Can Pit Bulls Climb Trees?

Pit Bulls are quite muscular compared to other dogs, but still, you were a bit surprised to hear from a friend and fellow Pit owner that theirs climbed a tree the other day. It’s not like Pit Bulls have cat-like claws for latching into tree bark, after all. Can they really climb trees?

Can Pit Bulls climb trees? Pit Bulls can indeed climb trees and will do so for several reasons. If a Pit Bull ever felt like it was in danger, it might ascend a tree. Some Pits even climb trees to escape the confines of a fenced-in yard or to go after prey. 

You’re quite amazed by this fact, and you’d like to learn even more about the Pit Bull’s climbing abilities. Well, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, I’ll discuss further the techniques Pit Bulls use to climb and why they climb. If your Pit is trying to pull a Houdini trick on you with his or her climbing abilities, I’ll even have some tips for keeping your dog in the yard.

Let’s get started! 

Can Pit Bulls Climb Trees? How Do They Do It? 

Pit Bull Climbing Techniques

Run Right Up

I know, I know, this sounds like something out of a movie, but it isn’t! Just take a look at the first few seconds of that ninja dog YouTube clip. The Pit effortlessly runs right up the tree and then begins climbing from there.

For this to be feasible, the trunk of the tree must be lower to the ground, free of branches for the first few feet, and relatively straight. It also helps if the trunk is wider than the Pit Bull so he feels confident running up it. 

Climb the Lower Branches, Then Up and Up 

Okay, so you can say technically that the first technique isn’t climbing, but the Pit can definitely climb if he wants to. If the branches of a tree are lower, then he’ll lift himself on his hind legs, jump up into the first part of the tree, and begin climbing from there.

Indeed, dogs cannot sink into things with their claws like a cat does, but the claws of a dog are anything but flat. Your Pit will rely on his claws and his musculature to get him to the top of the tree or as far up as he feels comfortable going.

Reasons a Pit Bull Might Climb a Tree

You’ve seen how a Pit Bull can climb a tree, and it’s quite impressive. He doesn’t just blindly start climbing, but rather, he will study the tree for access points and then choose where to begin. Why do Pit Bulls decide to scale trees? For all sorts of reasons, some nicer than others.

To Escape Danger

Although not a lot scares your Pit Bull, he understands there are bigger, more ferocious creatures out there than even he. If your Pit was put face to face with a fox or a creature of a similar size, he might decide the best course of action is to get out there. Only some foxes can climb trees, giving the Pit Bull a reliable means of escape. 

To Get Out of the Yard 

Pit Bulls can pull off some escape acts worthy of a Houdini magic show. If they’re intent on getting out of the yard to freedom, climbing is one such method they’ll rely on. I’ll talk in the next section about what else a Pit might do to get out, so keep reading.

To Chase Prey 

Imagine this, you’re a squirrel and you’ve arrived at a random backyard. The yard isn’t empty though, as there’s a big, imposing Pit Bull in repose. You’re about to leave, but uh-oh, he spots you. Okay, so you’ll just climb a tree and then get out of there…except the Pit Bull climbs up after you!

Pits can surprise many of their prey with their remarkable climbing abilities, possibly nabbing smaller creatures if they really wanted to. 

Because You Asked Him To 

Yes, believe it or not, some dog owners like to harness a Pit Bull’s climbing abilities. If you go back to that first YouTube video, the reason the dog keeps climbing is that he’s trying to retrieve a toy from the tree. 

Climbing works many of the Pit’s muscles, so it’s certainly a great form of exercise! 

How to Keep Your Pit Bull in the Yard 

Okay, let’s say that your Pit’s tree-climbing yard escapades are giving you anxiety. For the third time in a month, you’ve had a random neighbor knock on your front door with your Pit Bull in tow because he got pretty far down the street.

You know that someday, you won’t be so lucky and your Pit will be lost, possibly for good. You need to keep him in the yard when you put him there, but how? Here are some methods to follow. 

