Blue Staffy Pup

Hi All,

I'm new to the forum and also new to being a staffy owner!

We have an 8 week old blue male staffy pup who is absolutely beautiful.

The only issue is him crying and making a howling noise. I know it will take some time for him to get used to his new home but we are lacking in sleep and working with only 2-3 hours of sleep.

He is extremely dependent as the previous owners allowed him to sleep in their bed, must have picked him up to go outside and he will not stay anywhere on his own.

Can someone please help with what I can do to get him to be a bit more independent?

Hi ya, welcome to the forum from Flo and me

Your pup is looking for security and there are a few things you can do. You could let him on the bed with you for now and then try and ween him out if it when he's older and less demanding. This may be harder than you think though.

You can also tire him out with play before you go to bed yourself so that he naturally falls asleep but leave him snugged up with an item of your clothing that you've worn so that he can smell you.

Leaving a night light on may help, a radio on low or ticking clock which is supposed to mimic the mums heart beat.

This will pass I assure you, in the meantime you might want to get some Red Bull in

Hi Ian,

I have a radio with him at the moment while i'm at work and will be going home in an hour or so to check up on him.

My OH wont even consider having him on the bed so I have made sure his bed is close to my side of our bed to make sure he knows im there.

Do they grow out of being so dependent and do they get used to being alone for periods of time? I don't want to annoy my neighbors because i've just moved into this house!

I dont think there is enough red bull to wake me up today!

Yes they do grow out of it & become more independent but they are very human orientated. If you're happy with him in your room with you then just place an article of clothing with him o he can smell you.

You could always try having him in another room at night or even start off with you and when he wakes perhaps comfort him and move him. The important thing is to make sure he knows your there.

He is still very young so it will take a little while for him to settle. Maybe a bottle of wine for the neighbors?

Thank you for your advice

I hope he learns quickly or i think my OH will kill me because it was my idea to get a Staffy Pup haha

I think they would need a lot more than a bottle

They are quick learners but you'll suffer a little until he's a little older and more confident but... It will pass.

Maybe you should do the cute thing with the neighbors and take the pup with you when you deliver the bottle

Would it be best to leave him in the house or in the yard while I'm at work through the day? I dont want to stress him out but i also dont want him destroying the house ha!

I might need to because he is absolutely adorable

It depends on where you live really. Yard life isn't good in the UK due to the weather but if you live in a warmer climate and can provide shelter then it can work but I wouldn't advise it until he's older.

We have an Australian moderator that will be happy to advise on that as she leaves her Staffy out whilst at work etc

I live in Australia
I have a big backyard which he seems to love but i dont want him getting out

I decided not to stop in and check on him today because i dont want him getting used to it :/ im worried im not doing the right thing by him by leaving him at home

Hi, Welcome from Koda & I in Sydney! I will post a proper reply when home on my laptop, i can definitely share my experiences with you (we got Koda at 8 wks too)

i would always worry about my dog getting out or being stolen if left in the yard.

hia from me and sasha
He is only a baby and will grow out of it,i had sasha's bed next to mine when she was a pup so when she cried i could stroke her gently and reasure her,he will grow out of it,bare with him

I had him in hien enclosure last night but he just realized if he tries hard enough, he can actually jump out or tip it over to get onto the ned
I spent almost 2 hours trying to get him to lay down and sleep... i took him outside for a play, bathroom and i put him to bed with some old clothing, then tried a clock and then tried the radio while still trying to pat him He only settled when i put him outside on his bed and after about 20 mins he was asleep but then woke me at 5am barking his head off. I came outside with him until 6 then put him back inside in the enclosure and he went to sleep until 8:30!

also, does anyone have any Suggestions on getting him to walk with his lead on? Once I put his lead on, he will sit down and not budge but once i take it off, hes like a shadow and wont leave my sise :/ hes a stubborn little pup thats for sure

So have you made progress with the sleeping?

Show him the lead and pop it on him, then let him wander around without anyone holding it. He'll soon realise that it's nothing to worry about and you'll have achieved step one of training

Only made a bit of progress when i stuck him outside.. he was crying for 20 mins then i think he realised he wasnt going to get his way and went to sleep.. i actually got more than 2 hours sleep! Woohoo! Haha

Ive tried that but hes like a statue and will sot there, not move and chew on his lead haha, i think he thinks its a toy

Gr at news you got some sleep at last... It'll just get better and better with time.

Leave the lead loose and use bribery to get him to move... Something tasty should do the trick

Hi again, sorry for the late reply (laptop probs). How are you getting on ?

I got our boy when he was 8wks, we had to try many things before we found what worked for us and most importantly for him. It was a very testing time but trust me I promise it DOES get better !! Hard to see that when you're in it I know.

We bought a kids play pen and put that up outside, then we would leave him in it (in shelter, with toys/treats & water) for short periods of time (duck to the shops quickly), and slowly increase the time. We did this quickly as we both work full-time and can't be with him. At night we had him sleeping in the laundry with a kiddy-safe gate so he couldn't get into anywhere else in the house, he'd wake us during the night once or twice and we'd take him outside for toilet (even though he'd often been in the laundry). He soon got the hang of toilet training thankfully! Eventually he was big enough to push the gate enough it would either pop out from the door frame or he could jump over it if he was determined enough, so we took it down and at night he'd sleep on our bed (as much as I LOVE the cuddles I miss the space and really wish we didn't do this now). During the day we'd leave him and go to work (8hrs+), we made sure he was well walked in the morn and again in the arvo, he's 2 now and that has never changed. A tired dog is a happy dog we soon learnt ! (after he'd chewed the BBQ to bits, ripped the termite system from underneath the house in it's entirety, and chewed a screen door frame!!).

