How to house break a pit bull and make her stop CHEWING!!?

Question

I love my baby but she's driving me insane! she has a thousand toys and nylon bones but still wants to chew on cords and the couch and anything else she can get her mouth around. I've started spraying this bitter stuff on everything but it doesn't work and now my other dog (a beagle) is starting to pick up the habit. She also will not go outside to potty unless she is on a leash. i've tried puppy pads and i really don't want to crate her but maybe that's my only option. i don't know what to do can someone please help???

Answer 1

Crating is very beneficial - both to your dog's health and your sanity!

You should crate her anytime she can't be supervised until she learns not to use the bathroom in the crate.  Then, get a puppy playpen (or build one yourself) and give her just a little more room than the crate until you're confident she won't go potty inside the playpen.  You can gradually increase the size of the playpen as she gains more control of her bodily functions. Eventually she will not go in the house anymore, but I still wouldn't leave her out until she's grown out of the chewing habit.  She will also learn how to entertain herself if you provide lots of toys.

Make crating a positive experience - never use it as punishment.  Offer treats inside the crate.  Feed the puppy in the crate.

In addition to the crate/playpen training, try to take her out every 1.5-2 hours when you are home so she can go potty.  She can't be expected to hold it if she's not getting enough potty breaks.  If she's under 3 months, you might need to take her out every hour.  

Try to exercise her in the mornings by taking her for a walk.  It will wear her out so that she sleeps most of the day.

I have a little pit girl myself.  At first I gave her too much freedom and she destroyed a lot of things.  But then she got into a bottle of vitamins which she found on the coffee table.  I had to induce vomiting, which was a really scary experience for us!  Now, I just put her in the playpen when I leave the house.  She's perfectly content to have her toys and bed in there and it keeps her safe.

Add:  Some people do not believe in crates because they think it's unfair to lock up a dog.  Crates are meant to be a "safe" area, not a punishment zone.  Dogs are descendants of wolves, creatures who love to sleep in dens.  The crate should be like a den.  Large enough to stand up, turn around and stretch a little, but not so big that they can run around inside.  Every dog needs to earn it's rewards and it's freedom in the house.  They thrive on learning new things and having structure and discipline in their lives.  Remember, dogs are not people.  They have dog brains and dog psychology.  It is not fair to assume your dog wouldn't appreciate something just because it's not appropriate for a human.

Answer 2

Well the chewing thing sounds normal, but watch the cords.  We put boxes and crates so our puppy can't get to the cords.

I use a crate* to potty train with, but only for potty training and then I break it down and store it.  I put blankets and a small food and water dish in the crate.  Dogs don't potty where they eat and sleep.  When they are first little, I only expect them to hold their potty for 4 hours, and then 6 hours, then 8 hours and so on.  So when they are first little, I set a timer or alarm clock to wake myself up at night to take them *out.  I only allow my puppy in the bedroom* or the living room, only one room at a time.  They have to graduate to more space.  If I allow them to have full run of the house, it will overwhelm them.  I take them out the same door each time.  I tie a dinner bell to the door handle.  Do not use a jingle bell as they could get their toe caught in it.  So when they are little, I ring the bell for them, and then open the door to go *outside to potty.  When they get bigger, I take their paw and whack the bell and open the door to go potty.  Eventually getting to the place where the puppy will ring the bell and let me know when they need to go potty.  Dogs want to please you, so it is your job to let them know what behaviors please you and what doesn't.  So when my puppy goes potty, I give her a treat*, and clap, and make a fuss and praise her.  So she learns that going potty outside makes me happy.  If she has an accident, make a disgust sound like “tsst”  and take her out right away.  I never yell* or spank* my puppies.  Take them out when they first wake up, after they eat or drink, before nap, finish romping, when their activities change, or when they are sniffing around. Some puppies go pee right away, but may not go p**p until 10 minutes later, so wait for the p**p.  I have a little play time here, because sometimes I think they are done, and they are not.  Puppies train at their own pace.  While I may have a puppy that hasn't had an accident in several weeks, I don't let my guard down.  I don't expect my puppies to be "fully potty trained" until one-year-old.  If they have a setback, shake it off, and start over.  I only have my puppies in the crate when I am not watching them.  When I am sleeping, cooking, ironing, doing chores, basically when I am not watching her.  All other times, she is out of the crate practicing being a "big girl."  This is the time I train her how to behave in the house.  So we are practicing "no barking", 'no biting", "no jumping", and "don't eat the furniture."  I also have to practice "playing inside" so she doesn't knock over things.  You must keep the puppy in sight when they are little because they don’t know the difference between newspaper and carpet, and you don’t want them sneaking off and getting into trouble.   Some puppies can sleep through the night around 3-months-old, but their bladder is grown around 6-months-old.



