

I returned a couple of weeks later and was happy to find they had taken my advice. I left confident that he would go back to normal with these changes. Second, I suggested they instead make Tank the customer greeter, which was a better fit for his personality. First, I advised they fire Tank as a guard dog and get a security system to protect the property instead. I suggested a couple of actions for the couple. This contradiction left him confused and stressed. Tank’s canine instinct was telling him he was being ostracized by his pack (his owners) when they left him alone at night, but he was also being fed by them to stay alive, which wouldn’t have happened in the wild. Tank looked intimidating, but his temperament wasn’t suited to being a guard dog – instead, his stress was causing him to act out, just like a person being put in a situation they are not equipped to handle.ĭogs are social creatures, and in the wild they will ostracize sick or injured pack members who are no longer assets to the group. I found out there had been some break-ins at nearby businesses, which was why they had been leaving Tank at the shop at night. I did this a couple of more times, then handed the ball to Tank’s owner and told him to play with him. I tossed it again he brought it back enthusiastically. He pounced on it like a puppy, then brought it right back to me with a low wagging tail. They timidly dropped the leash and I bounced the ball toward Tank. They hesitated, asking if I was sure, and I told them I was positive. Tank’s demeanor changed immediately: he stopped growling his mouth, which had been clamped shut, opened his eyes began to soften. The third time they started towards me I started to bounce the ball. Every time they started towards me Tank started growling and would get stiff. I asked them to get Tank and walk him around a little bit. They found one of his balls and handed it to me. To test my theory, I asked if his owners if they had any of Tank’s toys around. I realized what had happened: Tank, who was a sweet, gentle dog, did not understand why he was being left alone at night at the shop – he was feeling confused, scared, and stressed. I asked if he had ever been protective before and they told me that, prior to his new duties, he had always been friendly to everyone.

I asked when he started growling at everyone and they told me that it was after they decided to make him their night watchman, leaving him at the shop at night to protect it. I needed to gather more information before developing a plan for him I asked when they got Tank (when he was a puppy) and what he was like when they adopted him (always playful and very affectionate). I agreed to meet them at their shop, and when I arrived, I noticed Tank was chained at the far end of their lot. The final straw came when Tank growled at them when they went to give him his dinner. Tank had started growling at everyone (including them) and they were worried that he was going to bite someone. The couple who called me owned an auto repair shop, where they and Tank spent their days. When I think of Pit Bulls, I always remember a big, imposing-looking four-year-old named Tank.
#American pitbull terrier temperament how to
Like every dog, they need an education to learn how to fit into our lives, but they are not the fearsome monsters that many people believe. The vast majority are sweet, wonderful, and make great family pets. Pit Bull Terriers have an undeserved reputation for being dangerous, aggressive dogs.
