Need Help With A Staffy?

[Rebanne]

Do you have to have qualifications to have an opinion now?

IMO Yes when you are offering your services you should post what/why/where the things that make you qualified to offer help.

[Rebanne]

love my dogs, but can't let all the years of working out how to outsmart them to go to waste! wow i needed help on the first puppy

No problems for me. moved from another area. used to help out with information and suggestions on my local forum but am nolonger there. Just offering a helping hand if anyone needs one :) love my staffy too

[deghj]

Thanks Bite me and Persephone

You don't need qualifications to have an opinion particularly as I was quite clear regarding my intentions

If you read the thread I was quite clear that I was just offering a helping hand.

I was also quite clear that I was offering suggestions.

The comment about puppies not understanding a changing rule has been misinterpreted, I was trying to say that dogs can get confused if you change the rules. The comment about dominance is also misinterpreted. Yes, some dogs aren't, however, some dogs have greater tendency that others to want to be in charge (in my opinion)

Possibly you should look at some of the other posts, for example the one stating that aversion collars (such as citronella) are the only way to go? Did you not disagree with that? I didn't agree... but he/she's entitled to their opinon.

I also thought the other long post in response to barking outside was also very useful. It had ideas that I hadn't thought of but that doesn't mean she's wrong and her suggestions may work better in one dog than another, just as mine might

And the reason there was a delay in responding to your emails is that....I have a job

My opinion is that every dog is different and other peoples ideas might be something the owner hasn't thought of.

There's still the odd thing every few years that i might of heard of but haven't experienced first hand and would like to discuss with someone

And what concerns me most at the moment is the number of Staffies picked up in ACT that are untrained, lonely, not desexed, vaccinated or microchipped that have wandered away looking for a better home or their owners give up and surrender them.

Perhaps if their owners had been able to get some friendly suggestions some wouldn't have ended up that way.

My dogs sleep inside, sleep on the couch etc etc but how you think you can force someone to sleep a dog inside by berating them for asking for help on a forum is beyond me.

I would have been lost with my first staffy without the input of not one but two trainers and creative ideas from the local forum and dog park. No one person had all the answers.

I now know why we had a local forum and didn't use this one.

If you disagree with me, fine, say so and explain why so whoever is looking for help can make up their own mind.

but please do everyone a favour and read the post thoroughly first and keep it polite.

[skully]

good on you deghj

i thought it was very clear you were just offering help with your personal experience with staffy's.

thanks for your opinions

[Rebanne]

Where have I been less then polite?

You have been a member less then 3 weeks and come offering advice on a dog breed that is under threat from BSL.

You were on DOL after I asked my question.

Helping hand/suggestions are still training advice and I think it is only fair to the other new members that you state your experience in these matters. People don't know you from Adam, as the saying goes.

[deghj]

1. I was not saying you specifically were not polite but others weren't.

2. Just because I have time to check an entry on my phone doesn't mean I have time to sit in front of a computer and write a response.

3.I think stating that i have had staffies for years and been involved in a different forum and that i am willing to help with suggestions is quite clear. I never claimed anything else.

4. In regards to the breed being under threat..did I not state my concerns regarding staffies in poor care here? I see them walked badly, isolated and miserable every day.

5. Perhaps you didn't read the entire thread that stated my position? However, I have made my position absolutely crystal clear for anyone to see. If someone wants to chat I'm happy to. Otherwise please see my previous email.

[Rebanne]

1. I was not saying you specifically were not polite but others weren't.

2. Just because I have time to check an entry on my phone doesn't mean I have time to sit in front of a computer and write a response.

3.I think stating that i have had staffies for years and been involved in a different forum and that i am willing to help with suggestions is quite clear. I never claimed anything else.

4. In regards to the breed being under threat..did I not state my concerns regarding staffies in poor care here? I see them walked badly, isolated and miserable every day.

5. Perhaps you didn't read the entire thread that stated my position? However, I have made my position absolutely crystal clear for anyone to see. If someone wants to chat I'm happy to. Otherwise please see my previous email.

points 3 and 4 came later. And yes I read your last long post.

I wonder how people on your previous forum would have felt if someone noone knew came on offering to help sort out their doggy problems? No one would query them?

Plenty of people on here have been burnt in the past from so called experts, my question was and still is valid.

eta and BTW you did write a response to someone else after my question had been asked so that answers point 2 as well.

have a nice day :)

Edited March 6, 2012 by Rebanne

[skully]

way to ruin a nice thread Rebanne...

[deghj]

Dear Rebanne

Yes I did reply. You will notice that they were quite short as I sent them from my phone. It took me nearly 5 hours to write that long response attempting to clear everything up for two reasons. Firstly, I had to do it between meetings and phone calls. Secondly it took me a while to make sure it was an appropriate response and not really really angry.

This is a public, australia wide forum and I don't know you either or your credentials. Frankly I don't care either. If someone offers me a suggestion I take it on face value regardless of who they are and consider whether it will apply well to the dog in question. If someone doesn't want to try something I've written they're perfectly free not to

I hope this clears everything up because I'm tired of talking about it.

I am still happy to talk about dogs if anyone cares to.

[Rebanne]

way to ruin a nice thread Rebanne...

your welcome and I haven't ruined anything. You can ask all the advice you want from a complete stranger who has been a member two minutes.

[Salukifan]

I know this may sound a bit trite deghj but try not to take it personally.

If someone offers me a suggestion I take it on face value regardless of who they are and consider whether it will apply well to the dog in question.

