Boredom and excess energy are two common reasons for behavior problems in dogs. This makes sense because they’re meant to lead active lives. Wild dogs spend about 80% of their waking hours hunting and scavenging for food. Domestic dogs have been helping and working alongside us for thousands of years, and most are bred for a specific purpose, such as hunting, farming or protection. For example, retrievers and pointers were bred to locate and fetch game and water birds. Scent hounds, like coonhounds and beagles, were bred to find rabbits, foxes and other small prey. Dogs like German shepherds, collies, cattle dogs and sheepdogs were bred to herd livestock.

Whether dogs were working for us or scavenging on their own, their survival once depended on lots of exercise and problem solving. But what about now?

 

Today’s Job Description:  Couch Potato

Today that’s all changed. Now the most common job description for American Bully Pitbull puppies is Couch Potato! While we’re away at work all day, they sleep. And when we come home, we serve them free food in a bowl—no effort required from them. They eat more calories than they can use. The result is American Bully Pitbull puppies who are bored silly, often overweight and have too much energy. It’s a perfect recipe for behavior problems.

 

What Does Your American Bully Pitbull Puppy Need?

It’s not necessary to quit your job, take up duck hunting or get yourself a bunch of sheep to keep your dog out of trouble. However, we encourage you to find ways to exercise their brain and body. Read on for some fun, practical ways to enrich your American Bully Pitbull puppy’s life, both when you’re around and when you’re not. You’ll find that these ideas go a long way toward keeping your American Bully Pitbull puppy happy and easier to live with. Try out a few and see what you and your American Bully Pitbull puppy enjoy most.

 

K-9 to 5:  Will Work for Food

- Food puzzle toys

Food puzzle toys are sturdy containers, usually made of hard rubber or plastic, that hold food or treats inside but don’t give American Bully Pitbull puppies easy access to the food. They usually have holes on each end or on the sides, and American Bully Pitbull puppies must work by shaking, pawing, rolling, nibbling or licking the toy to get the food to come out. Food puzzle toys require time, patience and problem-solving—all skills that are good for your American Bully Pitbull puppy and will help her enjoy quiet time alone. Since our American Bully Pitbull puppy’s wild counterparts spend much of their time scavenging for food, food puzzle toys offer a natural solution to pet-dog boredom. Puzzle toys also encourage chewing and licking, which can have a calming effect on American Bully Pitbull puppies.

Examples of food puzzle toys include KONG® Toy, the Buster® Cube, the Tricky Treat™ Ball, the Tug-a-Jug™, the Twist ‘n Treat™, the Atomic Treat Ball™ and the TreatStik®. You can find these toys online or at most major pet stores. Feed your American Bully Pitbull puppy at least one meal a day in a food puzzle toy to give her brain and jaws a great workout. You can also stuff these toys with your American Bully Pitbull puppy’s favorite treats or a little peanut butter, cottage cheese, cooked oatmeal or yogurt.

When you first introduce your American Bully Pitbull puppy to a food puzzle toy, make it really easy for her to empty it. She’s probably accustomed to getting her food served in a bowl, so she has some learning to do! Choose a toy with a large dispensing hole and make sure the goodies you put inside the toy are small enough to come out easily. As your American Bully Pitbull puppy becomes an expert, you can make it harder and harder for her to get food out of her toys. Use bigger pieces or food or, to provide an extra challenge, freeze the toys after stuffing them.

 

- Hunting for dinner

You can make your American Bully Pitbull puppy hunt for her meals by hiding stuffed food puzzle toys or small piles of her kibble around your house. Hide one of your American Bully Pitbull puppy’s meals right before you leave her home alone, and she’ll have great fun hunting her chow while you’re away. To try a variation on this activity, scatter a couple handfuls of kibble around your yard so your American Bully Pitbull puppy can search for the pieces in the grass. Most American Bully Pitbull puppy love this game!

