Blue nose pit bull socialization help please?

Question

I have a 6 month old male pitty and i take him on walks everyday, he sees dogs all the time, but has never come up close to one, except for the dog that has ran at him bc they werent on a leash and scared the heck out of him.

His hair raises and he barks like crazy, upon getting close to any dog. Some dogs bark like crazy at him from their backyards and he tries to run towards some of them with a scared sounding bark, and his hair is raised...its so odd..it seems like hes scared yet he seems like he wants to attack them? I dont get it? although some dogs bark and he just seems to walk faster away. and other times they bark and he really doesnt seem to care.

So i finally had him meet my cousins dog ( who is about 17 pounds compared to my pit who is about 45 pounds) yesterday on a non territorial area, the park. the dog he met was very friendly and wasnt even scared of his barking and lunging approach. My dog was pulling so hard my hand got red, and he was choking himself by pulling so hard yet he didnt seem to care..i dont get it? I thought maybe he was just excited/confused?

But anyhow with my brother holding him we were able to let him smell the other dog ( which is a very friendly dog thank God) and thank God my dog didnt bite him, although he seemed like he was going to. He never calmed down at all during this whole meeting, although we walked him away many times bc he was acting too crazy and i wanted him to know he needed to calm down before he was going to meet this dog...but i dont think he really cared to meet him.

anyhow, we did this back and forth a few times and the last time he actually didnt bark, he just kept lunging and smelling ( we always kept them nose to nose, i heard this is what ur supposed to do for some reason unknown to me?) And my dog basically was pulling so hard he was on his two hind legs most of the time and what looked like to me was he gave the other dog a hug! weird, i know, but i wasnt sure if it was a nice thing bc it looked like he was trying to hold him to eventually bite him so i pulled him away...

BUt nevertheless there were no bites, just smelling, so thats a good thing! Any ideas on how to progress his socialization and any thoughts on how you think his first meeting went? I think it went well? How often do you think i should have him see this dog ?

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

i really want to get him socialized before he gets much older, bc then im afraid it will be significantly harder.

Answer 1

Just keep doing what your doing.  Sadly theres no dog parks around my area and the closest one is like 2 hours away.  And people at the park nearby my house are always afraid because they are pits so they usually turn around or cross the street when they see my dogs.

I have two red nose pits and they want to play a lot.  If they see another dog they do start to pull hard and start whining and occasionally let out a bark.  They don't bark at other dogs in an aggressive matter unless the dog comes around our house because I keep them outside.  They also love to run up and down the fence when they see the boxer next door xD

Since literally 3 of my relatives live on the same block as me theres usually always children around here and they love to play with them too.  

They still have a good way to go though with other dogs and animals.  But if you keep doing what you do he should be alright.

Also no matter what they say pitts naturally don't like other animals.  So its harder to socialize them but not harder than any other dog ;)

Answer 2

You have to realize that you have a breed that has a habit of being DA this may be something you can never fix akin to stopping a dog bred to herd from wanting to herd completely. It can be managed if you handle it correctly however.

To me putting a muzzle on a dog aggravates it far more than a leash would so while i understand leash aggression i don't get the other posters suggestion for a muzzle.

Also you have an APBT blue nose is a label used by BYB to try and make their dogs seem special nose colour is nose colour and plays no role in the type or temperament of the dog.

Please consider joining an APBT specific forum like the one listed below, they don't allow advertisements of litters and so it has kept most of the BYB and clueless from the site.

ETA: I think dog parks are a bad idea for any breed period, there is a small minority of good ones but a large group of primarily unruly uncontrolled dogs is simply asking for problems.

A MUCH better step towards proper socialization is to meet people who understand the possibility of DA and have walks together or small get togethers where you know ALL the owners and ALL the dogs. it only take ONE bad encounter with a dog in a dog park to send potential DA spiralling out of control. I posted a link from Badrap a VERY reputable APBT rescue on their views on DA and dog parks

Answer 3

check out gopitbull.com or pitbull-chat.com.. they both have alot of good stuff on them, and people would be more than happy to help you

Answer 4

If you are afraid your dog might bite or attack, you can purchase humane, cloth muzzles which can be worn while walking.  Just check your local pet stores.  You can use this until your dog seems calmer around his new dog friend, and won't have to worry about bites.

It is a wise idea to socialize your dog and get him used to other dogs.  Daily walking is usually the best idea.

I believe your dog lunges and pulls and acts up when it sees another dog because he is excited and curious.  Once he gets used to other dogs, he might become calmer.  Also, dogs on leashes tend to pull and tug because they are confined to the leash and can't get over to greet another dog they encounter... usually, they just want to go see what the other dog is all about, and after they have done so, they will happily be on their way!

You can buy a dog harness (Sense-ible brand, website below) which fits around the dogs' chest, and doesn't pull their neck... it works better than a regular collar because it pulls on the dog's upper body and stops them better.  Plus there is no choking the dog and not as much struggling for you.  I use one for my lab and her leash behavior is just great now...

I am an avid fan of Gloria Stillwell...she is a great dog trainer and has a show on Animal Planet called "It's me or the Dog" ... i've learned quite a lot about her and put the website address for her below.  You might like the show, too... she seems to deal with issues like yours a lot on her program.

You can also find a lot of free information on line about dog training if you do a yahoo search.

Answer 5

I reckon putting a soft muzzle on him before you let him near another dog is a great idea.  It stops him from doing any damage to the other dog.  Also, if you can socaialise them off lead in a secure and neutral area is also really good as your dog doesn't feel it needs to be protecting anything or anyone.  Your dog does sound like it is very dominant so maybe you need to do more training to establish that you are the pack leader and in charge and if you say it's OK, then it's OK.

Not wanting to pay out on Pit bulls but they can do some damage if they let loose which is why I think the muzzle is such a great idea.

Answer 6

Maybe you could get him a soft muzzle for safety and then you'd have fewer worries about letting him socialize with friend's dogs. Leashes are a bad way to socialize because they have to be defensive when they feel confined to a leash. A fenced area with no leashes is much better. Also, even if he is trained to do whatever tricks, training classes are a great way for him to learn to focus around other dogs, and to socialize.