An image of a happy pitbull - contact Dog Training Elite for your pitbull training in Grand Rapids, MI.

Professional Training For

Pitbulls

Dog Training Elite West Michigan

Request Free Assessment


Request Free Assessment


Our Pitbull Training Could Help:

Jumping on people
Destructive chewing
Excessive barking
Separation anxiety
Leash pulling
Territorial behavior
Stubbornness

Pitbull Training in Grand Rapids, MI

At Dog Training Elite, we can tailor our training method to work with any dog breed. We also understand that some dog breeds may require more training in some areas than others. Generally, all dogs share qualities of loyalty, intelligence, and compassion—regardless of what breed they are. Additionally, some breeds may have traits that require more attention and training than others.

For example, dogs within the pit bull family might possess some qualities that need training and correction that aren't an issue with other dog breeds. Whatever the case and dog breed you have, the trainers at Dog Training Elite West Michigan can create a breed–specific training plan to help you and your dog. Request a free in–home assessment and start your Grand Rapids Pitbull puppy and adult training today!

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A well-trained pitbull - contact Dog Training Elite today for Grand Rapids pitbull puppy and adult training.

What is a Pitbull?


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A pitbull is not just one breed of dog but a collection of breeds created by crossing bulldogs and terriers. The common dog breeds that fall under the “pitbull” umbrella are:

  • American Pitbull Terrier
  • American Staffordshire Terrier
  • Staffordshire Bull Terrier
  • American Bulldog
  • English Bull Terrier

At one time, pitbulls were prized family dogs, nicknamed "nanny dogs" for their attention and care around children. Unfortunately, they were also bred for cruel and inhumane "sports" like bear–baiting and dog fighting for many years. Because of that history, their breeds have been considered aggressive and intimidating. However, pitbull owners know their dogs are highly affectionate and loyal, and this stigma is outdated and harmful.

Get Your Free Assessment

You and your canine companion really can have it all. See how easy it can be to become a member of the elite pup society by requesting a free consultation today!

