Staffyluv

My pound pup was a spare of the moment purchase We were there on a Friday picking up a new foster and this little staffy cross was due the following Monday.. So being the intelligent woman I am, I let my heart rule my head and put my name against the poor frightened, smelly little guy... I intended to get another purebred stafford but it just did not work out like that at the time.. I saved him for the same reason anyone gets a dog - deep down I wanted another one, he was there and he needed me as much as I needed him...

BYBers probably don't really add up the costs of having a litter - they probably just look at 5 pups at $400+ each = $2000+ in their pocket. They may not don't think of the extra food for mum, worming, vaccinations, microchipping etc - because they probably don't do the majority of it... So when they see breeders selling their pups at $1000+ each, they only think of the profit they could have made if they had sold their pups at that price... My non breeders idea of BYBing...

I don't know of any low cost desexing schemes here but you might try the local councils/dog pounds as I do think they give a reduction for those on centrelink benefits... I will second the recommendation of Hamish at West Queanbeyan vets, the practice is awesome and Hamish is a wonderful vet...

OK we now have an appointment with a trainer coming to the house to assess him and talk about her training classes. She sounded really positive when I explained about the issues I was having and said that Ziggy is behaving like a typical teenager. She also said of course he is bored, if he was running a few times a week and now he is not but without good recall, I have done the right thing keeping him out of the park. We also talked about him being 'over friendly' and 'pushy' with shy dogs and she said that we will work on all of that. I feel much better now that I have the appointment next Tuesday here at home so she can see him in his own environment (she is going to bring a couple of her dogs as well).. She is going to assess him here and then decide if we need more one on one or we can go straight to her classes (which she is taking names for the next round now). Thanks wuffles, lots of ideas and believe it or not we do break training with a ball throw here and there (ball chasing is his fave at the moment, last week it was tug with a rope toy).. He is not a face licker and not dominant at all, so never tries to get over me at all with anything. The chasing him sounds like a good idea - he loves to run and if I turn it around on him, I am pretty sure he will like that...

Yes someone was recommended but I just don't really have the funds for a one on one trainer at the moment, hence the reason for contacting the local dog club.. I will call her and just try to make ends meet another way - I love this boy to bits and when he is good, he is really good but when he is being naughty, he is horrid...

.... ;) two of the most aggressive dogs I have know have shown no really noticeable things like salivating a lot ..they just come in like a missile. True Pers... I learned that hackles up does not mean aggressive (it can but not always). We have a very large Labrador at the local dog park and when he comes barreling in for some fun, his hackles are right up. He is just very excited - I have to admit the first time he came running at Ziggy and I when we went, I was afraid for Ziggy but Ziggy ran right up to him and they just started playing... The last dog to attack Ollie years ago just came running across a football field with her tail wagging and she launched herself at him and grabbed a hold of his cheek and started to shake him and pull... Horrible situation... But Ol was fine in the end... Trying to work out dog language is challenging for us mere humans...

Thanks Weasels, I didn't see you post before but I will have a read later today. This dog is driving me insane... He is picking on the pup, he won't do anything that is asked of him (yes I had a lead on him most of the day yesterday as I am concerned about his really rough play with the Pippa)... He is chewing my outdoor setting when left alone. The last 2 days we have had 5 ten to fifteen minute training sessions (you get to the 15 minutes and he really can't be bothered) and a 45 minute walk morning and ball chasing in the yard for about the same time in the afternoon... It is like he is bored out of his brain and is just looking for something to occupy him... He is digging more than ever the last few days and now he is digging in spots that he is not allowed to dig (he has a spot up the back of the yard with dirt where he is allowed to move it around and that has worked up to now)... What is wrong with him - he is actually getting worse, not better?? Or is it me?? I call him and he looks at me and just ignores me completely, I tell him to sit and he just walks away (if he is on lead I can make him sit but then he gets back up again immediately, so I make him sit again).. Pippa is at least getting some unconventional training - she watches him and copies what he is doing.. Her stay is pretty amazing for a pup that has not really been taught this.. Even if she is sitting and I say stay, she lays down and just stays there... Back to the boofhead - I will call the training club again (I have called them 3 times and left messages and still no one has contacted me) as I really don't think I can do this on my own especially now he is not running off steam at the park...

