Advice on behavior please

Hi all I have a 10 month old female staff who came into season last Sat! I am planning on having her spayed as quite frankly there are far to many staffs in rescues and breeding is just cruel when so many are neglected and mistreated! Plus I just can't stand the mess! How long in general will she bleed for?

So the advice I am after is in a few areas really. She insists on jumping up over everyone and I tell people to ignore her and guess what some people don't listen to me surprise surprise then they tell me she's nuts and I need to train her to stop jumping! Anyway what can I do to stop her jumping? Also when she jumps and gets excited she nips but not in an agressive way is this normal? I hope so! What can I do to curb this? She has put holes in a few visitors clothes already and quite frankly it's stressful now to get visitors who don't know her and in turn this means she is generally caged or in the kitchen with access to the garden when visitors are here but that is not stopping the behaviour. How I long for a dog who can be loose in the house with visitors!

Now she is in season I understand I can get her spayed 3 months after her season and am wondering if at all by any chance will it calm her hyper behaviour? Even after a 2 and a half hour walk she can still seem as if she has been locked up for 6 months!

She also took to using my landing as a toilet when the back door was closed or when it was open and it was raining! I have solved this issue with a stairgate much to her disgust! She won't ask to go out apart from sitting at the back door so if I am not there and don't see it I don't know so how can I train her to ask with a noise to go out? At the moment it is not too bad as it's hot so the door can be open all day but winter will be here before we know it so I want to sort the problem now if I can.

Ok lastly (I think) everything in my house tends to happen at once so what a surprise (not) that my cat fell pregnant and was due to have kittens a few weeks before my holiday! Long story short she had 2 kittens 1 still born the other is beautiful and doing really well I used a spare room for the last few weeks of pregnancy because the dog likes to chase the cats if they run if they don't run she likes to lick them! So I decided to keep her and her kitten safe from the dog until I returned from my holiday. I got back last sat and have allowed her and her kitten out to roam the house and because of the stairgate they tend to stay upstairs if the dog is out thankfully as I am not 100% if she would try to eat the kitten or not. Have I dont the right thing? Probably not but I couldn't keep the cat and kitten locked up for any longer.

So with the dog being in season how will it effect her behaviour etc? Esp around the new addition? And yes I will be getting the cat spayed soon too!

Ok that's it for now I think many thanks in advance Nicky

she still a pup really i know it's pain but she will grow out if you be comsistenetly.

the toilet to fix that you need to take her out longer i take my out for around a hour twice a day.

the kittens bit if she been ok with your cat i cant see a problem but if you think there could be a problem move them to a save place.

It doesn't matter how long she is out for she will toilet upstairs if it is raining outside or if the door is shut?

I can't believe there is no way of stopping the jumping and nipping? I know she is still a pup but surely there is some specific training I can do or surely she will just carry on even when she is older?

Many thanks Nicky

You have to take her out longer only way fixing the toilet problem, i never had a problem with my dogs becasue they get dailly walks everyday it doesn't matter if i ill or tired,

i did say you have to be comsistenetly, really this should of done when she was a young pup, if she jump or nip you tell her off and you do it everytime she does dont let her get away it once then tell her off the next becasue you will have a confused / problem dog.

I have told her "no" from having her I have never let her get away with it and I have always been consistent. This is not a new problem or an ignored one.

As for the toilet issue she can be out for 2 and a half hours and still come in and toilet on my landing so do I keep her out all day?

she only really a pup still you have to keep on doing it there no other way really.

i take my dog out at 9 am & 6 pm every day so they know so they know their routine. if you take them out without routine then you going have problem

So your telling me your dogs only go to the toilet between 9 and 10 and 6 and 7? They never go in your garden? You don't let them out last thing at night for the toilet?

they learn when to goto toilet really this should of started when they was very young.

I have never ever known a dog that doesn't go to the toilet before bed? I understand they need to learn to go to the toilet on a walk but surely you don't make your dog go from 7pm untill 9am for the toilet?