Hear From Our Customers

Learn Why Dog owners choose Dog Training Elite

  • Sally Jo Klokkert
    Dec. 19, 2024
    Carrie was so kind and patient with my girl Billy and I. I’m so happy and proud of the progress we have made and would HIGHLY recommend dog training elite west Michigan to anyone
  • Sally Jo Klokkert
    Dec. 19, 2024
    Carrie was so kind and patient with my girl Billy and I. I’m so happy and proud of the progress we have made and would HIGHLY recommend dog training elite west Michigan to anyone
  • sally klokkert
    Dec. 19, 2024
    I’m a 62 year old woman who rescued a beautiful black and tan on hound. She is as strong as a bull and sweet as pie. She pulled me to my knees to many times to count and when guest came over she would almost knock them over with affection.i needed help and a friend found elite training for me. I signed up and with some training myself and a little help with my dog my dog is a well behaved love who will stay put until I give the command. Carrie worked miracles at showing my pup and myself who we could be. 💜
  • sally klokkert
    Dec. 19, 2024
    I’m a 62 year old woman who rescued a beautiful black and tan on hound. She is as strong as a bull and sweet as pie. She pulled me to my knees to many times to count and when guest came over she would almost knock them over with affection.i needed help and a friend found elite training for me. I signed up and with some training myself and a little help with my dog my dog is a well behaved love who will stay put until I give the command. Carrie worked miracles at showing my pup and myself who we could be. 💜
  • Melissa Weining
    Dec. 13, 2024
    We have been blessed with a few wonderful dogs as family pets. But in September we had the opportunity to get a Belgian Malinois puppy, Dakota. She is a joy, but we knew that for her to reach her full potential as our pet, we would need professional help. Carrie and Dog Training Elite West Michigan have been a tremendous help and Dakota is making amazing progress! With each training session we see growth and discipline in Dakota's behavior. My husband and I agree it is money very well spent for our furry companion! Dog Training Elite is convenient, professional, knowledgeable, and all around fantastic!! Carrie takes her job very serious for the sake of our dog and our family, and has exceeded all of our expectations!!
  • Kylie Kamppinen
    Dec. 10, 2024
    Carrie with Dog Training Elite has been absolutely wonderful. My silver Labrador retriever named Opal is so well trained. She has helped us through all of the hard puppy stages. I have gotten so many compliments on how well behaved my dog is and it is all thanks to Carrie.
  • Christy Moore Greenman
    Nov. 13, 2024
    Our puppy has officially graduated from Dog Training Elite West Michigan! Investing in Carrie and her training techniques was the best choice I could have made! We welcomed our puppy into our home with the hopes of him becoming a therapy dog at my school. He has learned so much with Carrie! Although therapy dog training will start a little bit later, we finally enjoy walking him and having people over without him jumping on everyone! If you’ve ever thought about investing in training for your own dog(s), I would highly recommend Carrie.
  • Christy Moore Greenman
    Nov. 13, 2024
    Our puppy has officially graduated from Dog Training Elite West Michigan! Investing in Carrie and her training techniques was the best choice I could have made! We welcomed our puppy into our home with the hopes of him becoming a therapy dog at my school. He has learned so much with Carrie! Although therapy dog training will start a little bit later, we finally enjoy walking him and having people over without him jumping on everyone! If you’ve ever thought about investing in training for your own dog(s), I would highly recommend Carrie.
  • adrian Quintino
    Oct. 30, 2024
    We are 3 weeks into training with DTE and Osito (Mini Goldendoodle)is a whole new dog! We saw improvement after just one day of training which I didn't think it was possible! Carrie helped us make so much progress with Osito. He is so much well behaved and his Obedience has improved so much! We tried other training programs which were based on rewards like treats/food/toys. That type of training failed miserably with Osito. It was so hard to keep him engaged. We highly recommend Carrie and her DTE training program! Carrie is teaching us a system that works fantastic for us and Osito! So much progress in such a short amount of time. Can't wait to see the end result once the program has been completed! Thank you so much Carrie and DTE!
  • Alison Bowser
    Oct. 23, 2024
    Our dog, George, came to us completely untrained and just a mess. Carrie helped us make SO much progress with him. He’s a different dog! He’s so well behaved and he’s become such a great dog for our family.
  • Emma Bailey
    Oct. 2, 2024
    Before Dog Training Elite West Michigan and working with our fantastic trainer Carrie we were at a loss for how to work with our boy Saint. He had so much energy and wanted to rule the roost. We struggled with mouthiness, no listening ears, barking/talking to get attention and more. After our initial zoom call going over what training is we were so relieved and excited to get started. The training has exceeded all our expectations, even after the first session we saw an instant change in his attitude towards listening. He gets so excited to learn new commands and work with Carrie, he’s much more confident, snuggly, and reliable, we can bring him anywhere! Carrie has taught us life long dog ownership skills and changed our lives! We are truly so grateful for Dog Training Elite and we know Saint is too!!
  • Brady Owen
    Sep. 20, 2024
    We are very thankful we chose Carrie and Dog Training Elite West Michigan. I saw the impact good training could have on our dog after the first class. We’re very appreciative of the hard work that goes into training and look forward to each class so not only does our dog learn, but we do as well to become better dog parents!
  • Kyle Smith
    Aug. 5, 2024
    Dog Training Elite -West Michigan was a great option for Wesson, our 4 yr old Labradoodle! Carrie taught us a system that works for our dog and our family. We got our dog during Covid and never enrolled in obedience classes due to the shutdowns. While our dog was never aggressive, we needed help with commands to avoid “over joyful welcomes” with visitors and a way to turn off excessive barking at UPS, Fed Ex and other “invaders.” We actually got way more than we expected. I have a happy dog, happy wife and a happy life! I highly recommend Carrie and her Dog Training Elite program!
  • Jonci Warner
    Jul. 11, 2024
    This was my first dog so I knew I needed an expert to help me train. The convenience of at-home lessons and Carrie’s vast understanding of dog behavior was near priceless. What I noticed over all was how much she cared about our dog and its well-being. She is very passionate about her craft. Now people I meet everyday tell me what a well behaved dog I have. A great experience for sure.
  • Max Sloss
    Jul. 11, 2024
    Our trainer from Dog Training Elite West Michigan helped us train our dog ever since he was a puppy. She has helped us and our dog by training our dog to listen to our commands, and having him learn self control. Our trainer was very experienced and intelligent on what to do with dogs. She taught us as owners what to do in almost any situation that could happen to our dog. Overall this is a great service that I am grateful for and would highly recommend to everyone and I could not be happier with what they have done for us and our dog.
  • Heidi Maroney
    Jun. 23, 2024
    Carrie was wonderful with our dogs. We have 2 dogs. She was on time every lesson. Using E collars is very new to us. So we are still getting used to them. We are practicing with the e-collars daily through out daily activities. They do listen better with them and it has helped a great deal to shut down unwanted behavior. Such as excessive barking, pulling, lunging, and rough housing. It has also helped with walking the dogs with distractions. They have learned to sit and stay while people are passing by on walks. We have not started any group classes yet but are looking forward to checking them out.
  • Kristin Howarth
    Jun. 8, 2024
    We hired Carrie to train our 3 year old chocolate lab Brody. She has done an amazing job! She took the time to get to know our family and worked with us on creating a customized plan that fit our needs. Our dog has responded really well to the training. He is listening better, not jumping as much and is learning to heel. We appreciate Carrie’s hard work and dedication, you can tell she truly loves what she does. We still have a few more training sessions to go and are excited to continue to see the great progress.
  • Mitch Mileski
    Mar. 23, 2024
    Dog Training Elite, specifically our trainer Carrie, has provided amazing customer service, dependability, solutions, and empowerment 100% of the time. Carrie has been working with us and our dog Panchito for the last month or so and all I can say is, “wow!” Her experience, wisdom, and patience shows every session. Our anxious and nervous rescue pup has come so far so fast. Although this is a costly service, the mental sanity that is provided with her direction and guidance is priceless. Every day still has its challenges, but we see improvements day after day with Panchito. His confidence has risen and anxiety is melting away. I would 100% recommend DTE to others and would happily call upon their services again if needed.
  • Meghan Arnson
    Mar. 19, 2024
    Our dog Echo and our family had an amazing experience with Dog Training Elite. Carrie's expertise and dedication to helping Echo learn and grow were truly impressive. She took the time to understand Echo's unique needs and tailored the training sessions to suit her and us perfectly. Under Carrie's guidance, Echo made significant progress in her puppy training. I highly recommend Dog Training Elite and Carrie to anyone looking for exceptional dog training services."
  • Josie Van Dam
    Feb. 14, 2024
    Wallace, my nine month old English Cream Golden Retriever, and I just completed all of our individual obedience classes with Carrie. Her reassurance and patience is exactly what I need and has helped me learn how best to communicate and guide Wallace. We are excited to continue working with Carrie as Wallace moves into training to become my service dog. Worth every penny!
A happy, obedient pitbull with Dog Training Elite West Michigan training.