Might be helpful to check out the health thread on foods that dog should not have. Dried fruit is not good, neither are grapes...

We use fruit, veg, tinned fish, yogurt, cottage cheese, peanut butter (is a fave)... We also freeze turkey necks and brisket bones - keeps them happy for a while. Freezing home made stock with treats in it, in ice cream containers so he has to work for it...

They never lasted very long with my old stafford but I pulled to many out of his throat because he would soften them and try to swallow them whole - so he never got them and I am not game to give them to the boy I have here as he will swallow a chicken wing whole (he does not get these anymore either)... I stick with frozen turkey necks or brisket bones these days

Awe that is awesome that she went to greet (even though she backed away, at least she is making the move to say hi now)...

Or you could chat,to the owner and make sure that you can both access the park at differing times... I would not be taking my dogs any where near it, if it is acting like that and it is only 10 months old... I also believe that some dogs just seem to be targets for other dogs for whatever reason.

Heather thank you for the support and we will definitely come back when he is a behaving.. We do love that park and he does love Lando, you only have to see his reaction when he sees her coming towards the gate.. He wriggles like a little puppy to get to her... And no, I have never had an issue with Lando or you telling hi to stop if you see it before I do.. He loves Koala's kelpies to (as they run and he can run with them)... We will miss Griffy, the baby corgi, to... Have fun guys

This is what I thought to wuffles... It is how i have been with Ziggy the whole time. We took another staffy with us last time and it was a little tense, so we left... We did the right thing and I just keep getting hammered for it... Ziggy is having some recall issues and he tries to hard to say hello sometimes, I am happy for other dogs to tell him to cut it out.. He deserves it for being a pest... But I do my best, watching him and getting him out of it and I don't allow him to do these things, he is told off and told to get out each time.. I realise now that is not enough and I should have been clipping his lead on him to stop him.. I am working on it. He runs with the dogs,running in the park... He is a runner and will run the whole time we are there, it is all he wants to do... But I am happy to keep him away until I can rectify these problems, minor that I think they are... There are plenty of other dogs at the park with much bigger issues than the ones I am having with my 11 month old boy at the moment.

The puppy attack in the general thread? No it wasn't at yarralumla.. Ziggy and I won't be coming back to yarralumla as ther is a new DOLer who has issues with Ziggy and his running around in case he bumps into her dog... That and ziggy's recall is still not what it needs to be to be let loose with other dogs. As much as we love that park and he loved to play with all your dogs, we wouldn't want to upset anyone... We will stay here until he/we get it right and he is not a nuisance to others... Hopefully sooner rather than later... :) If it helps I believe I am the other DOLer and I won't be taking my dogs to Yarralumla again. I normally take them to Tuggeranong mid-week when it is not busy and I will continue to do this. BTW Staffyluv my little girl is not aggressive to other dogs, she just doesn't even seem to notice them. All she wants to do is chase balls, and I don't take balls to the park. She is the first in line in the photo above. I am sorry you found her aggressive. She doesn't like dogs getting in her space especially if there is a ball to be chased. She has a working dog temperament and she is focussed on the one thing - that ball. She is also trained to a high level and has done well at trialling and I am very confident of her recall. Hope you all have a wonderful time. :) PD Nowhere did I mention you or your dog or that I thought your dog is aggressive... I honestly don't know what I have done to you but the comments you keep making are making me uncomfortable.. My post reiterates the issues I am having with my boy and the fact that it obviously upset someone as tou felt the need to come into my training thread and complain about Ziggy running over the top of your dog (which i dont recall himdoing but if he did, i apologise) leaving out the bits that your dog did in fact have a go at the other staffy there that day a couple of times.... No I don't think your dog is aggressive... I think she just wanted the ball and coco loves her ball, so I thought it best we leave and we did... End of story... Now it has been told in 2 threads... I can start one in general if you like so the whole forum knows what you think of my dog... Please let it go... I am doing the right thing by not taking him until he behaves and this current behaviour issue is resolved... Thanks for your input, yet again..

