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Hi all- Our family adopted a pit bull (we named him Boss) yesterday and I could really use some help. We picked boss for several reasons, we have 2 little girls and he was the only dog that did not growl at the other dogs in the shelter when walking past. He sits on command and was already potty trained. We arent sure how old he is yet, we only know that he is an adult. We dont know anything about the owners he had previously. He seems to be a gentle giant with few exceptions. He did fetch and return an orange ball while at the shelter but today I was trying to get him to give me a toy I had thrown for him and he wouldnt bring it to me. I walked up to take it so that I could throw it again for him and he let out a pretty ferocious sounding growl. It really startled me, and with two little ones I am scared he might bite one of them if they get too close to a toy he wants. What should I do? Thanks:)
If you played with him at the shelter, I would say that you should kind of test him a little bit, but that it probably wasn’t typical for him to respond like that. Understand that he’s in a new environment, so he may be trying to adjust himself. Go easy, but get him used to you touching/playing with his toys. See how he reacts. Teach him “drop it” with a treat. When he brings the toy back to you, reward him for letting go of it, this may help him, if he’s uncomfortable with letting go of his toys. Watch him with the kids, just in case. Tell him “No” if he ever refuses to give you the toy, rather than taking it from him. I take toys from Kaos all the time, but we know his temperament. With your boy, you just need to test the waters a little bit before diving in, just because you don’t know his history. Be patient, he’s not certain about your home yet, but if it becomes a serious problem, I would try and find him a home without children. I remember when my parents adopted their golden/chow chow cross. She’s a big bear of a dog, but the best kids dog you could ever ask for. The day after bringing her home, I was walking her and my sister came running up in a big coat. Digz became very upset and barked very aggressively. She wouldn’t let my sister come close to me, or me get close to my sister. We were a little concerned, but, as it turned out, she never repeated the behavior and I think she didn’t recognize K. Rayne because of the big coat and was just trying to proect me. She’s now 14, has been in the family for 10 years and just came to live with my husband, our kids and Kaos. So, don’t loose hope and panic right away, just be vigilant.
Thanks so much for your help, I will try the treat! Boss already is a part of the family, we love him to death and he is really good with our girls, but we have told them not to play with him yet, only petting. Most of the time he is really very sweet and looking for affection, and he only growls with certain toys, and some sticks from the backyard but it is still something we need to fix. I hope it all works out 🙁
I have faith. Like I said, my parents’ dog wasn’t perfect when they brought her home, but she turned out to be one of the BEST kids dogs I’ve ever seen. Be patient and loving, but just keep a close eye on the kids. I trust that he’ll settle in and make a fantastic, life long, friend and trusted family member. 🙂
My Jasmine growls with her toys, but it’s not in an aggressive manor. It’s more of a “hey, pay attention to me” kind of thing. She loves her toys,and loves to show them off to people. When you come through the door, she says hello, then goes after a toy. If she feels your not paying enough attention, she gives a little growl and pushes the toy on you with her tail just a wagging like crazy. All she wants you to do, is tugg on it, or squeeze it. Of course she hopes you’ll play with her, as she thinks everyone who stops by, is there to see her. She’s fine as long as you’ve aknowlege her and the toy she wants to show off. If you don’t, she’ll growl once or twice more, then give up and play the sad face game.
When playing with her, all she really wants you to do, is play tuggawar, or just know she’s getting 100% of your attention while she shakes, chews, and fling her toys around. If you want to play fetch, she enjoys that as well, but with some toys, she expects you to win it back before throwing it again. The great thing, is if I tell her “drop it”, she’ll drop whatever is in her mouth. This really comes in handy when we wrestle, and I’m the toy.
Jasmine is truly a great dog with an incredible personality. I wish I could tell the OP how to train their dog the “drop it” command, but we rescued Jasmine and gave her a new home. Her previous owner trained her to do this. We got her when she was less than two. Her home cought fire, and her owner could no longer care for her (very young and had to live couch to couch afterward).
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