The information
on this page is to assist owners in managing dogs who do not get
along. Perhaps you acquired same-sex pit bulls and now that they
have matured, they no longer tolerate each other. Maybe you have
a multi-dog household, and two or more of your dogs have recently
been fighting. Or you recently added a pit bull to your home, and
it just isn't working out with the other dogs. Whatever the reason,
we hope that you will be able to safely manage your pets and maintain
them in your home. A pet is a lifetime commitment; re-homing should
be a last resort.
Dog-dog aggression
is common with this breed. A review of the information on these
pages will help you understand why your dogs may not be getting
along:
http://www.pbrc.net/breedinfo.html
http://www.pbrc.net/faq.html
It is important
to recognize this behavior for what it is, and not assume that a)
it will get better b) re-introductions will resolve it or c) that
it is the end of the world. All too frequently, owners get lost
in the "but why" "they used to love each other"
"perhaps if I do X.Y. or Z, it will change." The reality
is that this breed has selectively been bred to be aggressive towards
other dogs. Whether or not your dog previously showed this behavior
is not relevant anymore. You must take action to prevent fights
and maintain the safety of your pets from this point forward.
So, what can
you do now that you have accepted this reality?
CRATING
Many owners of pit bulls crate and rotate their dogs. If your dog
is not currently crate trained, now is the time to get started.
It is important that you get your dog accustomed to the crate and
that you do not use the crate for punishment. Crating your dogs,
as part of a C&R program, is not punishment! It is a way for
you to protect your dog's health and keep him/her safe! You should
always view crating as part of positive, responsible ownership.
If you have not previously crate trained your dog, here are some
crate training links:
http://www.wonderpuppy.net/canwehelp/crate.htm
Make sure you
invest in durable crates, as well as durable toys and chew items
that your dog can enjoy while he/she is being crated. Remember,
you want the dog to view the crate as a positive place, and you
also want the dog to easily follow your cue to be crated. If you
use the crate as punishment, you will have a dog that resists going
into the crate.
Dogs should
not be crated for an overly lengthy period of time. 4-8 hours is
generally recommended.
Some owners
who crate and rotate also find that it is beneficial to feed the
dogs in their crates; feeding in crates not only helps the dogs
to associate the crate with something positive (food), it also helps
reduce the possibility of a fight occurring over resources (food).
Other "trigger"
items such as bones, stuffed Kongs, rawhides, etc. should be given
only in the crates. Many dogs consider these to be high-value items
and worth fighting for. Giving them during crate time only helps
minimize the chance of resource guarding.
GATING
You might also invest in some durable, easy to install baby gates.
These are available in stores, online catalogs, and popular pet
catalogs. You will need to spend time with each dog individually
training him/her to respect the baby gate. Do not let the dogs jump
the baby gate, push them down, chew or paw on them. Barrier training
link:
http://www.shirleychong.com/keepers/archives/barrier.txt
Another tip
for training your dog to respect the barrier is to reinforce the
dog for stopping and waiting before he/she reaches the barrier.
You can do this by rewarding with food/treats, and also by teaching
a "wait" cue. Once the dog has waited in place, you can
release the gate as a reward. What you are teaching the dog here
is that he/she must respect the gate and ask permission to get through.
Never allow the dog to nudge or push the gate over; if he/she does,
immediately place the dog on the other side of the gate. Put him/her
in a sit/stay or "wait" command, then when the dog has
demonstrated appropriate behavior, allow him/her to pass through.
In addition, do not reward a whining or barking dog by opening the
gate for him. The dog should wait quietly until you are ready for
him/her to pass through.
Please keep
in mind that baby gates should never be used as a way to separate
dogs when you are not supervising them or are not present in the
home. Most pit bulls can knock down or chew through a gate given
enough time. However, gating can help create separate areas for
the dogs so that each can be "free" in the home, yet have
their own space.
Remember, while
your dogs are loose, it is important to know where they are, have
the barriers in place prior to letting them out, and to remove all
potential items that could trigger a fight: food bowls, bones, favorite
toys, etc.
SEPARATING
You may find that your dogs need to be crated and separated in different
areas of the house. If the fighting between the dogs has been particularly
intense, separation via both crates and different rooms may be necessary.
If your dogs can tolerate being near each other and not show signs
of aggression, you may be able to crate them individually but in
the same room. If you have a dog that guards the crate (i.e., is
possessive of his/her space), it is advisable to separate them in
different rooms.
ROTATING
Depending on your household schedule and routine, you will need
to come up with a system that works for you. If you have other household
members (roommates, family members), you will also need to take
their schedules into consideration. It is important, too, that once
you have figured out a system, that everyone in the household is
"on board" with the system.
It may take
you weeks or months to get a routine that works for all involved. Once you establish that routine, stick to it. Dogs like routine,
and will learn the "system" faster if you are consistent.
Developing a consistent routine can include: identifying which crates
you will use for which dogs, identifying where the crates are, determining
which rooms they have access to, having scheduled times when they
are out, having scheduled feeding times, etc.
If you have
more than two dogs, it will be important to determine if any of
them can be grouped together appropriately. Knowing which dogs can
be rotated with each other will also be an important part of the
routine. You may find that your dogs need to be rotated separately
for all activities including feeding, exercise, and time with you,
or you might find that if you have multiple dogs, a pair may be
able to be exercised together or spend time with you together.
Additional considerations
for maintaining dogs on a "Crate and Rotate" system include
obedience training and adequate exercise. Dogs who are trained in
basic obedience will be easier to manage within the home. Exercise
helps keep your dogs fit both mentally and physically. It also burns
off excess energy which can help reduce anxiety and tension.
OBEDIENCE
TRAINING
It is extremely important that your dogs become obedience trained.
If you can take each dog separately to a class or work with a trainer,
that will help your dogs and you establish a safe routine that is
followed easily. You can do lots of in-home training as well; there
are many great resources on the web. Training resource links:
http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/index.htm#behaviors
http://www.clickerlessons.com/
NOTE: You
do not need to use a clicker to follow many of the training plans
on the above sites. The clicker is a reward marker; much like your
voice saying "yes!" or "good dog!" You can just
substitute your voice for a click.
Some commands
your dogs should be able to follow consistently, which will allow
for an easier C&R routine:
- come
- sit/stay
- down/stay
- crate command
such as "kennel" "crate" "go to bed"
- "leave
it"
ADEQUATE
EXERCISE
A healthy pit bull needs exercise! How much exercise each individual
dog needs depends on his/her personality, metabolism, and fitness
level. As a general rule, each dog should get a minimum of
30 minutes a day. There are lots of ways to exercise your pit bull:
- Is your dog
a retriever? Playing fetch or Frisbee is a great exercise activity!
If your dog doesn't know how to retrieve, now's a good time to
teach it!
- Long walks
or if you are a jogger, take the dog running with you!
- Consider
purchasing a K-9 cruiser and taking your dog bicycling you!
Mental exercise
can also tire a dog out while giving him/her something to do, a
chance to learn, and also have positive interactions with the owner.
Consider doing short training sessions with your dog(s). Practice
some obedience or teach a new trick or task. Remember that dogs
learn best if the sessions are short (5-10 minutes) and upbeat!
By Andrea Kilkenny
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