Turbo

[libertytyranny]

SO brought home a damn pit bull puppy

I didn't want a puppy ( I wanted to adopt a little bit older dog) and I didn't want a pit ( I wanted a blue dobie) But now I have the damn thing and I got all attached so i have to do something with him.

What can I do to ensure he doesn't develop any nasty agressive habits? With a baby on the way I want to make sure I am being a responsible pet owner/momma.

I am going to take him to some classes, and want him under my strict control..He's about 10 weeks or so, and I give him meals, I make him sit for it and then i "give" it to him. When he has toys/bones I take them away from time to time and give them back. He seems to be pretty smart, and very sweet, but he is rambunctious as all get out and gets overly excited and jumps at your face area...and lately he's started growling/barking when he's frustrated when I tell him no when he's biting ( I don't allow him to bite flesh)

Anything else I can do before classes?

 

[TurboK9]

SO brought home a damn pit bull puppy

I didn't want a puppy ( I wanted to adopt a little bit older dog) and I didn't want a pit ( I wanted a blue dobie) But now I have the damn thing and I got all attached so i have to do something with him.

What can I do to ensure he doesn't develop any nasty agressive habits? With a baby on the way I want to make sure I am being a responsible pet owner/momma.

I am going to take him to some classes, and want him under my strict control..He's about 10 weeks or so, and I give him meals, I make him sit for it and then i "give" it to him. When he has toys/bones I take them away from time to time and give them back. He seems to be pretty smart, and very sweet, but he is rambunctious as all get out and gets overly excited and jumps at your face area...and lately he's started growling/barking when he's frustrated when I tell him no when he's biting ( I don't allow him to bite flesh)

Anything else I can do before classes?

He's a puppy. You're off to a good start though! Expand on the sit for dinner concept as he seems ready. Sit for toy, sit for pets, etc and even intorduce 'down' for food, etc.

Take him everywhere you can. Go out for coffee... sit outside with him. Take him to the pet store, take him to the beach, take him to the park.

DO NOT CODDLE. If he shows fear or nervousnous, encourage him to explore, to be inquisitive. Make a game out of it. "Oh go see!" and lead him there, but don't force.

CAREFUL with other dogs. Good experiences are great, but even one bad experience, this young, can really eff up his head. Don't let him play with other dogs that are considerably larger if you are not 100% sure of the other dog... and I mean 100% sure.

Play! All the time. Everything is fun!! Chase balls, chase you, you chase him, etc etc ad infinitum.

From the get go, do NOT let him put his teeth on you, it's a hard habit to break, so don't let him start. If he tries to get your attention that way, pull away, "NO" and ignore, if he backs of right away, give him something he CAN chew on.

Leashes are good! If he learns to walk with you now, so much the better. The less you use a leash, the harder it will be to get him to walk nicely later on.

Ask questions any time.

 

[libertytyranny]

We took him around one day, and went to a friend of SO's who has a GINORMOUS,a nd i mean HUGEEEE pit/american bulldog/whatever else mix they got from the pound ( I have known the dog awhile, he is KING dog, but always had excellent doggy manners). He was excellent. He went right over and laid on his back in front of the big doggy, and they got along famously. I hope he does well as he gets older, but I know pits can be difficult around other dogs sometimes.

Thanks

I will certainly be asking you questions as you are the resident dog person here at somd.com.

 

[Chasey_Lane]

My sister has 2 pits. She also has a son that's almost a year old. Her female definitely took to the baby and wanted to protect him. Although she's very gentle with the baby, she definitely lets strangers (and even some frequent people) know that she means business. So much that I won't even walk in her house when nobody is home, and I make sure my sister is in sight when I do walk thru the front door.

 

[libertytyranny]

My sister has 2 pits. She also has a son that's almost a year old. Her female definitely took to the baby and wanted to protect him. Although she's very gentle with the baby, she definitely lets strangers (and even some frequent people) know that she means business. So much that I won't even walk in her house when nobody is home, and I make sure my sister is in sight when I do walk thru the front door.

That sounds ideal With SO on travel frequently and with a baby, a dog will make me feel better, esp if he acts like that.. I am a little worried cuz the pup is a male..but we will have to see.

