Save me from putting my dog up for adoption please!! (staffy probs)

AE86JAY

As the story goes I wanted a staffy for a long time and when I decided the time was right I done 6 months of searching on buyandsell and the likes till the perfect little fella came up that had good history, strong lines and excellent temperament, he has never once growled or bit in aggression in my 8 months of bringing him up, my problem is his energy and excitement,

I looked up obedience training eventually sending him away he was gone for nearly 3 weeks,
this worked wonderfully he start walking on the lead which he never done, he sits,lies down and comes back to you on command so they done there job its this nuisance barking that is driving me and my partner nuts,
I'd imagine its only a matter of time before I get a call from my neighbours or dog warden (surprised it hasnt happened already)

I brought him for a brisk 1hr 15min walk last night around my local town, when we got back to the house I spent 15 mins doing his obedience training to tire him mentally as well,
I put him outside in the back garden then with a bone (9.30PM) I went inside start watching TV, put the dog to bed outside in his kennel at 11PM, I shut the door to stop the wind getting in he's very snug inside with an old duvet I stuffed in there, this is no problem he goes down without a whimper and no barking here, it starts from around 6AM every morning barking non stop to get out,
I got up this morning like every other morning at 6 to let him out gave him his bone,this lasted about 30min till he was up barking and bouncing/banging off the door to get in, people say if you want to train him you have to leave him be, its hard when your trying to get a nights kip and you live in an estate with houses either side of you and my staffys bark is rather high pitched and sharp,
I let him in the back kitchen with the bone again left him in darkness where he stayed quiet for another 30mins, its now 7AM Im up for work normally in another 15mins anyway so no biggy there, but how do I stop this nuisance barking,
My last resort and I really dont want to use it as I find it inhumane is a shock collar are these a gimmick or do they work?, I don't want him to be afraid to bark either but only when its the right time,

My partner is already at her wits end and its starting to cause row's, I have to admit as much as I adore him he's starting to annoy me now to, I really really do not want to give him away, any suggestions? he's a very bright dog he is clever and learns fast but is rather stubborn he know's when he does wrong and the odd time when doing his training he knows he has to lie down but wont do it for about 2-3mins the first time but eventually does as he wont get his treat,

After reading back I forgot to mention I also bring him to work with me where he has free roam of a large yard for the day, obviously I havent time to be doing stuff with him here so he's mostly relaxing for the day,


Any suggestions would be great, I'm willing to try anything so I can hold on to my little fella,

meoklmrk91

Would you not just leave him sleep in the house, no barking to annoy the neighbours, plus I find that they gets much better nights sleep indoors. It sounds like he wants to be inside.

AE86JAY

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

Would you not just leave him sleep in the house, no barking to annoy the neighbours, plus I find that they gets much better nights sleep indoors. It sounds like he wants to be inside.

We tried it for a while, we got new solidwood doors fitted in all the rooms and he was up at the same time whimper/whinging and scraping at the new doors till I got up, you couldnt sleep with the barking and I couldnt leave him there scraping away at the new doors,

the_syco

AE86JAY wrote: »

We tried it for a while, we got new solidwood doors fitted in all the rooms and he was up at the same time whimper/whinging and scraping at the new doors till I got up, you couldnt sleep with the barking and I couldnt leave him there scraping away at the new doors,

Get a large pet cage to put him into. Long term he gets used to being in the house, but knows where "his bed" is.

You say good history; did you get the dog from a family, or what?

AE86JAY

the_syco wrote: »

Get a large pet cage to put him into. Long term he gets used to being in the house, but knows where "his bed" is.

You say good history; did you get the dog from a family, or what?

A staffy registered breeder, with the history of both parents that had champions in the lines, the obedience teacher told me to get a crate/indoor cage and teach him inside to be good in that and put him to bed in that also inside the back kitchen at night, I could see that part working but how would it stop him waking at 6 and barking non stop till he gets out, he gets plenty of exercise,


Just checked the link yea thats exactly what she said to get,

Bullseye1

He just sounds like a dog who wants to be closer to his humans. Some dogs just do not do well outside. Try to assimilate him to sleeping inside. It will take time so be patient with him.

Blue Whale

You could just roll with it and get up at 6am and bring him for a walk. Early to bed, early to rise, catch the worm. :pac:

Take him in doors and crate train him. Its your only answer. You will have to put up with some whinging for a while but eventually he will settle.

AE86JAY

Bullseye1 wrote: »

He just sounds like a dog who wants to be closer to his humans. Some dogs just do not do well outside. Try to assimilate him to sleeping inside. It will take time so be patient with him.

