Need a bit of help!

first i would like to say hi to everybody

i have a 12 month old staffy cross who was an angel till about 4 months ago when everything went wrong he was ok with dogs and now has started jumping on his back leggs making like a screaming noise at them he was attacked at 5 months in our home and then was attacked again a few months ago by a mastiff the mastiffs owner grabbed him by the coulour and he nipped her arm as he was been attacked by the mastiff when she grabbed him he had bite marks on the back of his legs could her grabbing him by his coulor have anything to do with it cause it seems when we go out now he doesnt listen to me and loses the plot barks at everybody going past and seems not to trust anybody he is a lovley dog getting rid is not an option just want my boy to be happy again please help??

Do you have a dog school/club in your area having meeting/passing classes? Perhaps a few private sessions with a good trainer is the best way to start, but at least around here there are special classes dealing with these things. Whenever things get a bit crazy it can be very helpful to have a professional give you some input. Sometimes our actions make it worse, which wouldn't be good in this kind of situation.

When you're out with him make sure you have plenty of treats or a squeeky toy he really likes. When you see someone coming, get Diesal to sit & distract him with the treats/toy. If he looks towards them, just say "No, leave" and offer the treat or show him the toy. Plenty of praise if he does.

If he starts to bark etc, just turn him around & make him sit again. Distract him with the treats or toy. Sooner or later he'll catch on & look for the treat/toy when he sees someone coming. That's the time you can try walking past them, talking to him & luring him with the treats. If at any time he launches into a frenzy, then just calmly go back to the sit.

The main thing to remember is for you to keep calm & as quiet as possible. Try not to get stressed or impatient because he'll pick up on it. It might take some time, but eventually you'll be able to walk past a dog without him losing it!

Caryll wrote:When you're out with him make sure you have plenty of treats or a squeeky toy he really likes. When you see someone coming, get Diesal to sit & distract him with the treats/toy. If he looks towards them, just say "No, leave" and offer the treat or show him the toy. Plenty of praise if he does.

If he starts to bark etc, just turn him around & make him sit again. Distract him with the treats or toy. Sooner or later he'll catch on & look for the treat/toy when he sees someone coming. That's the time you can try walking past them, talking to him & luring him with the treats. If at any time he launches into a frenzy, then just calmly go back to the sit.

The main thing to remember is for you to keep calm & as quiet as possible. Try not to get stressed or impatient because he'll pick up on it. It might take some time, but eventually you'll be able to walk past a dog without him losing it!

Don't think I can add much to this really. Just be patient and eventually things will work out. If not you could always try a behaviorist.

I have exactly the same problem with Harry who is 3 after he was attacked by a Collie, and I know just how you are feeling because I just want my dog to be as he was before this happened. Have booked Harry to have one to one training starting middle of August, but just the last couple of days have been doing the 'watch' training, getting him to look at me and giving treats. Its already lessened his response to other dogs a little bit. This morning I fed him treat after treat and got him past a dog with just a growl, no lunging etc., It did help that the lady with the other dog was kind and just said to him "I know you don't mean that' smiled and walked on with her dog, some other dog walkers can be quite nasty and that stresses me and in turn my dog.

Could I recommend you read a little booklet called Feisty Fido, by P.Mcconnell, I found it very helpful and reassuring. The people on this forum were great when I needed advice too and made me feel much better about the situation.

Good luck, hope we are both able to report good progress soon.

hope you get it all sorted
good luck

Awww the poor little thing I cant offer any advice but I do hope you manage to get it under controll good luck let us know how you get on

hi all
thanks for everybodys advice diesal still has alot of issues to get through but slowly we are getting there i have changed the route we walk also we are finding it better to ignore him when there is a dog there cause he doesnt react unless you tell him to leave it still a very long way to go but baby steps
lizzie i hope you get sorted soon :L i know what you mean by nasty owners i have had a fair few give me dirty looks and made comments to him stuff them thats what i say

Brilliant, glad it's coming good!

Hi, dont know if this will be of any use to you but we had the same situation with saff, before we found this foum we went straight to training classes which to be fair did help find a techique that worked, however after joining and posting here and recieving allot of good advise that we have practiced and practiced she has come on leaps and bounds. for us it was more being persistant with her, that was 8 months ago and shes still not quite there yet! i guess im saying just keep it up, and give it time Also try and relax more as i made saff miles worse, as soon as i stopped being so tense so did she.

I would certainly work on strong socialization with both dogs and people. Agree a trainer should help to take emotions out of it. Dogs read our emotions very well. The poor pup likely had his confidence and security shattered by the two attacks, but this can be rebuilt. Have to choose the people and dogs used as props during his confiedence work very carefully.

had a bit of fall back! with stupid people not calling there dogs back when i ask them too which you would think would be common sense when you see a dgo lunging with his hair up ! no serious problems just a lot of selective hearing

when he sees another dog he lets out like a scream is this aggresion or fear??

