As with any dog breed, proper training and socialization are a must for an American Pit Bull Terrier. Start as young as possible with your dog. There is extra pressure on this breed to be well-behaved to help quell the negative stereotypes. Animal professionals often recommend that APBT’s complete the Canine Good Citizen certification to learn how to be calm and well-mannered in a variety of situations. More information on this will be available on our website.
In general, this is a fairly smart and trainable dog breed that responds well to positive training methods. But it can be stubborn if you’re not consistent with your commands.
It’s also important to expose your dogs to a variety of people and situations in a positive manner to teach it to be comfortable and confident. While some pit bulls can learn to coexist peacefully with other household pets, socialization can be difficult due to the breed’s strong prey drive and history of dog fighting. Always walk your dog on leash, and supervise it around other dogs. These dogs might not start a fight, but they often don’t back down once challenged. Their tenacity, gameness, and courage make them popular competitors in the sports of agility, and obedience. Therefore it is important to stimulate your dog and give it some kind of purpose in life.