some help plz

Hey all.
Im looking for some advice and how u would approach sorting some issues out. Things have been really tough and im struggling to cope with it all. Iv had loads of posts about whats been goin on so il try stick to this topic and try gettin sorted.
Its been really tough and affecting all aspects of our life really and im never relaxed. As iv said weve been to vet and refered to vet prof behaviourists and nothing has worked and im really at the point now where its not enjoyable, theres been dogs in the family and weve had rescues all my life but none have had the issues our little diva has and we got her at 8 weeks (she was a singleton pup tho).

Main points are:
-Shes very eratic and darts around growling etc like an extreme mad half hour.
-she is still mouthin and nipping at me in play (shes about to turn 2)
-she cannot get off lead as she gets so hyped (one day really hurt my arm when she grabbed it growling after i flung the ball)
-she gets hpyed and jumps at lead snarling and growling
-she has started goin berzerk at the tv at dofferent ads and programs.
-she whines all the time for treats and is generally always doing something she shouldnt (this week its pulling wallpaper off)

The vet behaviourist changed her food twice....once to burns pork and potato and again to fresh prepared pork and potato.....which done nothing and shes now on high quality grain free food with her allergies. She has also now said no treats but how can we do training with no treats? She wont listen so no treats is going to guarentee she wont do it. Iv worked in pet retail for 8 years so know bout different foods n all the training aids and stimulating treat toys etc. The vets have assured theres nthing 'wrong' with her but singletons are very hard work. She gets 2 decent walks a day but cannot get off lead ever iv had too many incidents of her bad behaviour (shes obsessed with jumping up and kids) also i cant take her to family things as she has been bad (she grabbed my young niece by the shoe and pulled her down growling) shes far to hyper and easily hyped.

she has shown improvment before but she reverts back to being a nightmare. Iv literally been to every local training class and allsorts but as shes the big scary staffy and the other dogs are all fluffy tiny things she gets the looks of disgust and no guidance as i dont think they can handle a larger powerful dog

People keep saying teach her bark so u can teach herquiet but how do you do this.

Really sorry to sound so moany im just so down i want this to work and its just not. The professionals thay have cost a fortune also has done nothing and im devastated. Any advice and guidance would be really appreciated guys. Sorry again for the huge rant

when i got mia she was still mouthy at 3 , du know usually when shes going to snap and snarl at the lead when she does this ignore her .Have you tried playtime in the house with a rope toy. The whining for treats is a test to see if you ae going to do everything she asks shes testing you to see what she can get away with. when you give her a command keep your voice level even and calm dogs play up when they sense your on edge or tense. When your walking outside give her plenty encouragement with no tension on the lead at all (ive done this to mia singing ). With regards to diet have you thought of switching to a raw diet due to the dogs sensitive skin many of the forum users dogs are on a raw diet due to their dogs skin allergies.

Everything you said points to one frustrated high energy dog, One last investment i would suggest is a treadmill, get her to love it and i doubt either of you will look back, before getting one though see if there is one locally or family or friend who has one so you can get her used to it, run her before food, before a walk and before bed, my boy done nothing but whine out of frustration, i couldn't off lead him plus there was no where secure to do so, so i got a human second hand treadmill, made it into a dog one with pvc sheets and now he loves it and the bad behaviours are happening less and less the only time he has played up since is when i haven't run him (I've been in a rush) so i know that's my fault, best £70 I've spent since getting him 41/2 years ago. Training doesn't stop with the treadmill though we're still refreshing basic training but you're expected to renew basic training a few times in a dogs life, training never stops after all.

I don't mean to patronised so sorry in advance if I say something you already know as you say you have had dogs before. It sounds like she doesn't know you are her boss. And a confused dog is a horrible pet! Trust me. I've been there.

When we rescued Lexi at 4 months I regretted it for the next 3. She would also go bad at the TV and out the window and wouldn't ever settle down. Was always pacing the house and would bark and snap at us etc.

