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 #2091877


Bran421
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 I need help!

I feel terrible posting about this but it has lead me to no other option.

Prince my 2 year old american pit bull terrier is getting to be quite the handful. To make a long story short I truly believe that he was taught at one point or another to attack people at the door. When someone comes to the door he charges aggressively at the door and slams into it trying to attack the person behind the door. I’m able to control the situation by either putting him in the crate while someone knocks or putting him outside. A few weeks ago my sister in law walked in and Prince charged her and bit her hard. She got a huge bruise on her hand and had to go to the Doctor and ended up getting a deep tissue infection and had to get a shot. Now if someone just knocks on the door he first charges the door and if I leave him out and let the person in he tries to nip them. If its a solicitor I go outside, leave Prince inside, he keeps charging at the door or jumps in my window and tries to attack them through the window. That is why I am forced to put him in the crate or outside when someone comes here. Now if I do that then let him out after he is totally fine with the person. He has done this since I got him which leads me to believe that he has been trained to attack at the door, or he is extremely territorial of my home. He has also tried to bite my cousin who walked in. And if company is over and someone lifts their arms out he jumps up and tries to nip them. This dog has acted this way several times. I’ve attempted to train him to sit and wait at the door, and I’ve even had people come over to help me train him. Hes very food motivated, but when someone comes to the door unexpectedly that food motivation becomes nothing and hes in like an "attack mode". I’ve tried calming him down getting him to refocus his attention back on me, but thats extremely difficult.

I’ve had my fair share of training with dogs, but I have never dealt with a dog like this. If you were to see him charge at the door it scares the crap out of me BAD! Its like the lovely little dog I have turned NUTS in a matter of seconds. I’ve contacted the only trainer in my area thats not a petsmart trainer and he told me I would have to board Prince with the trainer for 14 days and thats $2000. He wouldn’t give me any training tips at all unless I boarded the dog with him. Obviously this trainer was only concerned about money.

Does anyone have any advice for me? What would you do if you were in my situation? I really would hate to give him back to the rescue, as I have never had to re-home a dog before!!! This truly brakes my heart as I have no kids and my dogs are my children. My sister-in-law said she wont bring her or my nieces over unless I re-home Prince. This is a decision I have not wanted to think about but yesterday my friend was holding her hands out and he went up and niped her hands. I believe when he does that its a fearful bite because he has been abused. Has anyone dealt with an aggressive dog before? I feel like crying right now because I feel like such a horrible dog owner.

Also so everyone knows I know Prince is not biting like an anxiety situation where he dont want to go outside or in the crate so he bites. He likes going outside and dont mind going in his crate, which just makes me feel even stronger that he was trained to do this. I know some dogs will bite at the door because an owner does something negative to them every time someone comes to the door like putting them in the room so they will bite because they dont want to go in the room ( if that makes sense to anyone?!)



11/04/09  11:54am

 #2092023


LizaB2008
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   Message To: Bran421   In reference to Message Id: 2091877


 I need help!

I would hire a profesional trainer or call one and see what they have to say. I’ve trained my dogs not to do stuff like that but I can’t just tell you how to do it, I’d have to physically show you.
11/04/09  05:56pm

 #2092055


Bran421
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   Message To: LizaB2008   In reference to Message Id: 2092023


 I need help!

Thanks, like I said I’ve contacted one, but he wants to board Prince for $2000. I’ve also trained my dogs to not do things like this, I have tried training him but its totally different with him as he already does it, so Ive been trying to break him of this so far with little to no luck. I’m going to have to save for that trainer, hes the only one I could find in my area, but he seems kind of rude and only wants money so I dont even know if I want to take him there but I may have no choice. I might also contact the rescue I adopted him from to see what they say training wise. I love the lady I adopted Prince from and she would probably help me out a ton, but well see. Ive also got an air horn and when he would charge the door I would blow it and he would stop but go and hide and wouldnt look at me for the rest of the day because he was scared of the noise. I just dont know what to do.. All of my dogs have been well trained at the door and Prince came this way..



11/04/09  07:06pm

 #2092095


RepticZ
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   Message To: Bran421   In reference to Message Id: 2092055


 I need help!

I dont think you should blow that horn if you want to break him of the habit. its good if he understands bad behavior equals the horn, but i doubt that he does. Maybe you should introduce someone knocking on the door as a positive experience.

Maybe you can try having your friend ring the door bell. When price goes nuts just let it be, dont open the door, dont talk to him, just go on doing your thing. Watch tv, cook some food, just ignore him and show no reaction. Once he calms down, have your friend ring that bell again, he’ll go nuts, do the same is before; ignore him. Once he calms, do it again... and again.. until no reaction is shown from prince. It may take hours.

