If you believe that dogs are man’s best friends, you better believe that pitbulls are the best of the bunch! Many people are scared of these sweetheart dogs, but any responsible pitbull owner will be able to tell you that they’re harmless when handled properly. The trick is, the owner needs to know how to train a pitbull.
Just feeding them good food and visiting a vet once a while isn’t enough. In order to ensure good behavior and safety, a dog owner must invest some time and effort into schooling their doggy, and pitbulls are no exception! Training a pitbull pup is quite similar to how you’d educate any standard puppy.
In fact, as they absolutely adore their human, this process becomes even easier! Today, we’ll learn the best way to train a pitbull so that they become a lovely, loyal companion. Even though I’m not a pitbull owner myself, I’ve studied up and got helpful training tips from the pitty moms that are friends with me. You’re in for a fun read!
Misconceptions About Pit Bulls
No matter which state you are living in, you’ve probably seen the shelters and foster cares full of pitbulls. As heartbreaking that is, humans are mostly the ones to blame. First of all, you should know that Pit Bull is not one breed, but hundreds of breeds that look similar. You could have two pitbulls that look similar but are from different breeds.
Second, people associate this look with a dangerous, unpredictable, and violent dog, which is totally unfair! If an owner knows how to properly train a pitbull, they turn into literal angels. This is really true for any dog breed. Depending on how they are treated, they could be sweet little animals, or a problematic one.
It’s important to know how to train a pitbull early, as proper training at a young age could decide how they behave for the rest of their lives. Sometimes, pitbulls suffer from health issues. A pitty who has allergies needs special food. Unless you provide that, he’s going to be disgruntled and the sickness will make him misbehave.
So check with the vet for a solution and also ask if your pitty needs special food for a sensitive stomach. There really is no need to shy away from adopting a pitbull and train them. There’s nothing inherently hostile about them, despite what rumors you might’ve heard.
Also Read: Best Dog Food for Pitbulls With Skin Allergies
Pit Bull Training: the Main Steps
You’d be huffing a sigh of relief when I tell you that pitbulls are easy to train. They want you to be happy, so they’ll go along with your wishes. However, there’s a couple things to keep in mind:
- Pitbull puppy training is, as expected, easier than adult pitbull training
- Positive reinforcement all the way, that means praise and treats instead of punishments
- Patience is very necessary as training easily takes months
- Spay or neuter your little bully as soon as possible
- If needed don’t hesitate to take help from a breed specific trainer
Teaching a pitbull how to become your perfect companion should start from an early age and progress in steps. According to my observations, start when they are 8-12 weeks old. You should know that pitbulls often behave better if their housemate is a docile dog of the opposite gender. Also, pitbull personalities change with their age.
A sweet, well mannered puppy could start acting troublesome in their adolescence. A bubbly bully with a lot of friends could start snubbing other dogs when he’s older. Expect these changes and refresh their training often. Keep socializing them, but know their limits. Also, make sure to offer plenty of entertainment and exercise to keep their mood sunny.
Crate Training Should Start When They’re Young
Crate training is important to get started for the next step, which is house training or potty training the pup. You might think crate training is forcing your pitty to stay caged, but that’s absolutely not true! Instead, crate training convinces them that the crate is their own little place to relax. Let’s see, how to train a pitbull puppy to stay crated?
- First, select a crate that’s not too big and just cozy enough that your dog can sleep comfortably.
- Do not confine your puppy for longer than 4 hours at a stretch.
- Never, and I mean absolutely never lock him in the crate as punishment. This will make him averse to using the crate and you’ll have a harder time with the training.
- Make the crate comfortable. Often dogs prefer a hard mat over a soft bed or blankets, which they could tear up or pee on. A cooling mat could also be handy.
- Do not keep their water or food bowls inside the crate indefinitely. After their meal, take the bowls away. This reduces the chances of soiling the crate.
- The crate should be the only place your puppy sleeps in. Even if they fall asleep snuggled up to you, carry them to the crate later.