Now I know a lot of ppl won't agree with this but I just desided one day enough was enough. I was gonna have a good dog.

I started ignoring her (and I mean ignore no eye contact, no touching, no words. Not even negative commands) for a good half an hour after waking up or getting in.

I started making her sit and stay at every single door way.
I make her sit and stay for food (food is a great to show who is boss)
I make her sit for petting.
I make her sit at every curb on walks.
Don't pet her when she comes to me. Only when I call her for petting.
Ban her from the sofa - that's where the boss sits
Ban her from your bedroom, or upstairs all together if u have (this she will pick up quicker that you think)

All these small things really made a huge difference in my life. Lexi is nearly 10 months now and a dream (ATM she is going through a naughty teenage phase ) but I can let her off her lead, she has run of the down stairs, she sits at the door till her lead is on she really is such a pleasure to have.

Good luck. I know how hard it is my heart goes out. I remember crying to my friends saying all I can do if she doesn't improve is rehome her. That's mad to me know. I couldn't imagine being that unhappy with her x

Thanks everyone. Its great to hear good advice and from people that know the breed!i really do appreciate the time taken to reply.
il try answer all the questions

Mia-
there is a few situations that i know she will start with the lead carry on, if shes not allowed to go see another dog that passes or shes been saying hello to another dog and taken away this pretty much guarantees it will happen. Also if she goes into the water or finds a stick. Yeah we play games with her stuffing freetoys and her ropes or balls (she had a rubber tyre but she was getting very growly with it) which she then ruins by nipping my hand and boxing me. Also one of the things we got the behaviourist and vets involved with are her mad spin moments whre her ears go down eyes wide and spins and jumps from couch to couch growling its very alarming , behaviourist said shes 'normal' staffy amplified. Her allergies can be a right pain i feel for her she chews her feet and scratches her ears alot she hates her feet touched and has growled a few times, we did feed her raw last year and she just stopped eating it, wouldnt look the ground it was on but her feet were much better and i felt she was fuller. The behaviourist said the same and i know my mum has given in but its strange that my mum is never mouthed at just me and im harsh on her now and dont give in....i sometimes think she doesnt like me and i really want to bond with her more. As for encouragement when out she acts deaf amd i cant get her attention when out.

Amelie- 
Thanks for replying, that seems a great idea i will defo look into that and see what i can find. I agree shes very frustrated, her training is very up and down and and i feel like we make great progress then BAM.....shes acting like shes never been asked to sit! The whining is awful she stands at living room door and whines and i always think she needs to pee and when i open the door its straight to kitchen. 

Vicky- 
Thanks for replying,  it is a nightmare but i see im not the only one thats experienced it so thanks for sharing your hard moments. Iv had all those moments to of saying to mates like what the heck am i going to do, iv done so much and for so little. Iv been consistant and especially when a tiny pup with the mouthing but nope not worked, still having moments and shes nearly 2 and 20kg. 
Yeah iv said to my mum i think she needs to be put off the couch and get her place intilled in her that shes not on par with us. Shes crate trained but out of crate if weve had a nice bed for her shes ripped it apart so i dont know how to get her trained to a bed on the floor. She even chewed the plastic one. 
With the vets saying now no treats or chews (they still think its food or treats causing energy bursts) i dont know how to do training and my thoughts on training her to a bed instead of couch was a high value chew. Its great your sorted now gives me a little hope! Its been tiring and hard.

Lex is 10 months and we r on bed 4 lmaooooo with her plastic bed she never ate it but Soft ones lasted a day. Now she has a soft in the lounge (I have hard wooden flooring ) and a hard bed for her bed at night. Put don't old cloths or bed sheets of yours in the bed. Does she have toys? X

Aww yeah shes got loads of toys i work in pet retail so shes the toy tester haha! 
Lol she loves the filling in beds, i then got her one of the waterproof neoprene ones and she hated it never went on it.

