Collar grabbing

My staffy has got a really bad habit, along with running off to other dogs and not coming when called, but grabbing other dogs collars. Most people have been ok and I will grab him and pull him off and say no, but he will do it again and sometimes gets other dogs necks. I am worried that one day he may injure another dog and with the awful rep poor staffies get I don't want an unwanted knock at my door with complaints of a "dangerous dog" which is hardly the case at all. Just one very excitable young man who just wants to play with every dog that crosses his path. Am hoping the training classes I am starting will help but any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks!

Mention this when you go to training class - they should be able to give you hands-on tips.

In the meantime, I'd keep him on a lead round other dogs for a while - just till you've been able to 'dissuade' him from grabbing collars!!

Thanks! I noted all his problem areas on the form I filled in for his training class enrollment. We don't start until early November as that is when the next course starts, but there is a maximum of 10 dogs at this club and it's been recommended by a good friend of mine who took her lab there. So fingers crossed!

In the meantime Dizzy remains on the flexi until he is better behaved!!

hi is dizzy going for the top of the coller or the bottem of the coller, as bottem is more down to aggresion which it doesent sound to have a problem with, and top of the coller is going for the smell as its strongest on the nape of the neck, like caryll says point it at training and keep him on the lead but still let him socialise with other dogs as, if it is a scent thing he will just get more stressed when hes out walking

bigwazza wrote:hi is dizzy going for the top of the coller or the bottem of the coller, as bottem is more down to aggresion which it doesent sound to have a problem with, and top of the coller is going for the smell as its strongest on the nape of the neck, like caryll says point it at training and keep him on the lead but still let him socialise with other dogs as, if it is a scent thing he will just get more stressed when hes out walking

Also, if it's the top of the collar, it could be a dominance issue. A dominant dog will always try to get above the other dog - mainly over their head/neck area. If it's dominance, then it's a matter of making sure Dizzy knows that YOU are dominant to him! Once you have firmly established, you should be able to teach him that it isn't something you want to happen. Your trainer will help you there.

Sounds a good club if all they allow is 10 dogs. Gives everyone space & personal time with the trainer.

Yes, the club does sound good I must admit. I think it will do us both a lot of good!

Hi, I think it's mainly the top of collar and then tries to drag the other dog down. Whenever I see him do this I grab him by the scruff and pull him down to the ground and say firmly "NO" and then he goes straight back on the lead. I think this will take time and training to put a stop to I think.

Last weekend my friend brought her bull mastiff with her when she visited me. Dizzy and he got on great considering the sizes of both dogs which was quite amusing. Whilst they were in the garden together Dizzy managed to chew his way thru my friend's dog's collar in no time at all unnoticed. The mastiff was laying on the grass minding his own business and he didn't even complain coz it was that quick! I wouldn't mind but it was a very thick leather collar due to his size and cost me £20 to get her a replacement one that day!

Needless to say, chewing is another problem I have with Dizzy at the mo, but this is only when I am out of the house. As when I am home he happily tucks into his chews and bones and delights in shredding soft toys all over my living room floor, ha ha. He is confined to the kitchen when I am out, but he but managed an escape last week and I came home to half my stair carpet ripped to shreds. Not the best home coming ever I must admit!

He mainly chews his plastic Perla bed when I go out, which isn't too bad as it refrains from eating the kitchen furniture but I am hoping he doesn't progress on to this in future. He licks chew sprays so I have resorted to covering everything in Vicks which seems to have done the trick nicely!

Lis wrote:Needless to say, chewing is another problem I have with Dizzy at the mo, but this is only when I am out of the house. As when I am home he happily tucks into his chews and bones and delights in shredding soft toys all over my living room floor, ha ha. He is confined to the kitchen when I am out, but he but managed an escape last week and I came home to half my stair carpet ripped to shreds. Not the best home coming ever I must admit!

