How to Begin a Dog Training Career
Recommended Answer:
Yes, they are the "best" family dogs in my opinion.
They are bred to be human friendly so aggression towards family members is only found in this dog if the dog was badly bred, not properly socalized or not taken care of. Secondly, they are the Second most versatile dog bred in the world so they can deal and live happily in almost any situation or home setting, apartment, farm...ect
These dogs are also wonderful with children, and thats where they get the nickname the nanny dog from. Overall wonderful dog to have in a family setting, but it takes a lot of time, patience and determination to train/socalize such a powerful bred, if you dedicate the time do to that, you good to go.
Do You Need Dog Training Tools When You Train Your Dog?
- Yeah, it'll be a great family dog. If you come near it's puppies, it'll chew you to bits. :) Seriously though, I don't know about having a pit bull around a five year old. Everything I've heard about pit bulls has been negative. People who have actually had them can probably give you better insight then I can though.
- She should be fine. Just work on socialization and obedience training early and often, and don't encourage her to play aggressively (no wrestling or tug-of-war). Enroll her in a puppy class where she can get used to other dogs and get started on obedience. Establishing dominance through training and walks is important. She needs to know her place in the pecking order, and that you (and especially your son) are her pack superiors. The more that's entrenched in her mind, the less likely she'll be to challenge your authority and act out.
Shelters do pretty intensive temperament training with dogs before they adopt them out, especially with pit bulls. This isn't foolproof, obviously, but the fact that they allowed her to be adopted out should be a fairly solid indicator that they saw no evidence of aggression or territoriality during temperament training.
My eye did stop when you said she was 10 weeks old and already spayed. That seems awfully young to me (my puppy was fixed at six months), but...*shrugs* - "I have only heard a couple of horror stories"
You're a bright one, aren't you? A great parent at that. In the town next to us, a five year old boy went outside where the pit bull was sleeping, scared the pit bull and ripped out his jugular. It is their natural reaction no matter how you raise them. They can be the sweetest dogs, yes, but they react differently then say a golden retriever. - its not what you want to hear but no, i dont think it would be a good idea.
unfortunately a majority pitbulls tend to be owned by thugs to give them an a certain image, they dont treat theyre dogs well and in most cases train them to attack or kill. because there have been a lot of cases like this pitbulls are now illegal in the uk so if someone notices the breed and informs the authoritys the dog is taken and put down. (i know your from the USA.. just a little bit of extra info for you).
personally i wouldnt have a young child and a pitbull (as most these stories suggest the dog was fine until it suddenly snapped and attaked) but if thats what you choose to do make sure your son is never left alone with the dog.
btw google image pitbull and see how much muscle they carry, if your dog were to latch on to your son you wouldnt be able to get him off... plus i think they look evil anyway, try a friendly loving dog like a labrador. also if youve never had a dog before theyre one of the easiest breeds to care for
and to the user "eyes of a warrier" its a staffordshire bull terrier thats the nanny dog, not a pitbull, your talking rubbish.
x - From what I saw last night NO
My 6 month pup sniffed a pit bull and it bit down on his nose and would not let go.
I had to kick hard in the head then the pit bit another man that was trying to help.
Absolutely not be trusted. Dangerous dogs.
Get a Golden retriever and don't even second guess your question. - they CAN BE a great family dog under the circumstance that he sees NO OTHER dogs
pitbulls have a history as fighting dogs but they can be sweet but they can turn on you in a snap
he may hurt the cat - A well bred American Pit Bull Terrier can be a great family dog.
As dogs of bulldog and terrier lineage that were selectively bred throughout their history as fighting dogs,the potential for dog/animal aggression and prey drive are high.Animal aggression is independent of and does not evolve into human aggression.
Should be friendly and outgoing with all people.Human aggression is out of standard and should never be accepted.
Very high energy dogs that require a lot of exercise and mental stimulation.Without it they can be easily bored and become destructive.
Eager to please,easy to train if they have a firm consistent owner.
