Hello to everyone. This is my first time so please be patient with me!

I have bought a sbt from a reputable breeder back in Nov so my pup is now 17 weeks old, ah bless! Well, he is the most adorable little mite and I love him to bits, he's really brought a new meaning to my life (I'm going to have to shut up now or I could be here all day!!!) anyway, the reason why I'm posting this is that I need to advice about rearing a staff. I've read quite a bit about them before I bought him. Y'see I was brought up with a Westie and it was my hubby who adored staffs. I have wanted a dog for some years now but couldn't see my husband with a small white ball of fluff, and I wanted him to be proud of his dog and to bond so I did some research on staffs and went to the library to read up on them and dogs in general. Eventually I finally got him round to my way of thinking and we bought Pepper. As I've read up about them I know they are fantastic with people but not so good with other dogs. Recently Pepper and I have been to puppy classes (two different ones as I wanted him to have as much socialization with other pups as possible) but both of these classes have had the desired effect. Pepper was the only staffy at these classes and he is always so boistrous and full on that he got too over excited and the rough play seemed to be too rough. I always had to put the lead on Pepper first as he was always the one to get aggressive. Yesterday he even bit a male labs ear. I was really upset as he is still so young but it looks like this might be what the future holds for him.

I am definately going to take him for further training as I feel that Pepper is the type of dog to do his own thing if not steered in the right direction.

Does anyone have any advice on how to curb this behaviour? He is also VERY willful and my husband says that staffs need a firm hand and to smack if necessary. I know this was not protocol at the puppy classes but I think that staffs are a different type of dog to others and can take a lot.

What do you think? Please let me know as I'm open to any advice!

thanks guys

I have just read through this after posting and it doesn't make sense, sorry! I meant to say that I NEED some advice, and that the puppy socialization classes have NOT had the desired effect!

Doh!

Hi,

Sorry, I cant give any advice, but I will be watching this thread with added interest we are a few weeks behind you !!  My girlfriend and I have just got a staff bitch, Cassie.  She will be 9 weeks soon, so we are a bit behind you.  Already she will "come" to the sound of her bell, and she does the business outside and knows where the door is to get outside where she will wait when she needs to go (except for a few mishaps!).

She seems to be very reactive to treats and learning, although also seems to "go mad".which we both expect.  We have spoken about taking her to puppy classes (once first injection is out of the way - next week) so Im interested to read any replies to this thread.............................

Darren

I have two staffies a dog who is 9mths and a bitch who is 8mths.
The bitch is very docile and calm whereas the dog is exteremly excitable.
DOn't get me wrong he in no way aggressive but just somewhat overbearing.
We have to take a fimr hand with him, for his own safety and do shout at him and have smacked him on the bum on occassion although now just the lift of a hand is enough for him to regain his composer.
When he is playing up he does not respond to toys and food so he needs a firm voice and a raise of the hand.
Although some people may think it is not nice to scare him for his safety this is what we have to do.
His recall is good and he will sit, stay, lie down , leave,etc....
I must add that the bredder told us in 15 years of breeding he is the naughtiest puppy she ever had and he was overconfident.
Now he is a good dog and we love him to bits, I think Staffies are unlike any other breed they need to be controlled properly and know who is boss

Staffys do seem to be able to tolerate more physical abuse than many dogs, but within the breed there are difference with each individual dog, and for many Staffies, a smack would reduce them to a trembling heap :(  On the other hand - how hard do you have to smack a dog that can withstand bite wounds from another dog and still keep fighting??.........

Did the puppy classes advise you at all on how to encourage 'nice' play?  Does your husband play rough and tumble games with him at home?

It sounds like he was just playing. Staffies do play more roughly than other dogs I know! My two can look like they are seriously hurting each other when they are playing and to people who don't know staffs it looks really vicious (sp?) but none of them have ever had a scratch! When they are out on walks off lead they really charge at each other and the pup (15 month old male) knocks his mum over quite easily!
It sounds like you are doing everything right with the puppy classes but just be aware that you can make the pup handshy if you smack him.
Not that a little smack on the bum could hurt him....one of mine put their head through the back door without hurting herself :rolleyes: Just wham bang crash and she was through!

