# Screaming Pitbull



## jockfrazer1 (Apr 27, 2011)

Hi, I would like to pick everyone’s brains here!! Here we go...I have 2 great Pitbulls both males. They are the biggest lovers in the world, as everyone’s dogs are!! My 2 year old can take food out of their bowls with not even a flicker from either of them. They can eat out of each other’s bowls at the same time (they do have separate bowls when feeding) they drink at the same time and they play great together. They will put up with kids being kids around them and lick the kids forever they are just perfect......NOW when I take them for a walk different story. It doesn’t matter which route I take which dog I walk the same thing happens..yes the dogs walk behind or beside me and know I am the leader and the other TV stuff but when we walk past a house that contains a dog one of my dogs (the dominant one) screams..Now when I mean scream I mean scream. People come out of their houses it is so loud and a guy even though I was attacking my girl because of it. It is just like a human scream and loud as hell. He is on his hind legs and nothing..Nothing can move his attention away from what he is doing until I get a good distance from the property. I have tried a clicker, squeaky toy, food and even the Caesar kick to the booty. Nothing works. I want to and for their sake need to walk them but it is becoming more and more of an issue...so much that last night he was screaming again and turned on my other pit and really went for him..Lips back hackles up and tumbled over him trying to grab his throat.. They were separated as quickly and nobody got harmed but it shook us up. When they got back home it was like nothing had ever happened. Does anyone else have this problem and if so do you have any tips you could share? Will he grow out of it? They are both just over a year old. Thanks for your comments and please constructive. Thanks again


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## SuthernStyles (Nov 7, 2009)

Maybe try to divert his attention before you get there and soon as he starts "screaming" go back til he stops and try again. People may think your crazy, but its a thought.


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## dixieland (Aug 14, 2009)

sounds like you have a DA (dog aggressive) dog on your hands.I'd be careful with the whole letting the two eat together thing too because of it.
But anyways back to you question.You could teach him to watch you or leave it command.Is there anyway you could walk him any other way while working with him on this?Get him to just pay attention and focus on you using treats.And when he gets it down then you could continue walking him the other way.
I'm sure PerformanceKnls (Lisa) will see this and be of way more help with your situation then me.Good luck!


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## angelbaby (Feb 4, 2010)

how old are they ? and both males? 1st off feeding together may be fine but like you said last night one turned on the other it happens fast as you have now seen, Id crate 1 while feeding or feed in seperate rooms. food is one of those things that can trigger a fight even though they are fine up until now it can change and with a young child around at meal times you really dont need that. 
when you walk are there certain places you know he will do this at? or does that change? do you see the body language change before his behaviour turns to the screaming ? hair raise? attention /looking at a direction?, tensing? ect cause thats when you need to correct , you need to catch it before its full blown out. and at this point I would walk one at a time { i walk a few of mine together but if there is a issue with one its best to work on that alone } plus you dont have to worry about aggression turning to your other dog like it did. have you done any obedience with them before? how long have you owned them?


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## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

With two males the living in harmony thing will end soon especially if they aren't fixed. Once they reach full sexual maturity things will change. You will most likely need to crate and rotate. I've known many people who have owned two males raised together that eventually turned on each other at some point. Definitely stop feeding them together and also not let your child get in between them while eating.


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## jockfrazer1 (Apr 27, 2011)

Thanks, I have separated them a couple of weeks ago for fighting and do rotate them now. They only are together with adult supervision!! Same with the kids they have been told to stop their former practices. When I walk him he looks forward then to me then forward and to me but then just bolts onto his back legs and screams. I have tried various routes and there seems to be a dog on every street he wants to eat! They are both fixed as it is a requirement where we are. Both are appox 15 months old one is pure pit (screamer) and the other is cross with lab. It is embarrassing to tell people that they are lovers and great dogs when they act like this it just enhances the stigma that these dogs already have which we all know is ****. Sorry for the answer being all over the place...trying to answer all the replies at once!! Once he locks on he is like a gyroscope you can turn him anyway and do anything but his head will stay on target and that scream is just so loud and so frightening to people.


