Hi
I need some advice with my 15 mth old SBT boy, over the past couple of months when we have taken him for a walk, and let him off the lead he goes berserk ripping trees to shreds! totally uprooting sapling trees! He hangs on the branch making a wailing sound and will NOT let got for anything.  It is getting very dangerous now as he goes for hawthorn bushes/spiky trees etc, will not let go, his mouth and face is often cut by the branches.  I am concerned that he will get a branch in his eye or stuck down his throat.
We have tried walking off in the opposite direction and hiding from him, makes no difference just continues to hang on the tree, wailing very loudly, once he has snapped a branch off, he runs around with it.  If I even go up to a tree he will run to it and jump at my hand as if I was trying to break a branch off, he has grabbed my hand instead of the branch which was not funny! he then starts the process all over again.

Have you ever encouraged him to do this? If not, it may be that he is having some sort of fit behaviour and i would suggest having a chat to the vet. He may be doing it for several reasons; i thought at first you meant he liked to grab a branch and hang  on as that is the sort of thing they like. I would suggest a vet and then unless some other reason comes up, referral to a behaviourist. :)

Good luck
Lindsay
x

Hi Sacha S,
Maybe your dog thinks the tree is BARKING at him !!!!!!!  :rolleyes:

Sorry, wish I had'nt said that.  :o  :p

Harry C.

Never encouraged it, as soon as he gets a branch off in his mouth he is happy, but process starts again, once i go near a tree!

Don't know if it is true, but I was told by a bull terrier breeder that they can become fixated with a certain toy and behave in a similar manner to that, which you describe, so she always changes the toys the dogs have to play with, every couple of days. So one day it will be a kong toy, the next it might be a rope and so on. Has your boy got a toy like a kong toy to chase when out, and distract him from his tree attacking?

Keep him on a lead and don't let him do it. Go back to basics ie get a long lead/or lunge rein they use for horses maybe better it is strong enough to hold a horse.
And attach the lunge rein and when he goes to go near a tree stop him.

I am not being funny or having a go here so please accept that but if you can't stop him from attacking a tree what control over him do you have? little it seems; you need to be in control he is a dog and it seems he is doing what he wants on walks - not good. You have a stafford you need to know you an control him/stop him before you let him off the lead what if someone else got in his way to the tree.

I suspect a squirrel/wind blowing the tree orginaly got his attention and because it may have seemed harmless to start with you let it carry on - hence this. Staffs do become "fixed" on certain things but not to this extent normaly.
I am not having a go or being funny here, but he is only 15 months old and still a youngster you can't carry on like this for the next 12/13 years can you? So you have to stop him now.
In the garden play with him with a ragger or piece of old hosepipe, ball on a rope anything he can hold on to they love "tug" games, then wean him from trees to whatever you choose by starting in the garden short enjoyable games but you choose when they end and always when he wants more so the toy becomes prized above everything even a tree. Then in the park bring out the toy when he is going to go for the tree, and he should in time come straight for the toy ignore the tree. At the start he may need encouragment ie the long lead. Also in you case I suggest varying the chosen toy occasionaly especialy if  it looks as if he is getting attached to something in the future.

Good luck Staffs don't you just love 'em.
Karen    

I agree the dog MUST be kept under control to prevent him from doing this.  But Is this a breed thing?  I've often seen Staffies on the home video shows taking out frustrations on trees, and the general public seem to find it amusing........

Hi Digger I think it may be a bull breed thing. I have seen EBT do it too but not to that extent and my Sal started to have a go at low hanging tree branches but I just stopped her the pup doesn't bother.
All I can think is they get so hyper at times they just carry on and on and on and on.

Staff owners know to keep an eye out in games for when their dogs get too carried away it has been said by people more knowledgeable than me that "their eyes have been known to glaze over" a sign to stop the game whatever it is.  You just know when enough is enough.

But I would stop him a staff thinks it okay to carry on unless told differently. But once they know the rules and more importantly what you say is the rule they are fantastic and the problem  with the trees won't continue. I find distraction is a great tool for prevention for bad habits.

Thanks everyone for your replies, I will use a lunge rein when out, and try his toys for distraction.  I'll let you know how I get on.

I hope it works. Good luck Karen