Save me from putting my dog up for adoption please!! (staffy probs)

AE86JAY

As the story goes I wanted a staffy for a long time and when I decided the time was right I done 6 months of searching on buyandsell and the likes till the perfect little fella came up that had good history, strong lines and excellent temperament, he has never once growled or bit in aggression in my 8 months of bringing him up, my problem is his energy and excitement,

I looked up obedience training eventually sending him away he was gone for nearly 3 weeks,
this worked wonderfully he start walking on the lead which he never done, he sits,lies down and comes back to you on command so they done there job its this nuisance barking that is driving me and my partner nuts,
I'd imagine its only a matter of time before I get a call from my neighbours or dog warden (surprised it hasnt happened already)

I brought him for a brisk 1hr 15min walk last night around my local town, when we got back to the house I spent 15 mins doing his obedience training to tire him mentally as well,
I put him outside in the back garden then with a bone (9.30PM) I went inside start watching TV, put the dog to bed outside in his kennel at 11PM, I shut the door to stop the wind getting in he's very snug inside with an old duvet I stuffed in there, this is no problem he goes down without a whimper and no barking here, it starts from around 6AM every morning barking non stop to get out,
I got up this morning like every other morning at 6 to let him out gave him his bone,this lasted about 30min till he was up barking and bouncing/banging off the door to get in, people say if you want to train him you have to leave him be, its hard when your trying to get a nights kip and you live in an estate with houses either side of you and my staffys bark is rather high pitched and sharp,
I let him in the back kitchen with the bone again left him in darkness where he stayed quiet for another 30mins, its now 7AM Im up for work normally in another 15mins anyway so no biggy there, but how do I stop this nuisance barking,
My last resort and I really dont want to use it as I find it inhumane is a shock collar are these a gimmick or do they work?, I don't want him to be afraid to bark either but only when its the right time,

My partner is already at her wits end and its starting to cause row's, I have to admit as much as I adore him he's starting to annoy me now to, I really really do not want to give him away, any suggestions? he's a very bright dog he is clever and learns fast but is rather stubborn he know's when he does wrong and the odd time when doing his training he knows he has to lie down but wont do it for about 2-3mins the first time but eventually does as he wont get his treat,

After reading back I forgot to mention I also bring him to work with me where he has free roam of a large yard for the day, obviously I havent time to be doing stuff with him here so he's mostly relaxing for the day,


Any suggestions would be great, I'm willing to try anything so I can hold on to my little fella,

meoklmrk91

Would you not just leave him sleep in the house, no barking to annoy the neighbours, plus I find that they gets much better nights sleep indoors. It sounds like he wants to be inside.

AE86JAY

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

Would you not just leave him sleep in the house, no barking to annoy the neighbours, plus I find that they gets much better nights sleep indoors. It sounds like he wants to be inside.

We tried it for a while, we got new solidwood doors fitted in all the rooms and he was up at the same time whimper/whinging and scraping at the new doors till I got up, you couldnt sleep with the barking and I couldnt leave him there scraping away at the new doors,

the_syco

AE86JAY wrote: »

We tried it for a while, we got new solidwood doors fitted in all the rooms and he was up at the same time whimper/whinging and scraping at the new doors till I got up, you couldnt sleep with the barking and I couldnt leave him there scraping away at the new doors,

Get a large pet cage to put him into. Long term he gets used to being in the house, but knows where "his bed" is.

You say good history; did you get the dog from a family, or what?

AE86JAY

the_syco wrote: »

Get a large pet cage to put him into. Long term he gets used to being in the house, but knows where "his bed" is.

You say good history; did you get the dog from a family, or what?

A staffy registered breeder, with the history of both parents that had champions in the lines, the obedience teacher told me to get a crate/indoor cage and teach him inside to be good in that and put him to bed in that also inside the back kitchen at night, I could see that part working but how would it stop him waking at 6 and barking non stop till he gets out, he gets plenty of exercise,


Just checked the link yea thats exactly what she said to get,

Bullseye1

He just sounds like a dog who wants to be closer to his humans. Some dogs just do not do well outside. Try to assimilate him to sleeping inside. It will take time so be patient with him.