I must add that we don't shout at or have ever smacked our bitch, she would turn into a quivering wreck and is far to sensitive to be treated like this...the dog however used to be a loon, now he's  well trained. (well almost)

As Digger said it depends on the dogs personality as to the level of dicipline needed.

:)

My two are the opposite way round...the dog would be a quivering wreck! He is still a loon though but can be a bit shy bless. He seems to be scared of my step dad and we have no idea why When the visit he sits on my knee and shivers.....and won't go near step dad????? He certainly hasn't done anything to him so it's a mystery. We have tried him coming without glasses in case it was that....made him kneel on the floor instead of sitting on the sofa but all to no effect.

I would say that if these puppy classes are the off the lead let them play type then stop attending.

fidn a good Obedience class where your dog can learn to interact with other dogs in a more controled way.

In my expereience as you have foudn Staffs ideas of play are very rough and full on, and other dogs can seriously object/be frightened by this Canine cannonball type approach.

Unfortunately what then ahppens is the Staff gets negative responses to it's initially playful overtures.  As it matures it either becomes a bully, realising the other dogs are afraid of him/her, or more likely decides to get his in first as all other dogs are unacountably (to him anyway) nasty grumpy.  A stff or any Terrier isn't for backing off in a confrontational situation.

Now at my training class what I ahve found works for calming over excited dogs is to get the owners to be calm to start with.  I then ask that they speak quietly and slowly, and strike their dog in slow long strrokes all very calming.  Also as son as it eyeballs another dog to break eye contact by turning them away and get them focussed on the handler.

The trainer does use a water squirter on exciteable/bolshy dogs (obviously not sensitive nervous ones).  It is quite amazing how both these things have the dogs much better the following week.

Specifically with your Staff, get him calmed down before meeting another dog.  make sure the other dog is a confident but tolerant type.  Then ask your pup to sit and say hello nicely.  Use a command such as gently or whatever you have taihgt when you wnat him to be gentle with you, such as when giving titbits so he doesn't snatch that sort of thing.

If all his interactions with other dogs are calm then things are less likely to kick off.  He will learn to approach dogs in a clam manner, and getting mostly positive responses is less likely to learn to be dog aggressive.  You may7 always have to watch him with other males or any aggr4essive dog, but with plenty of positive expereinces he is more likely to shrug off any negative ones.

Our Staff was both our first dog together and first Staff and so we had to learn alot very quickly.
I have to say that firstly you should never hit an animal especially a Staff, isnt it encouraging aggression which is exactly what you are trying to stop. At 17 weeks he will be a handful and yes they can be wilful. So at this time in their littlle lives you have to show your dominance to encourage good behaviour. You do this by pretending to eat their food before giving it to them by taking their toys away from under their noses and giving them back when you're ready, showing your the boss without hitting or shouting. You dont shout but use a firm voice and a firm look also ignoring them or turning your back on them is a good trick. Also time outs in their room for a few minutes if they are being 'naughty'. Plenty of praise and cuddles when they are good and ignoring the bad which removes the attention seeking part of being naughty.
We also took ours to puppy classes and she was great, yes she wanted to play with all the dogs but for the majority of the class she was on the lead being taught various commands. By the time we got to the end when they were let off she was tired and so there was never any sign of aggression, playfullness yes. At first she was only allowed one dog at a time because she was the youngest but gradually increased this to include lots of dogs.
Giorgia is now 11months old and we have been through all this using the above and we have the most wonderful loving dog and yes I have to stop myself from boring people with how much we love her!

not sure if this will help, but when i took my staffie to puppy classes she was constanty bullying the other dogs  and lunging for them, i think the closed in area with lots of dogs was quite stressful on her when they werent allowed offlead.
However, out on walks she is great with other dogs and i rarely have a problem, all she wants to do is play.
I never hit my girl, i only ever treat her with positive reinforcement as i dont believe hitting gets u anywhere! 
If u hit ur dog he/she might become handshy.  But also it doesnt get u anywhere with training, quite the opposite effect.

positive reinforcements and rewarding good behaviour is the way forward :D

totally agree Jenny best bit of advice I've read.

