Pit Bulls get a bad rap unfortunately. These dogs were bred as fighting dogs, and the media has portrayed them as aggressive. While some pit bulls have been associated with severe injuries to other dogs and even people, the vast majority of pit bulls are loving family members who just want to please their owners.
Are Pit Bulls Easy to Train?
Pit bulls, like other so-called bully breeds, are naturally stubborn, which can make training them a little more difficult than a breed like a Labrador retriever. That said, they generally want to please their family members, especially when you have a healthy relationship with them, based on trust and mutual affection. Damaging that bond can make training your pit bull almost impossible.While it’s true that training your pit bull should start at an early age, older pit bulls are also capable of learning. They might be a little more set in their ways, so you’ll want to have better incentives to get them to learn.
Training your pit bull can be an enjoyable experience for the two of you. Everyone in the family should be on the same page so that your furry friend gets the same message across the board.
What Is the Best Way To Discipline a Pit Bull?
The best way to train a pit bull is with positive reinforcement. If you need to discipline your dog, ignoring them works best. Take a few minutes for a break and come back to training in a little while. While it might be hard to do, shutting them out of the room you’re in or refusing to make contact (even eye contact) tends to be most effective because these dogs love attention!
Don’t resort to punishing your dog, especially while they are learning. Dogs reap attention from situations like yelling at them, so they might continue to do the same thing over and over again because they’re getting a reaction out of you. (It’s similar to how small children can behave.
A Violent Owner = A Violent Dog
It’s definitely a no-no to hit your pit bull, or any dog for that matter. Hitting your pit bull teaches them to fear you, which isn’t helpful to training. It can also damage your human-animal bond and make them distrustful. Distrust can turn to aggression in a heartbeat.
Hiting solves nothing and proves nothing…exept the fact that you obviously dont know what you are doing and probobly need some anger management classes.
(photo: grownbythesun)
Positive Reinforcement Versus Negative Reinforcement
While negative reinforcement sounds like you’re yelling at or hitting your dog, that’s not what it refers to at all. With positive reinforcement, you are adding something — the positive — to your dog’s training. That could be a treat or a toy given to encourage a specific behavior. Did you know that shouting at your dog is also classified as positive reinforcement, as you add something that wasn’t in the mix before they did something?
Negative reinforcement means that you remove something from the training cycle. If your dog is misbehaving, simply removing your attention from the situation is a great way to utilize negative reinforcement. When people use negative reinforcement poorly, it can mean that you stop yelling at or shocking your dog with a training collar once he or she behaves in the right manner.
Both positive and negative reinforcement can be useful to your dog’s training when done appropriately.
How Do You Punish a Pit Bull’s Bad Behavior?
The best thing you can do when a your pit bull isn’t behaving is to take a break and ignore them. Especially when you have a healthy bond, they want to please you. Sometimes they just want attention though, so they can cut up to get you to focus more on what they’re doing. If you give in, you’re just teaching them that if they cut up, you’ll continue to give them attention.
What Do You Do When Your Pit Bull Doesn’t Listen?
When your pit bull just isn’t listening, it’s time to take a break from training, as previously mentioned. You can also remove something that they really want from the equation, such as a treat or toy.
Do I Need to Establish Dominance Over My Pit Bull?
While you don’t want to have a dog feel that it can be dominant over you, you don’t have to establish dominance in the out-of-style method that many people used to use, where they would bully the dog into submission. Instead, establish a pattern of "all good things come through me." This means that before your dog gets a toy, a treat, or even playtime outside, they have to do what you are asking them to do. This utilizes positive reinforcement most effectively.
Do Pit Bulls Turn On Their Owners?
Yes, unfortunately, sometimes pit bulls — like just about any other breed of dog — do turn on their owners. This is not usually a matter of breed but more a matter of training and poor socialization. Maintaining a healthy bond with your pit bull, by rewarding good behavior and not punishing them with abuse, can help minimize the possibility of them turning on you.
How Do You Train a Pit Bull To Not Be Aggressive?
