When Should I Start Training My Pitbull Puppy For Obedience
Many people ask the question, “When should I Start my pitbull training?” Training a pitbull puppy is actually a lifelong endeavor. From the very start, as you take your new puppy to your home, you will already be teaching it how to behave properly. Pitbull puppies begin learning right from the day they are born, and experienced breeders or owners will go out of their way to begin the socializing process.
As matter of fact, training can really be the moment your puppy can see and observe its surroundings. Puppies, in general, may not have very good memory retention skills, but they may be able to follow basic obedience such as “stay”, “sit” or “come” as young as two months old.
When Should I Start Training My Pitbull Puppy – The Right Age For Pitbull Puppy Training
For the most part, proper pitbull puppy training usually happens when the dog is 6 months old. However in reality this age which is in dog years the juvenile stage really a challenging time for training. The puppy is actually already leaning even early on, and to delay any kind of training to an older age will just mean having to unlearn more bad habits.
Once 6 months old, stage, the pitbull puppy is already getting set in some of its ways and behavioral setbacks could also be happening due to fear episodes. Hence, habits formed during the puppy stage might have to be altered. All that the pitbull puppy knows that is not acceptable behavior will have to be unlearned. Do not underestimate how much a pitbull puppy can learn during this formative stage.
When Should I Start Training My Pitbull Puppy – Pitbull Puppies Are Remarkable Trainable
If you elect to start training much earlier such as around two months old, pitbull puppies are very smart. Make use of techniques that use the reinforcement of behavior through gentle means and positive rewards. Since puppies, in general, have very brief attention episodes, training sessions are best if you keep them short, but on a daily scheduled basis.
You may teach a pitbull puppy basic commands like “stand”, “sit” or “come” with a technique known as food-luring. This method uses food items (typically treats) to encourage the puppy to be led by the nose to follow and perform basic commands like “sit,” or “come”.
More on Food Luring For Pitbull Puppy Training
Tiny food chunks or an often-used toy may be helpful for training your pup to follow certain commands. If the dog is satisfied with the treat, the puppy will learn to have the expected response simply by showing the treat, say the command, and positioning the treat to get the expected response.
For instance, when you hold a treat to a pup’s nose and move it up and to the back, you can associate this with the command “sit”. Likewise, if you place a treat on the ground and the dog moves to the floor you can associate this behavior with the command “down”. Bring the treat off the ground and you can create the command of “stand”.
Expose a treat from afar and you can create the command of “come” or you could also hold a treat at around below waist level as you walk and associate this with either “follow or “heel”. Thru association of a command word with each activity, and the reinforcement thru a treat, the pitbull puppy will quickly learn obedience basics.
Frequency of Training and Commands
One should only use the command words once prior to moving the treat to elicit the command. When you get the puppy to obey the command words correctly, lavish on the dog you pleasure and joy, as this is also a strong way to reinforce training. If you notice that your pitbull puppy does follow you during the initial try, perhaps going a bit too swiftly for the dog to comprehend. Slow things down a bit.
Do not make the mistake of repeating commands, as this will send the wrong message to the puppy. If the command is repetitious, the pitbull puppy will think that this is normal and will anticipate repeated commands before obeying. The use of a leash is also a helpful tool to have around while trying to instill commands.
Always keep in mind that during the outset of training a pitbull puppy, it is unaware of the meaning of any command. Due to this, it should learn the right words that correspond to the right command. Otherwise, your dog might respond to the wrong words. It might sit when you say “hey” or perhaps heel when you say “enough”. Word association must be accurate from the onset so your dog gets off on a good start.
Weaning Out The Training Tools During Pitbull Puppy Training
To start you must have the treat in your hand so that you still manipulate the puppy to a certain position. When you see that there is consistency with the puppy’s obedience, you can begin to hide the treat but still issue the same command words, but this time you can reward with just reassurance. This way you avoid having to be dependent on the treats.
As said earlier, execute the command word and when the dog obeys, compliment the dog with lavish praises and show much affection to it. As you progress, start to vary things like how often you do the trick or the amounts of praise you give it. Before you realize it, the commands are well ingrained in the dog’s behavior.
As the dog grows, praises and affection become more important than treats for them to be obedient to commands. Since the commands were associated with food early on, they are very strong in their memory. It is vital to use praise and not always food treats for your pet to recognize your authority. Furthermore, reliance on food treats so that your pitbull puppy obeys commands will result in a dog that will be inconsistent with complying with your orders.
At the outset, train with scheduled time during a day and try to involve different members of the family. Confine all your treats and other rewards including verbal ones strictly for training. During the progression of time, start to command your puppy to perform the tricks during other times besides the scheduled sessions.