I have spent a ton of money on him so far and he gets fed the best, This crate/cage is going to be one of my last purchases, I will put in the time/effort with him but if this is unsuccessful I'll have no choice but to give him away, I don't even like thinking about it because he's the best craic during the day and a great dog but I have to draw the line somewhere,

cocker5

AE86JAY wrote: »

I have spent a ton of money on him so far and he gets fed the best, This crate/cage is going to be one of my last purchases, I will put in the time/effort with him but if this is unsuccessful I'll have no choice but to give him away, I don't even like thinking about it because he's the best craic during the day and a great dog but I have to draw the line somewhere,

I have to be very honest here and say i am very saddened by your last comment... regardless of the money espect dogs / puppies require months and months of training etc not just 8 months etc...

I am going to be a bold here and say while i understand you like your dog you sound like a "lazy" dog owner to me, I really dont mean to offend but its true. You ahve already sent him away to be trained... when in fact 99% of the time its the owners who "need to be trained" on how to train their dogs etc.

he sounds like a lovely dog, he just doenst want to be dumped in the back garden alone at night and to be honest i dont blame him at all.

as another poster said some dogs dont do well outside so let him in... try and crate train him as already suggested... but i warn you training a dog takes MONTHS... and MONTHS.

from your posts i gather your dog is ONLY 8 months old.... my god it took me til my cocker was 2 years old to have him realxed, trained etc (well as relaxed as cockers can be )

im sorry but he's only 8 months thats far too early IMO to be saying you cant take anyomre etc.

To be honest i feel sorry for the dog he sounds like a lovely fella.... and your not giving him a chance it will take until he is an adult , 2 years old to be more relaxed etc.... it will not happen in weeks....

even at the my cocker is nearly 9 now and every now and then he scratches at my kitchen doors (even though he knows he shouldnt) , their are animals with their own personalities... you can train them but you cannot force them to conform to your way or the highway.

best of luck to your dog.... do the right thing, invest time in him NOT money and you will reap the rewards i promise... only give him a small amount of time to "grow up" and send him to a rescue, he MAY get adopted... if not you can thank youself for another dog dumped in irish rescues.

I am sorry if i appear harsh, but you got him now be responsible and give him time to adjust, stop spending money, and spend time training him YOURSELF.... it will take another yaer for him to start relaxing... he is a PUPPY... not a machine.

:P

Millem

AE86JAY wrote: »

We tried it for a while, we got new solidwood doors fitted in all the rooms and he was up at the same time whimper/whinging and scraping at the new doors till I got up, you couldnt sleep with the barking and I couldnt leave him there scraping away at the new doors,

You could put up baby gates, then the dog won't scratch the doors! They are very handy I have one in my house.

fatmammycat

You wanted a staffy, you GOT a staffy. They are energetic fabulous dogs, but he's only 8 months old, still a pup. They change so much over the next 10 months, I can't understand why anyone would rehome a pup for being a pup.
Buy a crate and crate train him. You need to stop expecting him to be an adult dog. He sounds like an absolute sweet heart and you'll have 10+ years with a beautiful dog if you give him a chance now. My dog sleeps in the kitchen or outside our bedroom door. If I put him outside at night he'd bark the place down too. Most dogs don't like being seperated from their owners, and your little guy already spends 7 good hours alone and being good as gold. Get up at 6 and take him for a walk maybe? Honestly, stop expecting miracles, understand that pups take a while to mature. Also forget about shock collars, you have a sweet natured dog, don't ruin that.

Nody

Sounds as you need a dog behaviourst to come over and train you and your misses more then anything to be honest. I think you're missing a lot of clues your dog is giving you and the fact you "sent him away for 3 weeks of training" shows that what ever advice you've got appears to be quite poor.

muddypaws

If you got him from a good breeder as you say, you won't have to give him away, they will take him back.

The dog sounds very lonely, you take him for walks, fair enough, but the rest of the time he is on his own, in a yard at work during the day, and in the back garden and his kennel at night. Does he spend any time with your and your partner, just relaxing, and being around you?

You wanted the dog, so now you need to do the work, would you expect a child to be able to read and write if not taught?

Staffies are known as the nanny dog because of their relationship with people, they really do well when they spend time with their humans.

Toulouse

I agree with the other posters, you need to get a grip OP. Take your dog inside, crate train him properly, don't just stick him in the crate (search this forum, there's loads of good information about it) and hold up your end of the bargain that you made when you bought and claimed responsibility for this dog and his life.

I can't actually believe someone who claims to have spent so much time researching would a) buy a dog from an online site, b) send the dog away for training and c) be completely clueless to the fate of hundreds of Staffies who are put to sleep in this country every year because there are no homes out there for them and very few shelters will take them in.

