[motherlove3]

hey,
i just got a pitbull her name is booboo and she is abouta year old. she came froma abussive home. she has been really great she has been threw 3 homes that i know of. she is very well behaved. but i have 3 small children and even though we have had no problems so far i want to know the signs to look for that thier is a problem. she is scared of men,quick movements and loud noises. but she does not act deffensive. she ducks down trys to hide or runs straight for me and tries to hide. nearly taking me off my feet. any advice as to what to look for and what to do. i love this dog and i want to keep her so getting ride of her is out of the question unless it becomes something i think is serious help i would love the advice thank you

[bullybear47]

Hey, congratulations on being a pit owner. Is this your first one? well first and foremost I think its important to say that she is still a pup at a year old. That mixed with the fact that she is new to your home and came from an abbusive one would all be reasons for her to be jumpy. But as young as she is you can reverse her behavior with a lot of love and nurturing. Don't forget to discipline her though. She needs to always know that someone else rules the roost. I would discipline her mostly verbaly. I doubt she will react well to phisical punishment coming from an abussive home. I would watch her around the kids mostly, I'm sure thats what you are most worried about. Kids can do some pretty poor things to dogs not because they are mean but because they don't know any better. She will probably learn to love the kids and guard them like her own. Most do. Make sure the kids aren't scared of her, she will never be comfortable around them if they are. I really hate to say it but I think that if she still acts the same way in a couple of months then she might need a new home. It has been my experience that a jumpy dog especially one coming from where she has can bite. I am sure she will act much more comfortable though once she has become accustomed to your home. Well good luck!

[Zoe]

I foster new dogs all the time and have kids. What I do with the new fosters is keep them baby gated in whatever room I am in, that way I can monitor their behavior with the kids and such. If I can't attend to them, I crate them. Just make sure you aren't "comforting" her when she acts scared or she will think you are praising her for the behavior. Just ignore her when she acts scared, and praise her when she acts brave. Coddling or babying a dog can have really horrid effects. I'd definitely practice NILIF with her as well. It will help her know her place and she will feel more secure knowing her place. Make sure your kids respect her space as well. You don't want them to overwhelm her. My rule here with kids and dogs is if someone is uncomfortable {including me!}, whatever is going on ends, with a time out, or a redirection. Really pay attention to her body language, teach the kids what her body language means so no one is pushing her past her comfort zone while she settles in, and monitor them all 100%.

http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

[johnnyoops]

Your dog needs to be assured that all men are not evil and going to abuse her. I think after such a rough start to her life being abused, only enough time and training will help your dogs state of mind. Be very carefull though because she is acting out of fear and that could lead to very bad situations such as HA. Just take it day by day, showing your dog that there is nothing to fear in your home. Have a male with good energy work with your girl and yourself to reassure her that there is nothing to fear. This will take lots of time to rehabilitate your dog but she'll most likely come around and get much better once you and male figures can gain her trust.

[BrindlePibbleMom]

Originally Posted by bullybear47 Hey, congratulations on being a pit owner. Is this your first one? well first and foremost I think its important to say that she is still a pup at a year old. That mixed with the fact that she is new to your home and came from an abbusive one would all be reasons for her to be jumpy. But as young as she is you can reverse her behavior with a lot of love and nurturing. Don't forget to discipline her though. She needs to always know that someone else rules the roost. I would discipline her mostly verbaly. I doubt she will react well to phisical punishment coming from an abussive home. I would watch her around the kids mostly, I'm sure thats what you are most worried about. Kids can do some pretty poor things to dogs not because they are mean but because they don't know any better. She will probably learn to love the kids and guard them like her own. Most do. Make sure the kids aren't scared of her, she will never be comfortable around them if they are. I really hate to say it but I think that if she still acts the same way in a couple of months then she might need a new home. It has been my experience that a jumpy dog especially one coming from where she has can bite. I am sure she will act much more comfortable though once she has become accustomed to your home. Well good luck!

I'm new here and not trying to offend. But some of these assertions and suggestions make me nervous. I have a fearful Bully and have unfortunately learned first-hand and through a great deal of research that this is not something you can nurture or love out of a dog.

With three children in the house there's absolutely no room for error. If you are committed to keeping this dog, I'd consult with a behaviorist familiar with Pit Bulls ASAP. And I also have to disagree with the assertion that the dog will "guard" your children like one of its own. A Pit Bull of correct temperament should not be guarding anyone.

After getting her spayed, start her on a non-confrontational dominance program immediately. http://www.pbrc.net/training_nfl.html


I personally don't believe in "correction" as a method of training. Especially with a fearful Pit Bull. You will have much greater success in earning this dog's trust through positive reinforcement training.

I wish you all the best, I really do. I know what its like to love a fearful dog, but I also know the risks. If you decide not to keep her, I wouldn't consider re homing a Pit Bull with this temperament. As I would do with my own, if you decide she is unmanageable, the best thing for her and the breed would be to have her humanely euthanized.

[BrindlePibbleMom]

I quoted the wrong person, I am very sorry! Still trying to figure out this forum.

[PNWPBR]

Originally Posted by BrindlePibbleMom I quoted the wrong person, I am very sorry! Still trying to figure out this forum.

That is more than ok.


Great solid advice though!

Originally Posted by BrindlePibbleMom I have a fearful Bully and have unfortunately learned first-hand and through a great deal of research that this is not something you can nurture or love out of a dog.

Yes and no .

It depends on the dog and the circumstances (but you're right about the loving part, no amount of love alone will address an issue!). If we're talking about learned behavior, yes, that can be addressed and usually overcome. But genetics? Not so much, they can be managed at best, but never "fixed". I get a lot of people with tweaky dogs who say to me "My poor dog simply MUST have been abused!".
Umm, no, your dog just came from the shallow end of the gene pool.

Unfortunately about 80% of the dogs I see with fear/fear aggro are genetic, not nurture, and quite frankly, I've met more dogs who have indeed come from cruelty cases that had stellar temperaments more often than not, simply because their inherent genetics were fine. Plus most dogs who do have learned fear issues rarely have aggression to go with it, their flight or fight response is highly geared to flight, while dogs with genetic fear issues are prone to a fight response because of high cortisol releases (J.A Serpell, "Adrenal Response Study in Companion Animals" April, 2006).

[BrindlePibbleMom]

I agree, huskylove. Thanks for clarifying.

[nikkifilippis]

i think with positive reinforcement training this pup can make it.if she is comfortable enough to come to you when she is scared then you have the upper hand to help her.congratulations you now have a new child.she will look to you for guidance.she needs to settle into her new surroundings.most of all...NEVER leave her unattended with those children!i don't know how young they are but an innocent tug the wrong way may make her defensive,especially if you are not in sight to assure her it is ok.bathroom break?if you can't crate her then let her tag along....i let my girl in...she just gives kisses while i talk to her and she loves watching the toilet flush.one of my dogs was abused...she is very skiddish.she has gotten alittle better.she isn't a biter,just a hider and barker.but at the same time she snuggles and loves to play with us and the other dogs.she should not be punished by death for what a human did to her.if she feels a connection to you enough to seek comfort when she is frightened then she still has that craving for human interaction.this dog is in a delicate state,hopefully she will learn to trust other humans again.in the meantime she trusts you.please say you won't give up on her!