Newbie :-)

Hi there,

We have welcomed a gorgeous staffy pup into our family. She is now 11 weeks and is due her 2nd set of jags this weekend so she can get out and about the following week. We have had her since 6 weeks and have tried to train her to wee on the puppy pads (we live in a flat so popping out to the garden every hour is not an option!) but without any success!! I've read all sorts of advice and tried it but to no avail!! She has also started chewing everything!! Came home today to find part of my kitchen lino chewed off!! We have a metal playpen thing that we use now and again but I don't like keeping her in there while I'm out as I find it cruel. But am I going to have to be cruel to be kind? I don't want her to get hurt. I'm not out all day but I do have to go out now and again, I was only away about 50 mins today and she managed to chew the lino!! And last but not least, the biting!! She is definitely not as bad as she was but still does it, we have 2 boys who are 5 and 4 and she already managed to "bite" the youngest's ear, which I totally blame myself for as I'd stupidly left the boys for 2 seconds and of course they rough and tumble with her!!

I'm looking for any advice anyone can give me!! I have never had a puppy before, my husband has but he's out at work all day!! When she's ready for outdoors he'll be taking her away most of the time, but she needs to be trained!! We have booked into puppy classes the 1st Wednesday after she's fully immunised which I'm hoping will help :-)

Maybe you could come say hi

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

Hello and welcome to the forum

It might be worth posting seperate topics in the relevant sections to get more feedback.

Toilet training - Puppies dont have full control of their bladders until 6 months old so you need lots of patience. Every time your pup messes in the house, put her on the pad. Every time she goes on the pad, make sure to go silly praising her and reward with treats. Some learn quicker than others.

Chewing - A lot of people use a crate through the puppy chewing phase. Putting them in a crate stops the pup chewing anything that will danger her however its not suitable for a long period of time. Theres plenty of 'crate' topics on here to read through for more info

Biting - This wont be aggressive. Its natural puppy behaviour, they discover everything with their mouths like a baby. Again, there are methods you could try, 'yelping' and 'seperation'. Other members will have more advice on this as i didnt have these problems myself.

Looking forward to some piks

Nikita & Shéara

Hi & welcome from us, great advice from kita above I hope it helps, looking forward to pics. When darcy was potty trying we gave her treats & fuss when she got it right & just cleaned it up quietly if she had an accident inside, if you use biological washing powder to clean it up it takes the odour away so she doesn't go in the same spot.

Kita's given some great advice above!

Something to remember.....

Everything a dog (or puppy) does is a behaviour, and is totally natural & acceptable to a dog. What we have to do is train the pup to know which behaviours are acceptable to humans!

It takes time, but they do all get there.

At age 4 & 5, your boys could probably help a little her training. If she jumps up or nips at them, tell them to say "No!" and turn away from her, ignoring her completely. It'll really help them to bond with her & vice versa!

Thanks everyone, I think the problem is more me, expecting her to pick things up a lot quicker!!  I tend to forget she is still very, very young, and like another child, she'll just do everything in her own time!!

I'm just getting used to the forum so I'll know in future to separate the posts and not get carried away!

Some pics'd be nice! 

Dont worry about getting carried away...ask as many questions as possible, we all want you and your pup to be happy so dont hesitate! (The admins will move anything in the wrong place anyway)

Training a pup is all about repitition so nothing will happen overnight, patience is the key

I would recommend using a crate while you aren't home! Crates are great training tools if used correctly. She would be much safer because she could chew or swallow something dangerous! We had a really tough time toilet training Gwen so I understand how frustrating it can be! She is now 6 months old and has made huge progress but still isn't 100% trained to go outside. They don't have much bladder control when they are this young and they second they feel they have to go they usually do without even thinking about it. It sounds like she doesn't understand that the correct place to go is on the pad. I also think training pups to go on the pads can be a bit more difficult. There is no way you can get her outside? If not I would take her to the pad every half hour and say a key phrase. We say "do your business" but any phrase you choose will work fine. When she goes on the pad give her lots of praise and a treat. If she goes in the wrong spot don't reprimand her just pick her up and put her on the pad. It will not happen over night and all pups are different some catch on quicker than others. If you are consistent she will eventually start to go in the right place. Also make sure you use something that removes the odor otherwise she will continue to go in that spot. Good luck!