is that people think pits are the ONLY dangerous dog. Many think that pit bulls are bred to be people aggressive and this is false. Also, like you were saying about the different tendencies, pit bulls have a strong prey drive, which leads them to chase things that are running away from them, just like any other terrier type. The thing with pits is that they are a large dog with strong jaws. Of course, so are Labradors, Bernese Mountain dogs and Newfoundlands, all "family pet" dogs. This doesn't make the pit bull more dangerous than the Lab, it makes him AS dangerous, because if either one bites little Jimmy, he's going to be severely injured. The sad part is the reporting of pit bull bites is much more prevalent, mostly because a lot of people report dogs as pits that aren't actually pit bulls (my dog's trainer owns a smooth-coated Border Collie that people keep trying to tell her to put down because it's a pit).

Dogs are dogs, but they get set off by triggers just like people. Recognizing those triggers and avoiding them happening is one of the best things you can do as an owner. Learning about aggression signs, when your dog is getting tired and frustrated, when it is scared, etc. all will make it easier to avoid conflict. Also, never leave your dog alone with a child. It is an animal, and kids aren't as adept at realizing this as adults are. Plus the dog will not respect a child as much as an adult, period. Most instances where a child was seriously hurt or killed by a dog happen because the adult thought it was okay to leave the kid alone with a large dog (or worse, dogs) and they got fed up with the kid and bit.

 

I agree that its not a particular breed, but bad breeders. When there is a spike in popularity of a specific breed, the puppy mills (and some less-structured get-rich-quick schemers) will start cranking them out as fast as Mother Nature will allow, without any real knowledge of the breeding process beyond "male + female = $$$"

Dobermans got a reputation as a breed that would "turn on its master" back in the 70s because you had a bunch of idiots that were just throwing pairs together to get the biology done without knowing (or caring) what the traits were in the dam and sire. Same thing happened with dalmatians after Disney released the non-animated 101 Dalmatians movie.

If you're going to buy a purebred, research the fuck out the breeder. Get references, talk to people who have bought from him/her before. When I was looking to get a brittany for upland birdhunting, I contacted the gundog editors of Field & Stream and Outdoor Life and they both directed me to a breeder in southern New Jersey. The breeder was more than happy to provide references, gave us a tour of his entire operation (which was pretty damn impressive) and the dog we bought from him was the best I ever owned. Aside from being a great companion dog, she was a hunting machine.

Today, I have a chocolate lab that we got from a Lab Rescue Shelter, which can be a crapshoot. He was a little over 1 when we got him, and had been hit by a truck, but made a complete physical recovery. However, when a truck drives through the neighborhood or passes by when we're walking, he get's pretty vocal about it. A choker collar and firm tug on the leash with some reassuring words settles him down on the walk, but I've had less success with the barking in the house. Luckily, the only truck traffic we get is UPS and Fedex. And he avoids the pool at all costs, which in my research I have found is something that occurs in 1% of the Lab population. Still, a great dog, very protective of my family and the property, and has a very sweet disposition.

 

Amen to that! By far some of the most evil dogs I have ever seen are Chihuahuas. I have been bitten by them so many times it's not even funny. Never from a large breed.
Why is that? It makes no sense to me.

 

I would quote this a thousand times if I could, I can not stress this enough. When we searched for my latest purebred German Shepherd, we looked at roughly 50 different breeders before deciding on the place we ended up with. From my personal experience if the breeder is not careful, has poor breeding conditions, mixes/breeds the wrong types of dogs, the dog you end up with may not be what you expect.

For example, when we searched for him, I found that with German Shepherds in particular, most breeders breed for different reasons whether its for K-9 Police training, showing, breeding or house dogs. A dog from a long lineage of police dogs will not do you very well as a house dog because it is in their breeding to be a police dog.

Just my $.02 from a purebred German Shepherd owner. And trust me, the nuts about putting down your dog based on breed is not limited to Pits, there have been many pretentious know it all assclowns who I have threatened to show just how well my german shepherd is trained.

 

Exactly right. Proper training can reduce a risk, but you can't eliminate it.

I don't claim to be an expert on dog behaviour and training, but I see simple things all the time that people don't realise as creating a problem. Prevailing philosophies and nuances aside, dogs are pack animals and need a hierarchical structure to fit in to. If you confuse a dog by conduct, you're going to get issues.

The thing I see time and time again, is people who come home and greet the dog first. Sure, no other member of your family is going to run to the gate and want their belly rubbed (if you do have a significant other that does, good for you). But, when you show your dog attention before other people in the house, especially children, you're elevating your dog's status in their eyes. And they don't understand why everyone's not at the gate waiting. How else are you going to get fed and scratched first?

It's hard to ignore them; they're usually the only one to happy to see you home. But if you do ignore them, walk in and at least say hello to everyone else there before you acknowledge them, they soon get the picture. It also tends to stop them going bat shit crazy the minute you walk in the door and jumping all over you.

Every dog I've ever had hated being ignored, and I found this was the most effective way to get them to behave properly. This only works if you otherwise having a loving relationship, and you don't withhold attention past when you need to.

Effectively, I just treat them like 7 year olds you can leave outside overnight and feed from a can.... legally.

 

Agreed.

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