Hiya

I have a 7 week old red staffie bitch (Amy) and I'm keen to start basic training with her as soon as possible.  I've looked for treats in pet shops but all just seem to be for older pups.  Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can give as a treat when training my 7 wk old?

Thanking you in anticipation.

Claire and Amy

Excellant, a keen person.   :D

We use Nutro training bits for our tiny puppies and when they get a bit older (about 12-14 weeks) we use Livercake.

Here is the recipe for livercake:-

1lb lambs liver
1lb flour
2 eggs
1 tsp garlic powder
water to mix

Chop liver and put in food processor with flour, eggs, garlic and water to make a typical cake mixture.  Put into a cake or loaf tin and cook for 1 hour on 200oc.

We chop ours into slices and freeze it, then we can use a slice when we need it, chop it into little squares and you have a very cheap, very tasty training treat.

Good luck with your training, I have just had a lovely staffie in one of my puppy classes, she did well.

manda
x

You can also use little pieces of cheese, edam is good, not so much fat and doesn't crumble in your pocket.  Or hot dog sausages cut into tiny pieces, they always go down well.

Good luck with the training.

Sandra

Thanks for the advice, I wasn't sure what I could give with her being so young.  At the moment all she want's to do is play and doesn't seem to have any attention span at all.  We have a large kitchen which is quiet and I have been taking her in there to start off with the basics, Sit, down, stay etc.  The only thing is as soon as I sit down on the floor so I'm on her level she just comes up to me and trys to climb on my knee.  I've just been using her feeding biscuits up till now but she just seems to know that I've got these in my hands and automatically makes a bee line for my hand with the nice smelling biscuits in, then she tries to chew my hand to get the biscuits.  She is terrible for mouthing and as soon as she has my hand or anything else, braclets, earrings, hair etc near her mouth she just tries to chew them straight away.  I've tried squeeling like one of her littermates would if she had bitten them, I've also tried reinforcing that with a loud NO BITE everytime she bites that little bit too hard.  She's getting there slowly but surely but I guess this is all part of the fun.  A little frustrating but fun all the same.  I'm hoping to take her to puppy socialisation classes when she's 10 weeks.  I'm hoping that I'm doing all the right things so that I end up with a good all round dog which is a joy to own. 

Thanks for the recipe, I've never made a cake before so I'm looking forward to trying even though it's not for me.

No probs, try doing training by standing up and bending over, this is how I had to train my working cocker pup or she would leap all over me, and it worked really well.

Keep persevering with the squealing thing when she bites, it will get better, you could also try turning away and crying like a injured puppy, that works to.

Have fun with the cake, you could always try a bit!! :D  yum yum

manda
x

I found Obi wasn't particulary treat orientated at 7 weeks as he was getting so much food in his meals.  I found it best to use something really yummy (fresh chicken, ham, raw mince) about an hour before he was due to be fed, and then only did a few mins training at a time, sit and down mainly.  Obi is 12 weeks now and will work for most things, I use cat biscuits at times when I don't need many treats, eg, calling him in from the garden, and normally cheese for walks (I'm very popular with all the dogs we meet!)  I save the good stuff - tonight it was a hunk of fresh turkey cooked for yesterdays roast dinner - for training, today he has learnt to step up on a stool - all for fresh turkey.  We start training classes next week, and I am really excited, I can't wait to learn more.  He is such a happy and quick learner and we have so much fun.  Top tip I heard, was, as soon as you have ended a successful training session (before your dog gets bored), put them away for a bit of quiet time, and, apparently, this gives the brain a chance to absorb what he/she has learnt.

Sorry to go on, but we are having so much fun, just wanted to share my enthusiasm

All the very best, Hayley

You mention that your pup loves to play.

For training you don't have to use food, you can also play or just fuss and talk to your pup for praise sometimes I will play with the dog for praise for doing something right aswell as food.