Sorry if that seems short but your post has really irked me. Staffies are fantastic dogs but they get a raw deal. Seems to me now that you have a dog you know how much work it actually takes and you just couldn't be bothered.

Danger781

"My Dog doesn't appreciate how much time and money I spend on him. He keeps asking for more."

Pretty much sums up this thread for me.

cocker5

Danger781 wrote: »

"My Dog doesn't appreciate how much time and money I spend on him. He keeps asking for more."

Pretty much sums up this thread for me.

Danger... I actually couldnt have put it better myself.

:cool:

fatmammycat

As a matter of interest OP, how much exercise does this dog get a day. 'Relaxing' in a yard doesn't really cut it, it's just more time spent alone. How often is he walked, played with, trained and so forth? One other point, when you way you lock him into his kennel at night, do you mean his actual kennel or his run?

AE86JAY

Hahaha wo wo hold on there lazy?? I spend about 2 hours of one on one attention/training with him every evening, how many of you that replied could honestly say you do that with your dog?
He spends time in the sitting room after walks/training untill he starts acting up tearing stuff and not settling jumping up and down off the couch etc, he would have a chew toy available at this time also, I have disciplined enough times about it but he does not stop so I have put him outside then with a bone or whatever and he'll stay quietly till he gets bored of that usually about 30mins, I cant walk or be with the dog 24/7 nobody can so ffs get off my back,
For those of you saying get up at 6 and bring him for a walk, NO I wont I am the "boss" he'll walk when I'm ready 6 o clock in the morning is not ready,
Yes he comes to work with me pottering round sniffing the place, lien down whatever, are you going to get on to me for not giving him attention here?? I think hes privileged not to be left at home during work hours like a lot of dog owners, if I leave him at home I'm sure he'll be lazing about there too so whats the difference at least he gets to see me this way and I can give him attention the odd time,
He was very stubborn as a pup and would not do anything for me I tried everything am I a qualified trainer? No, do I know a whole lot about it? No, so I done some research and found a place close to me that gets him responding to commands which now he does, GREAT result! now I just have to stop this nuisance barking and everything will be fine, thats why I came here for help but your all fairly quick to jump to conclusions,
My Staffy is over energentic and excited Ive seen others this age who are quiet and can be left alone when the owner is not around,
Yes he goes into his kennel at night no barking/whimpering at all I dont have to force him in, he goes in, do you think if he didnt like it he would go in? He is just up early full of beans, I dont mind getting up to let him out he can run around wild in the garden for all I care after that but its the barking then non stop no break in between barks hardly till I get back up to stop it, its a viscious circle I dont know how to break,
Yes the pup is 8 months old with training I thought he might calm a little and be more controllable he is to an extent but hes energy and excitement just take over

I know the staffys history, I have friends who have them, I know there temperment, I DID NOT BUY from an online site, buyandsell pointed me in the direction of an already known breeder,

I tried training myself and it didnt seem to be working, nothing I done he would respond too, thinking it was a game or playing, so I needed someone to lay the foundations and let me take over the rest which I'm doing now,

muddypaws

I'm guessing that you live in the North East then, as this place was close, and the fact that you're the "boss".

have you spoken to his breeder? A good, reputable breeder will offer back up for the life of any dog they breed, including advice.

When you say you have disciplined him, what have you done? Have you tried training a different behaviour instead?

cocker5

OP,

You are failing to see the obvious….. your pup is 8 MONTHS old FFS (as you too kindly put it).

NO dog will sit still at 8 months, ALL puppies get giddy and jump around the place, up and down off the couch etc – ALL.

You say you have disciplined him many times…. Let me repeat again HE’S 8 MONTHS old…. You don’t speak dog and he doesn’t speak human, it takes month and months to train a puppy not to do these things.

My cocker spaniel was MENTAL and I mean mental till around 15 -18 months, I mean a complete head case, he would skid around the kitchen, through the living room doors jump all over the couches etc, he was crazy… he also ripped up stuff, tore blankets etc.... it took until 18 months for him to calm down a little and also relax.. NOT 8 MONTHS. Plus you need to consider neutering him and also looking at his food , I did both and this did help a lot.

One word of advice, by putting him out in the back garden when he’s giddy in your house ISNT training him how to behave properly…. It will only make the situation worse.
When he’s in your living room you need positive reinforcement… give him a stuffed Kong or a bone and put him sitting is his bed and when he stays reward him etc… not by dumping him outside.
He will only be more excited when he gets back in. its honestly the wrong method to use.

You are a very inexperienced dog owner, either that or naive… get a decent dog book and read up… 8 months is faaaaaar too young for a pup to relax etc or even 12 months – FACT.