Socialization is the key to helping keep your pit bull from becoming aggressive. Expose them to different situations, particularly early in life, to help them learn to handle other people and dogs. Keep your bond intact by encouraging good behavior with rewards such as toys and affection. Don’t ever raise your hand to your dog, which can make them distrustful and more likely to become aggressive.
Training a pit bull may seem hard, but it’s all about how you approach the matter. Pit bulls are typically very affectionate dogs that want to please their families, which can go a long way towards making training go easier. Avoid punishing your dog with physical dominance, which can damage your bond and make them more distrustful of you and other people — which also makes them more likely to be aggressive.
Remember that if you are having trouble training your pit bull, seek the assistance of a professional trainer, ideally one who is Animal Behavior Certified for best results.
Dylan Rodrigues says
Terrible advice…… ignoring the dog tells the dog its ok to do what theyre doing…
Adrienne Barlow says
Not if you have a great bond my Zoey is my baby I treat her better then most ppl treat their children. In response to how I treat her she treats me the same way. She believes it’s worse then anything else and it breaks her heart. She always learns best by me avoiding eye contact.
Anita Stanich says
Dylan, ignoring does eork. It’s what I use on my dog. What they crave most is attention. They learn when they are going to get it and when they are not. So they will do what gets it and not do what doesn’t get it. It’s actually a pretty simple technique but just takes repetitive and consistent training. Once they have it in their brain it becomes automatic. You should try it.
Alexander Keffer says
Completely agree with you. Also, people don’t just love attention, they feel that they need it, and depriving one of that will not only cause it to feel that it did something fundamentally wrong but also can lead to jealousy and abandonment issues, which when combined can be very bad for this breed in particular…
Dylan Rodrigues says
Also saying that you need to train a breed differently than others is plain wrong and demonstrates a lack of understanding of dog training and behavior…… the only accurate piece of info is that bully breeds are stubborn. Look up the 4 quadrants because theyre important
Anita Stanich says
Pitbulls are no more stubborn than any other dog. They are so willing to please that they will easily do what you ask of them. Unless ofcourse you are using fear tactics. Then they will become guarded which you mistake for stubbornness. You need to own a pittie in order to really understand.
Born Kushiti says
You know nothing about pitbulls or bully breeds and that us quite evident. Where did you get the idea that pitbulls are stubborn? I think that you have not owned nor ever researched the actual breed. I think that you are wi winging it! Please find another subject to charletanize. Pitbulls have enough of a bad rap w/o your co attribution to the dis/mis-information!
Eddie says
Born Kushiti, i have a pit andvwhen he wants to be he’s a stubborn mth fkr. So i found this article useful because the writer sees what i see in mine. You know it alls kill me…..
S says
all dogs can be stubborn. Just look at huskys. But the author of this article is putting bully breeds under the name pitbull and doesn’t know the dofference. APBT is the only true pit bull. Every other “pit” is a bully breed.
Molly says
Actually the true “Pitbull” is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier if you want to get technical. Just because the breed APBT has the word “Pitbull” in it doesn’t make it the true breed. Pitbulls are actually a branch of many different breeds classified as so. The English Bulldog is considered a Pitbull as well. My American Staffordshire Terrier is a Pitbull one actually recognized by the AKC, and actually one who’s breed name appears on most “Pitbull” bans. I’ve had pits my whole life. American Staffordshire, APBT, mixed breeds and even a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. I also own a Cane Corso as well. Only thing I want to say is I suggest before you bash on others misinformation, you make sure your facts are lined up. Research it, let me know how that turns out for you. Comments like these are the reason most people are uneducated on the breeds under the classification “Pitbull”.
Anita Stanich says
Molly , you are so right. I wish more people would realize this. The word Pitbull is a term not a breed. Meaning several breeds fall into the category of pitbull. Like my American Bully. 😊
Bryan says
I have three pit bulls. Ignoring them doesn’t help. You have to spend time with them. They aren’t violent, they just want to have attention. They want to be held.
