Help me with wiz

Hey guys
Was wondering if anyone can help I wrote on here before about my puppy being aggressive. It's getting worse and harder to control. What can I do to put this dog in his place in the house. Wiz is now five months old.

What is he doing, and what are you doing to stop it?

He looks gorgeous !
At 17wks, he's just a baby - still learning and finding his feet.

Aggression - I doubt it aggression as this is more a learn behaviour in an ill treated dog. What your pup is doing is - mouthing ? Nipping ? Barking ? Growling ?
A lot of these behaviours are playful, although yes - unwanted behaviour needs to be stopped.

Dogs respond best to consistency and repartition. If ur pup mouths - use a firm loud NO ! And ignore him.
Same with things like jumping up, nipping, firm NO, ignore, turn away.

Pups are like teething babies, explore everything with their mouth !

For chewing - buy a stagbar these are fab for teething pups

If he is biting or mouthing here is a link that will help

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

Also what are you feeding him on and how much exercise is he getting?

He gets uncontrollable. Constantly jumping at us and biting. Snarling and growling. Excessive barking. It's getting worse it used to only be in the evenings but now it happens a lot of the time.

Firstly, that is play not aggression.

Secondly, how much exercise (truthfully) is he getting?

Yep, as I said I'm my post above !

Walk him 20mins per day, twice a day.

Play tug, do training with him everyday.. Just a few mins...sit/down/stay/come etc. staffys are very intelligent and will learn fast so long as they have the outside stimulation they need.

1: they ADORE people... Ur pup - growling, barking etc - attention seeking.
2: exercise - a tired dog is a happy dog - but don't over do it (5mins per MTH)

I would walk more than twice a day. Perhaps 4 times. Morning, lunch, afternoon/evening and before bed.

Darcy used to do this on rainy days, Sounds to me like play not aggression, there is lots of great advice above, that will definitely help. Good luck

First of all, Wiz is adorable

Second, I can understand why you would think it is aggression, the noises they make combined with the growling can seem quite scary - however, as said above, these behaviours are normal puppy play and not aggression.

Chiquito is 18 weeks now, he used to behave this way at night when he was younger and I admit that I thought he was being aggressive and trying to assert himself ... and that it worried me a whole lot!! After following the advice given on here it did calm down though, so I can vouch for being consistent, using 'no' and ignoring for biting etc - it takes time but it does work

The other thing I will say is that I have noticed these behaviours getting worse again in Chiquito over the last few weeks. At first I put it down to him being 'naughty' and pushing the boundaries. He isn't being naughty though, it is just that he has just gotten bigger and needs more exercise and stimulation - he is bored!!

So we now walk every morning for 20 minutes, go to the leash free park every afternoon for at least an hour and we do indoor training sessions for 10 minutes twice each night. I have also introduced him to treat hide and seek indoors (great for when it is raining as well!) and taught him a couple of new commands to help keep his mind extra busy. Again, it takes time and consistency, but the change in his behaviour is worth it

Hey and welcome to the forum from me and Gwen! I understand what you're going through! Gwen will be 6 months old soon. She was very mouthy as a young pup (8-14 weeks) and it seemed like it would NEVER get better! It finally did and she pretty much stopped biting us all together when she was around 3 1/2 months old! She was good about not nipping us until about a month ago which was absolutely amazing! Then she started again and it seemed even worse because she was now bigger/stronger/ more stubborn! I couldn't believe it! It seemed like over night she just went right back to the bad behavior!


I understand your frustration! However as many others have said, this is NOT aggression! At this age they just want to push their boundaries, do what they want when they want, see what they can get away with, and push your buttons! Much like a naughty teenager! Gwen will be playing with a toy and all of a sudden she will run over to me and start barking, growling, and then nip me! She is trying to get me to play with her, and doesn't realize this is NOT the way to do it! You have to be consistent and teach them what is acceptable behavior and what is not acceptable behavior! This takes awhile, gets frustrating, and will probably get worse before it gets better! I know some times it may seem aggressive because it seems like they are trying to hurt you. Look to see if his tail is wagging at all while hes doing this ( i guarantee it is). Patience is key here and unfortunately there is no quick easy solution! You need to say a firm "no" but don't scream at him as he can take this as an invitation to "play"! I promise you it will get better as long as you are consistent! They go through stages and this is one of them, some are worse then others but they all do it to some degree!

