Hi Kristin,
Thanks for contacting me, I can help!!
It just so happens I am the proud new owner of a beautiful female red nose pitbull as well (Peanut).
Funny, your dog's behavior sounds EXACTLY like mine. How old is your dog?
I ask because they can be very spastic as puppies, but they generally calm down as they get a little older.
Secondly, where are you located?
I'm just wondering how far from St.Clair Shores you are and how much of an inconvenience it would be for us to get together (our dogs, too, obviously). It would be beneficial to both dogs, in my opinion.
Finally, I will give my thoughts and opinions on what's going on and how to deal with it.
First thing is, this is not really so bad, your dog (just like mine) sounds like it at least wants to be friendly with everything - even though right now it is a bit of a pain, all the jumping and licking, and just plain spazzing out - I know the feeling of "I have no control over my dog right now."
But it could be worse, the dog could want to attack and kill everything it sees (like my last pit).
My point is, this is not such a big deal, it could be worse, and once you get this thing under control, you'll have a great relationship with a really solid dog, hopefully, for many years to come.
You are exactly right that you need to reassert control over your dog. You said that, "She realizes I"m the alpha, and is extremely well behaved at home. "
I would slightly disagree with this. My dog is exactly the same, it may seem fine and dandy at home, and you're the boss and all that. But the relationship between human and dog is clearly defined and shown in circumstances new and foreign to the dog and in cases where the dog is exposed to new things, places, people, smells, etc. It's how the dog acts under those circumstances that REALLY tell what the relationship is.
At home, the dog is fine simply because there is no other stimulus, it's almost like the dog is just playing along, playing the game, playing possum until the next new thing comes along - then it sounds like she takes control, doesn't give a whit about what you think or want, and in that case, you certainly are not the alpha in the pack!!
That's ok, I don't mean to disparage you or run you down or anything, it's common and that's just the way it is. You have to see clearly the situation before we can fix it. You are ONLY the alpha dog when your dog acts in like you want in ANY and ALL situations, and not until then!!! So you have some work to do!!
What we want, in an ideal dog, is that in the most unusual of circumstances, in the most trying and distracting of conditions, the dog has to be at its BEST behavior and MOST RELIABLE.
That is what I'm good at, that's what I do for people, and that's what I get from my dogs - I love pitbulls, I have always owned them, and to me, they are the BEST dogs.
Why?
Because they can be trained and conditioned to react appropriately to ANY situation, any time, any where, without fear or aggression, they are rock SOLID. My last dog, Spike, lived to 15 years old, and after my initial 6 months with him (when he wanted to attack and kill anything with fur on it), he was the most solid and reliable dog I ever knew, he never acted in a way I didn't like, no matter what we did or where we went.
It's also how I deal with pits that want to fight and attack things, etc, but that's a different email.........
This email, I'll try to explain how to get a calm, happy, well adjusted and well mannered dog. That's what I want, and I don't stop training until I get it.
That's what you want, too, I'm sure. So how to do it?
It's not really that hard. First of all, do not allow yourself to get angry or frustrated, no matter how much the dog goes ballistic, deal with it in a calm, reasoned way. To do that, you'll need to have a plan and know what to do, that will give you the confidence and assurance that you can handle it, it's nothing to get too upset about.
I would explain it to you like this: imagine you are joining the army, or a sorority or something like that, where it will be 2 or 3 months of intensive training, dedicated to the task - like hell week for Navy seals. You're going to go after this issue with all you have until you get a handle on it.
The good thing is, once you get into that state of mind, and put in that time, by the end of it, after a few months, it will become ingrained in you AND the dog, and it will be habit, and you won't have to work on it for the rest of the dog's life.
Some hard work and patience now, for a dog's lifetime of a happy, stable relationship.
I rate things on a scale from 1 to 10 with these dogs. And our response has to be at the same level.
At home, your dog is at a level 1, so everything is fine and you can also be at a level 1.
But when you go somewhere, or the someone new comes over, and the dog goes up to level 10, your response has to go up to level 10, at the same INSTANT the dog's behavior does. As the dog's behavior goes down, so does yours. If you're even 1 or 2 seconds too late, the dog wins and you lose control. Learn to watch the dog and be ready BEFORE she gets to level 10, you'll soon know the exact things that put her there.
I would suggest these specific things, first of all, doors, gates, things like that. It is natural for a dog to see an open door and want to bolt through, an open gate, whatever.
Just like with meeting new people (the dog has to be invited first), the dog cannot go through a door until it is INVITED.
For my dogs, I teach them they have to sit nicely and look at me until I give them the ok. I suggest you do the same, and this will be very tedious at first and require many many repetitions, but over time it will get easier, and this will affect all other areas of the dog's behavior and give you more control.