Dave Tobin says
Show them love and affection and you will get it back 100 per cent amazing with kids just overall wonderful dogs that dont turn on anybody if trained with love
Inse says
I have two pit mixes and have had another before these two. “Ignoring” does work, but not in the way several readers seem to have interpreted this article. The author clearly explains how taking one’s attention away from the dog is an example of negative reinforcement. You remove your attention (“ignore”) the fog after you’ve delivered a positive reinforcement (a click, “bad dog,” etc.). After you’ve communicated that the behavior is “bad,” you withdraw attention. You put the dog in time-out, don’t offer affection, don’t accept or respond to sad eyes, etc. Because pitties (and many dogs) crave attention and closeness, withholding attention sends a powerful message about the behavior.
The author isn’t suggesting that when your pit misbehaves, you just look the other way. He’s promoting discipline using both positive and negative reinforcement, and withdrawing attention is a very effective method with attention-craving dogs.
Fyre says
Pit bulls we’re not trained to be fighting dogs originally, they were trained in Staffordshire, England to be ”NANNY DOGS” a mother’s most trusted babysitter and most usually the child’s first babysitter as well…..
Scott Wiggins says
Fyre, they were originally bred to be used as bear and bull baiting dogs. That’s why there ears were cropped at the time, to keep them from getting torn up. Now it’s done purely for the look by in my opinion, owners who should f$#% know better.
educate says
https://www.ukcdogs.com/american-pit-bull-terrier
^ not bred for bull baiting, bred for multipurpose work
educate says
https://www.ukcdogs.com/american-pit-bull-terrier
Please read up on what a Pit bull really is. APBT is the only true pitbull. Everything else is a bully breed. The nanny dog were the american staffordshire terriers
Sam says
Fyre, Omg can you be anymore idiotic with the comment you just made? APBTs were not bred to be ‘nanny’ dogs you moron. They were bred to be fighting dogs. How dare you insinuate that they should look after small children as nannies. Grow up and get educated on these dogs before making anymore moronic comments. SMH 😠😠
Paula Demski says
My pitbulls have never been more stubborn than other dogs they’ve never been harder to train I do agree with using positive reinforcement but I disagree with some of the other things you said have you ever had or trained a pitbull
Molean says
Fyre. These dogs were bred from the original bull and terrier dogs which in turn where a cross between bull baiting dogs and terriers. They did this specifically to make the dogs more suited for fighting each other rather than baiting bulls when it was outlawed. Nanny dog is a propoganda term not part of their original breeding.
educate says
https://www.ukcdogs.com/american-pit-bull-terrier
Please do more research. They were not bred for fighting. They were bred for multipurpose work such as hunting and gameness. Dont add to their bad reputation with false information.
And many people call them a nanny dog because they don’t know the difference between a bully breed and a Pitbull. The rumored nanny dog is said to be the american staffordshire terrier.
Molean says
In my experience yelling is a no go. Ignoring bad behavior definitely works. Puppy socialisation is the key to negating their natural dog aggression. If they are aggressive to people they have bad genetics or where trained specifically to act as such. These dogs were bred to submit to humans so they could be controlled during a fight. I cant stress enough how their natural aggression is only towards animals, not humans.
Do RESEARCH says
https://www.ukcdogs.com/american-pit-bull-terrier
Bred to be multipurpose dogs. NOT FIGHTING DOGS. Just because people decided to use them for it doesnt make them bred for it. The are prone to animal aggression because they were used for hunting.
Lisa says
Well taking the attention away from my pitbull works….when she does something wrong i put her in her kennel for a time out….she acts like a two year old child for 10 minutes then falls asleep…when she gets up she is good as new. But all that other stuff. ….sorry but yes its crap..
Justin Ghio says
Good article. I own a staffy (I know its not a pit) and found training and obedience rather easy. Not all dogs are the same though. I was reading these comments and pit bull owners seem a bit more sensitive than malinois owners.
sj says
only because pits get the worst rep because of articles like these. The author doesn’t even know what a pitbull is and is claiming to know how to train it.
