When training and educating a pit bull, we must bear in mind that this process can be more complicated than with other dogs, since they are characterized by having a great temperament, energy and physical strength. To learn more about their education, we invite you to continue reading this article and learn how to educate a pit bull.
How to train a puppy pitbull?
This would be the ideal time to train and educate a pit bull. At this stage they can absorb more information, they are more docile and the opportunities to adapt to the rules will be much higher and they will shape their personality, turning it into their lifestyle and setting behavior patterns. It is important to create routines and follow an action plan designed especially for him. Here are some steps to follow:
How should we treat a pit bull?
We must be patient, determined and responsible, not incurring violence towards the animal. The pitbull is credited with being a ferocious dog, thinking that it is a matter of genetics of its breed, when in fact most cases, how violent they can be, are usually the fault of their respective owners. In the end, it only reflects what they have been taught.
the arrival home
Limits must be set from the beginning. Beforehand, you must set aside and list an adequate space for your relaxation, where you can sleep comfortably, your own bed, cushion, box or a shed especially for your rest. It is crucial that this is done as soon as you arrive or he will think the whole house is his territory. You have to make that difference from the beginning.
You must resist the temptation to pamper him when he cries, this will make him depend on the company to sleep making it a habit to cry every night without stopping, until you fall to give him your attention. Make it clear that bedtime should be sacred, most likely in the first week he will learn to sleep alone. You should not get used to the dog sleeping with the master; They must respect each other's places.
If the resting place is outside the house, then it is necessary to hold until the puppy is more than 7 months old. He will be more physically fit for the outside climate and in the same way prepare a suitable place for his rest so he will settle in faster and better. Many owners prefer this in case the puppy wants to relieve himself at any time of the night.
Rules and Discipline at Home
During the course of the day, the fundamental basic rules of the house and the relationship with their behavior should be taught, creating a bond based on understanding and respect, otherwise doing it aggressively would have an incorrect result. Clear and precise rules will help avoid bad situations, such as accidents or attacks on people. The treatment between master and dog should be improved.
It is important that when educating a puppy pit bull, it is understood who is in charge from the first moment, this breed can become very dominant and most likely it wants to be the head of the house. To achieve his obedience, it must be clear that to punish him, hitting him is not a current solution, you must always scold him with a firm posture, a loud tone of voice and a big angry look, so he will understand the level of annoyance.
Prioritize that they do not use the places that the owner and people use, such as the bed or the sofa, since they will take it as their own, in the same way when they use the door, the owner must enter first and prevent the puppy from jumping on people or urinating nearby. or on them, that will imply that they will be your property. He must learn that he is not the alpha male.
Time to eat
When it comes to eating, it is best to provide its food in daily portions, the ideal is for the puppy to eat the 3 basic meals a day plus a snack and provide enough fresh water for any time it requires it, always serving its food in the same place, in case the puppy cannot digest the food well, you can dilute it with a little water only, with another liquid it could become toxic.
When educating a pitbull, you should not eat at the same time as them. It should be made very clear that the owner will be the one to eat first. When we serve him the food we will make him look us in the eye, with his eyes he will be asking us for permission to eat, this encourages respect and also ensures that he has a schedule for his meals so his digestion will be very good, in case he does not want more, he you should remove the leftovers but not put them in your next serving.
Socialize
Socializing is essential for the dog, taking the puppy for a walk every day at the same time will make it a habit. Keep in mind that this breed is full of energy, it is vital not to try to change its nature and being free is one of its great characteristics, unlike what some people say, the pit bull can be very tender and friendly. , especially with children, it has even been given the name of nanny dog more than once, even so it is not advisable to leave very young children with a dog.
It is important to develop their abilities. Make him run, help him exercise and get a good muscle tone, let him develop his sense of smell, it is ideal for him to smell and play with other dogs, so he will learn to socialize in the same way, let other people caress him, which It will help him with his development, even when they growl and play a little loud, dogs should be given some freedom. It is usually a very friendly breed, it will be nice to have the company of other puppies from time to time, especially to play.