Many posters on here are VERY experienced dog owners and can offer great advice but by coming on here and giving the picture / facts you have its seems you have a PEFECTLY NORMAL PUPPY and it’s you who needs training…. With expectations are way way above what a 8 month old puppy is capable of.

And as for your “Im the boss” quote – :rolleyes:

fatmammycat

I take my dog out for 90 to 120 minutes every morning, off lead work (mainly fetching and serarching), he goes out again every evening for 40 minutes on lead. He goes running three times a week in a harness. He's a working dog and that level of ecercise keep him quiet and happy in a house. If he was upset and barking in the morning, I'd rethink what I was doing.
What you're doing so far is clearly not working. No one is giving out to you for taking him to work, only that pottering and sniffing around, 'relaxing' is not really making a lick of difference to his energy levels. Pups are rarely stubborn, he's just not trained. A trained dog with do what he's asked, and untrained dog will do what he wants.
What you have here is a proper energetic staffy pup that loves you and want to be with you. You say yourself he wakes up fully of beans and ready to go. I'm sorry but being 'boss' and 'diciplining him' for being a rambunctious pup makes no sense. Get up earlier, take him out for an hour, get him into a good solid routine and crate train him in the home at night and I promise you by 14/18 months you'll have a MUCH different dog on your hands and you will be glad you never gave up on him.
Training with a 8 month old takes patience and actually it's really useful if you CAN turn training into a game of sorts, it makes the dog really enjoy commands that way. I trained my own dog to do all kinds of things by making it into a game. Anticipation really drives energetic dogs and focus is key to training for anything. Best of luck with him, I'm bowing out now, just try not to think people are having a go at you, and rethink some of your training expectation thus far.

Joeseph Balls

I think for the pups sake you be better off rehoming him.
He's 8months old for gods sake. I'd be more worried if he didnt want attention....

Tranceypoo

OP have you taken his feeding routine and what you're actually feeding him into account? For instance if you're feeding him supermarket food last thing at night or just leaving it down for him to eat when he wants etc? Maybe you're already feeding a high quality food but just wanted to put that out there. Another thing that occurred to me was is he neutered and would there be a female in heat around? Or has this been going on for longer than a couple of weeks? Again, just some thoughts I had. I think you've been given some great advice here, especially with the crate training and the fact that your dog is only 8 months old and still only a mad pup, I hope you take it onboard.

kylith

I'd echo the others here; don't give up on him. He probably looks about grown but mentally he's the canine equivalent of a 10 year old child.

I would recommend you bring him indoors, a staffie's coat isn't enough to keep him warm at night. Read up on crate training. It would concern me that the dog is alone while you're at work and then again from 9:30pm until 7am. Realistically, since you're working, it's probably more accurate to say that he's on his own from 9:30pm until 5:30/6pm the next day, with a 15 minute interaction while you're having breakfast. This is not enough for any dog. Maybe get up at 6am and walk him, then take him into the house when you get home from work and let him sleep inside.

I'm also concerned that you sent him away to be trained; you have no idea what methods or techniques they used on him. My parents' neighbour sent away their GSD for training and it came back a changed animal - ferociously territorial and aggressive to strangers. Any decent trainer knows that the majority of training is to teach the owner to effectively communicate with the dog.

Look at what changes can be made to your routine to have him in more, and look into crate training him.

tk123

What are you feeding the dog - the food could be adding to his unwanted behaviour?
Have you tried treat dispensing toys to keep him busy - kongs etc? I've had huge success with my dog the last few weeks with changing how I give him a kong - instead of packing stuff in to the brim and/or freezing it I put something that's really hard to get out - half a bonio wedged into the small end of the kong and then something tasty like ham/chicken/peanut butter rubbed around the big end/opening to get him interested. This was actually to help stop him barking when left alone/frustrated and it was suggested to me by a behaviourist that I had come out to the house, saw what both of us were doing and worked out a plan from there.
My dog is 4 and I've done LOADS of classes and training with him but seriously - having somebody come to YOU is a million times better than anything I've done. What happens at a class or training centre is not what happens at home so it makes more sense for them to come to you. I'd also suggest looking on http://apdt.ie/ for somebody local to you who uses positive reinforcement - not prong collars/choke chains/bark collars or punishment/fear to get a dog to do what you want.

sillysmiles

As someone else here has said, you need to get someone to come to the house and train you, your partner and the pup altogether.

SingItOut

Haven't read most of the replies so appologies if I'm echoing anyone else's...

Get your Puppy a Kong toy, put some of his favourite food in it, freeze it and give it to him at bedtime. Staffies have strong jaws as you know so get him the largest one. There's a normal kong and then there's a kong wobbler (basically makes the dog use his brain to get the food out). Any MaxiZoo or decent pet shop will have them, the largest will set you back between €20 - €35 which is cheap as they really do last.