David Miller says
This article gets just enough right to seem credible. Unfortunately, it is merely more positive reinforcement only training propaganda in the guise of helpful information. Advising dog owners to ignore unwanted behavior is ridiculous, and will almost assuredly be a long-term prescription for behavior problems. We also find the usual propaganda phraseology employed in this context used by the chauvanists that attempt to foist off this defective training method on the gullible and uniformed. No professional dog trainer with which I am familiar that employs balanced training methods advocates correcting dogs using abusive methods such as “shocking” dogs with a modern electronic training collar – a tool which when used as intended has been demonstrated to be both effective and benign. For those that believe that effective training is merely a matter of providing or withholding rewards such as food or treats, and that dogs not only do not need to be corrected for unwanted behavior, but that the use of any aversive no matter how benign is tantamount to abuse, then this article is for you. For the rest with their critical faculties intact, be advised to steer clear of this sort of idealistic nonsense.
Direnda says
They actually were bread for fighting after the 1865 ban against blood sports. At the time, Bull baiting was very popular and it was a pure breed English Terrier and a pure bread English bull dog that would team up against the bull. It was hard to go underground with Bulls so they turned the two breeds on each other. The Terrier for the agility and the Bull Dog for the temper. A pup from only those two together can be recognized as the pitbul. As the years went on, the fighting continued and they just started breeding strong dogs to each other for the pit. Its specifically the pitbull Terrier that’s holds the nanny title. Don’t mistake that for all. I have an Amstaff, said to be the worst of the mix…which is just what most of them are. The Amstaff was created for fighting then became the nanny dog. None the less, they all seem to carry that same special nature….unless they get in the wrong hands. He is my whole world. I take him in every store I enter. He is stubborn at times and I do ignore certain behavior. But he looks at me before he does what he’s unsure about and he always looks for me making sure I’m right behind him
Do RESEARCH says
https://www.ukcdogs.com/american-pit-bull-terrier
Pitbulls do not hold the nanny dog title. That is the american staffordshire terrier. Look into the history on credible sources please. They were bred for hunting and multipurpose work. NOT fighting.
Lola Lee says
You are right on many things, however, calling them “stubborn ” as a breed is a tremendous disservice. Pit bull terriers, as well as most terrier breeds learn differently and have different motivations than breeds like retrievers, herders, hunters, guardian breeds. For example, border collies are bred to work side by side with their handlers, looking for cues. Terriers were bred to go out and do their own thing independent of humans, kill rodents, etc. They are tenacious and independent by nature. ” stubborn ” is inaccurate.
Suzanne A Roy says
What a mix of good and bad info in both article and comments….nothing worse than misinformation for a controversial subject like pit bulls…and article not comprehensive…people should research the breed and training from reputable sources.
Ashley says
Love pits, always have them. Mine is just a big lovable baby!! Best companion, very protective of my children, and sooo playful!!!
Duchess says
Thank you Frye. Many people have this Misconception that the bully breeds we’re trying for fighting but now they were with the children and the nannies. I have found training my bully breeds to be quite easy but of course I also understand that dogs are pack animals and there’s only one leader of the pack and if you understand dog behavior they don’t beat each other they correct each other with their paws and if you do the simple things and no went to correct you’ll have a well behaved bullie
kristi says
We have pits and our female if ignored she will cry and gets nervous so NO ignoring them is not ok it makes them insecure and when you return to them they are all over the place. Mean owner mean dog!! Dos are like children they will grow up how you teach, love, and enforce good behavior…
Meh says
There’s no such breed, so your entire article was dead on arrival
shelia Russell says
as a pitbull owner and breeder it seems alit of people are getting there info from some pretty unreliable sources. Yes pitbull have a stubborn streak in them. All breeds deserve proper training. I’ve found that dogs are like kids when it comes to training.. what might work for one kid may not work my kid. It is regardless what anyone says it is never a positive trading tool is hitting by any means avoid that Pits thrive to plse their owners and love to be affectionate so use that to your advantage a time out should be used it’s like any kind of training do what works for you ignoring ur pit by removing him of our ur surrounding be putting ur attention with no eye contact or physical attention for a set time then get down to your dogs level using a firm but no mistaking that tone to be telling and let your dog know where he went wrong then remove him from the area of disappointment and give positive affection
Julie says
Many of the commenters get it right in their opinions and experiences with this breed. But one thing doesn’t change – this breed was created. And it was created for fighting. ANY breed specific advice qualifies that there are breed specific behaviors. And with this breed – that tenacity and strength often results in injury to another, or death.
