Pit bulls that are not socialized properly can have serious problems through out their lives. The majority of Dog bites that occur in the US are caused by dogs that are freely roaming and hadn’t been socialized. In a lot of cases the dog had been kept chained up in the back yard and never socialized.

Some people think that socialization is something that you only do with Puppies. This isn’t true. Socialization should be done with dogs of all ages. However it is especially important for puppies. Puppies much like children will absorb everything around them. Also older dogs much like older people can become more stubborn to experiencing new things.

Try to initially socialize your dog with as many people as you possibly can. Also, its important to introduce the dog to all types of people. Short, Tall, Young, Old, Small and Large try to get your dog to be handled by as many people as you can.

When you start to socialize a dog make sure that you can keep complete control over what ever situation you put the dog in. Don’t take the dog to a dog park. It defeats the purpose of socializing if you allow the dog to be overwhelmed by new things, this could possibly have a negative affect on the dog.

With pit bulls it is never safe to assume that it will not want to fight or show aggression to other dogs. Even a well socialized pit bull is capable of showing aggression to other dogs. This isn’t something to be worried about, it doesn’t mean your dog will show aggression towards people. It is just a trait that has been breed into the dog over hundreds of years. You should never trust your pit bull not to fight with other dogs.

Try to introduce your dog too as many different things as you possibly can. Not just other dogs and people, try to introduce them everything that could be around them. Take them to a park and let them smell the tree’s and watch squirrels. Bring them with you to the lake and introduce them to water.

Continue to introduce your pit bull to new things for the rest of his or her life. Socialization should never stop. You will find that a dog that is continuously socialized will enjoy learning about and meeting new things.

If you don’t currently have a flirt pole, they are quite simple to make. You can go to a local farm supply or horse tack dealer and buy a lunge whip. Then take a old dish rag or burlap sack and attach it too the end of the line. If you find your self needing more weight on the end of the line, feel free to poke a hole in a tennis ball and tread it below or above the rag.

You don’t have to use a lunge pole, I currently am using a fiberglass tent pole that has a cord run through the middle of it. I have also used PVC pipe and Bamboo, there is no reason that a flirt pole needs to be expensive. Look at what you already have laying around, you could also use a branch from a tree. Just don’t use any metal on the line or near the bait, metal can potentially cause harm to dogs teeth. Also I normally use cotton line, I would avoid anything that you wouldn’t want your dog to chew on.

Once you have the flirt pole created, the next thing to do is get the dog and go outside. It is best to play with the flirt pole over dirt or grass. Concrete could be bad for the pads of your dogs feet especially if he likes to jump.

Once your in an open area, bait the dog with the flirt pole generally the dog will use his natural prey drive in an attempt to grab the bait. If your dog doesn’t just start going after the bait, you may have to play with the bait in front of him so to increase his desire to grab it.

When your dog shows interest in the bait start playing a game of keep away. Occasionally let the dog grab the bait, this is a good time to work on your release command. If you don’t let the dog occasionally get the bait he may lose interest in it.

At first it is best to start with the bait on the ground. Once your dog is old enough and has developed athletically you can start making them jump. Also, it is important to initially keep the sessions short so that you don’t over work your dog. I find that even the most active of dogs tires out after 20 or 30 minutes with the flirt pole.

The flirt pole can be an excellent tool to develop coordination and agility in your pit bulls, as well as a great way to have fun and exercise them well.