Does anyone have or had an American Pitbull? Anyone with dog training experience would also be helpful.

Basically,

My brother recently bought a puppy Pitbull and has had alot of success with training her. At 10 weeks she can already sit, lay down and fetch.

The problem is his methods...

Because she is a Pitbull he feels he needs to be tougher on her...so he yells, slaps, grabs her by the scruff of the neck when she does something bad or misbehaves.

One thing he does really makes my mother angry. He bites her. He doesn't draw blood, though it's enough to make the dog yelp.

Because I have a lack of dog experience I can't really say what he's doing is wrong...

Some advice, or even links would be greatly appreciated as I, and my mother, really want him to stop being so hard on her and we don't want the dog to be overly agressive when she's older.

Thanks!

He needs to stop abusing her NOW! I'll find some links.

But basically, he should take her to obedience training. A dog needs to trust its owner, not be afraid of him.

http://www.pbrc.net/training.html

http://www.berkshire.net/~compatk9/ecc/training.htm

http://www.pets7.biz/

I have a lab/pit bull mix and he is the best dog I have ever owned. But he is still classified as a biting breed. You do not have to be harder on any dog just because it is a certain breed. I agree that obedience training is good, both for the dog and the master. You should encourage your brother to go so that he can learn basic training methods. But here is how we trained our dog who is an inside dog.

First I recommend crate training. They actually love the crate and feel very secure in it. When you are not in the home put the dog in the crate (keeps them from chewing and tearing up things). A puppy can stay in the crate, 1 hour for each month in age. (eg. 3 months old = 3 hours). They hate to use the bathroom where they sleep. The crate should only be big enough for them to turn around and stand up in. Don't keep them in the crate if you are home. Put them up when company comes over or you are eating dinner. You will be surprised at the good manners your dog will have (e.g. not jumping up on guests) and you really didn't have to do anything to discipline them. You have to get a bigger crate as the puppy grows. If you start out with too big a crate they will just go use the corner as a bathroom and sleep on the other side of the crate (you will never get them housebroken if you do that). Use common sense. Don't lock the dog up without letting it go outside first and let them go outside the minute you let them out of the cage. Also, the crate is not for them to LIVE in. It is a babysitting and housebreaking tool. We don't even use the crate anymore, our dog is three, and he is very well mannered.

Next, treat him like he lives in a pack. A heirarchy needs to be set up with your brother as the leader. And your brother needs to discipline him like another dog would. It is difficult to explain, but when he is bad you have to push him down to the ground and make him be submissive. NOT throw, but press on the top of their heads or shoulders while saying no in a firm voice and make him lay down. Then hold your hands on their side and head, putting just a bit of pressure. Do that for a minute. Then let him up. Have you ever seen a dog when he is submissive? The first thing they do is lay down and flip onto their backs. That is all it takes. Stay firm with him, always be the leader. Never hit or bite. Do this for a while and you only have to use a verbal NO to make them mind. My vet said that you can lightly pinch the bridge of their nose, which is what the mother dog does to discipline a puppy, but you must say no as you do it. That is best for when he is biting or chewing. And you must be consistent. And expect the dog to challenge you as it grows.

I hope that helped. We have a good loving dog. Love them alot, but don't spoil them. They are like children and have to be taught good manners.

Thanks guys, and thanks for the links Dis

PS. my bro really loves the dog, he's just a little misinformed I think. Anyway, I'll refer them on...

He needs to stop doing what he is doing..he is going to make him into a mean dog and they are already known for their behaivior. Dog obedience is best..and firm, but kind.

there is no mean dogs, only mean owners. the owners make thier dogs mean by abusing them. one day your brothers dog is going to turn around and bite your brothers face off

YES I am a PROUD owner of an A.P.B.T. - his name is Slim....I cannot say enough good things about him...Slim is a really really GOOD dog....and do you know why? Cuz that's all he know's...cuz it's all he's ever been told....He know's he is good and that he is LOVED by the way we care for him, talk to him, treat him.....Pit bulls are highly intelligent and highly trainable. They have a huge desire to please their masters, and that can easily be directed in the wrong way....Your brother is creating a monster, a dog that is raised with fear will more than likely become a stone cold killer as he matures.....You brother is the reason these dogs are being BANNED from certain, cities and country's in this sad world we live in. If I ever witnessed anyone doing what you bro is doing to his dog or any dog for that matter, I WOULD TAKE MY BOOTS TO HIM & AND BITE HIM MYSELF.....I hope when that dog finally decides to lash out that it's at his master and not some poor little kid that scares him by yelling or being physically active around him - cuz if your bro keeps up with what he's doing, it's only a matter of time....

