Dog Traing

Question
Four weeks ago I adopted a 4month old pit bull terrier boxer mix from SPCA.  The dog had been surrended - we do not know why.  Generally she is a good dog - she does listen a little bit and we do use training treats for sit / stay etc and she responds.  She does have an issue with biting and at times bites with some aggression.  We have tried numerous things that are not working: walk away when she nips or bites and say "no bite"/ redirecting to toy / high pitched "ouch" and none of these are working.  When she gets really rambunctious ( even after long walks and playtime) every night - she shows a little aggression and jumps all over the kids and I and bites and when I try to calm her down or get her off the bed she really bites me hard.  I ended up yelling and screaming which of course does nothing.  We give her a time out in her crate for a few minutes and sometimes it works - but I know that isn't a solution.  Also this dog does not seem to care when you take away your attention - she doesnt seem to necessarily want attention that much.  I'm really having a hard time.  Also I'm taking training classes for her and the trainer isn't that great and it's with a few other dogs - the trainer suggested things we have already tried.  Any light you can shed is appreciated.  Thanks, Karen

Answer
Try finding a trainer through the Pet Professional Guild listings.  Pit puppies play notoriously roughly and sometimes they get worse in puppy class, because they can push the other puppies around.  If there is a well run dog day care in your area, perhaps you could have her socialize with a mixed group of dogs, so that she gets some idea that she isn't the biggest pup in the room.  Do NOT yell - I know you already know that, but it does tend to make things worse.  Sometimes, it pays to give these dogs a job to do.  They need mental exercise.  If you don't have any other dogs, one way to do this is instead of giving her her dinner in a bowl, spread the kibbles all over the floor or the fenced yard, and let her "hunt" for dinner.  You can also purchase interactive "stuffable" or "puzzle" toys and let her eat from those.  Pits should not be given ANY activity that encourages them to be more aggressive, so if turning away and "ouch" doesn't work, then you might want to try actually stepping out of the room into a room that has a door.  If puppy can see that her "playmate" actually disappears when she mouths, she may be less inclined to do it.  Another thing you can try is to *proactively* use clicker training to have her keep her mouth off you.  The three games on this page might help: http://www.clickertraining.com/node/168