Supervise Your Pit Bull

Some dog owners use the yard as a dog’s plaything and bathroom, sending him out there and leaving the dog unsupervised for hours. I’d never advise you to do this, especially if your Pit Bull has a penchant for dazzling escapes. 

Every 10 minutes or so, maybe 20 minutes, you want to take a peek at the backyard and see what your Pit is up to. If you see him about to climb a tree, you need to know an effective way to discourage his bad behavior.

This time, ignoring him won’t work, as your Pit Bull will just keep climbing. Instead, you want to open the door and say “stop” or “no” in a loud but firm voice. You might have to repeat what you said a second time before your Pit realizes he’s been caught in the act and comes slithering down the tree.

Don’t be surprised if it’s weeks, sometimes months before it sinks in for your Pit that he’s not supposed to climb trees. Training a dog can indeed take that long, so be patient and keep it up! 

Watch How Your Pit Climbs and Then Remove the Crucial Components 

If you don’t want to wait weeks to prevent your Pit Bull from escaping, I can’t blame you. In the meantime, take a day to see how he’s getting out. Maybe videotape him or watch him from an adjacent window. 

Your Pit can get really creative with how he exits the yard, as he’s a smart dog. This Daily Mail article tells the story of a Pit Bull named Sasha. Sasha would use a treehouse in the yard as the launching point to get to the tree in her yard. 

Once you see how your Pit Bull reaches your tree, you can remove the components that allow him to do so. For instance, in the case of Sasha, taking down the treehouse is a good idea, as now it’s harder for her to access the tree.

Besides being smart, Pits are also tenacious, so make sure you remove anything and everything in the yard he might use to reach the tree. Even still, your Pit might still climb the tree the good, old-fashioned way, from the ground up. 

Get a Taller Fence

The taller the fence in your yard, the harder it is for your Pit Bull to leap from a tree branch over the fence to freedom. This is a more expensive measure to take to curb your Pit’s bad behavior, but it’s worth doing if nothing else has worked. 

Escape-Proof Your Yard

Even if you find a way to control your Pit Bull’s tree-climbing, don’t think that’s the only measure he’ll use to get out of the yard. Pits can also wriggle through openings in chain-link fences or dig under the fence to slip out. Make sure your yard is escape-proof!

Exercise Your Dog 

If your Pit Bull seems obsessed with climbing trees, you have to stop and ask yourself why. Is it just for some fresh air? Is he bored? If so, then you need to ensure you’re getting your Pit Bull plenty of exercise. Remember, he requires roughly 30 to 40 minutes of physical activity each and every day. By tiring him out, your Pit will stop climbing trees, and some of his destructive indoor behaviors ought to stop as well. 

Can a Pit Bull’s Climbing Abilities Be Used for Good? 

Some Pit Bull owners don’t view his climbing trees as a nuisance or bad behavior, but something to be celebrated and harnessed. As I said before, climbing is a great form of exercise. The task also stimulates him mentally as he has to decide which branch to climb next. 

A Pit that can climb is well on his way to succeeding in agility competitions. What is agility, you ask? This is like a doggy obstacle course where canines have to run, leap, and weave their way through premade courses to see who can do it fastest. 

Some agility competitions are televised, such as the 2015 Westminster Master’s Agility event where Enzo the Pit competed. Here’s a YouTube video of his performance. Pretty impressive stuff, huh?

Although training for agility competitions involves a lot of physical skills, not just climbing, if your Pit is a strong climber, he should be able to get through the rest of the course in fast order! 

Conclusion 

Pit Bulls are rather talented tree climbers. They may ascend the tall branches of trees to catch prey, escape the yard, or even to evade predators in some instances. If you decide to work on your Pit’s climbing ability, that’s one route you can take. Some dog owners regard climbing as naughty behavior. If so, you have plenty of ways to stop it. Best of luck!