Hi all, new to the forum and have been looking for a forum like this to give me advice and help.
I have just got a staffy puppy, called her JJ.
She is 10 weeks old today, love her to bits.
I have had her for 5 days and I hope;) that I have slighly trained her
I have done a lot of reading beforehand and have found a lot of different training methods but which is the best for a staffy pup??
I would very much like to know if there are different training methods for different breeds of dogs.
Am i better of with the clicker??
at the moment i am just using my voice with no treats, raised voice unless its required.
I am trying the method of saying what JJ is actually about to do. I do hope u understand me on this.
Is that the best way of training JJ??
Advise from experience staffy puppy owners please.
Thanking you all in advance.
Karlo

Hi and congrats on your new puppy!!

I managed to train ours fairly easily, she has a reliable recall, leave sit, down and stay and plays excellently, i just used voice and treats.
Staffs are very sensitive and a raised voice is usually enough to let them know if they are doing anything they shouldn't be!!
I found as long as i kept her active and not bored we had no problems with destruction or bad behaviour, it could be i was just lucky with her :D but i have found her the easiest dog to train that we have ever had.
Just enjoy your puppy, take her to puppy classes to get her soclialised (very important) and stand back and be amazed at how easliy she learns ~ all a staff wants to do is please their owner and learning new things is a wonderful way to keep you both very happy :)

where abouts did you get her from and what kennel?

Emma ~ a fellow Stafford devotee :D

Sorry to chip in here but I can't recommend puppy classes. I would much rather take my puppy out to the park and let him/her meet other dogs in the park. Puppy classes are full of puppies (uupps, stating the obvious here) and there are no older dogs to teach your puppy how to behave in a mannerly way.
Puppy classes are a bit like nurseries without teachers... I wouldn't like to see the room after an hour...

I have found Ringcraft one of the best places to socialise pups.  Here they will be required to quietly wait their turn in the company of dogs of all sizes and ages, so you have a controlled atmospher, and the dog isn't busy doing anthing like at Obedience class.

I would then advise a good basic obedience class aimed at the companion dog, like one that runs the KC Good citizen scheme.  Here the pup will learn to work whilst there are other distracting canines around.  I must admit I am not keen on the puppy party concept.  Pups should have learnt how to inteact in the litter before they are collected from the breeder, and if they hail from a puppy farm where they were removed too early they could find a room full of pups intimidating, and turn to agression.

Also it is unnatural for a dog to meet lots of pups in one place, in the world it lives in it will meet dogs of varyng ages and types with which it needs to interact acceptably.

For Staffy pups especially good socialisation is vital.  As a breed they can be a bit OTT with their play, and their playful approaches can be a bit much for ma lot of dogs who may well snap or growl at them to get them to back off, the pup then lears that a lot of dogs are not very nice, and with that gladiatorial spirit when older may decide to get theirs in first.  If the pup is taught how to moderate its enthusiasm then its interactions with other canines will be mostly positive, and it will then shrug off the dodd negative one in the future.

fair enough comment, but socalisation (sp!) is extremely important however you go about it ;) , especially with staffords.

Emma

Hi Karlo
I have an 8 week old Staffy pup and a 19 month old male Staffy :)
Training really depends on the individual dog as what works for one may not be as sucessfull for another. We never used the clicker for Gus as we found we werent consistent enough with its use ( I found myself and OH tended to click for different reasons so therefore it was useless as a training method for us but there are people who swear by the clicker).
We used praise and reward- useful if the dog is food orientated.And it worked for us :)
We also used puppy classes - although there was nothing learnt there that we didnt teach ourselves -we found it invaluable as a way of socialising and our classes were limited to 6 to avoid chaos. Gus loved meeting the other pups and he loved the attention from other people there and I will be going to puppy classes with Libby too for this reason. I think socialisation is SO important for all pups - especially Staffys- because of the ad press they recieve.
Will you be showing your pup ? What colour is she ?
Good luck and will look forward to seeing more of your posts :)

