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The pit bull Immediately strikes somebody as being a dog of power. Why shouldn't they? Pit bulls have definitely developed a reputation of being an aggressive, hard to train dog. When you hear "pit bull" you don't think of a cute cuddly dog you want to take home to play with your kids. However in the right environment pit bulls can be trained to be very family friendly dogs.

When training any dog there are many things to keep in mind. First being consistent is the key. If your dog is not picking something up maybe you need to try picking a certain time of time day, 2-3 times a day to teach one certain thing. You can't overload your dog. Just like a child they need to take baby steps. One thing at a time. Also you need to be patient, your dog will not learn anything over night. There are many people out there who when training there dog become frustrated to the point of hurting there dogs. The best thing you could do is to work with your dog. If they are not comfortable in there environment they will not open there mind to learn anything.

One of the most important things you need to do with your new puppy is reward the right behavior and not create a bad one. If you reward your dog for getting excited when you walk through the door by petting and praising them what do you think they will do every time you come home? This goes for anything. Think about what you are rewarding your dog for before you do it and if it is going to end up being a problem in the future. They will pick up on things you reward them for.

It's very easy to train your pit bull puppy. It will not happen over night but with time and patients you will have a very friendly well behaved dog. When starting young using treats is a good way to train your new puppy. Pick a time when you can grab a few treats and work on one thing at a time. For example: If you want to teach your dog to sit. Sit down with your puppy a few times and stick to sit. At first you may need to coach them on how to do it, when they do, treat them. After a while don't give them the treat until they do it on there own and then eventually take the treat away all together and substitute it with praise instead. Another good way is to show them good behaviors when they are misbehaving. For example jumping on people. When your dog jumps on a guest tell them NO! Scold them but then show them what the right thing to do is and praise them for it. So if your dog was to jump on your guest the best way to handle it would be to tell them to stop and sit. If they do, praise them for that. Eventually your dog should pick up that he/she is getting scolded for one behavior and praised for another, they should start doing the one they are getting praised for.

There really is no right or wrong way to train your dog. You just need to be consistent, reward the right behavior, watch out for rewarding problem causing behavior and be patient. Nothing will happen over night . Think of your dog like a child, repetition is the key. Pit bulls generally are known for needing a strong hand. This is not the case, the more you challenge a pit bull the more they will want to show you who really is the head of house hold. If you work with your dog and keep an open mind to his/ her environment they will work with you and be eager and ready to please.

Learn more about this author, Meagan Ireland.
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