hello

Hi i'm looking to re-home enzo i've tried all of the rescue centre's in county durham but no where will take him. I cannot keep him due to him wrecking my home we did not know he had anxiety when we got him. Can anyone help? I dont want him to go to just anyone because of dog fighting and stuff want him to a loving home with no other pets and someone who is going to be in most of the day thanks

I'm affraid we can not help with re-homing, you will need to contact your local shelter.

Can you not work with him, anxiety issues can be worked around with training and other aids?

Rehoming him won't help with his anxiety it will make it worse. You could try crate training or dog classes or a behaviourist. Unfortunately things don't end up well for dogs like enzo. He will most likely be pts in a shelter cause noone wants an anxious destructive dog, if someone privately rehomes him with the intention of using him in fights it will more than likely be for bait, which is horrifically cruel. Someone else rehoming without thinking about it will feel the same as you and again rehome because they can't work with him. You have taken on this dog, so please consider the outcome of rehoming and think about working with him before you give up.

Does he only destroy things when you go out? It is most likely due to boredom or seperation anxiety. Both of which can be worked on.

sorry as aready said we cant help with re-homing
but is there no way you can work around this as if you crate train he cant be distructive???
is he distructive when you are home???

Also i want to add if he isn't a barker or whiner then a pen out the back for when you go out is not a bad idea, it's not cruel to keep them in a pen for a while.

Unfortunatly we haven't got the time he needs. He is eating our home. Hes damaged the carpets ate the doors ate the stencils. Also attacked 2 other dogs. Ive asked vets for advice but they cannot help. We love him so much we just havent got the time he needs

sorry but its to late to be saying this now
i really wish people would give more thought before getting as dog.

I have a dog already ive had her 11 year. If irresponsible owners give the correct information out them people would not get into this situation. But no people just want to get rid as quick as possible . They mentioned nothing about his anxiety about him eating the house about him attacking other dogs about him pooing and weeing in the house. I think we have put up with a hell of alot considering the things he dose. If you have nothing helpful to say then please dont say anything at all. I had to go home from work yesterday because it was thundering and lightning because he is terrified of it and i new i would of went home to a destroyed house and probably's a dead dog, he would not come to me he was that terrified. Dont judge until you know all the facts. Its hard enough to let him go

sorry to offend but if you dont have the time to give to your dogs you shouldnt have them.
and if you have a dog that is known to attack other dogs you are being irisposible leaving him in the house un crated with an older dog

im sorry if im coming across as insensitive its just im sick and tired of hereing of dogs being give up on .
a couple of months back you asked for some advice on the problems ie "crate" and "thunder shirts" did you not have any sucsess with these ???

He is fine with my little dog its strange dogs he is nasty with. He was attacked when he was younger by a springer spaniel so is wary of other dogs. We have the time for our dogs just not with his anxiety. Anyways we are just keeping him now. If he went to a shelter he would probs just be pts or someone would get him for dog fighting/bait. We arr going to try a crate if that dont help then we are gunna try a kennel outside. Thanks for the help. P.s bigwazza i no you are just trying to help but i we new he had anxiety we would never have took him on. He could of went to people who have time to help him.

We are going to get a crate. His last owners tried but with no success. We are going to try again

I had a staffy that suffered from seperation anxiety - he would chew anything and everything and howl when left alone. After crate training him he was alot better, he loved his crate! He would run in there when he know we were going out and wait for his treats and kong. I would deffinatly recomend trying it

Hi
Sorry to hear you feel rehoming your boy is the only option, it cant of been easy to come to this final decision.

If you havent sorted his weeing and pooing in the house, then thats fairly easy to get on track by going back to basics of house training .. ie praise like a nutter when he toilets outside ( neighbors may think you've lost it thou )

Personally i would get him a crate a largish one and a sturdy one too that his put into when you go out.
My parents old stafford was scared of thunder and lightening too, even a hard down pour of rain would start him off as he associated rain with thunder storms.
He would reck the house too if alone at the time.
They got him a crate but built a wooden box around it with only the entrance area open for him to look out of.
He loved this den and would retreat to it as it was dark and safe when a storm approached.
This you could try and see if it also works with your boy. If you've tried a crate before and his broken out ... 1 it must not have been a strong crate and 2 with a wood filled in surround his less likely to try and break out.
You could also maybe give him a stag bar or kong filled with yummy stuff to occupy him while your out and his in his crate
Its just an idea and might work, not straight away but it will if you are constant.

