i have a puppy pitt bull

[LoneCrusader]

and i'm kinda worried that it's gonna grow up and go crazy and bite my face off. it bites a lot. it's about 4 months old. i usually slap it when it bites me. is that the right way to raise it? so i'm asking any pitt owners out there. how do you raise it? i do this one thing, sometimes. i have these pennies in this dr. pepper can and i shake it violently and scare the pitt when it's acting up. but i'm not sure if that's working. any tips or somethin'?

[Chic Freak]

and i'm kinda worried that it's gonna grow up and go crazy and bite my face off. it bites a lot. it's about 4 months old. i usually slap it when it bites me. is that the right way to raise it? so i'm asking any pitt owners out there. how do you raise it? i do this one thing, sometimes. i have these pennies in this dr. pepper can and i shake it violently and scare the pitt when it's acting up. but i'm not sure if that's working. any tips or somethin'? Making the nasty noise is a good idea! You could try using a spray bottle of water too. A light tap on the nose with one or two fingers of one hand should be enough to let the dog know it's being told off- you shouldn't aim to actually hurt it (not saying you have been). Also, you need to do other stuff to let the dog know you're the pack leader and not them, e.g. making sure you always go through doors first (just shut the door in the dog's face if it tries to go through first) and similarly persevere in making it walk to heel on a lead when you take it out for a walk. Remember that puppies do generally tend to nip when they get overexcited though, it doesn't necessarily mean it will grow up to bite your face off EDIT: Oh, and no matter how well-trained your dog is, keep it away from babies and young children. Pitbulls are notoriously jealous of people giving attention to kids and unexpectedly turning against them, so it just isn't worth the risk.

[Tricky]

Be careful with Pit bulls,quite unpredictable to due all the cross breeding they've had over the generations!Im sure if you raise it right it'll be fine though,most violent dogs can be blamed on the owners,but like chic says dont leave it on its own around children.Giving the dog a slap when it bites is a good way to teach it where its place is,but obviously dont go overboard as too much can turn them nasty plus its just not nice to smack them about. Ive got a Staffordshire bull terrier & they have a bit of a bad reputation due to chavs rearing them badly,but mines been well brought up & is a stupidly friendly & loyal dog that i dont think has a nasty bone in his body

[Trancelikestate]

well, ...... I have one that is def super sweet and cute. as previously stated def make sure you assert your dominance. hold the pup upside down on it's back. hold it up in the air craddled in your arm paws up, and just kind of hold it there. pin him there if he tries to move. always eat before it also. do be very affectionate as they love that, also do get it tons i mean tons of socialization with, other dogs, people, and little people. if you raise them to be sweet, they will in fact defend your children. just look at this sweet thing haha. In this one, she let my 9 year old sister and her friend do her nails and dreass her in girl clothes. now tell me this isnt proof thier not all bad. and this is her snoozing haha All in all i've had pitbulls my whole life and if raised right they can be amazing, strong, and loyal dogs. if not the most in my opinion. especially females. Thier love is infinite.

[kortick]

my freind has a female pit bull named 'baby' she is strong as an ox but the only danger she poses is licking your face till u are sticky. she is a sweet animal and yes her bark will scare a stranger, but any large dog will scare someone if it barks at them. oh and they have $1 million insurance on her due to peoples fear of pit bulls. these dogs are very sweet and actually just yelling at her to get off the furniture or stop begging is enough, she doesnt require any hitting at all. but sometimes ruthlessly beating a defenseless animal has its own kinky pleasures....joking.

[MoonSylver]

We got a miniature dappled dachshund puppy for Christmas we named Buddy. I guess we'll never have this problem... *EDIT* GHAH! Stupid Flikr won't let me link, & the album isn't letting me UL them here! http://www.flickr.com/photos/34980711@N03/3246449944/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/34980711@N03/3246453746/

[Chic Freak]

Forgot to add- we've been talking about how to humanely and effectively punish your puppy for misbehaving, but it is just as important to make a huge, exaggerated fuss of them when they do something right!

[Skippy911sc]

Watch 24 solid straight hours of the Dog Whisperer... I have a friend who takes in Pitt Bulls and most of them seem to act like normal dogs...I am not sure they have a natural disposition to biting than any other dog. Raise it with love and a strict hand and it should turn out fine. Remember positive re-enforcement... To check its dominance over you, turn it on its back and if it bites at you, start the long road to breaking its will.

[slickwilly13]

There are a number of topics at www.rossboxing.com. A lot of fighters and grapplers use them for their athletic abilities. They can run for a very long time, so we use them as training partners on runs. I bought an 8 week old boxer back in May as a substitute for a pit, because of the insurance laws here.