The other more expensive option is to build a dog run and put his kennel inside, therefore when he goes in at night he won't feel as confined as he does in the kennel alone. Failing that get a crate and leave him inside at night with the kong.

You're puppy is only 8 months old, a baby, and will remain in the puppy stage until he's about two years old and maybe longer. Also being a terrier that equals - high energy, loyalty, determination, chewing, digging, barking which mostly comes from anxiety from being alone or nervous etc

Giving you're puppy away is the easy way out, stick with him, enjoy him, involve him in everything! put the effort in and you'll have an amazing companion for the next 12+ years. You're not going to becoming an amazing dog trainer over night, it's going to take months of patience. Terriers have a short attention span so you need to find something that motivates him, food or treats and use that when you're training him as a reward. Their an extremely intelligent breed and he will catch on very quickly, you said he did great with the trainer so that just shows you he is more than capable so there is no excuses.

LucyBliss

AE86JAY wrote: »

My Staffy is over energetic and excited Ive seen others this age who are quiet and can be left alone when the owner is not around

I'm sorry but this makes me smile. No two dogs are the same, even if they are the same breed. It all depends on the dog, the owner, the environment, etc. I have two staff terrier cross dogs. Both reared here with me since they were literally born in the corner of the front room I am typing in right now. One is docile and pretty much easy going; the other lad never met a situation he didn't like to bark at. We had a lot of his nuisance barking in the garden when I'd let him out at night and he would just go ballistic. I would have to bribe him with treats, hunt him into a corner to get him back on the lead so I could take him in. I used to have to have someone else with me down the garden so we could corral the brat and get him focused enough on me to stop him from barking. This was on and off for two years. I used to cry with frustration sometimes at the way he was carrying on.

But there was no way I was going to give up on that dog. I used to tell him (I'm sure the neighbours thought it was like something out of a surreal after dinner theatre) that even if it killed me, he was going to get over this habit. It did not kill me, though I did eat a lot of chocolate, and here he is now at five years old and not a peep out of him and he returns when I tell him. Yes, he might bark every now and then but when I tell him to knock it off, he does.

I think it's a shame to be giving up on a dog at any point because this is dog ownership, this is the reality of it. You spend money on your dogs to keep them safe and happy and to make sure both of you have the best tools at your disposal to do that.

I would take him indoors to be honest with you. Staffs are companionable dogs and like to be around people. They need that connection. It might make a huge difference to your training routine.

AE86JAY

fatmammycat wrote: »

I take my dog out for 90 to 120 minutes every morning, off lead work (mainly fetching and serarching), he goes out again every evening for 40 minutes on lead. He goes running three times a week in a harness. He's a working dog and that level of ecercise keep him quiet and happy in a house. If he was upset and barking in the morning, I'd rethink what I was doing.
What you're doing so far is clearly not working. No one is giving out to you for taking him to work, only that pottering and sniffing around, 'relaxing' is not really making a lick of difference to his energy levels. Pups are rarely stubborn, he's just not trained. A trained dog with do what he's asked, and untrained dog will do what he wants.
What you have here is a proper energetic staffy pup that loves you and want to be with you. You say yourself he wakes up fully of beans and ready to go. I'm sorry but being 'boss' and 'diciplining him' for being a rambunctious pup makes no sense. Get up earlier, take him out for an hour, get him into a good solid routine and crate train him in the home at night and I promise you by 14/18 months you'll have a MUCH different dog on your hands and you will be glad you never gave up on him.
Training with a 8 month old takes patience and actually it's really useful if you CAN turn training into a game of sorts, it makes the dog really enjoy commands that way. I trained my own dog to do all kinds of things by making it into a game. Anticipation really drives energetic dogs and focus is key to training for anything. Best of luck with him, I'm bowing out now, just try not to think people are having a go at you, and rethink some of your training expectation thus far.

Thank you for some constructive criticism, its much easier to reply to someone like yourself and not fly off the handle with some of the comments, Yes I agree I'm inexperienced, that's why I'm here getting advice because I've exhausted all other avenues so far,
My next job is I'm going to buy that crate from Argos and put him in it periodically I know he will bark so I will wait till he's quiet and reward him each time he does so, am I doing this right or wrong can anyone tell me?
Another thing I agree with you on is 8 months is to early yes, it may be just my patience ran out as it was the same thing day in day out with little or no change I think I just needed someone to tell me that,
He is very clever he knows a lot of right from wrongs but still does the wrong thing if you get me,
The trainer suggested I tether him in the sitting room when were there wait till he calms and let him loose when he starts going crazy tether him again repeating the process until you get the desired result again is this right or wrong???????

