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.