Thanks guys. He has a kong so thats that part sorted. We are going to get a crate the wooden box idea sounds great. Like i say last owners 'tried' apparently who knows though. It just got to us so much plus the house is private rented pleased the problems are easy sorted. I think the pooing and weeing is associated to the thunder and lightening. He has diazepam for thunder and lightening but its hard to get from work to home in time. It never thunders when i'm off lol. Thanks everyone x

katie&enzo wrote:We are going to get a crate. His last owners tried but with no success. We are going to try again

im really hoping you have great sucsess with the crating as iv a feeling you will as iv a feeling by the sounds of it the old owner didnt bother there ar5e trying
iv known a couple of dogs that have had anxiaty issues that have improved with crating as they start to feel safer in thete own space key to it is making it fun

Before you leave him for the day, take him on a nice, long, calm walk (if you don't already) to tire him out for when you're not home. I think a lot of separation anxiety is caused by not getting enough exercise, so I figured I'd suggest that just in case. Obviously the tireder they are, the less likely they are to care too much to the point of destruction. Also, if you have a yard, you can get him a kennel or a run and keep him out there with some treat dispensing toys, chew bones, etc., things to keep him busy. As for the anxiety itself, I'm not sure how to work on that, but I do think the suggestions on crate training him would help, and put lots of good stuff in there so he knows it's a good, safe place to be.

Good luck and i hope everything turns out for the best.

You could always giving him an old teddy bear ( with eyes and nose cut off) so if he gets the urge to rip up once in his crate he can take his frustration out on that

Oh he loves fun! Hes so playful. Hopefully it will be a success if its worked before on other dogs then i dont see why it shouldn't on enzo. I have a feeling they didn't try too. They just wanted rid asap. Never mind

He has my slippers which he has become attatched too so i will put them in there.

Yeah he goes for walks but will take him for a longer one

Thanks everyone x

They might've tried crating him by just shuting him in there straight away. This will not work! It takes a while for them to get used to a crate, but once they do they love it! With Tyson we had to cable tie the sides as he learnt one day that he could pull the sides and get out (I think someone must've been knocking on the door or something to upset him) and we also had a cover over the sides so only the front was visible. I do like the idea of only having the door to look out of though, especially if he doesn't like things like thunder. Buster has run of the garden while we are out and he is fine out there so we have never had to crate train him.

Good luck

Very pleased to hear that you are able to give this another go, I'm sure Enzo will be OK once he has the chance to settle in with you and has your trust. It is going to take a while for all the training to have an effect though, it doesn't happen overnight.

When my hubby and I got Rocky from a rescue centre we know it would take two years to get him sorted out. That was 18 months ago and we are very nearly there now. You have to be able to put the time into his training.

What are you feeding him on ? Sometimes diet can dramatically affect the disposition of an animal and once sorted the behaviour can change dramatically. I have added below a list of recommended dry foods which are widely available.

I have recently changed Rocky food to Barking Heads and have noticed a change in his behaviour, he is now noticeable calmer than he was a couple of months ago. People in our local park have even said to us they can also see a change in his behaviour (for the better). You will get there.

http://staffy-bull-terrier.co.uk/dryfood.html

Head up katie dont know if your in a position to do anything about it but the thunder just starting in shields so will be over you anytime now

Thanks kathy. Hes been fed on wagg not sure if its any good for his behaviour?

My partner was in bigwazza thanks though :-)

katie&enzo wrote:Thanks kathy. Hes been fed on wagg not sure if its any good for his behaviour?

My partner was in bigwazza thanks though :-)

on the thunder
and i dont think wagg would be making the behaviour any worse but wag is owned by haringtons now and there branded food you can find in most supermarkets and wilkinsons which costs slightly less is not a bad food for the price
and you may get soom reasults from trying it

Wagg won't be bad for his behaviour, but probably won't be very good either - too many additives that can lead to hyperactivity. If money is a consideration try one of the cheaper quality food such as Wainwrights (from Pets at Home).