Have you tried him with a crate? If I hadn't had a crate for my Bull Terrier I'd committed suicide by now! It was a godsend! He sleeps in it (night & day) and uses it as his 'den'. At first he was shut in it whenever we went out & at night, but now it's just when we go out. Hopefully, by the time he's about 2 years old we won't have to shut him in at all!

When I got Dizzy he came with a cage which does him nicely for his bed. About a week ago I started to leave the cage door open at night but leave him shut in the kitchen (I have a baby gate). But I now take the cage out during the day and put his plastic bed in for him. He seems quite happy with the plastic bed as he will go and plonk himself in it during the day sometimes, so he knows its also his place. He also knows when to get in it if he has been naughty and he does stay there until I say otherwise!

My friend has lent me a large cage which I have used a few times when I first got him. It allows him to move around comfortable and he can have his water bowl in with him on a stand and still have plenty of room for maneovre.

I just feel guilty shutting him in it, which is why I have tried to get him used to being left just in the confinement of the kitchen, but this does not stop me stressing everytime I come home to what destruction I might come home to!!

Should he grow out of this by the age of 2 then? I am praying this is not a lifetime trait.

Maybe I should go back to the large crate option when I am out for a few more months or until he is at least 2 perhaps?

When I had my first staff (Bandit) people didn't use crates, and he destroyed so many things! He chewed up furniture, clothes, toys, books....the list goes on - he even dug a hole in the wall while we were out one day!

With Dempsey, I was told that Bull Terriers were even more destructive than staffs! I don't feel at all guilty about shutting him in a) because he's comfortable in there & sleeps while I'm out & b) it may well save his life. He will chew anything & SWALLOW ANYTHING! He's already been through a couple of wires (how he didn't electrocute himself I'll never know) and the tv remote. He's had 2 spells in the vets hospital because of his eating something he shouldn't and that's when we've been at home! What he's do when we're out I dread to think!

He doesn't cause anywhere near as much damage now as he did, say, 6 months ago, and I could POSSIBLY leave the door open now when I go out, but I'd prefer to wait a while longer.

yip i would go back to the crate he still knows it his own space were he feels safe and also if hes gettin out once no doubt he will do it again
and going back to the coller pulling yes it deff sounds like a dominance thing which needs to be nipped in the bud before he gets himself into trouble
and dog need to be trained not to do things as iv found they seldom grow out of unwanted problems

Thanks for the advice/everyone. I think I may revert back to the crate then until he's a bit older. At least that way I have peace of mind for myself and Dizzy.

When I am at work I have a good friend who takes him out for 2-3 hours each day, so he is on his own for about 3.5-4 hours in the morning and up to 2 hours in the afternoon after she drops him off. During that time he goes on a long walk with her and her dog so has stimulation, exercise and other social activity with her dog who he gets on really well with. She is one dog who has put him in his place and he behaves himself with her as she has told him just who is top dog in that relationship!! lol

Regarding the crate, is that an acceptable amount of time to leave them in on a daily basis? He is also out with me for 45 mins to an hour each morning and evening before I leave for work and when I get home from work, so he has plenty of exercise on a daily basis also.

shane wrote:FAO lis, if your having trouble with your dog chewing things you can get a spray form your local petshop its called anti chew, just watch where your dog is chewing then spray a small amount on the area this will put a stop to his chewing and in time he will learn not to chew things that he not supposed to, i would also get him a nylabone or a guabone because dogs do need to chew, these balls are scented and flavored and dogs can easily find them when there lost,

Thanx Shane. I have tried one anti-chew spray but he LIKED it and licked it off the cupboards!!! I friend told me to try Vicks which works a treat as he hates the smell let alone the taste. Makes a gunky mess of the kitchen most of the time but protects the kitchen cupboards and anything else that might look very chewable to him. I've already made the mistake of accidently leaving the washine machine door open to which there is, of course, a very inviting rather large rubber dog chew within it, isn't there?!

Don't worry, £70 later and it was all fixed!!