First Staff

A quick introduction as I've just joined the forum. My name is Paul and I live in the north west of England. I'm a long time animal lover and have been owned by various dogs and two cats over a fair few years.
Having recently lost our 9yr old Jack Russel from the dreaded "C" the house seemed un naturally quiet & empty. We both first said we couldn't have another dog as none could measure up to our faithful dog Nancy. I really miss our little dog following me around and taking her for walks so I know I was weakening.
The last week or so has seen me secretly looking at websites for a Staffy pup as I had always had a soft spot for them. Now there is no way we can afford to buy a fully certificated pedigree so we where thinking of either a rescue or a dog in need of re-homing. No suitable rescues came to light and then a six month old bitch in need of a new home popped up on a local site so I got in touch. Now I know your supposed to do the usual checks but talking to the owner I got a good feeling they where genuine. I made an offer for the pup which was accepted and drove the 30 odd miles to pick her up. On arrival the dog was let out of her cage and proceeded to run around like a mad thing! Mmm this is going to be hard work I'm thinking. It turns out the pup who's name is Mollie hasn't been vaccinated or wormed either! She also seemed to have been caged for most of the time. Anyway i was smitten straight away so I paid the money and got a receipt I had made up earlier signed and loaded the pup and cage into the car and set off for home. Upon arriving home she run riot taking in her new surroundings. She is quite thin and cleaned her bowl up in a few seconds. She's unusual in having one blue eye and one partially blue one a bit like a Huskey. So as I write we are nearing the time for bed and I'm a bit concerned what the night will bring?
I will report back in a few days time.

Hi &

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Hi ya Paul, welcome to the forum from Flo and me

That's a great intro and sorry for your loss but you really have picked a remarkable breed to fill that void in your home. I'm guessing you're thinking that Mollie hasn't had the best start but by the sounds of things she's fallen on all 4 paws now with you.

We are here whenever you have a question and remember there is only one silly question and that's the one you didn't ask so do ask away.

When you get a chance we would love to see some pics of Mollie too. Good luck with your first night together

Welcome Paul to the forum. 

First I must say I'm sorry to hear of your loss, rip Nancy.

Congrats on the rescue.You story sounds so similar to mine and Mistys. We got her at fourteen months, she was kept caged most of the time as her owners said she was too hyper. She was only hyper as they didn't walk her, she had no training and was fed Bakers! She was underweight too and we took her to the vets straightaway and they said she need to put some weight on.
I'm so looking forward to your updates. Sounds like she has fallen on four paws with you. I'm sure you have a great friend in her.

oooo can't wait to hear more. So glad the owners decided early on that they were not the home for her. I also LOVE that you did your own paperwork. I'm an avid fan of paperwork!!

Hi and welcome from me and mine .

Congratulations on your new family member:D. It sounds like Mollie was in need of a new home and I'm so pleased you've been able to give her one.

Staffie husky crosses aren't all that unusual so it's possible you've got a pup with some husky in her. They're great dogs but do benefit from training even more than most so it might be an idea to check out classes when she's had time to settle.

Really looking forwards to hearing more and seeing pics!

First of all let me say thanks for the replies and warm welcome, it looks like I've found the ideal place for Staffy lovers.
So following on from my first post, last night turned out to be not the nightmare we where expecting. I took her out for a good walk about an hour before bedtime and then half an hour later I made a nice warm bed for her inside the cage and put in a bowl of water. I was very reluctant to use the cage as I don't think any animal should be locked up against their will but as I was in work early this morning I didn't see how I was going to get any sleep if I didn't? It turned out that within half an hour she was snoring fit to burst and she never made a noise until I got up at around 5.30 am. I immediately let her out in the garden where she had a wee. Looking at her bedding it was dry and clean so I think that was a good result for her first night in strange surroundings. One thing has come to light is she doesn't like stairs? She puts her front legs on the bottom step and just stares up at me? I'm thinking this may be a good thing as our Jack Russel Nancy always slept on the end of the bed and I never got much sleep lol.
Angie my long suffering wife has been with her all day while I was at work and said that Mollie has been as good as gold with one exception in that she is very "mouthy" and nothing even my sternest NO makes any difference? I don't want to smack her as I think that sends the wrong message to a headstrong breed like a Stafford so any advice will be greatly received. We took her for her inoculations, worming, flea treatment and chipping tonight. The vet said that apart from being a little thin at 10 kilos she is a very healthy girl. I will post more updates as we progress. We think she is a pretty and very striking girl and we are lucky to have her.
Unfortunately I don't seem to be able to post photos despite me using Photobucket?

