It's a "staffy thing?"

Bug is quite a typical terrier in that she is very impulsive, and wants to do everything at 110mph. This isn't too bad for me, as I'm a big of a power walker and we seem to have a pretty steady pace when walking, and she doesn't pull in general - HOWEVER - she walks at a steady med/fast pace powering on, and will then realise that she smelt something a few steps back and suddenly STOP and drag me back to where the smell was. She will also do this to the side, and just suddenly jolt sideways to sniff/mark/try and eat some cat poo! She's female, but she cocks her leg and has to wee on top of every.single.wee that she has smelt, ever! Generally if I say c'mon she will walk on, but other timess she puts the break on and HAS to carry on smelling. On walks she is constantly nose to the floor, sniffing every blade of grass and looking for cat/sheep/deer poo to eat. She does play, but prefers to mooch and sniff about in between random zoomies. She also tracks other animals (we walk in fields with lots of wildlife - pheasants, deer etc) but doesn't really attempt to chase them, they're much quicker than her anyway as she has the grace of a baby hippo. Think most of this is quite typical bull terrier behaviour - saw it in lots of kennel staffies - but trying to think of an outlet for this, possibly nose work? My elbows can't take it

lol sounds like Iza apart from leg cocking A 5 min walk to shop takes about 20 mins, the sudden stop is the worst

Millie never stops and sniffs whilst on lead she just walks, she's generally not a sniffy type dog though

Yup it's a Staffy thing alright. Flo will refuse to budge until she's done sniffing whatever it is she's sniffing. As for the sudden left or right turn, yep, she'll do that too. Thankfully she doesn't pull at all on lead now and is a real pleasure to walk with (when not sniffing)

yeap sounds like a staffy thing,sash will do excactly the same our walks seem to take longer these days due to sash sniffing every thing

mia will on occasion if if not prepared practically pull my arm out the socket if shes determined to sniff something they're wee characters staffies safe to say my favourite breed.

Oh thank goodness I thought Bane was just an awkward bugger with his nose glued to the floor all of the time!

It's funny playing at the park, getting him to run between the OH and myself. He will start off full pelt at you then he suddenly darts off in a zag zag, nose to the floor following some kind of scent!
Would be interesting if they could do anything with it even if it was just for fun!

My guys only ever go in one direction...forward. its like they have a date to meet but no one knows what it is lol. wondering if the difference is they air sniff rather than ground and marley very rarley scents spots. just goes for a massive wee at the start of the walk and that it, can be standing there ages while he has a look of purejoy on his face and then we are off as soon as they finish

She also tracks other animals (we walk in fields with lots of wildlife - pheasants, deer etc) but doesn't really attempt to chase them, they're much quicker than her anyway as she has the grace of a baby hippo.

lmao ^^ this so much! I've literally watched my baby hippo in my mum's garden stalking birds... "thinking" he's being all stealthy and quiet when in fact the birds heard him coming about 10 mins ago and they're just sitting there eating waiting for him to get close enough before they fly off which usually ends up with Axl plummeting bum over head into the bird table!! So funny to watch.

Anyway I can see Axl in all of the things you describe above, especially the nose to floor on walks and dragging you back to a smell they smelt a few steps ago, being dragged into prickles and bushes... isn't that a great look eh!

Axl's other favorite thing to do is to suddenly run full pelt when he's on the lead, of course I won't be expecting it and he ends up nearly pulling me over. I swear he thinks its fun though lol.

Yep, sounds like Stan too, i take him on my bike and extension lead and i turn the air blue Mutley style, one of so many.

Its a staffie thing and they don't seem to grow out of it either.
I walk them both with a lead in each hand and sometimes i swear my arms are two inches longer when i come back home.

Try to explain to them that leaving a single blade of grass behind for everyone else is a good thing as it shows generosity at christmas. queue up and down look and Humbug! stare.

Sounds familiar Rach!

"She has the grace of a baby hippo"? How very dare you!

Stan and Holly wrote:Try to explain to them that leaving a single blade of grass behind for everyone else is a good thing as it shows generosity at christmas. queue up and down look and Humbug! stare.

Millie is just like this..... constantly having a go at grass..... when not pulling my arm out of its socket lol
I'd love Millie to walk without pulling. Am I asking too much?

It's not impossible at all Amanda. My Flo used to pull but now walks on a loose lead very nicely. Some use a harness with double clip rings and some use a halti.

If you put the word pulling in to the search area on the main page I'm sure you'll find lots of topics that might help you

Thanks Ian....ive had a mini nose (bit late for a lengthy one now) and have seen no pull harnesses. Ive heard of the body ones but have been told dogs pull harder on this. However, I have heard head harnesses are good as they pull the head without choking around the neck. What are yours and others thoughts on these?

To be fair Amanda my experience with my Flo was kinda odd... She would pull on a collar and harness and it was only until we worked out the trust thing that she then stopped. It took us both a while to realise that we trusted each other and a good dose of confidence from me.

Even though Flo is Deaf I can have her off lead on quiet roads and still get fantastic recall with her, I can't put my finger on when things changed for us but the trust thing certainly works.

I'm sure others will be able to offer better advise who have experienced what you are