Not a breed for the first time,novice or meager dog owner.
More info can be found here:
http://www.pitbull-chat.com/forums.php - Just to start out... I am a pit bull owner and I have a 1 year old son. I also have a 3 year old schnauzer mix and a 1 year old schnauzer mix.
I want to start out by giving you some heads up on what they are like to own. Or what my experience with Stella, my pit bull was. In the puppy stage, she was high energy. She always wanted to play with her toys, was always up for a walk, wanted to chase a ball, wanted to run in the yard, she liked to dig holes in the yard, always wanted to just go, go, go. She's now 3 years old and has calmed down a bit, but it took probably about a year just to get her out of the "puppy stage."
As far as whether they make good family pets, the answer is a resounding yes from me on one condition. That condition is that you are the pack leader. You are the one in charge. You are the one who tells her where to go, what to do, when to eat, when to go outside, and how to play. Believe me, dogs love this. Having a dog that has to make all these decisions and has to protect his pack too makes him nervous and unhappy. Which are feelings that make him unstable. If you are not the pack leader, the dog will assume the position and feel like it's his job to protect you and your family, stressful for a dog.
Socialization and dog training are wonderful steps to having a lovely pit. Just be sure you pay close attention in training. I've found that training is more for the pet owner because if you have a stable dog, he'll do whatever you tell him to.
Now, with that out of the way... Let me tell you about some of the perks to having a pit as a family dog as opposed to my schnauzer mixes... Pits are breed partially and unfortunately, to withstand pain. My one year old can pull Stella's tail, pull her hair, put his hands in her eyes, push on her... (pretty much everything a one year old would do...) And Stella takes it like a champ. She just sits there and lets him do whatever he wants, as opposed to my other two dogs who basically just run from my son. They see him coming and quickly maneuver themselves to another room or a higher place on the couch while Stella will sit with him on the ground all day and let him try to figure her out. My son has even grabbed a hold of her neck and jawls only to have her lick him.
Keep in mind though, that she has been trained, socialized, and is not the pack leader in my home.
The only problem I'd foresee with having a pit, is that they do get big, but they always think they should be able to sit in your lap, and cuddle with you on the couch. An 80 pound pitbull does not make a good couch napping partner seeing as though she takes up at least one whole cushion herself.
With the right training, socialization and exercise, you will find your new addition to be one that you never knew how you lived without.
Good luck with your 80 pound lap dog. :) - Ummmm, I've never heard of a nice pit bull. In fact, your hear all the time of where children accidently were killed/mauled by a pit bull. It is GENETIC with them. Even if they are raised with the best owners, they always always have this in them.
I work in a pediatric ER and have seen kids faces RIPPED OFF by dogs............
Please give this dog to a no kill shelter and get a safer breed for your 5 year old. You know how kids are, they are bound to do something to anger the dog, taking a treat away, anything.
PS..............did you know that your homeowners insurance will probably drop you? There are certain breeds of dogs they do NOT allow.
Some dog breeds make premiums go UP and some they will cancel you. Think about it. Your kid has a play date and your Pit Bull kills or mauls your kids friend ?? The parents are gonna sue you and take everything you have and your homeowners insurance is NOT gonna pay. - I believe that pitbulls are one of the best family dogs around! We had two when my son was born. One was rescued at about a year and a half old(in terrible condition) and the other was on her way to being sold as a fighting dog, when my husband bought her. She was 6 months old at the time. My son came along a few months later.
Pitbulls(Am Staffs, Staffy Bull Terriers, Pit Bull Terriers) are well known for their undying loyalty, high level of emotional intelligence and high pain tolerance. All of these combined with socialization and consistent, fair discipline make for an exceptional family dog.
Jazz, the female, was 'game bred,' had lots of energy and a very strong prey drive. Kato, the male, was far more laid back and usually just wanted to cuddle. Although our dogs had very different personalities, they were both wonderful with our son, especially when he was a toddler! As a clumsy and rough toddler, he often walked on, fell over poked or pulled on the dogs(usually on accident) and they never growled or snapped at him. He even ate some of their food right out from under them once, and they just sat back... a little confused.
