As serious as death or life a pitbull can be sent to a shelter if they display behaviour problems. Many people cannot go through the trouble of dealing with the problem through training, so they send off the dog to a home.
Here we list the first steps that can be used in solving behaviour problems of any and every type.
Assessment
What does the dog get out of this behaviour?
While jumping is a normal behaviour for dogs, you should assess if it is aggressive or friendly. Problem jumping is usually friendly and is a common attention seeking behaviour of dogs. .
Four Essential requirements of Problem Solving of Behaviours
- Acceptable behaviour to be positively reinforced
- Dog should be set up and also managed for success
- Consequences
- Consistency
Keep these essential components in mind when addressing any behavioural problem displayed by your dog.
Dealing with the Issue
Again we will take the problem of jumping as an example. You should keep in mind that a dog will jump for attention and won’t mind whether its positive or negative attention they get are receiving. Some pitbulls will jump all over visitors.
Step One
Reinforce positively the acceptable behaviour of ‘sit-stay’ or ’down-stay’ near the door where visitors arrive. Repeat this as often as possible, also in locations like the garage entrance or back door if you have guests coming in that way as well. Reinforcement could be by treat, toys or praise.
Step Two
Never let the pitbull jump on your guests. Manage him by having him on leash when there are visitors and hang a leash up by the door for unexpected guests. Lead the away to another room and establish that they are not allowed to jump. Set him up for success by training him with the aid of a mock guest.
Step Three
It is best not to physically correct the dog for behaviour problems unless it is a dangerous one. We should in this case ignore him and withdraw reward, in this case attention. Command sit-stay on leash, and have the guest come in. If he breaks the command, recall and advise your guest to completely ignore him. When he finally understands that he will be only rewarded for being quiet and calm, his jumping will soon reduce.
Step Four
Be consistent with your techniques. Many people complain after a few weeks that my methods are not working. The dog will learn as fast as his lesson is repeatedly reinforced. All training should be consistently repeated and checked against the four vital components above. Consistency is imperative to solving a behaviour problem. All members of the household should co-operate to enforce rules consistently and use a common technique to train the dog
Summary
The four keys mentioned above will enable you to address any behaviour issue. pitbulls are animals of habit and consistency in approach is essential so the dog is not confused about what is required of him.