Hi all and thanks for the very quick responses.
I am waiting for the papers to arrive concerning her KC stuff.
I purchased JJ from a couple where she stated that the 'breeders' are actually her parents and they have been breeding for a while so I did not see the parents of my baby.
Is that a bad thing??
When I went to the vets I queried this and the vet just looked at JJ and said it is definitely a full pedigee.
JJ has had her first jab on Friday and she is due another in 3 weeks time.
So in the meantime I have been trying to get her used to the collar ( 10mins then 30mins then 1 hour) but she is always scatching it (it has been 3 days now) and it makes me feel bad. (she runs with 3 legs when she has the collar!!) should I be more determined and leave it on all the time??
I will see the puppy class on my own first to see if I like it as JJ cannot go out of the garden yet until 5 weeks time.
She sleeps alot, is that normal???
Sorry for all these questions but books CAN NOT substitute actual experience and I would like to give her the best chance and be a better owner for her.
Learning curve for both of us!!!
Shows!!!????
one step at a time.:)
I am learning one thing at a time.

Thanking you all again in advance.

If you would like to email me please dont hesitate, the more information I can get beside from the books will be appreciated.

I wonder if there are anybody in the Manchester area here??

You can carry her tho' I take my puppies out from as soon as I get them to get used to outside sounds etc

I pop them in the car & then out for rides & socialization in my arms

Guide dog puppies go out from a very early age

Yes she will sleep a lot they grow as they sleep

I leave collars on 24/7 & I do not put them on a lead until we have done training to walk to heel off lead, then when you put the lead on it's so much easier

How on earth do you train to walk to heel without a lead?

Same way as you do on the lead; :) IMHO the lead should ONLY be used as a means of attaching you to the dog for safety reasons; NOT to yank/pull the dog into position.  If you use the clicker system of training the dog will choose to put himself in that position because it is the most rewarding place for him to be. :)  The beauty of NOT using a lead is of course the dog cannot pull if he has nothing to pull against..........................

But that is just my particular POV :)

Hi Karlo
I live in the Wirral although work in Greater Manchester area ( Sale ). Where abouts are you ?
As already mentioned socialisation is really important at this age and you will reap the benefits later on with a well socialised pup.  :)
It is important to be consistent with a pup - esecially a Staffy and not to let her get too much of her own way just because shes cute :rolleyes:
Dont quite understand your comment about not seeing pups parents - do you mean you bought pup from the breeders daughter/son ? Just wondering why she hadnt had her first injections prior to 10 weeks as the first one can be given at 8 weeks and the second between 2-4 weeks later ( this is what my vet advocates anyway).

hi Lel,
i was a bit concerned about that but she (daughter and Husband/partner) looked and sound reliable.
I went to the vet and he said that it is now between 9 weeks and 12 weeks for the jabs??!!
I have taken her out in the car and lots of griends both young and old have come round to see her so thats helped her to settle and to socialise.
Did not once puppy nip anyone!!! :)
So I am best just leaving the nylon collar on 24/7 so that she gets used to it??
Thanks again.
I will need to readall this topic again to get the views into my head!!!!:)
Lots of advise and please keep them coming!!!

With a lot of hardwork, in private with no distractions at first & depending on the dog a special toy or treat that they only get when training. In the eary stages it a case of getting your puppies interest in you & it's reward. Once you have the interest & concentration half the battle is won. It also means you don't have to worry about tight leads & you can use your hands to encourage the puppy to concentrate on you

It is a lot harder that being able to use a lead as an aide, but in the long run the dog walks with you because it wants to rather than having to. I was taught this way by a police dog handler who was years before his time-it was him who over 30 years ago steered me away from the then standard choker to a normal collar.

A little & often & a very gradual build up over the first few weeks I have a puppy means when i go to training & put on the lead I have never had a problem.

A lot of obedience handlers train this way especially as the aim i obedience is to do completely off lead heelwork in the higher  classes.

It's quite difficult to explain & demonstrate over the internet, but it does involve a lot of verbal & non verbal commands & builds a really good relationship with your dog.

