Will A Pitbull Turn On You? Why Some Pitbulls Attack Their Owners

Pitbulls have a reputation for being aggressive because they were originally bred and trained to fight other animals. It’s also common to see news reports warning about their attacks.

The idea of Pitbulls becoming aggressive and attacking their owners or other people can be very scary because all owners want their dogs to be loyal and friendly.

So, will a Pitbull turn on you? A pitbull will turn on you if it was not trained or if it was provoked. Well-trained Pitbulls tend to remain loyal and obedient when they are given care and affection from their owners. However, if they were abused or threatened, they will become aggressive and attack in self-defense.

Keep reading to learn more about why Pitbulls attack their owners, the signs that a Pitbull is about to attack, and how to train your Pitbull not to be aggressive.

Why Do Pitbulls Attack Their Owners?

Pitbulls are not inherently aggressive and will never turn on their owners or attack them without a proper reason.

The main reason they might attack their owners is that they have never received proper training and socialization when they were young, so they never learned not to be aggressive.

Another reason they might attack their owners is that they were provoked or threatened, so they will attack to defend themselves.  

 Just like any other dog breed, Pitbulls are a product of their upbringing and living conditions. Any aggressive behavior from the owners will result in equally aggressive behavior in your puppy

What Are the Signs That a Pitbull is About to Attack?

You need to have a good understanding of your Pitbull’s body language so you can predict how it’s going to behave in certain situations and act accordingly.

Signs that your pitbull is about to attack include:

• Grinding and baring its teeth
• Barking and growling excessively
• Lowering its head and avoiding direct eye contact
• Pulling back its ears completely
• Raising its tail in an upright rigid position
• Moving its back and forth rapidly

If you notice any of these signs in your dog’s body language, you need to give it some time to calm down, otherwise, its behavior will escalate to aggression and it will start attacking.

Are Pitbull Attacks Fatal?

Pitbulls attacks can be fatal to both humans and other dogs. According to police reports, Pitbulls are responsible for about 72% of fatalities due to dog bites in the United States for the past sixteen years.

The main reason their attacks are so dangerous is that they have an extremely strong bite. The force of their bite can measure up to 235 PSI which is considered to be the strongest bite force of any domestic dog.

Although their teeth are not very sharp, their bites can still cause serious injuries such as breaking bones or tearing muscles. That’s mainly due to the powerful jaws that allow them to hold on to their prey even if it was moving at a great speed.

Will Pitbulls Become Aggressive with Age?

Pitbull will not become aggressive with age. If they were provided with proper socialization and training early on in their lives, they will grow to be loyal, affectionate, and friendly towards those around them with very little chance of them becoming aggressive unless they were provoked.

How to Train Your Pitbull not Be Aggressive?

The most important about training your pitbull not to be aggressive is to make sure it’s properly socialized when it’s young.

Socialization will teach your pitbull not to perceive other humans or dogs as a threat and prevent it from developing aggressive tendencies as it matures.

To properly socialize your Pitbull, you need to introduce it to different scents and sounds. You also need to allow it to interact with other humans and dogs in a safe environment.

Another important about training your pitbull is to use proper discipline methods to encourage or punish certain behaviors.

If you want to encourage certain behavior, you need to use the positive reinforcement method. This involves identifying the things that motivate your dog the most, including toys, traits, or even praise, then presenting your doG with any of those things to your dog whenever it displays good behavior.

If you want to punish a certain behavior, you must avoid using aggression like beating or yelling at your dog as this will only make it feel threatened and provoke it to attack in self-defense.

Instead, it’s more effective to stop giving your dog attention whenever it displays that behavior because all Pitbulls hate being ignored.

Related Questions

Do Female Pitbulls Attack More Than Male Pitbulls?

Female Pitbulls might attack more than male pitbull because they tend to be more protective over their territories, especially if there’s a litter of puppies involved. If female Pitbulls sense any threat coming toward them or their puppies, their maternal instincts will drive them to attack.

Do Pitbulls Attack Intruders?

Pitbulls do attack intruders to protect their owners or if they were provoked. They can be very territorial so they will become aggressive and attack if they sense a threat coming toward their territory. There are also some owners who train their Pitbulls to attack intruders on command.

Are Pitbulls Hard to Train?

Pitbulls are not hard to train. They are smart and always eager to please their owners which makes them more likely to respond to commands. However, keep in mind that the training process will go more smoothly if you start early on in your dog’s life.

Do You Need to Establish Dominance Over Your Pitbull?

You don’t need to establish dominance over your pitbull to discipline them. That is because their behavior doesn’t rely on the need to be dominant over you or others, but rather on their natural instincts which are very often difficult to resist without proper training.

Are Pitbulls Safe to Have Around Children?

Pitbulls are safe to have around children as long as they were properly trained and socialized from a young age. However, it’s recommended to supervise all interactions between your children and your dog and be aware of all the risks because accidents can still happen.

Helpful Resources 

Dog-Mauling Death: Why Dogs Turn on Their Owners

Why do dogs attack their owners?

Dog Behavior Problems – Aggression to Family Members

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