Just adopted a 4y.o. Pocket Pitbull - a bully breed and she's bad with other dogs - how to socialize?

[saramoore87]

I recently adopted a 4 year old Pocket Pitbull (pitbull mix). She's great with people, doesn't mind strangers or kids, but as is typical for this breed she's a BULLY. Adoption paperwork described her as 'obsessive' with other dogs but I think that's understating it.

We live in the city, and I don't have a yard, so in order to get her exercise I need to walk her around the neighborhood or take her to the park. Lots of dogs on the streets around here and if they're about her size or smaller she gets real excited and wants to go over. I have a soft muzzle if necessary but I would like to somewhat be able to pass another dog without fear she's going to outmaneuver me and bite. Sometimes it seems like a playful lunge, sometimes not, but very often a lunge and occasionally I just have to pick her up to get her to move.

Anybody with pocket pit or pitbull experience got any suggestions? Of course I'd like to just move to the countryside and have her run around but I'm in the city for now. Is there a way to improve her behavior with other dogs, or is it too late now that she's an adult? Any advice appreciated.

 

[tmarie123]

@saramoore87 Check out r/reactivedogs for a lot of useful information.

 

[saramoore87]

@tmarie123 thanks!

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@saramoore87 Remember most dogs sense fear. If you are tense and afraid she WILL feel it and have a bigger reaction. I think you should start small and maybe have a doggy play date but with your dog in one room and the other dog outside the door.
I'm not a trainer but I hope it works. Best of luck.

 

[saramoore87]

@imagebeastmarkbeast I usually try to distract her without seeming concerned myself but yes I could improve on this. Tough with the snow packs on every corner and having to wait for street lights when a dog/owner is crossing an intersection. Interesting idea with the window, might try that.

 

[bbarb]

@saramoore87 I have a reactive pitbull rescue, ~6 years old.

When she sees another dog on the street, she gets really obsessively excited and looks like she wants to play, but the moment she's within 6 feet of the other dog she goes into defensive/cautious mode. When she actually makes contact with the other dog, she'll boop noses, and then show dominance / defensive body language. High head/shoulders, sharp bark / snarl if the other dog makes any sudden movement or barks at her. I think she doesn't really know what to do after she meets the dog.

We've done a ton of research on this and have worked with a few trainers. All have said that training on your own can only get so far, because the dogs meeting on the street are an extremely unsafe and uncontrolled environment. You could end up making her worse if you meet a dog that causes a negative experience for her. The most you can probably do is to try to redirect her attention to you while she's in the presence of another dog. Easier said than done because if they are within 6 feet, she gets obsessive and won't even look at us or hear our commands.

I heard that boarding school may work, as she'll work simultaneously with other trainers and dogs in a controlled environment. But we decided that it was too expensive for us, without guaranteed success.

Instead, we opted to just try to train her ourselves to at least be calmer when she sees dogs on the street. We never allow her to get within 6 feet. If we see a dog coming down the sidewalk, we'll cross the street, have her sit and watch the other dog from across the street and give her plenty of treats. It has actually worked quite well, she no longer gets obsessively excited and is trained to look towards us for guidance (and treats). This is good enough for us.

 

[saramoore87]

@bbarb This is extremely helpful, thank you. Particularly, that last bit about making her sit and rewarding with treats for patiently watching another dog from a distance. If she can actually be distracted once she spots one! haha, that's an issue so far, because she kind of lasers in. I feel the 6 feet thing will likely always be true for my dog as well, and boarding school is beyond our budget. Thank you for taking the time to respond, it's encouraging to hear that while this behavior presents challenges, it can be managed with work and time.

 

[bbarb]

@saramoore87 Yeah of course. We worked with a great trainer for the first few months after we adopted her. She told us that the most she could do is give us the tools to control the anxiety and redirect the pup's attention. Sometimes I do get bummed that she won't ever be a dog that can just casually say hi to other dogs on the street. But then I realize that half of the dogs in the neighborhood are also dog-reactive lol, so it wouldn't matter.

 

[lietuva]

@saramoore87 That fear never goes away with these dogs. Even well socialized ones you get at 8 weeks can still have dog aggression problems, and sometimes out of nowhere. They can do 2 legs well in most cases, but they don't tend to like 4 legs. That's not to say you shouldn't even bother with trying to socialize her with other animals, but have realistic expectations. It's not a border collie. You can look into doggie daycare or obedience classes where she'd get some help but they might end up sending her home if she can't behave.

 

[saramoore87]

@lietuva aye aye, preparing mentally for this to be a constant issue, but thanks

 

[soonerphil]

@saramoore87 Training I’m sure would help, and if you can doggy day care may be a option just let the staff know in advance...and then if you can doggy dates

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@saramoore87 By “these dogs” do you mean bully breeds?