Pers in an ideal world I would have time to do really long walks but I run my business, my late husbands business as well as my home and all the usual crap that goes on with life... I have also been fostering, which I won't be after Pippa goes as I just don't have the time to have 2 dogs... Ziggy can easily run for a couple of hours a couple of times a day and still not be that tired... Bored pups crate issues... Heis 11 months old and I would consider him really fit... One week with no dog park and he is digging the backyard up, chewing the outdoor setting etc. Walking does nothing for him and even after an hour walk he is still raring to go and do more. He likes training with me but becomes bored after about 10 to 20 minutes max and that does not wear him out either. At the moment, I am still taking him up to the leash free park here in town to run him when I think the chance of other dogs showing up is minimal. We move if they come into the park we are in and leave altogether if there are dogs in all sections... I know everyone disagrees with this but a run for a couple of hours a week as well as a good walk each morning or evening is about the minimum I can get away with him.. With life in general, I simply do not have the time to exercise him as much as he seems to need.. He is far from a lazy dog and looks for things to do, if I am not here.. I give him plenty to do with kongs while I am out with clients and frozen containers with treats inside or frozen stock blocks... Maybe I should not have bought another dog with my time constraints and training abilities but I did and he is here and I have to deal with it as best as I can...

This is what I have been doing with Ziggy and the new foster puppy we have here... She is only 5 months old, but bigger than Ziggy and she comes every time I call her so it is competition for him and he is coming because she is... So the only time he gets a free run now is when there is no other dogs around... Just him and Pippa... Although I am going to stop taking him until his recall is better again as I have been told I am doing the wrong thing letting him off lead when his recall is not perfect. So until we get it right he won't be getting any more running exercise... God only knows how I am going to wear him out but apparently it is wrong and I don't want to do the wrong thing.... We were in the other section with these dogs when they first arrived but I really didn't like the big dogs reaction to Pippa, so took them into the other section. I am thinking the pups owners saw my 2, a staffy cross and Pippa (who looks like a ridgie cross) and thought the other side was safer because the dogs were smaller. Having 5 sections would be awesome, not just for play and zoomed but also for training...

Thanks Weasels. I do see your point about the stay and he is pretty good at that, so I thought OK I can use that and his leave it command for now... I absolutely call him out and I go get him... Hence the reason leaving the park at yarralumla last time we were there. There had been an issue between another staffy owned by a friend and another dog. So we went into another section of the park. As soon as we walked in a smaller dog had a go at him for saying hello (he ran up to it and i think he startled it) then the same dog had a few goes at the other staffy for chasing her ball. The other staffy ws on edge and Ziggy ws running the fence because he just wanted to go back in the other side with the bigger dogs, so I called him, caught him, put him on lead and suggested to the other staffy owner we take them somewhere quieter to play... We left... It is hard because so many people comment on how lovely he plays and it is so great to see a staffy playing so well with dogs from a large Wolfe to a 5 month old corgi pup... It is just this recall issue and his bad manners with some dogs... Edited to add... He is not a bad dog. He is not aggressive in any way... There are plenty of dogs out there worse than he is... Like I said I will keep trying with him until he gets it... I don't like it when he gets bailed so I am not immune to how others feel when he does this.. I do get him out and try to make him stop, when we went to the park I would take him to another section where the other dog ws as not and there were dogs happy to play with him.. I am starting to feel like a really, bad owner... I came here asking for help and a few gave good advice (albeit some conflicting, but I guess not everything works for every dog, so it is good to get different ideas). What I am doing is not working, that is the reason I am asking and I do appreciate all the helpful and constructive comments...

