really need help on training very hyper dog

trixyben

I have since taken my brothers staFFie as he is gone to canada or good...anyway the dog is 6 years old is a great character and sometimes a handul while out on walks and is very very hyper dog, he pulls like mad on the lead everytime until he is exhausted so walk time is a job in in own most o the time...

Can anyone suggest any training procedures i cann do to control him more and have him calmer? i was suggested to me to have him neuetered 1st which will calm him a air bit then will take to training a bit easier...it might come to having him sent to a pro dog training trainer i things dont improve!

so is there any simple things i can do rom tomorrow to get the ball rolling and get the lad ta calm abit, cheers

Ave Sodalis

Neutering does usually calm a dog down. What do you use to walk him? Is it just a lead and collar?

With my choco lab, who is very hyper, I used a halti and a harness. Whenever the dog pulled, I would stop, give a command (for me it was ''steady'') whilst giving a small pull on the leads. When he came back to my side, I rewarded him.
Time and patience is the key. You could go no-where for quarter of an hour, but it's worth it.

It took a while and constant training but soon I was able to forsake the Halti just use the harness. I'm now able to walk him without a lead of any kind (unless I'm going somewhere new with him).

Whispered

Staffies are great! Huge amounts of energy.

Does he have the strength to pull you off balance? If not I would suggest, the best thing to do is stick on your running shoes, wrap up warm and take a long long jog with him! Tired staffie is a happy staffie is a quiet staffie.

Yep I know training is important, but if you can run as much energy as possible, training will be much much easier.

Does he have any basic commands like sit etc?

easyeason3

Halti harness.
But also have a second lead clipped onto his collar. My rascal managed to get his harness off one or two times. I clip the second lead onto the collar so he doesn't run off on me!
The lead on the harness gives me control, the lead on the collar gives me peace of mind.
But when you start using the harness I would suggest you let him sniff it first. Then put it on him, give him a treat & praise. Put the harness on, give him a treat & bring him for a walk around the garden to let him know how it works, give him a treat when he's being good on it or follows commands like 'easy' or 'sit'.
Don't expect to put the harness on him & for him to know how it works. As a previous poster said it's all about patience.

trixyben

i must look into one o them leads i was using a collar and lead but he pulls that much and chokes himsel pretty badly so i bought a harness which stops the choking but then gives him more pulling power and 4 longer!!!

he is walked 3 times a day and at least once a day is let roam around, but you could run this lad all day and he will still keep going and going and going...

when he is calm (not very much) he will sit when told but dosent stay put just always wants to be played with, walked, rubbed and petted and most o all dinner time were he would eat as though never eat b4...

Whispered

OP I know what you're going through! Although I had this problem when my boy was younger, he's calmed a bit now. 6 is a good age to still be hyper!

Could you bring him somewhere to swim? Very tiring for him.
Is he used to his walking route? If he knows it, change it. It will give him something to think about.

Mistymaud

You poor thing. I had a staffie who was hyper all his life - happy and hyper - and he never really eased up until his last year or so. He lived till he was 15 1/2!

Training a staffie is not really like training a lab, it requires a lot more patience by the owner. I never did get anywhere with my boy and I tried the halti, changing direction, the whole kit and kaboodle.

I now have 3 dogs and all of them behave like loonies on a lead - my fault entirely because they rarely go on a lead and so I never bothered. Best thing I have found though is clicker training. You need to practice using it and click and treat at the correct moment, but I always thought it would work with my old staffie had I tried it.

You might want to give it a go...

cjf

My chap was like a wild stallion when out walking! Jumping, bucking, howling whining, pulling and generally making a show of me! I use the Dogmatic head collar for him and it has given me a great deal of control without it he would easily pull me over! I also got him neutered and while it stopped him rolling around in scents and obsessing over smelling and Peeing it did not cure the pulling! I also got him a backpack which he carries water in for me! The back pack gives him 'a job' to do when out walking. He is by no means perfect but now he sits for his backpack and headcollar to be put on and it so much more manageable out walking now.

seamus

Walk faster.

I'm not joking. Step it out and the Staff will happily prance along beside you. Except when he stops to sniff something and pulls your arm out of its socket. Consider it a good workout, you'll be sweating after ten minutes of keeping up the pace.

My Staff still pulls a bit but she's not as bad. She tends to pull hardest until she's gotten her toilet business out of the way and then she chills out.
What worked best for me was to pull her back every time she pulled, without stopping myself. So as soon as the lead goes taut, pull back on it to keep him rooted to the spot and walk past him. You will have to do this every time the lead goes taut and he will quickly learn that he makes the most progress when he keeps pace with you.
It takes a while though and sometimes you will spend the entirety of your walk pulling the dog back.

Don't use an extendable lead, you'll never get any discipline in him. The backpack might be a good idea. I can't use one on my staff, but it would definitely slow her down if I could.