Shes the fussiest ever dog!

VickyS wrote:
I started ignoring her (and I mean ignore no eye contact, no touching, no words. Not even negative commands) for a good half an hour after waking up or getting in.

I started making her sit and stay at every single door way.
I make her sit and stay for food (food is a great to show who is boss)
I make her sit for petting.
I make her sit at every curb on walks.
Don't pet her when she comes to me. Only when I call her for petting.
Ban her from the sofa - that's where the boss sits
Ban her from your bedroom, or upstairs all together if u have (this she will pick up quicker that you think)

I've done a few of these things with Bo and it does make a difference. You're right about the food, and behaviour learned whilst waiting for food spills over into other areas. Bo used to be lunatic when it came to feeding, he'd spin round and jump chest high and he'd have similar loony moments throughout the day. His eyes would swivel and he'd tear round the place with his ears back, jumping on the sofas, then fall on his back and peddle his legs in the air. I quickly taught him to sit and wait for his food and look me in the eye until I say he can take it. The other day I dropped some food right under his nose as I was making his dinner and he didn't even look down. The training only took two days and it made a big difference to the rest of his behaviour too.

Same with the ignoring bit. In the morning he used to explode out of his crate as soon as he saw me and literally dance on two legs, snapping like a crocodile. Now he waits with the crate door open until I'm ready for him and strolls out wagging his tail ready for a back rub. I didn't teach him this, he just learned that if he jumped like a mad thing I'd ignore him (although I did encourage him a couple of times early on when I put on Electric Guest and danced with him).

does sound like your dogs thinks shes the boss when shes out and you come across a dog both you and the dog turn away then turn back toward the other person and dog keep doing this until she stops the tugging off the lead, atm i would also use a long strong training line that way you can avoid any incidents. Sounds like you are becoming fearful of what shes going to get upto next she senses this and is playing up on it. it isnt easy but try relaxing your body on all the walks. I would also stick with the raw diet . https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/f125-staffordshire-bull-terrier-raw-food-diets other forum members swear by the diet most have a blue staffy like yourself.

Try running her on a treadmill, try and find a second hand one on gumtree or ebay, it may help with her energy, as you cant let her off lead, id try knackering her out, my springer use to be like this, we had him done and it did nothing, hes alot better now but he is 14, so try knackering her out, use her dog food for treats take a handful out of her normal food for training her, how many time a day are you feeding her also, as that may add to her high energy mine are fed once a day every morning, I feed them on salmon and rice by purina pro one, you can try ignoring the behaviour but it doesnt work on all dogs, you need to make sure she knows when you say no, she listens

Just a thought but you mentioned he itches and bites her paws a lot. Is it possible that this is driving him mad, so to speak as in his behaviours could be down to the allergies. I can only imagine how mad I would get if I itched all the time and wasnt able to stop it.

See Lexi has all these amazing kongs and balls within balls (she takes that everywhere even to wee and when I take it off her she will be an angel untill I give it back haha) but more than anything she loves old t-shirts and socks. If I ladder my tights I tie them up into a load of nots and she shreds them. Maybe try something like that.

As for the bed. Same. Lexi ate one after a day and it looked like it had snowed in my house lol. She has had her soft bed in the lounge for about 3 months now and occasionally she will start to chew the corner but I tell her no and she stops.

Keep going. Are u uk based? If so where? I know an amazing trainer. That's who helped me and I can't express enough how much my relationship with Lex has changed since. It wasn't her that needed help. It was me x

Thanks again all.

Dogface- 
Lol yeah she does all that crazyness on walks, after walks, randomly.....ever for food tho as shes never been a massive eater. Iv been trying to ignore lots of the barking etc and it was funny last night we had guest for dinner and afterwards we watched a movie and she got out her crate and she was desperate for a treat so barked at the door and i said to everyone please just ignore that so we did and then she went at the tv barking and once she realised she went and lay down on the floor very defeated looking but that doesnt always work.

