Why does he keep doing this?!?!?!

[unknown007]

ok well as some people know i have a pitbull!!!he turned 3months on july 14.but the problem now is one day iw as playing with him and he jump and landed on his back and yelped.i of course carried him and checked his legs everything was fine.but ever since then he now sleeps and is non active and doesnt play with me ever since.he doesnt listen when i ask something he does it when he wants to.i say **** and he lays down and i say get up and he just looks at me and then looks away.but when i say jump he jumps than back to laying down.why is this?its making me mad that i cant train him anymore.because of this or is it because hes a puppy still?well i dont yell at him at all i just walk away.also is maybe because im giving him the wrong type of attention?well i need help asap.and also while im at it he weighs 25 pounds is that normal weight?thanks well i just need alot of help on training him because he wont play anymore.you guys think a springpole will help maybe?thanks for reading hope you can help!!!

[IceyBlueSibes]

Well, it sounds like he may need a trip to the vet to make sure he's okay. Sounds like he may be in a bit of pain, and just doesn't show it well (stoic). That may be the reason why he's not playing, and doesn't seem interested in training.

Secondly, he's still very young. He's not going to be fully trained right away with anything. How long are your training sessions, and how often are they during the day? Are training sessions fun? Do you feel frustrated when he doesn't do something you ask? Your emotions can really play a role in training. If you're feeling frustrated with something, he's going to interpret that with the training. Meaning training = daddy gets mad.

So, I think first thing you need to do is call your vet and explain what happened. Get him checked out. He may just be a bit sore (I know I would if I fell on my back too!), and that experience may have put a bit of a damper on his playing. I'd try to find anything you can to make playing fun again -- maybe try a game of chasing you around the yard, or holding his favorite toy and running with it.

As far as a spring pole -- I wouldn't start him on that until he's lost his puppy teeth (he should be teething soon). It will involve lots of heavy pulling on a rope, and I think it would be best to wait (probably around 6-7 months).

His weight will really depend on his parents. Do you know what their weights are? Puppies will generally be in between what their parents weighed. He's still young yet, and they still mature up until 2-3 years of age. So he'll fill out a lot through then.

[unknown007]

well he plays with my other dog all the time and he gets jealous when i pet hi and he bites him but my other dog doesnt do anything.and for the furstartion of me i dont show it i hold it in until i finally give up because he wont get up i train him for about 30-45minutes but most time i end it short because i sit there for 5minutes and he doesnt get up and just ignores me.that incident about him getting hurt happened like 3-4 weeks ago.and he wnet to the vet already they said he's fine.they siad the mother weighed 90lbs or i think 75lbs and the father the average 80-90lbs.the mother was pretty big thoe like about i think 23inches or 22 im not sure i forgot.well he doesnt have a favorite toy he just bites everything.he bit up my carpet in my garage and another carpet that had rubber,he takes my moms things out to the yard even thoe i say no he does it anyways,and basica.ly he's being hardheaded.so yea i need tons of help im going to take him to training soon thoe.and i mean a puppy springpole with a bugy cord instead of a metal spring is that ok?

[IceyBlueSibes]

Sounds like your puppy is learning to disobey you

I'd attach a leash to him for training. And cut back your training time. Training should only be done for 15 minutes at the MOST. IMO, I wouldn't even do that long. I'd keep it between 5-10 minutes.

Have a leash on him, and tell him to come, and gently tug the leash to get him up. When he comes to you, praise him to no end. I think you need to reestablish your leadership. Find a treat that he really enjoys (I've always found hot dogs cut up into pieces work great), and work with him on that.

Have you considered clicker training? You can buy a clicker for about .99 cents at a petstore, and we'd be more than happy to help you get started with that. Quite a few of us on here are familiar with clicker training, me being one that has trained all of my dogs using the clicker.

When he runs off with your mom's stuff, that's rewarding to him. He's getting something he wants. When he does that, go out to him, tell him "Ah-ah" and trade the item for a hot dog. Give him something higher of value. When you take the item from him, tell him "Drop it" and once he lets go give him the hot dog. This way he'll learn that giving you whatever he has (and responding to drop it) means he'll get something even better.

