[BusterAmStaff]

OK here is my question along the same line my Buster is an 8-9 month old pit and we have a 3yr old American Bulldog intact female. It seems he has been slowly coming into his I have the Jewels in this house phase. He has been showing PA and DA. And it seems he wants to seclude himself from the whole house. We have alot of people in a smallish home. He has even gotten to where he will not let me pet him below his collar? As well as staking the entire upstairs for himself. How do I get him past this phase? What is the right way to deal with the aggression? I have never owned a male let alone a male pit. Up until now he has been the best puppy I could have dreamed of having! Smart and sweet as sugar.

 

[Blue_Nose_Bella]

EDIT: I will copy and paste my response to you here from the other thread as well

I would start your own thread so you will get more responses but if your boy is showing dominance then your going to have a problem if you don't nip it in the butt now with a good trainer. If you have an intact bitch in the home you are asking for trouble and as he matures if you have no plans neutering him then he could really start showing more aggression especially when he starts smelling a bitch in heat in the home. Why is your bitch not spayed? Do you plan on spaying her? Pyometra isn't anything to chance because the older they get the more chance of them contracting the infection. I hope one dog or both are getting fixed eventually or you could also have an accidental litter which the world doesn't need as well Not saying you aren't responsible but accidents do happen. Also if your male is showing HA or PA as you say then most people would agree that he should be PTS especially where he is a young pup. I've owned an HA dog in the past he was a cattle dog but he loved his family and never showed any aggression towards us. If he did I wouldn't have thought twice about putting him to sleep. To much of a risk/responsibility when you own a HA dog but even more of a risk if they want to bite the hands that feed them. Aslo, with two bulldogs in the home I hope you plan on crating and rotating if he is also showing DA. I would never leave them unattended and crate both of them when no one is home. Even having the opposites of sex in a two dog home is no guarantee that they will always get along.

 

[BusterAmStaff]

LMAO you so funny I was hoping you would actually! :thumbsup:

 

[BusterAmStaff]

EDIT: I will copy and paste my response to you here from the other thread as well

I would start your own thread so you will get more responses but if your boy is showing dominance then your going to have a problem if you don't nip it in the butt now with a good trainer. If you have an intact bitch in the home you are asking for trouble and as he matures if you have no plans neutering him then he could really start showing more aggression especially when he starts smelling a bitch in heat in the home. Why is your bitch not spayed? Do you plan on spaying her? Pyometra isn't anything to chance because the older they get the more chance of them contracting the infection. I hope one dog or both are getting fixed eventually or you could also have an accidental litter which the world doesn't need as well Not saying you aren't responsible but accidents do happen. Also if your male is showing HA or PA as you say then most people would agree that he should be PTS especially where he is a young pup. I've owned an HA dog in the past he was a cattle dog but he loved his family and never showed any aggression towards us. If he did I wouldn't have thought twice about putting him to sleep. To much of a risk/responsibility when you own a HA dog but even more of a risk if they want to bite the hands that feed them. Aslo, with two bulldogs in the home I hope you plan on crating and rotating if he is also showing DA. I would never leave them unattended and crate both of them when no one is home. Even having the opposites of sex in a two dog home is no guarantee that they will always get along.

So to continue what I was relying lol both dogs are separated when no one is home Buster has his Crate and Dollie is on the couch downstairs Fatty sleeps the whole time we are gone. There is a door separating the 2 levels of the house so it is very easy to keep them apart. As for the HA he just is acting like a dummy and trying to be alpha male and pushing his limits because it is only a little growling at us when we pet him below his collar. He has never even tried to bite. That is why I am forcing the trainer on these men who don't listen! lol And forcing the Snip Snip. I adore this puppy and I have fallen head over heals for the breed itself. However would never let an "accidental" litter to be born because there are way too many pits that need homes. For the record what is PTS?

 

[ThaLadyPit]

PTS is short for Put To Sleep, or euthanize. Whether you let the accidental litter be born or not is not really the point here. It's taking the precautions necessary so you don't ever have to go that route in the first place. It does sound like puberty and teenage rebellion. As for him growling when you pet him below the collar... I would check him out and make sure there's nothing physically/medically wrong, as I've never experienced that issue even with my most dominant males I've owned. Something doesn't sound right, and I would want to make sure that everything's on the up and up before proceeding with training or a behaviorist. Eliminate all possible reasons other than bad manners first.

I'd offer more advice, but I want to know the results of a full vet exam first to make sure he doesn't have any blockages in his intestines or internal pain of any kind before we proceed. You may not be aware that something is wrong, as this breed doesn't tend to show pain as quickly as some others. But, a warning sign would be him growling when you attempt to pet the affected area. Best of luck to you, and I hope everything works out for you.

