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I have a terrific 75lb. 2 1/2 yr old pit, Binks. He is very affectionate with almost everyone he meets. He is even super nice to some dogs but as soon as another dog shows aggression towards him he goes into fight mode.
One time a pomma-poo growled at Binks, who then lunged at him breaking the leash and literally scoops him into his arms. I threw myself on Binks putting him in a head lock. After dragging me a few feet he finally let the pomma poo go. After thorough examination the pommapoo didn’t even have a scratch on him.
A couple of months ago I moved into a new house that shares a drive way with my neighbor who has a Great Pyrenees (HUGE). Well he chained his dog but the dog would still jump at my car as I passed, actually he has cracked both my headlights. Well one day I had Binks in the car with me when the Great Pyrenees jumped and bit at my car window. I guess Binks’ defense kicked in b/c he jumped out the window and locked down on the dogs nose pulling it 6 inches away from his face. I tried every thing to get him unlocked and finally after a minute he let go. The neighbors dog was fine, Thank the Lord. But if something like that happens again I could lose my baby.
I don’t know how to fix it since its not a usual things. Any ideas?Pit bulls have been known to be animal aggressive. Even though you say that he does not attack unless provoked, I would highly suggest keeping him away from that situation at all costs. First, when driving with him in the car keep all the windows closed. This is for safety also, because you will be devestated if he jumps out in the middle of traffic and something bad happens. Secondly, do your best when walking him to avoid all other dogs all together. If one is approaching you cross the street if necessary or go as far around as you can. Do not get within leash distance of any other dog. Also, if you cannot hold your dog back, I highly suggest a choke collar or a prong collar when walking them. This also can be used to slightly tug (not hard) the dogs face away from any distractions (aka other dogs, cats, etc). This will keep their attention ahead and can be a good training tecnique for proper dog walking. Another thing to do is to make sure that you do not give him enough leash. You must be able to control your dog at all times when walking him.
My husband worked nonstop with our dog Bloo when she was a puppy. In fact, he still works with her. Her only problem now is getting too excited when people visit. When I walk her (I am a small female) and use our prong collar (when used properly it is extremely safe), I have no problems. I walk her every day too. I have only seen her get agressive with one other dog, another pit bull named Xena. Which is strange because she has met thousands of other dogs with no problem. They just both hated each other at first meeting. Anyway, I make it a point to avoid any type of confrontation because I don’t ever want to be put in the situation of having someone who hates the breed acuse her of anything.
I second what Bloo has said. Pits are known to be dog aggressive, but so are many other breeds. When you own a pit, you have to take that into consideration and adjust accordingly. A dog may not start out dog aggressive, but that can change.
Question is…is it really dog aggression? Dogs that have a fear towards other dogs also appear to be aggressive, when it is really just a reaction to fear. They want the dog away from them, and that is how they react. Some hide, some react by lunging and striking out. Binks may never get along with other dogs, and the key to having a dog like this is daily management and training.
One thing to do is to NEVER yell at Binks, jerk the leash, or hit him for the way he is reacting towards another dog. I am not saying that you are, just reminding you to not do it. By doing that, you are reacting in a way that may teach Binks that all dogs mean my mom is going to flip out and I need to react even more to that dog! That is the last thing that you want. You want to be as polite and calm as you can be. Dogs can sense you are tense or nervous and will also react accordingly.
Dogs that are reactive to other dogs or humans have a threshold of when it happens. Does it happen when the other dog is 100ft away, or 25ft away from you? This is one thing that you have to figure out, and start training far away and gradually work up to close encounters.
A way to start managing the issue is to reinforce that seeing a dog is a positive thing. When you notice a dog coming at you, have really high-value treats ready to give Binks. I use cooked steak, hot dog, liver, squeeze cheese, etc. It needs to be something that Binks rarely, if ever, gets. When you see Binks notice the dog, this is when you have to get to work. Don’t wait until Binks reacts. If you see the dog before Binks does, then you can start to get his attention to you. If Binks knows “sit” and “watch me”, then you can begin to work on addressing this issue by sitting Binks and making him watch you and not the dog, feeding him treats one right after another.
Once you have Binks attention, feed him treats until the dog passes. This may requre you having him sit and standing in front of him to block the view of the other dog. If you can walk on, feeding treats as you go, that is great too. Once the dog is out of view, stop giving treats and continue on as if nothing happened.
You want Binks to look to you for help/treats when another dog is approaching. Of course, it isn’t going to work 100% of the time, but over time, it will get better until you are comfortable with handling the situation.
