Last time, I introduced you to pitbull puppy training tips with my Pitbull Puppy Training 101 article.
We covered the two biggies, socialization and potty training.
Now I’d like to hit a few other points that are quite important as well.
Pitbull Puppy Training Tips to Live By
I’d like to touch on some topics that are extremely important when training your new pit puppy. These are all as important as socialization and potty training, but if I put everything I know into one article, you’d be reading for weeks!
Teach Them About Touch
High on my pitbull puppy training tips list for today is touch. Touch is extremely important. When your pit goes to the vet, the doctor will be touching all parts of your puppy, and it needs to be okay with that. Your job as an owner is to make sure your pit is perfectly okay with being touched by a stranger.
Here are the key areas that your puppy needs to be completely okay with: ears, belly, feet, and rear. A trip to the vet can be for anything from a nail trim to a rectal exam. Obviously, no animal is going to be okay with a finger up its butt, but it needs to at least be accepting of it. I cannot tell you how difficult it is to work on an animal that’s flipping out.
Touch your puppy’s ears. Start out by rubbing them. Most dogs love that. From there progress to lifting the ear and also putting your finger in it. This is what happens in an ear exam. If your puppy doesn’t like it stop. But go back to it later. The idea is slow, steady progress. AND a steady supply of treats!
The majority of dogs love belly rubs to begin with, but if your pit puppy doesn’t, here’s a great suggestion in my list of pitbull puppy training tips. Scratch your pit puppy’s belly, even if it’s standing up. From there work towards scratching its belly while it lays on its side. Eventually work your way around to getting your pup to roll over. Again, slow and steady wins this race. As always keep the treats on hand for praise and reinforcement.
You want to make absolutely sure that your pitbull puppy is completely okay with its feet being touched. You might be surprised to know that most dogs would rather have rectal exam than a nail trim. That’s because grabbing their feet makes them feel trapped. Begin by rubbing your puppy and working your way down to its feet. If it lets you pet its feet, progress to holding its feet. If it resists, stop doing it. Then do it again later. Always offer praise and treats for any progress. The final step is getting your puppy comfortable with rubbing between its toes.
The rear is the last place on the list of areas that your puppy needs to be okay with. Many veterinary exams require a rectal exam – especially if you have a male pit. You probably won’t like this part of my pitbull puppy training tips, but it’s SO important. Get your puppy used to be scratched on his hind quarters. That probably won’t be a problem. Progress to scratching his tail, then move down to the base of its tail. Scratch underneath its tail. The final step is actually touching your pitbull puppy’s anus. I know it sounds gross, but its either that or possibly having to sedate your dog for rectal exams. Again, keep the treats and positive reinforcement flowing.
Crate Train
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Crate training is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your pit. This makes my list of pitbull puppy training tips because it makes it easy to potty train and gives your dog a safe place to be.
This is one of the easiest training goals you’ll ever try to meet. Get a crate that’s not too big and not too small. A crate which is too small and cramped can feel confining. A crate that is too large looses its comforting feel. As a rule of thumb, you want a crate that your dog can easily turn around in.
Teach your puppy that his crate is a safe and fun place to be. Make it cozy with a nice blanket or doggy bed. Encourage your pet to enjoy the crate by adding toys and giving it treats while its in the crate. It’s important to make the crate an enjoyable experience because you’ll be using it a lot.
In my last article on pitbull puppy training tips, I referred to crate training as a great way to help with potty training, and it is. You want your pit to enjoy sleeping and being in the crate. When potty training, it’s ideal for your puppy to sleep in a crate overnight to limit accidents. It’s also important for your pit to feel safe and secure in it crate, because while potty training, you’re going to want your puppy in its crate when you leave the house.
One last thing to remember when crate training is to buy progressively larger crates as your pit grows.
Praise, Reward, and Love
Last but not least in my pitbull puppy training tips is the importance of praise, reward, and love. The only method of training that I subscribe to is positive reinforcement. Yelling at your puppy will only make it fearful. So the key is to be vigilant in training and always use positive reinforcement. Scratching, excitement, and A LOT of treats are all you really need to train your puppy. If you apply this to my other pitbull puppy training tips, you’ll be sitting pretty.
Do you have need any specific pitbull puppy training tips? Ask in the comments in we’ll see if we can help!