People should have to write an exam before they are even allowed to think about owning a dog (or having kids for that matter!!!!)....it is an honour having dogs in our family, and it shouldn't be our god-given right if we aren't worthy. Shame shame shame. You know you can phone the animal services/control people on your brother and if I knew where to find him I'd do it myself. You can count on it. I'm so pissed off after reading about your bro (a poooor excuse for a human) I'm vibrating (and NOT in a good way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I've got your brother pictured as one of those guys that only got a pit bull for some testosterone on a leash. Thanks for representing guy, but we can do without people like you ruining our breed, both the human race and the American Pit Bull Terrier.

Or maul the neighbors kid. Good luck with that.

And when it finally happens (AND IT WILL HAPPEN) we'll get to hear/read about it in the news and everyone will be blaming the dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YA THINK THAT'S RIGHT???? I SURE AS HECK DON'T THINK SO......

(and yes I'm STILL vibrating over here.....)

And again, is that Rover's fault?!?!??! Had he been brought up in the hands of a WORTHY & LOVING owner.....there's no doubt, he'd be the loyal, faithful and trustworthy dog he was born to be.

And GOOD LUCK to all of us Pit Bull owners - we can only hope we'll not be clumped in with the LOSERS that own pit bulls like Mad Manfreds brother.

It is important for RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERS to be Good Will Ambassadors for ALL DOGS EVERYWHERE!!!!!

Please, get all of the facts before you shoot your mouth off, okay?

Calling him "a poor excuse for a human" is a low blow, uncalled for and inappropriate.

My brother has a huge heart and has never done a thing to intentionally harm a human or an animal. As I said, he thinks he's doing the right thing...he wants to raise a good dog, not a savage beast thats going to maul a child. Of course he's going about it the wrong way, which is why I'm asking for advice.

Advice which you didn't provide...so, why are you here? Disappear.

To everyone else, thank you again for the help...I'll speak to my bro tomorrow

tarabull, i do agree with you, but i used to have a friend and although he treated his Pitbull well (the bloody dog had weet bix for breakfast every morning) it was still vicious towards other dogs and some people. sometimes you can't stop the dog from being vicious no matter how you treat it.

It dosen't matter. Those dogs can turn on you at any time. Remember the 72 year old lady in SF that raised her pit bulls from puppies? They were the greatest dogs in the world until they decided to rip her apart one day. No provocation. Great owner. She's dead now. But hey, if you wanna chance it, go for it.

Pit bulls are very good dogs. They are no more agressive than any other breed. Any dog can snap at any moment, but pitbulls cause much more damage which makes them looks worse.

I've never encountered a mean pitbull. But I've definitely seen agressive labs and shitzu's.

Try and calm down Tara, there's no need to come across quite so aggressively in your posts, and avoiding the personal attacks would be appreciated.

I have to say though that I highly doubt the wisdom of biting a Pitbull in order to stop it misbehaving, that's hardly an answer to the problem.

MAD MANFRED......pay attention cuz I'm only going to post this once, YOU'RE BACK PEDDLING NOW BY SAYING....



remember YOU STARTED OUT THIS POST WITH.....



HELLOOOOOOO, DO YOU BLACKOUT AFTER YOU TYPE THIS sh** OR WHAT.....

THEN YOU SAID...


SO I ASK YOU (D/F) WHO'S THE ONE THAT'S MIS-INFORMED????? The only thing that should disappear is that dog from your bro's POSSESSION.

This subject is a dead end when the discussion involves someone with A LACK OF DOG EXPERIENCE ANYWAYS, nevermind having a clue about a pitter. Besides your the one seeking advice on an internet chatboard....your brother should have done his homework (real research) on owning a dog and YES SPECIFICALLY A PIT BULL long before he even brought her home.

SO, back up it buddy.

To everyone else, sorry you were subject....

"Ignorance is fearing something you know nothing about"

tara, it's pretty obvious that you feel very strongly about the subject, but how about offering some advice instead of these attacks? When you post comments of that nature, all anyone is going to see is a raving lunatic, and no one will be taking your seriously.

tarabull,

You're obviously not reading my posts correctly.