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## ashes (Jul 7, 2010)

Sounds like he is DA and they now need to be supervised when they're together.


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## roe1880 (Nov 8, 2008)

he must have some Redboy/Jocko in him...lol... Redboy/Jocko dogs are VERY high strung screamers...lol.. I just took my boy to his first ADBA show a couple of weeks agio and he goes nuts for the flirt pole and of course im in the ring and someone walks by with a flirtpole... well the screaming starts and didnt finsh till (luckily) he got his blue ribbon and we were far from the flirtpole... it is all drive... your gonna have alot of work ahead for you but keep at it and it be where you need it to be... good luck and keep us posted...DA is in the DNA... don't ever forget it..


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## Joey&Zoey (Jan 16, 2009)

Do you own a breakstick? as someone has mentioned to you the peace and harmony very well could end at any given time now. Some of these dogs won't show a hint of DA until around 2 or 3. It would be in your best interest to keep them separated now also. That includes walking each separately. As far as the screaming ordeal goes, he's just being reactive. In this case it could very well be a DA trait. I would try to just avoid most locations that contain dogs period. Living in the city this can pose as a challenge as I reside in the city myself but I put in the effort and precautions to strongly avoid areas known to be a higher risk of loose dogs or dogs in general. Crossing paths with a dog here and there I've learn to really control and manage my girl which is also the key. I either cross the street when permitted and available or steer a good few feet away hold on to her lead with both handles and allow the passing dog(s) and their owners to move along first.


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## jockfrazer1 (Apr 27, 2011)

Thanks for your reply..He will scream and go nuts even if you can’t see the dog. I crossed the street and even went on the street behind the house and he points in that direction and screams. The dog isn’t even out sometimes when he does it. I am probably going to have to take him out of neighborhood to walk as every street has 2 or 3 dogs that ramp him up. No bother with cats walking but dogs you can’t see or dogs behind a fence..Game on!!


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

roe1880 said:


> he must have some Redboy/Jocko in him...lol... Redboy/Jocko dogs are VERY high strung screamers...lol.. I just took my boy to his first ADBA show a couple of weeks agio and he goes nuts for the flirt pole and of course im in the ring and someone walks by with a flirtpole... well the screaming starts and didnt finsh till (luckily) he got his blue ribbon and we were far from the flirtpole... it is all drive... your gonna have alot of work ahead for you but keep at it and it be where you need it to be... good luck and keep us posted...DA is in the DNA... don't ever forget it..


LMAO I was thinking the same thing! I have redboy/jocko dogs and they all SCREAM!:rofl:

This is dog aggression (DA) and being reactive to other dogs. I am guessing both these dogs are maturing and the DA is a normal evolution of APBT's when they start to mature. Redirecting his attention is not going to work, he needs to learn that behavior is not acceptable and that he needs to ignore other dogs. DA is a huge part of my business and the first thing you need to do is have proper equipment to correct the problem. 
First I would have a prong collar on the dog to make an effective correction. A correct fit on the prong collar is just as important has the correct size of the collar. For this I would get a 14" prong it is the smallest you can get at petsmart or petco. If you need to add links then you can buy extra links but do not get the next size up. For an effective correction you want the collar small and to fit right up under the chin. For safety make sure you have a lose fitting slip chain on your dog and have the prong on the live ring and the slip chain. Prong collars can come apart and if that happens you still have a hold of the dog. If used correctly it is rare prongs will come apart but because you are working on DA I would not chance it and just use a back up slip chain. If you look at this link it tells you how to fit a prong and towards the bottom it talks about live ring, and dead ring use of a prong collar. It also shows how to hook up a slip chain with a prong collar.

How to fit a Prong Collar

Next I would recommend a leather leash for comfort and it will not hurt your hands when you make a correction.
You need to walk to the dogs separate for now till you get this under control. What I would do is make sure you have all his gear on and go to where he has issues. As soon as the thought of being DA or the dogs gets his attention (watch his body language like pricked ears or posturing) then pop the leash and tell him "NO". When you make a correction you want a swift hard pop up, if your correcting is not hard enough your dog will not be phased. When you correct the dog you want your correction hard enough to stop the behavior but you do not want the dog cowering in the corner so you need to find the appropriate level for your dog.