 

[TurboK9]

That sounds ideal With SO on travel frequently and with a baby, a dog will make me feel better, esp if he acts like that.. I am a little worried cuz the pup is a male..but we will have to see.

Once he's a little older, we can test his temperament very easily and see where his melon is at and how firm it is

Not all dogs bond tightly with the kiddos, but that doesn't mean they are a danger to them either. Old Gazelle is pretty indifferent with my kids, only after 8 years is she really starting to warm to them... But from day one she'd have torn into anyone who threatened them. :shrug:

You only need him to be safe and stable, he doesn't have to be the baby's buddy for things to be .

 

[frequentflier]

That sounds ideal With SO on travel frequently and with a baby, a dog will make me feel better, esp if he acts like that.. I am a little worried cuz the pup is a male..but we will have to see.

It's probably a good idea to get him snipped as soon as he can be...(if he isn't already)
Congrats!

 

[TurboK9]

It's probably a good idea to get him snipped as soon as he can be...(if he isn't already)
Congrats!

"snipped"

Yes asap.... best to do it before the hormones trigger the behaviors that come with the jewels... once that happens, you then have to correct the behaviors... easier if it never starts.

 

[ArkRescue]

Is that why you act up so much? No one snipped you?

"snipped"

Yes asap.... best to do it before the hormones trigger the behaviors that come with the jewels... once that happens, you then have to correct the behaviors... easier if it never starts.

 

[pixiegirl]

I have a 6.5 year old female pit. Got her as a pup when I was pregnant with my youngest son. Best dog ever with the kids. When she was a pup I made her sit and wait for her food; still do. I'd take toys and food away just to show her I could. The kids can wrestle around with her and she's totally good about it. She thinks she's tiny and a lap dog. She was good with other dogs up until a bully of a boxer gave her some crap. Now she doesn't tolerate ANY other dog. She loves the cats even though they don't love her back.

 

[libertytyranny]

It's becoming more obv that my little man is a good deal American bulldog as well..he really "looks" very AB, and he's getting pretty big..already bigger than I would expect a pit of his age to be.


I need help.. He is so sweet and such a great dog..but his "greeting" of people has gotten WAY out of control. I put him in his crate when folks come over, and leave him for a bit and that allows him to calm down a little so he doesn't freak out..but he's gonna hurt someone with his overzealous greeting. People keep telling me to get a shock collar...but I don't think it a wise way to go..I do NOT want him to fear or loathe people I bring into the house..and with a dog breed mix that is already a little predisposed to being wary of "strangers"..I think that would be a terrible way to go..am I wrong? I tried leashing him when people come over, distracting him with a toy, putting him in the crate until he's calm..but It's getting embarrassing. He's just pup still but I don't want to have to deal witht his with a baby on my hip

 

[cattitude]

I can type what I do and the way I train but too busy right now...this is good...AND NO SHOCK COLLAR..

Curbing your dog's natural exuberance for greeting people enthusiastically is a fairly tough job, and you can not really do it alone. Sure, you can train your dog to greet your own return with sedate happiness, by simply refusing to acknowledge anything but a sitting dog. Walk in the door after an absence and ignore your dog until he or she has calmed down enough to sit properly and lavish praise upon her for doing so. Continue this for the rest of your dog's life and your dog will catch on very quickly that to sit nicely means a warm greeting from his favorite human. But what about everyone else?

Enlist Help
Your dog will learn to greet visitors properly as soon as visitors become a more common occurrence and use the same technique that you did. Get your friends to visit often, as often as three times a day, and with as many different people as possible.

Have them enter, and ignore your dog until he settles down. As soon as your dog settles, your visitor should proceed to greet the dog with praise and petting. Your dog needs to learn that sitting politely will garner praise and pets, and that jumping around and demanding attention will get nowhere.

This is a mix of positive (praise for the right thing) and negative (something your dog doesn't want - no attention - for the wrong thing) reinforcement. However please be a patient human, for most dogs these exuberant greetings have long been successful, and a modification of this behavior will take an enormous amount of time and dedication, especially with older dogs. This is something that is best done as a "begin as you mean to go on" thing, when your dog first enters your home as part of the family.