Blue Whale

You could just roll with it and get up at 6am and bring him for a walk. Early to bed, early to rise, catch the worm. :pac:

Take him in doors and crate train him. Its your only answer. You will have to put up with some whinging for a while but eventually he will settle.

AE86JAY

Bullseye1 wrote: »

He just sounds like a dog who wants to be closer to his humans. Some dogs just do not do well outside. Try to assimilate him to sleeping inside. It will take time so be patient with him.

I have spent a ton of money on him so far and he gets fed the best, This crate/cage is going to be one of my last purchases, I will put in the time/effort with him but if this is unsuccessful I'll have no choice but to give him away, I don't even like thinking about it because he's the best craic during the day and a great dog but I have to draw the line somewhere,

cocker5

AE86JAY wrote: »

I have spent a ton of money on him so far and he gets fed the best, This crate/cage is going to be one of my last purchases, I will put in the time/effort with him but if this is unsuccessful I'll have no choice but to give him away, I don't even like thinking about it because he's the best craic during the day and a great dog but I have to draw the line somewhere,

I have to be very honest here and say i am very saddened by your last comment... regardless of the money espect dogs / puppies require months and months of training etc not just 8 months etc...

I am going to be a bold here and say while i understand you like your dog you sound like a "lazy" dog owner to me, I really dont mean to offend but its true. You ahve already sent him away to be trained... when in fact 99% of the time its the owners who "need to be trained" on how to train their dogs etc.

he sounds like a lovely dog, he just doenst want to be dumped in the back garden alone at night and to be honest i dont blame him at all.

as another poster said some dogs dont do well outside so let him in... try and crate train him as already suggested... but i warn you training a dog takes MONTHS... and MONTHS.

from your posts i gather your dog is ONLY 8 months old.... my god it took me til my cocker was 2 years old to have him realxed, trained etc (well as relaxed as cockers can be )

im sorry but he's only 8 months thats far too early IMO to be saying you cant take anyomre etc.

To be honest i feel sorry for the dog he sounds like a lovely fella.... and your not giving him a chance it will take until he is an adult , 2 years old to be more relaxed etc.... it will not happen in weeks....

even at the my cocker is nearly 9 now and every now and then he scratches at my kitchen doors (even though he knows he shouldnt) , their are animals with their own personalities... you can train them but you cannot force them to conform to your way or the highway.

best of luck to your dog.... do the right thing, invest time in him NOT money and you will reap the rewards i promise... only give him a small amount of time to "grow up" and send him to a rescue, he MAY get adopted... if not you can thank youself for another dog dumped in irish rescues.

I am sorry if i appear harsh, but you got him now be responsible and give him time to adjust, stop spending money, and spend time training him YOURSELF.... it will take another yaer for him to start relaxing... he is a PUPPY... not a machine.

:P

Millem

AE86JAY wrote: »

We tried it for a while, we got new solidwood doors fitted in all the rooms and he was up at the same time whimper/whinging and scraping at the new doors till I got up, you couldnt sleep with the barking and I couldnt leave him there scraping away at the new doors,

You could put up baby gates, then the dog won't scratch the doors! They are very handy I have one in my house.

fatmammycat

You wanted a staffy, you GOT a staffy. They are energetic fabulous dogs, but he's only 8 months old, still a pup. They change so much over the next 10 months, I can't understand why anyone would rehome a pup for being a pup.
Buy a crate and crate train him. You need to stop expecting him to be an adult dog. He sounds like an absolute sweet heart and you'll have 10+ years with a beautiful dog if you give him a chance now. My dog sleeps in the kitchen or outside our bedroom door. If I put him outside at night he'd bark the place down too. Most dogs don't like being seperated from their owners, and your little guy already spends 7 good hours alone and being good as gold. Get up at 6 and take him for a walk maybe? Honestly, stop expecting miracles, understand that pups take a while to mature. Also forget about shock collars, you have a sweet natured dog, don't ruin that.