 

[Blue_Nose_Bella]

Yes, definitely take him for a vet visit as ladypit said and get him checked out. Did he just suddenly start growling recent? Or has he been doing it for awhile? Is there any other instances where he is growling other than the petting under his collar area?

 

[BusterAmStaff]

I have told these guys the same thing about having him checked by a vet to make sure he is ok. I do have to say it AGAIN because living in a house full of ummmmm Jewels (if you understand) lol it is hard to make the bosses voice (me) heard. For the record my hubby and I and his 2 grown sons as well as a 13 yr old grandson (joy o joy) all live together with the 2 dogs and 2 guinea pigs! Dollie and I are the only females. Fun times I tell ya! lol

 

[BusterAmStaff]

Yes he growls when he is tired and doesn't want anyone touching him now when he is trying to go to sleep. Unless I rub his head and play with his ears. My Buster thinks having his head rubbed and scratched by me is bliss lol and he has been doing it to stake his claim over things. Teenage issues I am imagining. Having never owned a pit before I am just making sure from other owners it isnt something that will stay with him.

 

[Blue_Nose_Bella]

Yeah good luck getting all those "jewels" to snip snip as you said the male if they haven't even spayed the bitch yet! Lol! However, if a pup is growling like that i wouldn't just shrug it off as "teenage" maturing issues. Growling for reasons like just being petted isn't a good reason to be growling! Period! JMO but if he were my dog growling at me for stupid reasons and the vet found nothing wrong with him he would be PTS. If he gets health cleared by the vet then the older he gets he may get worse and start snapping eventually thats why a trainer and vet app is a must ASAP!

 

[ames]

Just woke up so I might be confused. . What is PA????

 

[Blue_Nose_Bella]

People aggression

 

[angelbaby]

Can you explain better what is aggressive to you? what exactly is he doing? showing teeth? growling? biting? if its just growling I dont look at that as HA its something that needs an attitude adjustment but i wouldnt call it HA. and staking the upstairs for himself? sounds like he runs the house and has no boundarys. If he was mine he would be in a crate and having to earn free time , i would also have him on a leash in the house so you can correct this or anything else that needs correcting. Just sounds like there are no boundarys for him. If this is more aggressive snarling, biting showing teeth ect I would deff have a vet trip done and if its clear nothing wrong I would PTS { some people choose to keep HA dogs but the average person has no buisness with one, one small slip up can be horrific and not worth the risk when there are so many non HA dogs out there needing homes}. Also { i only skimmed this but is there a litter on the way from him?} If he turns out to be truly HA I would terminate the pregnancy or cull the pups once born HA can be due to gentics and taking pups from an HA dad and placing in other peoples homes is irrisponsible and can end in a law suit for you even if something happens down the line. { If I read it wrong and there isnt a litter , ignore the last part}.

 

[BusterAmStaff]

My house is a split foyer so I have two floors. The downstairs is where my hubby's oldest son and his dog Dollie stays. I didn't realize I needed to set boundaries? Both dogs and people run all over the house. Having 2 living rooms and 2 sets of living room furniture the dogs have always shared all the spaces. (except bedrooms) As for HA its just growling I have not seen teeth towards either human or dog. Maybe it is the wrong phrasing? I do not feel in danger oof him biting anyone he is too nice. Just a bit of growls coming from him when he doesn't like something or showing his butt. O and no no puppys on the way Dollie doesn't go into heat for another month and a half. And even then we plan on keeping them on separate levels to avoid any accidents.

 

[angelbaby]

Oh , for the growling some are vocal but if he is doing when he " doesnt like something " lol sounds like attitude. Id put a choke chain on and have him on leash when he does it give him a quick pop { going through similar thing with one of my brats, works great} they learn quick and dont want the pop, us a Shhhh or NO or something as well , get after him every time he does that . And some dogs do well just sharing the home and being allowed on furniture where others get the idea that they run the house and need those boundarys set . I would stop allowing him to do as he likes for furniture if you allow him on make it so he can only come up when invited, ont let him help himself. If he guards the upstairs part when others want up there remove him , make him go to the lower level or crate him. Just make him work for everything. Can even make him work for his meals too, does he get alot or enough exercise as well?

 

[BusterAmStaff]

The choke chain sounds like excellent advice! I am getting dollie's choker right now. He does have a pillow on the floor so he mainly stays there or he goes downstairs to nap. I do believe he needs more excerise so our play time is going to start including long walks through the woods and EVERYTIME he growls he gets a very firm NO! After he growls and and hears that no he starts sucking up and wiggle butting around and licking me like i spilled beggin strips all over me. As for allowing anyone upstairs his issue is Dollie not the humans with that. He doesn't want her on "his" stuff. I do make him work for almost everything to the point if he knows he might get water or food or yummys he starts throwing the tricks at you.