Pit bulls are quite the bundle of excitement. There is so much to the breed that it is hard not to mention pit bulls when having a conversation about dogs with your mates. Moreover, they make headlines, turn heads and are among the most controversial dog breeds. Another factor that many people who keep pit bull often come to terms with is their energy. Subsequently, pit bull owners will eventually ask the question, what age do pit bulls calm down?
Let’s find out more about this amazing breed and see what dog owners can do to cope with pitbull energy.
Why pit bulls are hyperactive
Some dogs are just more energetic than others. For instance, while the bullmastiff is generally a calm dog that requires moderate amounts of exercise, pit bulls, on the other hand, require high levels of exercise.
Pit bulls calm down after intense physical activity. They have loads of energy and they seem to never get tired of playing and running around. Therefore, pit bulls are not suited for an apartment. They will make your house their playroom often running around and knocking stuff to the floor.
Chewing on shoes, and furniture is something you might have to get used to with your pitbull as they try to find an outlet for all that energy. Consequently, this can cause them to be quite destructive.
What age do pit bulls calm down?
There are differences between dogs and puppies. Like any youngster, pit bulls pups are highly playful. Moreover, they exhibit their highest activity levels when they are less than a year old. While young pit bulls calm down and sleep the majority of the time, they spend the few hours they are awake eating and playing with littermates or their owners.
It is crucial to let them play as much as they can to get rid of all that pent up energy. The great thing, however, is that as pit bulls grow older, they become less hyperactive. Furthermore, at around 12 months to 18 months, you will start to see your dog’s becoming calmer.
That said, this does not mean that they are still not energetic. Therefore, owners should discourage hyperactivity and unruly behavior. Behavioral training ensures your pit bull has proper manners and will stop them from being destructive around the house.
The importance of exercise
Pit bulls are best suited for dog owners with an active lifestyle. Moreover, this allows them to take their pit bulls on jogs or long walks. When they finally get back home, pit bulls calm down and are a lot less hyperactive.
If you do not find time to go for jogs every day, then you can let them run around in the backyard.
Intense and vigorous playtime is a great way to quickly get rid of the pent up energy. Furthermore, it is good for the dog’s overall health. Burning calories and fat reduces trips to the vet and lowers the chances of developing health complications later on as the dog grows older.
You should never leave pit bulls locked up in an apartment all day. Moreover, if you have to go to work, then consider hiring the services of a dog walker.
After taking your pit bull on walks and you notice that they still have the energy to spare when you get back home, try finding ways of making the exercise more intense. For instance, one way to do this is to get them to carry a doggy backpack. By adding weights they will burn off more energy during the walks or jogs. This will help pit bulls calm down.
However, make sure that you do not excessively exercise your dogs. Moreover, if your dog gets ill or develops complications after an intense exercise, talk to your vet. They can find out the issue and come up with a good exercise regimen that is suited for your pitbull.
Lastly, if you don’t have enough time or space to exercise your dogs, then pit bulls may not be the ideal dog you.
Dealing with Hyperactive pit bulls
Even after plenty of exercise, you may still get an excited pit bull with a lot of energy especially after they have rested for a few hours. In this case, the over-excitement may be their way of getting your attention.
Pit bulls love attention and when they learn that a certain behavior such as chewing on a shoe or biting on furniture elicits attention, they will continue to do it. Very often pit bull owners provide attention for the wrong reasons. Consequently, this only teaches the dog to behave in an unruly manner.
There are a few things you can do to correct the problem.
1. Ignore the excitement
When your pitbull is trying to get your attention by behaving excitedly or being unruly, you should never reward that behavior by giving attention. This will only cause the dog to repeat the bad behavior. Alternatively, do the opposite and deny them attention. Secondly, discourage bad behavior altogether by scolding them. This lets pit bulls calm down
2. Reward them when they are calm
One reason why pit bulls are hyperactive is that they love to please their owners. The great thing is that this need can be used to your advantage.
When a dog is behaving in an unruly and overexcited fashion, simply ignore them. However, when they sit calmly and look at you, then you can reward them by giving them treats. Moreover, this reinforces the behavior you want and discourages the behavior that you don’t want.
Conclusion
There is a lot of false information going around concerning pit bulls. Many people view them as aggressive and problematic. However, this is not true! They are actually playful and fun-loving dogs. Irresponsible dog owners are to blame for the aggression in pit bulls.
Pit bulls have a strong desire and willingness to please their owners. Irresponsible dog owners take advantage of this and reinforce wrong behavior in pit bulls. By teaching pit bulls the right behavior, and rewarding the good behavior, pit bulls can make great family dogs.