If he is very aggressive and violent in games and walks with other dogs, he should be scolded, it is necessary to separate him from the rest of the group for a while and make him relax. Avoid aggressiveness towards the puppy, but if you have to imply anger as it could have serious repercussions on other dogs since the pit bull has a strong body and has good biting power.
Your needs
Dogs have the habit of doing their business wherever they want and it is a duty to teach that not everyone is their bathroom. The ideal is to teach him to relieve himself on his daily walks, so it is necessary that they be at fixed times so that the dog can associate the walk with going to the bathroom; And he can hold out until he leaves, a fixed place could also be established for that, it is a matter of being aware of the dog's signals when he wants to go to the bathroom and helping him get there.
When you relieve yourself outside the house, positive effort will be implemented. In which you will be congratulated and rewarded with what you like the most. You must have a minimum of 4 walks a day so that you do not resist the urge to defecate so much, one must be long so that you enjoy the walk, but the rest can be between 15 or 25 minutes, when you walk you relax making the process more easy on the pup.
Rubbing the dogs face in its poop or urine is a hostile act, as well as hitting it on the snout or any part of the body, is only associated with violence. From the time he is born until he is 3 months old, he will do needs wherever he wants, scolding him will not do any good, he is too young to understand, all that remains is to clean up what he has done and let the matter go for the time being.
Teach him not to bite
Biting is a natural instinct, being puppies, they will always want to bite everything, including people, although sometimes they do it out of the need to relieve pain, especially when their teething process begins, when they change their teeth and that is their only way. to channel the annoyance.
The solution is to use specific toys for him to bite, the dog should be scolded when biting the owner, stand in front of the puppy staring into his eyes along with a good call for attention, it will be more than enough. If he bites other people, that is when you should see yourself the most upset, try to give him a toy, then so that he bites it, so he will associate that he should only bite what is specifically assigned for that, even put it in his mouth.
There are countries that insist on the mandatory use of a muzzle for pit bulls due to their temperament and bite, which must be used in public spaces. In the event that this is an option for some people, care should be taken that the muzzle is not completely covered so that the dog can drink water, eat and feel more comfortable, it is an idea that not everyone is convinced of but it should not be a option completely ruled out especially if the pitbull is somewhat violent.
Physical and Mental Exercise
Spending quality time with him will reinforce your bond of friendship which will make you more and more united creating trust in each other, playing with him could be very fun as well as relaxing, take those moments to reinforce your discipline and review what you have been learning little by little, it will be of great help for your mental agility in which notable improvements will be seen and in a not very long period of time and with solid results.
Helping the puppy to work on his agility will make him a more relaxed dog, relieving stress and anxiety, this is achieved by implementing games that stimulate his brain, practicing how to sit, stand up or give his paw helps to make him more obedient, this It should be done daily in sessions of 3-5 minutes so as not to overload it. They are very intelligent and active so we must stimulate and exercise their mind and body.
Activity helps the brain stay active. It is also important for the body, running and exercising, so one of your walks a day should last 1 to 2 hours. You must know the tastes and needs of the dog. The pit bull contains a lot of energy, taking it to the park to run and exercise, incorporating very repetitive actions and commands will make it learn faster, little by little we can add difficulty, all of this must be used as quality time.
Body language
Learning to read the body language of the puppy is important, the more you observe it in detail and knowing its emotions, the more you will know what its needs are. One of the most basic behaviors is barking, growling when he is upset or desperate and hungry as well as hiding behind his owner or any object when he feels uncomfortable.
We must pay close attention to these gestures to help the dog in the best possible way, some cases could be, for example, noticing his sadness, trying to cheer him up, which could be achieved with a prize, hugs, affection, as well as knowing when he is upset. to keep distance, when he is happy and his development with the environment.
Can I Adopt and Train an Adult Pitbull?