Rox

Amy loves to play all the time and what seems to be happening is that when I take her in the kitchen for our training time she assumes that this is to play as that what happens normally.  I have read all sorts of books about training before I became a first time puppy mum and most of them seemed to say that you should become the pack leader.  However, at the minute I feel more like a litter mate than pack leader as she sees me as a source of fun and cuddles and whenever I do try to be 'trainer' she doesn't seem to take me seriously if you catch my drift.  I know she's only 7 weeks and we'll get there with perseverence and hard work.  She does seem to get over excited when we play and sometimes when we have her ragger and are playing she's do a playful growl and bark which I ignore then then take away the ragger.  Also when I call her to me and she bounds over to me, when I go to praise her for being such a good girl she'll growl and give a quick lunging bite but never makes contact.  I'm assuming this is all quite naturall but I don't want to encourage growling and biting. 

Look for Barker and Barker's website. They do liver treats in all sizes.

Hiya,

well I have finally achieved training 2 consecutive nights.  Last night after I logged off from here Amy woke up full of beans as usual.  After the initial hyperness of just waking up I took her into the kitchen and got some pieces of cooked chicken.  I stood up and walked to the other end of the kitchen and told Amy to 'come' which to my amazement she did with out hesitation.  I gave her the treat,then I asked her to 'sit' this she did straight away.  I continued walking from opposite ends of the kitchen doing exactly the same and each time she did it no problem.  Standing over her has helped no end although I'm cheating a little with the 'sit' command.  Once I've called her over and she gets her treat I stand back up and say 'sit Amy' but she's already going into a sit position to look up at me to see what I'm doing.  Hopefully though this isn't too much of a cheat!

As to her playing she still gives me the play growl and bark when we play tug of war with her ragger.  It doesn't sound at all agressive but then again I don't really want this reaction to continue into adulthood and I'm wondering if I should break the habit sooner rather than later.  My boyfriend thinks I'm being a little over dramatic and that at the end of the day she is just a puppy and she should be allowed to play and have fun.  I hope it doesn't seem like I'm trying to stop this and taking it all too seriously. 

Anyway just thought I'd let you know how we're getting on.  Oh and any ideas on the play growling barking would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Claire and Amy

<<<she still gives me the play growl and bark when we play tug of war with her ragger.  It doesn't sound at all agressive >>>

Dont worry - its perfectly normal for a staffie .
Nearly everyone I have met does this :DEven when adult.
Its just the way they play :)
Please dont worry
Lel

My staff used to jump up at people while out for walks. Not just a small jump but right up to their noses. She never tried to bite them just her way of saying hello if anyone spoke to her. Tried for ages to stop her doing it but she has grown out of it now. She also had a thing about people lying on the floor and one day a poor foreign man was asleep in the park on his back in the sun. I saw him too late she had seen him first and charged over at ninety miles an hour landed on his belly and started washing his face. He thought he was done for and leaped up screaming and shouting. I couldnt understand what he was saying but I dont think it was "what a cute dog". I did apologise to him but he ran away.

Thanks so much for putting my mind at rest, she does seem to really enjoy it when we play tug of war, as soon as either of us win she stops her little growl and barking.  I have to admit it's the cutest thing ever to see her mouth tugging at the ragger and her little head wrinkled up concentrating so hard on winning her prize.

I can see my boyfriend going spare with me by the time Amy is fully grown, I just can't help being so enthusiastic about having her.

Once again thanks  :-)

Just watch her teeth when you play this though
Lel

I have tried to be careful about when her teeth touch my hands during playing.  She never goes for my hands and always for the ragger but on occasion she has accidently got my finger in her mouth along with the ragger (not sure if this is my fault for where I possition my hands).  If it's intentional then the ragger goes away and we have a 5 mins time out where normally she takes herself off to her crate for a thoughtful moment.  Then shortly after that if she hasn't zonked out we start playing again.  The ragger is the toy which she doesn't have all of the time and it's only bought out when we play together, obviously we have other toys and chew toys for her which she can play with all the time but whenever she sees the ragger coming out she seems to know that it's a special play time!