As I said, reestablish your leadership. Keep training sessions short, and be SURE you can enforce what you're trying to tell him. If you are calling him to you, use the leash to get him motivated. Give it a gentle tug to get his butt off the floor and over to you, and reward him with something WONDERFUL when he does. Repeat this each training session. Once you see he's doing it without the leash tug, start without the leash. Then I'd move onto other things.

Always incorporate his training into anything you do with him. If you want him to follow you inside, call him to you. Have him sit before he gets a treat, or his food. Make him understand that working for you is rewarding.

[unknown007]

well he comes to me when i say lets go because he thinks im going outside i guess or i guesss he likes that word or something.but other than that he'll come only when i say lets go and start walking,he doesnt take my moms shoes i mean her work toys she works with kids and also her papers and what can i do for tha carpets?and the only reason the session is that long because most the time he lays down until i give up which is bad but better than yelling you know?but he takes anything i give him as a treat a carrot a hot dog his own food anything.i think he loves food he chose to stand by my other dogs food instead of having me pet him and stuff.and i have no clue if he eats my others dog food because my other dog can jump on the benchs in my yard duke cant so i dont know but he stand up trying to get it unless he found a technique.so hows the clicker thing work?i appricate you helping me and by the way im only 16 so i need alot of help my parents told me if i raise it right good and work for the money for the shots which im doing i can have him and i paided mostly for the dog shots all that so yea i need as much help as possible.Good thing im patient thoe!

[IceyBlueSibes]

You're certainly very welcome It's good you're asking for help, even though you're so young! I'm only 18, but I've been in your shoes before.

Okay, you need to reteach him the word "Come" or "Here". If he doesn't respond to anything else than "Let's go" which you use for something else (going outside), then you should have a seperate word for when you want him to come to you. Do the leash thing as I suggested when you're workin on the word come.

You want to be sure to ENFORCE (successfully having him do what you ask every time) the command you are using. If you sit there and keep saying "Come... Come... Come...." and he doesn't do anything, and you just walk away, he learns there's no meaning to the word "come" (or whatever word you try to use). So try a different word, but you'll have to train him to use it. I've found some dogs just respond better to different words. My GSD mix responds better to "Here" (come to me), and platz (lay down in german). I tried for a while to teach him "lay", but he just never got it. So I tried "platz" and he caught on sooo quickly.

As far as the carpets, are these the carpets indoors? If so, what kinds of toys (interactive) does he have inside? Such as a kong stuffed with peanut butter, yogurt, or treats... or one of those toy balls that you fill with treats, and the dog has to push it around to get the treats out. It sounds like he isn't stimulated enough while indoors, and isn't supervised properly. If you cannot watch him, crate him. This keeps him out of trouble when you can't watch him, so he never learns which bad things are fun.

Him ignoring you is just as bad as yelling IMO. You're teaching your dog to disobey you. He's learning that he doesn't HAVE to do anything when you ask him, which can turn into a problem down the road if you don't keep up with the training.

In all honesty, have you continued on his training since you've brought him home? I know sometimes there are times where we will "slack" in the training department, and I've done it many times before too. Because once I notice any of my dogs not listening, or getting mischevious, we need to work on training some more and keep them stimulated.

Clicker training is pretty easy if you do it right. Once you get yourself a clicker, cut up a bunch of pieces of hot dogs. Take a big handful, and *Click&treat* The treat needs to be given within 1-2 seconds of you making the click. Repeat this about 30 times. This is called "Loading" the clicker. The way to test if you've loaded it correctly, is to wait until your dog has his attention on something else (looking away) and *click*. If your dog looks at you, then you've successfully loaded!

Next is when you start training. Does he listen to any of his commands at all? Find one that he does, and the SECOND he does what you ask *Click&treat*. Ask him to do it again, once he does it *Click&treat*. Repeat it several times.

Teaching him something new, such as sit. I've always done what's called "Molding". I show my dog what I want them to do by physically placing them, or moving them into the position I want them to be. The minute his butt hits the floor *Click&treat* YAY! GOOD SIT!!! Then we do the same... I put his butt down again. Once his butt is on the floor *Click&treat* SIT! GOOD SIT! GOOD BOY!!

