My rescued pit bull mix puppy jumps and spins aggressively when she's over excited and needs to potty

[aquietvoice]

My approximately 10-month-old pitty mix is gentle, sweet, and generally chill. The only exception is when we're on a walk and she has to potty. She takes F O R E V E R to potty when we're outside (another issue for another day). And at any indication we're going home, or if she gets distracted / otherwise stimulated, she freaks the f—k out by spinning and jumping in crazy circles. It seems to be specifically when she hasn't used the bathroom and interacts with a person or a dog, or when I start to bring her home.

I've only had her for a week, but I do want to nip this dangerous and disconcerting behavior in the bud. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[spiribala]

@aquietvoice How's her exercise? Not saying it's the only thing that may be the cause, but she might just need to run more unless she runs plenty already. If you have a bike, get a harness and have her pull/run while you're riding. Aside from that I'm not sure how else to help you so I hope someone else has a lot more that can help you

 

[aquietvoice]

@spiribala This is super helpful, thank you! We haven't been going on long walks because her spay incision is still healing, so that could definitely be a part of it. I can't wait until she's recovered so she can get the exercise she deserves!

 

[spiribala]

@aquietvoice Ahhh yes yes yes, that makes a bit more sense, I don't know the threshold for our furry family's pain, but maybe it's a bit painful to push (if they push like we do, which I'm assuming they do) because of the healing incision. Possibly a bit tender so it's a mix of little pain and energy. Of course, just a theory. Regardless I hope she heals quickly and settles a bit after exercising more

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@aquietvoice Seems like it would be worth it to just hire a dog trainer. Better to do it right with a trainer so you can nip it in the bud than to try and fix in on your own imo.

 

[nadiac3]

@aquietvoice I have a pittie foster who's just over a year old with similar behavior, different triggers. He starts biting at the leash/spinning/nipping /jumping type behaviors either when the leash first goes on or when the walk is almost over & he knows it. I emailed with a trainer and she confirmed this is pretty common in adolescent dogs and suggested more frequent but shorter walks until he's a bit older. Her recommendation was to try 'down shifting' to help him get his emotions and behavior in check. Before he starts acting up start asking him to sit and reward with high value treat, take a few steps and repeat until he's in a safe zone. Extend the time between treats as gets better.

We've made good progress with this, he takes pretty short walks long enough to do his business then we head home immediately. Do lots of positive reinforcement training in the house and yard for mental exercise and then he gets to play fetch to burn of excess energy. He's still not perfect and has his moments but I feel more in control now.

Curious if others have advice on this too!

 

[aquietvoice]

@nadiac3 This is brilliant advice, thank you so much!