| My puppy is about 10 weeks old and it's my first. He's a pitbull and he bites a lot. When I tell him "No" he seems to get excited and tries to bite more. He has little blood spots on him, I'm guessing my cat did that because he tries to bite the cat every time she comes in the house. I was wondering if i should take him to the vet. I don't walk him much since it's winter because I think it's too cold for him? Is it ok for me to still walk him when it's cold? Also, I was gonna give him a flea bath but I don't know if those spots would hurt him because of the shampoo. Some help would be appreciated. Thanks a lot. Hung from Oregon | |
| Answers: | |
| Pitbull Puppy That Bites | 12/06/2005 |
| I read about puppy problems frequently and I don't understand why people do not investigate and read about the breeds of dogs before becoming an owner. If you never owned a dog -- read about how to take care of it. This sounds weird but you have to think like a dog. If you know anything about wolves and how they socialize in their pack this will help you understand more about dogs since they are pack animals. This will give you an idea how to raise a puppy. Owning a dog is a big responsibility and can also be expensive. The key is to make sure that the dog understands who is in charge. That doesn't mean you have to be abusive. Just be firm with the dog. For the sake of the animal, learn first before adopting. We have always had mutts and never had any problems. So before you adopt a puppy or a dog, please read up on the breed and care of the animal. I always get complements on our dogs' behavior. We love them and they are part of our family but yet they must know their place in the household. | |
| By it's.only.me | |
| Pitbull Puppy That Bites | 12/07/2005 |
| Training animals not to do a socially unexceptional behavior is done by using a squirt bottle filled with water, every time the animal does the bad thing squirt him/her in the face. This does not hurt the animal in any way but does stop most unwanted behaviors. As to walking your baby, a doggie sweater and booties would make it easier for him to take the necessary walks to burn off all the excess energy that puppies have. | |
| By Margaret Baylor | |
| Pitbull Puppy That Bites | 12/07/2005 |
| Karen you have it right. That's exactly what to do. Puppies bite, that's normal. Dogs should NOT be put in a cage as punishment. Crates should be a den/haven if you use one at all. To the person who is suggesting the ancient method of holding the dog's nose and putting them on their back. NO! We've known for a long time that it is bad old advice. If anyone has to resort to any physical punishment including hitting, especially hitting/tapping/whatever you want to call it, doesn't know what they're doing. The whole idea is to make training fun and rewarding. If you want your dog to be afraid of you and HATE training, keep hitting. | |
| By Vic (Guest Post) | |
| Pitbull Puppy That Bites | 12/07/2005 |
| Greetings: You say you are a first time owner of a dog. What in Heaven's name are you thinking in starting off with a Pit Bull? I have been mistress to my half-pit bull that I have owned now for 12 years. He is indeed my 'baby'. But, I am not a first time dog owner by any means. A Pit carries a BIG responsibility. In as much as I've trained Bogie to be a loving and behaved dog and kept him in the house or fenced in back yard, there have been times when a grandchild of mine has not closed the gate and Bogie would get out. He never bit people, but he sure hated other dogs. Didn't care if they were poodle or the meanest of the mean. If Bogie got around another dog, the fight was on. These kinds of dogs can make for very good friends to an individual... but they have been known to turn on other family members, especially children. This is your dog, but, if you ask me, I would very strongly advise you right now to find a good home for him elsewhere and get a different breed of dog, perhaps a Brittany or Springer Spaniel. Actually, just a good old fashioned mutt from the pound can become your best friend. If you choose to keep your puppy, just remember that one day, he will grow into a full size dog with a mind of his own. Be very careful. Respectfully, Mary M. | |
| By Mary (Guest Post) | |
| Pitbull Puppy That Bites | 12/07/2005 |
| Consider this: 1) All dogs are pack animals, meaning they want to be members of a pack or family. 2) Imagine that you are one of the pack and that you are, in fact, the leader of the pack. 3) As leader of the pack are you going to allow any or all other members of the "pack" to bite you whenever they wish? Your answer should be "NO". 4) What do you suppose the leader of a real wolf pack would do if one of the juveniles nipped or bit him? Probably, growl at least and most likely slap at the pup, take him down, roll him onto his back, and hold him down with his paw for some time until the little one began to recognize that biting is not acceptable behavior. 5) You have now just learned YOUR first lesson in how to speak dog/wolf language. 6) From now on, realize that you must at all times make the dog aware that YOU, NOT HE, is the leader of the pack. | |
| By Kathleen Rounds (Guest Post) | |
| Pitbull Puppy That Bites | 12/08/2005 |
| Just because he's a pit doesn't explain why he's biting. It's the puppy not the breed. I had a lab that did the same thing when he was a baby and like most dogs grew out of it. He would really bite hard when he got into his play. Once he was old enough I was able to tell him NO and he understood that it hurt. Think of a human toddler that has a problem biting it takes a whole lot of NO BITING for them to understand you can't bite other people. I now have a 13 week old pit bull and I have no problem with the rough play biting with her. She is a wonderful puppy. I hardly have any problems with her other then the normal puppy potty training, she's getting there but it's a slower go then the lab puppy I have to compare her to. Each puppy is different no matter what the breed. Not saying the pit bull breed is for everyone but just because he's biting now with puppy play doesn't mean he will bite when he's an adult and knows better. Good luck he will grow out of it. | |