For starters, before a walk. Calmly grab the leash and go to the door. The dog will probably go spastic once you have the leash, so just wait quietly until it calms down, nothing like 'wanna go for a walk sweetie' or anything like that, no high pitched voice trying to get dog excited about a walk - we want just the opposite! The dog will naturally be excited about the walk, we don't want to add to it.
So tell the dog to sit, ONE TIME, and then wait till she does. When her energy level is back down to 1, put the leash on the collar, she'll probably get excited all over and start jumping again, just stand there and hold the leash until she calms down again. Once she is back to 1, open the door, again, she'll get excited, try to bolt through the door, etc. Make her sit and calm down before leaving. And this is KEY: you HAVE to be the first through the door and the dog follow you out and in.
If the dog is allowed to go in or out ahead of you, it is LEADING YOU, and it has taken the role of alpha in your pack. So anytime you go in or out ANYWHERE, the dog has to sit and look to you and wait until asked to follow. Including in and out of a car, in and out of mom and dad's house, etc.
Even when (and ESPECIALLY) letting her outside to do her business. It may seem impossible now, but it will get better and better, and quickly. And after she does her business, before she comes back in, she has to sit and make eye contact with you before you open the door.
For starters, say SIT (just once) - say it with conviction, as a command, not in a high pitched voice or as a question like you're asking her. Say it ONCE, and then wait 5 or 10 seconds, no more, then lift up on the collar and push down on the rump and make her sit. You do not have to be harsh or mean here, you're just showing her she HAS to sit, and she has to sit now. So do it as clamly and gently as possible, and over time, use less and less physical touch to the dog. The first few times will be the hardest, and you'll get the most fight. After a time, she will sit just being told. After a little more time, she sit without being told - that's where you want to get - just a glance, and not a mean glance, just a look at the dog, and she sits and waits for you to open the door.
If your dog is smart, and being a rednost pit, I'm assuming she is, she'll learn very quickly, and within a week she'll be sitting without being told. Arrange to have someone help you, a neighbor, your parents, etc. Someone to come and knock on the door for you, and you answer and greet them. Claim the front door and area around it , don't even OPEN the door until the dog calms down and sits, and is a few feet away from the door. Address any charging of the door or anything else you don't like at a level 10, take complete control of the dog, before opening the door. Have the person come in, and keep control of the dog, don't even address the person until the dog is CALM.
Once the dog is calm, may take a while the first few times, have the person leave for 5 minutes or so and then come and knock again - repeat everything. Over time, the dog will learn to calm down when someone knocks or when you go up to someone else's door, like mom and dad's. For the first little while, you might even want to leash your dog when your helper knocks on your door, so you can control the dog and not have it slip out and get outside on you. Again, this will be short lived and the dog will learn quick - the more effort you put into it, the quicker you'll get results.
When you go to mom and dad's - again, have a plan so you can stay calm and not get frustrated or anxious or upset with the dog. Have a leash on your dog, when she spazzes, correct harshly and wait for her to calm down. If she doesn't, put her in the car and repeat everything - again, remember she can't even get out of the car until she is at level 1, she can't approach the door until she is at level 1, she can't go into the house until she's at level 1. Soon, she'll learn that by being at level 1, she gets everything she wants. When she's at level 10, she gets nothing but rough treatment and corrections, and put away if need be until she calms down. The first few times at mom and dad's, if you stand there for like 10 or 20 minutes and she doesn't calm down. Put her in the car and go in the house by yourself. Give her a while to think about it and calm down in the car. Then go get her and try again.
You have to explain all this to your parents as well, the dog HAS to have consistent handling. You can't ask her to sit each and every time before going in or out and then have your parents not do it and expect the dog to behave for you, it doesn't work that way.
Do not let your dog get the best of you, if you start getting mad or frustrated, stop the game in its tracks. Put the dog up for a while, until you (and she) calms down.
If your first try at your parents goes horrible, don't let the dog win, put the dog back in the car and GO HOME. Try again later. The dog will put 2 plus 2 together in its brain and realize it has to be calm to get what it wants.
Once you have this control, you'll be able to apply it anywhere, meeting new people, dogs, etc.
Learn to sort of 'ration out' your affection. Do not pet her or give her love and praise is she is behaving badly. Only pet her and tell her good dog and all that when she is completely calm and listening to you. If you pet and praise when she's in spaz mode, you're actually reinforcing that behavior and telling her it's not only ok, but that it's desirable.
I could go on and on, but I'm typed out!!! Feel free to try these things and see. If you feel like you need professional help, I am here (and the best and cheapest trainer around)!!
Or maybe we could just get our dogs together sometime and you could learn by watching me, whatever, I'm easy going and open to whatever someone needs to help their dogs.
Also, feel free to give a call anytime, 586-339-5276.
I know this doesn't care everything, not even close, but it's a start, and I hope it helps!!!
Good luck and talk to you later,
Brian.