When I get email’s or phone calls from people who proclaim their dog is “untrainable” or “stupid” I have to bite my tongue and attempt to explain that it is extremely rare for a dog to be untrainable. Any Pit Bull can be trained with the exception of vicious dogs, in this case I am not for training but for putting the dog down to ensure everyone’s safety.
A biting Pit Bull is an unsound (unstable) Pit Bull and is not showing the correct temperament for the breed. No free passes, no exceptions, and no letting up.
Back to the point…
Pit Bulls are smart, quick to learn, and need mental stimulation. Without it, they start to develop issues like jumping, barking, digging and other problem behaviors that can easily result in them being surrendered to a shelter or dumped on the street.
When people proclaim, “My Pit Bull is untrainable” I silently smile and think, no, you are untrainable the dog is probably fine. In short…
You, as the trainer/guardian of the dog are not getting your point across to the dog effectively
For more proof there is a woman here in Kentucky who trained a dog who is both blind and deaf. He is a well behaved, trained dog. I have seen some fully trained dogs that aren’t has sharp as this dog is. Through touch and smell the dog has learned the sit, down, recall and other basic obedience commands.
When you think your dog is untrainable or you are having trouble with your dog sit down, breathe, and think about what you are trying to teach the dog. More importantly think about how you are trying to teach the dog.
Odds are the dog is not communicating with you effectively and you are not communicating with your dog effectively either. This causes the dog to become frustrated and act out during training and hurts your efforts.
Your Pit Bull and Training
Next time you are working with your dog really think about why he/she isn’t responding. Is it because you become frustrated and your dog picks up on that frustration? Maybe you are speaking in a harsh tone and loudly (speak in a normal voice they can hear you fine).
You might not have a firm grasp on exactly what you want to teach your dog and you are confusing him or her. In the end, there are many reasons your dog is not responding to your methods. You have to figure out what you are doing wrong before you can effectively teach your dog anything.