Yes, it is more, it is of great help especially the pitbulls that roam the streets alone without a home. But, with him also comes his past, which, if it has been turbulent, it will be normal for it to have repercussions and his best disposition is not achieved at first, so patience and tolerance will be the best companies for this process. He will act as a result of his experiences, so not adapting quickly is normal along with resistance and even more so if his past was based on violence.
How to Educate an Adult Pitbull?
To educate a pit bull, in these cases, short training sessions should be done every day between 5-10 minutes. Teaching the most important rules of the house, rewarding their good deeds, varying the rewards from time to time and punishing (without violence) their bad deeds with calls for attention and doing exercises that encourage their obedience, such as making them stay still, every day without fail.
Unlike a puppy, the adult pitbull does not need to eat as many times a day, with one or two maximum three times, it will be enough, depending on the calorie burn, the portions can be medium or large, their food must be very high in protein and of excellent quality for good digestion and essential to always keep it hydrated, following these basic instructions will continue to be a pitbull full of energy.
If you begin to notice that the dog is not always very cooperative and even violent, you should remember that it has a past and a formed character, if this is the case, it is best to call a dog expert since it can even turn out to be very dangerous when do it on our own, the specialist will give the best recommendations for each case.
Points to keep in mind when educating a Pitbull
Several aspects must be taken into account when you want to educate a dog of this breed (and any other), pay attention:
Be Patient and Understanding
If we adopt a dog we will have to be clear that it is not that easy, make them understand everything we want or expect, be patient to put up with the inconvenience and be understanding. The fruits of it will be reflected later. It will be a dog that with dedication will have a healthy, full, stress-free and calm development and life, something that not all dogs are lucky enough to enjoy.
Complete avoidance of violence and aggression
It is something that should always be emphasized. This breed of dog can be very violent with this type of treatment, especially due to its physical capacity, which is very powerful. Throughout his history he has been known as a fighting dog for which he has suffered a lot. It is time to offer him a dignified and stable life, it does not mean that he should always be pampered but there are other ways to make things work.
Responsibility
If you decide to adopt him, it is to give him a good, dignified and happy life. He is a living being who has rights, needs and feelings like any other and everything you are and teach him, he will manifest it, it will become part of his identity and he will become the most faithful and affectionate friend that can exist. This is how we will educate a pit bull, he is one of the friendliest breeds if he can be trained correctly.
Remember…
There are many breeds of pit bull and each one has a different temperament, sometimes the difference is even too much. What I learn will depend on your experience and teachings and the nature of each one. So before adopting any type of pit bull it is advisable to do an intense study of each one of them, some are more docile, others stronger, others temperamental hence the hard work to breed them.
It is important to keep in mind that when adopting a pit bull, a series of considerations cannot be overlooked, such as the control of their vaccinations, being dewormed, going to the veterinarian for a check-up from time to time. It became fashionable to cut the tips of the ears and the tail of this breed, it is something that should not be done on a whim, if there is no need, since it is part of its anatomy and that is perfect. Wait for his growth in case you want to castrate him, it will make them calmer.
The pit bull, thanks to its fame as a wild and aggressive animal, its possession is regulated and prohibited in many parts of the world. There are countries where it is not legal to adopt it and others have regulations. Like the issuance of a license to be able to have it, even one of the requirements is to have a great experience with dogs. In places like Malta you cannot have this breed. Among the sanctions is the sacrifice of the animal and the few who are allowed to own the pit bull must wear a muzzle.
Before adopting, investigate in your country, the laws regarding this breed of dog and remember that it has been a very noble animal that has been marked by a past of mistreatment and abuse, hence the importance of training and education and we will have as a result, having a faithful and unconditional friend. Remember that we must have patience and disposition when it comes to educating them since we must take into account the age of the dog, the past and its temperament and design the action plan that best suits the pit bull.
Respect, love, patience and dedication will be our best weapons to help train or educate a pitbull and give them a dignified, safe life and a space where they feel loved and safe.
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