my dog is being a jerk

Pixie Walden

Pixie Walden

New member
Another dog thread,
I have a 1 year old pit hound mix, male, who i do not plan on geting fixed ,
Ive had him on the rails since he was a pup and he has always been very goofy and nice with other dogs, then his balls dropped, now every time he meets a new dog he has his tail up, when he meets other male dogs for the first time he will growl, he hasn't been too bad other then just generally being rude to new dogs , he has never tried to snap at or attack another dog, he is just being rude and a bit over protective, i think the fact that he is always with me and outside has a lot to do with it, anyone else ever had this problem? should i be worried?
 
alpha dog. hes trying to show dominance over other dogs and people because hes got his hang dangs still. i doubt the problem will stop without serious training or just getting him fixed.
 
just let him play with a pack of dogs for a couple weeks they put eachother in their place, do most of the training for you
 
Before I begin, just let me say dogs are kind of my "thing". I'm part of several dog forums, have been active in dog rescue for the past 15 years, and had read several books on canine psychology and behavior in my spare time. So, I'm not just talking out of my ass here.

Here's a fun but little known fact: there is no such thing as "alpha dogs" or dominance in dogs as we think. Infact, the scientist who coined the term "alpha" made a statement a while back that he regrets it. The study that made the foundation of canine behavior as we know it today is extremely out dated. It was based on a wolf study done during the 1940's where scientists took a bunch of random adult wolves that didn't know each other and stuck them in a pen together to be observed. The wolf that laid claim over the natural resources in the small area was considered the "alpha". The truth is, in the wild, wolves act VERY different. Packs are in actuality family units. The "alpha" male and female are the breeding pair, or the parents, and the "pack" are their offspring (their pups), who once they reach sexual maturity around the age of 2 or 3, go off on their own to find their own mates and start their own "packs". So in other words, ALL wolves become "alphas" at some point.

If dogs are indeed descendants of wolves (which is debated these days too, but that's another topic), it's a similar concept. Their social structure isn't as complicated as people once believed. They are a social species, yes, but there is no "trying to dominate other dogs to be pack alpha". With my dogs, you'll see Ma'ii, my Blue Heeler has possession over the bed. If Charlotte approaches and tries to lay down, he'll growl and snap at her and she'll turn, avoiding eye contact, and walk away. It would have been believed that Ma'ii is the "alpha" and was displaying dominance over Charlotte. However, if Ma'ii even THINKS about touching Charlotte's toys, it's all over, and he knows it! Charlotte will give him a red ass beat down. As we've moved and our living situations and surroundings have changed, so has our dogs claims over resources. In our old place, Charlotte had claim to the bed and would growl at Ma'ii if he tried to jump up. So who's the dominant one? Neither. They are equals, it's just one has claimed one resource over the other. Also, they aren't a pack. They are friends, they like each other and play together, and will even stick up for each other if another dog threatens one of them, but if anything ever happened to my husband or I and they were left to their own devices, they'd probably separate and go their own ways. They'd probably hang out on occasion, but they wouldn't actually live together.

So, back to the topic at hand. There could be a number of reasons as to what's making your dog act like a jerk. You mentioned he's a Pit mix. Dog aggression is extremely common in that breed once they hit sexual maturity, even if the dog is mixed with something else and especially if he's still intact (please note though that dog aggression is NOT the same thing as human aggression, and should NEVER be thought of or treated as such). If that's what the problem is, there isn't anything you can do to train it out of him, because the problem is genetic rather then behavioral, and due to a high prey drive. Getting him fixed might help a little, but it won't solve the problem. When introducing him to other dogs, make sure he's leashed and become familiar in canine body language. Charlotte, who is a Pit mix too, can be extremely aggressive with strange dogs, so I learned to read her. I can tell just by looking at the dog before she even sees it, as to weather or not she's going to be okay with them.

That's if DA is even the problem. It's hard to tell without actually seeing him myself. It could be something else, or it could be a combination of problems. Some dogs are just bullies, just like some people are.
 
Also wanted to add that another possibility is he's becoming possessive of you, his living food dispenser. We're probably our dog's greatest resource, and it's not uncommon for some dogs to guard you as such.
 
HI all,

I just found this forum and was just planning on lurking for a while, but want to ad in a bit more information.

I am a trained behavioral dog trainer with about 5 years under my belt so i still have alot to learn, and agree with most of what Shakou has stated.
I have worked with lots of pits and pit mixed and hundreds of other dogs. I see behavior like this all the time. I agree that the word alpha is a waste of time, But your dog can and will view you as leader if you take the necessary steps
to condition him to view you this way. Domesticated dogs don't have a pack mentality like wolves, we have done a good job of breeding that out. But a dog will naturally follow a strong leader. When dogs are showing signs like this, especially when they are breed traits you have to change your approach. Your goal should be to have a dog who will not react to other dogs. He may never want to play with other dogs, but he can learn to contain himself while in the presence of other dogs.

