Need help with my dog

How old is your guy? This might change the type of advice given.

He's about two years old, we think.

I wonder why my question posted twice?  Oh well glitching server I guess. Any way,  Gibbs is still a young dog so he will be very trainable. Any clue what other breed(s) may be in his back ground?

And did the Adopting agancy have any history on him?

Bonita of Bwana

I wonder why my question posted twice?  Oh well glitching server I guess. Any way,  Gibbs is still a young dog so he will be very trainable. Any clue what other breed(s) may be in his back ground?

And did the Adopting agancy have any history on him?

As far as anyone can tell, he's part pitbull, part terrier.

We were told he was chained up outside for a good part of his life, then was rescued by a woman. He then went to a local animal shelter, where he stayed for two months until we adopted him.

Yes, he does seem pretty trainable. I got him to sit using dog treats, and the woman who rescued him housebroke him, so he's only had maybe two accidents inside the house in the week or so we've had him. He knows to go to the door when he needs to do his business.

MelissaLovestoRead

He also chews the grass in the backyard

Is he eating the grass?

Yeah, he's eating it, too.

Welcome. :)  With young pups who bite hands or other body parts, it's often fairly easy to teach them what they haven't learned from their dam or littermates.  Bite inhibition.  Most mouthy dogs get rewarded inadvertantly by the person getting excited by the mouthing and nipping.  Try letting out a loud, startled "ouch" next time teeth touch skin.  This doesn't always work with older pups but it's worth a try.  When you do this immediately stop moving and make like a tree. No eye contact.  If he stops, reward immediately with a tasty treat.  It's helpful to always have some treats in your pocket. :)  

You should also be teaching him an alternate behavior such as 'sit'.  If he starts to get excited and mouth ask for a sit and reward him with praise and a treat. 

You can also teach him to 'leave it'.  I prefer this method over most any other. This can work with almost any object you don't want him to put in his mouth.  Your hands, the leash, trash on the ground or whatever.  It's pretty easy to teach.  Google the term for detailed instructions.  Basically you are asking him to release what's in his mouth in exchange for an extremely tasty treat that he can't resist.  Couple the action of releasing what is in his mouth with the words "leave it". Some dogs will do anything for a piece of kibble but I like to start this training with something like roast beef to insure the dog will be highly motivated to release whatever he's biting/holding for the alternative he's being offered.  If he takes treats with too much tooth, toss the treat on the floor/ground.  You need to repeat this many times to make it his default behavior to drop what's in his mouth when told to leave it.  It's kind of like trading something good for something even better, in the dog's mind. :)

I also have used playing tug to teach a dog that he's got to be aware of where his teeth are at all times. Dogs play rough with each other and nipping isn't that big a deal to them.  When playing tug, if the dog's teeth touch my hand at any time, I say "uh oh" and put the tug toy away. Wait a few minutes and play some more.  Repeat the same thing any time his teeth touch your hand.  Don't scold or get upset because this is actually giving him attention that can feed his excitement.  You want to remain neutral and maybe a little bit sorry that he caused the game to end by letting his teeth touch you.  Later on you can teach him that some tooth contact is ok as long as he's not exerting enough pressure to be uncomfortable to you.

Pit bulls are terriers. :)  They are usually pretty high energy, high drive dogs who need an outlet for their physical and mental energy.  They are very smart dogs and take well to training.  I recommend you learn about clicker training if you aren't already familiar with it.  There's a learning curve for the human but there are tons of videos online, free of charge.  Look at Karen Pryor's website and also Dogmantics.  

Good luck with the trainer on Monday.  Let us know how it goes. :)  Just one more word about the trainer.  If you aren't comfortable with any of the methods or suggestions, you aren't obligated to follow them.  Finding a trainer that is compatible with your dog and with you is important for a successful relationship. 

A great book to read is Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson.  It's full of insight that I wish I had had when I first started training dogs. 

Thanks, Jackie. I appreciate the advice and the welcome. :)

tiffy

MelissaLovestoRead

He also chews the grass in the backyard

 

Is he eating the grass?

Is this a problem?

tiffy

tiffy

MelissaLovestoRead

He also chews the grass in the backyard

 

Is he eating the grass?

 

Is this a problem?

 

Yeah, the vet said eating the grass could make him throw up, but he didn't mention anything else about the dangers of him eating grass. None of wants to clean up dog barf.

BigBlueDog

Welcome! Just to echo two things that worked well for us with Blue. We think he is a Dob-Rott mix, and at 100# mouthiness is never "cute" like some people think it might be with a tiny dog. "Leave it" is excellent for us because, as noted, you can use it for anything undesirable. Also, we found that longer walks twice per day (30-45 minutes each, a.m. and p.m.) were really helpful to zap that pent-up energy and uncertainty he might be feeling. I firmly believe that disciplined walks really solidify your relationship. As Blue got older, twice per day is still always welcomed, but not as necessary -- a few good fetch sessions work well now (he's 7.5ish). One walk per day, rain/ shine/ snow/ sleet/ hail, is a requirement to keep all of us sane :) ~Keka

Thanks, since I've had several people say telling the dog to leave it is good, I'll have to try it next time he starts chewing the grass or my shoes.

Here's a video you might find helpful for teaching 'leave it'.  The words don't mean anything until you teach him what they mean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?index=2&feature=PlayList&v=zNAOe1djDyc&list=PLF09632A4A4BD3DDC

Here's another one

http://www.clickerlessons.com/leaveit.htm