Again I ask, why are you here? You have nothing to contribute to the discussion.

There is also no excuse for making personal attacks against my brother, who you don't know.

Tara i've already asked you once, please stop the personal attacks.

SaRuMaN, thanks for your concern, but please accept that simple fact that I am a passionate person....

And the subject of PIT BULLS is such a touchy one these days with all the talk of banning the entire breed and then there's people like this guy using violence and fear to train his dog......just GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREAT. Can ya imagine him having kids?????

Do you own a pit bull SaRuMaN????? Can you relate to what I'm saying....imagine being told you can't have a pit bull cuz all the irresponsible owners ruined it for EVERYONE ELSE!!! THERE WILL BE NO MORE PIT BULLS ALLOWED IN THE CITY/PROVINCE/STATE/COUTNRY because too many uneducated punks ruined the breed!!!!!!

Doesn't sound fair or right now does it????? Imagine if they did that with children....PEOPLE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE KIDS ANYMORE CUZ SOME IRRESPONSIBLE PARENTS RUINED IT FOR THE REST OF YA'LL...

DEAR MAD.......MY ADVICE is that the bro likely shouldn't even own a dog. However, since we've past that point, can he afford to go to socialization/obedience/training classes held through your local kennel club or association - there are even personal trainers available for more one on one, they'll even come to your home - tell me what area you live in and I'll find you one to contact.....he should already be enrolled and it's not just for the dog, it's for the owner also. (They usually accept puppies as young as 3 months old). And if your bro, can't afford the time or money for the classes, then again, he shouldn't even own a dog.

The work of owning a dog starts before you even get one, with the homework you should be doing on the subject. ARE YOU EVEN CUT OUT TO OWN A DOG??? ARE YOU RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH?!?? It's the same questions a person should ask before having kids!! CAN YOU AFFORD A DOG????? (SHOTS, FOOD, GROOMING, TRAINING, TOYS, ETC....)

Hopefully this clears up WHY I'M EVEN HERE???? And why are you here again???? Oh yea, for some advice...

Wishing you all the luck in the world....for Rover's sake.

No, but that's besides the point. I'm trying to maintain a bit of civility in this thread by asking you to calm down a bit and stop spouting insults, which has nothing to do with whether or not I can relate to the subject being discussed.

Why are you blaming ME for my opinion of YOUR bro?????...You're the one that introduced me to him, you painted the picture, even used your own brush!!!!

Hell you took it upon yourself to introduce the entire world to him.

i agree. i done work experience in a vet surgery, and this guy came in with his pitbull, and his gf chihauha (sorry about sp), and the chihauha was the most savage of the 2!

Then again, you obviously missed the point I was trying to make.

Why are you bothering continuing this? The more you post the more you embarrass yourself.

DO YOU EVEN READ?????????



You don't even really want advice do you???

It is best to put a puppy in at 6 months of age. And if you do, you usually have to retrain them again at 18 months of age (they forget easily ).


And pit bulls ARE more aggressive than your average dog. "more aggressive" does not mean a yippy, snappy, annoying little dog. It means they can be provoked into biting/attacking easier, and when they attack they usually kill. You have to be a notch above the average dog owner if you want to take on any of the biting breed dogs ( eg. German Shephards, rotweillers, dobermans). Basically, you should realize that you do have a dog that is known to attack and should train and restrain them accordingly. Pit Bulls are very good dogs, but we can't discount the fact that they are an aggressive, territorial breed. Just loving them does not guarrantee cooperation from the dog. You have to be willing to work constantly at keeping the dog obedient. Disinterested gave some great links on the Alpha-male and how to not let your dog think he is the leader of the pack. I feel that this is the key to keeping an aggressive breed well-behaved.

Cheers,

GB

I love Pit Bullz but i Had to kill mine a couple of weeks back... But i've got another one he's 3 weeks old and i tied him to a brick he can drag around so he gets stronger but he's still to young thats why i need to clip his earz and his tail I love My new puppy

That's what I need Teel me something about that if you have time.

I already got advice from page 1...in addition, why would I take advice from someone who is making personal attacks against my family?

You're not the sharpest tool in the shed are you?

Now, I really have better things to do than argue with a hormonal teenage girl over the net so please, take my advice and disappear. Trust me, you wont be missed