Bullseye1

AE86JAY wrote: »

I have spent a ton of money on him so far and he gets fed the best, This crate/cage is going to be one of my last purchases, I will put in the time/effort with him but if this is unsuccessful I'll have no choice but to give him away, I don't even like thinking about it because he's the best craic during the day and a great dog but I have to draw the line somewhere,

From reading your OP can you confirm you sent your dog away for training but did not attend the training yourself? If so that was one of your first mistakes. 90% of the training is for humans. From reading your posts you seem genuine in your posts about putting in the effort. That is a positive. But talking about how much money you have spent already is not the dogs fault. They are essentially kids until they reach 18months, longer for some breeds. You don't give up on children just because its tough. Don't give up on your dog.

AE86JAY

Tranceypoo wrote: »

OP have you taken his feeding routine and what you're actually feeding him into account? For instance if you're feeding him supermarket food last thing at night or just leaving it down for him to eat when he wants etc? Maybe you're already feeding a high quality food but just wanted to put that out there. Another thing that occurred to me was is he neutered and would there be a female in heat around? Or has this been going on for longer than a couple of weeks? Again, just some thoughts I had. I think you've been given some great advice here, especially with the crate training and the fact that your dog is only 8 months old and still only a mad pup, I hope you take it onboard.

Someone mentioned this already, I had him on Royal Canine and switched to a lower protein food IAMS made little to no change he doesn't get anything after 9PM, he gets his last big feed around 6 same time as us then a treat or 2 after but nothing after 9PM, its been going on for more than a couple of weeks, few months,

I am pie

Glaringly you need to know how to train the dog. The 3 weeks was wasted without you being present. You need to know how to control your dog.

Do not just buy the crate and throw him into it, you will not fix anything.

Seriously, if you really do want to keep the dog you need to do some reading up on Crate Training. Learn how to use the create. Investing the time that you already invest there is absolutely 0 reason to give the dog away. You are on the right track with your intentions, but you just need some help in learning how to train your dog, and to train yourself a little.

kylith

AE86JAY wrote: »

My next job is I'm going to buy that crate from Argos and put him in it periodically I know he will bark so I will wait till he's quiet and reward him each time he does so, am I doing this right or wrong can anyone tell me?

The point of a crate is not to put him in and wait for him to bark himself out. You need to feed him in there, give him treats in there, and gradually work up from having the door shut for a couple of minutes to having him happy to relax in there for a couple of hours. And, most importantly, he must see it as a place he likes to be. I haven't crate trained mine, but I'm sure others can recommend books that can talk you through it step by step.

I've had problems with barking while outside at night and I know that in my case keeping them in at night solved the problem.

AE86JAY

Bullseye1 wrote: »

From reading your OP can you confirm you sent your dog away for training but did not attend the training yourself? If so that was one of your first mistakes. 90% of the training is for humans. From reading your posts you seem genuine in your posts about putting in the effort. That is a positive. But talking about how much money you have spent already is not the dogs fault. They are essentially kids until they reach 18months, longer for some breeds. You don't give up on children just because its tough. Don't give up on your dog.

The trainer rang me with updates every couple of days and wouldnt let him home till I attended a handling course so the dog was comfortable and I was giving the commands right, the dog is doing everything the trainer taught him and I am keeping up my "homework" which I have to do with him also, no probs there,

muddypaws

AE86JAY wrote: »

Thank you for some constructive criticism, its much easier to reply to someone like yourself and not fly off the handle with some of the comments, Yes I agree I'm inexperienced, that's why I'm here getting advice because I've exhausted all other avenues so far,
My next job is I'm going to buy that crate from Argos and put him in it periodically I know he will bark so I will wait till he's quiet and reward him each time he does so, am I doing this right or wrong can anyone tell me?
Another thing I agree with you on is 8 months is to early yes, it may be just my patience ran out as it was the same thing day in day out with little or no change I think I just needed someone to tell me that,
He is very clever he knows a lot of right from wrongs but still does the wrong thing if you get me,
The trainer suggested I tether him in the sitting room when were there wait till he calms and let him loose when he starts going crazy tether him again repeating the process until you get the desired result again is this right or wrong???????

Just because you may not like what someone has said, does not mean that its not constructive. Have you spoken with the breeder?