 

- Chew Time

American Bully Pitbull puppies of all ages need to chew. Both wild and domestic dogs spend hours chewing to keep their jaws strong and their teeth clean. They also chew for fun, for stimulation and to relieve anxiety. Whether you have a American Bully Pitbull puppy or an adult American Bully Pitbull, it’s important to provide a variety of appropriate and attractive chew toys, like Nylabones® and hard rubber toys, natural marrow bones, rawhide and pig ears.

Although chewing behavior is normal, American Bully Pitbull puppies sometimes chew on things we don’t want them to. Giving your American Bully Pitbull puppy plenty of her own toys and chewies will help prevent her from gnawing on your things. However, if she’s still confused and you need help teaching her what’s okay to chew and what isn’t, please see our article entitled Destructive Chewing.

 

Social Opportunities

Just like people, American Bully Pitbull puppies are social animals, and many enjoy spending time with members of their own species. Off-leash play with other American Bully Pitbull puppies serves multiple purposes. It can give your American Bully Pitbull puppy opportunities to practice her social skills with other dogs, wear her out mentally and tire her physically. If your American Bully Pitbull puppy enjoys romping with dog buddies, give her regular opportunities to do so. Try taking her to a local dog park or doggie daycare. If you have friends or family with dogs, you can also arrange “play dates” at your respective houses.

 

Things to Do Together

In addition to fun activities when you’re not around, your American Bully Pitbull puppy also benefits from spending plenty of quality time with you. There are many fun and exciting things you and your American Bully Pitbull puppy can do together. Read on for some suggestions.

 

Get Moving

Don’t underestimate the value of a good walk or jog with your American Bully Pitbull puppy. Taking at least one outing per day will help keep your American Bully Pitbull puppy physically fit and give her opportunities to explore the world. Follow different routes and visit new places whenever you can so that your American Bully Pitbull puppy can experience novel smells and sights.

To learn about more ways to provide a great physical workout for your American Bully Pitbull puppy, please see our article Exercise for American Bully Pitbull Puppies.

 

Games to Play

Learning how to play with your American Bully Pitbull puppy in ways that are enjoyable and safe for you both will greatly enhance your relationship. The games listed below will exercise your American Bully Pitbull puppy’s body and satisfy her deeply rooted instincts to search, chase, grab and tug.

 

- Spring - Pole (Springpole or Spring-Pole) Working

This is a great way for your American Bully Pitbull puppies to stay active, healthy, and build muscle while having fun playing. The Spring - Pole (Spring-Pole or Springpole) is excellent for tiring out your dog when you don't have a lot of time or space. A relatively small grass or dirt area + one Spring - Pole=one happy, tired dog! Your American Bully Pitbull puppies will have hours of fun while getting a great workout. First, bring your American Bully Pitbull puppy out on a harness and leash. Have someone hold him, or tie him near where he can watch you as you smack the cotton chew toy, push it, and otherwise get him excited over it. Too many people push the cotton chew toy at their American Bully Pitbull puppy, causing a gag type reflex. Play keep-away instead and watch his interest grow. You can really turn an American Bully Pitbull puppy off for good by hitting him in the head a few times with the thing. Keep it kind of low to start. Some American Bully Pitbull puppies love a low Spring - Pole, and love to wrap their legs around the Spring - Pole. Some American Bully Pitbulls like to fly high and hang on a Spring - Pole that is mounted higher. Let your American Bully Pitbull puppy show you what they like. Please click here to see the American Bully Pitbull Spring - Pole (Spring-Pole or Springpole) That We Have for Sale.

 

- Tug-of-war

Playing tug with your American Bully Pitbull puppy can provide a wonderful outlet for her natural canine urges to grab and pull on things with her mouth. You can also use this game to exercise your American Bully Pitbull puppy and teach her important lessons, such as how to listen to you when she’s excited. For tips on how to play and important rules to follow, please see our article, Teaching Your American Bully Pitbull puppy to Play Tug-of-War.

