If I Use My Pit Bull for Hunting Game, Will They Become Aggressive to Other Animals and Humans?
Any dog used for hunting should be properly trained socially and for work. Hunting dogs require more personal training and constant supervision to ensure their safety. The same goes for a dog not used for hunting, just on a smaller scale. Before using your pit bull for work, determine if their personality would be a good fit and never force them into something they don’t want to do. Every pit bull has a different personality than the other, and in work like hunting these distinctions become apparent quickly. Pay attention to your dog’s body language and behavior when working with them; this will help you decide if they’re a good fit and if they can still be sociable with your other dogs.
A pit bull that is timid or shy will have a harder time in stressful situations than a confident pit. A pit bull that is leery of other animals and not very sociable may not like to hunt and forcing them into this sport may do more damage than good. If you’ve had your pit from an early age, you should know their personality and recognize their weak points. A dog that you’ve adopted may have undisclosed fears or behavioral issues that you wouldn’t know about until a situation presents itself.
Healthy behaviors can almost always directly correspond to proper training and positive reinforcement. Watching your dog’s body language is another indicator of how they feel in a situation. Using your pit for hunting game should not directly correlate with increased aggression towards the family or other dogs. Only time can tell the effect of their personality with hunting, and again socialization is key to their success. Though, when starting out, you should always monitor your dog and never leave them alone with other animals or children. Teaching a dog to hunt is part of their innate instincts and training them to differentiate between work and play will help them adjust.