[LoneCrusader]

Making the nasty noise is a good idea! You could try using a spray bottle of water too. A light tap on the nose with one or two fingers of one hand should be enough to let the dog know it's being told off- you shouldn't aim to actually hurt it (not saying you have been). Also, you need to do other stuff to let the dog know you're the pack leader and not them, e.g. making sure you always go through doors first (just shut the door in the dog's face if it tries to go through first) and similarly persevere in making it walk to heel on a lead when you take it out for a walk. Remember that puppies do generally tend to nip when they get overexcited though, it doesn't necessarily mean it will grow up to bite your face off EDIT: Oh, and no matter how well-trained your dog is, keep it away from babies and young children. Pitbulls are notoriously jealous of people giving attention to kids and unexpectedly turning against them, so it just isn't worth the risk. it's so weird you say that. actually, it always runs inside doors and the house before i can get in. i'll stop him, now that i know that.

[capncnut]

and i'm kinda worried that it's gonna grow up and go crazy and bite my face off. it bites a lot. it's about 4 months old. i usually slap it when it bites me. is that the right way to raise it? so i'm asking any pitt owners out there. how do you raise it? i do this one thing, sometimes. i have these pennies in this dr. pepper can and i shake it violently and scare the pitt when it's acting up. but i'm not sure if that's working. The whole pittbull/crazy gene thing is a load of codswallop. Some dogs are cute and friendly, some are more fiery and may bite, some can be downright vicious, just like humans basically. The only pitbull I ever saw going crazy was owned by a complete dickhead who used to play with it over aggressively. Be kind to your dog and the dog will be kind to you. Saying that, I do understand that innocent people have been maimed/mauled by pittbulls and the like... My friend owned a lovely muscular female pittbull and sometimes when I'd stay over, she would crawl into my sleeping bag and nuzzle up. The guy treated that dog right by teaching her commands and really spent quality time training her.

[mista_mo]

pitbulls are banned in ontario..it is illegal to own one in the province...those who owned a pitbull before the ban was enacted had the dogs given special status, and are required to muzzle them in public... i think it is silly, and it all depends on how well the dog has been treated.

[Cartma7546]

To be honest pit-bulls, chows, rotties, boxers ect. all have a tag of being aggressive and its true that they are to a point. I work at a dog kennel and i've seen how dogs react in different situations and I can tell you that no dog is naturally "evil". If you dog is biting alot, it happens its a puppy. But If you give the needed attention and proper discipline besides physical scolding your dog should turn out alright. Like i said no dog is naturally evil it all depends on how you raise it. I wouldn't worry too much about your dog biting mugs off. Not at this stage of his life anyway. If it persist past the age of 8mths then i would look into training.

[J0hnnyReb]

Pits get a bad rap in the US because they were used as fighting dogs, but they're just like any other dog. Raise it properly and it wont be a biter. Make sure when it snaps or bites you toss it on its back and grab its neck and let it know you're the boss, thats what dogs do to one and other in nature. And MOST importantly is to let it meet EVERYONE and ANYONE you can while it is young and let strangers feed him. It will reduce his natural paranoia that most terriers have. Really just because they have strong jaws is irrelevant, they are terriers and need to be trained as terriers. pitbulls are banned in ontario..it is illegal to own one in the province...those who owned a pitbull before the ban was enacted had the dogs given special status, and are required to muzzle them in public... i think it is silly, and it all depends on how well the dog has been treated. Wow, talk about oppressive nanny government... thats really absurd. I've known more German Shepherds to snap and wig out and kill people more easily than an iron willed terrier like the Pit. As with all animals its about how you raise them. If you keep the away from strangers and lock them in the house then they will want to bite strangers who intrude on their territory. could easily raise a Labrador or a Yorkshire terrier to bite as easily as a pit.

[Crappingbear]

We got a miniature dappled dachshund puppy for Christmas we named Buddy. I guess we'll never have this problem... *EDIT* GHAH! Stupid Flikr won't let me link, & the album isn't letting me UL them here! http://www.flickr.com/photos/34980711@N03/3246449944/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/34980711@N03/3246453746/ Keep in mind that Dachshunds were bred to be badger hunters so they have huge heart and are natural hunters. If they see a squirrel, all your yelling isn't doing squat, they want that squirrel and are on it. I saw one crawl in a big drain pipe for a home gutter system thinking it was a badger hole. They are tunnelers which Im sure you already found out with them loving to get under the covers in bed. They also like high places and usually make the top of the couch their nap area.