My Pit Bull Puppy Has Serious Behavior Issues..what Should I Do?
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
its insain…whne ever we leave him alone he tears up EVERYTHING…he is STILL not house broken and ive been trying since easter (thats when i got him)
and hes SOOOO greedy with food…its like once u feed him his brain switches to food mode and he doesnt stop
hes already showing signs of food aggession
and we also have a small dog..shes a havanese and he is always messing with her…i know hes playing but i dont want him to think its ok for him to bite her when hes 3 times her size u know?
ohhh and the worst of it is when he eats the cats poop out of the litter box…uggghh……its gross
i want to kennel train him but he wines and barks and where i live the police can site you for your dog or puppy making to much noise
does any one know what i can do?
i dont have enough money to hire a trainer to do it
Related Havanese Training & Care posts:
Crate train him for tearing every thing up. If you don’t have enough money to train, please find some way to train him. It is the untrained bully breed that makes it harder to keep out of the media as a devil dog or dangerous dog. http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pe…
Food: your dog is exhibiting food aggression and territorial behavior trying to establish his place in the house as alpha dog. You need to feed the dogs separately in their own crate – after you have eaten. No food is to be left out. You are asking for trouble if you do. Mine, a shelter rescue at 35# and 1 yr old when I got him, barked and snapped and “inhaled” his and my other dog’s food. If yours is just getting snappy, he is trying to assert dominance. You have to feed them at the same time and take all the food out when their 30 mins are done.
Your dog messing with your Havanese is just him trying to assert the pecking order. They will work it out. My trainer said it might get noisy and scary, but till you see blood (yes, it was not literal, but trying to illustrate the intensity) just keep an eye on them. In the same thread, do not ever leave them alone together with no one in the house. Crate them both and avoid any “misunderstandings” between the two.
As to his whining and barking, follow the techniques for crate training of the separation anxiety. He will get used to it. You can leave a nylon pit-tested chew for him. They will destroy a regular nylabone in minutes. They usually say that they are pit-tested on toys at Petsmart and such.
And, the most important thing for a pup is socialization. He needs to learn doggie rules. You, as the owner, need to find a way to learn to become the alpha in the group. That means, no couch… no bed… no attention as soon as you walk in the door unless “invited”. If they get on the couch, you tell them “Off!”. The second time, you say it again and push them off and do not allow them on the “dominant dog’s bed” (i.e. your couch) without your “permission. Try to invest in a break stick as well. It will minimize damage in the event of a bite. Also, a pit is a working class dog. Exercise him well.
Baby-gating the cat litter in another room helps. Cats can climb and the dog won’t be able to get past the gate very easily. A shake can (a soda can with a few pennies) can work but you have to be consistent. Probably the best answer is isolating the litter box. Cat food is primarily meat. Dogs are attracted to the scent and curious. If they eat their own poo, then it is probably a nutrition issue or a weaning issue.
HTH
as far as tearing everything up, usually means that they have too much unspent energy driving them crazy. I know it may seem like they get plenty of excersize, but pit bulls require an unexplainable amount of energy. I experienced this with my 2 pits when they were in the hyper puppy stage. At least while theyre puppies is good to walk them like 90-120 minutes daily. I know that seems like lot but these dogs are natural athletes.
…You kennel train him. If he wines and barks, he stays in. If it’s during the day, it shouldn’t be a problem. If you have to…call them and double check on the regulations.
You buy books and read on how to train your puppy…and you enroll in obedience classes with him.
Sorry, some dogs are poop eaters. Gate the litter box.
And these seem like normal puppy behaviors. Sorry, he isn’t INSANE.
This isn’t your DOG being a problem – It’s YOUR lack of TRAINING that’s the problem. Don’t blame the dog.
If you cannot afford to care for your dog, find him a new home. This breed in particular NEEDS PROFESSIONAL TRAINING. PERIOD. No ifs, ands, or buts.
YOU need to train the dog, YOU need to EXERCISE the dog, YOU need to SOCIALIZE the dog.
Obviously you didn’t know what you were getting into.
The good thing is ALL puppies have these behaviors. It isn’t because you have a pit bull.
Look up a dog trainer in your area and spend some cash and time to fix your dog.
Sounds like your breeder didn’t do any training. Get a crate and work on time outs.
lol i remember those days…. i have a pit mix and he did the same things, I was almost at the point of tears. but there is hope. him tear up everything is because he gets mad and acts out, try buying him a lot of toys that make noise. it will keep him occupied while you are away. now the kennel, what i did was when i left i put him in there with one of my blankets and a few toys, he’s going to holler but he will stop once he realizes you are not coming back. try putting the kennel somewhere away from the window, and turning on some music when your leave, to help with the noise. he’s gotta get use to the other dog so he plays with her, but as he gets older, he will stop picking on her, she is like a toy to him now, if he goes to far she will get him off of her, she may be small but she has teeth too. he’s going to eat you to death…lol. mines is 7 months and it only got worse, but now he doesnt eat it all at once, he’s learning how to save some for later. it’s going to take a lot of patients and bad words but you will make it…. take care.