Wow, sounds like you've had a great start

The stairs thing could simply be that she's not used to them so beware that the end of the bed days may not be at an end just yet

As for the mouthing issue, smacking doesn't work, it doesn't compute in their heads and is simply a whack without understanding. I would suggest that every time she does this replace the hand, leg, torso with a toy so as to reinforce that toys are fine to chew, humans are not. Staffies are quick learners so it will sink in quickly.

As for the picture posting, I replied on the other thread, let me know if that solves it as we'd all like to see Mollie

Sounds like she is settling in well, bless her.

I agree with Ian, smacking won't work and will only create a scared fearful pup. Misty was terrible with mouthing when we got her. Bits of us always ended up in her mouth. We tried making yelping sounds when she did it as this can work but for us the only thing that worked was what Ian has said. Every time she mouthed we ignored her and removed our arm and put one of her toys in her mouth. This worked really well, it did take a few weeks to completely stop but now it's very rare if she does it.

Enjoy your first weekend with her!

be firm but fair shouting doesnt work they dont understand distract them when they bite my mia was a mouther takes a while you will get there

Hi from me & Katy, well done on taking on Mollie you wont regret it, fantastic breed As for the stairs, she will soon figure them out & it wont be the end of the bed you will lose

Day 3
Things are going well with Mollie, toilet training is especially good with only two minor mishaps and that may have been my fault being too slow! I don't know if it's normal but she seems to poo a lot up to six times a day? She grossed the wife out yesterday by bringing a fresh turd in and dropping it on the kitchen mat yuck! One minor problem occurred yesterday when we went to our local Pets at Home shop and she got over excited with so many people and dogs that she started a strange howl/bark that sounded like yodelling! I think this was down to overloading her little brain as she obviously hasn't seen so many people and dogs in one place! The few dogs we've seen on our walks have been fine with no signs of aggression just friendly tail wagging and pawing.
We have treated her to a nice new comfortable padded harness which can be a challenge to put on as she thinks it's a game and try to tug it out of my hands. She does look very smart though. The mouthing issue seems to be getting better with your suggestions of substituting a toy for my hand/arm. I still can't post pics as the system is telling me I have to be a member for 7 days before I'm allowed to but I have managed to put her photo in my profile box for those who are interested.

A bit of an update on Mollie, as predicted the stairs have been conquered and she's found our bed! Toilet training is going really well apart from one "small" problem she's started to eat her own poo! I've caught her smelling and licking it when she's done it a couple of times. I'm usually quick enough to pick it up but this afternoon by the time I had got the shovel she had eaten most of it! I'm not sure what to do about this and I'm worried it will make her ill apart from it being gross. Any ideas on how we can stop this please?

So glad to hear that she is settling in well. 

What is she fed Paul? I think diet can help this. In the mean time I'd try to distract her straight away after she toilets maybe with a toy or treat and then pick the poo up immediately.

I'm sure others will be along soon with better advice!