Nody

Sounds as you need a dog behaviourst to come over and train you and your misses more then anything to be honest. I think you're missing a lot of clues your dog is giving you and the fact you "sent him away for 3 weeks of training" shows that what ever advice you've got appears to be quite poor.

muddypaws

If you got him from a good breeder as you say, you won't have to give him away, they will take him back.

The dog sounds very lonely, you take him for walks, fair enough, but the rest of the time he is on his own, in a yard at work during the day, and in the back garden and his kennel at night. Does he spend any time with your and your partner, just relaxing, and being around you?

You wanted the dog, so now you need to do the work, would you expect a child to be able to read and write if not taught?

Staffies are known as the nanny dog because of their relationship with people, they really do well when they spend time with their humans.

Toulouse

I agree with the other posters, you need to get a grip OP. Take your dog inside, crate train him properly, don't just stick him in the crate (search this forum, there's loads of good information about it) and hold up your end of the bargain that you made when you bought and claimed responsibility for this dog and his life.

I can't actually believe someone who claims to have spent so much time researching would a) buy a dog from an online site, b) send the dog away for training and c) be completely clueless to the fate of hundreds of Staffies who are put to sleep in this country every year because there are no homes out there for them and very few shelters will take them in.

Sorry if that seems short but your post has really irked me. Staffies are fantastic dogs but they get a raw deal. Seems to me now that you have a dog you know how much work it actually takes and you just couldn't be bothered.

Danger781

"My Dog doesn't appreciate how much time and money I spend on him. He keeps asking for more."

Pretty much sums up this thread for me.

cocker5

Danger781 wrote: »

"My Dog doesn't appreciate how much time and money I spend on him. He keeps asking for more."

Pretty much sums up this thread for me.

Danger... I actually couldnt have put it better myself.

:cool:

fatmammycat

As a matter of interest OP, how much exercise does this dog get a day. 'Relaxing' in a yard doesn't really cut it, it's just more time spent alone. How often is he walked, played with, trained and so forth? One other point, when you way you lock him into his kennel at night, do you mean his actual kennel or his run?

AE86JAY

Hahaha wo wo hold on there lazy?? I spend about 2 hours of one on one attention/training with him every evening, how many of you that replied could honestly say you do that with your dog?
He spends time in the sitting room after walks/training untill he starts acting up tearing stuff and not settling jumping up and down off the couch etc, he would have a chew toy available at this time also, I have disciplined enough times about it but he does not stop so I have put him outside then with a bone or whatever and he'll stay quietly till he gets bored of that usually about 30mins, I cant walk or be with the dog 24/7 nobody can so ffs get off my back,
For those of you saying get up at 6 and bring him for a walk, NO I wont I am the "boss" he'll walk when I'm ready 6 o clock in the morning is not ready,
Yes he comes to work with me pottering round sniffing the place, lien down whatever, are you going to get on to me for not giving him attention here?? I think hes privileged not to be left at home during work hours like a lot of dog owners, if I leave him at home I'm sure he'll be lazing about there too so whats the difference at least he gets to see me this way and I can give him attention the odd time,
He was very stubborn as a pup and would not do anything for me I tried everything am I a qualified trainer? No, do I know a whole lot about it? No, so I done some research and found a place close to me that gets him responding to commands which now he does, GREAT result! now I just have to stop this nuisance barking and everything will be fine, thats why I came here for help but your all fairly quick to jump to conclusions,
My Staffy is over energentic and excited Ive seen others this age who are quiet and can be left alone when the owner is not around,
Yes he goes into his kennel at night no barking/whimpering at all I dont have to force him in, he goes in, do you think if he didnt like it he would go in? He is just up early full of beans, I dont mind getting up to let him out he can run around wild in the garden for all I care after that but its the barking then non stop no break in between barks hardly till I get back up to stop it, its a viscious circle I dont know how to break,
Yes the pup is 8 months old with training I thought he might calm a little and be more controllable he is to an extent but hes energy and excitement just take over

I know the staffys history, I have friends who have them, I know there temperment, I DID NOT BUY from an online site, buyandsell pointed me in the direction of an already known breeder,

I tried training myself and it didnt seem to be working, nothing I done he would respond too, thinking it was a game or playing, so I needed someone to lay the foundations and let me take over the rest which I'm doing now,

muddypaws

I'm guessing that you live in the North East then, as this place was close, and the fact that you're the "boss".

have you spoken to his breeder? A good, reputable breeder will offer back up for the life of any dog they breed, including advice.

