i need some advice as my puppy is very snappy with my 2 children.she growls and  grabs onto there clothes and drew blood on my daughters hand.do you think i am wasteing my time keeping her?she can be nice one miniute then goes into a mad 5 mins.please help

Sounds like a normal puppy to me, she is not being aggressive but exhibiting normal juvenile puppy behaviour, this maybe of help

This is perfectly normal puppy behaviour. Please read this link: The Bite Stops Here which has excellent information about how to teach 'bite inhibition', essential for all pet dogd.

Yes i agree typical puppy behaviour but you must start training her now to stop it and everyone in the house needs to be consistent. They will always draw blood because puppy teeth are very sharp.

It'll help if you can keep the children as calm and quiet around the puppy so as not to get her too over-excited; I appreciate that's easier said than done!

at the moment she prob just thinks she is playing.

Basically the pup knowing no different as she is a puppy is treating your children like litter mates (puppies play very rough but have fur so their teeth don't hurt each other as much) and they are responding by squealing running about etc, so as far as she knows it's all good fun.

Puppies and young children need to be taught to be calm in each others company and must be strictly supervised.

I started with my first two dos with toddler and very quickly realised this when my new pup dragged my large 14 month old along the garden by her trousers!

I made house rules that when children were running around playing pup was with me on lead and had to lie down calmly.  I also fenced across the garden so that the pup was not allowed in the back part of the garden where children were allowed to run and play (also avoided treading in dog poo by kids).

Time with kids and pups was quiet time for both.  Quiet relaxed seated child, and tired pup.  Depending on age at this time the child can give treats for training exercises that you do with pup etc, fostering a positive association in pups mind re children, and also that children equal quiet time.

In the park once there were children in sight my very hyper herding breed dog was recalled, and had to walk quietly with me.

Never leave the kids and pups alone, even with slightly older kids as kids love to wind a pup up, but they or the pup haven't the control to wind back down.

Staffs like to be very full on when playing so teaching calm manners needs to start from now.

Hang on in there i had this with my little moo i thought it would never end my kids hated her. Even had to put our shoes on when we woke up in the morning before entering the room (lol) it goes on for a while but trust me it will stop a loud firm NO with persistance does pay off in the end mine is now a wonderful dog and we wouldnt be without her they are great breeds to have and as for the kids i know its hard but try not to sqeak in high voice as pup gets more excited and nips harder

The others are absolutely correct - I've 2 elderly staffies and they were both like this when pups - they like to play fight and are very rough when doing it.   That's not to say you should ignore it but don't think you've got an aggressive dog on your hands just a normal naughty pup - it just needs to be taught was is acceptable.   

Do take your pup to some socialisation classes and pick the brains of the trainer about the best way to correct the pup - a sharp no, maybe a squirt of water - I don't claim to be a behaviourist by the way but these things worked for me.  Maybe have a dog cage in the room and if the pup goes too far give it 5 minutes in its cage to cool off - though this may be a bad idea if you don't want it to associate the cage with being punished.   A well behaved Staffy is a joy but a badly behaved one - either aggressive to dogs or just boisterous - can be a pain in the backside.  
 

not just staffs, our boy used to nip and scratch and he did it to my then 3 year old nephew. big pup so it did hurt. but you just need to train the puppy not to. explain to the kids that the puppy is just a baby and doesn't know better, remind them they probably did bad stuff when they were little without realising it. Kai (my nephew) if you asked him if he liked Tio would say "well...he's very silly and sometimes hurts me, but he's just a silly baby still", now he at 5 has total control over tio, nearly 2 and around 13 stone (big boy). mums always told kai to remember that he is the boss of the dogs and he must be nice but firm with them. its so funny actually, if T's bouncing around and kai is worried he'll hurt him by accident he stand up, points at him and very authoritively says "NO tio! very bad! sit down, i am the boss of you!" and he does. its the wee stern look on his face

Totally agree with everyone its normal puppy behaviour, is this your first dog?. We use to put ours in a seperate room for 30 secs and once calmed down let him back him that taught him at first i was doing it nearly all day, the water gun/squirter never worked for me he thought it was a game and did it even more, but it does work for alot of dogs. Take him to classes they teach you so much. My trainer told me once the baby teeth have fallen out it doesn't hurt as much and its true beleive it or not. You have to teach them who is leader and that is you. I also taught my boy he has to respect animals and they are not toys, children have to be taught whats right and wrong aswell. Don't leave them alone no matter how much you trust your dog there should always be an adult present.

hi i no wot u mean ive had my new puppy since the 26th april and she was 6wks old she is now nearly 9wks but she keeps nipping and growling she dont like being told NO at all it only seems to make her worse. she is like this with every one and gets quite snappy.
at the moment its very hard work. she is pretty much house trained but she has the odd accident here and there, and she is also sleeping through the night in her crate with no probs which is good. but i am really worried as she dont seem to listen to me when she is being bad i dont seem to have control yet. has any1 got any advice of how to gain control please b4 it gets to bad.

I have a 12 week old pup and when ever she nips me i shout ouch, and she stops.

i try that and keep trying it but she wont stop and then she bites harder and growls more. i havent started puppy classes yet but cant wait as i hope that will help

Follow the advice in The Bite Stops Here. Applied consistently by all the family, it does work.

i will keep trying i did print it out just hope she stops as she is very stubbern n dnt like to b told wot to do. thanks any more advise?

My pup got more wound up with an ouch/yelp, any loud or high pitched noise that he got in response to biting us only made it even more fum for him :( I found that a low, calm but firm 'no' (not loud) worked best.

hi i no wot u mean ive had my new puppy since the 26th april and she was 6wks old she is now nearly 9wks but she keeps nipping and growling she dont like being told NO at all it only seems to make her worse. she is like this with every one and gets quite snappy.

6 weeks is too young for a pup to leave its mum and siblings -it won't have had all the time needed to learn from mum and littermates how to behave, so this won't help unfortunately. JG's link is well worth a read and persevering with.

What is the best way of potty training her, she does go in the garden but often has gone in the house, even though the back door is always open!

yer wen we got bac we read that it was to early. she has had her 1st vac n has been micro chipped her next vac due in 2 wks cnt wait to get her out for walks maybe it will help in calming down

>What is the best way of potty training her, she does go in the garden but often has gone in the house, even though the back door is always open!

If  she's able to wander in and out freely it's pure chance when she wees or poos out there - she's just going there because it's where she happens to be, not where she's gone deliberately. You have to take her out (not assume that she'll go out by herself) after every play, every meal, every sleep, and anything exciting, such as a visitor, and of course every time you see her sniffing and whining and trotting to and fro. That's at least once every hour. When she squats, give her the cue-word you intend for that (I use "busy girl" for a wee and "hurry up" for a poo) then praise and reward her and take her in again.

It's absolutely vital that she's watched like a hawk and taken out, not left to her own devices.

so u surgest to shut the door n take her out till she knows? how long do reacon it will take in doing that?

it depends on the dog but they generally don't take to long to get it. the praise is absolutely essential, you've got to fuss her like mad when she does the right thing. that way in her head she want to do the poo outside cause then nice things happen. you do have to be very quick though, within a second of the correct action or the association is not nearly as strong. as soon as she starts weeing out side start praising

it's generally easy as you can tell when a pup needs to go (i.e. the times JG listed above- after food, water, play...)

thanks i will try that. should it be just praise or a treat aswell because we havent been using treats we just been saying good gil wee wees or good girl poopies

if shes food orientated it can help, but the problem is she'll need to poo and wee a lot- treats=calories so try and make it something low fat. praise will do it though. basically if she enjoys doing it outside she will

have u been to puppy classes? wheres best to take my pup?

not for many years, but i'd say the best place to take your pup is a class where you like the instructor and the methods they use. you'll be able to hunt around your local area, or if you post location folk might be able to advise

well i live in colchester highwoods anyone got any surgestions of puppy classes to go to?

>how long do reacon it will take in doing that?

She should be pretty reliable, and have got the hang of actually going outside, in a couple of weeks to a month.

hey again i no ive said she growls and bites wen she gets told off but its very aggressive she shows her teeth and snarls and then goes for us is this normal as she is only 9wks im affraid she wont grow out of it and will get worse. this is my 1st puppy from this young my ova dog who had 2 be put 2 sleep we got at 4 months but he was a well trained and gental dog with everyone i dnt ever remember him being like how my new pup acts its quite scary pls any1 got any advice?

there are dog training classes at Stanway, see link below.. might be worth calling to see if they do puppy classes, failing that could your vet not suggest somewhere?
You really need to get on top of the biting and nipping now at this age, but in a positive calm way.
Tell the pup no, sharp firm voice but not overly loud so as to frighten or startle and then walk away.  Don't give her chance to nip or bite at you because you've told her off.. not on - little madam! lol :-)

http://www.cedts.org.uk/

> hey again i no ive said she growls and bites wen she gets told off but its very aggressive she shows her teeth and snarls and then goes for us is this normal as she is only 9wks

There is little point in telling her off, she will not remember it & depending on how you tell her off, it could make things worse :-(

Basically you need to keep calm & you walk away from her just as an adult dog would .

6 weeks old is very young to get your first puppy & normally they would be 8 weeks old before they left the litter, the extra weeks at the very time that the mother would be teaching the puppy it's basic manners.(I know I got my Wukee at 6  weeks old, but he isn't my first puppy, I have older dogs at home who have taught him his manners & 6 weeks old is quite a usually time to get a dog to do Obedience with)

If you feel you need to tell her off then say No in a firm but lowish voice. No point in yelping ouch etc as your puppy will take this as an encouragement. If she is biting you then give her something else(like a soft tuggy)to mouth & if she stops a quiet Good Girl(or similar)

She is simply being a puppy exploring the world with her mouth & the the showing of teeth at this age isn't aggression

She is 8 weeks old, give her a break this is regular puppy behaviour. if you cannot deal with this then maybe you shouldnt have a dog at all. She just needs to learn that her behaviour is not nice and a firm no or leave should suffice. She is 8 weeks give her a chance and teach her some manners before you ship her off with an aggressive dog label.

Hi  Sorry to hear your having worries about your puppy with your 2 children.
I am surprised you think that might be wasting your time keeping her ?
I got myself a 6 week old bull terrier and in the first couple of months knocked out 7 milk teeth of my 5 year old son. [The dog is 9 & son 14 now].

It is not easy bringing up a puppy. I would first buy or go to the library and read a book on puppy care or even better a book on staffordshire bull terriers in particular.
You didn't mention how old your children are but kids can very easily make a pup go bananas with there running about and high pitched noises. Tell your kids to only interact with the pup with a rope toy as she will love to chew that rather than fingers . The more toys you have for her the better a tennis ball and rubber chews.

When she does get hold of clothes, just get her toy and drag it along the floor for her to chase it will take her mind off you,  the growling is her just getting excited in the game of tug.
If she does go crackers just walk away from her in a very calm manner.
She still is a baby and will need guidance on how to live with humans.:)

One of the families who have one of the pups I bred had a problem with over-exhuberant play biting. I think part of the problem was they/people imagine this cute, adorable, perfect little puppy, and don't realise how much hard work they are, no matter how much they are told. The family I mention have now pretty much sorted the problem, plus we had pup to stay for a week while they went away, which I think helped.

What you need to remember is that it is extremely unlikely your pup is being genuinely aggressive or defiant. It is far more likely that your attempts to repremand her are makign her more excited. Dogs do growl at each other and bare their teeth and snarl during play, but it can look raher scary to us humans who aren't sure what we're looking at.

I would suggest following the advice given in 'The Bite Stops Here' to the letter, absolutely consistently. Consistency is the key, as is dealing withthings calmly. Also, remember, it is all too easy to blame the puppy, but it is yourself you need to look at if there is a problem with behaviour.