Thanks for replying so quickly, we are feeding her Harringtons complete with a small amount of Butchers wet food mixed in. She is a little under weight and we are trying to "build her up" her previous owner said she had been fed Harringtons from nine weeks old but obviously we have no way of knowing if this is true or not. She was caged up to 20hrs a day so it's possible she was doing it befor we got her. I'm worried it will make her ill.
P.s I forgot to mention she seems to poo an awful lot, probably 5-6 times a day? not huge amounts but enough. Sorry about the subject

Ah ok first off it's very unlikely to make her ill, however, it is gross isn't it

If I remember correctly it can indeed be down to food and a need to keep the area clean, so both things may fit in Mollies case. The better the quality of food the less poo created as more is digested and used by the body (that made perfect sense to me when I was told) hence raw feeders tend to poo very little whilst those on cheaper foods seem to go far more. The key I think is getting the best quality you can afford and finding a balance.

In the meantime try to break the habit by watching Mollie and as soon as she goes and poo's remove it, don't make a drama of rushing out but simply move in stealth like and get it before she does.

Hia from me and Sasha

Excuse me if I'm being thick but is raw feeding literally feeding them raw meat? Do dogs not need some form of cereal to aid digestion?

Raw is indeed raw meat. Dogs don't get an awful lot of nutrition from vegetables but there is certainly no harm in bulking their daily food out with veg they like, in my Flo's case that's carrots.

There is a great thread on here that I'll find for you that explains one forum members start with raw feeding...

Here's the link .... https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/t49858-bane-s-raw-food-diary

A great read if a little long but gives great insight into how to start and what else is required

Hi Paul,and welcome to the forum from Tess and myself.Yes feeding raw alone is not a balanced diet,usually you mix in some kind of mixer.
Tess is now 4 months old and the way I feed her suits me but may not be to the liking of every one.At the moment she is on 3 meals per day.The morning feed consists of a dish of Eukanuba plus some grated cheese mixed in,the midday meal is usually a boiled egg with cheese mixed in,and the evening meal is a mixture of free flow raw tripe and raw free flow chicken.Then late evening I give her a bowl of Eukanuba complete to pick at if she is still hungry.
Feeding raw is not to every ones liking,but if you was to put down 2 bowls of food side by side,1 with raw meat and 1 with the complete food my bet is the dog will go for the raw every time.
Me,i'm a bit old fashioned,I don't like to feed complete food alone because of the additives and preservatives that are in it to extend the shelf life.But some have other ideas,and I am sure they have a good argument for feeding the complete food alone.

I think you're spot on Kit, it's not everyone's gig but there are by far some benefits to raw over complete. Not being a raw feeder I'm sure people like Paul will value your input for a balanced diet

Ey up Paul! Hope all is well with mollie!

My lil lad has abit of a mixed diet. He has a semi moist food mainly, then he will have whatever meat we have had for tea, with the odd carrot thrown in! The breeder used to feed him steak, chicken and tripe! I asked if I could move in

Hiya from me and Vinnie, what a fab intro looking forward to updates

Latest update day 4. Unfortunately I'm still barred from posting pictures which is a shame as I've got some crackers.
I looks like I might be worrying unnecessarily re the poo eating? Mollie hasn't touched the stuff since I posted last so fingers crossed.
We have tried substituting wet dog food with tuna, egg and we will find other things to see what she likes. She certainly cleaned her bowl with both and the farting seems to be lessening.
The mouthing thing has also calmed down quite a lot, the tip about substituting a chew toy for my arm/hand seems to be doing the trick. She has also learned to sit with a small treat as a bribe, I've tried to get her to give me her paw buy gently pulling it while saying "paw" but she just stumbles as I take the weight off it? still it's early days yet.
Walking her is great fun and it's quite funny how nosey she is. If she sees somebody on the other side of the road she will stop dead and stare at them until I pull her away.

