Snapping at people

Indi is just over 7 months old & I think we have well and truly hit teenage years.

She has recently started snapping - sometimes just at the air, but usually jumping up and snapping at people, or latching onto clothes. It's especially bad with kids - she loves kids and will ignore adults at the beach or park but beeline straight for kids and jump/snap at them.

I don't think we intends on hurting them, but I'm not sure. Either way, it needs to stop

Our trainer at obedience classes has told us to get up and walk away/ignore her every time she snaps or her teeth touch skin, and to not even say a word as she will interpret this has a response

Other people have told us to say no and make a bit of a fuss

Others have even told us to do as her mum/leader of the pack would do and pinch her ear/cheeks as if she s getting a bite

I'm wondering if anyone can share their experiences and what worked for them?

With the jumping she is pretty fine with us.if she jumps we tell her to sit and there no touch/patting till she sits. But with kids or new people's he just goes crazy to the point where we have to put her outside

Hi Carla, sorry I have never gone through this myself but the link below may help:

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

I'm not sure if we are hitting the teenager phase too or whether Bane is a late bloomer!
He has taken a huge interest in children and adults lately and if given half a chance will run up to either to lick attack them and generally be a pest so we have to have hawk eyes on him at all times when out in public!
Luckily I think he only licks, but in the past when he has been snappy, we tell him "NO" once or twice and stop play, and if he continues, we ignore him and get up and walk away or put him in his area for a time out. If he still continues we will try to do some training or commands with him to try to focus his attention and calm him down.
We've found this has worked from him being a puppy. It may just be that you have to start again and treat her as you did when she was younger until she remembers the proper way to behave around people

A firm no and turn away should do the trick, once you take the attention from her she'll not like it and learn that the behaviour is unacceptable xx

Hello! Are the kids, well, being kids? Playing, high pitched noises, jumping around etc? Might pay to keep her on a long line and ask any children she comes into contact with the greet her with a sit command?

Newliz wrote:......just goes crazy to the point where we have to put her outside

This is also an appropriate thing to do if things are getting out of hand. Not all kids are angels either and they could be winding him up - even unintentionally, with their screams and unpredictable movements.

Cool-off time is another useful trick in the box. Not for too long though. Usually 5 mins or less is enough for Douglas to remember he has 4 legs, not two.

winding her up ......sorry.

Unfortunately the kids don't need to be doing anything - we can be at the beach, full of people and dogs and she is completely focused on her ball - as soon as she spies a child just walking past she will beeline for them.

We will persist with no & ignore and hopefully it passes! She latched onto our dog trainers sleeve in a class the other night - it's like she gets so excited she just loses control, jumping and snapping