****

If he cannot behave..take him of the room...then reintroduce...lots of praise/treats when he "gets" it.

 

[cattitude]

Go to his place....

I like this too...although I have not taught mine this. I went the "sit for petting" route.

Guests At The Door: Managing Your Dog's Greeting Behavior - PupLife Dog Supplies

 

[libertytyranny]

I can type what I do and the way I train but too busy right now...this is good...AND NO SHOCK COLLAR..

Curbing your dog's natural exuberance for greeting people enthusiastically is a fairly tough job, and you can not really do it alone. Sure, you can train your dog to greet your own return with sedate happiness, by simply refusing to acknowledge anything but a sitting dog. Walk in the door after an absence and ignore your dog until he or she has calmed down enough to sit properly and lavish praise upon her for doing so. Continue this for the rest of your dog's life and your dog will catch on very quickly that to sit nicely means a warm greeting from his favorite human. But what about everyone else?

Enlist Help
Your dog will learn to greet visitors properly as soon as visitors become a more common occurrence and use the same technique that you did. Get your friends to visit often, as often as three times a day, and with as many different people as possible.

Have them enter, and ignore your dog until he settles down. As soon as your dog settles, your visitor should proceed to greet the dog with praise and petting. Your dog needs to learn that sitting politely will garner praise and pets, and that jumping around and demanding attention will get nowhere.

This is a mix of positive (praise for the right thing) and negative (something your dog doesn't want - no attention - for the wrong thing) reinforcement. However please be a patient human, for most dogs these exuberant greetings have long been successful, and a modification of this behavior will take an enormous amount of time and dedication, especially with older dogs. This is something that is best done as a "begin as you mean to go on" thing, when your dog first enters your home as part of the family.

****

If he cannot behave..take him of the room...then reintroduce...lots of praise/treats when he "gets" it.

this is the basic premise I have been working with..and his greeting of me is quite different than with others. I have gotten him so he jumps only once or twice but will generally be calm enough for me to pet him and say hello within a minute or two. Others that come in (mostly our parents) aren't getting "it" when I tell them not to touch him, or call to him, or say hello to him, or yell "down" at him repeatedly..they think they know better and that if they scream at him it will help I personally think it confuses him and makes him more exuberant because he is trying to please and get pets. And even more frustrating..it garners a bunch of comments about me "having him around the baby" when he is generally a calm creature except when they come over and start getting him riled up

 

[cattitude]

this is the basic premise I have been working with..and his greeting of me is quite different than with others. I have gotten him so he jumps only once or twice but will generally be calm enough for me to pet him and say hello within a minute or two. Others that come in (mostly our parents) aren't getting "it" when I tell them not to touch him, or call to him, or say hello to him, or yell "down" at him repeatedly..they think they know better and that if they scream at him it will help I personally think it confuses him and makes him more exuberant because he is trying to please and get pets. And even more frustrating..it garners a bunch of comments about me "having him around the baby" when he is generally a calm creature except when they come over and start getting him riled up

They'll make a mess of your child too.


Just be consistent and he'll get it.

 

[Cowgirl]

We've been working with our dogs to stay out of the mud room (at the door) when guests come over. One day I had to keep my MIL waiting for a few minutes at the door until they "remembered" to get out and stay out. And sometimes we just use a water bottle and squirt them.

 

[SexiYaYa]

... I don't want to have to deal witht his with a baby on my hip

I don't post often (wow 5 whole times ) BUT I did want to share a tip about the new baby and your pup...

When my daughter was pregnant I was worried about my pit/lab mix and the new baby. My dog (then 3 years old) had not been around children very often at all. So, when my daughter delivered the baby...I kept one of the blankets they used to wipe off my grandson (may seem gross to some) BUT I took it home that night and let her sniff it...then I laid it down near her doggie bed. When we brought home the baby, my dog sniffed him and was wonderful from day one! Now my grandson is almost 4 years old and my dog doesn't even like us to raise our voice at him! She will get in between us and the boy and wag her tail looking at us like "umm lower your voice"

Just a tip...peace & blessings!