However, this is the way *I* do it, and everyone has a different technique with the clicker. Here's a good site with lots of helpful information about clicker training.
http://www.clickersolutions.com/

I don't know if you are a reader or not, but a really good book to check out about dog training is "The Power of Positive Dog Training" by Pat Miller. This is a GREAT book, and she even has a section where you go through training sessions, and can keep track of it with a simple table she has in the back. It's too small to really write on, but she has it there to give you an idea of something you should write down, so you know what you need to practice, and things he catches onto quickly. You can even teach some new tricks

Well, if you said Duke can't get up on the benches, than I would be safe to say he's not eating the food. However, as he gets older that will certainly change, and I probably wouldn't feed them together like that. I'd keep them seperated when feeding time comes (until you know they BOTH have eaten), so you know who's eating and Duke doesn't become bossy and push your other dog out of his food. This can sometimes escalate into fights, which is something you don't want.

It's good you are taking on the responsibility that your parents are giving you a chance for. Taking care of a dog is a HUGE, especially with the breed you've chosen, but it's good that you are willing to learn and keep the positive image going for this breed.

[unknown007]

well i dont think neither of my dogs growl my dog runs away or sits and backs up when a dog barks.he does listen to me most times when i say sit but now he just lays down.and when i say lay down he lays down of course.i helped him with the lay down part i kept postioning him into his lay down position same with sit.and i also taught him to stay and jump for the food it i say sit and wave the food up above him he wont jump for it but once i say jump he does.he basically only knows to lets go,sit,lay down,sleep which he goes into his cage,jump,and no only at times.he's not an indoor so basically he sleeps in the garage and always outdoors during the day and goes to sleep at 10 then wakes up at 4-6am.well i mean i just hope something works but he does listen like if he bites me or another dog i say ow when he bites me which he lets go and he lets go of stuff i tell him to so thats a positive and good thing that was the first thing i trained him.well thanks for the help he's going to get a pervo today so im going to ask the vet why is he so tired.anyways i'll be posting up here once i get the clicker or if i need any help thanks again!!!

[IceyBlueSibes]

Well, of course he'll run away or back up if a dog barks/growls at him. He's still a pup.

In all complete seriousness, though. Once he starts maturing, you may not be able to keep him around your other dog safely. Same sex aggression is EXTREMELY common in pit bulls. Dog aggression is also a natural trait in most that just cannot be trained out of them. So be VERY careful once he gets older (around 2 years old). At 2-3 years of age is when their dog aggression and maturity levels begin to show, and it may not be something you'd look forward to.

With pittieX, he used to back down if the others growled or snapped at him, but now he's getting to the point of defending himself and protecting things he feels are his (toys, bones, etc). He used to share with Kelso and the others, but now he's becoming more possessive, so they're always supervised, and they're seperated when we're not at home.

[Ritz459]

I can only second what Icey has been saying to you. It is very good advice!

[unknown007]

yeah i know but i mean most times when pups grow up with dogs they defend the dog but i mean its not always like that.but he's very mellow at this point so i mean i hope he's not an agressive dog i just hope.which i know if you train give attention to and play with and make them socialize might help am i correct!!??!

[Ritz459]

Originally Posted by unknown007

yeah i know but i mean most times when pups grow up with dogs they defend the dog but i mean its not always like that.but he's very mellow at this point so i mean i hope he's not an agressive dog i just hope.which i know if you train give attention to and play with and make them socialize might help am i correct!!??!

He may very well get along with other dogs once he is older, but since Pit Bulls were bred to be dog aggressive, you can never 100% trust them around other dogs. It could be as simple as he is playing roughly with another dog and the play escalates and then his instinct kicks in and he turns the play into a fight.
Yes, socializing and training will help a lot. I have a Labrador who is dog aggressive, and even though he doesn't get along with other dogs other than Rose, I have trained him so if we are around other dogs he ignores them. He may never be buddy-buddy with the dogs, but I can still take him places with me (like Petsmart and on leash at the park) and he does fine.

You can check out this link for a bit more information on the different types of dog aggression in Pitties:
dog aggression
Owning Multidogs

[IceyBlueSibes]

Ritz is right. Socialization and training at an early age can help, but unfortunately enough, pitties have such strong genetics for dog aggression (COMPLETELY different from human aggression -- these two things are not the same). It's not always the case, but pitties tend to be more prone to dog aggression, no matter how much they've been raised with other dogs. I've spoken with some pit bull owners who have to make the terrible decision of keeping both dogs seperated for the rest of their lives, or rehoming one.

I think, though, you should start socializing him with dogs outside of your home. Even socializing him with other people. Socialization is THE most important thing you can do for your pittie.