When you say you have disciplined him, what have you done? Have you tried training a different behaviour instead?

cocker5

OP,

You are failing to see the obvious….. your pup is 8 MONTHS old FFS (as you too kindly put it).

NO dog will sit still at 8 months, ALL puppies get giddy and jump around the place, up and down off the couch etc – ALL.

You say you have disciplined him many times…. Let me repeat again HE’S 8 MONTHS old…. You don’t speak dog and he doesn’t speak human, it takes month and months to train a puppy not to do these things.

My cocker spaniel was MENTAL and I mean mental till around 15 -18 months, I mean a complete head case, he would skid around the kitchen, through the living room doors jump all over the couches etc, he was crazy… he also ripped up stuff, tore blankets etc.... it took until 18 months for him to calm down a little and also relax.. NOT 8 MONTHS. Plus you need to consider neutering him and also looking at his food , I did both and this did help a lot.

One word of advice, by putting him out in the back garden when he’s giddy in your house ISNT training him how to behave properly…. It will only make the situation worse.
When he’s in your living room you need positive reinforcement… give him a stuffed Kong or a bone and put him sitting is his bed and when he stays reward him etc… not by dumping him outside.
He will only be more excited when he gets back in. its honestly the wrong method to use.

You are a very inexperienced dog owner, either that or naive… get a decent dog book and read up… 8 months is faaaaaar too young for a pup to relax etc or even 12 months – FACT.

Many posters on here are VERY experienced dog owners and can offer great advice but by coming on here and giving the picture / facts you have its seems you have a PEFECTLY NORMAL PUPPY and it’s you who needs training…. With expectations are way way above what a 8 month old puppy is capable of.

And as for your “Im the boss” quote – :rolleyes:

fatmammycat

I take my dog out for 90 to 120 minutes every morning, off lead work (mainly fetching and serarching), he goes out again every evening for 40 minutes on lead. He goes running three times a week in a harness. He's a working dog and that level of ecercise keep him quiet and happy in a house. If he was upset and barking in the morning, I'd rethink what I was doing.
What you're doing so far is clearly not working. No one is giving out to you for taking him to work, only that pottering and sniffing around, 'relaxing' is not really making a lick of difference to his energy levels. Pups are rarely stubborn, he's just not trained. A trained dog with do what he's asked, and untrained dog will do what he wants.
What you have here is a proper energetic staffy pup that loves you and want to be with you. You say yourself he wakes up fully of beans and ready to go. I'm sorry but being 'boss' and 'diciplining him' for being a rambunctious pup makes no sense. Get up earlier, take him out for an hour, get him into a good solid routine and crate train him in the home at night and I promise you by 14/18 months you'll have a MUCH different dog on your hands and you will be glad you never gave up on him.
Training with a 8 month old takes patience and actually it's really useful if you CAN turn training into a game of sorts, it makes the dog really enjoy commands that way. I trained my own dog to do all kinds of things by making it into a game. Anticipation really drives energetic dogs and focus is key to training for anything. Best of luck with him, I'm bowing out now, just try not to think people are having a go at you, and rethink some of your training expectation thus far.

Joeseph Balls

I think for the pups sake you be better off rehoming him.
He's 8months old for gods sake. I'd be more worried if he didnt want attention....