Mia- 
Yeah i totally agree she thinks shes the boss and has the control. I do get a bit uptight on a walk as im ready for the carry on, as she hates rain i cant wait til its nicer to walk longer. I need to relax a bit. I really wish she could get off and i have let her off before with a dog walker and her pack and she was great but when theres just me she goes funny with joggers and buggies and the incident she grabbed my arm and was really hyped i couldnt stop her so just cant.
i actually had a bit of a revelation last night, she was on raw ages ago and went off it but it was never chicken just the other ones like duck and plum etc and her feet were ok so i think she has not only a beef allergy but also possibly chicken! So raw again would maybe be good to try. Il maybe post in the raw section about that. 

 Hannah+michael-
Its defo optional with the ignoring, its dependant on how pushy she feels like being that day which is the most frustrating part....there seems to be no consistancy with the good...or bad behaviour, leaves u a bit like well whats going on! Shes fed twice a day just now i was wondering about the affect on energy, like i said above will maybe look at raw again and get advice on that.

Haizum- 
Yeah it must be horrible she hates her feet touched and its so horrible when she chews them. Our vet never wanted to do much other than change to grain free but i was thinking about it actually being chicken too as i was saying on raw never had chicken and feet were good. 

Vicky-
Yeah all these toys lol and they are fascinated with random things, she loves ripping tissues up! Could try that. Im in central scotland and iv done training classes which were crap and spoke to behaviourists even vet ones and they seem to just get lazy....even suggesting rehoming and trying another dog....not an option i love my baby even tho she has her issues. My mum unfortunately had a knee injury and cant walk the dog so its all on me now but i couldnt even consider it! Your behaviourist sounds much better than the ones weve tried and spoken too.

really appreciate your time folks. I know i can do this with your help and advice!

Could u try a one on one done one come into ur home. Try the thing suggested and see how u get on 1st. Well done for not giving up on her x

The vet behaviourist came out and observed alot and said all attention seeking behaviours. Ingore her etc, work on getting her attention with training exercises......then said no more treats.....hmmmm

Did the vet behaviourist mean no more processed treats to avoid hyper moments do you think? Maybe you could make your own if that's the concern?

Well at first we were allowed to give her cooked chicken as a treat and pigs ears. Then it was nothing at all. I explained i could not train her to respond better to me without high value treats.

For the paw chewing try some Thornit. It's not cheap but lasts ages and has worked really well with my Flo.

Thank you will defo look at that.

Hmm maybe try a clicker and high praise. Sounds (and looks and feels) silly but I use facial expression and that works for us. X

VickyS wrote:

I started making her sit and stay at every single door way.
I make her sit and stay for food (food is a great to show who is boss)
I make her sit for petting.
I make her sit at every curb on walks.
Don't pet her when she comes to me. Only when I call her for petting.
Ban her from the sofa - that's where the boss sits
Ban her from your bedroom, or upstairs all together if u have (this she will pick up quicker that you think)

Yeh thats a good list and also the treadmill idea or anything else that will knock the energy out of him.

I always recon a tired dog is a good dog just like kids run them stupid have rules and you should have less problems.

Hm okay, I really can't see any reason to stop using treats, as far as they're not full of a additives. I really respect you for continuing to work with your girl, despite all of the behavioural problems she has presented. I really think a long line used in quiet fields would do you the world of good, let the girl RUN! She needs to get it out of her system, just dont let her get too excited and go over threshold, because that's when the behaviours will start.

I do agree that you need consistency and boundaries, and by practising commands around food/doorways/giving affection etc you may well be able to achieve a slightly more balanced relationship. Dogs don't have a clue about "masters" feeding first, or sleeping/sitting in certain places though - that theory has been debunked. Though boundaries in general are still very important. I'll see if I can find a positive trainer for you, and get back to you.

