Pitbulls are amongst the most loyal dogs in the world, and they can make for truly amazing family pets. Pitbulls are friendly, sociable, and will always stick by your side.
But in order for them to become those truly loveable and loyal pets, you will need to ensure that they are trained from a young age!
But training a pitbull puppy is quite often easier said than done! Is there a perfect way to raise a pitbull puppy?
Are there certain things you need to make sure of? Certain things you need to monitor?
If you are raising a pitbull puppy of your own, then you will definitely want to read on below, because we are going to show you some of the best things that you can do when raising it!
How To Raise A Pitbull Puppy
There are numerous things that you need to make sure of if you want your pitbull to grow up to be a loving and loyal pet.
So why don’t we jump right in and take a look at some of the things you need to consider?
Socialize Your Pitbull Puppy
If puppies of any breed are raised in total isolation, and without making contact with other people and other dogs, they can grow up to become very defensive and very loud.
You will want to ensure that you socialize your pitbull puppy early on, by introducing them to other people, and other dogs slowly.
Don’t force your dog to interact, but allow it to approach other people and dogs, and let its natural curiosity take over!
This is an important step for ensuring that your dog is friendly even to total strangers, which helps your pitbull to avoid the unfair reputation for aggressiveness that pitbulls have earned over time.
Positive Reinforcement Is Key!
You should never punish your dog with negative reinforcement, and you should certainly never punish your dog with the threat of physical harm.
Instead, if you want your dog to really learn certain behaviors, you should make sure to use positive reinforcement.
Whenever your dog does something right or behaves in the way you want them to, reward them with a treat, or some other kind of positive stimuli, such as petting.
This will teach the pitbull to recognize that positive behaviors result in rewards.
Pitbulls are highly motivated to please their owners, so this is definitely something you want to do early on.
Ensure Your Pitbull Understands You
You should definitely make sure that your pitbull is able to understand you from an early age.
You can start by ensuring that the puppy recognizes its name when called, and then from there, you can begin training your dog to recognize certain commands, like “Sit”, or “Stop”.
These are crucial because they ensure that, whenever your dog is misbehaving, you can regain control over it without having to physically handle it.
Ensure Your Pitbull Is Comfortable With Other Dogs
If you’ve ever taken a walk through your local park, you will know that dogs have a tendency to bark at other dogs they pass.
If you want to make sure that your pitbull does not do this, then you will want to make sure that you get it used to the company of other dogs from a young age.
Take your puppy to the park, and see how it reacts to other dogs.
Over time it may become more confident and not hide away from other dogs or may bark less when they pass.
If you notice that your dog begins to act out around other dogs, simply continue training it on basic commands, such as “Sit”.
This will teach your pitbull that before it engages with other dogs it must first listen to you and that what you command must always come first.
Once again, this is important because it will help you to ensure your dog avoids the reputation of aggression that pitbulls have become known for.
Feed Your Pitbull Puppy Sufficiently
When your puppy is still growing into adulthood, it is important that you feed it sufficiently.
When pitbulls are young, they quite often have a difficult time digesting protein, which can make it difficult for them to grow and develop strong bones.
As a result, you should ensure that the food is high in protein so that the puppy is more likely to absorb it.
You should also aim to feed your puppy around six times a day, and only a quarter of a cup of food each time.
As the puppy matures, you can then decrease the number of meals to around three, and slowly increase the amount of food per meal.
Once the puppy has reached adulthood, it will begin to recognize meal times, and then will be less likely to beg for food while you eat at the dinner table!
To Conclude
These are just a small few of the things you should be making sure to do in order to ensure that your pitbull puppy grows up to be healthy and sociable.
Raising a pitbull puppy can definitely be quite tiring at times, as they can be very energetic, but it is very worth it when you see the fruits of your labor displaying themselves in the form of a loyal and loveable companion!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard To Train Pitbull Puppies?
While it may sometimes be quite tiresome training a pitbull puppy, it would be difficult to claim that it is ‘Hard’.
Pitbulls are very high in energy, and very affectionate, and thus they are very willing to be trained!
When Should You Train A Pitbull Puppy?
You should aim to start training a pitbull puppy at around 8 weeks old, as, at that point, they will be equipped with all of the senses they need to learn, and they will have the requisite energy.
Are Pitbulls Indoor Dogs?
Though pitbulls have a lot of energy, they also make for great indoor pets, as they have very short fur, so are unlikely to cover your home in fur that it has shed!
Hi everyone, I’m Emily Andrews and I can’t wait to explain why Bullypaw.org means so much to me.
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a veterinarian. I loved every dog, horse, bird, and squirrel. But from an early age, I noticed that bully dogs like Pitbulls and Staffordshire Terriers were given a different treatment than their friends.
Everyone said they were prone to aggression, but I didn’t believe it. They seemed just as friendly as my family Labrador. Turns out I was right. These dogs are loyal and were once considered the perfect nanny dogs.
My love for animals wasn’t just a childhood fantasy. In 2002 I graduated from my veterinary school in New Zealand with a BVSc. I wanted to travel the world and help rejected animals as I went, but to do that I needed to pass the American Exams. It didn’t take long for me to earn a DVM, and soon I was heading to Florida.
We want to show everyone why bully dogs can be amazing pets. If you like any of our work, share it among your friends and help reduce decades of misinformation.
