7 Easy Pit Bull Puppy Training Tips

Some people think training Pit Bull puppies is hard. I beg to differ. Training any puppy can be hard or easy. How you approach your training and handling of the puppy will make a world of difference.

Training Tip #1 - Always keep an eye on your puppy. If you supervise your puppy he or she can’t use the bathroom in the house, they can’t chew things up, and you can be there to take them out when they need to go.

If you can not supervise your puppy investing in a quality dog kennel is suggested.

Training Tip #2 - Let your puppy drag a leash. Buy a 5-6 foot nylon web leash and let your puppy drag it around. This way you can stand on the leash to keep your puppy around you. Tether the puppy to a chair or door so you can supervise them while you are busy.

Training Tip #3 - Handle them. Touch their paws, rub their ears, check their teeth, pick them up and check their belly, touch their hind end. These will get them used to being examined by the vet, handled by the groomer, by children and adults.

Training Tip #4 - Put them on a feeding schedule. A good friend of mine always says, “What goes in on a schedule, comes out on a schedule.” By putting your puppy on a feeding schedule he or she will go to the bathroom on a schedule making house training much easier for you.

Feeding schedules also help prevent food bowl aggression and obesity.

Training Tip #4 - Socialize your puppy. Early socialization is critical for proper development of your puppy. If you do not get them out in the world they will never learn how to behave in the world.

My rule of thumb is to take them every I possibly can between 8-14 weeks and I continue this socialization until maturity.

For younger pups consult your vet for safety precautions. Usually you can start socializing your pups with other dogs after they have started their second set of shots. Again, check with your vet before you do this.

Training Tip #5 - Use motivation to teach basic things like sit, down and roll over. Teaching your puppy to sit, lie down and roll over are great ways to begin formal obedience training with your puppy.

Rolling over and laying down are also submissive positions that will help your pup learn how to remain calm and see you as the leader as they mature.

With the use of positive reinforcement and motivational techniques you can work with almost any age and see results.

Training Tip #6 - Use hand signals. Along with verbal cues you want to use hand signals. This will help your puppy understand what you want them to do. Dogs are masters at reading body language. It makes sense to use it early on to start teaching your puppy behaviors.

Training Tip #7 - Avoid rolling your puppy on their back or practicing “alpha rolls.” One popular concept today is leadership. Many people mistake leadership with dominance. Dominance and leadership or not the same thing and practicing dominant handling techniques like the Alpha Roll is not in you or your pups best interest.

Instead, lay them on their side and teach them to relax on cue. This will help you in the long run establish yourself as the leader and teach them how to remain calm under stressful situations like the vets office, the groomer, and in situations that cause your puppy stress.

In Conclusion

Socialize your puppy as often as you can and start to touch them alot to help with handling and stressful situations they are going to encounter on a daily basis.

By taking the time to properly work with your puppy you will save yourself a lot of frustration as they grow older.

Jason Mann is a professional canine instructor. He operates PitBullLovers.com and Top Dog K9 Training Solutions based in Lexington, KY.