help, mental dog !

hi ive got some behavior issues with my 11month old. generally he's brilliant and he is adored in our family but archie has some issues with his behaviour that im struggling with. he will do all the usual like sit, lie down, paw ect but when he's 'on one' he just wont listen, he gets over excited by the cats and bounces at them barking, when i step in between he ignores me and will chase the poor cats, he's obsessed by shadows and flashy things to the extent where he's attacked my shadow under my computer chair ripping up the lino he paces round the living room waiting for shadows (usualy his own as he passes under the light) he can do this for hours and he wont stay in his bed, now we get to the bigger issue, when i try to send him to his bed when hes been bad he will woof and snap at my fingers like its all a game, he gets quite rough, he'll keep trying to leave his bed and when i put him back the biting game starts again, i'm so frustrated, when he does this i keep calm and assertive, i make him stay, lie him on his side, which he also thinks is a game, it can take a long time before he stops and alot of the time he's winning, i dont know what else to do. help !  

I hope you don't mind, I moved your topic to training & behaviour.

What do you do to distract Archie other than stepping in? Do you use training/toys/commands at all?

Also, how much exercise does he get a day and what food does he eat?

hi i use short vocal commands and noises (ceasar milan lol ) along with clicking my fingers to get him to come and sit ect also i try not to point at him i hold my hands up flat like a halt motion especially when hes playing the biting game, i have tested him and hes so gentle when he plays with my hands, he will act like hes going to chew on them but never does, mouths them very very gently, its only when hes being told off the 'game' begins. i have tried giving him toys to distract him but as i said when hes on one he ignores everything and i know he needs more exercise for sure, his food is james wellbeloved junior in a variety of flavours mixed with a bit of chubb roll twice a day

also i have never let him off the lead, i would love to let him run around the woods and walks we go on but in the garden at home which is massive he isnt any good when he's excited at listening to me, he gets very excited when he see's other dogs and people and i worry he would run at any we meet and not come to me when i call him just like he ignores me when i try to stop him chasing the cats at home. any ideas?

You will notice many differing opinions on Cesar Milan style-training on here. Personally I'm not for it.

Is he playing the biting game with you? Or more with the cats and shadows?

You say you know he does need more exercise, how much is he currently getting? I know what you mean about being allowed off lead. Where I live we don't have woodlands or things like that to walk around so we do need to keep ours on lead, but we use the long training lines so they still get a really good run around and they're fantastic tools for recall too. Perhaps you could have a look at something like that?

Do you play any mental stimulation games with him? Do you use tasty treats to reward good behaviour?

Finally, are you consistent with your commands? It does take perseverance and he is still young.

well i dont try to do what ceasar milan does but i tsk at archie like he does, it wasnt a deliberate thing but thats how i can best explain it and he does the biting game with me and the cats, the shadows i have no idea what hes thinking whens he on that one, he waits on alert for them all tense and jumpy and he drools for them too then he will jump forward as if hes catching a spider, eventually he bites the floor and pulls little chunks out. i might add hes the same with the shadows of birds flying across the garden and anything that flies, in the summer he stood guard under our garden table as bee's were nesting in it, he waited all day snapping and chasing the bees till he foamed at the mouth, i had to keep hosing him down, we tried keeping him in but right up until recently he could fit through our catflap and as he ripped the plastic off we had no way to stop him getting into the garden as we just have a hole in the wall lol

i might add he has never hurt any of the cats and he plays with those that arent scared of him nicely although hes a little boisterous ( we have 8 cats) those that are timid and run he just cant resist running after them and thats when he doesnt do as i say and sadly hes not getting walked every day but i plan to change that starting today

I'm sure others will be along during the day with their input too. to me he sounds under-stimulated. He should be getting at 2 to three good walks every day.

Mental stimulation is very important too (you can have a look here for some ideas https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/search?search_keywords=games). Even a basic half an hour a day (for example) of obedience training does wonders - both for their minds and obedience!

geomaxa wrote: when he does this i keep calm and assertive, i make him stay, lie him on his side, which he also thinks is a game,  it can take a long time before he stops and alot of the time he's winning, i dont know what else to do. help !  