Charrr wrote:He gets uncontrollable. Constantly jumping at us and biting. Snarling and growling. Excessive barking. It's getting worse it used to only be in the evenings but now it happens a lot of the time.

You've probably answered this already, but I can't remember the answer...what food do you give him & when, and what sort of exercise - how much, how often & what sort (lead walking/play/free running etc)?

It's like having an unruly toddler at that age.. A firm down command and a firm No, when he's jumping and nipping etc, you must be consistent with his training. He will soon pick things up.. Try offering a reward if he does as he's told.

I'm going to try and get a video of when he turns like that. He doesn't listen when you tell him no he just gets more vocal lol. I have been told to hold him to the floor or remove him from the room. He has a good few walks a day and I have been feeding him Wainright puppy food. Thanks everyone for your advice I shall stick with it. He was very obedient at one stage now he doesn't care what we say he does his thing regardless.

Totally normal! Im telling you Gwen does the same EXACT thing!! Once she starts growling, nipping, barking and we tell her a firm "NO" she just gets mad and barks and growls and snaps more! Its obviously she does not like being told no! lol. How long are the walks? Also does he get any off lead exercise? If you give him 1-2 hours of off lead time to run around that will definitely make a huge difference! A tired dog is a good dog! Not to say it will make this behavior stop, but it will definitely help a lot! I would do two or three 25 minute walks with him plus AT LEAST an hour off lead per day (more off lead if possible)!

Yeah that's what he has. When he's tried he is great... When he snaps and barks more what's the best thing to do. Instead of no lol x

Charrr wrote: I have been told to hold him to the floor

Absolutely not! He could panic & fight you - you could end up getting bitten & he'd be in all sorts of trouble.

Charrr wrote:Yeah that's what he has. When he's tried he is great... When he snaps and barks more what's the best thing to do. Instead of no lol x

The best way is to say "No" in a firm, low voice. It doesn't need to be very loud. Then turn away & totally ignore him, don't even look at him. Yes, I know you've already done that, but the next bit's important. If he doesn't stop, don't say another word, just scoop him up, put him outside the room & shut the door until he's quiet. Then let him in, but still ignore him unless he's calm. Then quiet, gentle praise. If he does it again, then repeat.

Yes, it'll take time, but it will work.

It might also be an idea when he's a bit hyper like this to slip a collar & lead on him & do a little training; heel work, sit, down, recall. Just to occupy his mind a little.

I can't really add to the advise above but I will say that Daisy can come accross as very aggressive when she plays but it's just how she is , she sounds like she's about to kill me sometimes.

You've got loads of good advice already Charrr . I would also add that as well as his physical exercise give him lots of mental stimulation in the form of training and food toys like kongs/kibble balls etc, try and give him a good portion of his food as training rewards and in these toys rather than just in the bowl (use his regular kibble rather than treats - save the good stuff for training outside). This kind of mental stimulation,is extremely tiring for dogs, and makes them feel good!
It would also be a good idea to work on his self control and increasing his frustration tolerance, simple exercises like asking him to sit before he gets something he wants, food/treats/toys/access in or out of the garden etc and ensuring he never gets anything he wants for jumping up/barking etc

sab44 wrote:
It would also be a good idea to work on his self control and increasing his frustration tolerance, simple exercises like asking him to sit before he gets something he wants, food/treats/toys/access in or out of the garden etc and ensuring he never gets anything he wants for jumping up/barking etc

Excellent advice there!

Brilliant. I shall keep up the work. Sometimes it feels a little disheartening because I saved him from people and am really trying to make him a nice family dog. You guys are all amazing for the advice you have given me it means a lot. Wiz has been better again today so hopefully were on the up x

I cannot really add to the advice already given by those above, sounds like you are starting to make some progress already, keep at it. Be consistant in his training with all family members and visitors following the same procedure for him.

Well done