Hi,
I just got puppy pitbull 4-5 months old, she's very huge nonfat / muscles and very very intelligent. she has a nice behavior with grown-ups ONLY. well the problem i have is that she don't like kids that much. mostly scared kids.
this is a trouble for me because i have 3 kids at home... 1 of them is the most scariest of the other 2. the older of my sons-9 yrs old is not scare at all.
when my younger son-5yrs get near her she starts to getting aggressive but not that much just in attack position or starts barking at him. the puppy is very quiet by the way but when she sees a scare kid it all starts. what can i do? how should i fix her?
Please Help
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I think you should take her back. Sure, her issues can be worked through and made easier if not perfect, but it needs to be done in a safe environment. She is not is what SHE perceives as a safe environment, and with 3 children, you don't have time.
If you want a family dog, choose one properly bred and reared and socialised, that likes children. This will never be that dog.
I'm sorry if this offends as it isn't meant to.
If you want a family dog, choose one properly bred and reared and socialised, that likes children. This will never be that dog.
I'm sorry if this offends as it isn't meant to.
Find the cause, find the cure.
A dog is never 'bad' or 'naughty'. It is simply behaving like a dog.
A dog is never 'bad' or 'naughty'. It is simply behaving like a dog.
in other words a pitbull is not good as a family dog? i got this dog because i heard their one of the TOP good dogs with kids and with people. is this true?
i understand people mostly use pitbulls for fights or security-dogs, but my purpose is to treat her like a regular family dog and teach her how to behave
actually the only problem is this i talked about earlier, shes only 4 months and she understands my commands (sit, stay, no...etc) really smart
does that means she can be taught ?
i understand people mostly use pitbulls for fights or security-dogs, but my purpose is to treat her like a regular family dog and teach her how to behave
actually the only problem is this i talked about earlier, shes only 4 months and she understands my commands (sit, stay, no...etc) really smart
does that means she can be taught ?
Pit Bulls do make good dogs with children but yours is already agressive, I wouldn't take a chance on him. Maybe if you had a younger one so he was brought up with children from the beginning.
To many are being bred for aggression then are encouraged to be aggressive from a very early age.
To many are being bred for aggression then are encouraged to be aggressive from a very early age.
[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/PIXIE.jpg][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/th_PIXIE.jpg[/img][/url]
Nothing at all with being a pitbull. I'd have said the same for any breed from a chihuahua to a great dane.
There is a big difference between a 4 month and a 5 month puppy, similar to between a 5 year old and a 9 year old child. Not sure which yours is. But the critical socialisation period for a pup is before 14 weeks old. After that they enter a fearful spell, which is Nature's design to stop them getting into trouble, but of course makes it difficult in a domestic environment. Your pup is right there, but without the advantage of having been familiarised with the right sort of children during her receptive phase.
She can still be taught that children are fun and nice, but not while she is in the midst of children, because she has nowhere to retreat to when the fearfulness overcomes her. Think as a parallel, you are living with Martians: you can't understand them, they are noisy and quick, you are scared of one or more of them and you have nowhere safe to be.
What you think of as safe for her will not seem safe to her, regardless of what a nice home you offer.
So, to have a family dog of any breed, you need to choose one that has been exposed to nice children and learned that they are good to be near before you get him or her.
You would not buy a car that was not suitable for your children, and the same applies with a dog. Pits are very intelligent, but a fearful clever dog is still a fearful dog. A 5 year old child that gets near a fearful dog, no matter how nice the child and how intelligent the dog, is going to frighten her even more. At the moment she is barking her warning for him to back off and go away, but does he? Will he?
What can she do if he does not?
Yup, you've got it.
She'll be a lovely dog for a child-free home. Let her go there, and choose your family dog with as much research as you'd put into your car, your carpet, your holiday, or anything you expect to have for the next 12 years.
All the best.
There is a big difference between a 4 month and a 5 month puppy, similar to between a 5 year old and a 9 year old child. Not sure which yours is. But the critical socialisation period for a pup is before 14 weeks old. After that they enter a fearful spell, which is Nature's design to stop them getting into trouble, but of course makes it difficult in a domestic environment. Your pup is right there, but without the advantage of having been familiarised with the right sort of children during her receptive phase.
She can still be taught that children are fun and nice, but not while she is in the midst of children, because she has nowhere to retreat to when the fearfulness overcomes her. Think as a parallel, you are living with Martians: you can't understand them, they are noisy and quick, you are scared of one or more of them and you have nowhere safe to be.
