New puppy

pitbull2008 · Post by **pitbull2008** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:47 am

We just got a new puppy and we already have a cheseapeke retriever whose name is Cooper. We named our new puppy Spike and he is a purebred Pitbull. We havent told our family what he is yet because they think all pitbulls are bad which we are trying to convince them they are not. Spike is very sweet and hes only 4 months old. I want to train him with positive training methods but im not sure how to go about it. He is my dog so I am responsible for training him. I don't know how to go about training him to sit, stay and not jump or bite. He likes to nibble on my feet when im wearing flip flops and he wants to chew on other peoples shoes. He is very people friendly but rather shy of newer people. When he does chew on my toes or lick them i move my foot and say no firmly. He stops but then he is back at it in 10 minutes. Also when hes eating I pet around his face and his whole body to get him used to people petting him while hes eating, since we have a 11 month old baby in the house. So in other words i need some pointers on basic training and maybe even some tricks he could do because i know my parents and my fiances parents dont care to much for pitbulls. I want them to see they arent all that bad of dogs.

Dee-n-Josh · Post by **Dee-n-Josh** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:59 pm

We just got a Rottie mix, so I understand your concern regarding familiy reactions to a "bully" breed.

This is a great place to start... because there is a wealth of information right here! I haven't read Victoria's books (yet)... but I'm sure they are wonderful. I just discovered her show a few weeks ago, and I've learned so much more than I learned from "Positive Training for Dummies." With positive training, I just keep in mind that my goal is to find a way to praise my dog. You just have to learn how to "think dog" to find great solutions.

I was pretty lazy about potty training. Everytime she pottied outside I praised her... after a while, there was a positive connection between going outside (where the praise is), rather than inside (where I cleaned up the mess and ignored her). Tiger has been potty trained for 3 years, but it is still such a habit for me to tell her what a good girl she is when she pees.

Just be patient, and praise everytime you see a behavior that you like. If I walked into a room, and Tiger was laying/playing quietly, I praised her. It may seem like I was praising for no reason... but, now she is so calm. When I come home from work, I wait for her to sit calmly, then I praise her. Now, she goes to her "spot" and waits calmly. It has taken the Rottie pup about a month to figure out that calmly waiting is why she gets praised when I come home.

And, for nipping/biting... he's a pup. It's what pups do. I use diversion. I take away the bad thing (nipping at my hands), and give him a chewy toy... then praise him for chewing on the right thing. Telling my pup NO all the time just made him bark a lot. Praise is so much better than barking!

You're off to a good start, because you are thinking about how to prevent problems BEFORE they happen and you are looking for ways to make your home a positive place for your new dog to be. Good job and best wishes to you and Spike!

Horace's Mum · Post by **Horace's Mum** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 7:55 am

Can I suggest you get hold of Victoria's book? We can give you advice on here, but the book is very well set out for people like you, and you can go back to it as soon as you have any problems or are not sure what to do. Just read it cover to cover and then keep it on hand for quick checks. But, all the advice above is good, remember everything should be positive, if you find yourself wanting to tell your pup off, stop and think about how you could turn it around to make a positive change rather than a negative - like redirecting to a toy when chewing rather than shouting and telling off. It is a different mindset to what many people are used to, but once you start to look for the positive way around, it will get easier and easier to do it instinctively. Best of luck, and feel free to post as often as you need with specific problems!!

Dee-n-Josh · Post by **Dee-n-Josh** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 11:05 pm

My apologies... my head was moving faster than my fingers.

I left out the part of the thought where I meant to say, "Get a book." This is a great place to ask questions when you don't understand something in the book.

And, I meant this is a good place to start, because it's really easy to find Victoria's books from this forum. I was looking to see if she had written any books when I stumbled across the website. After seeing her shows, I realize I still have so much to learn.

Thanks to Horace's mum for clearing that up for me! Whew... see how taking advice from strangers might not be adequate!