Easy Training Tricks for Preventing Pitbull Aggression

In this Omaha dog training session, we worked with a clever 1-year-old Pitbull mix named Nelly. We went over some tips for preventing Pitbull aggression.

In this session we focused on training Nelly to focus and stop leash aggression towards other dogs. We also addressed her protective behavior when new people come to the house.

As a dog behavior expert I always apply soft body language when meeting reactive dogs or any dogs with aggressive behavior. From what I saw, I would not consider Nelly an aggressive dog.

Tips for Preventing Pitbull Aggression

I noticed a number of things that the human was doing that likely confused Nelly as to what her role in the home was. Being found on the street, we don’t know about her backstory, but from what I observed, she seemed to be reactive in a territorial or protective way.

I suggested a number of small changes to help shift the leader-follower dynamic in the home. Nelly needs to change her thinking. She should not feel that her job is to protect when people visit. This also applies to other dogs she sees on walks.

Focusing on when the guardians pet the dog and only rewarding good behavior will help Nelly see her guardian’s authority.

I recommended Nelly’s guardian move her dog bed away from the current location next to the front door and near a window that looks down into the yard. This perch certainly confused Nelly into thinking part of her job was door guard.

To help Nelly stay calm when new guests arrived, I showed her guardian a simple trick. I taught her to send Nelly to a spot a few feet from the door. The command word is “off duty.” Nelly understood what I wanted after just one try.

Since she is a smart dog, I suggested her owner find a new trick or command each week. They can look on Google or YouTube for ideas. This can continue until the end of the year or even longer.

By teaching the dog a new command and practicing it all week, the bond between the dog and human will grow. This will create more respect for the human as the leader.

How to Stop Leash Aggression Towards Other Dogs

To address Nelly’s leash aggression towards dogs on walks, I went over a focus exercise.

As you can see in the video above, this training technique helped Nelly improve focus and manage her behavior and reactivity during walks, especially when encountering other dogs. The goal was to teach her to redirect her attention from distractions to her guardian’s face on command.

This is achieved through the “focus exercise,” where a dog is encouraged to look at the human while sitting between their knees, with a treat placed near their face. We slowly increased the time Nelly focused. We started with one second and worked up to 20 seconds. Nelly learned to keep her attention, even with distractions.

The exercise should be practiced in harder places. This includes near windows with people or dogs outside. It should also be done outdoors while walking.

We also suggest using a “turn” command. This can help redirect Nelly’s attention away from triggers, like other dogs, before she reacts.

This method helps make the human the leader. It reduces the dog’s need to feel responsible for their safety. It also encourages a calm and controlled response to distractions.

It only took a few repetitions before Nelly was looking up at my face on command. Once that was the case I walked her guardian through the exercise.

Within minutes Nelly was looking up at anyone who gave her the “focus” command word. Another illustration of her high level of intelligence.

Redirecting Nelly’s attention will help her behave better. Her guardian should get her focus before she acts aggressively toward another dog. Stopping dog aggression is all about good timing and redirection.

By the end of the session, Nelly was already following the new rules and was responding to the new commands. Her guardian’s responses and reaction times had improved significantly as well.

We finished things up by filming a roadmap to success video to make it easier for the guardian to remember all the positive dog training tips we covered to help Nelly stop acting aggressive to new people and dogs.