How to Train a Pitbull Puppy to be A Great Family Dog?

American Pit Bull Terriers, or Pitbulls, as they’re commonly known, are some of the strongest and fiercest dog breeds in the world. These feisty animals are quite so ironically gentle around children. But how to train a pitbull puppy?

They may show stubbornness or bossiness when not properly socialized or trained, but if you give them the right attention, pitbulls can make for perfect family dogs. So the big question here is, how to train a Pitbull puppy? And this is exactly what we’re here to answer.

How to Train A Pitbull Puppy?

The best course of action to training a Pitbull is to start at an early age, so training a Pitbull puppy should be much easier and much more effective than doing so with a full-grown adult dog.

To get your Pitbull dog to be well-trained, you’ll need to get your dog to socialize with his surroundings, so they can behave well around humans and other animals as well. You will also need to master the subtle art of positive reinforcement to help them identify positive and negative behaviors. In addition to using these tools, you will need to equip yourself with the valuable traits of patience, devotion, and consistency.

Here, we will discuss the main concerns of Pitbull owners and the most important aspects of how to train a pit bull puppy that you may want to learn about.

How to Show your Pitbull that You’re the Alpha?

A crucial step before you can start training your pitbull on different things is to show them that you are the alpha, and make sure they know you’re in charge. First of all, you should choose a single family member to become the Alpha. While trained dogs can receive commands from a number of people, they need to have one clear alpha or top dog, so to speak. This can be done through the following steps:

1. Maintain an authoritative figure by speaking to your dog in a firm voice.
2. Look your dog directly in the eyes, especially when giving commands.
3. Show dominance by covering your puppy’s muzzle. Do this while petting your dog, and cover it gently for a few seconds.
4. Lead the way to wherever place you take your dog. Enter doors first, and make sure you walk in the front while you’re leashed dog follows.
5. Say “no” to growling. Literally, say “no” in a firm tone if your dog growls at you or at any family member.
6. Stick to a routine for food time, walks, training sessions, and any other periodical activities.

How to Potty Train Him?

Potty training your Pitbull puppy, or rather any general training for most dogs should start at about 8 or 10 weeks old. This might be one of the most challenging things to train your dog for, but it is certainly very important, especially for house family dogs. While it may take time and effort, following the upcoming steps should get you on the way to success.

1. Choose a spot in your backyard, or wherever you prefer, to make it the designated spot for your pup to relieve themselves.
2. Get your dog familiarized with that region.
3. Keep your dog in a small area where they are forced to hold back any urination or defecation. This spot could be his sleeping or eating place, as Pitbull pups would rather not relieve themselves in these areas.
4. Monitor your pup for any signs of a need to urinate (excessive sniffing on the ground is one), and take them outside to the designated spot.
5. Reward your dog with a treat, praise, or petting so he realizes he’s a good boy for relieving himself in that area.
6. Reprimand your pup by a clear and assertive “no” only if you catch him will relieving himself away from the designated area. Punishment after the fact is not as effective as you might think.
7. Promptly clean up after your dog and make sure to remove any remaining scent. Any waste left uncleaned will teach your puppy that it’s ok to repeat his action. Plus, who wants dog urine around in their house?

So, when do you stop this process? Well, there’s no real time frame, some people report between 4 and 6 months, but it depends on your specific doggo. Essentially, you should continue this monitoring and praising process until no “accidents” occur for a satisfactory period of time. Finally, make sure your Pitbull can reach the designated area easily, perhaps you will need to install a doggy door.

Read more on How to Potty Train A Pit bull Puppy here

How to Train a Pitbull Puppy not to Bite?

This process requires more assertiveness than potty training. Puppy bites are rarely dangerous, but if left unaddressed, they can grow to become quite dangerous Pitbulls. There are actually a number of methods to prevent your dog from biting.

1.  Show Your Dog That Biting is Unacceptable. You can walk away and ignore them for fifteen minutes or so, or assertively say “no” while pointing your finger at them. Remember to present yourself as alpha, so don’t waver if you ignore them, and maintain eye contact when saying no. If the pup persists, you can spray water on their face using a spray bottle.
2. Spray a taste deterrent on your body. This will make your pup associate an unpleasant feeling with biting you.
3. Give them teething toys. One of the reasons puppies bite is because they’re teething, these toys can prove an excellent distraction or even a reward for not biting.
4. Consult with a vet if the biting problem persists. Sometimes professional help is needed, especially if your pitbull has negative predispositions.

How to Train a Pitbull Puppy Basic Commands?

Training your pitbull to do basic commands is very important in more advanced training exercises, as well as in turning your feisty Pitbull into a loving family dog. Here, we’ll present you with a quick guide on teaching your dog some of the most basic commands.

• Sit

What you’ll need to do is put your dog in the sitting position, reward him for doing so, and associate that action with the word, “Sit”. You can do so by:

1. Holding a treat to your dog’s nose.
2. Raising it to force his bottom to go lower until he’s in the sitting position.
3. Say “sit” and reward your doggo by the treat and an affectionate petting.

• Come

Again, the idea is to make your dog do the move, associate it with a word, and reward him for the action.

1. Leash your dog and hold the end of the leash in your hand.
2. Say the word “come” and pull your dog towards you gently. You can do so while down on their level.
3. Reward your dog when he reaches you.

• Down

It’s better if you use a treat that smells nice for this exercise.

1. Hold the treat in your hand and bring it closer to your dog so he can sniff it.
2. Move it to the floor then slide your hand across the ground so your dog will follow it and go in the Down position.
3. Say the word “Down” and give your dog a treat for being a good boy.

• Stay

You should training your dog for this command after his mastery of the “Sit” command.

1. Give your Pitbull the “Sit” command.
2. Open the palm of your hand to them and say, “Stay”.
3. Take a few steps back and reward your pup if they stay, even for a few seconds. To make sure your dog masters this command, gradually increase the steps you take every time you repeat the exercise.

• Leave it

1. Place a treat in each of your hands.
2. Bring one enclosed fist closer to your dog and say, “Leave it”.
3. Wait for the dog to stop any attempts to reach the treat like licking your hand or sniffing it, then reward him with the other treatments.

There’s a whole lot more to training your Pitbull puppy, but this is a simple roundup of the most important things to train your doggo so they can be great family dogs. Don’t be scared of the strong demeanor of Pitbulls, inside they’re as soft as can be.