Pitbull's aggression towards other dogs is arguably the most common form of aggression shown by the dog. It is not uncommon for a Pitbull to get aggressive toward an unknown dog, or other dogs in the home, as a Pitbull often feels the need to protect his territory. If your Pitbull shows excessive aggressive behavior towards other dogs, then he is putting herself in a position where he could suffer or inflict a potentially fatal injury. Ultimately, this could result in a lawsuit or animal control taking your pet away.
In fact, not all Pitbull like the interaction and sociality of other dogs. Some of them are dominant and they do not want to share their space and their life including their family and home, while others are defensive, shy and scared. We say this like social anxiety disorder in people when people are almost phobic to be at a party or in a situation with big amounts of people. But, curing Pitbull aggression toward other dogs is very possible. The issue is that most Pitbull owners want their dogs to be social, and ignore the warning signs of the dog aggression. Even though some Pitbulls can be socialized and learn to appreciate the company of other dogs, in severe cases some Pitbulls need to be taught how to control their feelings toward other dogs.
Pitbull Aggression Towards Other Dogs: Fix It In These Steps
Some Pitbulls are genetically programmed to be dog aggressive. For example, a Pitbull might see smaller faster running dogs as prey to hunt. Other breeds such as some of the larger terriers have been bred to fight other dogs, with some natural aggressive behavior. Even, some dogs are more aggressive than they would normally be.
- Make Space or Block the Other Dog
You are able to do this by moving across the road or into a driveway, and waiting for the other dog to pass. Also, you may move your Pitbull behind a barrier, for example a car. If there are no barriers available, you are able to try blocking the dog’s view with your body. By doing so, you will avoid a head-on which is more confrontational. We have tried all of these blocking techniques, however what works best for us is to make space, and quickly move past the other dog. Whenever we wait for the other dog to pass, our Pitbull uses that time to start obsessing.
- Make Neutral Experiences
You are able to try making as many neutral dog-to-dog meeting experiences as possible. If every time your Pitbull sees another dog, you only pass by and nothing interesting happens. Being consistent with neutral greetings is going to build your Pitbull’s confidence. Through repetition, you are able to teach him how to behave and how not to behave (get over-excited, lunge, frustrated, and pull). He will be more calm as he is not waiting in anticipation of a highly charged encounter, either for confrontation or for play.
- Protect Your Pitbull from Rude Dogs and Rude People
If people with weak energy want to meet your Pitbull, ask them nicely to please move on, because your Pitbulls are easily excitable. It is fine to let a Pitbull meet people with calm energy, but you have to make sure to let them know how to best meet your Pitbull. In particular, you have to turn away when he jumps, no quick movements, and no petting from above.
- Keep Greetings Short and Sweet
While greeting another dog, you may want to positively interrupt your Pitbull and get him to refocus on you. Please do this as many times as necessary, so that your Pitbull does not get over-excited, and lose control of himself. If your dog is too obsessed to move away and is strongly standing his ground, then you have waited too long to initiate the interrupt. Also, positive interrupts are useful for dealing with human greetings, and getting your Pitbull away from a dirty or unsuitable area.
- Be Aware of Aggression Triggers
Some Pitbull dogs have a natural look which may appear dominant (ears up, tail up, hair out). This dominant look can instigate other dogs to respond in kind, and also start posturing. The conflicts may happen. If neither dog is willing to back down, this can lead to a dog fight. If you are unsure about a dog greeting, just move on. It is better to be safe than sorry. Please be aware that your Pitbull’s natural look may trigger a reaction.
- Desensitize your Pitbull to Other Dogs
Frequently your Pitbull dog overloads quickly and becomes reactive, as the other dog is too close, is hyper, is staring, or is charging toward you. In the desensitization process, you are able to do some training in a quiet and enclosed environment. Please start with a very weak version of the issue stimulus. In terms of reactivity toward other dogs, you are able to use distance to weaken its effect. In this case, you are also able to weaken the strength of your Pitbull’s reaction, so that he will be calm enough to listen and learn. This is very necessary to make opportunities where you are able to begin to teach your Pitbull to be calm and relaxed, while in the presence of another dog.
Causes of Pitbull Aggression Towards Other Dogs
Talking about stopping your Pitbull's aggression toward other dogs, now we also want to share the information about causes of Pitbull aggression towards other dogs. Apparently, there are some factors that can cause a Pitbull to be aggressive toward other dogs.
- The dog may have been neglected or abused in the past.
- The dog may never have been socialized with other dogs when he was a puppy.
In some cases, adult Pitbulls that are rescued from dog fighting operations can have aggressive behavior toward other dogs, or he may have experienced a traumatic encounter with another dog in his youth. Also, painful medical conditions can cause the dog’s irritability.
