Pit Bull breeds have a controversial reputation. Present day Pit Bulls are often thought of as dangerous, so much so that it can be illegal to own them in certain parts of the country. This is due to the fact that a large number of dog attack fatalities are due to pit bull attacks (even though the overall number for dog related fatalities is low).
Physically speaking Pit bulls can look intimidating. Their large and muscular physique doesn’t necessarily help their bad press. It also doesn’t help that the breed is often used in dog fighting and is often depicted as being highly aggressive.
With all the negative hype some pit bull owners are surprised to discover their pit bull is essentially a big lovable lap dog. But this experience is actually more in line with the general demeanor of pit bulls. Contrary to popular belief Pitbulls are often eager to please their owners and they can be very cuddly and affectionate dogs.
What if my pitbull is too friendly with strangers?
Dogs that fall under the Pit bull label are large breeds. So even if your pit bull has the personality of a lovable teddy bear, the odds are that strangers will not be as happy to see him (or her) as he is to see them. Not to mention that the bad reputation we already discussed could make people more afraid of your dog than others. This isn’t fair, but it’s unfortunately often the reality.
How to get your pitbull’s friendliness under control
Thankfully there are some techniques you can use to teach your pit bull to stay by your side and not overwhelm or scare the bejesus out of other people.
The first is to teach your pit bull a release command and a stay command. Your pit bull should stay when you give the stay command and shouldn’t move until you give the release command. This is a great way to keep your dog in check when meeting new people. You can keep your pitbull by your side until you release them.
Another technique is to train your pitbull to look at you when you say his or her name. This will take their attention off of the strangers around them and help them calm down a bit.
Other basic commands like “sit” and “come” will also help divert your dog’s attention and help them chill out around other people.
If you’re walking with your pitbull in public areas then leash training is an absolute must. For leash training it is better to start in incremental steps and start walking with your dog for short distances as you teach him or her not to pull and follow your lead. A leash trained pitbull will help set stranger’s minds at ease and even does a little to help combat the negative stereotypes of the breed.
Final thoughts
Pit bulls are an energetic and lovable group of dog breeds. The stigma surrounding these breeds is largely unfair and unwarranted. A well trained pit bull will help raise public awareness to the fact these dogs are more than just the bad press they’ve gotten over the years.