RESEARCH MORE says
https://www.ukcdogs.com/american-pit-bull-terrier
Please do more research. They were game dogs. People LATER used them for fighting. They weren’t specifically bred for that. And no. The breed isn’t what causes death, thats such an ignorant thing to say, they don’t have any defining characteristics that make them more dangerous then a German Shephard, which has a stronger bite. They dont have lockjaw, no dog does. They don’t have the highest bite rate. And statists that say they have the highest kill rate would be wrong since, just like this article, don’t know what a PitBull is. They think every square headed muscled dog is a pitbull and show that in their stats, which means they include 8+ breeds and mutts. APBT and bully breed dogs ONLY get a bad rep because of dumb people who either shouldn’t own any pet ever, or peoe who dont do research about what a breed needs (training, socialization, desensitization, lot and lot of play time and mental stimulation)
Leslie Braddy says
I’m a pit bull owner and have been for ten years my dog is the most loving dog out there and he recognized what is what and a very good baby sitter to all 3 of my grandkids and loves the whole entire family but is aware of everything and wants to be apart of everything if he’s not he cries like a baby until I give in all of what is being said about pit bulls are completely false I’ll say it’s all in how you treat them that’s how they will act period…. love your pits ppl it’s ppl like them that’s trying to kill them off just because of the stories they heard but first try owning one before judging them they are the best breeds ever and protector I walk all times of night with my dog and don’t be worried about nothing at all hell ppl be worried about us🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Sarah says
Any dog can be difficult to train but I’ve never owned anything besides pit bulls and let me tell you they’ve been the most wonderful, loving, protective, and caring animal I have ever owned I have had more negative encounters with small dogs that were mean and tried to bite than I ever have had with a pit bull. Pitbulls just get a bad rap because they can actually do more damage than a little dog could. They are just big babies looking for love. It is humans that make them either good or bad. It is completely how you raise them and how you train them. It is mostly the love that you show for them. They deserve more positive recognition than negative. They truly are an amazing breed.
Jeannie says
I have raised pitbulls german shepherds bulldogs love my pitbulls best most loyal loving agfectionate dogs no way near as stubborn as my bulldog never ever turn on me very protective never had or would raise my hands yes can be aggressive strong so am i also sent for profesdional training best most loyal unconditional love ❤
KACEY KINDHART says
Pit bulls dont “turn” on their owners any more than chihuahuas do. What an idiot writer. And no you don’t ignore them too train them. Who wrote this? A second grader that’s grandma told him pit bulls eat kids?
Peggy Howard says
This is so wrong…..Pits are so loving. Watch Judge Judy on TV she may know some dogs but not all Pits are bad. It is how they are raised just like children, if abused they abuse. If beaten they bite….very sad.
Curtis Larson says
My pit is stuck to my hip. If we are alone he listens. If we are around other people he doesn’t do as well especially around children. Playing is his only concern. I can cross my arms and turn away from him and he seems to get it. My biggest problem is he acts like a knucklehead when people visit like he never sees anyone else.
l says
This article is bullshit. Have you ever owned a bully breed before? Or a dog for that matter? Saying that they can turn on you is furthering the stimga that they’re inherently bad dogs which is not true whatsoever. I clicked on this article thinking it was going to be like JK BULLIES ARE AMAZING DOGS and I read this garbage instead. Bullies are some of the most loyal and loving dogs with the worst rep. They used to be called nanny dogs. You’re trash for posting this.