By your replies you have assumed an awful lot about me and what I do (or it would seem in your opinion what I don't do) with my dog. I came here thinking I would get some advice not a judgemental opinion! Obviously this isn't the forum I thought it would be.

my mate as the same problem to you BUT his dog doesn't have rountine walk and hes expect his dog to be well behave over night, training start from the first day you get the pup.

I'm not having go or whatever, just try it & doesn't work you can tell me plan a routine 2 hours walk twice a day at the sametime everyday. becasue i say a tired dog is a good dog a bored and an untired dog is a problem dog.

Mad staffy owner simple question here

does your dog have a routine walk?

Actually what I forgot to say too is when your dog does a wee or a poo say a particular word ( I use 'widdles" ) so they associate going to the loo with that word. Makes things alot easier like if it was raining and you don't have much time, put the dog outside and say the word and you will find eventually they will just run off and go to the loo!

a dog need a routine all the time, it's deosn't matter if it's raining, showing thundering your dog need to go out at the same time of day ever days,

i've had ptibulls and staffies all my life i never had problem with any of them becasue they had a routine & i was consistent with them.

woody still did the jumping up/nipping with visitors even with a no as he was just so excited and it was his way of greeting. ive tried a different techinque of getting people to turn their backs on him and ignore him until he sits nicely and calmly - they then fuss him. this is working as more often thatn not now he will be calm when they come in as he knows he will get fussed sooner. its finding what works for your dog

Mad staffy owner wrote:So the advice I am after is in a few areas really. She insists on jumping up over everyone and I tell people to ignore her and guess what some people don't listen to me surprise surprise then they tell me she's nuts and I need to train her to stop jumping! Anyway what can I do to stop her jumping? Also when she jumps and gets excited she nips but not in an agressive way is this normal? I hope so! What can I do to curb this? She has put holes in a few visitors clothes already and quite frankly it's stressful now to get visitors who don't know her and in turn this means she is generally caged or in the kitchen with access to the garden when visitors are here but that is not stopping the behaviour. How I long for a dog who can be loose in the house with visitors!


She also took to using my landing as a toilet when the back door was closed or when it was open and it was raining! I have solved this issue with a stairgate much to her disgust! She won't ask to go out apart from sitting at the back door so if I am not there and don't see it I don't know so how can I train her to ask with a noise to go out? At the moment it is not too bad as it's hot so the door can be open all day but winter will be here before we know it so I want to sort the problem now if I can.

Have you had her since she was a young pup, or did you get her when she was a bit older?????

My girl was / is a jumper and nipper but with perseverence she has improved a lot. Yes she still jumps sometimes, but nowhere near what she used to. It used to drive me absolutely nuts but we're getting there. When she jumps we ignore her, but she is the type of dog who just keeps going and it is very hard to stand there while ignoring with her still jumping. We had / have a couple of strategies. Firstly if we are outside and she starts to jump and nip we give her a firm "No" or "Uh" and if she continues we will come inside so she gets no attention until she is calm. Also we have a tie-out line in the yard and a leash inside the house (attatched to out VERY heavy entertainment unit) so we can also chain her on that and then move away and ignore her for a couple of minutes until she calms ( your crate/cage would do the same job), then she is let off to play again. If she continues to misbehave we do the same again until she gets the message ( Never leaving her on the chain for a long period of time, only a few minutes at a time and also never leaving the room or yard....she can still see and hear what is going on and we can make sure she is ok, while giving her the cold-shoulder ) This has helped with us, and now most times if she jumps we can say a firm "Uh, get down" and she will generally stop. If she is too excited when visitors come over then she is put outside.
Maybe you could put her on her leash when visitors arrive and ask her to sit. She may be too excited to sit at first, but at least you would have more control if she was on lead. Your visitors could give her a quick Hello and then ignore her til she calms before giving her more attention. It does all take time, patience and perserverance...but if you are consistent with your efforts she should improve.