Here is a good excerpt from a breed profile. The parts that are bolded and italicized are very important things to know:

Is this breed good with other dogs in general?
The short answer is no. Developed for the purpose of fighting other dogs, most pit bulls are dog aggressive, at least to some degree. Some pit bulls will simply not tolerate any other dogs, regardless of sex. A few pit bulls will remain dog friendly their entire lives, but they are a minority.The majority of pit bulls are at least same sex aggressive and as adults will not do well with other dogs of the same sex or those that are "pushy" with them, although as pups they may get along fine (this can be very misleading to a novice pit bull owner). Pit bulls will commonly start developing signs of dog aggression between the ages of 8 months and 2 years, although it can develop at any age and can come on either gradually or quite suddenly. It is important to note that many pit bulls do not display the "typical" signs of dog aggression before a fight. They may not growl, bark, or posture at all, but simply alert and raise up on their toes. Owners of dog aggressive pit bulls learn to "read" their dogs and recognize the subtle signs indicating impending dog aggression. Training will not eliminate dog aggression in the pit bull but, when combined with responsibility and vigilance, training can bring these natural tendencies under control in on-leash situations. Where housemates are concerned, if one is a pit bull, extra care should be taken to prevent tension over food, desirable treats (like bones), and favored toys. These items are often "triggers" for spats or fights between dogs sharing the same house and owners should be very aware of them. This is also the reason that an adult pit bull should NOT be left alone with housemates or other dogs. Due to their fighting heritage, many pit bulls do not recognize signs of submission given by a dog they are fighting and, if they are unsupervised, the results can be disastrous. It should be noted that many breeds have dog aggressive tendencies, and leaving any such breed unsupervised with another dog, especially a dog of the same sex, can lead to a tragedy.

This is the site I took it from
Pit Bull Breed Profile

Another good site to read -- Go towards the bottom of the page and read the section titled "Temperment"
Working Pit Bull - About Pits

The most important sentences in the reading:

Many pit bulls are friendly with other dogs, and many live with cats and livestock, but it is not unusual for some pit bulls to be intolerant of other dogs and animals. Despite the good intentioned advice of dog trainers who have little experience with bulldogs, or who fail to understand the dynamic nature of the breed, training and early socialization has only a minor effect on how dog aggressive a specific pit bull will become once it matures. Genetics play a much larger role.

Bottom line - if you chose to own a fighting dog breed, don't foolishly be surprised if the animal expresses aggression toward other dogs. Respect the animal's genetic history and treat it accordingly. You woulnd't be surprised if you bought a German shepherd and it was aggressive toward strangers, would you?

Just some things I think are good to know when owning a breed like the Pit Bull.

[unknown007]

ok so reading this i should train him not to like push other dogs away when eating or petting them?!?!?because he does that as of now.and also i took him to my friends house and she ahd a cat.my dog hasnt seen a cat until now and he did fine he wanted to play with the cat.but the cat didnt have nails but it did hiss.so he just sat there wining.i think my dog as of now everybody says its very mellow doesnt get excited or nothing but plays with other dogs just fine.ad if they bark he walks away or something like that.he's played with a 2-4 year old lab and did fine.

[IceyBlueSibes]

Okay. I don't think you're understanding too well what we're trying to say. We're not saying it is DEFINITE that your dog is going to become aggressive. It's just that pit bulls are more PRONE to being dog/animal aggressive. But the unfortunate thing about it is that it's a genetic trait which you cannot breed/train them out of.

The saying always goes "Never trust a pit bull not to fight". They may not start it, but they'll happily finish it.

Your dog is a puppy. Generally, pit bull puppies are extremely friendly with other dogs and animals. In some cases, some puppies are not that way from the start and dislike dogs/other animals from the get-go. Then there are those that LOVE other dogs/animals for their entire lives. But it's just something you cannot predict with this breed.

He's young, so socialization is a KEY part in raising this dog.

If he's shoving his way between you and the other dog you're petting, you need to correct this. Not only is he being "pushy" and "bossy", but it's disrespectful to you as his owner. If you're petting another dog, and he decides to shove his way through, you can put him in a sit-stay, or just ignore him until he walks away.

It's great that your puppy does well with other dogs and animals. You NEED to socialize him with as many as you can. But, don't be upset or confused when your dog hits mat