Pitbulls are breeds of dogs that have to be trained diligently. Without proper training, it is possible that these dogs would grow fierce and aggressive. If you have a pitbull puppy, it is best that you start training it as early as now. Postponing the training may mean less impressive results and much frustration on your part.
Here are some tips you can use to successfully train your pitbull:
1. Start training when the puppy reaches seven weeks.
Start with simple housebreaking. Formal obedience training could come later. Right now, just focus on teaching your dog the basics. Surely, there are things that you want your dog to learn and there would be some habits you want it to break. This time is the best training ground for such.
2. Treat your dog with care.
Don’t think that pitbulls are dominant dogs. Naturally, they’re not. But if you fail to train them right, they would soon grow to be. This is why training pitbulls early on is essential. Talk to your dog and constantly remind it of your rules. Be patient. It takes time for a young dog to understand what you’re trying to tell him.
3. Be firm but gentle.
Pitbulls are wrongly regarded as stubborn dogs. But then again, it must be you that is teaching it to be stubborn. It would be natural for you to expect your dog to heed your call the moment you call its name. But then again, you might have called it several before only to forget everything about it. So eventually, it had learned to follow you only after the third call or so. If you want to call your dog, you have to always expect results on the first try and be firm about it.
4. Don’t use harsh words or hurtful gestures.
Some dog owners tend to hit their dogs whenever they end up messing in the living room. To housetrain a pitbull, you have to take them outside a lot. This means you need to spend time teaching it that going out is the only way they can heed nature’s call. If they pee inside the house, refrain from scolding or hurting the dog. Instead, say ‘no’ in a firm and loud manner, showing the dog that what it did is wrong. Then take it outside again to continue whatever it is trying to do.
5. Take your dog for long walks.
Long walks do pitbulls a lot of good. Not only you’ll spend some time with your pet, you are also keeping it away from developing annoying habits. When out for a walk, your dog will be able to do several things like run around. This is better than leaving it to itself while inside the house. You also establish a good trusting relationship whenever you’re out.
6. Anticipate the leash pulling habits of pitbulls by steering them in a different direction.
If you take your pitbull out for a walk regularly, you’ll notice that they tend to pull the leash a lot of times. This isn’t a good behavior, especially when they grow big and strong. To show your dog that it is bad to pull the leash, walk to the other direction and call its name. This way, it would stop tagging and follow you instead.