Giorgia is great when out walking and fortunately loves the other dogs she meets even the 10.5 stone Rottie we met the other night!

i have a female staffy she is 18 months old i also have 2 other dogs and she gets on fine with them like everyone else says staffys play rougher than any other dogs as for discpline i have never smacked any of my dogs i just ignore them if theve been naughty or put them in another room for 5 mins ive never raised my voice just say no in a stern manner and that seems to do the trick. i tend to use the same discpline on the dogs has i did on the kids when they were toddlers! sounds daft but but it works.

hi chillipepper. it sounds exactly the same as our staffy.she is 16 weeks old . my wife takes her to puppy training every tuesday night. she is the same,she has had a do at an alsation,1 adult 1, 8 weeks+ 2 pups. this was her 3rd visit. and this is the only time she has behaved. so i think like me we must just keep on trying and one day it will all sink in.she is fine outside off the lead with other dog's. she has met loads. even a newfoundland. he could have swallowed her in one go. so chillipepper i think it is just a matter of time and money. looks like we will be going to dog training for quite some time. all the best steve

>>>Yesterday he even bit a male labs ear. I was really upset as he is still so young but it looks like this might be what the future holds for him. <<<

Did he bite agressively or in play ? The reason I ask is that most pups can get too carried away at this age and although not acceptable it doesnt necessarily mean he will be aggressive.
I have too staffys and know full welll how excited they can get :)

>>>I am definately going to take him for further training as I feel that Pepper is the type of dog to do his own thing if not steered in the right direction.<<<

Im sure he will benefit from this and its good that you are thinking of adressing his behaviour now rather than when he is older

>>> He is also VERY willful and my husband says that staffs need a firm hand and to smack if necessary. I know this was not protocol at the puppy classes but I think that staffs are a different type of dog to others and can take a lot. <<<

Staffys do need discipline but not physical punishment. The tone of your voice is often enough and he needs to learn from a very young age that there are certain things he is not allowed to do- but honestly I dont think he should be smacked
Mine relish praise and treats as rewards for good behaviour and if taught from a young age he will soon learn :)
If hes going to training school then Im sure your trainer will be able to help you out with this :)
Good luck and enjoy him :)

Hello and thank you to everyone who has taken the time to reply and give me advice. Every thing that I've read today has made sense and is very helpful.  I would have replied earlier but I only have free email access eve/morn and w/ends!

I will def take on board the comments. I am already pretending to eat Pepper's food before he does and I make sure he sees me do it. I also make him sit/lie down and wait for his food. He's known what 'bed' means since he was tiny and also the word 'no' although when he is really playing up he will ignore this but I know he knows as he's ears go back when I say it. You're right when you say you should keep calm, that's one thing we have trouble with!  My husband and I have no kids so we're learning as we go along and I think Pepper has picked up on this.

No doubt I'll be asking lots more questions as time goes on. I have another one.....(dont laugh!).....at what age will a male dog know when to 'cock his leg' when he wees? Will he do it automatically or does he have to be shown??  Also he keeps pulling when on the lead. He so much wants to run on in front and I am constantly pulling his lead and saying 'no' and 'steady' and when he doesn't pull I say 'good boy' then he pulls again!  Is it just down to perseverence? He's cottoned on to sit and wait at the kerb but still is totally unaware of how traffic is dangerous. He would just run and run if he wasn't on the lead, I dread to think what would happen.

Once again, thanks to you all for helping me through these testing months! and Steve, good luck with your little 'un!