Would you mind telling where abouts in Central Scotland?

Might have found a trainer for you - are you anywhere near Glasgow? Also, who was the vet behaviourist that you used?

Oh sorry i never noticed u posted the one before.
It was vets referal to the vetinarary school glasgow. Yeah just outside glasgow city centre

http://www.glasgowdogtrainer.co.uk

http://www.urbandogglasgow.co.uk

Both local - both know a little about your pup (hope you don't mind me passing on info. All positive, no cesar Millan methods!! Keen to hear from you. Would contact the top one first

Great thank you. I will contact them soon. Im still to get 2 more visits from our vet behaviourist and have to work to the behaviour plan we got. Such hard work.
Checked the links they look gr8

Hi someone recomended i try an ultrasonic remote to stop the barking at tv etc. Are these safe to use?

Honestly, I would contact one of the advised trainers and work through the issues rather than spending money on training products that may not work/may make the problem worse. They're highly recommended and you need somebody to come in and see the behavior x

I tried 4 types of bark collar and none works perminatly. The problems I had with Lexi were me. Not her. When I had this explained to me it seemed so obvious x

Our behaviourist is coming tomoro night after work for another visit and weather permitting a wander outside to observe. Was meant to be monday but shes now going away for a couple of days next week for work so instead of leaving it longer i wanted tomoz. 
Its wierd with the barking at tv but we had a repairman out earlier and she barked once and sat listening to him in the other room

I would try the training first rather than training aids as advised by rachel good luck and all the best .

Hello 
Just to say on the behaviourist front we got a behaviour modification report to start following more, so has all sorts of things to do or mainly NOT do lol. 
Lots of ignoring and being consistant so she doesnt become more persistant. Entering and exiting before her and setting up any situations so we win like not giving commands she will ignore. Fingers crossed

you dont need all the fancy gizmos and trainers. just act proud in front of the dog. when you give a command never ever relent and repeat repeat until they do it. giving up half way through gives them a choice, ignore or carry on this fun thing or listen to commands? turn training into fun with lots of fuss when they do right. Its how i trained my two and they now know left and right, stop, lineout, steady, on by and hike. all through positive training, its like something just clicks in there heads its just the emotional "im never gonna get there barrier" you have to pass through. its not a quick thing either so be prepaird to be in there for the long run. and i have two cock sure full of themselves staff cross huskies to deal with, lil gits

Great advice as usual nathan

Very good advise. I think we have all been at the "this dog is untrainable" stage!? X

VickyS wrote:Very good advise. I think we have all been at the "this dog is untrainable" stage!? X

Oh yes!

Not read other posts so just giving my opinion! Persistence is a great tool can become very tiring but u have to keep at it, being calm and assertive dogs pick up on how u r feeling so much , so is a must with any training u giving! My dog is vey TVs alert I stand in front of him and shhh and calm him ( it takes persistence) and sometimes when u think u have it sorted u back to square one but persist! I also have a water spray gun )got from homebase) a squirt with water stops them in their tracks ,most of the time now I just show Chester the gun and he stops whatever unwanted behaviour he is doing! Chester is a barker and a whiner and talker I make him sit and tell him calm! Be calm and assertive always ,routine is a must, Chester stays on his lead 99% of the time u don't have to let them off especially if not safe I have a 7m extendable lead and we march not walk sometimes so they still get a good walk don't give up hope I've been helpful

Help my 5 yr old staff for past month been going like going back to puppy hood he's chew through washing machine door seal the boiler mains cable he whines and barks when we go out and when were home and he does it while im at work even though my partners home I give him frozen kong stuffed with treats before I go work and my partner says he gets them out within minutes and starts whining and barking I've tried nylanone and take it off him when I come home he gets walked bout 45 mins in morning then same in afternoon and bout 20mins at night Any ideas please

