Quesion for Pitbull or previous pitbull owners!?!?!?

I just have some basic questions for you owners, just want to get your past experiences with these wonderful dogs.



At what age did you adopt you puppy? How hyper was your puppy? Like did they like to try and bite you a lot while your playing? did they growl a lot? did they calm down if you said enough and just tried to cuddle or would they continue to try and play and bite you? Did this ever stop? How did you train then to stop biting? If this did eventually stop at what age?



How did they play with other dogs as a puppy? did they jump all over the other dogs biting at their legs and face? did they growl at the other dog while trying to play? was it even playing? did this stop or did your dog grow not to like other dogs? Did your puppy play differently with some dogs then others? How did you train your dog to be good with other dogs?



I am basically asking these questions because I have a 4 1/2 month old staffy, I want to make sure I am raising him the ';right'; way , I don't want him to be another statistic of dogs attacking people or other dogs, and although him having dog aggression won't bother me, I really want to make sure he is safe with other people that I want him to be good with. he is a good dog i think , but he is so hyper, if my kids are playing outside he will chase them and try and bite their feet, so now I make sure I am always out there with him when they are playing and trying to teach him to stay while kids are running by, When he is playing with my sisters dogs, he gets so rough and bites on them, and sometimes he just brushes up against the one dog and looks at her, but the other 2 dogs aren't very fond of him, so they fight, not like fight fight but growl and bark at each other and just walk their own ways leaving each other alone. I just want to know how your puppy acted like as a puppy and how they were as an adult. I know dogs are not the same but still!



Thank you for your response!Quesion for Pitbull or previous pitbull owners!?!?!?
I have owned several pit bull type dogs but got them as 8 mos old pups with no former training. Currently I have a AB pup who is much the same as you describe so I will answer.



VERy mouthy, she bites everything in play. I redirect her with a toy as teeth on my skin is not acceptable. She will latch onto pant legs again I redirect. She is only 9wks old now tho. Yes, you need to teach them...they do not outgrow this! Consistency is the key and never allowing. If Gemini is completely wound up and out of hand I will pick her up and look directly in her face with a low toned mellow NO BITE. Puppies are impulsive and forget really fast so I take that into consideration. I do not get angry and scream at her ever. She is just learning enough means enough. She does not growl much. I do not play with her to the point of exuberant growling etc. The game should be shut down before it reaches that point. Keep it mellow yet enticing. You start the game you end the game. Research NILIF it might help you out a bit.



I do not allow her to play with most of our other dogs. She is always with me and I am holding her leash. I have 10 dogs in the house total. I do allow her to play with our new IG and our Bichon male as with those 2 play does not get out of hand. She plays chase with the IG and the Bichon and her like to run and wrestle. If it EVER gets out of hand I stop it immediately. She was not allowed to play with either until she learned posturing was unacceptable. Until your pup learns some manners and you can control him I would say not to allow him to play with other dogs. Esp those who do not appreciate puppy play. I have one dog who is 10 that my pup is NOT allowed to play with and must respect fully! That means if Marianne is eating Gemini must respect her space. Marianne is too small and too old to put up with puppy antics and it is my responsibility to teach her to respect the old girl. At 9wks old she does this now.



As far as chasing and biting feet etc. Do not allow this dog off a leash. Keep him attached to you so that you can administer corrections promplty. It is your job to teach. He is just playing as he would with his littermates. Not acceptable in a human home. Hyper is just puppy stuff. When my girl is awake she is a ball of energy. I work to drain her through play. However, every play session I also incorporate teaching. When I have had enough she is crated.



If you do not want to create another statistic...socialize socialize socialize. Take lots of walks and get him to IGNORE surroundings. No reaction is what you are aiming for. People passing by should not be deemed as treat dispensers, petting machines or enemy's. Just ignored. Same with bikes, strollers, other dogs etc. Curb that desire to chase things that SHOULD NOT b chased. He should walk at a heel and sit when you stop. Do this twice a day, have your kids ride bike while you walk the dog so you can work on that.



