[holiday219]

My boyfriend has a pit bull (rescue dog) that was used at one time for fighting. He (the dog) is extremely animal aggressive and my dog cannot be around him. As soon as the dog sees another animal (any animal, even horses!) he goes into what I call "kill mode." He loves people though and is super friendly with everyone. This is affecting our relationship, as we could never live together because of our dogs.

Can you train a dog to not be animal aggressive? Is there anything that we can do so our dogs can be in the same room together?

The dogs are both male, by the way.

[Sariss]

If you are to live with your boyfriend and his dog, you may have to implement a crate and rotate regimen. Ie: his dog gets x amount of time in a crate while yours can roam, then switch.

You can try going to a behaviourist, but a lot of times with fighting breeds (especially if their dog aggressive attitudes have been reinforced), it's a lost cause, and a dangerous risk.

[unluckynut]

My dog is nothing like that, but I still do not trust her with other people. Anything can happen too fast, and I would feel teribble. I would say your boyfriend should get rid of the dog. Because there is too much at risk. What if a neighborhood boy was walking his dog and his dog went after the boy and his dog that would be teribble to live with what could happen. Just my feelings, Sorry!

[shazamataz]

If he was rescued from a fighting ring I would say that it's either going to be a very long, hard road getting him stable or it may even be impossible.

The thing about dogs from fighting rings is that they are BRED to fight, not just trained.
They pick the most aggressive, strongest dogs and keep breeding them until they breed the perfect fighting machine.
Fighting is programmed into their brains.

Pitts and other fighting breeds were bred to be dog aggressive ONLY, never aggressive towards their human masters.
When the dogs were put in the ring to fight they fight to the death but if their master steps into the ring they will never bite them.

I'm with Sariss, sounds like you will have to implement a roation system... one dog gets time in while the other is out and you rotate them several times a day.
It's hard at first but it soon becomes routine.
My mom has 2 separate lots of dogs that can't be together due to aggression and she manages fine. One lot comes in for breakfast and a play then they get put out while the others get time in then she just keeps rotating them.

As for training him, I would leave this one up to a professional... if you don't know how to handle an aggressive dog then it's going to be impossible to fix it without help.

[Lucky098]

I love pitt bulls... I own two. I also rescued a pittie, but she's the exact opposite of your boy.

Dog aggression can be worked with. It will be a long road, and you will more than likely want to give up... but don't. Behavior modification is based on consistency and basically re-wiring your dogs thinking.

There have been plenty of rescued fighting pitties that have successfully made peace with their past and became wonderful pets. However, not all pitties can be with other dogs. They have been bred to be other dog aggressive. This ability is in every pit you meet, it just depends how the aggression is brought out.

First and foremost, I would highly suggest a cage muzzle and attending some pretty intense obedience classes. If you can gain control and trust of your dog, he'll listen to you a whole lot better. I really don't want to give out too much advise over the internet, because every dog is different, every situation is different and I would really push the obedience classes. I would also suggest to not go to either Petsmart or Petco, find a good trainer that knows a lot about either Pit Bulls, or aggression.

Pit Bulls are extremely loyal. They just want to please. They love people... That was bred into them as well. When the Dog fights were legal, the dogs who would bite the owners when handled during the fighs would never be bred. The dogs that would allow human contact were bred. Which is why whenever you see the confiscated videos of dog fights you see people standing right next to their fighting dogs.

I think the best information I could give you is learn more about the Pit bulls and their behaviors. The more you learn about them, the more his behaviors will make sense to you.. . Also, it is not uncommon for a lot of pit bull lovers/breeders to say that they cannot be left alone with other dogs for any period. Most dogs will recognize the sign of submission, Pit Bulls, do not. Any sign of weakness is a chance to win.

My pride and joy is a full blooded pit bull. I will admitt she is dog aggressive towards certain types of dogs (Big, black and hairy). Knowing what she doesn't like keeps her a good dog. Know your dogs fears and dislikes and you will be steps ahead.

As for other animal species aggression, correct that with a stern no and walk the other way until the dog calms down. Get his attention with a treat or toy. Show him that whatever he is obsessing over isn't nearly as interesting as what you have. But again, that will all be dealt with if you sign up for obedience classes.

Also, what rescue/shelter gave you a known fighting pit bull knowing there is another dog in the picture? That was a bad call on the rescues side... if you did get the dog from a rescue.

[Catsmine]

The old saying goes "love me, love my dog." That's kind of true. Will your boyfriend let you go to obedience classes with him and his pitt? If you have the resources, your dog could go too and start the socialization process right there with a professional trainer on hand to observe and comment.

Everybody else has said that fight dog retraining is long and slow. Let me agree by saying it's also intense, because this is a life and death process.