I really need help, my 10 month old staffy puppy is driving me insane

Hi guys,

I am really really struggling with my female staffy aged 10 months. I appreciate she is probably undergoing the adolescence stage, but this is just a constant hell to live with and I’m really struggling to cope.

I live at home with my partner and whilst she behaves this way to my girlfriend, it is almost constant with me whenever I am in our open plan downstairs area.

Our puppy will start barking and growling incessantly and then start biting our clothes and parts of our body, a bit like she did when she was a puppy but this seems more common and it’s a lot more noisey and more painful.

As I say, she behaves like this with both me and my girlfriend but with me it’s much worse. My girlfriend can actually sit downstairs and work on her laptop with the dog relaxing on the sofa next to her, and this will only happen a few times a day. With me it’s every time I’m in the room to the point where I just don’t want to go downstairs in my own home anymore.

We are trying every trick in the book. When we ignore her to say this behaviour doesn’t get our attention, she jumps up and bites me - often destroying my t shirt or joggers and sometimes causing me quite a lot of pain. When she’s not doing that she’s biting feet and hands. So it’s really hard to stand up and ignore her and turn away from her when she is jumping up, biting my leg or my but and ragging my pants down. We’ve tried telling her no in a deep firm voice, which she doesn’t seem to understand and just causes her to bark more. We have tried distracting her with toys and diverting her attention, doesn’t work. We have tried putting her in time out but we have stopped doing this because we actually think she thinks it’s a game, like we are trying to catch her - which we actually struggle to do because she’s so quick. The only thing that works is if we leave her alone in the room. But when I return to the room it starts all over again almost straight away, my girlfriend can actually get a bit longer before it happens again.

She gets plenty of exercise, mental stimulation too, has plenty of toys which we do play with her with, she gets what we think is the right amount of sleep, about 14-15 hours per day, always praising her when she’s behaving well. We just don’t know what to do, my girlfriend knows it’s driving me insane. I have literally spent hours upstairs just doing nothing to be away from her after a constant time of her attacking me. I just don’t know what else to do. Any help would be appreciated

Hi again!

Did you try the bitter cherry spray?

Has she had a season yet? Is she crate trained?

She's certainly coming in to that teenager stage, but that doesn't help you relax. She  needs to learn how to relax & be calm, and she obviously finds both you and your partner far too exciting to be ble to do that on her own.

I would get some calming treats (not the cheap ones, or the 'hemp' ones - they don't actually work). I found that Nutripaw Calming Treats helped a LOT with my ADHD bull terrier. It takes a couple of weeks to show the full results, but they did help tremendously! Despite the name they're not 'treats' exactly, but palatable chewy tablets taken daily. They ARE a bit pricey, but they worked on a neurologically disturbed 30 kilo BT, as I say.

https://nutri-paw.com/products/calming-treats?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw_uGmBhBREiwAeOfsd-HBak7niNXUaeYnWDAoahrkG9KpvTR4QmVJ937X-_6xrgXVEirI-RoCH7QQAvD_BwE

Hi,
I don’t know from where to start…
I know your pain as we walk myself and my bf the same.
Our boy was put down literally on 13th August this year.
Here is our story I hope this to help and keep you safe.
When was under one he did do absolutely the same but also he have had tendencies to attacking me during walks maybe not every walk but almost every if he was off of the lead. Although, been puppy the bites, scratches and marks he used to leave on my arms and legs were really painful. Let’s not talk how many clothes he destroyed too, including my passport.
He, was amazing, beautiful and intelligent dog. He knew when he was naughty but he could not help it. His excitements were more and more bigger.

I hired a trainer because of the bites, and she was able to see him when he attacked me, that time he was on the lead and did it. She could not explain why happening.

Back then my bf did not see problem though is a puppy thing and will grow that up and he looked at this as not an issue. I be got no support back then.

After trainer was involved we did what we were advised removing from the room giving him a back etc had little effect.

Don’t use the create for punishment-as we made that mistake needs to be a safe space.

Unfortunately, this year he first bite my bf mum on the ring finger. We didn’t know what exactly happened l, as we were not there to justify the situation. He bit my bf on the finger while he tried to remove him from the rubbish, as I had to divide recycling from gray bin rubbish, as my bf parents has dementia and bin’s doesn’t get collected.
Leo then bit me, all this happened in a month time.The bite and attack occurred when I removed a pillow that he attempt to hump (he was not neutered).He nibbled me on the hamstring and he got me on the trainer swing on my foot. We decided to put a muzzle.
Then he bit my bf on the arm while he tried to take measurements for a muzzle.
And the last serious attack happened on the garden after my boyfriend squeezed him on the leg to release a shoe (don’t do that either, I have never agreed it) . A neighbour helped my bf to get away.
We have had the difficult chat ever that my bf will not put Leo down but will give him a chance because not always been Leo fault.
So on Sunday Leo was very hyper all morning, I have noticed some fur that falling off his back and I opened to show my bf if he has seen that, a spot or small boil. When my bf leaned forward Leo tried to got him on the arm but because my bf was quick he could not, he jumped towards him and got his leg through the jeans, he ripped them off and made a scratch on the old place of the previous bites.
My bf was certain he needs to go. But including myself and our neighbours we talked him through to keep. While we were out I squeezed the spot -Leo did not liked but no reaction wiped it with a detergent wipe given by my neighbour. As he roll on floor I e decided once go back to the flat will clean with salty water.
I have no memories myself to been able to wipe his back because the dog went off he bit my fore upper leg, my fore arm and because I had to remove him I had to grab him for the collar and then he bit me on my opposite arm.
I ended up for a surgery as on one of my arm the tendon was visible. No pain no in wounds tho.
The guilt I feel that this poor soul got put down cannot be described.
If you feel that you can handle it, re-home it or give it to a special staffie training re-home.
Do anything but don’t let your girl to bite as I feel that once they bite it is difficult to rehabilitate.
I would never forgive myself that was not a good mum. I feel that I did not do much for him.
I hope he will forgive me!
Take care and I hope you all safe