Anonymous says
You didn’t go far enough back into history on this breed. They were in fact initially used as “Nanny” dogs due to not only their affectionate nature towards their owners & their family, but also their protective nature towards the family that treats them with love & affection. You read stories where a child was mauled/ killed by a pit bull & either ignore or fail to finish reading the whole story. The last such story I read where the dog was on a chain in the corner of the backyard of the friends they were visiting & the child walks over to the dogs area & picks up one of his toys & the dog mauled the child. 1) Why would any parent allow their child to approach a dog that is obviously left outdoors on a chain & then “take” something the dog sees as theirs. The dog is obviously treated badly/ignored &/or used strictly as a guard dog. 2) Why weren’t the parents paying more attention to the fact that they were all congregating as far from the dog as possible & the dog was being ignored. Any dog would’ve been jealous of the attention the child was getting & they weren’t.3) Any parent knows what happens when you put 2 young kids together & they are playing with only one of the kids toys, sooner of later one will “hit” or show aggression towards the other child for “taking” something that they feel is theirs.4) The owners kept this dog on a chain, outdoors w/ a doghouse & probably never had much or any interaction with that animal since it was a puppy & then grew up & used as an alarm/ guard system. I have owned a 90 lb pit bull w/ cropped ears that was abused & dumped at 1 yr old & terrified. Everytime I picked up a book or newspaper he would cower & hide. I finally got him to realize I wasn’t going to hurt him & showered him w/ love & treated him as a family member, as all animals should be. He was the best, most loving dog I could ever hope to have. When I went on disability & dealing w/ all kinds of health issues he was my rock. He was protective of me,but never once even tried to bite anyone & loved kids as he knew I loved them as well. I would however had fully expected him to bite or go after anyone that was obviously causing me any bodily harm. Anyone that has a dog expects the same from their dog to & is lying if they say otherwise. A word to the wise: ” A Nation’s greatness is determined by the way in which they treat their animals”. You get what you give. Put in the time, love & proper training & you’ll reap what you sow.
sj says
the nanny dog was the american staffordshire terrier, a bully breed. Not the APBT, which is the only true pitbull. Pitbulls were bred as game dogs and its why they have a high drive.
Nino says
All pitbulls are different, My pitbull is one of my best friends.. I treat her like one of the family and she does everything I ask. I didn’t even need to do much training she just does all the stuff I like.. She just got with the program damn near on her own she wanted to learn.. I guess she just got a great personality 😂 I love my dog 🐕
Jeanelle Gramolini says
I rescue and rehibilitate pitbulls i have been doing it for over 10 years i have also been a veterinary technician in an emergency animal hospital so i have a ton of experience with these dogs this article wheather the person who wrote this knows or not but by saying a dog will turn on you shouldnt be put in any article when talking about any breed especially a pitbull amd no they will not turn on you and they do its YOUR FAULT iv had dogs beating and put to fight be rehibilitated and never bite anyone!!!!! They are the most forgiving hearts and how do you explain THEY WILL TURN if millions are rehibilitated after going threw hell at the hands of people???? No one should write about pits unless you have experiance with these dogs and im not just saying owning just one one time one dog or never even owning one I HATE THAT ONE doesnt speak for millions and again its how they where brought up just like children
DaQueen says
I agree with Inse and this article. Our pit is so affectionate with my husband and me. We did not socialize her as a pup so she does not tolerate any other living beings. We trained her with treats, love and lots of kisses. My only regret is we didn’t socialize her. She’s extremely protective.
Mr. G. says
I have 3 Male 4 legged kids. Buddy & Boaz (Pitt Bull Terriers) and Bruce(Stratfordshire Terrier) They all were abandoned & left to die by ignorant/uncaring owners. A Pet Is Not a Toy or an acquisition of property!!! They are all Magnificent and Beautiful Creations of Our GOD ,as HE has created all living things. Buddy, Bruce & Boaz are… “My 3 Sons”. Each with their own distinct personality, needs, understanding, level of comprehension, personal looks & “con-artist expressions & family arbitration unity to acheive what they want from me & receive. LHM (LORD, have Mercy!!😎) They love me as Their Father, Provider, Caregiver & Protector. I’ve lived with & raised all sorts of living creatures of GOD. I preferr their company over the companionship & selfish/secularism of humans. I love being home with “ALL MY CHILDREN. ” 🤔😆😆😆😆😎
Grandma says
To bad we can’t treat these stupid people,
like they treat these beautiful creatures (bad) some of them.I have 2 and this grandma loves them.I hope those who treat
pittys bad don’t treat their kids that way they are all kids some have more fur. All dogs,cats they act how they are treated.Love kiss them.