I have a pit that was reactive to dogs because he felt that the person who he looks to for some of his resources lacked the ability to handle the situations at hand( my gf ). Her response was to keep pulling him along when he would become amped up and he never got to greet theses dogs. She controlled his access to the outside, The only thing she controlled for him, but he did not feel that she had any control once they got outside. So we have two problems here, He felt the need to take charge of the situation. And he did not have any sort of "leash manners" as we call them. I began working with him on leash and controlled all of his access to his resources for a few months. I did not expect him to get to a point where he wanted to play
(which did happen) I wanted him to be able to see dogs and not have such a huge reaction. This was acomplished Through a couple months of work and patients. He had been doing this for 3 years before i came along. It would have been maby 2 weeks had i gotten to him when it just started. He now has played with groups of dogs 6-10 and been " just another dog"

Pixie, i can help you out if your interested. Does this forum have a private message option?
 
So, what's your logic with not getting him fixed??
As soon as I read that first sentence, I knew exactly why your dog is (supposedly) being a jerk.

Just to throw in my two cents, I got an Argentine Dogo.
The rescuer would keep her locked in a crate all the time.
She neglected her.
She was stingy regarding food and water, and refused to show her any real love and affections.
(of course, the dog responded by being the dog of chaos)
Finally I had enough, and decided I was going to give this so called drama hound a second chance.

Let me tell you, she is the best dog in the world now.

Never crated inside, but always leashed outside.
Always has food and water...
(and no accident's, nothing gets destroyed, no barks / wake up calls either)

All she needed was love and a place to call home.

Now, as far as other dog's - forget it - as she was bred to hunt wild pigs, etc....

People??
I happen to hate people too, so we complement each other quite nicely :)
 
Pixie Walden said:
Another dog thread,
I have a 1 year old pit hound mix, male, who i do not plan on geting fixed ,
Ive had him on the rails since he was a pup and he has always been very goofy and nice with other dogs, then his balls dropped, now every time he meets a new dog he has his tail up, when he meets other male dogs for the first time he will growl, he hasn't been too bad other then just generally being rude to new dogs , he has never tried to snap at or attack another dog, he is just being rude and a bit over protective, i think the fact that he is always with me and outside has a lot to do with it, anyone else ever had this problem? should i be worried?
Click to expand...

My unfixed female dog does this shit. There's honestly pretty much no solution other than getting him fixed. Like someone mentioned keeping him playing with other dogs and socialized helps but I've been doing that with my girl for like 2 years now and she still acts like an asshole at times. It's definitely an alpha thing but it can get out of control with a medium/smaller dog like mine thinks she is the alpha over pitbull mixes she has never met... Haha.
 
I neglected to mention the "in tact" situation. Your dog can still be trained to not react, but it will be a lot more time consuming. His balls are doing a good job of not helping the situation. If you can have him fixed he will be much more manageable.

His over reaction to other dogs is a new behavior, Even if it was influenced by hormones it is still something he acted on and got away with, with out anything or anyone telling him no. Pits were bred to not like other dogs, and love people. Thats why they are usually great with people. But not all Pits or Pit mixes hate other dogs.He is acting on an impulse, but you can help contain that impulse. I have worked with a lot of crazy aggressive dogs, towards people and other dogs. All of them were able to be helped to a point of not reacting while in the presence of other dogs, some got to a point of playing and and not appearing to have ever had any aggression to a new person. Not all dogs are the same, and some cant be fixed. But from my experience they can all be helped in some way.

Earth: Dogos are amazing dogs, I have had the pleasure of working with a few. Enjoy her to the fullest!
 
Whats with traveling kids and pits? everyone is against stereo typing but fuck..who on here doesn't have a dog that isn't in some way related to a fucking pit or a boxer?

Like what, no one wants a little fucking yappy dog they can put in their purse WTF.
 
wizehop said:
Whats with traveling kids and pits? everyone is against stereo typing but fuck..who on here doesn't have a dog that isn't in some way related to a fucking pit or a boxer?

Like what, no one wants a little fucking yappy dog they can put in their purse WTF.
Click to expand...

Probably because they're the most over bred dog in America and it's extremely easy to get one. The shelters are so over run with these dogs, it's just unreal. Honestly, Pit Bulls were never my number one choice of dog to get (not because I dislike the breed), but it just happened that way. Charlotte was a stray my husband found out in TN. She was emaciated, covered in scars and bite wounds, and looked as if she had just had puppies, but was still in good spirits in spite of that. So he got her to a vet later that week, had her spayed and updated on her shots, and left with her. The rest is history.