With regards to the toileting, maybe go back to basics and do what you would do if she were a baby pup .........take her out for toilet after eating, drinking, sleeping, playing etc...... and also about every hour too. Take her to where you would like her to do her business, give her a key-word or phrase ( ours is "do wees" ) and hopefully she will do the deed. When she goes toilet where you want her to give her LOADS of praise and make a big fuss. Soon she should associate outside and the keyword with her toileting. If/when she messes in the house don't make a fuss. Remove her from the area and clean up the mess while she can't see you do it. Again consistency and persistance is the key, but you should see inprovements soon.

Good luck. Hope this is of some help

( Sorry, it looks like i've written an essay )

For the jumping - teach a sit/stay and have her in the sit/stay when you get visitors. It'll take you a while to get it perfected, but you'll get there.

For the toilet issues - teach her to ring a set of bells or something similar (using paw or nose) to be let outside so you know you can hear. Also - when it's raining you MUST go outside with her so you know she's done her business outside. Combine this with going back to basics (outside at least every hour) and you should get there.

Personally I don't have a routine for the dogs (or myself) bc I hate being around a dog who thinks it can "predict the future", but whatever you choose you have to find a way that work for you and your dog. You have to remember a 10 month old is just a baby, you have to expect putting in at least another year of work and patience before she's likely to start calming down (gradually). But - the work you put into the dog the first few years are repaid many times over with a well behaved adult dog for many years.

Aniemother wrote:For the jumping - teach a sit/stay and have her in the sit/stay when you get visitors. It'll take you a while to get it perfected, but you'll get there.

For the toilet issues - teach her to ring a set of bells or something similar (using paw or nose) to be let outside so you know you can hear. Also - when it's raining you MUST go outside with her so you know she's done her business outside. Combine this with going back to basics (outside at least every hour) and you should get there.

Personally I don't have a routine for the dogs (or myself) bc I hate being around a dog who thinks it can "predict the future", but whatever you choose you have to find a way that work for you and your dog. You have to remember a 10 month old is just a baby, you have to expect putting in at least another year of work and patience before she's likely to start calming down (gradually). But - the work you put into the dog the first few years are repaid many times over with a well behaved adult dog for many years.

how may times do you take your dogs out? once a day? i bet your garden is full wit crap

dog need a routine! twice maybe 3 times a day walk 1 hour plus per walk!

Steve wrote:how may times do you take your dogs out? once a day? i bet your garden is full wit crap

I have a puppy, so I'm outside almost all the time Bajas doesn't always come outside with us, though, he's plenty happy going outside 2 or 3 times a day (unless it's nice and sunny, then he'd rather bask in the sun all day if he could). I'm glad having a routine works for you, but it doesn't for me. And dog doesn't need it unless you teach them to have one. It IS, however, a good way to do it if you tend to slack and wouldn't get outside enough without one. I used to do the routine thing, and both the dogs and I were miserable (not these dogs, previous dogs) because every now and then things prevent you from following your routine (injuries, vet visit that requires no food, visitors, pet sitter) and a dog with routines is unhappy. Now we're all happy - what's the problem with that?

my dogs are happy & well behave they know when they going need the toilet (remember they are alot smaller so they willn't need the toilet like us) i never had toilet problem becasue my dog learn from early stages this is when they are going for wee or poo and when they at home and may need a wee or poo they know to come to us or wait at the door till someone let them out. IMO if you dont have a routine for your dog you just asking for trouble and a smelly house.

Steve wrote:my dogs are happy & well behave they know when they going need the toilet (remember they are alot smaller so they willn't need the toilet like us) i never had toilet problem becasue my dog learn from early stages this is when they are going for wee or poo and when they at home and may need a wee or poo they know to come to us or wait at the door till someone let them out.