Not sure how good the argos crates are, and if they are strong enough to contain a young Staffy. This company seem to sell decent, good value crates, a lot of posters on here have bought from them http://www.jebbtools.ie/. You need to train him to the crate properly, so that he likes going in there, and sees it as his den, otherwise he will still bark and whine, as he will see it as punishment. Check out this website, lots of great training tips http://www.dogstardaily.com/

Sorry OP, but it sounds as though the trainers that you have used so far are the old school, alpha, be the boss type, and that kind of dog training has been shown to be outdated and scientifically incorrect. have a look on this website and find a trainer and/or behaviourist that uses positive reinforcement methods to train dogs, near to you http://apdt.ie/

muddypaws

AE86JAY wrote: »

The trainer rang me with updates every couple of days and wouldnt let him home till I attended a handling course so the dog was comfortable and I was giving the commands right, the dog is doing everything the trainer taught him and I am keeping up my "homework" which I have to do with him also, no probs there,

And if it wasn't against the forum charter, most posters on here could name the place that you sent him to, and could give you a lot of negative feedback about them.

AE86JAY

muddypaws wrote: »

And if it wasn't against the forum charter, most posters on here could name the place that you sent him to, and could give you a lot of negative feedback about them.

The place is a well respected obedience school, based on treat rewards with dvds of progress during the way, run by women, The dog is not scared or afraid since he came back he simply does what is asked because he knows he will get something nice,

muddypaws

AE86JAY wrote: »

The place is a well respected obedience school, based on treat rewards with dvds of progress during the way, run by women, The dog is not scared or afraid since he came back he simply does what is asked because he knows he will get something nice,

Then why do you feel you have to be 'the boss'? Why not adapt the training indoors so that you use the same methods?

maggiepip

Personally I feel tethering a dog in the living room would just be counterproductive - they get so pleased to be released they just go even crazier when free. Have you tried all the usual - stuffed kongs, something he enjoys chewing to calm him?

AE86JAY

maggiepip wrote: »

Personally I feel tethering a dog in the living room would just be counterproductive - they get so pleased to be released they just go even crazier when free. Have you tried all the usual - stuffed kongs, something he enjoys chewing to calm him?

Yes have tried the Kong some success but not much as if I make it to easy he gets it all out quickly if its to hard he just leaves it there hard to get the balance right, I might try it again though,

AE86JAY

muddypaws wrote: »

Then why do you feel you have to be 'the boss'? Why not adapt the training indoors so that you use the same methods?

I feel I have to be the boss because he has to know he's not going to be brought for a walk at 6 in the morning or play ball whatever, I understand he's a pup call me inexperienced but the other staffy owners I know dont do this, yes no 2 dogs are the same I understand that also, I might have another look at his food can someone tell me what I should be feeding him.

muckety

Hi - if its any help, I just got a crate here - got it delivered next day, price was good.

https://www.jebbtools.ie/animal-products

njs030

There's a lot more experienced people here than me so I'll just tell you my experience-
My oldest dog is a jrt crossed with a collie and the yappiest most energetic dog I've ever met!!

As a pup he drove me insane and like yourself I asked for help. The advice I found worked was this-
When he barks make a loud noise to catch his attention (for me shaking an empty bottle half full with some stones from the fishtank worked) the instant he stops barking give him a high value treat (ham or chicken worked best). After a while of this I replaced the 'noise' with saying 'that's enough' in a firm calm voice and again treating him when he stopped.
Now he is 4 and will still bark at everything but instantly stops when I say 'that's enough'.
I also trained him to bark on command which allows him to go crazy at the right time.

Hope that helps

AE86JAY

notjustsweet wrote: »

There's a lot more experienced people here than me so I'll just tell you my experience-
My oldest dog is a jrt crossed with a collie and the yappiest most energetic dog I've ever met!!

As a pup he drove me insane and like yourself I asked for help. The advice I found worked was this-
When he barks make a loud noise to catch his attention (for me shaking an empty bottle half full with some stones from the fishtank worked) the instant he stops barking give him a high value treat (ham or chicken worked best). After a while of this I replaced the 'noise' with saying 'that's enough' in a firm calm voice and again treating him when he stopped.
Now he is 4 and will still bark at everything but instantly stops when I say 'that's enough'.
I also trained him to bark on command which allows him to go crazy at the right time.

Hope that helps

Keys banging on a table seems to stop my lad a lot of the time I might work a training routine around that for a while and see, thanks for the reply!

disco1

Try leaving him in at night but leave all the down stairs doors open... Put a child gate / baby gate at bottom of stairs this is what I do with my 3 huskeys... I do not close the doors as they will scratch them until there open.
Mine go out to toilet same time every morning around 7am... No way around that. Once they go to toilet they scrape the back door to get back in so i let them in. I can then go back to bed or stay up but that is their routine.

Your dog is very young you just need to find a routine that works for you. Either way no matter what you will have to get up 7 days a week early to let the dog out then back in again.

maggiepip

For what its worth like many others have said he's just a hyper young dog of 8 months who's full of energy and doesn't want to be alone, he sounds like a really clever fella - you've made progress with other areas of training. My labrador didn't begin to grow up / settle down until she was about 18 months to 2 years and she was crazy....she gradually became calm and placid in time. Lots and lots of exercise was the biggest help. I would really try to sleep your dog indoors though because then he'll know hes not waiting around to be banished outside and I think, in time, that could help him settle. Dogs that spend a lot of time outdoors alone go exceptionally crazy when they get a bit of company.