Once he shows no reaction when the bell is rang, put a harness on him so you can control him if he does lunge as you open the door. Have your friend ring the bell, you open the door if no negative reaction is shown have your friend throw in a hot dog, dont approach her, and dont let her approach him. just toss in that hot dog and close the door. If he does lunge just close the door quickly and bring him away until he calms again. do it again and again and again, until he understands that the door bell equals hot dog. Also try to work with someone prince knows so he’s not even more stressed with a stranger.

Hopefully that’ll change his thought, i dont know, never had the problem but goodluck
11/04/09  09:07pm

 #2092158


LizaB2008
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   Message To: RepticZ   In reference to Message Id: 2092095


 I need help!

I meant I have actually corrected the behavior, not prevented. Really $2000 dollars for boarding. Thats a rip off. I could help you if I could work hands on with him, there is no way to just tell you how or I would. You have to be assertive, you have to show him that people coming in the door is a positive thing. Have someone walk in, have him sit and watch you, if he allows them to come in no probs. Have them or you give him a treat or playtime reward. Keep doing this over and over until he gets the point.



11/05/09  12:21am

 #2092210


Ghastly
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   Message To: Bran421   In reference to Message Id: 2091877


 I need help!

All u can say is $2000 is alot and especially for you not to see how they are training Prince plus they could train him and he could be fine but the second he is given back to you it would go back to square one as he was trained out of his home.
What i would say is what i do with the working Dobes of mine, the leave/stop command its the most important command with working dogs we generally start out with sonething small eg. a toy place it on the floor and tell them to leave it then once they have settles they then get it as a reward amd can prance about with it for a few mins then once they have learned they need to leave it without being told we let them off leash to get it, then its gradually built up with bigger things until we get to the sleeve and full body suit.
But id do the leave/stop (what ever your magic word is going to be) start with small things then build it upto the doorbell i personally wouldnt fly straight in with the doorbell. What is he like with people just knocking on the door? If he is ok with door knocking perhaps put a note up saying dont use doorbell?

I hope things get sorted as he is a gorgeous pittie :)
11/05/09  07:17am

 #2092257


Bran421
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   Message To: Ghastly   In reference to Message Id: 2092210


 I need help!

Thanks guys. Yes it was $2000 for a 14 day boarding, or he had 30 day boarding which I didnt even ask about. This is what I have done do far using cut up hot dog as treats:

This was with no one at the door:

Id tell him to sit, stay then not take my eyes off him and try to open the door a bit, if he would get up I’d correct him if I could make the door fully open I would give him some hot dog. That worked out fine several times.

I’d work with him like that for a few days maybe 30 min a day.

The next step I’d try with him was knocking on something so he would think someone was at the door. He would try and ram into the door, but I’d body block him, calm him down and try to get him to refocus back onto me, but that is difficult, after a while I could though and I could get the door fully open without him getting up.

Then I tried my mom to knock at the door and I would repeat the steps, but he was way better because he knows my mom, I could get her to walk in no problem.

Prince’s problem is when Im in the other room and so is he and someone comes to the door, mostly people he dont know, when they knock he goes nuts and its very hard to calm him down. I think Im going to have a few friends Prince has never really met come and be my guinea pigs.
The whole him being physco at the door thing has lead me to crate him when I have to go somewhere or I take him with me a lot too.

Its crazy how Prince can be so aggressive when someone comes knockin, but when someone comes to the car he wants to maul them with his kisses.

What also leads me to believe he was trained to be a gaurd dog is my cousin was wrestling with both my dogs, and he jokingly said to Prince sickem’ Prince, but Prince looked at the door, with his hair stood up and his tail hunched over his back and was growling. I know some IDIOT trained my dog to attack! And when I got him that was probably the only thing he knew, he didnt know any basic commands. Im glad Prince is out of his past owners hands..

I will not give up on this dog. I love him with my whole heart no matter what happens, Im going to call some people later so maybe I can have a little "training party", well whatever works eh!

Anyways now Im late for this bible study! Lol

~Brandy



11/05/09  10:08am

 #2092261


Ghastly
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   Message To: Bran421   In reference to Message Id: 2092257


 I need help!

Glad to hear you managed to do small steps with him :D they are the most important plus you have come along with him and he is wonderful just things like the past owner sonethings arent easily forgotten especially if a bad command eg. Attack played a big role in his relationship with the past owner and also if he got a shed load of praise for the bad things its just bugging that you cant sit a dog down and tell him why he cant do those things like you can a child

But all the best with Prince hopefully Slash doesnt copy his big brother keep us updated!!
11/05/09  10:16am


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