OK, I'm new here so I'll give a little bit of background.

I have to dogs, an APBT/Carolina Dog, and a rescued gamebred APBT(colby/Hemphill). Both are awesome dogs and I wouldn't trade them for the world. Dunkin my mix I rescued from a WV gas chamber as a 6 week old. He's the BEST dog I've ever known, very well behaved. Java, my APBT, I rescued from a high kill pound (off of the AC van on the way to have him and 15 other dogs PTS). He was left in a small kennel in the backyard after he refused to fight even through tremendous neglect and abuse. The guy moved away and left him there, it was 2 weeks before he was found by a neighbor. They found the owner and got his papers, etc.

He's been a lot of work as he knew nothing about being cared for, etc. He has never shown any aggression and has been a great guy. I brought him to an ATTS event this fall and he got a 9 out of 10, the highest score out of any other dog there.

We do have a few issues I'm working with him on still, and I know it's going to be a constant thing. The biggest issue I have is he's very mouthy. It is in a playful way and not aggressive. If he wants to play he'll nip at feet (has a foot fetish), and he gets mouthy with hands, etc. He gets into these "psycho moods" where he just bolts around the house like a maniac and jumps on any human, dog, object in his way and just keeps going. When I grab a hold of him he wiggles like a worm all around the floor and mouths my hand/arm. He does this when he's really happy/excited. He never bites down, and I never feel teeth at all, just slobber.

Any ideas on how to break it? I know I probably need some alpha work. He listens fairly well most of the time. If I try the cheek grabbing and "NO" he just barks and takes off running again. He's much stronger than me and I can't keep hold unless I have a collar, etc. I obviously can't do a scruff shake...he's a good 60lbs+.

Thanks ahead!

Welcome!

Thanks for rescuing these guys!

My first response is: have you looked at the pack leader info on this site? How old is your neglected guy? Do you do anything to redirect his mouthiness, like to a toy or a kong or something along those lines?

"psycho moods" Yeah, I know 'em: it's time for "the morning crazies" LOL. Can you make him run around in the backyard until it kinda wears off? Then make him pay atteention to you? What type of obedience are you doing to help wear him out mentally? How much exercise are you giving him?

Anyway, don't mean to overwhelm you with questions Keep up the good work & keep us posted!

Thanks for the welcome :-)

I have scanned over the info about pack leader. I haven't had a chance to really get into it as I'm working. I have done some research previously on it, and try to implement things such as being first through doorways, up and down stairs, etc.

But I'll be the first to admit that our "pack" is out of balance right now, and am working on figuring out how to fix it. We have four dogs in total at home (I just moved back to my parents...oh the joys). We have 3 males total (mine and a BC mix), and 1 female (an american eskimo). My mix gets along fine with the other two, the BC hates my APBT, the female is fine with everybody too, and my APBT is typically fine with all three (even when the BC would go after him previously). Within the last 2 weeks or so we started having arguements between my two boys. I thought I was in complete control, but after this happened I realized that it isn't the case or they wouldn't fight. They stop the argue easily if I give them a sharp "NO", but I feel that it still shouldn't start. I can't figure out what is causing them, they're not allowed toys or bones unless I'm playing with them, it's not over food or attention as it happens when I'm not paying them any mind. So, the only thing I can think of is there being a ranking issue. At first I thought maybe I should just let them deal with it amongst themselves, but after the first couple of times I thought about it and realized that if they saw me as a leader and wanted to hold that position they wouldn't be doing it so started making them stop. By the way, there was never any serious fighting, just a bunch of barking and wrestling...no biting, etc.

Both dogs are fine with every other dog, male or female, altered or not (all dogs are altered). It's just the two of them. My mom was nervous about having Java around because of the breed, but even her eskie beats him up and he LOVES it! He just lays there and does his wiggly worm thing lol!

As far as redirecting to a toy, it's difficult because I don't allow toys down. He is possessive over them and I've been concentrating on working on everything else it's difficult to add in working with his toy/bone issues. I've done the squirt bottle method. It worked at first, but now he barks and does the crazy running. Then we tried bitter apple spray on our hands. It's just too darn gross lol!

He's about 21 months now, and seems to get crazier and crazier as he gets older. I have worked a lot with this breed before and understand their activity levels, but this is my first true gamebred dog. Others are just your average joe APBT, but he's from some very serous, tight game lines. I've had him a year at the end of this October, and even though it seems to sound like I haven't done anything with him (and some times look like it in certain situations) I've really tried hard, and people that knew him before and now know that there has been a lot of change in him from beginning to end. I've rescued 10 other APBT, a Staffy Bull, and GSD/APBT in the last 2 years from this same high-kill pound and trained all of them to be great pets and a few are therapy dogs now. I thought I was good at it and then it's taken me a year and I still can't even get rid of this one dog's mouthiness lol! I think I need to change where I want to go as far as a career/life goal is concerned lol!