| By lonny (Guest Post) | |
| Pitbull Puppy That Bites | 01/09/2006 |
 I can't say it enough... have your dog trained by a professional trainer, preferably in your home. As everyone else said, biting is not limited to one breed of dog. Puppies nip because first of all, they don't know any better and it's part of playing. If you are the target, it's because your dog sees you as a litter mate. You must take on the role of it's mother. Studies show that mother dogs use only a few sounds to communicate with their young. When the mother dog is correcting her pups, she will give out a low growl and if she needs to, she will nip the pup. Not to hurt it but to correct it. She also will put her mouth around it's neck to show it who's in charge. There is a prong type correction collar that I strongly advise you buy. It simulates the mother's mouth on the pups neck when the collar is pulled with a leash. The prongs are not sharp at all and does not harm the dog in any way. This works on our dog when we are walking. What ever you do, don't allow this biting to continue because whether the dog is a pitt or a fluffy little mutt, biting is unacceptable in any form. Some day you might be looking at a law suit or being hospitalized or worse. | |
| By sandra johnson | |
| Pitbull Puppy That Bites | 01/18/2006 |
| Walk the dog. it has fur. If you don't walk it, it will remain restless. Give the dog a bath so the scratches will not get infected. A cat's scratch is very dirty. | |
| By chic from ohio. (Guest Post) | |
| Pitbull Puppy That Bites | 01/29/2006 |
 All dogs love exercise no matter the weather temp. All they want is to spend more time with their owners. One attempt at the biting bit, is to make him sit before you start petting him. This will teach him that being calm will give him love and attention. If he continues to bite, you can try making him sit, holding his muzzle closed (loosely), looking him straight in the eyes and making him look in yours, then shaking your finger and saying "no bite", or "bad boy, no bite" each time he bites. Make sure he knows what"no" means before you tell him that. You can still show him all of your love towards him, but it needs to be a strict love. Don't give him love when he bites though. This will teach him that it is good to bite. I hope this information will help. P.S. This will not take affect immediately. He must learn, which can take a matter of months. Be patient, show lots of love, and get him plenty of exercise. He'll love the walks no matter the temperature. I know min. does. Sincerely, | |
| By vet2b (Guest Post) | |
| Pitbull Puppy That Bites | 02/04/2006 |
| I have a 7 week old that bites and when he didn't get his way he would snarl and try to take your fingers off. I solved it! I make him sit by putting him in a sit and if he is really being nasty I grab the scruff of his neck. I do not hurt him but I do make him stay there while I hold him until he calms down. It took about 5 times and now he respects me and life is much better! Good luck | |
| By Amy (Guest Post) | |
| Pitbull Puppy That Bites | 02/07/2006 |
| I have 2 baby pits. People say that pit bulls are very hyper until they are about a year old. I'm sure yours will calm down. When my babies are being like that I put them in the bathroom for about 10 min. Then they seem fine. Happy Training. | |
| By Brian Boor (Guest Post) | |
| Pitbull Puppy That Bites | 02/26/2006 |
| Pitbulls are like every other breed of dog, they all chew and play bite and have to be taught when and where to use the restroom. No dog is a bad or mean dog, it's all in the way they are taught and raised. I was raised with Rotts and some people say they will turn on their owners in a heartbeat but the ones we have owned are very respectful to people (especially to my children 1 and 2). They can take food out of their mouth and they will just look at them and ask for it back. Teach your pits as if they are one of your children you are raising. | |
| By Momma 2 H. & H. (Guest Post) | |
| Pitbull Puppy That Bites | 04/22/2006 |
| If you want JOY to stop nibbling a lot Just flick her soft on the nose and say no. | |
| By Devin. (Guest Post) | |
| Pitbull Puppy That Bites | 05/08/2006 |
| My pit went through that stage too a lot of the times it's because he's teething so he has to bite on everything. Mine used to love to lay under my coffee table and bite on the legs try getting him some rawhide toys that he can chew on, he'll stop chewing soon. | |
| By ladyb (Guest Post) | |
| question on brendel pitts | 05/25/2006 |
| I have a Brendel Pitt bulldog and she is lovable, however, I have two small kids and she has a tendency to "PLAY" with the children and leave marks on them, Is this normal? Also, I was wondering about how to get her registered and is it mandatory? I am from Alabama. People have told me that i needed to get rid of her because they turn on their owners and on children. Are they right? I am a concerned parent, please help if you can. | |
| By Diane (Guest Post) | |
| Pitbull Puppy That Bites | 05/29/2006 |
 I've got a 3 1/2 month old pit. Biting is part of his daily routine. Anything that comes near his mouth is a potential target for his constant "nibbling" and "biting". It also starts to get harder and this is only because they do grow and as you grow a lot of things increase. I've raised 5 pits and they seem to get over the whole "biting" thing at about 6-8 months.Chew toys, a strong toned "NO" lets him know when the biting isn't "cool" anymore. It's a phase i've seen most pits go through. I'm going try the "flicking nose" technique and the 8in1 "no biting" thing to see if those works better. Good luck!!! | |
| By ToNe_RoC (Guest Post) |
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