Help !!

Afternoon All,

Firstly I would like to say "Hi" as I'm a newbie in this Group ....   

Secondly,

My partner and me have recently had a 4 year old Staffy from our local Dogs Trust. Jem is a funny outgoing and very hungry female ... she loves being around people, a good fuss and loves her cuddles ...
She has shown in the homes that being around other dogs is a problem. With a bit of training n guidance this could of being resolved or we are hoping !!
At first everything was cool !! but recently Jem has shown a lot more aggression !! Attacking any dogs that comes near the garden gate, Jem has even bitten another dog whilst walking on the lead, without prior warning. We were able to trust Jem to run free, as in off the lead. But that has had to change as recent events have taken the trust away.
As we do not know a lot about Jem's life before she came to our home, we are at a bit of a loss. The Dogs Trust could only tell us that she was used for breeding ... :-( Any help would be appreciated !!!!
Jem is our first Staffy by the way. I have had Alsatians in the past ...

Thank You

Hi &

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Hi & Welcome from Flo and me   

Your predicament is not so unusual. There are a lot of us on the Forum that have rescue's, well done on rescuing one of our greet breed.

You can turn this around as I have. It will take time, patience & love. Seems like you have the last one sorted already.

It's all about going back to basics with training. You will need to cover all the basics. Sit, stay and most important, recall. Work on the first two and then use a long lead to get the third one going. Reward for every good behaviour, they will then associate good behaviour with treats.

Off lead can only really happen once the recall is good. I should also mention that if you're tense or nervous you dog will pick up on it, I know this from personal experience, so try to be relaxed when out.

Once you know the recall is good, it's all down to trust. The more you put into the training, the more you will be rewarded and amazed   

I should also mention how to calm a situation. Get Jemma to sit or focus on you when she gets agitated. When sitting and calm, reward.

Sorry this is over two posts, I hit send by mistake   

Finally, be patient with Jem and ask as many questions as you want, that's why we're here.

Welcome from Iza and me   You will get plenty of good advice on this forum.

I have had anti-dog rescue dogs in the past.

Sometimes it takes a while for them to feel confident in a new home before they show they really are not happy with other dogs. Go right back to the core basics of lead walking. Be aware that some rescue staffys may never get past their dislike of other dogs preferring the company of kind, firm but gentle human owners instead.

Bitches that have been overbred and watched their puppies constantly being snatched away only to breed again can develop views about other dogs leading to fear aggression. If she is badly wound up you may need to give her time to calm down for a couple of days then take her out for shorter walks and try and introduce her to one or at most two new things at a time. Go over the obeidence she knows well enough to be almost bomb-proof with when out even if its just 'sit' so you can reward 'good' so walks become more fun than fearful. If she is not too stressed it be worth teaching 'leave' so she begins to have confidence in your ability to keep her safe from the scary things and dogs she sees when walking.

I found walking them using a good harness and coller connected with the end of a training lead to each gave better control when you needed it to keep your dog and other dogs safe. If you feel you can control your dog if she reacts you will have more confidence to walk her and your dog should be a tad more relaxed as a result. If that does not solve the problem them consider the possibilities of using a halti. Again for some rescues anything over their mouth can be terrify them so seek advice form the Dogs Trust before using a halti or similar, soft muzzle or muzzle. As she likes foods you have a very strong hand to use treats. Save her absolute fave and most desired treats to reward calm good walking outside.

As your dog came from the Dogs Trust you should have longer term access to support and advice from their behaviourist. Give them a call and well done for taking on a rescue staffy. She will get there but it can seem like forever whilst your going over the basics again and again but the penny does seem to suddenly drop into place with the majority and they beome far more settled and lovely to walk.

hia from me and sasha   ,some really good advise given in the above posts,as said some dogs just dont like other dogs but with training will get better,just make sure if there is other dogs around to pop her back on the lead,do you know any one that has a really calm dog that you could just lead walk with to build her trust up?

Hello and a warm welcome from me and Stella. All good advice given above. Patience and consistancy is the key  

Welcome from me and Alfie.
Still a work in progress for us, rehomed him last Nov. We have got to the point he will tolerate a friends very chilled dog walking near us but out of reach, though still tried to get at him couple of weeks ago.

Hi and welcome from me and Daisy x

Hi and welcome from us and Suki

Hi and welcome from Oz and me. Oz was a rescue and hates any other dog especially anything bigger than he is. It's something we have just got to live with and anticipate unfortunately. He loves his humans but anything else is a big no no.  It's not ideal wpbut we dan cope we know what to expect and with a massive stick or something to carry really calms down the situation. Sorry I can't help but we have to accept it and still love him to bits

Stay positive and call dogs trust so they can mentor you through it. They will have experience.

You are not alone. Have zero tolerance for aggression.

Remember not to cuddle dog etc after outbreak of aggression as could be seen as reward. Stick dog on naughty step e.g. In room on own for five minutes to "think" about her behaviour.

You're not alone and you should have faith and determination that this can be resolved.

Do NOT panic. Stay calm - your dog will look to you for guidance and leadership.

Hi and welcome to the forum from Rocky and me

If you do not know the dogs history it would be advizable to keep her on a lead for the time being, either a regular length lead or a long training line.

Have you considered any training classes for her ? this may be an idea.

Welcome from Darcy and me

Hi and welcome from me and my two

Hi and welcome to the forum from me and the zoo xx