Do RESEARCH says
There is only one true pit and that is the amercian staffordshore terrier. They were bred as game/hunting dogs. This article didn’t show a picture of a pure APBT, only bully breeds. (Pits don’t come in blue, and are rarely multicolored). To everyone saying they were nanny dogs, you are thinking of the american Stafforshire terrier, a bully breed, not a pitbull. On training a pit, you train it like every other breed of dog. It will need more care because of the nature of the breed, just like a belgian malinois needs way more exercise then a corgi would. Its the same as every other breed, do your research before getting a dog. And to help with the huge mislabeling issue, stop calling mutts and bully breeds pitbulls. Better blanket term is bully breed since that can not be confused with one specific breed. Statistics on these dogs are already bad enough.
Dreamer4paws says
I enjoyed the article. I agree that training them based off of breed can be helpful when you know the breed & how it thinks and solves problems. A whippet which is a sight hound may process solving a problem differently from a APBT or bully breed. When you know the breed & the character & mentality or even energy of the dog it helps make training easier. We who love them know they have individual personalities with positive heart & lives. The bullies & APBT we have now in 2020 have better lives than the APBT’S did 50 plus years ago. So the writer touching on the bad history is only to show just that history. It’s to explain where the original beginning started. I partially disagree with your article suggesting taking a break can help. Depending on the age of the owner the bull & the frustration level of the person training the breed & the experience level of both participants play a role. But you’re right about them bonding strongly with a willingness to please. Which is why you halt command training & take them for a walk or exercise or play instead. That engages positive reinforcement & they love you, begin to respect you & will listen all the more. When training bully breeds the APBT included, downtime/ playtime is part of training. Bonding is part of training. But every new person who come along after this article may not know that.
Jonelle Beasley says
Pits are loyal and they think that they are your whole life and at this stage of the game being a widow of 6 years ment this creap on POF also known as facebook Jeffery Krape Williamsport,Pa 5 ft 5 inch he was not even a half of a man never in my life could I have ever think this guy ould be a mister Romeo, to get what he wanted and leave , they’re out there girls please get yourself a good Pitbull I would rather have a loyal pitbull than be with a little smelly Chicken Farmer. My Pitbull should have bit off his balls
every little extra short creep on this Earth especially Jeffrey krape a five foot four and a half foot man that literally thinks he can love them and leave them I’ve never met such a creepy little man in my life
Jeff says
I’ve trained my pit bulls the same as any of my other breeds of dog. But I do have to admit that when duck hunting they are not strong swimmers, and are a bit “mouthy” when retrieving.
Hye says
Yes. My Pit/Blueheeler is extremely hard headed. But it’s about consistency. The more time I spend with my Alice the more coperitive she is towards commands. She knows when I’m slacking angel takes advantage. Just like a child. It’s not about dog/breed trai ing. It’s about people training. This author has basic knowledge. He probably googled this info.
James says
I love pit bulls.rather they mean or not.
Vera Brown says
Well I don’t agree with this article. My pitbull is the best. Very smart, minds very well. Comes back on demand. When she gets out NEVER leave the yard. It’s all about the attention you give them. She’s definitely a love bug. The way I disciplined her was putting her in the cage. Talk to her let her know she was wrong. She never did anything again.
Sue says
Nanny dogs! Helen Keller had one! I think that’s a very good example!
alexandra says
my dog has a habbit to chew my things that smell like other animals. i had my shoes on my floor and she was smelling them pretty hard which i didnt mind but i left out the room to shower came back and she chewed my shoes. i feel ignoring her wont help in this situation because she thinks its okay to chew my things that smell like other animals. i unfortunately yelled at her with the shoe in my hand so she knew what i was upset about but i feel that her wanting attention is a reason for her behavior any suggestions on how to discipline her about chewing my things without ignoring her? i just dont feel she will learn not to chew my things by me ignoring her?¿