My challenging pup

I have given Punch a new home as his last owners couldnt cope with him, he has loads of energy, seems to be fast on the uptake and is very friendly with people, other dogs etc. He does have a bit of a thing about chasing anything that moves including cars and next door's chickens but that's to be expected i guess.
The real problem I have is his challenging me for example if i have something and he wants it or if I tell him to do something that he doesnt want to do he starts barking, growling and 'talking' very aggressively.

How much exercise does Punch get each day, he may also need some mental stimulation with toys etc. A kong may be a good idea or anything from the list below would be great. Try swapping the something he wants for something else, some other toy:

https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/t19650-tough-toys-for-staffies?highlight=toys+for+staffys

He gets 1- 1.5 hrs walking in the morning and the same in the afternoon, the walk includes recall training and playing as well as stopping for a rest (more for me than him), he gets to meet people and play with other dogs sometimes, his recall isnt too bad so he's getting increasing amounts of time off lead.

So far he has a rope and a stag horn for toys and we play together with those, Ill get him a kong as well and work on the exchanging thing.

The thing is though that its not like he's being posessive over something he has or is his rather that he's being demanding over something that I have which is not his, empty loo rolls for example or demanding food that I'm eating say if I'm eating an apple he barks at me telling me to give him some or if he's trying to follow me into the bathroom and I tell him 'out'

What food is he on ?

Sounds a bit hyper to me.... When he's challenging u , u need to be duper assertive, and a very stern NO! Then turn around and ignore him.

He dosent sound like a naughty dog, just an over enthusiastic energetic dog perhaps. Regular training, consistency will help a lot.

Plenty of exercise and above all make sure he knows his boundaries of what is and what's not acceptable.

He's fed on purina beta puppy food at the mo as well as various treats for training him although I don't give him loads of them really they're normally reserved for returns mostly, but yeah he is kinda hyper and gets over excited very easily.

I know what you mean about being assertive towards his challenges but I don't think that raising my voice is helping, as soon as I raise my voice he runs away looking like he's going to wet himself but won't go to bed unless I chase him there, it just feels to me as though if i do that it actually erodes trust rather than builds it. Ill try turning around and ignoring him.

I don't think he's naughty if anything he's clever, he's already learned to sneak out of the living room while I'm watching the telly and goes into the kitchen to try scavenging from the worktops or work on his masterplan of gaining access to the bin.

Purina beta is horrid stuff, full of fillers and all sorts.

Get him on a different food, budget wise, Pets at Home Wainwrights hypoallergenic range is a good mid range food.

U would see results in a cpl of weeks and I bet he will be calmer.

Get him a large stagbar, this will help keep him occupied and most dogs love them.
Good long walks 2-3 times a day, a tired staffy is a well behaved staffy !

Above all be 100% consistent, staffys are like big kids, they need boundaries and limitations.

Let us know how u get on.

Here is a list of some good foods

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

It can make a huge difference in his behaviour. He will also need a bit of time to settle but I'm sure he will get there

Jackieb wrote:Purina beta is horrid stuff, full of fillers and all sorts.

Get him on a different food, budget wise, Pets at Home Wainwrights hypoallergenic range is a good mid range food.

U would see results in a cpl of weeks and I bet he will be calmer.

Get him a large stagbar, this will help keep him occupied and most dogs love them.
Good long walks 2-3 times a day, a tired staffy is a well behaved staffy !

Above all be 100% consistent, staffys are like big kids, they need boundaries and limitations.

Let us know how u get on.

I'm very surprised that you think the food is no good, have you tried it? Ill look at trying one of the alternatives.

He has a stag bar already and he does love it.

He gets 3 hours total walking every day which does tire him out fairly well. The problem is not at all his energy levels.

The ingrediants in some foods tend to make dogs hyperactive. It's almost like feeding a diet based on sugar to a child. When you change the diet it helps calm them down. Staffs are high energy to begin with and foods packed with fillers make the even more so.

If you change foods over be sure to do it gradually so his stomach doesn't get upset.

Regarding the food this is based on the amount of additives etc , feedback and independent research, along with stuff like Bakers and Wagg . The stuff they put in is generally very appealling and eatable but all you enjoy is not always good for you , think of this stuff like ready meals, mcd's , etc. You don't have to spend a fortune on food but the cheap ones (normally including supermarket own brands etc) are ususally exactly that. Nobody can force you to change your mind only advise

Ok I have got him a kong now and he loves it.

I've looked into the food, tbh although it was what his previous owners fed him i had looked at it and thought it looked pretty good I was aware of the junk food status of a lot of dog food and thought that this one was good but now Ive looked into it more I can see what you're all saying and will be changing it, gradually