- Ensure that the crate has plenty of toys.
- Integrate the crate into playtime. Hide treats in the crate or throw treats in it for your pup to retrieve it.
- When your puppy starts to go into the crate of his own violation, don’t forget to praise him and give him a treat!
There! Now you know how to train a pitbull pup to stay in their crate without any tantrum!
Also Read: Best Dog Food for Pitbulls to Gain Muscle – Reviews & Buying Guide
House Training a Pitbull Puppy
Once you know how to train a baby pitbull to spend an extended amount of time in the crate, you can get down to housetraining him. Even though crate training could take upwards to 6 months, you can start the housetraining process in the meantime.
Time maintenance is very important at this stage. Puppies can’t hold in their pee for long hours, so take them out of the crate 15 minutes after each meal and also once every hour throughout the day and once every four hours in the night. As your pitty puppy grows up, he will learn to sleep away the night.
The frequency of daytime bathroom breaks will also taper down. Second, when you take your puppy out to his designated potty spot, reward him with claps, praises and even a little treat after he’s done. In fact, indulge in some playtime in the yard. Often before being properly trained, the puppy may take some time to walk and sniff around.
Don’t be impatient and let them have that time. Even if you know how to train a pitbull, it won’t help if you’re impatient. Remember, no punishing the pup for any accidental soiling of the crate! It’s actually your fault for not taking him out in time. Even if you yell at him or hit him, it will not be of any use at all.
Just clean it up using a good pet odor and stain remover. A quick little tip: no matter how much you want to spoil your pitbull pup, keep the bed mat simple and comfy. Speaking from experience, here, as my dog used to pee on beds that have a textured surface! Refrain from buying fancy beds and mats unless he is potty trained.
Also Read: How to Stop Dog Barking at Night – Tips and Techniques
Basic Commands You Can Teach Your Pitbull
After your pitbull baby is starting to behave and holding in his potty properly, you might want to indulge in some basic training commands. In my opinion it’s crucial to know how to train a pitbull commands like stay, or come here, as they will help with socialization.
As I said before, use positive reinforcement and lure him with treats to do what you want him to do, instead of punishing him into obeying your commands. I’ll give you pitbull dogs training steps to four very basic commands today.
Sit: Place a treat on top of your dog’s nose and gradually slide it up towards his forehead. This will prompt him to sit. As soon as he gives in and sits, give him the treat and ample encouragement. After a few rounds of this, say ‘sit’ clearly every time his bum touches the floor so he knows to associate the word with the action.
Lay Down: Once he knows the sit command, you have to sit facing him with a treat in your hand. Very deliberately, touch it to his nose then place it down between his legs, then pull it towards you. The puppy should lie down, trying to follow the direction. Consequently, give him the treat when he’s prone and praise him. Teach him to associate the phrase “lay down” with the action like before.
Come: This instruction will come in handy in the off case that your puppy starts getting hostile towards another dog. You need a helper and an enclosed space such as a hallway for this. Hold a treat and stand away from the helper who’s holding your dog. Call your dog’s name and as soon as he starts to struggle, the helper should let him go. Praise your puppy when he comes to you and give him the treat.
Stay: This is a command you should teach older dogs. How to train a pitbull dog to stay put? Sit next to your dog. With your palm open, say stay, then walk a few steps away with your palm still open. Then, get back to where you started and reward your pitty for obeying!
Also Read: Best Dog Food for PitBulls – to Make Them Healthier
It’s All Worth It in the End
My parting advice is, don’t just get a pitbull because you want the clout of owning a scary dog, instead go to the shelter, see if you like the behavioral traits of one of them as an individual, and only after committing to train them properly should you bring them home. I hope my blog post has given you plenty of pitbull training tips to make this process easier!
By now, you know how to train a pitbull and also what to expect. Provide them with proper essentials, such as a comfortable bed and good food. Anytime you need a refresher on educating a pitbull on the proper mannerism, you can come here!