Common Pit Bull Personality Traits

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Because of their tumultuous breeding past, pit bulls get a bad reputation for being mean, loud, and fierce. But if you have ever met a well–trained pit bull, you'll quickly learn that most do not possess those qualities. Below are a few common pit bull personality traits you may not know about.

  • These breeds are often easier to train than other breeds because of their loyalty and desire to please their owners.
  • Pit bulls are highly energetic and love to be active.
  • Because these dogs are usually misunderstood and consequently given up, pit bulls are the most adoptable breed in need of loving homes.
  • Pit bulls have a lifespan of 8–15 years.
  • These breeds usually don't bark a lot. However, if there is a barking problem, it's probably due to boredom or anxiety, which the trainers of Dog Training Elite West Michigan can address!
  • Pit bulls are highly affectionate, making them great family and service dogs.

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A group of dogs being trained by the expert team at Dog Training Elite West Michigan.
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A well-trained pitbull walking with their owner.

Grand Rapids Pitbull Puppy and Adult Training

Training for Pitbulls with Dog Training Elite

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If your pitbull is exhibiting problems with aggression, barking, or does not socialize well with other dogs or people, the trainers at Dog Training Elite West Michigan can help! We have years of experience addressing behavioral problems with various dog breeds. We can create a specialized training plan with you using our proven training method.

Because pitbulls are loyal and have a high desire to please, the Dog Training Elite training method works exceptionally well for them. In all our training, we employ positive reinforcement—we reward correct, desired behaviors and ignore incorrect ones. Research shows that punishing a dog will not yield positive results and instead result in a dog obeying out of fear. We focus on building a positive, long–lasting relationship between dog and owner. Pitbulls are eager to please, and if you reward them for good behavior, they'll stick to good behavior, and you'll gain a loyal, dependent friend for life.

Our training method works with any dog because we base each training on a foundation of consistency, positive reinforcement, and creating a lasting bond between dog and owner. If you and your dog need Grand Rapids Pitbull puppy or adult training, find a Dog Training Elite West Michigan trainer near you today!