SearchJane

We've trained Sam so that he has his bones outside. I often open the laundry door to find one smack bang on the doorstep!

My puppy choked on part of a ball he bit off - I only realised when he started making weird sounds thank goodness I was right there! Anyway I did the heimlich thing - squeezed his belly. The bit popped out & I popped it & the rest of the toy in the bin.

I've used soap as well. Just plain soap, though, as a friend used lemon scented & their dogs loved it!

Is there any reason why you can't shut the laundry door at night?

Hi I know this reply is a little old but GOOD ON YOU!!!! I wish my staffie pup would spent 20 mins chewing on his chicken necks. More like 2 mins & then back into the kitchen to see if there are more

She's not "destroyed" just developmentally slow. She CAN be a happy healthy dog. I have a friend who bought a pup in a similar situation to yours. She was successfully toilet trained and is obedience trained.. it just took more work than it might have done with a puppy from a better situation. Good idea.. but locking her in with it wouldn't have been how I started.. at a distance with an opportunity to get away would be better. You "flooded" her.. and that's probably a bit full on for this pup.. baby steps. The first day we had Sam (he was 10 weeks old and had flown to Perth from Brissy) I put on both washing machines (I have 2 - don't ask) + dishwasher + used other noisy things (but not the vacuum cleaner - that would have been too cruel ). His basket is in the laundry. I didn't shut him in there though. The key as others have said is to be firm (don't pet Honey when she's whining), and consistent. Take her outside/to where you want her to toilet after she has finished her meals and stay (it may be a while - up to 15 mins) until she goes & then praise & give treats! It sounds like you're doing the right things and I'm sure she will turn into a lovely dog in time.

Hi When I take my 5mt staffy pup for a walk practically every time car goes past he sits down until it has disappeared. I can sometimes keep him walking but he slows right down but other times he stages a mini sit in! I think he will probably grow out of this but was just wondering if other people have experienced this type of behaviour. It makes it challenging to take him for a walk along a major road (which we hardly ever do). At least it beats him chasing them! :D Thanks & cheers Jane

Hi Although we have been training him at home we took our staffy pup to puppy school and plan to take him to "puppy management" (ie training with distractions). We also did it for the interaction with other dogs. As to biting pants, feet, etc. he has just started doing this and a firm "no" bending down with a vigorous hand movement (not to strike, just to distract) or a sharp clap seems to work. He also takes socks, shoes and clothing when he has the chance and we use "sit" and "drop" to retrieve them. I never pull whatever he has in his mouth as he immediately thinks it's a game. When our friends come over we have begun asking them to ignore the dog which seems to work. He was getting very excited when people came over (peeing on the floor excited - which I really don't want happening I have to clean it up). We also encourage him to sit on a mat we have placed by the front door when the doorbell rings and sometime even put his leash on. He has started jumping up when we're sitting down which is discouraged with a loud "no" and pushing him down. When we walk him he gets pretty excited when other dogs approach - we met another staffy last week & he was absolutely beside himself which was pretty cute! However I keep him on a short leash and use "sit" to encourage calm behaviour. So, in summary using "no" in a loud firm voice, sharp claps / vigorous movement of your hand seems to work in letting Sam know his behaviour is unacceptable. We don't give him attention all the time - when we get home I do what I need to do for a few minutes (eg put the shopping away) and then open the laundry door. We he comes into the kitchen he then gets a pat hello. If he's been alone all day I make sure he gets a walk/play time pretty soon after I get home. I don't if this helps but we have a lovely mannered dog! He's 4.5 months. Cheers Jane

Name: Samurai (his mum is called Geisha) Sex: He's a boy Date of birth: 5/5/08 Age: 13.5 weeks Colour: Brindle Breed: Staffy Hobbies: Eating gum nuts and bits of wood, learning to sit, come, drop, etc. and sleeping! Loves: having a mad half hour with his toys, his dad coming home!, licking his dad's toes (eww!), food! Hates: Nothing so far! This is my first day at home. Mum was a bit enthusiastic with getting a collar on. We now have one that fits!

Hi This thread is very timely for me - and for Samurai too! (He's a 13 wk staffy - just gorgeous!). His energy levels are increasing to the point where we will need to walk him but the vet has put the fear of God into me in relation to Parvo virus so I'm not taking him to any parks until he's had his 16 week vacs. Last weekend we went & stayed on a friend's property (12 acres & no dogs) and we took him for his first walks on an extendible lead. He did great but we weren't really expecting anything of him! However today I thought I'd take him down the street and back up again (we live on a hill). However we really only made it about 4 houses down as he was very resistant/keen on smelling everything and I didn't think it was a good look to be dragging a reluctant pup along behind me! But when we turned to go home he was very eager - I think the new smells were all pretty exciting on the way out and he recognised them on the way back. I really want him to walk to heel (ie exercise) not to amble along sniffing everything. I'm not sure how to overcome the reluctance other than pulling on the leash to get him to stand up. He does look very cute when he lies down as he does the legs out front & back thing but he really needs to be walking! :p We have him in a harness as he wears that when he goes in the car, so I'm not pulling on his neck. Any hints would be great. Should I use treats? I will redo the walk again tomorrow so he knows that we mean business. We did the same thing with the car (started off with a little bit every day) and he's just great - gets in & goes to sleep almost straight away! Cheers Jane