How to Control a Pitbull's Bite

Pitbulls are adorable, affectionate and very funny when well trained and in their owner's company. Even so, they're also very strong, energetic dogs with a powerful bite, which we need to know how to control in case an emergency arises.

There are plenty of rumours claiming that when an American Pitbull Terrier bites prey, their jaw locks and they won't let go until the dog dies. All of this is false — myths and legends about Pitbulls with no scientific basis whatsoever.

Even so, it's true they're gripping dogs — that is, dogs used to holding onto their prey with their bite until it falls. This is because this breed was, and still is, used for hunting large game, such as wild boar or livestock. That is, it's a breed of gripping dog.

Here at SoyUnPerro we're going to explain everything you need to know about a Pitbull's bite, how to control it and, of course, how to teach our dog to control the intensity of their own bite through inhibition.

What Does Bite Inhibition in a Pitbull Involve?

The word itself tells us its meaning: inhibiting. Bite inhibition involves teaching our dog how hard they can bite down without causing harm.

It's essential to teach this technique to our Pitbull while they're still a puppy, since they learn it best during the period spanning from four to sixteen weeks old.

To teach our Pitbull puppy to inhibit their bite, we need to play with them by hand, using our hands to tease them a little so they bite us.

Remember that at this age their teeth are thin and sharp as little needles, so be very careful during play. When your Pitbull bites down hard, you should yelp and pull your hand away immediately, stopping the game.

This way they'll understand they hurt you, and they'll learn to control how much force they use to bite. This is known as bite inhibition, and it's essential to do it only with puppies, since an adult could seriously hurt your hand.

Exercises for Training an American Pitbull's Bite

If for some strange reason you're thinking you'll learn here how to teach your Pitbull to be more aggressive and bite on command, you can turn around and leave now.

What we recommend is NEVER teaching a Pitbull to bite, since you'll be encouraging their hunting instinct and prey-gripping bite.

To help with this, here's some important advice you should follow:

• Never play tug-of-war games with your Pitbull — this encourages a gripping bite, which is exactly what we want to avoid.
• Never let your Pitbull play with toys that make noise, especially ones with a high-pitched squeak. The dog will think the prey is squealing and get more excited to keep biting down harder.
• Never try to teach your dog commands such as "Attack", "Bite" or "Defend". If that's what you're after in your Pitbull, you're possibly not ready to have a dog. A Pitbull isn't a dog you should teach to fight.
• Forget any game that encourages or stimulates your Pitbull's aggression — don't provoke something you probably won't know how to control.
• If, for safety reasons, you need your dog to learn some intimidation command, you should see an accredited professional dog trainer. Never try to teach it yourself.
• Never use violence with your dog, nor in front of your dog. They learn from what they see.

How to Teach a Pitbull Dog to Drop or Not Bite, on Your Command

This, though, is genuinely important to learn, because at any point in your life you could find yourself in an awkward situation where your dog has bitten another dog or a person and you need them to let go.

Pitbulls, out of pure instinct, won't let go of their prey, so it's essential to teach them from puppyhood to drop something when you command it. To do this, you'll just need a bit of food (small pieces of sausage), a chew toy, and plenty of patience.

Give your Pitbull puppy or adult Pitbull the chew toy to play with a little, let them enjoy it. While they're biting it, put a piece of sausage in front of their nose and give the command "drop it".

If they drop the chew toy and take the sausage, praise them a lot and stroke them, even give them another piece of sausage. If they then pick the chew toy back up, scold them with a loud, firm "No!"

After a few minutes, repeat the move. Give them the chew toy, and while they're biting it, show them a piece of sausage and give the drop command; when they drop the chew toy, give them the sausage and praise them enthusiastically again.

The goal of this game is for the dog to drop whatever they're biting on your command, without going back to bite it again afterwards. This isn't something you'll achieve in a day or a week, but with patience and dedication, your dog will learn it properly.

And that's it — to control your Pitbull's bite, you need to teach them to inhibit it and to drop it on your command. With these lessons well learned, your dog will be far safer for you and for others.