REVISIONS:



*I use a crate to train with.  It is the method I prefer, compared to other methods I have tried.  I noticed that if they are in the crate, while I am doing chores, they are o.k., because the crate allows them to see me and be re-assured.  The crate can also be a comfort when stored in the basement for dogs who live in areas where thunderstorms and tornados are an issue. .  However, use the method that works best for you.....a laundry basket, a cardboard box, a woof-woof house, x-pen, child gates, whatever works for you.



*Outside, pee pad, litter box, whichever method you are using.   When the puppy is first little, keep the pee pad, litter box near the food and water dish, so the puppy can eat and drink, and then go potty.  You can move it away as they get older.  The pee pad has a scent that smells and initiates potty.  Sometimes a pee pad makes a sound that scares some puppies, so you might want to use a litter box if that happens.  The pee pad allows a puppy to walk around, but a litter box keeps the puppy in one place.

*Bedrooms, I use the bedroom and living room for training, because it works for me.  Choose rooms that work for you, but watch for rooms that are damp, or drafty.  While my puppies sleep in the bedroom during training, once they are trained, I let them sleep where they want to.  They don't have to sleep in the bedroom forever.

*Treats.  While I use treats for training, you don't have to.  I like Charlee Bears for training (a little cracker for a little mouth,) I use them for training, but once they are trained, I cut back on them.



*Some puppies will go potty in the same spot each time.  Some puppies have to be told to go potty.  A command like "go out" for pee, or "go finish" for p**p, might work for you, keep saying “go finish” until the puppy poops.  This is a good thing to train if you travel with your dogs.  By using commands, the puppy won't get confused when you are visiting someone, on vacation with you, or when you get to a new home.  The command wi

Answer 3

As an owner of a Pit bull you need to have her trained and obedient. You need to be the alpha dog in the house. She doesnt look at you that way, right? Teaching a dog what is and is not allowed is a major thing, and if you have established yourself as the leader then they will listen.

I suggest getting you and the dog into obedience training before she gets out of hand. An untrained dog is a dangerous dog, especially in that breed.

Add**

To help with the chewing in the mean time when she starts to chew on something, give her a firm No and hand her a bone or toy to chew on. If she goes back for the cord, repeat until she understands. Pit bull want to please, thats what they thrive to do is please you. When she stops going for the cord or whatever object praise her and let her know she did a good job. I still suggest investing in obedience classes, pit bulls are already an "iffy" breed to most, you don't want to add to the stereotype with an untrained one that will not listen. That can be a major liability in the future for you, the dog and others.

Answer 4

How old is she? Sounds like crating is a great option for you. If you can't watch her every second and establish what the house rules are, she is going to get away with it...and keep doing it. I also have had not luck with the bitter spray. With the older pups it helps to redirect the action to plenty of play and exercise (appropriate for that age). Also have you tried Kongs stuffed with treats to keep her active terrier brain busy when your not looking?

I have never had any luck with puppy pads, if anything they train the dog to potty INSIDE the house. You just always needs to watch her, and pick up on her subtle signals that she has to go. Then rush her outside and praise when she goes. Also it helps them to learn that outside is potty only area, not for playing. That way they will learn to go potty every time they go out, and not just want to play.

Answer 5

oky this is an easy one but never put ur dog in a crate it hurts u and the dog....dogs teeth are big they are going to start to hurt for a once and a while there gonna want somthing to chew on so  get her own toy and throw the other on away show her thats her persnol chew toy.And the peeing part wake up in the morning around ummmmm 7:00 in the morning take her out every morning shell know thats her time to go out abd do her stuff shell stop and ur beagle will stop as well

Answer 6

put a whole bunch of crushed red peppers whenever she chews so it burns or they have this spray that you buy at the pet store and it supposedly has a horrible to to it that is supposed to taste horrible and or use tabasco sauce

if spicy foods dont work nothing will

Answer 7

call Cesar Milan-Dog Whisperer.

Answer 8

If the Pitbull is young it may just be going trough teething and the dog will grow out of it but if not then yes i agree with "Mrs Nicholson" you need to be the Alpha, if you are not then it sees you as another dog and when it gets older this can turn into a serious problem because it may lead to aggresive behavior and when you try to stop it, when you are handling food, or other things that you do with it.

when he/she does it again make a point and tell it that what its doing is wrong, you will need to do this a few times and mabye give him a consequence when he does it like having to go somewhere or do something because he will pick up on it and stop, i had the same problem with my lab when he was a pup.

Answer 9

Crating or confining your dog to a dog safe room is the most humane thing to do ! Why keep giving her opportunities to fail and possibly injure herself by swallowing a foreign object and of course destroying your things. The chewing is quiet normal for a bully puppy, they are aggressive chewers but it can also be caused by lack of exercise, separation anxiety, etc. And some dogs never grow out of this phase and are never 100% house trustworthy. Also the more you allow her to chew inappropriate things, the more it is reinforced behavior.