The Pitbull Puppy’s Threshold For Training Daily
It is not really compulsory to train a dog during a specific session only. You could try interspersing these sessions into many sessions during the day. Endeavor to spend 15 minutes of teaching for the dog each day. You could break this up into three short sessions of minutes each. It is also always good to have most family members involved with executing the commands. Also, change the place where you train the puppy by going to different rooms to do the tricks.
You will want your pet to perform the tricks it learns everywhere, and anywhere. Do drill sessions in varied rooms and places both indoors and outdoors so your puppy gets very relaxed with doing the commands regardless of environment. A dog with excellent training dog needs an owner that will commit time every day especially during the first months of a puppy.
Training and Integration Into daily Life
Training should eventually become part of the puppy’s life. Try and integrate it into routine things, like “sit” before a meal, or “stay” prior to allowing it inside the house. These are occasions when the dog desires something, and it will try to please you just to get the wanted thing. By integrating training into daily things, your dog is constantly learning and being drill in informal drill sessions. You are also creating the foundation for rules the dog should abide by via routine interactions and a healthy engagement with its human companions.
Train your pitbull puppy early on, and it will be very easy to live with regarding basic obedience matters. For instance, as it sits before receiving food, it does not develop bad eating manners. If it also learns to stay before you open any door, you can avoid untoward accidents. Feel free to be imaginative as you immerse the entire dog’s life into training. The amount of time spent training a pitbull puppy will reward you once the dog becomes a full-fledged adult.
Train your pitbull puppy early on and it will have great manners as it grows-up. Achieving this needs a lot of discipline on your part dog, particularly during the first 12 months of the dog’s life. More time that you devote to a puppy’s training means that it will have less time to indulge in mischievous behavior. Keep in mind that a pitbull puppy cannot teach itself tricks and rules, and if left alone will simply act like any other canine.
Things To Do If Your Pitbull Puppy Is High Strung
If your pitbull puppy is easily distracted, train in a place that has few disturbances. Also, select a treat that will really get the attention of the dog so that it will pay more attention to the trainer to get it. Dog treats generally suffice, but if your dog is high-strung, a nice toy or an out-of-the-ordinary treat could be more effective. Training prior to a meal could also help the pitbull puppy might be more compliant when it is hungry.
If your puppy is stubborn, one of the most effective ways for the puppy to comply with a command is to have the use of a leash readily attached to its collar so you can tug at it. Having this tool you can easily physically urge the pitbull puppy to respond correctly to voice commands. You can easily calibrate the force you will apply once the dog obeys or disobeys a command.
When Should I Start Training My Pitbull Puppy – Socialization of Your Pitbull Puppy
Get your pitbull used to people as soon as possible. This should commence your puppy home, which is around 7 weeks old. Most puppies are easily socialized with people, other creatures and they should be exposed to new situations through socializing. This can happen at around 2 months.
This window in the pitbull puppy’s growth will permit you to inculcate many good experiences that will last thru out the dog’s life. Most pitbull puppies are eager to learn and are very enthusiastic and it is vital to take advantage of this zest. Make sure you provide mostly positive experiences and try to avoid anything that might provoke fear.
What Is Going On If MY Pitbull Puppy Seems Fearsome?
There actually exists a time in a puppy’s growth that it is more fearful than other times in its life. This occurs during the 14 to the 16-week phase of its growth. It is quite normal for a pitbull puppy to become suspicious of new people, other creatures, or even new situations. Symptoms of fear could be not eating even delectable treats, hiding, or crying. Do not be too demanding on your puppy during this critical stage.
Is The Help Of A Professional Better?
The steps outlined above should get most dog owners well on their way to training their pitbull puppy. The old tricks of drills, repetition, and rewards will all be effective if properly employed. Be patient and you will have an obedient dog that has socialization as well.
Professional training can have its benefits. They can show you the methods and aid as you learn the techniques yourself. They can also share their wealth of knowledge, regarding training. The pitbull puppy will likely be in a group, which could provide many real learning situations. As a pet owner, you will also be learning a lot. Enrolling in a training class is also an excellent place to meet other dog owners and exchange notes
Furthermore, you will also better cope with problems as they arise and correct them as they pop-up. This is better than correcting them when they are already full-blown. It is also a great place for your pitbull puppy to meet similar dogs of its age. If you make friends with the owners, you could pay them a visit with your dog in tow for some fun puppy sessions.
As the initial socialization time terminates by 3 months old, a pitbull puppy’s socialization very important. This during the time a dog is 8 weeks old or older. Provided that all the dogs have their shots and inoculations vaccinations, these are great opportunities for learning. If this kind of training appeals to you, ask your vet for where proper classes are conducted.