APBT owners and those experienced with the breed, I'd appreciate your help. How best to manage this dog?

If you have no experience with owning a dog this pit is not for you. It is already showing bad behavior & high anxiety & severe destruction.

As a Canine Behaviorist, retired Professional Dog Trainer, retired Professional all breed dog groomer specialized in dogs with behavioral problems. You do not want to need this dog, it will be nothing but trouble.

I quit working with pits many yrs ago. They are very unpredictable, energetic, strong, hard headed, stubborn, defiant, hard to train, I don't think this dog is for you. If you had of had several yrs of owning & training dogs, it may be a different story but you have no experience. & this dog needs a hard hand at training. No easy peasy way to train a pit. You MUST have a hard hand in corrections.

Its separation anxiety. You're best off seeking the help of a behaviorist who can come to you and see/analyze the dogs behavior to help you come up with a plan to manage/fix it.

First check with your homeowner's insurance to see if you are allowed this breed (which is really a mutt as there is no such breed as APBT recognized by the AKC). If you live in an apartment, then you need to check your lease. Do you have a fenced yard? This is a dog that is going to need daily obedience training (sit, stay, down, leave it) so that you are recognized as someone who the dog can trust for leadership. The dog is misbehaving due to lack of exercise and stimulation. You will need one or two long walks a day, plus exercise in the yard - things like fetch are good exercise for mind and body. And there is always the liablity issue. A dog aggressive dog is difficult to take on walks (hence the obedience training) and can never be taken to a dog park. Be very cautious in your decision here - this is not just a rehoming of an "easy" dog. You have insurance liablity issues, a big commitment to training, and another big commitment to exercise. Don't be afraid to say no if you don't feel you are up to it. They then need to contact a rescue and get on a waiting list so that the dog can be surrendered to a place familiar with the type.

Pits have so much energy, you have to walk them every day at least for 45 min. Like any other dog, set boundaries and rules for him. Don't disregard bad behaviors like jumping or begging, you have to let your new dog know that he needs to listen to you. Most people make the mistake of always yelling at their dog or correcting behaviors later on when they've gotten bad. Dogs don't care about yelling its just sound, if the dog exhibits bad behavior, correct them calmly and unemotionally. If they are being too hyper, calmly make them sit and relax, make sure before walks and feeding time you don't talk to the dog too much, your voice excites the dog. Since pits are usually rambunctious and high energy its so important to practice calmness with him. Make sure to pet him when he's a good boy.

basic training will help the dog with obedience. take for 2 walks a day.