Fearful Pitbull Puppy

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NK13 My pitbull puppy is 5mths old and is a scared nervous dog. I have had her since she was 12wks old and I knew the day I got her that something didnt seem right with her because usually puppies are happy go lucky but she wasnt like that. I think the people I got her from either done something to her or never let her outside to explore the world. I did notice the day I brought her home that she has a scar on the left side of her face under her eye not sure how that happen maybe another dog got her. I have been trying to socialize her with as many people as possible and other dogs. I have talked to a behaviorist who said she would be good in a home with another dog that was confident to help build up hers. So I did recently get another puppy who seems confident but sort of submissive and my pit puppy tends to dominant him even tho he is twice her size. She seems to be getting better, but she is still weary of teenage boys and men. She is fine with my fiance but ever other man she meets she growls, barks, and tries to hide behind us. She is always scared of certain noises outside to, if she sees a shadow of a person she barks, she is really bad at the door when we have people come over to visit she charges to the door barking and all her barking always scares my friends children so I usually crate her while I have company over. I have had pit mixes before and they were never like her they were so friendly with everyone she sort of scares me with this fearful behavior because she is just a puppy now, but how will she be as a adult thats what scares me. Could she ever grow out of this behavior? Is there anything else I could try to do for her? TIA #1 · May 20, 2013 My pitbull puppy is 5mths old and is a scared nervous dog. I have had her since she was 12wks old and I knew the day I got her that something didnt seem right with her because usually puppies are happy go lucky but she wasnt like that. I think the people I got her from either done something to her or never let her outside to explore the world. I did notice the day I brought her home that she has a scar on the left side of her face under her eye not sure how that happen maybe another dog got her. I have been trying to socialize her with as many people as possible and other dogs. I have talked to a behaviorist who said she would be good in a home with another dog that was confident to help build up hers. So I did recently get another puppy who seems confident but sort of submissive and my pit puppy tends to dominant him even tho he is twice her size. She seems to be getting better, but she is still weary of teenage boys and men. She is fine with my fiance but ever other man she meets she growls, barks, and tries to hide behind us. She is always scared of certain noises outside to, if she sees a shadow of a person she barks, she is really bad at the door when we have people come over to visit she charges to the door barking and all her barking always scares my friends children so I usually crate her while I have company over. I have had pit mixes before and they were never like her they were so friendly with everyone she sort of scares me with this fearful behavior because she is just a puppy now, but how will she be as a adult thats what scares me. Could she ever grow out of this behavior? Is there anything else I could try to do for her? TIA See less See more Sort by Oldest first Oldest first Newest first Most reactions #2 · May 20, 2013 Unfortunately, pit bulls are very rarely well bred. By "well bred", I mean the breeder carefully and with a great deal of thought, put together sire and dam to create puppies that are physically and temperamentally as perfect as they can be. (A member named Xeph has, at the moment, 6 German Shepherd Dogs that are examples of this.) Pit bulls are just put together randomly to make money or just because people couldn't be bothered to prevent it. This sometimes results in dogs with unfortunate temperaments, like yours. She was likely born fearful, so don't feel guilty or blame anyone other than the person who bred her parents or allowed them to breed. Not all is lost, though. She'll never be the most confident of dogs, but you can help her be less afraid. First of all, even one session with a good, positive behaviorist could really help. iaabc.org is the place to look. There's also fearfuldogs.com. Check out kikopup on youtube. She has great lessons on counter conditioning and commands like "touch", which help with fear. You have to stay with positive methods, though. Punishments, prong collars, leash pops, anything that frightends, surprises or causes pain will just make this worse. ETA: Sometimes medication is necessary. Dogs can take Prozac and anti anxiety drugs, and for some dogs, it's the only answer. Don't be afraid to ask your vet about it and give it a try. #3 · May 20, 2013 Amaryllis gives good overall advice. I'll just add a few things to consider. Puppies, even confident ones, can regress some to being a little nervous before they mature and get their confidence back. There are several "fear stages" for puppies where it is really important that all their interactions and experiences be positive and happy and confidence building. It is very possible that before you got her, she had some traumatic times that stuck with her. The good thing is she is young and you can work with her. If she is fearful of males, invite one male friend over at a time to sit near by and ignore her while casually tossing a very tasty treat (like TINY bits of chicken, cheese, hot dog) and let her approach if she chooses to. When someone comes to visit, try leashing her up and sitting away from the door (but within sight of the door) and feeding her little treats. Teach "Look at me" so that you can gain her attention around things that make her nervous. Crating her when company comes over is fine for now, it can make her feel safe. Try giving her a treat (you give it, not the guests) every now and then while people are visiting so she can associate people with good things.

I have talked to a behaviorist who said she would be good in a home with another dog that was confident to help build up hers. So I did recently get another puppy who seems confident but sort of submissive and my pit puppy tends to dominant him even tho he is twice her size. Click to expand...

Okay, while I sort of agree that being around another confident dog can help a fearful puppy, it is generally a bad idea to have two young pups at the same time and generally a bad idea to get a second dog unless the owner truly wants a second dog for them, not for the first dog. So depending on how the advice was worded, I'd wonder some about this behaviourist. However, it sounds like she was saying that spending time with a confident dog would be good rather than telling you to go get another puppy. Here's a good resource for fearful or reactive dogs: Functional Rewards- Behavior Adjustment Training #4 · May 20, 2013 Thanks for the advice! Shell: We got another dog because we did want another one but also thought it would help our other puppy because we dont have any close friends or family that have a dog. #5 · May 20, 2013 In addition, to what Amaryllis and Shell said, look up socialization ... and start slowly with men, children, and even the noises she fears. #6 · May 20, 2013 I agree with Amaryllis that you need to stick to positive training methods. Like Amarylis said, Kikopup is amazing, and her videos have helped my fearful dog Marley come so far! If you are looking for books, I would recommend: http://www.amazon.com/Behavior-Adjustment-Training-Frustration-Aggression/dp/1617810509 http://www.amazon.com/Click-Calm-Healing-Aggressive-Clicker/dp/1890948209 http://www.amazon.com/Scaredy-Understanding-Rehabilitating-Your-Reactive/dp/0976641402 These books have also been very helpful for me and Marley. Here is a god Kikopup video ("Let's Go") that may be helpful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo-L2qtD7MQ This will take a lot of time, love, and patience, but she can overcome her fears with your help! Insert Quotes Post Reply

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