Need help please

Axel is now 5 months old. He came into my heart and house when he was 5 weeks old. As he has gotten bigger he has decided that one of my yorkies is his play toy. He grabs Tess by the tail and drags her around. Nothing I do stops this behavior. Plus I have been working longer hours and not sure how much longer the longer hours last. He is crate trained have no problems going in when I leave for work. But he is so high strung when I get home. The weather has started warming up so I have been able to take him for walks. Seeing a little difference. But not a lot. I am between a rock and a hard spot. Husband thinks we need to find Axel a new home. Not being fair to Tess. Part of me agrees because she has lived here 8 years and I love her. But she is losing weight because of this and that worries me   I was told to get him neutered when he turns 6 months old and that would help. Now I am being told that i shouldn't neuter him until he is at least 2 years old.

At that age he should be getting three walks per day for 25 minutes each. This will help with his energy level. He is also probally teething and learning bite inhibition and needs to be socialized more frequently with other dogs to learn proper behaviour. Have you tried reading the tips on the website yet? There is alot of good information there.

Here is a link to the website that should help.

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

Good points from Jstaff there. Are you not able to get someone in when you're at work to help with walks and play to burn that energy?

A dog walker popping in during the day would be helpful or do you have any family or friends near by that could pop in and take him out or have a play with him?
Have you looked at taking him to a training class? It may help with socializing him and teaching him to be calmer around other dogs and neutering is down to you in the end, the vets push for as early as possible but from what I have read it won't necessarily help his behavior. We were planning on neutering Bane as we thought it was the thing to do but now, will probably leave it.

Thank you for the advice. Unfortunately  where I live there is no such thing as dog walkers. I would love it if I had someone around that could him work off his extra energy. I have looked into puppy classes and was told that I needed to wait until spring that they prefer them to be older. Yes they push to have him neutered at 6 months.  I try to get him to meet/play with other larger puppies. He plays very well with them. I have 4 other dogs all together 3 yorkies and 1 shihztu. He does try to play with them when they show they are not interested.  Axel leaves the other ones alone but even thou the other yorkies are smaller then Tess he shows them  respect. Tess has always been a very submissive. Do not know if she has it in her to stand up for herself. I really believe if she did we would not have this problem. He never tries to bite her just grabs hold of her tail or head and drags her all around until I see and tell him to stop. He does and then later does it again.  I have read everything that is written here so I can be a good parent. He has bones and toys to play with.  Axel  is very smart and he knows I am the boss alpha. He has never tried to show dominance to me.  My  husband  is not willing to show he is the boss so Axel will push him and not listen. He thinks we would be better off finding him a new home. I do not want to lose him but if I can not get this behavior to stop I am afraid that I am not going to have a choice.

I'm so sorry to hear that you are having trouble with your puppy, Angie.

First off, neutering Axel won't help his behaviour regarding Tess. At such a young age, neutering will probably affect the growth of his bones and lead to his mind set being fixed at "puppy". It is far, far better for the health of the dog to delay castration until he is adult and finished growing. If any of your female dogs are not spayed then you may have to reconsider your options, but at 5 months of age Axel is very unlikely to be interested in females in "that way".

At 5 months of age, Axel is still very much a puppy - everything and everyone is a potential plaything. And Staffies are exceptionally boisterous and excitable when playing!

As you know exactly how Axel "plays" with Tess, I would suggest that you keep an eagle eye at all times; tell him "No" or "Leave" in a firm but not shouty voice as soon as it starts, and distract him with a favourite toy (or even an empty plastic bottle to chase) - his fixation at this time in his life is playing and he needs to learn to redirect this.

If you have to leave the dogs at any time and Axel is happy to be in a crate, then please make sure that the crate is big enough for him to move easily around in (at least 36") with a cosy place to rest and his favourite toys, cuddlies and a stuffed Kong to keep him occupied and happy. Very gradually build up the time he is left alone in the crate and remember that at only 5 months old he will be busting for a wee and a poo and some energetic exercise when you come back.

Thank you Linda. All of my dogs are fixed except for Tess she hasn't had a cycle for years. Always planned on taking her in never seen a reason. Yes Axel is very happy in his crate/ kennel. I always make certain that he has his bone in there. I have quit leaving toys in because they usually are no longer together when I get back home and I fear that he may choke. I do have a couple of Kongs will have to find something to stuff them so he has another avenue to spend his past time while I am at work. Any ideas of what is good to put in them. Now that we are finally having decent weather not below zero we have been enjoying our walks again. Axel didn't like walking when it was that cold. Outside to poo and pee and then back in the warmth. Can't say I blamed him I didn't want to be out there any longer then I had to. But do you believe if I stay on him with the training he will learn to quit playing with Tess that way?? I hope so I would be a very happy girl  . If you would like to see my handsome boy I posted pictures of him.

Persistence is definitely key!

As for kong stuffings there's loads of yummy stuff like peanut butter, plain yoghurt, tasty ham, vegetables, his actual meal, gravy frozen and much more to keep him interested and busy