Did you look into getting a Thundershirt? They really can help with anxiety problems...
( http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_13?url=search-alias%3Dpets&field-keywords=thunder+shirts+for+dogs&sprefix=thunder+shirt%2Cpets%2C319 )
Also, DAP Diffusers can be helpful...
( http://www.amazon.co.uk/Adaptil-Diffuser-Pack-Appeasing-Pheromone/dp/B001A2X950/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344282305&sr=8-1)

If you get a crate, don't forget to cover three sides (either block it in with wood, or just drape an old, heavyweight curtain over it, leaving the front uncovered). At first you'll need to leave it open & just keep tossing some treats or his toys into it so that he associates it with good things. Then, when he's comfortable going in and out, try shutting the door for just a few seconds. You can gradually build up the time the door remains shut.

Caryll wrote: If you get a crate, don't forget to cover three sides (either block it in with wood, or just drape an old, heavyweight curtain over it, leaving the front uncovered). At first you'll need to leave it open & just keep tossing some treats or his toys into it so that he associates it with good things. Then, when he's comfortable going in and out, try shutting the door for just a few seconds. You can gradually build up the time the door remains shut.

i find an old double duvet works rather well for this as keeps the warmth in winter and gives good shade in summer .
also a good idea to put a water bowl in there so gets used to going in and out during the day
but im not a fan of feeding in there crate tho im sure others might (meals)treats are fine

katie&enzo wrote:I have a dog already ive had her 11 year. If irresponsible owners give the correct information out them people would not get into this situation. But no people just want to get rid as quick as possible . They mentioned nothing about his anxiety about him eating the house about him attacking other dogs about him pooing and weeing in the house. I think we have put up with a hell of alot considering the things he dose. If you have nothing helpful to say then please dont say anything at all. I had to go home from work yesterday because it was thundering and lightning because he is terrified of it and i new i would of went home to a destroyed house and probably's a dead dog, he would not come to me he was that terrified. Dont judge until you know all the facts. Its hard enough to let him go

Erm excuse me? what do you think your doing right now?

did you not read up on staffs? alot can suffer with separation anxiety so sounds like he is a normal staff to me. I suggest you crate train him which doesn't take a lot of hard work and that will save him chewing.

Lol i am not trying to get rid of him as quick as possible i was going to keep him as long as it took too find him a good home. Before u judge ive had staffs before n they didnt suffer with it so no its not normal for me.

Hello Katie and welcome from me and the kids, read through the posts and it seems that you have had some good info that has made you have a rethink with something to work too. Hope it all works out for you and please stick around and keep us updated on your progress. If its not going well then come back for some more help. We will never let up and there are plenty of people here that have suffered many of the troubles of staffs and also experienced the love that our breed can give.
Big County Durham Hug for you and Enzo >< >< ><

All dogs are different but it is better to know what can effect the majority so you know what you may possibly be in for. Glad you are saying you will try again, just hope you find the time.

Thanks dave :-)
I didnt take enzo on straight away we had him a few nights to see how he got on his last owners wanted to make sure he settled in. If i new he had anxiety i could of read up on it but they never told me, surely they must of new something was up

What reason, if any did they give you anyway?

The lad said his girlfriend was pregnant with the second child so they couldnt cope with 2 children and a dog

unfortunately this is always a problem of private rehoming it is purely a case of mouth

oldest excuse in the book

When Kenny was peeing and pooing at home, we went back to basic traing. If he did either in the home, we never said anything to him, we just cleaned it up. You need to take him outside to the garden every 20mins, as soon as he begins to pee, say "good boy" really happy and positive. this, i will promise works. this advice was given to me by a Dog Behavourist. As for being distructive, yes, Kenny has done this. he needs plenty of playtime and walks. Never scold bad or unwanted behaviour, to a dog, attension is attension.

