Urgent Help!

My (nearly) 1 year old Staffy X has been acting very strange lately and it's scaring me if i'm being honest.
Two days ago, my parents shout me to come down stairs because kade keeps growling at them and won't let them stroke him or go close to him. As soon as he heard me he ran upto me and wanted me to pick him up and now he will never leave my side.

Not only this but he is starting to growl at me and bare his teeth, I've done nothing to him he'll just all of a sudden turm into this horrible dog that I don't know anymore. It's so frustrating and upsetting, i've had him since he was 4 weeks old, he's my little boy that I love too bits. But I don't know what to do or who to turn to. My little nephew loves him but I can't risk letting Kade be aorund anyone in public at all. I'm scared that he's going to bite someone and then I'll lose him forever.

I did find him eating monkshood plant the day before he started being like this, which I know can be fatal to humans and animals and I'm wondering if this could have any effect on his behaviour. I have since removed the plant but if that hasn't caused his sudden turn in behaviour, then what else. He's always been a well trained dog, never snatches food and always waits politely for food and water.

I'm sorry for this long essay but I'm worried and I just want to heelp him.
Thanks in advance,
Johnny & Kade .

What has made Kades behaviour change? Is there anything you can think of? A dogs behaviour doesn't change over night for nothing.

Has he been neutered? If not is there a female nearby in season? Can infuriate them, natural instinct.

Something has to have/is triggering it. They don't just turn. Keep calm with him, there must be a cause somewhere. Xx

If you dont see anything that you think could have changed his behavior then its a tuff one.
But when a dog is in that frame of mind the worst thing you can do is try to comfort it, I know that sounds silly but its not a child its a dog and they dont think like we do you giving attention to it when it is in this mood is like challenging it if you know what I mean.
Somewere along the line your dog has mixed messages from you if he does this walk away and ignore him until he moves from that mood into one were he is calm. Other dogs would give him space and not approach him so you do the same see how he goes, thats the only help I can give

Thanks for taking the time to read and reply, I'm going to get him neutered soon because obviously I don't want any little Kades running around. I seriously can't think of anything that could have got him into this mood, it is likee he's just turned. The only thing I can think of is him eating that poisonous plant. I'm going to take him to the vets asap, I' just sticking to ignoring him and not giving him attention when he's in this frame of mind.

I just hope I can get it sorted because I feel like I'm walking on egg shells around him. I just don't kno when he's going to turn again.

Thanks again for the help and advice, every piece of advice helps ;

Not a clue about plants! Vets opinion and let us know how it goes. I just wonder that he has now reached sexual maturity that there maybe a bitch in season around.

Let us know how it goes Xx

It may have something to do with the age that you had him most often or not when they get older and more confident. How come you had him at such a young age, Mind you there is no excuse really the breeder should never of allowed it, they need to stay with siblins and their mother for atleast 8 weeks for a reason. If the mother became aggressive towards her pups the breeder should of atleast kept all pups together until the right age. There are so many behavioural problems linked to pups being taking away from their mother and siblins before their they are mentally/socially/physically ready.
Keep him on a lead (chain so he can not chew it/allow him to drag it around the house with him etc) when he behaves badly remove him to another room and leave him there until he has calmed down.

I got him at such a young age because the mother couldn't feed any of the pups anymore. She became ill and had to have two of her teets removed. She also suffered from a calcium deffeciency which meant that if the pups fed off her, she wouldn't have enough calcium inside of her for herself. I do realise that he should have been with the mother but I was up at early hours of the night for many weeks, giving him a feed because his mother couldn't be there. I also felt that he would be better off with me, because I couldd look after him and give him a proper diet, because he wasn't getting looked after properly with the people I got him from.

It does sound probable that it could be related to this bu it just doesn't make sense for him to just turn like this all of a sudden.

It's best to ignore him if he being aggressive. A dog will not become aggressive overnight and without reason. If the only thing you can think of that might have caused the change was eating the plant I would agree with going to the vet ASAP. If there is a 24 hour vet near by or one you can call I would advise doing that as well. I'm not familiar with the plant you mentioned or what the toxin in it is but if there isn't a vet available you could try a Google search to see what the symptoms of the poision is and how fast they start to show.

I dont agre with Ignoring him when he is in a agressive mode (so to speak) you sould make clear that it's not done.
Do it by sending him out of the room away from you and others for exemple to the garden.
don't use his crate .
afther 10min you can let him in again and if he does it again you send him out again.
Repete it as long as nessesery.

When it happens when you walk him let him sit and wait stay calm be patient and walk on when he's calm also.

It could be he's in his second puberty and is testing how far he can go.

This doesnt make sense, for him to suddenly 'turn' as you put it he must have been traumatised, hurt or teased by someone. Or he could have a medical problem which is making him feel rubbish and not himself (for example eating the poisonous plant or something which means he is in pain). Is there any other time hes been left and someone could have frightened him (in the garden or park?!)

Nosipho wrote:This doesnt make sense, for him to suddenly 'turn' as you put it he must have been traumatised, hurt or teased by someone. Or he could have a medical problem which is making him feel rubbish and not himself (for example eating the poisonous plant or something which means he is in pain). Is there any other time hes been left and someone could have frightened him (in the garden or park?!)

I agree. Something has triggered this behaviour, and I think you need to get a vet to examine him to make sure that it isn't medical, first.

How did it start? Were your parents doing something (not related to him) that may have frightened him?

To be honest, I would lean towards it being medical - the fact that he came to you in a distressed state at the start of it all seems to point to him not being very well.