My cavaliers could if the rules allow be shown off lead in the ring as could my BC's & my GSD's

Moonmaiden,
i do let her in the garden.
I mean she cannot go out of the garden, not into.
:)

Karlo
<<<Did not once puppy nip anyone!!! >>>

Bet she makes up for it at home though :D :D Libby does :)

<<<So I am best just leaving the nylon collar on 24/7 so that she gets used to it??>>>

I wouldn't leave a collar on a pup while unattended or while you arent there. They can be inquisitive as we all know and she could possible get it caught on something and strangle herself

<I wouldn't leave a collar on a pup while unattended or while you arent there. They can be inquisitive as we all know and she could possible get it caught on something and strangle herself  >

Well I've done that for over 40 years & never had an accident. If there were other dogs I might agree or if the dog was big enough to jump up & get caught on something

Welcome Karlo and congrats on your new pup. I'm sure you'll enjoy her. I'll leave the advice up to the staffy owners.

Carrie

Hello and congratulations on making the excelent choice of a brilliant breed Staffords :)

I'd go to puppy classes/anything that brings your pup into contact with other dogs, socialisation as everyone says is vital and Stafie pups as already has been said are "full on players" even as pups. I was lucky in Sal's puppy class (at the vets) there were two other Staffs as well as Sal although they were 2 weeks older than her it made a difference at first but week 2. The poor B?C and spaniel pup didn't know what had hit them. ;)

Take your pup everywhere you can, trains, and you're lucky that the weather will be nice to carry her about for a few weeks.

Karen

thanks for all the comments and training techniques...
Lel, I live near Manchester City centre, very near the new Man City football ground.
I will be contacting my vets to see where the nearest puppy classes are.
Please let me know any more info please.
Where did u take your puppy to??

Well, I guess I'll put my .02 worth in. I have heard of a couple of accidents involving collars left on dogs while unattended. One was fatal. My dog's breeder came home one day and found one of her Dobermans dead. The other dog had gotten it's teeth caught somehow inside the collar and strangled the other. It sounds like a freak accident, but why take the chance. The other incident terrified the dog, as it got hopelessly caught until I heard it screaming and went and helped it. This was a neighbor's dog years ago.  It may be uncommon to have an accident, but after  those, there is no way on God's green earth that I would leave a collar on my dog. I only use them for the leash. My pups all wore collars around the house for a few hours while I was there and they got use to it just fine. They do not have to have it on constantly. If you're going to use a crate, which is a great way to potty train, the collar could get caught on something there.

I loved my puppy kindergarten class. Most puppies aren't aggressive, so you don't have as much risk as running across a grumpy older dog. When your pup is young and you're socializing him, you don't want to have a frightening experience. When they get older, they can better tolerate and handle a bad experience if something happens. But at first it's safer to get around young dogs. Puppies learn from their litter mates how to interact with eachother more so than they do from their mother. So, it's natural to continue for a while the puppy to puppy thing. IMO.

Lots and lots of socializing....every day with all kinds of experiences, people, dogs will make your dog unafraid or shy and that is a good thing.

Anyhow, enjoy your pup, in spite of my horror stories.

Carrie

Well you are obviously far more experienced in collars on dogs than me. Seems odd though everytime anyone in the UK(by the way my OH is US citizen so don't tell me I am anti US) suggests something you have an experience of something bad to do with the suggestion(or have heard about same)

I should realized by now that 40+ years experience in owning dogs, training dogs for myself & other people, showing dogs, working dogs etc with a very high degree of success stands for nothing when compared to book learning about the same & from hearing about things from thrid parties & personal experience of owning ones own pets

OK Carrie you are THE expert & I'll stop offering my third class advice learnt from hands on experience of dogs & keep my own council

What I was saying is nothing personal what so ever against you Moonmaiden. I was simply relaying a couple of scenarios that because it was close to home, worried me about collars. I know lots of people leave collars on dogs and nothing ever happens. I always did in the past myself. It was this horror story that happened to my breeder that really made me extra paranoid. Her two dogs were playing and the one got it's teeth caught in the collar of the other and that strangled the one. She returned home and found one dead. Picture that. Then the other story was that a neighbor dog got her collar tag caught in between two boards on her wood deck and it twisted, forcing the dog's head flat down on the deck which frightened the dog, but didn't hurt the dog, as I heard her screaming and ran two houses down and got it unstuck. So, my imagination goes and I think....gee it could get stuck in something else when I wasn't home and so that's why I don't leave collars on my dogs. It has nothing to do with your training skills or you as a person.

