With some effort, your one-year-old female pit bull puppy can learn to be calm and well-behaved.
Your one-year-old female pit bull is still a puppy in most respects. It is actually still growing physically, and it is maturing mentally and behaviorally until it is around three years old. Of course, puppies are generally high energy and mischievous, but pit bulls bring their own terrier drive and intensity to the mix, and can keep an unsuspecting owner hopping. Your dog is intelligent and needs your attention and guidance, but your efforts will pay off with a dog that is calm, well-behaved and gentle.
Instructions
1. Feed your pit bull puppy a good-quality adult dry dog food that is not labeled "performance." At one year of age it does not need puppy food; adult food is much healthier for it.
2. Give your pit bull plenty of exercise every day. Pit bulls are very energetic, athletic dogs and they need to be tired out at least twice a day. For a dog, tired out means that the dog walks in the house and just plops down and goes to sleep. Your dog needs on-leash walks as well as off-leash play daily.
3. Teach your dog the "Nothing in Life Is Free" program, endorsed by the Humane Society of the United States. The goal is to make your dog work -- by following a command, such as sit -- before any attention. Petting, going for a walk, going into the yard, treats or even meals are all considered attention. This is a gentle, nonconfrontational way to teach your dog that it is not the leader.
4. Take your dog to obedience classes, and work on the lessons daily at home. Your dog needs mental, as well as physical, stimulation. Learning words, commands, the names of people in the family and the names of toys are all stimulating and give it work to do so boredom doesn't set in.
5. Teach your dog a sport, such as agility, weight pulling, canine dancing or Schutzhund. If you don't have time for organized sports or competitions, try doing some agility with your dog in your own backyard. Or get a spring pole for your dog to play on. Pit bulls love the spring pole, once they get the hang of it, but keep the rope long enough that your dog's back feet can always stand on the ground.
6. Spay your puppy if you have not already done so. Spaying has health benefits, such as preventing hormonally related cancers, as well as a tendency to calm down and slow down some dogs. At least, it will not have the agitation and irritability that often accompanies the heat cycle in dogs.
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