I am starting to become confused now.. He is usually below other dogs when he meets anyway. He is submissive and usually approaches in a lower position, sometimes he even does the army belly crawl up to a dog to say hi... This is where it all goes pear shaped if it is going to. He keeps trying to lick the other dogs face...Most dogs don't seem to care and just run and play, then so does he... No issue...and he does not do it again to these dogs... Occasionally there is a dog who reacts, so he leaves it but then comes back and tries again and again to get their attention. The more they ignore him the worse he becomes. Originally I could call him out and he would come. Then he just stopped recalling. So I worked more on the leave it command and that seems to work but I do see what everyone means about needing effective recall.. We will work on it and hopefully he will be able to go back to the park and play nicely and recall when asked to... Well that is the dream...

The puppy attack in the general thread? No it wasn't at yarralumla.. Ziggy and I won't be coming back to yarralumla as ther is a new DOLer who has issues with Ziggy and his running around in case he bumps into her dog... That and ziggy's recall is still not what it needs to be to be let loose with other dogs. As much as we love that park and he loved to play with all your dogs, we wouldn't want to upset anyone... We will stay here until he/we get it right and he is not a nuisance to others... Hopefully sooner rather than later... :)

Jess thanks for the input and method... Believe me, I don't blame him. I realise it is my methods and not reinforcing it enough... Home is fine but I do see what you mean about the differing distraction levels and now I am going to try to introduce some higher distractions at home and get him recalling here with that going on... Hopefully the trainer when we meet up can give me more to work with... All these ideas are very much appreciated, I don't want my boy thought of as a bad dog or me as a bad dog owner... Especially when all he really wants to do is play... I know with patience and training we can get him back to the recall he had and not so irritating to shy dogs...

I gave them my number in case they needed someone to back their story up if they decided to report it and spoke to them today... They called to let me know the little one is fine and on some antibiotics just in case... We have decided to have a play date here at my house for their little one with Ziggy and Pippa next week sometime.... Turns out they are both new to dog ownership, the pup is from the RSPCA and they thought it would be good to make new friends for the pup at the dog park... Not everyone is an expert or knows all the rules of owning and caring for dogs... I have had dogs most of my life and I still learn new things all the time... I don't think they were deliberately irresponsible... I have told them about DOL and what a great place it is to learn about all things dog related.. Hopefully we will have some new DOLers...

Thanks for that I like the idea of holding a drop to meet a new dog as he seems to be calmer in a drop. His recall is still crap. Not as bad as it was but still not what it should be The thing I have an issue with is there is nothing that will bring him back to me. At the park he does not care about treats or toys. It is frustrating as hell because at home I call and he comes running for treats and toys. If i give him a good training session before we go he is heaps better. I do now put him back on lead until he calms and then he is OK but it can escalate again if the mood in the park gets really exciting I would love some suggestions on how to make him focus on me or want a specific toy or treat because I have tried everything from liver, biscuits and dog choc drops and he really does not care for any of them I thought I had him with a squeaky tennis ball but that lasted about 5 minutes I will definitely try the meet in drop or stay in drop when dogs come in the park.. Thanks I really do appreciate the ideas

Was your dog the dog that had a go at the pup for getting the ball and a go at the female staffy who had her own ball? And then you walked the 2 of yours down the back? I think I remember you and your dogs. We weren't there long that day because of the female staffy as you know. The female staffy was an issue and the reason I suggested her owner take her home. I went to so that she would have someone to play with. As Ziggy is submissive and happy to let the other dig have the toys and balls. You are right it was not a good mix of dogs that day but previous to that day we have never had an issue at that park on a Sunday outing. And there have been many outings. Ziggy is quite mindful of smaller dogs and plays really well with the smaller dogs, especially the little ones who play chase all the time. He has no interest in toys or balls at the park and would much rather be just running. I understand that some people don't like staffys or crosses but at la leash free dog park you will find all sorts of temperaments and play types.

It means your dog is in a high state of arousal.. that's all. Doesn't necessarily relate to aggression but your dog's responses (in whatever manner she responds) will be triggered more easily in that state. This is something I learned at the dog park - I always thought it meant that the dog was not happy but that is not the case at all... The humongous labrador at the park we go to does it all the time and he is a really sweet boy, just really excited. But not so excited that he is over the top - I guess you have to see it to realise he is just really happy to see everyone.