With the situation in the car, that may be something that you need to spend some time in the car, going up and down the driveway, or even sitting in the car with the other dog reacting. Again, keep everything positive. One thing to keep in mind is that dogs tend to be protective of the car, so he may continue to bark and do what he does. Just keep windows up (dogs shouldn’t hang their heads out the window when you drive anyway) until there are no dogs in sight. Again, make it all a positive experience. I have been known to sit in cars with dogs who bark and growl at humans as they walk by, one by one feeding the dogs treats when there is a human present. Once the human leaves, the treats stop. After awhile, the dog sees a person, and the dog looks to me for treats. That is what you want. Eventaully, I phase out treats, but still give them at random so the dog never knows when he will get a treat. It keeps him looking at me. After that, the dog associates the people outside of the car with a good things-yummy pieces of steak and kielbasa!
There are many good articles on the web about controlling dog fear/agression. I suggest you do a lot of research and start working on Binks NOW before it gets out of hand. This is a hard issue to tackle, but with time, patience, and proper management, you will have a dog that won’t react as much as he used to.
This answer is really stupid.
What are you doing here if you believe that pits are agressive dogs? When you don’t know shit about a bread don’t open your mouth.
what i dont understand is why do people come on this site to say “your pits ugly” “mines mean, were gonna get rid of him” “all pits are mean”
all of you obviously dont know anything about pit bulls so in my opinion you shouldnt own them.people like that are the reason why pits have such a bad rep.
im younger then most of you and i control my pit with no effort.i hope that someone who can care for and who is a loving forever home ends up with your pit, because anyone who is willing to “get rid of him” shouldnt HAVE him at all.
Well the only reason I think that pits are mean is we looked on the web and everyone says thay are mean. I heard that they are nice but one day they can turn on you and attack you. Even if it’s not true I don’t want to take the risk. I like him and I don’t want to get rid of him but i just have too.
YOUR A JACKASS!
If a pit is dog aggressive, there are several levels to this. They could be fearful, they could be in a dominate state.
Some dogs need to be socialized better as a puppy or when they first get into a home.
It is NOT always in the genes. Pits are not meant to be aggressive dogs, if a dog is severely aggressive its usually due to poor breeding!
I am aware of stories where people were attacked by retrievers and poodles, more over than a pit.
Get your facts together before making an assinine comment.
well then why did you adopt one?
i have NEVER heard of a well trained pit randomly attacking its owner?
this breed of dog (more then others) gets very attached to its owner, it would die for you before it would attack you.I think you should do your research because what your thinking isnt correct at all.
when i was a baby our pit was my brother, i could sit on him, pull on his ears ANYTHING and he put up with it the whole time and protected me with his life, i even have his bio on my profile.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jh2_2z92mw
those are professional dog trainers and behaviorist who also say this breed may have been bred to fight, but it doesnt have to be a fighter.
the only way a dog like this would turn on you is if it was beaten or poorly treated which in my mind, then you deserve it.i hope you change your mind about this loving and gentle breed of dog.
Colton,
Do you believe EVERYTHING that you read and see? No dog just “turns on you” and attacks. These are people who have unsocialized dogs, dogs that may be kept out on chains, unaltered, hit, and probably don’t know much about reading dog body language. Dogs give us tons of signals before they “attack”; it is just a matter of knowing what to look for. It really isn’t too complicated. Basic body language is obvious. If a kid is climbing all over the dog, tugging on the ears, and the dog is squirming…the dog is trying to get away. Dogs react in all forms before they bite and attack. That is their last resort.
On the flip side of that, dogs who are ill or in pain also bite. Other animals do too. But, if you don’t properly care for your dog by taking him to the vet, feeding him properly, etc. etc., you won’t know something is wrong with your dog.
The breed of dog has nothing to do with the behavior. A dog’s owner makes his dog what the dog becomes. If you just have a dog and don’t do anything with it, yes, you may have trouble on your hands at some point down the road. Dogs are living, breathing creatures. They need love, they need nurturing, they need education, they need rules, and the list goes on and on. You don’t have a child just to let the child do what it wants. You will end up with an unruly child. A dog is what the human makes it.
Notice that I keep using the generic term “dog”? That is because this applies to all breeds. Dogs need structure and they need a routine. A dog will give you in return what you give it.
I think you better learn more about the breed by reading real information from real pit bull websites and learn to make your own educated decision and not listen to every Tom, Dick, and Harry. You will find negative stuff everywhere for every breed. Pits are the dog of choice for unreputable individuals at this time, and they are the ones making the news. There are hundres upon thousands of good stories out there, but they will be hard to find because negative stuff is what people like you want to read and believe.
Humans do terrible things each and every day, but does that make us as a species horrible and not able to be trusted? Nope. Humans can make decisions on what is right from wrong. Dogs need for us to teach them. If a person isn’t teaching the dog right from wrong in a positive and safe manner, then you may have trouble.
Please educate yourself.
“Notice that I keep using the generic term “dog”? That is because this applies to all breeds. Dogs need structure and they need a routine. A dog will give you in return what you give it.”
thats EXACTLY right.
dont think an abused or poorly trained golden retriever if given the chance wouldnt take a bite out of the side of your leg.
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