The age at which dogs cock their leg varies greatly, some deo it as young as 3 months some take over a year, enjoy the fact he doesn't so it,a nd once he staartts do not let him stop at every post or tree to do it.  You should allow him the opportunity to empty his bladder at the start of a walk and no more than every half hour.  any other time he is just wanting to mark, which he can do on his own time when off lead, but not when he is walking with you (also avoid him going on peoples gateposts and car wheels).

He will pull because 1)He is excited, 2)His comfortable speed is likely to be faster than yours, so he needs to learn to slow down to your pace.

One of the best methids is to never let him gain from pulling.  this can be achieved by doing a smart about turn everytime he pulls forward (as well as what you already do).  He will suddently find that he is covering the smae 10 yards of pavement backwards and forwards and getting nowhere!!!  He will thennlook at you in a most puzzled way, praise him and keep his attention and tell him to heel.  As soon as he decideds Oh we are moving forward I will pull again, turn right around again.  Pretty soon when you have done it once or twicw he will decide not to bother, though expect him to forget himself lots. :D

Lastly and very importantly NO DOG WILL EVER UNDERSTAND THE DANGER OF TRAFFIC they are animals, and cars are not natural predators that they would instictively know to avoid.  those dogs that roam are lucky, and may learn a little avoidance after some near misses, but will never understand the dangers.

Brainless, whilst I do not allow my older dog to cock his leg at every opportunity :) are you serious in saying that he should only be allowed to wee once in half an hour ?? From my experience - my dog will not fully empty his bladder on the first go and will need to stop again at least once. His last evening walk is only short - about 10 to 15 minutes  - but only one wee :)

Daisy

Yes I am serious.  He would be able to hold it that long in the house even if he had just done a little squirt outside in hopes of being able to save some for later.

If you are strict about not letting him cock every five minutes you will soon find that he pretty well empties his bladder when you first let him pee.

This can be quite important training, especially among Obedience competition dogs who will be eliminated if they pee or poo in the ring.  Even then you get eliminations when a dog just can't resist because another has marked a spot.

Any time I have taken male dogs for a walk I go out the door olet them pee on the tree outsdie my house and off I go on a brisk walk, and will not stop for peeing.  the dog soon gives up trying as he knows that I will not let him.

I understand what you are saying - but when I take my dog out for a walk I want him to empty his bladder, as he won't have an opportunity when he goes home as my dogs (unless the weather is fine and someone is home) don't have the run of the garden :) So when I walk my dog, I let him have a pee at the start of the walk and then stop at suitable intervals (and places) a few times (depending on how long the walk is). He isn't allowed to stop where/when he wants :) I doubt whether most pet owners ration their dogs peeing in such a way - (I don't mean letting them stop every few steps) - but I would be very interested to know if this is common practice :)

Daisy

Well I own bitches and they ncertainlky can go more than half an hour without peeeing, therefore so can a male.  As you say I will stop to let them pee at an appropriate spot (most appropriate one of course is your own garden), or the gutter.

Your dog will soon learn that when he is given the chance and command to pee, he best pee, as the next opportunity will nto be until the end of the walk.

There is nothing more iritaiing than trying to walk with a male who seems to think he must anoint every street corner.  The girls get very peeved, especially as they often aren't very careful about which one is in the way.

I also get very cross with people who let their male dogs mark the Pillar at the end of my drive as it stinks.

another good way of stopping ur dog pulling is to just stop everytime he pulls.  Its a very tedious process, but he will eventually get the idea that when he pulls his walk stops.  You can also try keeping his attention with treats or toys.  I have found pulling them back gives the opposite effect and just makes them pull even more.  I use a multi lead which ties round my waist, this way i can hold the weight easier and i wont be subconsciously pulling back on the lead, i can jus stop and wait for the dog to stop pulling, then continue.

hi chillipepper, the best way of letting my staffy know that I am not happy with her is to ignore her and not even look at her.  As other posters have said, pain does not seem to register with staffys and a sharp tone of voice works much better.  Wishing you loads of fun with your staffy as in my opinion there is no better loyal companion than a well trained happy staffy.