As far as exercise goes, I do at least 2 45 minute sessions outside with him. My parents have an electronic fence up, which I really don't like, but they refuse to put up a regular fence. It's not working right now and they need to replace it (plans for the spring). So, Java's out on a leash 99% of the time if we're in the yard. I do put him on one of the extendable leashes so he can run around some. It's still not the same as running without, but I can't 100% trust him not to leave the yard, and with the pitbull hysteria I don't want to chance somebody having a melt down if they see a pit at the end of the driveway.

He was having a lot more behavioral issues coming up such as barking, etc. so I went out and bought material to make a spring pole, and made a flirt pole to help exercise him even more. He loves both and they help wear him out.

I've been working on his basics and getting them down pat. I've had a hard time keeping up with strict training daily as work was insane, and I had a baby in June. He knows the basics, but it's polishing that he needs most of. I've started working with him in the yard as he does awesome in the house now. He walks great and all that.

I've been wanting to do competitive obedience for a while, but haven't had money for training (having an infant changes things lol), but I've ordered a book that was recommended by several people that helps take you step by step, and do plan on ordering the DVDs from here. So I'll be stepping up the mental training more.

I'm sorry that this is so long....and all over the place. Trying to work and being exhausted is not a good time to type lol!

No one is probably going to respond to this because it really doesn't make any sense. I read it twice and I am still trying to figure out if you have an obedience you want to train or you have a dog that is out of control. Make your questions short and sweet and I guarantee people will give advice.

Sorry that was so long and wacky, I was working on 48+ hours without sleep lol!

I was basically responding to the previous poster's questions.

He's a little over a year and a half.

He gets 2 45min sessions of intense exersize daily, some times more.

I don't use toys for redirecting as they tend to cause arguements when they're around between the 4 dogs.

Yes, I've been reading through the site, especially dominance and pack leader type things. And I plan on ordering the videos from here.

I do need to be more strict on myself to be a leader, but I'm looking for any other way to stop the mouthiness other than toys? Toys send everybody into a stupor.

Tiffany:
This is my advice, and I have 4+ dogs at my home at any given time (and kids). I have owned several APBT's. I would recommend getting crates. Take the dogs out one at a time, that way they can have one on one exercise time, training time, and play time with toys. This means no fights, and no distractions.

I would recommend serious exercise with your APBT he should be TIRED after every walk. Power walk with him. Get him VERY tired, then work on mouthiness.

Toys are good sometimes for redirection, but you do need to be firm with your APBT. He's not being puppy mouthy, he's almost 2 years old, this is a habit that he's gotten away with. If he's been WORN OUT, and he gets mouthy, then give a firm NO! and put him in his crate for a time out. If you do this EVERY TIME, VERY CONSISTENTLY then he should learn that being mouthy or "crazy" means a correction and a time out. Eventually he'll find it's better to behave.

Hi Jennifer,

Thank you for the advice. We do crate all of the dogs, when we're not home, or they're not being supervised as even though we have never had issues I'd like to avoid them (being a true bully lover one must face what they're dog is capable of even if that dog does not start a fight...s/he will finish it).

I typically exercise all of the dogs by themselves outdoors, especially when I'm using either the flirt or spring pole as that's especially fun. A couple of the dogs are allowed to play together outdoors if they're not worn out yet, but in general I do have a play session with them one on one and then allow play time together (supervised closely).

I will start crating the other 3 when I'm working with Java, although I don't know how well that would work with the mouthiness as he does it at random times, and it's not a consistent behavior. And what I find strange is that when I first got him he would nip your chin gently if he tried to lick you, and that was stopped no problem. Then he was never mouthy until very recently and it's been about a year. It just randomly started again.

I'll try the time outs, and will try walking more consistently with him again (I have one of those backpacks for dogs, but need to sew it as the strap came off). It's hard to get for good walks around here as I have the baby to walk with, too.

Thanks for your advice!

Holy mackeral. Time outs don't work for kids and they don't work for dogs. Corrections work, but in your situation, you have a pack and you need to deal with it accordingly. You know the answer to you problem is lots of work, get after it. Put your babe in a back pack and get the pack out for excersise. All of them together if you can. If you can't then leave the baby with Dad and get the pack back in shape. Goood luck

Thanks Chris,

I have never used time outs before, but thought "what the hell" lol. It's pretty impossible to walk all four at once as our BC mix is a nasty little bugger and tries to attack my pitty when out for walks. I know I need to find a way to get them out more for longer periods, and need to work with the little mongrels more. It's hard when their owners (my parents) don't care what they do and won't help. Everything I do just goes down the drain as everybody else won't follow through.

I'm going to try to get my mother to maybe babysit a little more often, and I just got a play pen for my daughter so it'll be easier on her. :-)

I'm going to keep at it. It just gets frustrating some times :-(

Put the unruly dog on leash then. It's really pretty simple. You have one bad dog get after him. If 3 dogs will hang out and be good but one is causing problems then you single that one out and take care of it. If you're good you can do it off leash, if the area you are talking about is a free space you own. Otherwise all the dogs should be leashed. Anyway good luck.