I don't disagree with any of that. It's exactly the same here, too, even if we don't have any routines. Bajas hasn't pooped in the garden, not even once, and he's 9 yrs old now. Poops are for walkies (which can be a pain now that he's hardly able to walk due to a back injury). I think dogs can be taught a routine and live very well with it, but they handle the lack of it just as well (assuming they have an owner with a little sense between the ears who make sure they get walked enough and taken outside whenever it's necessary). After all they are little undercover wolves, and there's not one wolf out there in the wilderness who have been able to book his or her dinner to arrive at regularly scheduled times (unfortunately for the wolf, I suppose).

Mad staffy owner wrote:I have never ever known a dog that doesn't go to the toilet before bed? I understand they need to learn to go to the toilet on a walk but surely you don't make your dog go from 7pm untill 9am for the toilet?

By your replies you have assumed an awful lot about me and what I do (or it would seem in your opinion what I don't do) with my dog. I came here thinking I would get some advice not a judgemental opinion! Obviously this isn't the forum I thought it would be.

Mine is 6 months old and will quite happily go to bed without wanting to go to the toilet first if he basically can't be bothered to go outside and he holds it all night if he needs to, but you need a routine like steve said and she will learn as she is only young.

Hi there,
there's a book Why Does My Dog...? written by John Fisher and he writes there about plenty of things and the jumping is there as well.
With regard to the house training - Stella is 10 weeks, I've had her over 2 weeks now and it seems to me that it is getting actually worse, together with her problems being left alone (when I go to have a shower for example).
I take her out regularly (she doesn't like it when it is raining now but I take her there in spite of this) and just now I've taken her out, she peed, I rewarded her (I've started with a key word 'do wee do wee' recently) and took her back again - it's raining and it's actually almost impossible to keep her out long enough, she just runs home straight away. Then I went upstairs and she started howling and made a poo behind the TV cupboard which she has never done before - she has always used pads by the door outside to do her poo when she couldn't get out (in the night).
So I guess it's just a long way to go with patience...I know she's really small and her pooing and peeing when left alone could probably partially be caused by her anxiety which probably influences her concentration on her bladder&intestines
So I guess it will get better when she grows up if I stay consistent taking her out regularly/rewarding/cleaning
Can't wait for her to complete the jabs because then I'll go out properly - it is what I've always enjoyed with dogs the most so she'll get plenty of regular walks
I've to say my friend started loosing patience, he told me I should start reprimanding her because she goes backwards with the house training...
I'd like to ask - why is it so important to clean it when she's not there? Because I have just 1 open room dowstairs which means that putting her aways is a wee bit difficult so she always sees me doing the cleaning.
Thanks you all for this forum, I really find it so helpful...!
Best wishes and Good Luck
Marie

Wow.

Ok, firstly - I will also recommend the John Fisher book. I used to run a training club with John (before he wrote books!) and he was pretty good!

Secondly, your dog's season will last about 3 weeks from start to finish. She'll be receptive to dogs from about day 10 to about day 15, but that's just a guide! Yes, it's messy, but you can get hygeine pads from the pet stores which will help a lot.

The jumping up, you have to be consistent with. Turn and ignore - no interractions at all, no eye contact, no talking. And you must make sure other people do the same - don't take no for an answer, she's your dog, and she gets treated the way you say!

The toileting in the house is a problem. It could be that her bladder is not yet strong enough to 'hang on' too long when she needs to go. Is there any way you can put a 'dog door' in your back door so that she can go into the garden when she wants? If it's raining, well, a lot of dogs don't like the rain, but she'll grow out of it to an extent.

Routines are fine if it suits both owner and dog. Some dogs get very bored with a set routine (so do some owners!), but as long as a staff has at least 2 good long walks a day they'll do fine. I personally give a long walk in the morning, starting anything from 6.30am to about 9am, then a long walk in the afternoon/evening. Then a short walk just before I go to bed.