Jadiie23 wrote: had a bit of fall back! with stupid people not calling there dogs back when i ask them too which you would think would be common sense when you see a dgo lunging with his hair up ! no serious problems just a lot of selective hearing

when he sees another dog he lets out like a scream is this aggresion or fear??

Its hard to say what the scream is because it could mean anything the noise goes along with the body language thats the only way to tell, If you have a mate or someone with you, try and record it if possible, so we can see your techniques perfectly and exactly what his body language is saying, if its fear aggression it'll be very different training needed as to if it was frustration aggression, if you get what i mean.

Jadiie23 wrote: when he sees another dog he lets out like a scream is this aggresion or fear??

MissRogue wrote:

Jadiie23 wrote: had a bit of fall back! with stupid people not calling there dogs back when i ask them too which you would think would be common sense when you see a dgo lunging with his hair up ! no serious problems just a lot of selective hearing

when he sees another dog he lets out like a scream is this aggresion or fear??

Its hard to say what the scream is because it could mean anything the noise goes along with the body language thats the only way to tell, If you have a mate or someone with you, try and record it if possible, so we can see your techniques perfectly and exactly what his body language is saying, if its fear aggression it'll be very different training needed as to if it was frustration aggression, if you get what i mean.

Claire's right - there are different noises (screams) for different emotions. A lot comes down to body language coupled with the noise, so it's hard to say if it's fear/frustration/aggression.

Sounds like he has fear aggression, which was obviously caused from the traumatic attacks. This is different from just general male aggression, which is 'natural.' The second can be eased by neutaring the dog but some males will hate other males no matter what is done and its just part of the genetic inheritence of the dog. Neither is a reflection on your ownership!
Can't really add much to the great advice the others have given you but do you have a friend with a very friendly dog? It might be worth getting him a doggy 'friend' to build his confidence up again. Always let him say hello to another CALM dog but make sure both dogs are on a lead. (No snappy dogs or puppies) If he starts lunging and getting scared distract him with a toy or treat and calmly walk on. Don't react or try to get stressed because he'll pick up on your emotion. As he gradually gets used to other dogs again you can get a longer and longer lead. I've known of FA dogs that have been attacked and have after a long time, got used to other dogs again. From what you've described it sounds to me to fear aggression not male aggression; i've seen my boy getting * off at another male and he grumbles and goes stiff legged. If i haven't grabbed him by this point he'll rumble at them and posture (its a really horrible noise like a gargling roar-not high pitched at all). The next stage would be a lunge at the throat, which i've blocked before, when i wasn't so familier with his body language and didn't remove him from the situation swiftly enough.

another failed attempt we went out today and we used the stop and sit tech suggested by the behviourist big FAIL!

was all going well with the pulling till he seen a big ginger dog started screaming and scramming towards it even though it was a good distance one thing i have notice about diesal he does not like to be challenged if you tell him to stop he will scream at you too.. then we seen another dog that always growls at him he went mad at that

thanks everybody for the advice you dont know how much it helps when i read theses and have a bad day with diesal

we will be trying the water bottle tech tommrow fingers crossed

and shakespheres dog diesal was neutred at 5 months off they came we have had it confirmed it is fear of being attaked again and obvious we was going all wrong about it

I WONT GIVE UP & I WILL WIN

and for the people who turn the other way when the see him coming i just wish they knew why diesal is like he is instead of judge theres another mad staffy pfft sooooo wrong !

Jadiie23 wrote: one thing i have notice about diesal he does not like to be challenged if you tell him to stop he will scream at you too

This sounds like frustration be careful because he could take his frustration out on you if he can not get to another dog.
Stay calm and firm and get his attention, I have found the head halti to wonders with this, you control the muzzle and therefore the entire head much more than a collar.
If you pull up and towards him you put him into a sit (which is submissive to you) right infront of you with eye contact, where you can then give direction/treats etc.

I agree with Claire.

Have you thought about a halti? I know it doesn't suit everyone, but it's worth a try & it will give you control over the head. If you get a long training lead (about 70", with a clip at each end - you can get them off ebay ) & clip one end to the halti & the other to the collar/harness, you'll have excellent control all round.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=head+halti&_sacat=See-All-Categories

Size 2 is for Staffies
A little later on you can get a even longer lead so he can socialise and if you see any bad body language you give a tug and the head halti will close his muzzle so he can not attack and he can then be pulled in.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Halti-Dog-Training-Lead-Multi-Functional-Black-/180571123905?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Dogs&var=&hash=item6fc2b35ea9

Exactly the same method and equipment i use and it works wonders

hi everybody big sucess with the water bottle :D walked pass 3 dogs without barking just tensed abit early days but will keep at it also thanks for info definately going to invest in theses

working with the halti & water bottle fingers crossed were on right track.x

Only real professional that cause deal with true root of the problem, Is a dog behaviorist , Costly but worth It!