What you think of as safe for her will not seem safe to her, regardless of what a nice home you offer.
So, to have a family dog of any breed, you need to choose one that has been exposed to nice children and learned that they are good to be near before you get him or her.
You would not buy a car that was not suitable for your children, and the same applies with a dog. Pits are very intelligent, but a fearful clever dog is still a fearful dog. A 5 year old child that gets near a fearful dog, no matter how nice the child and how intelligent the dog, is going to frighten her even more. At the moment she is barking her warning for him to back off and go away, but does he? Will he?
What can she do if he does not?
Yup, you've got it.
She'll be a lovely dog for a child-free home. Let her go there, and choose your family dog with as much research as you'd put into your car, your carpet, your holiday, or anything you expect to have for the next 12 years.
All the best.
Find the cause, find the cure.
A dog is never 'bad' or 'naughty'. It is simply behaving like a dog.
A dog is never 'bad' or 'naughty'. It is simply behaving like a dog.
I don't think Owdb1tch was suggesting pit bulls don't make good family dogs, but that your dog isn't a good family dog.
Being socialised isn't about intelligence, often more intelligent dogs can be more fearful and reactive (they remember things that scared them before!) and it's just not worth the risk with your family the way it is. You can't possibly watch them all 24/7 and you only have to turn your back for a second for a tragedy to happen. If one of your children were to trip and land on the dog, she could perceive that as being attacked and try to defend herself.
I agree that she is not the right dog for your family, and I would agree if she was a lab, jack russell, or lesser spotted pumpkin hound. It's about the behaviour, not the breed.
If it is a rescue dog you want, choose one that has been raised with children so is already used to them.
Don't take risks, because it wont end well for the kids or the dog.
Being socialised isn't about intelligence, often more intelligent dogs can be more fearful and reactive (they remember things that scared them before!) and it's just not worth the risk with your family the way it is. You can't possibly watch them all 24/7 and you only have to turn your back for a second for a tragedy to happen. If one of your children were to trip and land on the dog, she could perceive that as being attacked and try to defend herself.
I agree that she is not the right dog for your family, and I would agree if she was a lab, jack russell, or lesser spotted pumpkin hound. It's about the behaviour, not the breed.
If it is a rescue dog you want, choose one that has been raised with children so is already used to them.
Don't take risks, because it wont end well for the kids or the dog.
Not at all, pitbulls can make excellent family dogs.
THIS one though, is not cut out for a life around children. Its nothing to do with the breed and everything to do with this specific dog and her temperament and behaviour.
Its not her fault, but in attempting to fix her and make her less scared AND the children less scared you unfortunately risk her becoming worse and if that happens, she may well bite a child.
ANY dog, labrador, terrier, collie... if fearful, can learn very quickly to bite to send the 'scary thing' away. Unfortunately any dog can bite hard enough to permanently scar a small child.
Keep her seperate from the children who make her behave this way, and keep her away fromn ALL children when you are not there to supervise (and i mean even if you are in teh same room but busy with something!)..
and find her a good home without children.
THIS one though, is not cut out for a life around children. Its nothing to do with the breed and everything to do with this specific dog and her temperament and behaviour.
Its not her fault, but in attempting to fix her and make her less scared AND the children less scared you unfortunately risk her becoming worse and if that happens, she may well bite a child.
ANY dog, labrador, terrier, collie... if fearful, can learn very quickly to bite to send the 'scary thing' away. Unfortunately any dog can bite hard enough to permanently scar a small child.
Keep her seperate from the children who make her behave this way, and keep her away fromn ALL children when you are not there to supervise (and i mean even if you are in teh same room but busy with something!)..
and find her a good home without children.
I love Pit Bulls and like the Staffy, were orginally bred to be good with people , especially children. Unfortunately Pit Bulls are banned in this country or I am sure I would have one.
Having brought up 3 children and dogs, I know how hard it can be with a pup without problems. Not only has the dog got to be trained, your children have as well so they learn how to behave with and treat a dog or any other animal. When you have a child throwing a trantrum, another demanding their own way and a dog that has escaped from the garden because another child left the gate open, you are virtually going round the bend
It will be hard work bringing a pup up with children, don't make it harder on yourself by trying to sort out an aggression problem as well. It could be one of your children is badly bitten then you will feel guilty for the rest of your life.