As far as socilaization, I was offering my opinion that puppy classes, I feel are good for puppies to introduce them tp being around other dogs without much risk of being frightened by a grumpy older dog. Of course, lots of older dogs are tolerant of puppies too. But I had such a good experience with my pup in his kindergarten class that I wanted to share that.

I too have 45 years experience in dogs as well as horses. Book learning is a small part of it. Hands on, I also feel is more important than anything.

I'm sure you are very successful at training. I certainly didn't mean to imply otherwise by my concerns about collars. Sometimes certain adverse experiences make people more worried than others about those things. For instance, there are people here who are super worried or careful about their pups going up and down stairs. Perhaps they had something go wrong with dogs in the past. I never did worry too much about that and never had any bone problems, so that is something that I am not overly worried about, although I think I'm reasonable with the amount of exercise or kind of exercise my dog gets.

Carrie

{{Seems odd though everytime anyone in the UK(by the way my OH is US citizen so don't tell me I am anti US) }}

What is all that about??? Who told you you were anti US? And what does OH mean? Nothing I write has anything what so ever to do with anything international. The Revolutionary war was over a looooong time ago. LOL LOL LOL. ...Don't know why you're feeling so defensive. I have no feelings like that at all. In fact, a huge number of my recent ancestors were English. I've got a lot of English blood in me. I'm really sorry you're feeling so awful and apologize if I said something that was a direct, personal attack.

Carrie

OH stands for Other Half.
:)

My sister had her EBT cross puppy on an elasticated cat collar for the first couple of weeks - would that be any use if you're scared of the puppy catching its collar?  I had my Staffy in her collar from day 1 with no mishaps, and my brother's SBT, too :)

I certainly found Benson to be very easy to train.  She has a fantastic recall, even when chasing rabbits :) and also has learned many little tricks like roll over, beg, paw etc.  She'll give a high five, but only if she thinks a piecey is on the cards :D

One thing I've found is that if you give a Staff an inch, she'll take a mile.  As another poster (I forget who, sorry!) said, they are VERY sensitive to your tone of voice and I find that a slightly raised tone of voice is enough to stop her dead if she's about to pinch a biscuit from my plate :)

I didn't go to puppy classes with my girl, I took her to meet all my sisters' dogs, my neighbours' dogs and let her meet dogs out on walks.  Only downside to this was when she was attacked by a Westie, but that could have happened anywhere!  I had previously went to a puppy socialisation class with my sister and her ESS, so had a good idea of how to reward train my little gremlin.  I tried a clicker, but to be honest I didn't find it to be particulary better than just using treats.

Congrats on choosing a Staffy, may you have many, many happy years with her :)

Moonmaiden,

It's just common sense not to leave a collar on a puppy if they are to be left alone.  They can catch on dog crates, puppy pen panels, handles on kitchen cabinets, virtually anything that can hook on or under the collar.   If you've had puppies over 40 years and never had an accident involving a collar with any of them, that's great and you were lucky.  It's the 1 out of 10,000 chance that something will happen that is not worth risking.  Taking a collar off a puppy and putting it back on again when someone is home is a simple enough thing to do.

I also have a friend whose adult dog was hung by its own collar and died.   It was a GSD, apparently jumped up against the side of a six foot fence around her property, its collar caught on the fence, and the dog strangled to death.  

Stacey

See???? Another horrible story. That poor dog and your poor friend. Yes, it may be rare, but why risk it. It is easy enough to take a collar off and put it back on. Besides all of that, I like my dogs to be comfortable. Having something on all the time can make them itchy and rub on the hair...back and forth, irritating to the hair folicles. It's like having to wear a bra 24/7. How would you like that???? LOL!

Pups will get use to the collar and leash when used intermittently.....no problem.

Carrie

Hi Karlo!

How's the new puppy doing? Have you decided to take your pup to puppy kindergarten? Is your pup sleeping well at night? I hope all is well. Keep us posted.

Carrie