I don't know if I'll ever have another Pit Bull again, not because I dislike them, but because BSL is starting to get REALLY old. We have to be REAL careful of the towns we go through because Pit Bull bans are popping up all over the place. In Denver, the ban is so strict, that if your dog even LOOKS like a Pit Bull, they'll take it from you and have it killed.
 
Shakou said:
Probably because they're the most over bred dog in America and it's extremely easy to get one. The shelters are so over run with these dogs, it's just unreal. Honestly, Pit Bulls were never my number one choice of dog to get (not because I dislike the breed), but it just happened that way. Charlotte was a stray my husband found out in TN. She was emaciated, covered in scars and bite wounds, and looked as if she had just had puppies, but was still in good spirits in spite of that. So he got her to a vet later that week, had her spayed and updated on her shots, and left with her. The rest is history.

I don't know if I'll ever have another Pit Bull again, not because I dislike them, but because BSL is starting to get REALLY old. We have to be REAL careful of the towns we go through because Pit Bull bans are popping up all over the place. In Denver, the ban is so strict, that if your dog even LOOKS like a Pit Bull, they'll take it from you and have it killed.
Click to expand...

Holy shit I thought that was just a European thing/(other random places like the uk) that's fucking insane!
 
I didnt get my dog as a puppy and he is turbo agro towards all male dogs. Getting him fixed didnt do anything but get him to quit humping shit. As far as travel kidz having pits... the breed bans is what makes them easy to get. If we didnt take them doggies they'd get put down. I have never met a mean (to people that is) pit bull. I love those goofy slobbery bastards. My dog is the biggest asshole I know. Dog assholes. Now wouldnt it be perfect if people had dog assholes? We'd never have to worry about wiping our butts ever again.
 
Earth said:
So, what's your logic with not getting him fixed??
As soon as I read that first sentence, I knew exactly why your dog is (supposedly) being a jerk.

Just to throw in my two cents, I got an Argentine Dogo.
The rescuer would keep her locked in a crate all the time.
She neglected her.
She was stingy regarding food and water, and refused to show her any real love and affections.
(of course, the dog responded by being the dog of chaos)
Finally I had enough, and decided I was going to give this so called drama hound a second chance.

Let me tell you, she is the best dog in the world now.

Never crated inside, but always leashed outside.
Always has food and water...
(and no accident's, nothing gets destroyed, no barks / wake up calls either)

All she needed was love and a place to call home.

Now, as far as other dog's - forget it - as she was bred to hunt wild pigs, etc....

People??
I happen to hate people too, so we complement each other quite nicely :)
Click to expand...


I dont plan on geting him fixed for a few reasons, first i want him to make puppies at some point , also since i dont have to worry about him going into heat i dont relli see the reason, i know a few males dogs who got fixed and still have similar problems, i would most certainly get him fixed if his vet told me somewhere down that line that it is becoming a serious health risk, but overall its just not something i want to put him through.
 
iriesymbiosis said:
HI all,

I just found this forum and was just planning on lurking for a while, but want to ad in a bit more information.

I am a trained behavioral dog trainer with about 5 years under my belt so i still have alot to learn, and agree with most of what Shakou has stated.
I have worked with lots of pits and pit mixed and hundreds of other dogs. I see behavior like this all the time. I agree that the word alpha is a waste of time, But your dog can and will view you as leader if you take the necessary steps
to condition him to view you this way. Domesticated dogs don't have a pack mentality like wolves, we have done a good job of breeding that out. But a dog will naturally follow a strong leader. When dogs are showing signs like this, especially when they are breed traits you have to change your approach. Your goal should be to have a dog who will not react to other dogs. He may never want to play with other dogs, but he can learn to contain himself while in the presence of other dogs.

I have a pit that was reactive to dogs because he felt that the person who he looks to for some of his resources lacked the ability to handle the situations at hand( my gf ). Her response was to keep pulling him along when he would become amped up and he never got to greet theses dogs. She controlled his access to the outside, The only thing she controlled for him, but he did not feel that she had any control once they got outside. So we have two problems here, He felt the need to take charge of the situation. And he did not have any sort of "leash manners" as we call them. I began working with him on leash and controlled all of his access to his resources for a few months. I did not expect him to get to a point where he wanted to play
(which did happen) I wanted him to be able to see dogs and not have such a huge reaction. This was acomplished Through a couple months of work and patients. He had been doing this for 3 years before i came along. It would have been maby 2 weeks had i gotten to him when it just started. He now has played with groups of dogs 6-10 and been " just another dog"

Pixie, i can help you out if your interested. Does this forum have a private message option?
Click to expand...
yeh u can message me if u wish
 
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