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In this installment of Pitbull Puppy Training Tips, I’ll be talking about training your Pitbull puppy to be nice.
Actually, I should say I’m covering how to teach your Pitbull to be nice to other animals.
Pits naturally love people.
It’s getting them to love other animals that can sometimes be a problem.
Why Do Some Pits Need to be Taught to be Nice
Like I said, Pitbulls are naturally people dogs. They are so loving, they’re almost like giant lapdogs. They love to cuddle, snuggle, and generally lay all over their owners. They are an intensely loving and loyal breed. The problem some people have with their Pits is getting them to be nice to other animals.
Back in the day, Pitbulls were bred for bull baiting. Their job was to get into a pen with a bull and bring it down. Naturally, the breeders weren’t thinking about making their new breed all warm and fuzzy towards other animals. In fact, it was just the opposite. They needed a powerful, aggressive dog that could get in the pen and take down an animal five times its size.
Related: Pitbull Puppy Training Tips – Pitbull Puppy 101
There is no bull baiting today, and much of the Pitbull’s aggressive tendencies towards other animals have been bred out. However, they can still be there. That’s why in this installment of Pitbull Puppy Training Tips, I’ll be going over the key to making sure your Pit is as friendly towards other animals as it is towards people.
Socialization is Key to the Pitbull Puppy Training Tips Series
By now, you’ve noticed that a lot of things seem to be key to my Pitbull Puppy Training Tips series. That’s because, as nice as Pits are, they are still an incredibly powerful breed, and they have a strong stigma attached to them. That’s why it’s so important that we are diligent about training them up to be well behaved pets.
Socialization is so important on this front. You want to socialize your Pitbull puppy heavily from the get go. It needs to learn from an early age that both people AND other animals are fun playmates.
Related: How to Help Your Pit Make Friends
When you get your Pitbull puppy immediately introduce it to any other animals in the house. This, of course, is providing that the other animals will be nice to the new guy. Being snapped at by another dog that’s not overly friendly is not going to help you socialize your pooch.
After that, take your dog everywhere. If you shop at a pet supply store like Petco that allows animals in-store, take your Pitbull puppy. Take it to the vet for a visit. Take it for a play date if you have a friend with dogs or cats who get along well with other animals. Expose your Pitbull puppy to every kind of animal you can, from dogs and cats to Guinea Pigs and rabbits. The more animals you expose your Pitbull puppy to, the more friendly it will be.
A Socialized Puppy is a Social Dog
That’s why socialization is such an important part of my Pitbull Puppy Training Tips series. On the whole, Pitbulls are incredibly nice, incredibly gentle dogs. You wouldn’t know it to look at them, but it’s true. It’s a Pitbull puppy owner’s job to ensure that the love and kindness they display towards people is also display towards animals. If a Pitbull gets into a fight for any reason, it will win or die trying. So, remember to thoroughly socialize your pup. It’s one of the most important Pitbull puppy training tips.
Did you have any issues with your pitbull not playing nice with other animals? How did you resolve it?