Tranceypoo

OP have you taken his feeding routine and what you're actually feeding him into account? For instance if you're feeding him supermarket food last thing at night or just leaving it down for him to eat when he wants etc? Maybe you're already feeding a high quality food but just wanted to put that out there. Another thing that occurred to me was is he neutered and would there be a female in heat around? Or has this been going on for longer than a couple of weeks? Again, just some thoughts I had. I think you've been given some great advice here, especially with the crate training and the fact that your dog is only 8 months old and still only a mad pup, I hope you take it onboard.

kylith

I'd echo the others here; don't give up on him. He probably looks about grown but mentally he's the canine equivalent of a 10 year old child.

I would recommend you bring him indoors, a staffie's coat isn't enough to keep him warm at night. Read up on crate training. It would concern me that the dog is alone while you're at work and then again from 9:30pm until 7am. Realistically, since you're working, it's probably more accurate to say that he's on his own from 9:30pm until 5:30/6pm the next day, with a 15 minute interaction while you're having breakfast. This is not enough for any dog. Maybe get up at 6am and walk him, then take him into the house when you get home from work and let him sleep inside.

I'm also concerned that you sent him away to be trained; you have no idea what methods or techniques they used on him. My parents' neighbour sent away their GSD for training and it came back a changed animal - ferociously territorial and aggressive to strangers. Any decent trainer knows that the majority of training is to teach the owner to effectively communicate with the dog.

Look at what changes can be made to your routine to have him in more, and look into crate training him.

tk123

What are you feeding the dog - the food could be adding to his unwanted behaviour?
Have you tried treat dispensing toys to keep him busy - kongs etc? I've had huge success with my dog the last few weeks with changing how I give him a kong - instead of packing stuff in to the brim and/or freezing it I put something that's really hard to get out - half a bonio wedged into the small end of the kong and then something tasty like ham/chicken/peanut butter rubbed around the big end/opening to get him interested. This was actually to help stop him barking when left alone/frustrated and it was suggested to me by a behaviourist that I had come out to the house, saw what both of us were doing and worked out a plan from there.
My dog is 4 and I've done LOADS of classes and training with him but seriously - having somebody come to YOU is a million times better than anything I've done. What happens at a class or training centre is not what happens at home so it makes more sense for them to come to you. I'd also suggest looking on http://apdt.ie/ for somebody local to you who uses positive reinforcement - not prong collars/choke chains/bark collars or punishment/fear to get a dog to do what you want.

sillysmiles

As someone else here has said, you need to get someone to come to the house and train you, your partner and the pup altogether.

SingItOut

Haven't read most of the replies so appologies if I'm echoing anyone else's...

Get your Puppy a Kong toy, put some of his favourite food in it, freeze it and give it to him at bedtime. Staffies have strong jaws as you know so get him the largest one. There's a normal kong and then there's a kong wobbler (basically makes the dog use his brain to get the food out). Any MaxiZoo or decent pet shop will have them, the largest will set you back between €20 - €35 which is cheap as they really do last.

The other more expensive option is to build a dog run and put his kennel inside, therefore when he goes in at night he won't feel as confined as he does in the kennel alone. Failing that get a crate and leave him inside at night with the kong.

You're puppy is only 8 months old, a baby, and will remain in the puppy stage until he's about two years old and maybe longer. Also being a terrier that equals - high energy, loyalty, determination, chewing, digging, barking which mostly comes from anxiety from being alone or nervous etc

Giving you're puppy away is the easy way out, stick with him, enjoy him, involve him in everything! put the effort in and you'll have an amazing companion for the next 12+ years. You're not going to becoming an amazing dog trainer over night, it's going to take months of patience. Terriers have a short attention span so you need to find something that motivates him, food or treats and use that when you're training him as a reward. Their an extremely intelligent breed and he will catch on very quickly, you said he did great with the trainer so that just shows you he is more than capable so there is no excuses.

LucyBliss

AE86JAY wrote: »

My Staffy is over energetic and excited Ive seen others this age who are quiet and can be left alone when the owner is not around

I'm sorry but this makes me smile. No two dogs are the same, even if they are the same breed. It all depends on the dog, the owner, the environment, etc. I have two staff terrier cross dogs. Both reared here with me since they were literally born in the corner of the front room I am typing in right now. One is docile and pretty much easy going; the other lad never met a situation he didn't like to bark at. We had a lot of his nuisance barking in the garden when I'd let him out at night and he would just go ballistic. I would have to bribe him with treats, hunt him into a corner to get him back on the lead so I could take him in. I used to have to have someone else with me down the garden so we could corral the brat and get him focused enough on me to stop him from barking. This was on and off for two years. I used to cry with frustration sometimes at the way he was carrying on.

