How to Train a Bully-Breed Dog

Training a bully-breed dog is necessary to keep the dog and the people around it safe. Training a dog takes a lot of time. Consistency is very important when you are trying to train your dog. Bully-breed dogs, such as pit bulls, can be difficult to train, because some of the training methods used to train other dogs are ineffective for bully-breed dogs.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Decide on one trick or skill to teach your bully-breed dog. Attempting to teach a bully-breed dog multiple things at once will only confuse it.

2. Make sure that the dog is full, hydrated and well rested. Think of your dog as a toddler. In general, they concentrate better and are more responsive to commands when all of these conditions are met.

3. Use distractions to curb undesired behaviors. For example, if your bully breed is chewing on your shoe, give it a bone to chew instead.

4. Find an area that is free from distractions. This is especially important when you are just beginning to teach the dog a new trick or skill. Once the dog performs the skill or trick successfully in the calm atmosphere, you can slowly introduce distractions.

5. Work with the dog as much as possible on the skill or trick until it masters it. Bully breeds are smart, but at the same time, they are dumb. Taking even one day off of training can be a step back for a bully-breed dog.

6. Offer positive reinforcement, such as a treat, when the dog does the trick or skill successfully. Bully breeds learn best when you reward progress. Using aggressive techniques, such as hitting, may cause the dog to become frightened. A frightened bully breed may become aggressive.

7. Allow your dog to show off the skills and tricks it knows. Bully-breed dogs like to have a purpose in life. Performing for people and getting praised for a good job will boost the dog's confidence and make it try harder to please you.