Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

My young Pitbull is aggressive and barks a lot. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Male | unneutered

I have almost a year old American pitbull and he was given to us from a guy who was selling the mother’s puppies. As soon as he started growing up he started becoming more aggressive and barking quite often. Is there a solution to get rid of this problem? I tried treats, collars, and a spray bottle but none of those attempts worked well.

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

View more to consider that the photos may include sensitive content.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By C. Rathjens, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 27th, 2019

The answer very much depends on why he's aggressive (fear-based, territorial, play-based, etc) but my general recommendations are to stop ALL punishments, avoid anything that is causing aggression, and never allow him around children. Then you need to find a veterinary behaviorist to work with who can go over a detailed history and diagnosis and treat his issues. If you are unable to find a veterinary behaviorist, your vet may be able to start him on medications and talk about some behavior modification.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Image profile

    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on May 31st, 2019

    Hi there. I would recommend getting in touch with a good reward-based trainer in your area who can show you how to work on these issues. Training can help him learn to be more responsive to you, and the trainer should also be able to show you how to play with him in ways that don't encourage him to jump and bite at your hands or clothing. You can search for a qualified trainer in your area here: www.ccpdt.org

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Image profile

    Answered By Ana M, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 21st, 2020

    Thank you for submitting your question regarding Roman. Even if he is playful or excited, this behavior is not acceptable. He is a large dog with powerful jaws that could certainly hurt you or your boyfriend even if it is not intentional. He needs to be neutered and enrolled in training classes. He needs to know how to sit and politely greet people. He needs impulse control and basic manners. I fear he will hurt someone otherwise. I hope this information helps!