Of course your consideration of whether it will apply is qualified by your experience. Not every person who posts here has that kind of experience and plenty of members here can attest to scenarios where well intentioned advice given by forum members,dog park attendees and other dog owners has had very bad outcomes for owners who've taken it.

I don't think its a bad thing to get a sense of what experience people have when they offer advice. If you assume the role of "trainer" with folk (which is effectively what you were doing), then give advice that some may question, then a person investigating the basis for your 'qualifications' is not necessarily that unusual.

You didn't stray into the area where I've seen serious issues arise before (dog aggression management) but I think it pays to remember that there are folk who will try anything on their dogs when they don't genuinely understand what the issue is or how to actually implement the advice given.

As you've found out in this thread, training is highly topical and often hotly debated area.. lots of opinions and some issues are too frequently diagnosed, especially in situations where the dog has not been observed in person.

"Dominance" and "separation anxiety" are two such issues IMO. Truly dominant dogs are quite rare and pups aren't generally where you find it cropping up. Very often a "dominant" dog can be simply untrained or displaying behaviours that are poorly understood by the owner.

If you have a genuine interest in helping dog owners, there are three volunteer dog clubs in the area who'd love to hear from you!!

Edited March 7, 2012 by Telida Whippets

[Florise]

your welcome and I haven't ruined anything. You can ask all the advice you want from a complete stranger who has been a member two minutes.

Being a complete stranger and a new member in no way means someone has no dog knowledge. There ARE other places to learn about dogs other than dogzonline forum. Some people have been posting on here for years. Its obvious they haven't learned much, and they are complete strangers to me!

[Rebanne]

your welcome and I haven't ruined anything. You can ask all the advice you want from a complete stranger who has been a member two minutes.

Being a complete stranger and a new member in no way means someone has no dog knowledge. There ARE other places to learn about dogs other than dogzonline forum. Some people have been posting on here for years. Its obvious they haven't learned much, and they are complete strangers to me!

please point out where I said the OP had no dog knowledge. What they have done is set themselves up as a dog trainer 'ask me for help' all I have done is try to find out, for the benefit of others I might add, just what makes them suitable to do so.

I've seen plenty of newbies come in and offer advice which is downright dangerous and other newbies think it's great. Usually an older poster or two points out what is wrong with the advice given, they get jumped on by all the newbies and told off for daring to question so and so's advice and so it goes, until sheer weight in numbers disproving dangerous advice gets through to the new comers.

I am not saying the OP has posted dangerous advice BTW.

[Florise]

please point out where I said the OP had no dog knowledge. What they have done is set themselves up as a dog trainer 'ask me for help' all I have done is try to find out, for the benefit of others I might add, just what makes them suitable to do so.

Please point out where I said YOU said the OP had no dog knowledge? It was a broad statement. Read it again.

Perhaps you would get better results with your enquiries if you were welcoming and freindly rather than rude and intimidating?

[Rebanne]

Hi deghj, can you please post your qualifications regarding dog training, obedience and behavioural matters? Many thanks

Perhaps you would get better results with your enquiries if you were welcoming and freindly rather than rude and intimidating?

Where is my question rude and intimidating? I said please and thank you, what more do you want?

[PuddleDuck]

Rebanne I don't think your question is rude at all. I totally agree with you and TW. No one is mounting a personal attack on the OP but rather asking a genuine question that IMO is important when someone is offering behavioural advice. One of the catch phrases on this forum is 'consult a professional behaviourist', with good reason. Generally even the professional trainers who offer advice on here will put that in posts responding to behavioural enquiries. Similarly if someone asks a medical question the advice will be given with a 'please take your dog/cat/toddler to a vet first'. It is near impossible to 'diagnose' over the Internet. A lot of people here have seen well intentioned advice taken wrongly and so this can lead to a note of caution in any threads about behaviour, not just this one.

JMHO, of course :)

[Rebanne]

. Similarly if someone asks a medical question the advice will be given with a 'please take your dog/cat/toddler to a vet first'. It is near impossible to 'diagnose' over the Internet.

well I actually hope a toddler would be taken to a Dr first but a vet is a good 2nd choice :laugh:

My vet once told me about the pressure point for tooth ache when I happened to mention my daughter was waiting to see the dentist. It worked a treat but it's not something I share around :D

[PuddleDuck]

Depends on the doctor....sometimes I think my vet would almost be a better option ;) :laugh:

[Clyde]

I do not think many SBTs have dominance problems.

That's what I was just thinking.

[deghj]

Hi all

Now we're back to dogs, I have a question (I said I would :) )

I have never lived in an area that gets so cold during the day. My staffies sleep inside at night so there’s no problem there due to the central heating. However, during the day I let them outside for two reasons, both playing and toileting purposes. They are outside from just before 9 until 5:15 and are inside the rest of the time. Their outside beds are in a totally enclosed verandah with wooden floors and sliding glass doors all around. They have beds in the enclosed area but it can still get quite cold in there even though they’re out of the wind and rain. On clear days they lay in the sun behind the glass and they’re ok. But on overcast days they struggle. I can’t really heat the area as there is a partially open door and small gaps between all the floorboards. My dogs already have the warmest dog coats I’ve found and happily coped with 15degree days at home but they are already feeling the cold and it’s early March. I’ve seen some dog shoes that are advertised in America. Has anyone used these or know about any other winter gear that might help. They’ve already got trampoline beds, pillows a, blankets and kennels. I have also seen dog electric blankets but I’m a bit worried about whether or not the dogs will chew through the cords .