Please don't lay him down (pin him dowm/alpha roll) when he's like this, you will just make him feel vulnerable & he'll get worse. Forget Cesar Milan's methods - they are outdated and based on discredited idea.

geomaxa wrote:also i have never let him off the lead, i would love to let him run around the woods and walks we go on but in the garden at home which is massive he isnt any good when he's excited at listening to me, he gets very excited when he see's other dogs and people and i worry he would run at any we meet and not come to me when i call him just like he ignores me when i try to stop him chasing the cats at home. any ideas?

I Would stop giving him Chubb Roll. It's not good & could be making him hyperactive. Also, he needs at least two, preferably three, longish walks every day; about 40 minutes per walk. This is a basic need, not something that can be done or not done. He is bored and has loads of pent up energy which is leading to high levels of frustration. I kNow you don't trust him off lead, but you can get a long training line (30' or 50') quite cheaply from ebay...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50ft-Long-Dog-and-Horse-Training-Lunge-Lead-Webbing-/300725023739?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Kitchen_Washing_Machines_Dryers&var=&hash=item46049bb3fb#ht_1963wt_722

Just clip it on when you're at the park & let it trail. Always keep the end well within reach, though so you can pick it up & reel him in if he won't come back. It'll also help you to practice his recall.

When he gets hyper (because that's what it is) you need to remove him from the room for a couple of minutes - somewhere safe that he can chill out in but can't harm himself or you. However, if you start to take him out regularly you will probably find these episodes will get less and less!

Great advise above from Caryll. Please do take the exercise advise to heart. If you're unable to commit to the exercise, perhaps you have people who could come and walk for you or look at employing walkers.

Staffy have an incredibly high level of Stamina and they need more stimulation (both physical and mental) than other breeds. Archie is still a puppy full of energy  he will become a fantastic and equilibrate adult dog however he really needs to spend energy or he can become difficult to manage.
I personally wouldn't try to physically dominate him, not only because it's arguable but also because we don't really have any chance to be stronger than them, have we?
Please keep us up to date  

Definitely good exercise and mental stimulation is a major factor in their behaviour, a tired dog is a contented dog  

Wow, sounds like nico when he goes off in one, can't get or keep his attention at all, ignores everything, I've been ignoring him, walking out of the room. Basically not giving him an audience or attempting to interact or correct him just waiting till he calms down then rewarding him and giving him plenty of attention once he's calm and listening again, can take between 5-15 mins depending how crazy he's being. The crazy moments are still happening but they are slightly less intense and he is settling down a wee bit quicker.

thankyou all, such awesome advice, i agree with regards to the excersise and will amend that and im up for trying other things as what im doing isnt being very successful, will keep you all posted as to how he's doing i will work on his recall a bit more before i let him go off, one thing at a time for now. wish me luck

Good luck, but I'm sure you won't need it! 

oh and whats the opinion on tug of war games, ive been told they cause aggressive behavior but Archie loves these games and brings his pully toys for me to play with him ?

I play tug with Darcy & she's loves it, if Archie loves it too that's fine, it won't make him aggressive lots of dogs play tug, Darcy usually wins & then brings it back to me to pull again. If I think it's getting too heated I just stop it.

IMHO most dogs of all breeds love tug of war games, and they're wonderful for tiring your dog out! If the dog gets over-excited then just stop the game!

awesome. im so glad you both said that thats exactly how we play, he brings his toy we play, if he gets it he always comes back to play again and it never really gets too much , he plays so nicely

geomaxa wrote:
oh and whats the opinion on tug of war games, ive been told they cause aggressive behavior but Archie loves these games and brings his pully toys for me to play with him ?

I've played tug with all nine of my dogs & none of them have been aggressive, so don't worry about that! If it gets too fierce you can always stop it for a while.

im happy to hear that . all your advice is brilliant, i dont really have any friends who are staffy owners that i can get good advice from only the one really and he lost his furbuddy last year so i feel bad hassling him, this site is fantastic

P.S. I love your avatar pic! 

thanks Caryll. Thats my boy Archie hehe my daughter took the picture during the summer i think its my favourite picture of him by far

Great advice by far, I cant add any to it. The tug of war is a great tiring out game and it means you can do it on a rainy day if your dog wont go out in the rain.  

thanks all so much after his walk last night we went to town on his tug of war game and he's been a bit better since although he did chew up a cd last night lol,hes definitley been a bit more focused and attentive today

It'll take a little while, but hopefully he'll get better & better!