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

See More Answers

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
My puppy is starting to become really aggressive. She tries to bite me and stuff i don't want her to bite. She is also starting to bark more than usual. What should I do?
Most puppies go through a stage where they become very mouthy and try and bite everything. This is a very different situation to an aggressive dog that is not being playful but is trying to inflict damage. I assume your dog is just being mouthy but if it is aggressive then you should contact a professional behaviourist asap. Mouthy puppies are best handled with consistency. When the pup bites firmly say no and put it on the floor and ignore it for a minute or 2. Resume play and repeat when the pup bites. Give the puppy plenty of toys which it can bite but never encourage it to see your hand as a toy.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
My pit is about 5 - 5.5 mths old. I’m having such a hard time potty training him to use the wee wee pad indoors until I can come home and walk him. I’m using a spray that’s supposed to attract him but no luck. Also when tapped on his bottom for atten
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! A couple ideas: try something like FreshPatch which essentially sends you a patch of real grass in a cardboard container. Or, try crate training since most pups will not pee in their “house”. Here is a good link for crate training. http://www.aahneenah.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/crate-training-your-puppy.pdf As far as the aggression, you’ll need to get that under control as soon as possible. Any form of aggression toward humans should be met with a firm “no” and stopping all play/walking. Practice just walking by and touching his back end frequently so that it’s normal and no big deal. Neutering often helps with aggression so keep that in mind. Finally, some dog require more intensive care so talk with your vet about anti anxiety medication or professional training.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi I have a 5 month old pit bull puppy who is showing aggression towards other animals. We own her mom and she was the only born so she had no siblings. I have one other pit bull, 2 chihuahuas and a cat that she has grew up with no problems. When I t
Some of this may be curiosity and not knowing manners on how to act around new dogs. Some dogs have a different personality and manners on a leash vs. off a leash. She is young enough that seeking a trainer to help socialize her both on and off leash, in new settings, and around new and familiar animals will help her behavior. The more interactions at a young age, the better as long as they are controlled and the proper behavior rewarded
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My rescue doggy about a year and a half barks at all dogs and seems to be aggressive otherwise she is fine with humans. She is from the humane society rescue program from Puerto Rico. Thank you
Dog aggression is relatively common and while there are training techniques to reduce dog aggression it can be difficult. If you can identify certain triggers: i.e. if she is only aggressive when she is at home, or when she is on a leash, it can be easier to work on training her to 'ignore' other dogs or desensitization. I would recommend seeing a behaviorist - your veterinarian would likely be able to recommend someone in your area. Until you are able to work on some training I would recommend avoiding contact with other dogs so that there are no injuries.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My pitbull is 6 almost 7 months not neutered and he is good with two Pomeranians in the house one of them is male in the mail is a year old the other is a female and I believe she is 2 years old but when I take my pity bull to go see other dogs he wi
I'm sorry that you're having this problem with Cssh! Aggression issues between dogs can be very complex, so without being able to actually meet him in person and observe his interactions with the other dogs, it's very difficult to say what might be causing this. Some dogs simply don't get along well with "new" dogs once they have grown out of their puppy stage - this could well be the case with your dog, since he's about 6-7 months old now. This isn't necessarily abnormal, but it may mean that your dog is not a good candidate for casual socializing with strange dogs. If you want to try and get a better idea of what may be causing Cssh's aggressive behavior and see if anything can be done to improve it, I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist - he/she can evaluate your dog in person and help you understand exactly what is happening. If needed, they can also help you put together a detailed plan to work on the problem. Your veterinarian should be abl
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
I have a 2 yr old female spaded pit bull. I’m trying to train her to be a PTSD Service Dog. But she is Dog Agressive. If I can’t break this I won’t be able to certify her. What can I do?
This may require professional assistance. Have her examined by your veterinarian to rule out medical causes for her behavior. Your veterinarian may dispense medication to help. A certified trainer or veterinary behaviorist should be consulted afterwards to help desensitize or acclimate Misty to other dogs. In severe cases, a combination of medication and behavioral modification is needed to overcome problems.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
I have a pet.. its a dog lebrador.. age 2 years.. i usually left its with bitch for few days.. but now he is getting very aggressive.. even barks on me.. worried.. what can i do now
This is a hard question to answer without really knowing what is going on. If Max is becoming aggressive, growling, snarling, attempting to bite, etc, then this is a very complex and worrisome issue that should be worked with by a professional in your area. A trainer coming by in person can help observe what is going on, and provide more tailored training plans to address the issue. If Max seems nervous when you approach, you can work on getting him more comfortable with you by tossing a favorite treat to him every time you approach. Over time, he'll start to associate you with with something positive (the treat) instead of something negative. If he does growl or become agitated, moving away and giving him some time to relax before trying again is best to avoid escalation of any behaviors. If he is acting aggressively toward other dogs, separating him if things get too rough or a fight breaks out, and then reintroducing both dogs again slowly can help. Removing items of contention su
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Our 3 month old terrier mix is starting to be aggressive with nipping and barking. I have little children and she is starting to scare them. We rescued her from a shelter. We have tried different chewy toys and we are walking her but this just sta
This type of behavior can be very concerning, especially when there are small children around. The good news is that your puppy is still very young and this is a good time to teach her good and appropriate behaviors. You are already doing a great job by exercising her regularly (a fast-paced 20-30 minute walk 2-3 times a day is best) and by redirecting her aggressive tendencies with chew toys. Another tactic you can use in training is to immediately stop play and ignore her if she starts becoming aggressive. This will teach her that that type of behavior does not get her what she wants (your attention). It is also a good idea to always use positive reinforcement when she is being well behaved. Puppies respond better and learn faster from positive reinforcement (like verbal praise and treats) than negative reinforcement (like yelling or hitting them). It would also be wise to start some initial training of basic commands as well, like sit, stay/wait, come, etc. This will help her fo
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
hyy my male Labrador he is 71 days right now and we cannot control him sometimes he is very aggressive , barking at us , bite us really hard sometimes he is very affectionate when we from outside or at times when we are going to feed him
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Usually these behaviors can be corrected but this usually requires in person training by a qualified dog trainer. I recommend you consider hiring a qualified dog trainer to work with you in person. Good luck and have a good day!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have a 4 almost 5 year old pitbull, she is extremely caring and caring towards any person even my 2 year old nephew, but she does not like other dogs. She got along great with male dogs and one female pitbull that was living with us but she attacke
This can be a very frustrating situation. Typically Lady is feeling threatened and possessive leading to aggression. I would highly recommend hiring a behavioral trainer to come into your house and help work through Lady's behavior. You can try adaptil a pheromone to help reduce stress and even increased exercise can help with anxiety but a trainer is the best option.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Dog Toys Dog Supplies Dog Treats & Chews Dog Training & Behavior Supplies Bark Collars for Dogs Dog Collars, Leashes & Harnesses Dog Health & Wellness Dog Agility Equipment Dog Repellents & Attractants Cat Training & Behavior BARK PetSafe Bark Collars for Dogs Four Paws Dog Training & Behavior Supplies Petco Dog Training & Behavior Supplies Browning Dog Training & Behavior Supplies Vetality Cat Training & Behavior PetSafe Dog Training & Behavior Supplies BARK Interactive & Treat Dispensing Dog Toys PetSafe Dog Muzzles PetSafe Dog Repellents & Attractants
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored