im not sure i must of done something as my post dissapeared im not very good with these forum things right well i have got a shar pei and im looking for a behaviourist as the training club we went to advised it the one we had kept going on saying it was our fault he was like that, we shouldnt of got a dog out the paper and we should have him neutered and be more hard on him. when i take him a walk him pulls to get to other dogs and barks and snarls he looks really scarey and people wont come near him. when i let him off his lead it can take up to half a hour to get him back and its all getting very stressfull we just want a happy family pet.

Sorry to hear about your predicament with your Shar Pei.  It is very unfortunate that (by the sounds of it) the training school you went to basically sent you packing with very little help!

First off I would suggest NOT letting him off the lead until such time as you've got him trained to come when called and when his 'agressive behaviour' has been sorted out.  It is not cruel to keep a dog on a lead - IMO it is more cruel to let a dog off lead that won't come when called and could be a possible danger to itself/road users/other dogs etc etc.  You can get a long lead (a training line or a strong extender lead) so that you know you will always have control if need be :)

Secondly I would recommend you ring around some other trainers in your area, explain the situation and see what they say.  If they would rather you didn't attend a class until your dog is more controlled (by you the owner(s)) then ask if they do one-to-one sessions either in your home or at the training school in the interim.  I think for yourselves and the dog you definately do need this sooner rather than later.

Hope this helps :)

i took Alfie to training classes and the lady that held them also did one to one training and that come in when we went through a recall problem with him and also as I do obediance with alfie it was good to have a few private lessons.  Which area are you in (was you on holiday last Auguest ln Gran Canaria?  Strange question I know sorry)  If you let me know what area I acn put you in touch with a recommended behavourist, Cheers Colette

Thanks everyone for all the advise and spending so much time posting and being helpfull. I have seen long training leads in pets  at home but they didnt look strong enough for him. No we havent been on holiday since we have had the dog as we dont want to put him in kennels and he doesnt like strangers coming into the house.

dogloversy,

If you're looking for a behaviourist I would strongly recommend you use a behaviourist which is with the APBC: www.apbc.org.uk 

There are lots of cowboys out there who claim to be behaviourists but use methods which are cruel and will only make the situation worse.  If you use a behaviourist with the APBC you will avoid all that.

To see one of these you have to get a referral from your vet because many behavioural problems are caused by physical things - like some aggression can be due to physical pain - so APBC behaviourists want people to go to the vet and get a check up there and get the vet to refer them for a behavioural consultation.

The leads are stronger than they look especially the nylon long lines :)

How old is he and how long have you had him? It sounds like he's not been very well socialised when young.

I wouldn't ever dream of letting a shar-pei run loose. They are highly independent and even a well trained one is likely to take off if they see something they want to chase or investigate. You're lucky it's only taken half an hour to get him back!

Be very careful where you look for a behaviourist and try to find one with experience of shar-pei as they can be as awkward as a breed gets with the wrong kind of approach.