Help with our rescue girl

Hi everyone
Both myself and my husband have had dogs before but I haven't had a staff before. We have had her for six months now, she is we believe six years old. What information we have on her is she was in a cage producing puppies, she did get walks but with the owner jogging all the time.
She is house trained and very obedient indoors, perfect infact. When we are going for a walk she sits and waits for her lead to be put on but wines, moans a variety of animal noises to be hones, and yes rather loud. When she walks. She wants to run all the time which has done my husbands back in and hurt my arm, we have tried her on a normal harness but I feel I don't have a lot of control of her, we have tried a harness where you lift them up instead of pulling back when they pull, this was ok for awhile but she is still pulling, then the canny collar, which is fab, I feel a lot more in control and she walks better with it, but now she has worked out that if she hooks her dew claw into the sides of the nose strap to take it of but unfortunately cuts her face and lips when doing so. We have been to our local market today and didn't have a good experience, she got the canny collar of three times and spent the whole time winning and making noises, it is like the parting of the sea when she makes these noises. We feel like we need to carry a sign to say she is ok she just makes a lot of noise!!!
We are really after some advise on walking, different leads and a big ask does anyone know of a herbal remedy that can take the edge of life for her and she is extremely anxious when out of the house, we do not wish to get to the stage that she can't come out with us as we believe socialising her is good for her, she is a beautiful, affectionate, loving dog with issues!! Help please

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Well done on the rescue, she sounds like she had a hard time before then. It sounds like a mixture of nerves and excitement. Have you tried walking in an open area on a long training lead to give her a bit of freedom and allow you to have a break for constantly correcting her?

Also, what is she fed etc?

Hi & welcome from us, sounds like you have a lovely girl, perhaps a little more info, why not come and introduce yourself here-

https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/f7-new-member-introductions

I'm sure someone will be along shortly with some advice on walking her, oh and we like lots of pics this link should help
https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/t12017-how-to-post-a-photos-onto-the-forum

Have you tried a Halti as opposed to the canny collar they work in a similar way but aren't as easy to get off.

Hi matlogan
Thank you for your response, yes we take her once a week if not more on her harness and a long tow rope type lead so she can walk run and be away from us really, we have let her of the lead a couple of times but we have to be very selective where we do this, she does come back but there cannot be any other form of distraction wether human or animal!
We feed her a dry chicken and rice, hypoallergenic, no added wheat gluten, complete working dog food, which was recommended by our pet food supplier. She has rewarding treats and good girl treats, which I'm sure aren't that healthy but every now and then ok. Oh she also has two pieces of toast on a Sunday morning for breakfast sorry, she is fed once a day at about 6pm yes I agree with her being nervous and excited when walking because this is all new to her as she only had runs, she doesn't seem to know what outdoor life is like really I suppose, she also doesn't know how to play with balls, toys etc, she just looks at us and says yeh and!!! But we keep on trying everyday to play with things
Regarding a halti we have thought of trying this next but as we get rather a lot of blood when she tries to get it of it puts us off a little as it could make it worse as she won't be able to get a halti of.

Welcome have you tried distracting her when she's wearing the Canny Collar? Every time Loki's had to have something new on him (collar, lead, harness, coat, etc.) he'd constantly roll around trying to get it off, so we'd put them on him while we were playing tug-of-war with him or doing some training so he was too focused on treats to notice. After a while of that he'd realise it isn't so bad and he'd stop bothering with it.

Hi and welcome

I don't really know the difference between working and normal dog food but couldn't that be giving her excess energy?

Thank you everyone for your help and advice.
We have tried her with treats when out she will not take them not even in the garden at home, she doesn't wee or pooh on the lead , she won't even take human food when out to try and get her to eat when on the lead. Interesting comment on her food can you suggest a good healthy dry food

Have a look at this link for a recommendation of dry foods:

http://staffy-bull-terrier.com/dry_food

I feed Loki Wainwright's, which isn't on the list, but a good quality food at a decent price

If you do decide to change her food don't forget to do it gradually over at least a week so she doesn't get an upset tummy

I wouldn't feed a working dog food as its designed for dogs in high level energy jobs.

As for the pulling, she's had a fit lifestyle and that is what is normal to her. You can try the very long and annoying process of every time she pulls stop and turn the other way. I'm not sure how effective this will be as I don't think she's pulling out of excitement, she just wants to go faster!

Are you or hubby able to cycle at all? She might really enjoy that.

You can get a herbal dog calming remedy on Amazon but I wouldn't really recommend giving her it. I would change her food and see how that goes. She sounds like a lovely dog and Staffs make the best funny dog noises

They really do!!

H
As you may have read my rescue and I have also had a number of issues.our behaviourist had reccomended kalm aid tablets and an adaptil plugin that reduces nervous excitement and anxiety.

Hope this helps

Hi!

Welcome to the rescue club

In regards to dry food we use a brand called Pero SBT, bascially it's a food designed for the needs and energy of a Staffordshire Bull Terrior, hence the SBT. Doug our rescue loves it and it's calmed him right down. I also mix in a small amount of a canned food called Applaws from Pets at Home it's gone in minutes!

As for outside walking I would try a combination of things as they will all help in their own way:

SBT's LOVE people so she is probabily pulling to get nearer to them for the affection, Doug does the same! I find a slightly longer lead helps with this as a shorter one restricts him to much and he get frustrated but an inch or two longer he's fine. A head collar will work as well but SBT's do make ALOT of noise! The noise she making sounds normal I'm afraid, it's abit like they are talking to you. Doug sounds like chewbacca!

I'd walk her on a long lead once a day not just once a week just so she gets used to it being "normal" and she'll eventually do the toilet on the lead aswell

Hope this helps