My advice is slowly but surely, just make sure he's left in a safe environment (i.e. can't dig under fences etc. - we put sleepers from Bunnings along the entire fence line, pricey but worth it for peace of mind during the day), remove anything you don't want chewed or destroyed, make sure there's plenty of shelter for both the bad weather and the heat, and remember it's us who don't cope more than the pup themselves ! Often a little whine/cry when we first leave then they sleep sleep sleep while we worry worry worry ! He's now 2.5yrs and we rarely have any problems with him, it does get better!!

Thabks for all of the help everyone

I have finally got Opei to calm down and realise that he sleeps outside

My main issue now is biting he wont bite my OH or friends but he will come over and bite me on every bit of skin possible.. hands, legs, arms, feet and if he cant get to skin he will attack my clothes
I have tried saying no in a stern voice, make a high pitch squeel like hes hurt me, tried the puppy cry noise, i have stood up and turned my back to him but he just keeps doing it. I now have bite marks up my arms and huge scratches from teeth on my thighs.

He has so many toys to chew on but wont touch them or bite anyone else... how do i stop him from doing this?

Good to hear the sleep routine has been sorted

Nipping as a pup is very normal and will continue for some time sorry, sounds like you're doing the right things so stick with it, consistancy is the key & distraction. Remember its not malicious, its play to pup and the more you react the more fun the 'game' becomes!

Its not fun when it feels like he hates me
Im honestly the only one he bites and im the one who does everything for him e.i walk, feed, play and yet he just wants to eat me haha

I do have to say he is absolutely wonderful with kids and walking on his lead now! Hes picking things up really quick (excepy the biting haha)

Hi from us too!

Have a look at these videos, they cover things like lead walking.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0C724F6F6A597540

I think she covers biting too, but I've just posted about that to someone else here:

https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/t64724-how-to-tell-puppy-that-i-m-the-boss-without-agression

Most biting is attention seeking, so you treat it as that and you'll get your mind round it quickly.

I wouldn't worry too much as this is just typical puppy behaviour, especially staffs. My boy was the same and I did all the walking out of the room and turning my back. I thought it would never end! Then one day it just seemed to stop and you really couldn't have a sweeter natured dog! I think he was around 5 months, but it was well worth the wait.
Just keep doing what you're doing, he'll get there.

Since ive been on here last, Opei has settled in nicely
He still bites at my hands but is happy sleeping outside and being home while im at work! No holes in the yard and nothing has been torn to pieces!

Other than him still biting, we have the issue of walks. He is great and will walk next to or behind me but when he sees a person he will stop, sit and wont move until they either pat him or are half way down the block. It turns a 5 min walk into a half an hour one. I feel terrible pulling on his collar (half choker chain, half fabric) and i feel like people would see me as a bad owner dragging my dog to get him to walk again
Has anyone else had this issue?

it's quite normal behaviour for a friendly dog - he wants a fuss!

try not to pull on his collar, especially as it's a half check. take some really stinky treats with you and try encouraging him to move by calling his name & offering the treat.

Does the colour of blue staffs affect temperament?

hi welcome- Buddy does the sitting down thing when he sees a person or another dog and then when they are close he lunges at them to play - scary for some people and arm hurting for me- I have started clicker training him and so far it seems to help as I see the distraction I click and say watch me and keep his gaze and either change direction or treat him as we walk past whatever or whoever it is .. this morning worked really well two cats and a dog ignored .. I used to walk Buddy on a harness and a half check with a double ended lead when he was a small puppy , that way if he pulled I let the harness take the strain and it allowed me to check his collar to make a noise but not really hurt him .. still walk him that way now if he is excitable or he is going to go on a long line ..

So after ages i am back to ask a question:
Opei seems to have huge anxiety issues with other dogs. When we go for a walk, he will sit or lay down when he sees another dog and wont move until the other dog passes... he has been around dogs constantly and they still seem to scare him...

I had this problem with my boy. It began when he was about 7 or 8 months and went on for quite awhile. He would just lie down when another dog approached, nothing would move him! I tried treats, excited voice to get him to play, etc., in the end I just ignored him, I stood there, looking and feeling like an idiot waiting for the other dog to pass. Eventually he stopped doing it. Looking back, I think he was building up his confidence, because he's fine now. Like all theses phases, they do pass!

I can't stress enough how important it is to socialise try your dog with older calmer dogs its all still a new environment for him walk him everywhere and get him introduced to new noises, smells ,livestock etc xx

Ive done that since he was 8 weeks old and hes now 9 months but hes just so dcared.. he is amazing with people but dogs seem to scare him..
Hes the runt and we were told he was picked on by his siblings alot (he came to us with bite marks and scratches all over his face)

I'm a huge believer in allowing a dog to gain confidence in the space he's comfortable with. As I wrote yesterday on lilcody's thread, not every dog has to accept others in his space, any more than I have to accept people standing right up against me.

I would have him on a long lead so he can choose where he is and politely ask others not to allow their dogs to crowd him (even one dog would be a crowd for Opei). Encourage him to relax while watching other dogs at his comfortable distance, then when he can do that see if he can start to close the gap, gradually and in his own time.

While you are working on it, do whatever you can to keep other dogs at a distance so that you don't have the fear feeling repeated - feeling scared reinforces how horrid it is to have these dogs around him.

Dealing with a problem has three prongs - management, avoidance and training (it's called MAT). With fear situations, it can often be a combination of all three that gets you there in the end, that and a bucket load of patience.