 

- Fetch

Teaching your American Bully Pitbull puppy to play fetch is great for a number of reasons. It requires your American Bully Pitbull puppy to exert a lot of physical effort - but you don’t have to! You can also use the game of fetch to teach your American Bully Pitbull puppy useful skills, like how to drop things when you ask her to.

• Show your American Bully Pitbull puppy a toy and then toss it a short distance. (If she doesn’t follow the toy, try a different one.) 

• Praise your American Bully Pitbull puppy as she follows the toy.

• When she picks it up and starts to return to you, praise her. (If she doesn’t return to you, don’t chase her. Just encourage her or play with another toy yourself.)

• When your American Bully Pitbull puppy reaches you, position your left hand under her mouth to catch the toy.

• Say “Give” or “Drop it” and then put a delicious treat very close to her nose with your right hand.

• When she drops the toy into your left hand, give her your treat and praise her!

• When she’s good at fetching in the hallway, you can practice outdoors.

• After many repetitions your American Bully Pitbull puppy will learn the “Drop it” cue. Then you can stop using the treat. When you give the cue and she drops the toy, reward her by throwing the toy again.

For additional tips and a more detailed description of how to introduce your dog to this game, please see our article Teaching Your American Bully Pitbull Puppy to Play Fetch.

 

- Find It

Giving your American Bully Pitbull puppy a chance to use her powerful nose can really wear her out! It’s easy to teach your American Bully Pitbull puppy to find hidden treats. Just put her in another room, out of sight, while you hide a few treats. When you introduce the Find It game, start out by choosing hiding spots that allow your American Bully Pitbull puppy to find the “hidden” treats easily. Try placing treats behind the legs of furniture, partially in view. After you’ve hidden the treats, go get your American Bully Pitbull puppy and say “Find it!” right before letting her into the room. Encourage her to look around for the treats. (You might have to point them out the first few times you play the Find It game.) As your American Bully Pitbull puppy becomes better and better at finding the treats, you can hide them in more difficult places, like behind pillows or underneath objects.

You can also play Find It with your American Bully Pitbull puppy’s favorite toy. Follow the directions above, but hide the toy instead of treats. When your American Bully Pitbull puppy finds it, you can play a game of tug or fetch as a reward.

 

- Hide-and-Seek

This game is similar to Find It - but instead of teaching your American Bully Pitbull puppy to hunt her favorite treats or toys, you’ll train her to search for you! Like Find It, Hide-and-Seek will exercise your American Bully Pitbull puppy’s mind and give her an opportunity to use her amazing sense of smell. It can also help her learn to love coming when called.

 

- Chase & Flirt Pole (Flirtpole or Flirt-Pole)

American Bully Pitbull puppies were born to chase! Try tying one of your American Bully Pitbull puppy’s favorite toys to the end of a sturdy rope. You can attach the other end of the rope to a stick or plastic PVC pipe. Then use the stick or pipe to drag the toy around on the ground or twirl it in the air around you so that your American Bully Pitbull puppy can chase it. Many American Bully Pitbull puppies find this game exciting and will chase the fast-moving toy until they’re exhausted. Of course, you want to let your American Bully Pitbull puppy catch it at times! You can also buy an inexpensive lunge whip from a horse tack or feed store and tie a ball or other toy to the end of the whip (also known as a flirt pole). Tennis balls you can buy on a rope are good for this - or put a squeaky toy in a sock and tie the sock to the end of the whip. Then twirl the whip in a big circle and let your American Bully Pitbull puppy chase it. Your American Bully Pitbull puppy can get a good workout in a relatively small space.

