Finally Pics of Dozer

Poor quality. Cheap camera.....lol









Dozer is 4 months old.

 

Very cute....looks like a 'tough guy'

 

what a cute little guy! I love his color! I'm a sucker for brindles...
He does look "tough"

 

Thanks,
I am having trouble with him when I let him off leash. He just takes off...wont listen....I have tried to find puppy classes in my area with no luck. I think he is too young to train the way Ive been taught using a chocker during training......what age can a chocker be used while training?

 

I don;t know the age, I trained my German Shepherd with a choker when he was almost a year old...but I wouldn't recommend it with a pit. I've found with Annie, one, she either does care...or it hurts her feelings. I'm trying to phase out the prong I have on her, since it doesn't work as intended, it just slows her pulling, but since I don't even weigh 100 lbs, I need it until I can get her walking better on the leash...Positive reinforcement works the fastest with her..she's very food and toy motivated...I would look into some positive training methods with Dozer, you'll most likely find them very effective.
As for taking off when you let him off the leash...I work a little more on the leash and get a long line to work him with, so you can work on longer recalls..

 

Yes I have a long lead but with just the regular collar on it dont get his attention like with a chocker collar. I used to help train Rotties. And we used Chockers. Only once did we have to use the prong style. Those things look mean...lol....but with the one dog we had NO choice. Even that didnt work some of the time.

 

Actually...the prong looks worse than it is...I put it on myself(wouldn't put it on my dog otherwise)...it chokes much less than a regular choke..
I've found something can get Annie's attention unless it's something really fun, not even the prong..it just slows forward momentum...you've just got to figure out what's more exciting than running away..Annie likes cheese..lol
I don;t know if you've tried...but try chnging your body language when you recall...when you give the come command...do it in a happy voice..crouch down like you want to play and clap and then quickly stand and turn the direction away from the dog..maybe even taking a step or two in that direction...looking excited..it looks silly, but eventually "come "just works...it worked wonders with Annie..

 

I always use a choke chain with training and have trained probaly 40-50 Pits. They can start on a choke chain as young as 8 weeks old providing it is used properly and using just a light chain. The prong collars are great although Ive only ever used them on extremely aggressive dogs. Another thing I occasionally couple with a choke chain is a Halti if Im working with a strong stubborn dog as I dont weigh much more than 100# myself.
Definetly agree with 'someday' about getting control on leash before you try off leash, dogs are really smart and all it takes is one time for him not to come back to you off leash and youve just 'taught' him he doesnt always have to do what you ask and your back at square one.
You said you cant find a trainer in your area, there is a great programme on video if you want to do it yourself, I'll send you the link on a PM, you can get the vidoes through them.

 

Cokes can cause severe bruising, back issues and colapsed Trachea's so I've decided that only on younger dogs will I ever use a choker and I do... I tend to start pups on Chokers if they tend to be head strong and need that "slip" sound that you get BEFORE the actuall correction...tends to get their attention more than anything... After 6 months when the puppy would be in doggy classes rather than puppy classes I switch to a prong if needed (if the dog isn't in a flat collar at that time I go from Choker to prong) because of injuries a choker can inflict that the prong CANNOT... IT doesn't "choke" the dog to get attention, it squeezes and makes it uncomfortable...which should be the point using either... I used prongs on all the dogs if they need it...and it's prong or flat collar. I think you could use a Halti rather than a prong if needed...you get the same basic result...but some dogs don't handle the halti at all... My Honijade won't do a thing with a Halti on...she doesn't understand the concept or something... The Boerboels seeem to do well on Halti collars...

Your dog is ready for a prong or a Halti based on your description... A choker is likely to NOT get his attention without causing damage to soft tissues or more... IF you go with a prong see about finding a trainer who can help you fit it and put in on correctly...if that is not done...it will not be effective and CAN cause minor injuries in extreme cases...

 

Any collar used in training can cause damage to soft tissue, trachea, back and shoulders if not used correctly and if not sized correctly, personally Ive seen more injuries from flat collars as it puts uneven stress at one point on the neck as opposed to chokers and prongs putting equal pressure on all around. There are some breeds, like sight hounds that appropriate precautions are taken when using a choker.
Injuries to the skeletal system are more likely in a young dog still growing whether its from collars used in training or agility, adult dogs, just like people have stronger skeletal systems.
I have ALWAYS acheived great results using a choker, I have never bruised or traumatized a dog using one. If you know how to use a choke chain properly you do not cause any damage to the dog.

 

I too like brindles. Nice pics. He reminds me of Whopper from his looks/color.

 

I use the prong collar with Piper. I still have problems walking her when she is excited, but it will slow her down as someday was saying. I have noticed that if I take the collar and raise it up behind her ears (like you see the small rope on the dogs at the Dog Shows), then keep a slight bit of tension on it, she will repsond MUCH BETTER. I don't hold it tight, but she actually pays attention when the collar is in this position.

By the way - I saw this procedure in use on The Dog Whiperer. Ceasar uses a small rope in this position on most all the dogs with a lot of success. He has rescued many Pit Bulls and homes them in his "compound". It's an interesting show that I enjoy watching.

 

Hi
Have to put my two cents in here, too.
I have to agree with most of you guys.
But I think you have to remember what kind of dog you have. Pits have a high pain threshold, so it takes a lot to get their attention. A properly used training (choke) collar and when needed a prong is all you should need. And always praise when the dog walks correctly. At 4 months he's still pretty young to do a reliable recall. Just remember to always praise when he finally does come to you. NEVER punish him, the dog will learn not to cometo you, because "he's gonna get it".
Do check out some books and videos, take what works for you and toss the rest, not all dog are the same and not every training method will work on your dog. Just make sure he knows who's boss, and train him well, these babies have such a bad rep, make him a good ambassador for the breed.
Good luck