Staffies are a dog with persoanity. Beloieve it or not it actually helps in their training. I Love this video from You tube. Flo does exactly the same thing. When you are training a dog using its personality can save you hours of trouble.

This type of training is effective because it takes the dogs natural tendencies and just reinforces them and focuses them into proper channels. Let us now look at some of the behavior and personality traits that can be advantageous to training.

For Curious dogs, ( aka Staffies!!) it is quite easy to train in all manner or tricks and behaviors. These dogs are naturally inquisitive and can be taught such tricks as opening and closing doors or fetching cold drinks from the refrigerator.

An easy trick for this dog is fetching ones slippers or even bringing you the food dish at your dog’s meal times. These dogs love to perform so give them lots of chances to do so. They are most easily trained by giving them a challenge to work out. Perhaps hiding a treat under a box or playing games such as hide and seek with them. These dogs are excellent for tracking once they learn to focus their attentions.

The Aggressive dog can be a bit harder to tame but does have its useful areas. A dog with aggressive tendency will be very defensive of its master, including the master’s house and belongings. This animal should be trained with this thought in mind but it is of great consequence to also teach this animal proper outlet for its aggression and also, when enough is enough. In other words, clearly and consistently teach the no and leave it commands or you run the risk of finding this dog mauling a neighbor child for getting too close to the fence.

The Friendly dog is a pure pleasure to train as they truly want to please you and will do almost anything to gain your attention and approval. These dogs are wonderful companions and are awesome when trained for specialized uses such as visiting nursing facilities or hospitals in a pet therapy usage. These dogs do require a bit of training in how to contain their sometimes over friendly advances and must be taught the “down” commands and the “lick / no lick” commands as their warm personalities can be a bit overpowering for some peoples liking.

The Shy or Reclusive dog will be in adventure to train, as first you have to find the pet. This animal will make it a point to stay out of your reach and usually out of your sight. These animals can be stubborn during the training process and they must be taught to answer when called. Leash training most easily facilitates this with a lot of rewards for appropriate behavior. Negative reinforcements rarely work with these animals, as they perceive this is a further reason to avoid your presence.

The Nervous or Easily Frightened dog is very similar in training technique to the Shy pet. They require patience and understanding during training and much in the way of positive reinforcements. Avoid using negative reinforcements unless a particular behavior could prove immediately harmful to you, the pet or another individual. This animal will not respond well to negative reinforcements and these will damage the trust relationship between you and the pet. Trust is a very important issue with these animals and this must be established before any other training will have any effectiveness. These dogs almost always have had prior abuse or neglect issues.

Learn as much as possible about the past of the animal and find what behaviors trigger the fear responses of the animal. For example, if you raise your hand when you say “no” and the dog whimpers, drops to the ground or tucks its tail and runs, you can safely assume someone has struck this dog at least once. If this is the case, modify your training behaviors and hand movements to be less threatening to the animal.

Perhaps, instead of raising your hand with the command, just give the verbal cue. This still implies the same lesson to the animal without producing fear, which is contraindicated in training. After the dog learns to trust you, hand gestures can be added later at the animal’s comfort level.

As we discussed before, each animal is different and you may see traits of any or all of these personality types in your pet. You should use this knowledge to modify your training and achieve a happier, healthier bond between you and your pet by reinforcing the animal’s own personality.

Let me know does your staffy do this as well?

Take Care

Denise

Flos Mum

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Teaching your staffy to sit is actually a really easy thing to do. Few things in life are better than watching a well-trained dog and one of the basic commands is the sit command. There are several methods of teaching your dog to sit.

Two of the most popular are the Click and the Compulsory methods. The Click method is based again on purely positive reinforcement while the Compulsory method uses both positive and negative reinforcements. Let’s start with the easier of the two, The Click Method.

The Click Method of training a dog to sit is based upon rewarding the animal for the desired behavior. It gets its name from the idea that some audible queue is used to alert the animal of a pending reward with many trainers using a device called a clicker for this purpose.  You can also use a click as an audible sound from you. I actually find this one more natural .Whenever the audible queue is given, the reward follows immediately.

To train a dog to sit by this method requires little effort on the trainers’ part. OnYou start by lavishing your staffy with several treats, one right after the other while giving the audible queue.

Then abruptly stop the shower of treats and wait for him or her to direct their attention to you. Now display a treat and give the audible queue as you give the treat to the pet. Now hold another treat at chest level so that the dog must look up to see the treat. After a few minutes, your pet will likely sit down on its haunches because this position makes it much easier to watch the treat.

Immediately, when this happens, give the audible queue and reward the pet. Repeat this lesson several times.

After a while you will notice your pet sitting in anticipation of the click and the reward so it is now time to add your verbal command to the routine. When the dog begins to sit, say “sit”. This will gradually teach the dog that the command precedes the action and they will learn the meaning of the command in this way. After some practice and a bit of patience, your dog should begin to sit without having to see a reward being offered.

Now let’s discuss the more traditional method of training. The Compulsory Method. This is the method grand dad used on his dogs. Tell the puppy to sit while enforcing it. Saying the verbal command “sit” and pushing down on the puppy’s tail section to make it contact the floor accomplish the lesson.

With some dogs you might have to hold their chin up during this process or they will go ahead and lie down. The object behind the lesson is to teach the pup when you say “sit” that there is no other choice but to sit and so eventually the animal will respond on its own rather than having to be coaxed into position.
In whichever method you choose for training your pet, one thing remains constant. Always be consistent. Also be sure to pour lavish affection upon your staffy for good behaviors and responses as this improves they bond to you and makes them desire to please you even more. With a moderate amount of time and patience, your staffy will be rivaling any pooch presented at the local dog show for his well-trained style and manners!!