As far as other animal, however, it would be best to be very careful and never leave them alone with other animals -just in case.
Kato(70 lbs) was submissive when he was rescued and for several years after, but when he was about 5, he became dog aggressive. From then on, he had issues with most other males. He was terrific around cats though. In fact, he helped us foster more than a dozen kittens throughout the time we were blessed with him. He was never aggressive toward people. He once growled at a large drunk man who scared me and he once peed on a man who had been smoking crack (I guess it reminded him of a previous bad encounter from before he was rescued?). He was often surrounded by neighborhood children and was a real champ despite their loud, erratic, and occasionally rough play.
Jazz(60 lbs) always had very strong prey drive and was never trustworthy with other animals, such as cats or birds. She was fine with other dogs until about a year after my ex took her(4 yrs old?). Now she is ok with some dogs, but not others. Jazz has always been a people lover. She used to get a little too excited and butt bump my son sometimes, knocking him off balance.
It is very possible that our dogs got dog aggressive because we slacked off on keeping them socialized with other dogs. I don't know.
Please keep in mind a few things: Pitbulls have been bred for a very long time to never be aggressive toward people, but to be aggressive toward dogs. It is very likely that at some point you will face a dog fight. Train her, socialize her, have a breaking stick and don't take unnecessary chances. Many pits never get dog aggressive. Many pits live very happily with cat and never have problems. Make sure [for the rest of her life] that any human can take her food, treats, toys and personal space with out a problem. Be consistent and fair in your discipline. Love her as she loves you. Finally, BLESS YOUR HEART for giving that little pit a loving home! - Every dogs temperament can be different from genes, to its parents temprament, or how it it raised. I own a pit bull and both of his parents were friendly dogs. When the mother of my dog had her pups she let us go near them(us, meaning the people she knew) but when another dog approached her litter, she jumped at him. thats just pit bulls sense to protect, as well as any other dog. My pit bull is very friendly and hyper like his parents. If you socialize the dog with humans since a pup there should be no worries, unless you're abusive towards him. You will need to train your dog to sit and not jump. besides that they like to please their owners. good family dog, will protect the house, can sense when something is wrong.
- All dogs can be a family dog if they are raised right. As shes young she should be fine. Just make sure you set boundaries and she knows shes at the bottom of the "pack". The dog training and socialising is a great idea do it as soon as you can.
- I would not want a pit bull with a child - just my opinion but the breed is not trustworthy.
- Not being mean at all but you should always research the breed before adopting the puppy. In answer to your question, pit bulls are amazing family pets and excellent with children! What is most important when having a dominant breed like this is to immediately establish yourself as the pack leader. Always use CALM and ASSERTIVE energy. Things to nip in the bud right away are nipping, jumping, food aggression.
As for nipping, is he nips make a "yelp" noise. This will startle him and he will probably stop, If that doesn't work when he nips, replace your hand with a toy but do NOT quickly pull your hand away, more freeze up.
As for jumping. If he jumps on you immediately turn your back to him. After a few weeks at most, he will get the point that jumping gets him ignored.
The proper way to feed your dog is to make them sit and "focus" on you. He needs to look in your eyes. This will make him realize that you are the one who feeds him. Sometimes people just put it on the floor and the dog will begin to become food aggressive. NEVER do this.
Another things is to remember the order you must do things in order to be a good pack leader. This is the order:
1) exercise
2) discipline
3) affection
We tend to do affection, affection, and more affection, but our dogs actually want guidance and structure. One last thing. Never give free treats. Always make the dog work for his rewarding (including petting as this is a reward) So example, ask for a sit and when he complies reward him with a treat
This is a good start for you. Best of luck and congratulations on your new addition to the family.
No comments:
Post a Comment