But there was no way I was going to give up on that dog. I used to tell him (I'm sure the neighbours thought it was like something out of a surreal after dinner theatre) that even if it killed me, he was going to get over this habit. It did not kill me, though I did eat a lot of chocolate, and here he is now at five years old and not a peep out of him and he returns when I tell him. Yes, he might bark every now and then but when I tell him to knock it off, he does.

I think it's a shame to be giving up on a dog at any point because this is dog ownership, this is the reality of it. You spend money on your dogs to keep them safe and happy and to make sure both of you have the best tools at your disposal to do that.

I would take him indoors to be honest with you. Staffs are companionable dogs and like to be around people. They need that connection. It might make a huge difference to your training routine.

AE86JAY

fatmammycat wrote: »

I take my dog out for 90 to 120 minutes every morning, off lead work (mainly fetching and serarching), he goes out again every evening for 40 minutes on lead. He goes running three times a week in a harness. He's a working dog and that level of ecercise keep him quiet and happy in a house. If he was upset and barking in the morning, I'd rethink what I was doing.
What you're doing so far is clearly not working. No one is giving out to you for taking him to work, only that pottering and sniffing around, 'relaxing' is not really making a lick of difference to his energy levels. Pups are rarely stubborn, he's just not trained. A trained dog with do what he's asked, and untrained dog will do what he wants.
What you have here is a proper energetic staffy pup that loves you and want to be with you. You say yourself he wakes up fully of beans and ready to go. I'm sorry but being 'boss' and 'diciplining him' for being a rambunctious pup makes no sense. Get up earlier, take him out for an hour, get him into a good solid routine and crate train him in the home at night and I promise you by 14/18 months you'll have a MUCH different dog on your hands and you will be glad you never gave up on him.
Training with a 8 month old takes patience and actually it's really useful if you CAN turn training into a game of sorts, it makes the dog really enjoy commands that way. I trained my own dog to do all kinds of things by making it into a game. Anticipation really drives energetic dogs and focus is key to training for anything. Best of luck with him, I'm bowing out now, just try not to think people are having a go at you, and rethink some of your training expectation thus far.

Thank you for some constructive criticism, its much easier to reply to someone like yourself and not fly off the handle with some of the comments, Yes I agree I'm inexperienced, that's why I'm here getting advice because I've exhausted all other avenues so far,
My next job is I'm going to buy that crate from Argos and put him in it periodically I know he will bark so I will wait till he's quiet and reward him each time he does so, am I doing this right or wrong can anyone tell me?
Another thing I agree with you on is 8 months is to early yes, it may be just my patience ran out as it was the same thing day in day out with little or no change I think I just needed someone to tell me that,
He is very clever he knows a lot of right from wrongs but still does the wrong thing if you get me,
The trainer suggested I tether him in the sitting room when were there wait till he calms and let him loose when he starts going crazy tether him again repeating the process until you get the desired result again is this right or wrong???????

Bullseye1

AE86JAY wrote: »

I have spent a ton of money on him so far and he gets fed the best, This crate/cage is going to be one of my last purchases, I will put in the time/effort with him but if this is unsuccessful I'll have no choice but to give him away, I don't even like thinking about it because he's the best craic during the day and a great dog but I have to draw the line somewhere,

From reading your OP can you confirm you sent your dog away for training but did not attend the training yourself? If so that was one of your first mistakes. 90% of the training is for humans. From reading your posts you seem genuine in your posts about putting in the effort. That is a positive. But talking about how much money you have spent already is not the dogs fault. They are essentially kids until they reach 18months, longer for some breeds. You don't give up on children just because its tough. Don't give up on your dog.