Some Pit Bulls.. -- The Bulldawg BBQ Flamefest

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Date Posted: 16:13:39 01/12/03 Sun
Author: Lisa
Subject: Some Pit Bulls..
In reply to: Sharon A 's message, "See, this makes sense to me .....(msg)" on 12:23:15 01/12/03 Sun

just don't get along with other dogs period. Most of them can be taught to behave around other dogs,but that's all it is is "behaving". The dog aggression is still there. So I guess in a manner of speaking you could use the word "suppressed" Of course,there are also Pit Bulls that get along great with other dogs always. The level of dog aggression in the breed can vary widely.

I think trying to recondition them with treats would be much more effective than a shock collar. As far as this breed goes-they work MUCH better with food and praise. Even a hint of anger or frustration in your voice can discourage them. Most of them like to learn and they react positively to approval. Harsh disapproval can make them anxious and cause them to lose their enjoyment in learning.

However in saying that-I am NOT a trainer-just giving my opinion on it. And there are Pit Bulls that no amount of training of any kind will work as far as dog aggression goes. It is a breed trait and the urge to scrap with other dogs is very strong in some of them.

My personal opinion is that this particular dog was simply too high on the dog aggressive scale to be trusted 100% with other dogs. Most Pit Bulls-if they are obedience trained WILL listen to their owner even if they really do want to scrap with another dog.

I wonder how thorough the initial obedience training was and whether there were earlier signs that were ignored or went unnoticed that the dog was too easily distracted by other dogs.

Most can be taught to ignore other dogs through praise. Once you learn what the trigger is that causes them to go off on another dog and you recognize the signs that they are getting ready to,you can often stop them with a sharp no-at the first motion. And then use praise,treats,etc when they listen.

For instance,with Tank I know that another dog-especially a strange dog directly looking at him will often cause him to react. So I watch him closely and let him know I'm watching him by speaking his name quietly. If he wrinkles his forehead,I know to give him a sharp "no" because he always wrinkles his forehead right before he takes off,lol.

Tank has a high level of dog aggression,so he is not allowed to interact with other dogs except through a fence,etc. But he can be allowed to play in the backyard with other dogs there as long as they are kenneled. He would not tolerate a dog approaching him-although he often will approach them(through a fence,etc) without any signs of aggression. But he is not a dog that I would recommend for competitions or events with other dogs running around,etc.

My feeling is that this particular dog just had too high a level and it should have been accepted and she should have been dropped from the training.

>There will never be a 100% guarantee that this dog
>will not decide to go after another dog at an event.
>And if she does-there won't be an e collar to stop
>her. In the long run by creating a false sense of
>security that the dog had been "trained" not to go
>after other dogs EVER, they made a bad situation
>worse.
>
>I also read an opinion that frequently you simple
>surpress the aggression, and if you haven't figured
>out if there is an underlying cause for the
>aggression, what that cause is, and deal with it, it
>will not only return out of the blue one day, but
>possibly be much worse because depending on that
>underlying cause since the dog may not have received
>the message "go after another dog = pain", it got the
>message "see another dog = pain" and you have in fact
>exacerbated the dog aggression.
>
>They also suggested that removing the dog from the Sch
>training and taking them to a more easily controlled
>area where they are still exposed to other dogs and
>attempting to recondition them with positives - like
>feeding them yummy treats, or giving them praise as
>soon as they take note of another dog but before they
>get the idea to take off after them - might increase
>your odds of successfully decreasing the aggression.
>
>What's your opinion on that?
>
>(This is the kind of information I was looking for
>when I kept hammering that nail over on the other
>boards.)
>
>Sharon A

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Replies:

However, it's very possible... -- The Sarah, 17:32:31 01/12/03 Sun
- That's possible as well... -- Lisa, 18:35:44 01/12/03 Sun
  - Because they're idiots...nm -- The Sarah, 18:38:17 01/12/03 Sun