I just moved from Salmon Arm BC and have never left my pittbull alone for a long time…until i have moved she has started to rip things and destroy my moms house, so I spent $1000.00 for 3 weeks of training, crate training and it worked, she is 3 years old and if I had to do it again from the start I’m crate train her!!
So I’d find a way to get her trained…might take some time to train your dog yourself!!! but I’d do some home work on the net and do what you have to do before your puppy gets any older
Your dog needs a retinue!!! Trust me…
yes well every time it gets closer to the poop dont hit her cause your basicly training her to be agressive if you hit her in the mouth or anywhere else she will get agressive by the time well *** soon as she gets close to it and she is smelling it move her till she gets the idea that eating poo is wrong and when she smells it but dosent eat it thats when u give her a treat and about the food when she is gettin agressive dont give her the food until she is in a calm mood and dont let her eat the food as soon as you put the food down let her calm down and when u see her calm sitting down looking at the food thats when you let her eat you shouldnt of gotten the dog if you didnt have enough money to train her.. well i.m me ill help you out but next time think about before gettin another dog
He tears up things because he is a puppy, he has lots of energy, he could be missing you, he needs something to do and you have left him to his own devices. This is normal behavior. How do you feed him? On a schedule, same amount of food, enough food? Pitt puppies are very playful and as pack animals, they will seek their pack group. Some can begin to assume their pack position early. You should not allow his food aggression. You have to be the pack leader and if you are, he will listen to you if you are consistent upon him behaving properly. If he is biting, he could be playing or it could be he is teething, in which case he will bite and chew on anything and everything for months. Some dogs just love to eat cat poop. It is not good for their health as it can cause serious bacterial infections in their gut. Be on the alert for bouts of diarrhea, especially with mucous or mucous with blood streaks. Also, if you use a clumping litter, and he eats enough of it, it could cause bloat and kill him. You have got to find a way to keep him out of the little box. Teach him that is not acceptable or put the box where the cat can use it and he can’t get to it. When you initially try to crate train him, he will not be pleased, but if you stay with it and get through the grumbling, he will view the crate as his safe place. Personally, I don’t crate my dogs but they are “place” trained. It is an absolute must that you socialize your puppy in as many different settings with as many different dogs as possible and you should begin this yesterday. It is so important. I have a pitt and she is a wonderful dog but I have worked diligently and consistently with her since day one and continue to do so. With these dogs, the training and reinforcing never stops if you want to keep your dogs safe and happy and socially acceptable. Best of luck to you. I love Pitts. Too often they get a bad rap because they are owned by morons and/or criminals and never get the appropriate guidance. They are the greatest dogs, sweet, loving personalities, and very loyal but you have to help them have what they need to be happy and well balanced dogs. They are very high energy. My dogs have some quality time with me every day.
Hate to be the one to break it to you, but these are all typical of a pit bull puppy. They are not a breed for most beginners, and it sounds like you didn’t do much research on the breed before you got the pup. I’m not trying to insult you, but pits, for the most part, do not make good dogs for beginners, especially as puppies.
Crate training is your best bet with the destroying of the house. Also, pit bulls need a LOT of outdoor excersize, this will also help with the destroying of the house.
The food agression can and should be corrected now. This can be done with a firm no, and removing the food from the dog’s reach for a while, then replacing it. This must be repeated EVERY time the dog shows agression towards food.
As for the fast eating, again, remove the food until the pup calms down, which is easier said then done with a pit bull puppy. If he eats too fast, he can make himself sick.
As for the playing, pit bulls as a breed are known for playing roughly, yet another thing you would have found out if you’d researched the breed before you got the pup. To be honest, there’s not much you can do about that, it’s their nature to play roughly. Supervise the play time. When he gets too rough, stop the play time and separate both dogs. This will help but most likely isn’t a cure for this problem. Biting while playing is normal for ANY breed, and, again, there’s not much you can do about it.
Eating any type of feces is usually a sign that the dog was taken too early from the mother, or learned this habit from the mother, as the mother would have eaten her litter’s feces, etc… It could also be a sign of a poor diet. You’ll need to put the cat box where the dog can’t get to it. That’s pretty much your best bet there.
When trying to crate train him, put a hot water bottle wrapped up in a towel in the crate with him, along with a few toys, especially stuffed toys, that they can play and cuddle with. It’s still a puppy, and having stuffed animals to cuddle with can help comfort the pup while he’s crated, and can help with the noise.
Please keep in mind that ANY time you get a new dog, you have to do LOTS of research on the breed, especially bully breeds. You’ve got a long road ahead of you if you haven’t done your research and haven’t owned a pit bull before. (For the record, if you did research the breed THOROUGHLY, or have had experience with pits before, my apologies for assuming that you haven’t).
Pits can be hyper, dominant, and stubbourn. These are all normal traits of the dog. The things you listed aren’t behavior issues, they’re generally natural for a pit bull puppy. Sorry I can’t really be of much help. It sounds like you’ll either have to bare through it and train the dog to the best of your ability, or rehome him with someone that can, as harsh as that may sound.