Also, work with your vet on his Anxity. it would be really unfair to give up on the lad. Maybe you should think why he is anxious, was he miss treated, or left alone for long periods of time when young. Maybe he needs mental stimulation, our dogs do have brains. They enjoys a challenge, keep training. Keep his mind active.
I speak to our local farmer and was saying about cheap and easy things to do that keep them busy, he would train his dogs in many different ways but they all enjoy this, he would have a match box and shake it, he would put his hand on the back of the neck and gently get them to lay down, he would use the word "stay" while still shaking the match box. After a few seconds, he would throw the box, when they came back, reward, repeat, but each time extend the amount of time you get him to wait

But i got told a different excuse off my friend who knows the couple and she said that he told her they rehomed him because they didnt have time for him or something like that. I found this out after we got him

The pooing is just when it thunders but odd the odd wee when its not. He only dose mass distruction when it is thundering and lightening. When its a normal day he just chews the door stencil or rives at door

We went to see the vet they said they could not do anything for him. Not sure on his past i no he was in the kennels before his last owners.

His anxity (excuse the spelling) is a training issue, proberly the last owners neglect. This is difficult, as on occassions even now, "Kenny will try it on".
I think plenty of play and attension will help. Have you concidered getting him neutered.
You could also try looking for local dog trainers or a class, lessons will help. Kenny is my 2nd staffy and nothing like my 1st. It can be hard work and i feel for you. But i do think you'll get there. I can give you a number of a lady who will advice you on the phone, she is based in wales, but has really helped me with Kenny. Let me know

His anxiety could be a product of him being push from pillar to post.
From my understanding of it you are his 3rd home and hopefully his last, so its understandable if he panics when left. I feel it would be wrong to rehoming him just because his past life has contribute to the dog he is now.

I'm sure Enzo is a bright dog and with a bit of love and understanding why and what sparks certain behaviours off your get though this bleep in his life.

You can do this Katie we are here to fall back on, and if you have a bad day with Enzo's retraining you can pop on here for a moan

katie&amp;enzo wrote:Lol i am not trying to get rid of him as quick as possible i was going to keep him as long as it took too find him a good home. Before u judge ive had staffs before n they didnt suffer with it so no its not normal for me.

Erm you want rid as he chewed and has anxiety, yer that's what a lot of staffs do it's rather common knowledge. Go back to basic training add in a crate and go from there

Just a thought, he may have been locked out side whilst there was a storm, maybe this is why he gets so worked up. If we can help you, we will

I honestly hope that things work out for the best.

On a different note: Growing up we had a German Shepard, and this dog was beyond terrified of thunder, and also suffered hectic separation anxiety. He once chewed through a metal gate to get out. Considering, the gate looked worse than his mouth. Anyhow, we started leaving the tv on during the day, and sometimes the radio (on a classical music channel). This really did have a calming effect on him. I don't know if the voices on tv gave him comfort, but he was a lot better.

Also, when Maska was a pup, our neighbours told us that he wouldn't stop crying and barking when we were out, so we tried the classical music whenever we went out. We told the neighbours the first time we tried it, and they said his crying stopped within about 10 minutes, and after about 3 weeks he wasn't crying at all when we left.

There are so many different things to try, and I believe everything is worth a try. It can either work, or it wont

The dog rescue I got Lily from played classical music 24 hours a day and said it had a calming affect on the dogs - its easy and free so worth a try

Mine are on wagg sensitive and.despite what people say.about it mine are in top condition and no more hyper than any other staff I know

kate32 wrote:Mine are on wagg sensitive and.despite what people say.about it mine are in top condition and no more hyper than any other staff I know

staffs are a hyperish dog anyway cause theyre so happy, but it is fact that there are a lot of additives in wagg just down to the colours they make

I haven't read thru every post on this subject but I'd like to add my opinion

I have 4 children and 2 staffys. Both are fed on Wainwrights complete. They are soppy, calm and loving. I make sure they both have things to chew, kongs or stagbars. They get walked at least 2 times a day. My eldest had anxiety issues, we bought her a Thundershirt which did make a slight difference, the rest is down to training and consistency.

Crate training is fantastic, it is a safe place for your staffy to go when he wants to be alone, sleep or just play. It's their little safe haven. I crate trained my pup, he loves his crate, if I'm out for a few hours he's left I'm his crate with a stagbar and frozen kong. Most of the time he's asleep when we get bk.

Any chewing mine have done has been nipped in the bud soon as ! You almost need to treat them like children, they will try it on, see how far they can push you and keep doing it if u let them.

Back to basics, crate training and his own personal chewing bits he's allowed and I reckon things will change, that coupled with plenty of exercise and consistency and u can't go wrong xxxx