When playing outdoors with you, your American Bully Pitbull puppy may enjoy chasing a stream of water from a hose. Use a sprayer attachment for maximum enjoyment. Try spraying the ground a few feet away from your American Bully Pitbull puppy and then rapidly moving the stream of water away from her, along the ground. Many American Bully Pitbull puppies can’t resist chasing and trying to bite the water. Another unique way to satisfy your American Bully Pitbull puppy’s desire to chase is to purchase a bubble-blowing toy made for dogs, such as the Fetch a Bubble Big Bubble Blaster or the Bubble Buddy™. These toys produce bubbles that taste like bacon, chicken, peanut butter or barbeque!

 

- Round-Robin Recalls

This is a fun obedience game you can play with the whole family. Have everyone spread out around your living room. Take turns calling your American Bully Pitbull puppy to you, and treating and happily praising her when she reaches you. Make her earn her entire dinner in a game of Round-Robin.     

• With family members at least 20 feet apart, have one person happily say your American Bully Pitbull puppy’s name and then give the cue “Come!”

• If your American Bully Pitbull puppy hesitates, don’t say “Come” again (nagging just teaches American Bully Pitbull puppies to ignore you) but encourage her with clapping, slapping your thighs or making high-pitched noises.

• When your American Bully Pitbull puppy gets to you, gently grab her collar, say “Good girl!” and treat her.

• So that she’s ready to focus on the next person when she’s done eating, look away from your American Bully Pitbull puppy, and put your hands and treats behind your back. Then it’s the next person’s turn to call.

• Whenever one person is calling your American Bully Pitbull puppy, the other(s) should remain quiet and boring (treats behind back and looking away) so your American Bully Pitbull puppy isn’t confused about whom to go to.

• When your American Bully Pitbull puppy’s good at recalls in your living room, spread out further around the house, even where you can’t see each other.

• When she’s a champ at that, take the game outside into your yard or a fenced area.

 

Training

Enroll in a reward-based training class to increase your American Bully Pitbull puppy’s mental activity, enhance the bond between you and your American Bully Pitbull puppy, and help her understand your expectations of her. Contact a CPDT (Certified Pet Dog Trainer) for group or private classes that can give you and your American Bully Pitbull puppy lots of great skills to learn and games to play together. There are many kinds of training to investigate, such as basic obedience training, clicker training and trick training. To learn more, please see our articles, Training Your American Bully Pitbull Puppy and Clicker Training Your American Bully Pitbull Puppy.

If you’ve got a competitive streak, you and your American Bully Pitbull puppy can participate in competition obedience or Rally Obedience (Rally-O), an exciting new sport in which American Bully Pitbull puppies navigate a numbered course with their handlers and perform a series of heeling patterns and obedience exercises.

 

- No Free Lunch

When you and your American Bully Pitbull puppy have learned some new training skills, you can start a No Free Lunch program. Here’s how it works. You control all the valuable resources in your American Bully Pitbull puppy’s life, such as food, water, affection, toys, walks, petting and playtime. Instead of giving these things for free, ask your American Bully Pitbull puppy to work for them! The work will exercise her brain and help her become more obedient. Just give your American Bully Pitbull puppy what she needs and wants after she does something you ask her to do. For example, if your American Bully Pitbull puppy wants to go on a walk, ask her to sit before you clip on her leash and open the door. If your American Bully Pitbull puppy wants dinner, ask her to sit-stay while you put down her bowl. If your American Bully Pitbull puppy wants to play a game of tug, ask her to lie down before you start the game. Your American Bully Pitbull puppy will happily learn to work for everything she loves in life.

 

 

Short on Time?

It’s often difficult to work time with your American Bully Pitbull puppy into your hectic daily routine. But if you’ve got a busy schedule, you can find help. Consider the following time-saving ways to add some excitement to your American Bully Pitbull puppy’s life:

• If you live close enough to work, consider going home to spend your lunch break with your American Bully Pitbull puppy.

• If you can’t make it home during the day, hire a dog walker to take your American Bully Pitbull puppy out for a stroll instead.

• If you have friends or family members who don’t work during the day, ask if they’d be willing to let your American Bully Pitbull puppy visit them while you’re at work.