Do u have a crate u can put him in to keep him safe firstly if he's chewing cable

I use to use crate when he was a puppy as he chewed everything he even ripped the bars off and bent door up up

On the treats front: Pink is very sensitive, maybe be due to being a white bull terrier may be down to never being truly cared for till she landed in a rescue. She tends to react badly to most commercial treats. Mind you she reacted horribly to the RAW diet too so I go and smile at my butcher and bring back meat trimmings from when they have been prep'ing meat for sale. I tend to lightly grill the meat as madam thinks the smell of gently grilled lamb and beef is a good reason to pay attention and try and do what she is asked. I use sharp scissors and then snip it into teeny chunks and bag into small packs and keep in the freezer. I have found as lopng as its pretty simple and cooked her digestive tract does not rebel.

If she needs to learn something new or needs a heck of bribery to re-inforce a desired behaviour I have something I can use that is of high value to her and will not land me with an urgent vets appointment due to madam breaking out in itchy lumps or being very sick.

It is possible to make your own home baked dog treats and there should be recipes or links to recipes on this site in the diet section. I cheat and buy such goodies from Pinks Dog training club as there is a lady there who makes small batches of food for her very sensitive little terrier.

With Pink I taught her 'paws on floors' my only dropping little titbits of cooked meat on the floor when she was not jumping up and yelling. Now if she can keep her self from jumping up whilst someone comes in our home she knows she can still look forward to a nice little bit of meat for being good. Took a lot longer than I hoped but the penny dropped after three months.

Pink did NOT cope with pork based dog food and cannot digest cooked pork meat well either. She reacts to cheap chicken and most fat just makes her retch. After lots of trial and error over time Pink has settled well on Natures Diet and Burns Moist Fish and has gained the weight she so badly needed.

Please bear in mind Pink is a rescued dog who was found in a hell of a state so some of the diet problems she has may well relate to not having the care and food she needed as a growing older pup/young dog.

Could u maybe invest in a new crate obviously only to b used in proper way and not as a punishment? Has anything changed in your life that may be a stress (sorry I don't know your staffies name) dogs pick up on our feeling so much! maybe a check up at vets, have u changed his food at all high protein products can make dogs over active? I praise praise praise good behaviour and "try" and ignore bad behaviour obviously if it's dangerous I stop the bad behaviour but don't make a big fuss of it! What about back to basics training classes (this is to staffy25) prob should of started a new thread

Thanks all iv not been on as iv been really busy with work and the pooch. Behaviourist was out and said its just going to take a while being the only pup they behaviourally dont grow up as quick.

A quick question tho, can you all let ur staffs off lead i feel so bad she cant get her energy out on walks even with the line. I went out xtra early with her and a friend as it was nice and sunny and we were at a really clear area and Thought il let her have a wee run (even tho last time i got a bad nip as she was growling and mouthing with excitement) but she was doin so good on her line i chanced it, anyway she got off and imediately started the bouncy play amd growling and jumpin up mouthing, i got a hold of the harness and said firmly "no" and let go, she then went off a little to sniff and ran at my friend and did the same so it was a carry on getting her back and on lead. I really do fear shes not trainable! The behaviourist has been ok, and i did speak to a recomended trainer but they said the one i have had has suggested what they have and with this trainer not also bein a vet they said theyv not dealt with a single pup before

What you must try and remember is if she hasn't had the full amount of exercise she needs then the first time off lead can potentially lead to a lot of excitement, hence the nipping and growling. Now, I'm no expert with regards to training but from what I have learnt, at least for my pooch is that exercise and plenty of it is the key to keeping mine calm. Yes she does get excited too when first off lead and she does growl but its understanding the difference between an aggressive growl and a playful one (even nipping when playing can hurt as I found out). What I would try is to ignore her when she does it and keep walking, also get a friend to video it so you can post the video so folks can see whats going on as describing it is much more difficult than watching it in action. Just a suggestion.