Pretzill

Please persevere with your pup - this post should be a remnder to potential dog owners that they are a huge responsibility, a family member that will share your space for more than a decade in most cases.

Some dogs do well kennelled outside but think of every noise they'll hear before you early in the morning - all the scents they are attracted to and there need to get out of the garden and in to be with there owners. With the stress and boredom of no company the barking is inevitable.

I keep my dogs in the home, I don't crate - they don't destruct - now I have a pup at the mo who would potentially chew anything but thankfully he has only wrecked a few socks so far. All my dogs were at least 2 years of age when they settled all their puppy behaviours - got a bit more sense and relaxed into the home.

But all my dogs have always had company 24/7 - because I've never kept just one pet - I know this sort of committment isn't possible for everyone but it sounds like your staffy needs confidence - keeping him in at night may help - giving him something to amuse him when you're not there will too but if he does suffer from being alone I suppose at least the neighbours won't complain if his barking is confined indoors.

You seem to be giving him the exercise and diet etc he needs but it's not all about that - getting stressed yourself won't help the situation.

LucyBliss

OP, you said your dog knows the wrong from the rights but does the wrong anyway? Yeah, totally my Jack when he was a young dog. He knew well what I wanted him to do but couldn't be bothered half the time. And it wasn't dominance, it wasn't him being a 'bad' dog, it was him being him and him using his smarts (for evil! Seriously, if that dog had ever decided to use his intelligence to fight crime, the streets would have been cleared up in no time).

Staff dogs need direction and at that age, when they are learning so quickly, they need it a lot.

It's frustrating, absolutely. But polite calm firmness and consistency will win the day. Trust me, I used to say to my mother "we're saying he'll be alright when he's two, what if he's ten and he's still an ass!" And now, he's gone from being the dog who would never bother to find a treat that I'd hidden around the garden because he correctly assumed I had another in my pocket so why run like the other two pleb dogs, you know? To being the the dog who I told to go back and find his treat when he came with me into the kitchen today and he ran back into the sitting room and returned with his half eaten carrot.

The crate really isn't the place for him to sit until he's quiet. If anything, it might just frustrate him and make him worse. You have to work on getting him to focus on you. Throw a treat around for him to go after in the garden as a distraction, then if he wants more, he will have to look at you because you will have them in your hand and he can only get one if he comes over and sits. It takes time but they pick up on it. Signs by, I can't even put my hands in my jacket pockets when I'm down the garden with the dogs because they come over and sit in front of me, thinking I have treats and there's me waiting for them to go pee so we can all go back indoors on a cold night!

Whispered

OP you wanted a staffy and you got it They are well known for being energetic and can be disruptive when bored. My advice would be:

Bring the pup indoors, these are not outdoor dogs and do not do well outside. It's not just the fact their not built for temperature extremes, but emotionally, they really are people dogs. They need to be with their families. I understand that as he is at the moment, this is difficult but he will never just "know" you will have to start somewhere.

Buy your crate, or block off a utility room for him with a baby gate. The crate or room, if introduced properly will help with the barking and will really help with the 6am wake ups - if it's worked on, again he will never just "know", you have to start somewhere. (introduction of the crate/room should really be done properly so be careful not to rush it, the 6am starts will have to be phased out but in most cases can be done relatively quickly once he's settled in his room)

Start from scratch with training, make it enjoyable. Having a dog should be a joy, yes there is give and take, you have to consider your dog in everything, but overall, it should be more fun than hassle. If it doesn't feel like that at the moment, take a step back and think about how you can make it right. Do something fun with him, agility, obedience classes (which you take part in too), scent work, canicross etc.

Try to teach your dog that what you want him to do is beneficial rather than just expecting him to do it because "you're the boss". He doesn't care - he will do what works. Whatever he is doing, he is doing it because along the way it worked for him.

Staffies are an amazing breed and I will never be without one. However there are hundreds dying in pounds every week. Take a deep breath and commit to not allowing your dog be one of those. He doesn't have to be. I promise your problems are all very sortable if you can just take a step back, start training now and give the pup a chance. Also be aware that 8months is a difficult age with most dogs, so take heart in that.

BillyMitchel

No offence but I was around bull breeds for 20 years and high energy and excitement is part of owning one. That excitement was part of them until the day they died. Surely the research you done told you that?

Telling a staffy not to be excited is like telling Usain Bolt not to run!