How to Train My Pit Bull Puppy Not to Bite

By Heather Vecchioni

Instructions

Step 1:
Teach your pit bull puppy that you are the boss. From a very young age, place your pit bull on his back with his belly up by cradling him in your arms like a baby. This puts him in a submissive position and you in a dominant one. Do this randomly in addition to when you are correcting bad behavior. When going for walks, always keep your pit bull next to you and control him on the leash. In addition, walk through doors ahead of him. You also should touch his food before giving it to him so that it will have your scent on it and so he accepts you handling his food. All of these techniques will show your pit puppy that you are the leader.
Step 2:
Yelp when your pit bull puppy bites you. When a puppy plays with his littermates, he learns a lot of valuable lessons, such as not to bite during play. If he bites his litter- mate, she will yelp and withdraw. If you do the same, you are teaching your puppy that it hurts when you are bitten and it is not acceptable. Never encourage biting by continuing to play after a bite or by playing aggressive games such as tug-of-war.
Step 3:
Place your pit bull puppy on his back and say "no" when he bites. Again, by holding your puppy in this manner, you are displaying your dominance and teaching him not to bite at the same time you are giving the verbal command. When puppies misbehave, their mothers will often bite them at their scruff, growl, show their teeth or even knock them over with their paw. You can also scruff the puppy and say "no" in a loud, firm voice to get your point across. Mimicking the behavior that is shown by his mother will help a pit bull understand what you are teaching.

Tips & Warnings

Pit bulls tend to be dominant by nature. If you do not show your puppy that you are in charge you may end up with a pit bull who wants to control you. This will ultimately make training impossible, as the pit bull won't respect you and in turn, won't follow your training. Pit bulls who think they are leaders will often show their dominance in the form of aggression.
When placing your pit bull puppy on his back, he may struggle. Be sure to firmly, but gently hold him in this position until he stops. If you let him go too soon you will relinquish your dominance and he may start to think he is in control.

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