[crogers44054]

hi new to the forum and i just saved a pit from a not so nice home i really love him and he has become really friendly to my family and especially my son and me i am currently house training him and im not getting frustrated i really enjoy working with him the only thing is my dog who passed a few years ago was house broken by me and i did it the old fashion way you rub his nose in it tell him what he did wrong then take him outside in case he has to go anymore it worked well for my other dog when she was a pup and her and i had da wonderful relationship but now i have people telling me that how i house train my dog is wrong and its abusive raskal and i are already forming a great relationship and he's not timid around me and my family and the only time ive spanked him yet was when he nipped at my son because he was play fighting and i don't want him to get used to being able to do that if i am doing something so terrible please let me know how to correct my actions

 

[Criosphynx]

Yes, rubbing their nose in it doesn't work anymore (ever actually ) take the puppy outside often and praise and treat when they go outside. If they go inside, simply ignore it and clean it up.

Som'times spanking (or pushing, or whatever) a puppy who is highly excited and playing rough only either A. Encourages it, because it works them up more OR B. scares them, which affects your relationship with the dog.

Have your son say "OW" and leave the room everytime the dog gets too rough...make sure you praise the dog when he is playing nicely.

Congrats on your new pup.

 

[close2prfct]

Congrats on your new puppy! I would like to say that crate training works better for house breaking it also gives a place where the puppy can unwind and feel safe when he's worn out from all that playing. As far as the biting goes like Crio said have your son say OW in a quick sharp tone then stop playing. I have owned several pits the one I have now had a tendency to be food aggressive with anything and anyone but I broke her from it by making her sit and wait for her food. Now when she knows its time for her supper she automatically sits and waits patiently for me to set her bowl down and she will go back to a sit/wait if I want to take the bowl although now since she doesn't growl anymore when I feed her I let her have it without disturbing her.
Puppies are great but like people they all have their own personalities some things will work better for one and not another so it always seems you learn from trial and error.

 

[animatedpet]

The only trick I know is positive reinforcement. Give your pup every chance possible to go outside. Before and after meals until they get the hang of it and encourage that good behavior.

If you are leaving your pup home, it is best to crate him to keep him safe from chewing, going all over the house, etc. You can leave him inside for 30 minute periods but since your puppy is so young, you still need to let him out every 2 hours to prevent accidents.

It's important to devote lots of time and patience. When your puppy makes a mistake, don't be quick to punish because that won't teach them anything.

Good luck!

 

[fawkese1]

hi! i myself am a convert to positive training, it is hard to train yourself not to use methods that "worked" well in the past, but i gaurantee you'll continue to develop a great relationship with your dog if you focus on positive reinforcement instead of corrections. it can be fun to try and think of creative, non-punishment solutions for problem behaviors. for example, when your new pup is playing with your son, set him up for success. don't let your son get too rough with him. this way you won't encourage him to get worked up during play with your son. also, keep plenty of toys around that the dog can bite, if he starts getting "nippy" give him a toy, keep distracting him with things that are appropriate to bite and praising him for doing so.
definately wouldn't do any punishment when it comes to housebreaking either (definately had to learn this lesson myself) you want the dog to learn to go right in front of you, and not to be afraid. when he is afraid of going around you, he'll just go and hide somewhere. my dog will now go on cue (i use "go potty")most of the time, even when he doesn't really have to go too badly.
if you have any other training questions, feel free to ask.
congrats on the new pup! welcome to the forum, and good luck.