Dogs just don't know or outgrow behaviors. They must be trained/taught. You cannot teach a dog by waiting for him to run your kids down in the driveway on bikes while you yell. They learn nothing from that. Keep him in a controlled environment and view situations as a learning experience. If you do not have the time at the moment he should be crated. This pup should never be off leash. IMO he has not earned that right to be off leash in your home. It is so much easier to catch and correct if they are leashed beside you at all times when not crated.Quesion for Pitbull or previous pitbull owners!?!?!?
They can be very aggressive when playing, even as a puppy, keep an eye on them and tone it down if they get rough.



I was at the printers getting something done up when a dog owner walked in with his yorki. The yorki was bandaged around the entire body/rib section. He was a 4 year old yorki, playing with a pit bull puppy of 6 months old. The pit had grabbed the belly of the yorki and puncutred it, ripping the skin. NOT a bad puppy, but his teeth did damage enough for 80 stitches on the yorki who was now battling infection. They get carried away when playing, you have to make sure they are being gentle when they do it.
The questions you ask are not Pit Bull specific.



ALL puppies bite, are hyper, and play a lot. These are things you should have researched BEFORE getting a dog.



ALWAYS ALWAYS supervise your children with a dog. NEVER leave a child unattended with a dog.



To raise your puppy right, ALWAYS supervise, socialize A LOT, and enroll your puppy into training classes when he has his shots. Get him NEUTERED, also.



When you get a trainer, ask them these questions. These are just things puppies do. Training will help your puppy grow into a wonderful dog.



*ADD: Ignore the ';Hoola'; troll. It's a hateful, ignorant person.



- I'm concerned you said ';I won't take him around other dogs.'; you NEED to take your dog around other dogs, don't ever keep him from other dogs.
I got Juno at 10 weeks old.



He wasn't that hyper, but as a puppy he was bouncy.



Yes, he would, common teething for pups. BUT biting is biting and MUST be corrected. If you're having problems with it, read this article:



http://www.dog-obedience-training-review鈥?/a>

http://dog-training.suite101.com/article鈥?/a>

http://www.perfectpaws.com/bite.html



He only growled when playing Tug-o-War which is normal. Or when I played a little rough with him. No he didn't jump on other dogs, in fact he LOVED them. As soon as I brought him home he adored my Sibe Husky! He started licking her all over and now the two are great friends.



Since he was young he would go a little crazy and didn't want to be handled. If I said ';No'; in a firm voice he got the message and stopped.



He's 3 years old now and it stopped when he was about 6 months. Gotta be Consistant!



Look at the pages above I listed for how to stop biting.



I introduced them on neutrel territory. Read this if you're having trouble:



http://www.puplife.com/pages/bringing-a-鈥?/a>



It was just play. Pouncing each other, playing, lil growling but nothing serious.



#



Hope the web sites help.



I got Juno en-rolled in a puppy kindergarten class thing. It helps them socialize well with other dogs.



Also supervise him.



Fix him as soon as you can and dogs enjoy obedience classes!
I have a pitbull mix, but he's still a pitbull. I got him at 7 1/2 months old. He is very hyper but he settles down when the family does. He is very mouthy when we play, he likes to chase my little brother and sister outside, and nip and bark at them. If he bites them try removing him from where they are playing for a moment (like a time out). then let him back with them, if his bad behavior continues, do it again. He will learn that if he bites them he cant play with them. Accidental bites should not be tolerated either. And reward him when ever possible when he is playing nice. He doesn't know right from wrong yet, so you have to teach him. My pup has had a few encounters with other dogs, he is very friendly and just wants to play.



If you train your pup and properly socialize him he should be a good dog. A few basic commands like sit, stay, come, and drop it can be a life saver. Teaching him tricks are cute, too is a good way for him to interact with children or new people in a save way, like shake or roll over. When my pup meets a new person I have him shake their hand, it gives him something to do so he's not all bouncy and excited. Have him meet as many people and dogs as possible while hes young, having him meet new people will help him to become social and friendly with others. Even if you have a friendly dog, fights can still happen. If you know how to read yours and other dogs body language you can spot before a fight before it may start (you can look online for that) It can really help. And basicly you just have to correct bad behavior and reward good behavior.