Having brought up 3 children and dogs, I know how hard it can be with a pup without problems. Not only has the dog got to be trained, your children have as well so they learn how to behave with and treat a dog or any other animal. When you have a child throwing a trantrum, another demanding their own way and a dog that has escaped from the garden because another child left the gate open, you are virtually going round the bend
It will be hard work bringing a pup up with children, don't make it harder on yourself by trying to sort out an aggression problem as well. It could be one of your children is badly bitten then you will feel guilty for the rest of your life.
[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/PIXIE.jpg][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/th_PIXIE.jpg[/img][/url]
Does the aggression seem fear related or just outright "I don't like you" aggression? What's his overall body language from ears, tail, mouth, stance etc. How do you and your children respond? Since there is children involved I would either immediately get a behaviorist or bring him back. Was your pup from a breeder or rescue/shelter?
this pup is not from rescue/shelter, its from a trusted friend of mine with kids too and i saw his kids with the pup and she was lovely ... also with my 9yrs old kid shes lovely too... she's 4months and 3 weeks...Maxy24 wrote:Does the aggression seem fear related or just outright "I don't like you" aggression? What's his overall body language from ears, tail, mouth, stance etc. How do you and your children respond? Since there is children involved I would either immediately get a behaviorist or bring him back. Was your pup from a breeder or rescue/shelter?
i always try to get all the kids together with the pup, but the younger one is the scariest. so i tell him to get near her and touch her slowly and fearless. he touches her but my kid cant stop looking at her eyes with fear inside-body
so i think she sense the fear with in him and the dog gets nervous? scared?
all i really want to know is a way/method to fix this without getting rid of her
because i know she can be taught. and by the way my home is lovely too she has nice big backyard to run around and have fun... so shes not being tied up all the time
As a dog trainer, I would not, in all conscience, advise anybody on a way to manage this situation.
There are too many variables here, too many things that can go wrong that will end with your child getting hurt and your dog getting put down.
If you want to sort the issue out, that's up to you, but I would feel extremely responsible for any injury that occured due to my giving advice and/or false hope.
You are risking your childrens safety, and there is nothing more important than that.
There are too many variables here, too many things that can go wrong that will end with your child getting hurt and your dog getting put down.
If you want to sort the issue out, that's up to you, but I would feel extremely responsible for any injury that occured due to my giving advice and/or false hope.
You are risking your childrens safety, and there is nothing more important than that.
Unfortunately, what you ARE doing is liable to make the situation worse.
I am, I'm afraid not prepared to advise you how to solve this issue, even in person I would be very wary of doing so.
What this boils down to is where your priorities lie - this dog even at her age could kill one of your children. Is keeping this dog worth that risk?
I am, I'm afraid not prepared to advise you how to solve this issue, even in person I would be very wary of doing so.
What this boils down to is where your priorities lie - this dog even at her age could kill one of your children. Is keeping this dog worth that risk?
Poor you, I'm sure none of this is what you wanted to hear, but I'm afraid we are too experienced to do less than say the truth.
Know what I'd do?
Return the dog to your friend, and leave it to her to find a home with nice experienced adults to enjoy this young dog. As she already has issues, she is not the dog for a first-time owner.
Then - you need to work on your 5 year old (and how old is the third child?) nice and slowly, meeting lots of happy child-friendly dogs, until your child is not fearful and knows how to behave around dogs. A dog behaviourist with his/her own dogs would be ideal to teach both you and your children those little things that make all the difference to having a happy doggie household.
It will take at least a year, and we haven't factored in your third child yet. Five is very young to learn how to behave around dogs: is your other child younger?
Then, when all children are happy and dog-aware, and you have learned so much that you never even knew you needed to know, you will be in such a good position to choose the right dog for your family.
And we will still be here to help you
Know what I'd do?
Return the dog to your friend, and leave it to her to find a home with nice experienced adults to enjoy this young dog. As she already has issues, she is not the dog for a first-time owner.
Then - you need to work on your 5 year old (and how old is the third child?) nice and slowly, meeting lots of happy child-friendly dogs, until your child is not fearful and knows how to behave around dogs. A dog behaviourist with his/her own dogs would be ideal to teach both you and your children those little things that make all the difference to having a happy doggie household.
It will take at least a year, and we haven't factored in your third child yet. Five is very young to learn how to behave around dogs: is your other child younger?
Then, when all children are happy and dog-aware, and you have learned so much that you never even knew you needed to know, you will be in such a good position to choose the right dog for your family.
And we will still be here to help you
Find the cause, find the cure.
A dog is never 'bad' or 'naughty'. It is simply behaving like a dog.
A dog is never 'bad' or 'naughty'. It is simply behaving like a dog.