Do a seach for 'Puppy School' or 'APDT' to find a puppy class. I'd also reccomend buying 'The Perfect Puppy' by Gwen Bailey or 'Before and After You Get Your Puppy' by Ian Dunbar (author of The article linked) They will pretty much cover all you need to know.

i never said my pup was aggressive but she sounds aggresive sometimes and i just wanted advice on how to deal with it as yes its my 1st pup from this age wen i had my english springer i got him at 4months and i just dont remember him being like it even tho he was that little older. i do no she is a 9wk old pup n that is how they play n that at this age but all i was askin for was advice on how i could deal with this just so it would eventually stop. i would never ship her off i wanted her so im gona work with her i will never give up.

i also have never had a staffy b4 so it does make it a little harder

oh n can some one give me advice on how to stop her diggin a hole in the garden she keeps goin bac even wen ive said no n moved her away from it i have even tryed just bringing her in but it seems to b her mission to dig this hole so any advice welcome

> but she sounds aggresive sometimes and i just wanted advice on how to deal with it as yes its my 1st pup from this age wen i had my english springer i got him at 4months and i just dont remember him being like it even tho he was that little older

they are very very very different breeds so will have very very different behaviours and sounds that they make. my bullies sound horrendous when tehy are playing, aggressive sounding barks and growls etc or at least they sound aggresive to other people, we know that they are not. pups are more likely to be fearful than aggressive (its a self preservation thing) so its probably that shes full on bull breed with scary noises playing with you and is just rough because she doesn't know the difference yet (shes only a baba!). just keep it up, you'll do fine!

Someone told me put some vinegar in the hole so it smells horrid to stop that obsession. Then watch her in the garden just as in the house to make sure she doesn't get into trouble again - first sign of her starting to dig before she gets a big hole, tell her 'NO' and move her away from the temptation, then divert her to another activity, like a game or a chew toy.

thank u i will try that and let u no if it works

Definitely try the aversion tactics.. my female Stafford loves to dig for the soft squidgy root part of grass!
Divert her attention once you have told her no, make whatever you're giving her to play with 100 times more interesting than the hole she's trying to dig! :-)
Definitely get her along to one of the classes once she's had her jabs, etc.

Keep us posted!

yer will do her last jab nxt week then she can start goin out from the 29th cant wait
oh and also should i replace the bit that she has dug or shuld i wait till she has stopped completly

well I guess you could replace it, but I suppose until you have taught her not to do it, she may well go back and mess it up again!
It is just soil that she is digging at, or a grassed / planted area?

well yer its just a grass area but its on the outside of our water feature area the thing is she can jump in and out of the area but her digging seems to be trying to get under the little wooden  fence to get in witch is weird lol but i will put all the advice in to action thanks very much

I found some advice about digging in a dog mag. They suggested putting a blown up balloon in the ground where they dig and the surprise next time they dig is supposed to put them off! Have not tried this myself :o)

> my bullies sound horrendous when tehy are playing, aggressive sounding barks and growls etc or at least they sound aggresive to other people,

I know that sound well!!!! My pup sounds like he is completely out of controll & will rip apart anything that gets near him!!! It's always great to see the neighbours reactions though, he can be mid play growling like a deranged lion, but I can put my hand by his mouth, say 'kisses' and he'll lick me :)

A puppy that is really intense with play growling can be quite scarey if you're not used to it (especially when they are still play-biting). I found the the calmer I stayed the better, I soon learnt to ignore all the noise.

We have a 11 week old MALE SBT and we thought our girl was bad when she was a puppy LOL !!
He is a right little bugger for nipping, and has recently taken a liking to my boyfriends cuffs of his trousers/jeans or whatever he's wearing! lol He will nip our girl as well and gets told off by her!

If he starts to stand in front of us and bark when we have told him off for doing something naughty and he doesnt like it we simply pick him up without a word, place him gently in his crate, shut the door and ignore him for a few mo's, I have no doubt he will soon figure ''Hmmm everytime I start to bark or confront them I get out away!'' its the same for biting, if he bites too hard or nips at all a sharp 'No!' and them a complete move away on your part is the best thing for staffords, the more you shout at them the more excited they get!
A sharp firm no and a move away all together would be best for you I think :)

And also the reason he seems to be so different from your spaniel is because he is a different breed! staffords and spaniels are so different and Bullbreeds are much more boisterous and challenging but the end result is so worth it as they are fantastic dogs and my one and only breed :)

"They suggested putting a blown up balloon in the ground"
If they are anything like mine then they will jump back and then make it their mission to 'kill' whatever made the sound and poss swallow it!There follows the vets bill. Balloons and dogs never mix! We have banned them from our house after a near miss.
Angela