What you are teaching the dog is if he choses to look at that dog or get aggressive or excited he will get corrected. If he just ignores the other dog he is fine and nothing happens. This is why you have to give him the choice to ignore or get corrected. His first reaction when he sees another dog should be neutral with indifference. This is why as soon as he gets excited you have to correct him. You do not wait till he is screaming at the end of he leash, it is much harder to correct a dog after he has reached that high level of drive. If you correct the thought or the initial excitement he will learn getting excited is not the correct response. Praise is just as important but wait till he is totally not paying attention to the other dog then tell him he is doing a good job. You may have to make several corrections before he settles down but do not let him win and remember if he is ignoring your correction it is not hard enough.

This should help and how I approach DA when I am working with DA dogs. This works if you can get your corrections down. The correction is a pop on the leash, or even taking his front feet off the ground and a pop in the air. Basically a real come to Jesus moment, He is young enough this will make a big impression and stop the behavior.


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

jockfrazer1 said:


> Thanks for your reply..He will scream and go nuts even if you can't see the dog. I crossed the street and even went on the street behind the house and he points in that direction and screams. The dog isn't even out sometimes when he does it. I am probably going to have to take him out of neighborhood to walk as every street has 2 or 3 dogs that ramp him up. No bother with cats walking but dogs you can't see or dogs behind a fence..Game on!!


This is why redirecting him or avoiding the problem does not work you have to face it head on and correct it.


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## Lex's Guardian (Aug 8, 2009)

Sounds like DA to me & your dog gets really excited when he sees another dog.

My dog screams but only when I come back from an errand to let him out of his crate, it's because he's so excited I'm home & letting him out. Never had this issue on a walk before but he does in fact scream, LOL - it's blood curtling. 

If you can avoid areas where neighbors have other dogs. or go at a time when other dogs are not outside. DA isn't something you can 'cure' per se - but it's something over time the dog can be taught to control & focus elsewhere by teaching him/her to refocus on you by correcting behavior.


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## jockfrazer1 (Apr 27, 2011)

Thanks for all of your replies!! I will get the prong collar and work with him one on one. Hopefully we can have a more peacefull street!! lol


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## roe1880 (Nov 8, 2008)

Great responses folks... 
Hey BTW Jock im just curious, but what line(s) is that screamer anyway...???


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## Lex's Guardian (Aug 8, 2009)

jockfrazer1 said:


> Thanks for all of your replies!! I will get the prong collar and work with him one on one. Hopefully we can have a more peacefull street!! lol


Here's a vid from the video section on how to properly fit prong collars:
Pitbulls : Go Pitbull Dog Forums - Videos


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## jockfrazer1 (Apr 27, 2011)

Hi, I dont know what bloodline they are as one was rescued and had been shot and stabbed (the white one who we think is half lab) and my boy who was bought but paperwork never appeared. Here are a couple of pics what do you think???


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

They look pitty to me but it is hard to know for sure if they are pure or mixed. VERY cute!!


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## Luvum (Nov 11, 2010)

Lisa, would you please provide more detail on popping the leash.

I have Gracie on a small prong collar fitted just under the chin. When the leash is semi-loose like when she's trying to heel but gets ahead of me too far it's easy to give it a quick, effective pop. But the issue I have is when she pulls so hard towards another dog, I'm not able to give her a good enough pop. All that ends up happening is that I lift her front feet off the ground and she could care less. It seems as if I need slack in the leash in order to give an effective pop. Do you have any helpful hints?

I apologize to the op, I did not intend on hijacking your thread, but it sounds like our problems are similar and I didn't think I should start a new thread. Oh, and my dog screams too so I feel for ya!


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

Next time I have a DA dog I need to video it when I make corrections but I have really nothing that show what I am talking about. I can see if I have it maybe in some Schutzhund videos of a good pop. If a pop does not work then you jerk the dog off his front feet and pop him while he is in the air. You are using his body weight and gravity to make the correction. Does that make sense? I will see if I have a video of good corrections.


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