They really are a nosey breed trust me But do learn really quickly with the right encouragement (usually involves food). As for the paw trick, gently tap the paw you want lifted & when she does it treat treat treat, that may take a while but she will get the idea. Moving the leg for her doesn't really give her the idea of what is wanted and you could just get her to fall over on command

My long suffering other half has been alone with Mollie all day while I've been at work (6.30-4.30)
She tells me Mollie has been running around the garden at Mach 1 chasing leafs in the wind and generally having a rare old time. When I arrived home the excitement was too much and the mouthing returned in earnest including barking and grabbing my trouser legs! I just stood still and ignored her and eventually she stopped until I moved when she started again? It took me five minutes to get down the path. Another thing she's turned into a game is getting her harness on ready for a walk, she refuses to let me put it over her head and was barking and snapping at me, not good. It looks like it's going to be a long slog to get her to behave. She also seems to have unlimited energy despite walking her at 5.30 in the morning 4.30 in the afternoon and then 10.00 in the evening plus all the galloping around during the day. If nothing else it will keep me fit

PaulD wrote:My long suffering other half has been alone with Mollie all day while I've been at work (6.30-4.30)
She tells me Mollie has been running around the garden at Mach 1 chasing leafs in the wind and generally having a rare old time. When I arrived home the excitement was too much and the mouthing returned in earnest including barking and grabbing my trouser legs! I just stood still and ignored her and eventually she stopped until I moved when she started again? It took me five minutes to get down the path. Another thing she's turned into a game is getting her harness on ready for a walk, she refuses to let me put it over her head and was barking and snapping at me, not good. It looks like it's going to be a long slog to get her to behave. She also seems to have unlimited energy despite walking her at 5.30 in the morning 4.30 in the afternoon and then 10.00 in the evening plus all the galloping around during the day. If nothing else it will keep me fit

Paul,I don't know if it's any comfort to you,but Tess is now 4 months old and has been doing all those same things that Mollie is doing.All I can say is welcome to the world of the staffy pup.But,it will get better and in time you will end up with a dog to be proud of,I can promise you that.
Tess does the same thing when I try to put the harness on,what I do then is put the harness and lead on the table out of her reach but in full view and carry on doing something else.When she knows i'm not into her silly little games and her walk is going to be delayed she will soon come and sit for me to put the harness on.Try it Paul.

Day 6:
Well things are rumbling along very nicely with our girl Mollie, we are getting to know one another a little more as each day passes. The poo eating seems to have stopped so fingers crossed it was just a settling in thing? Toilet training is going very well with no "accidents" in the last couple of days. We are getting her into a routine where first thing in the morning after she has greeted me we go out into the garden together and stay out until she has done the business then after my morning cuppa we go for a half hour walk before I go to work. Unfortunately we still put her in the cage overnight as I don't 100% trust her not to toilet during the night. She doesn't go into the cage until around 11-11.30 and I'm up at 5 every morning and to be fair she goes in of her own free will plus we have made it comfortable for her with an old duvet. She falls to sleep almost immediately which I think is due to her previous owners caging her for 18-20 hours a day I really hate having to cage her and hopefully it won't be for much longer.
So to date it's like she's always been here and during he walks she has even met some of Nancy's friends and gets along a treat.

Sounds like progress is well and truly being made Paul, great news

Hi Paul, I am so glad you rescued her. The way I get Dukes harness on is hold the harness in one hand and a treat in the other hand, so he puts his head through the harness to get the treat.
I used to crate Duke as a pup at night as he was a terrible chewer, and he still sleeps in his crate at night but l never shut the door. He see it as his safe place and goes there if he feels scared, it's like his den as it's draped with a blanket and keeps him free from draughts at night, coz we all know they like to be warm

Well it looks like I've been granted permission to post pics at last so here are a few of our girl Mollie.








FB 21-10-16

She looks great Paul, specially like the last picture

Would you mind if we use some of your pictures for our Facebook page ?

Oh isn't she beautiful!! Absolutely gorgeous

welcome from me and mia

She's lovely

-Ian- wrote:She looks great Paul, specially like the last picture

Would you mind if we use some of your pictures for our Facebook page ?

Hi Ian, that would be an honour I'm glad everyone likes her, we think she is a little beauty and judging by the reaction we get when out walking so does everyone else
Mollie, it looks like your famous lol

be interesting how she looks fully grown

Hi and welcome to the forum from me and the zoo xx