Kingdom of Pets

Posted by cfarris37129
Aug 31, 2008

I am the proud owner of a 4 month old American Pit Bull. He has pretty much mastered houebreaking and knows sit. This puppy is very loving but I can sit and read or watch tv. He wants my undivided attention all the time! What am I going to do. We spend as much time as we possibly can. Hug and pet on him all the time. As soon as I sit down he wants to start jumping on me and
licking my legs. I am handicapped and really cant afford to have a soon to be big dog jumping on me. He will knock me down easily. Any suggestions are more than welcome

Posted by eyeluvdogs
Sep 2, 2008

Hi there....thank you for your post. I have a dog who sounds quite similar to your Pit Bull - he just wants to be loved all the time and is very pushy in order to get somone's univided attention!

I have taught my dog the command "Go and sit down" which basically means, "that's enough, go sit somewhere else". This was one of those commands that actually just happens without putting a lot of effort into it - my dog knew from my tone of voice that I didn't want him trying to jump on my lap (he is NOT a small dog, but thinks he is the size of a chihuahua!).

I recommend that anytime your dog tries to get your attention in an inappropriate way, you should tell him to lie down and stay. If he breaks the stay, issue the command again. Then ignore him. If you feel bad doing that you you could re-direct his attention away from you by giving him a toy to chew on for a while.

When you do want to give him some attention, only do so when all four paws are on the ground and he is being calm. If he tries to jump up, growl at him and make him get down before praising him for being on all fours.

If you find that your dog is being hyper and difficult to control, you should give him a time out for 5 minutes. Praise him when he is calm to reinforce the good behavior.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

Posted by cfarris37129
Sep 3, 2008

Thank you for your advice! He is slowly getting a little better. Im glad! My arms and legs look like I have been in a battle zone. I have had dogs off and on for most of my life and he is the most needy as far as wanting attention goes. Thinking about some formal basic training also.

Posted by Alpha-Dog
Sep 17, 2008

Hi there......also, don't underestimate the power of exercise! Perhaps the dog is hyper because he has lots of excess energy. Playing a game of fetch is a great way to exercise a dog if you are unable to take him for a long walk or jog. Swimming is also excellent.

I agree that starting some basic training will help this situation. Best of luck to you!

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