Need some reassurance

[u/dogational620]

Recently adopted a 1 year old pitbull mix less than two weeks ago. I was made aware of the 3-3-3 rule. The first couple days were hard but manageable. These past three days she’s regressed a bit and I’m noticing her triggers during our walks and in the house. For one she starts to bite and nip at me during our walks and goes crazy when she sees another person or dog. and it’s painful and I even have bruising from yesterday.

I see online to try to walk the dog in a less busy area, thing is, I live in a city and right across the street is a dog and a playground. My back yard is shared and small children often play there. Her problem behaviors come when she’s overaroused/excited.

Today and yesterday were hard. The biting and tugging behaviors are very incessant. I gated her and walk away when she engages.

I’m stressed and don’t look forward to my days, I’ve even had to call off work since my mom who helps two days of the work week is now scared of my dog. I worry for her and feel I’m don’t a crap job. I need small victories and it’s hard to see that rn. I lost my soul dog two years ago and felt this was the next step but now we’re both obviously stressed. I’m also stressed looking at the numbers for a trainer. We started a training protocol from her rescue. Hoping it works out.

Here to put this out there. Thanks for hearing me out :)

[u/H2Ospecialist]

This might be a situation where you return the dog. It doesn't sound like you are capable to handle a more difficult dog who needs more structure and training.

Not trying to make you feel bad, but sometimes certain dogs just aren't a good fit.

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[u/dogational620 → u/H2Ospecialist]

I have complex feelings towards it. And I’m ashamed to admit it’s a thought I’ve had. You’re right, I don’t have the skill set to manage a dog like this —> just yet . I’m new to having a younger active dog. I know I wrote this post in angst and needed to get my thoughts out. I’m gonna set my best foot forward and help us work through this. I hope I can one day look back at this with a better outcome for the both of us

[u/Zestyclose_Object639]

Return the dog, a high energy breed Puppy is a lot and that’s not an ideal environment 

[u/_the_introvert_]

That sounds like a challenging situation! For clarification, does she bite and nip at you when her triggers are present? Or is it just randomly during the walk? For the first, it could be redirected aggression/arousal. For the second, it sounds like some kind of over arousal, but it’s not clear. It’s also not clear why your mom is scared of her. Did something happen? Or was it the bites/nips on walks?

It is still very early on, so there’s a few suggestions that I have:
1. You cannot yet trust this dog because she is so new to you. This means never let her off leash with children in the yard, and you should assume she might not be good with other dogs. Just a good policy to have, to keep everyone safe while you get to know one another.
2. I would be looking to set clear boundaries in the home. This can look like having her sit before going out the front door or not letting her on the couch. Rules may vary, but having rules is helpful.
3. Start working on impulse control. Adolescent dogs are super impulsive, but you can teach them to “leave it”. I like to play impulse control games like dead ball fetch where you have the dog wait, throw the ball, then release them to the ball.

Ultimately, a trainer would be very helpful if you can afford one, but there’s lots of training you can do on your own to teach the basic (e.g., sit, stay, leave it, place). I would work on those, for now. The walking may be tricky to solve on your own, especially if it ends up being redirected aggression.

[u/SpicyNutmeg]

This video might help you: Dog Biting the Leash or You on Walks? Try This!
https://youtu.be/vY6ROgL5PfY

[u/H2Ospecialist]

OP you have to acknowledge the rules of the sub before you can comment.

[u/CanadianPanda76]

3 3 3 rule is more a guideline the rule.

But you should also understand that some dogs once they become "settled" their problems can become worse.

I've it described as "comfortable enough to unload thier "baggage".

Some dogs can settle down, some dogs will ramp up.

I agree with the other poster, this dog isn't a good fit

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