Pit bull acting out

by Amy
(Dresden Tn, USA)

A friend of mine contacted me about her pooch Sasha, shes a red nose/blue blood line. Been with the same family her whole life.

She has lately taken to biting at the son who is 9, and just generally being rough with him. The family is trying to move and stress levels are very high. Any suggestions? Thanks, Amy

Gale's Reply:

Hi Amy

Any time a dog starts snapping at a family member, it's a serious situation and one that deserves immediate attention.

If they have no clue why this is happening, my best suggestion is that they get professional help from a trainer or a behaviorist who can observe the family and the dog together and get the background information that's necessary to assess the situation properly.

In the interest of thoroughness, it would be prudent to have their dog checked by a vet to be sure she isn't ill or in pain.

Good luck to your friends. I hope they are able to find the help they need to resolve this situation.

For more information on obedience training, visit our Pit Bull Training page.

For help with behavioral problems, check out our Dog Behavior Training page.

Comments for Pit bull acting out

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Nov 11, 2010

Dog nipping
by: Amber

It sounds to me like the dog is only nipping at the boy and not truely biting him. Is that accurate?
You mentioned that the family wants to find a solution to this problem because stress levels are high due to the big move. Well, a dog can feel that stress and react to it! If the family is in a situation where they are letting a dog feel stressed (ie loud voices, constantly telling it to go in another room, and/or not sticking to the dog's normal schedule) the dog will become irritable. Other possible causes can include too much rough-housing between the child and the dog (the dog will then consider the 9 year old his playmate rather than his human, in which case the pup will start nipping in play), jealously of the child, or quite simply reacting to the boy's roughness. The first and easiest course of action would be to mindfully stay calm around the dog and ensure that it is following a schedule. If this doesn't work, seeing a professional trainer and your vetrinarian is recommended.

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