Pit Bulls and Socialization

Socializing is important for any breed of dog because it teaches them about the world around them. Much like a human child does when it's young. The dog needs to smell, see, touch and feel things in order to get an understanding about what is around him.

A pit bull that isn't properly socialized can have several problems. The majority of dog bite that occurs is caused by dogs that have been chained up or not socialized properly. When this happens the dog tends to see everything as a potential danger and acts accordingly.

Dogs don't just have to be socialized when they are puppies. Socialization is a process that should start when the dog is young and continue until it dies. However, young dogs are like sponges much like young children, it is especially important that a young puppy be properly socialized.

When you start socializing your dog, it is important to get the dog around as many different type of people as you possibly can. Young, Old, Small, Large, Short and Tall, it is very important for a young dog to get use to be handled by children.

When you are socializing your puppy or dog it is best that you control the experience as best you can. Don't take your dog to dog park so that it can get overwhelmed by 20 dogs. Instead invite a friend over with their dog or meet somewhere neutral so that the dog can be introduced slowly.

Even if you do the best job socializing a Pit bull, it may still show aggression to other dogs and animals. This isn't a bad thing. It isn't a sign of future aggression to people. It is just a trait that has been genetically bred into the breed over hundreds of years. Never trust a pit bull not to fight with other dogs.

Make sure to introduce your dogs to as many sights and sounds as you can. Don't limit the socialization to just people and other dogs. Introduce them to cats (just have them leashed), take them to a park and have them smell the trees and watch the squirrels. Take them too the lake and have them play in the water. Just don't push them; causing undue stress early in the socialization process can cause problems down the road.

Just remember that socializing doesn't ever stop with dogs. Be patient and introduce them slowly on their own terms and you find that your dog will enjoy learning about and meeting new things.

Continue to introduce your pit bull to new things for the rest of his or her life. Socialization should never stop. You will find that a dog that is continually socialized will enjoy learning about and meeting new things.