Hope you found this article useful

Best Wishes

Denise

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Very problematic dogs-those who seem inordinately aggressive or unruly, for instance-often pose training problems that outstrip the ability of even a relatively well-informed dog owner and a finding a great dog trainer becomes essential.

Dog trainers do not require specific licensing. Any person with a desire to do so can simply proclaim himself or herself a dog trainer, hang up a shingle, and begin soliciting customers. The bar for entry into the dog training profession is set so low that it is no surprise that there are many inadequate trainers trying to do business.

When choosing a dog trainer, how is a dog owner to decide who they should trust with their pet’s care and education? Choosing a dog trainer can be a very difficult proposition but separating the untalented and amateurish from the truly gifted is essential to your dog’s well being. Making a mistake in hiring a dog trainer will not only fail to help your dog, it could worsen his behavior and make it harder to correct later.

There is no magic formula for choosing the right trainer. There are any number of factors you may want to consider to find someone with whom you can successfully work and upon whom you can truly rely. However, there are at least two considerations that should guide most any selection of a dog trainer: Experience and reputation.

Experience

One should try to search out a trainer with significant experience. Experienced trainers are more likely to be able to successfully deal with the unique circumstances of your pet based on their track record with other animals.

Additionally, experience inherently communicates at least a reasonable likelihood of talent. One is not likely to have stayed in business as a dog trainer for any significant period of time if they lacked talent and failed to produce desired results. Experience, in essence, is also a proof of at least some ability.

What about new trainers? After all, even the most veteran and experienced trainer began as a rookie. Does this mean one should pass over every trainer who lacks a long track record?

You may be able to find a truly great trainer among the ranks of the less experienced. There is, however, the increased risk that the trainer will be unable to satisfactorily train your dog. If you are considering a novice trainer, grill them about their past experiences prior to entering the profession.

Find out what kind of dogs they have dealt with, if they have a more experienced mentor, and how they feel they have qualified themselves to work with your dog. Picking a rookie trainer could work out perfectly, but it does increase the chances of dealing with someone who is woefully unprepared to handle the job responsibilities of training.

Reputation

Experience is an indicator of talent, but it is not a foolproof way of assessing a trainer’s talents. It is possible for a crafty marketer to stay in business a long time, after all, regardless of the quality of their work. As such, it is appropriate to inquire about the reputation of the dog trainers you are considering. Solicit opinions and references from a variety of sources in order to find the right trainer for you.

Great sources for information regarding wonderful trainers and those you should avoid might include veterinarians, breeders, pet storeowners and close acquaintances who have used a dog trainer. By asking around, you can find out which trainers are most highly regarded.

Ask the trainer himself or herself, too. See if they will provide some references you may contact, preferably past clients. Any trainer who is unwilling to do this should be eyed with some degree of suspicion. Most qualified and talented traders will be happy to give you references to contact. Be sure to follow through. Talk to the references and find out all you can about the trainer and the quality of training the former customers and their dogs experienced.

There are a variety of factors that one may want to consider when seeking out a trainer for their dog. The importance of a trainer to a dog’s life is significant and great care should be taken during the selection process. Two things that must be kept in mind when seeking a trainer are the trainer’s experience and reputation.

Hope you found this useful

Best Wishes

Denise

Flos Mum

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Is your staffy sensitive. I know ours is.That’s Flo on a rather sensitive day ! Well she is only 18 months old. Unfortunatley since this picture Daffy the duck took a down turn and the Zanussi washer decided
to shred him.

Dogs are like people.  They come in all shapes, sizes, colors and temperaments.  The average dog owner may know a lot about shapes, sizes and colours of dogs, but most don’t have a lot of knowledge about sensitive dogs.  Sensitivity is probably one of the least understood issues that dog owners commonly encounter, yet it is something that can make the difference between successful and unsuccessful training and pet ownership.

Sensitivity in a dog can appear as emotional, sight, sound or touch sensitivity.  Your dog many exhibit one, two or all of these characteristics at different times and in different situations.  In human terms we understand the highly sensitive person and how they need careful handling - so too does a sensitive dog or you can damage it’s nerves and make it fearful, shy, neurotic or unmanageable.

Handling the sensitive dog requires insight and special attention.  Their behavior in stressful or pressure situations may call for a different type of correction than would a less sensitive dog’s behavior in the same situation. 

Emotional Sensitivity

This dog is emotionally sensitive – highly strung.  They may have a strong need to feel successful so it’s important for his training to take this into account and make lots of fuss and praise about little achievements.  Alternatively, even if they make mistakes, these dogs still need reassurance for their efforts, otherwise you risk them giving up and becoming unresponsive.  These dogs are hypersensitive to criticism.  Cringing, submission, slinking, lying down, showing their underbelly, all behaviors shown by a sensitive dog who feels they may have “done wrong”.  Like the old Christian hymn, with these dogs be “Slow to chide and swift to bless” if you want to maintain their self-esteem.  Bring them along more slowly than normal, and give them plenty of opportunities to do well and be rewarded so you constantly build confidence. 

Sight Sensitivity

This dog is distracted by the slightest movement.  Insects, birds, trees moving in the wind – all take their attention away from the task in hand.  They may react in training to hand signals or body movements we are not even aware we’re making!  Anticipation can be a problem, as they see you starting to get ready to give a command before you say it.  This dog may need louder commands than normal, and very still body language with conscious and deliberate movements for signals.  You’ll need to do lots of attention work to keep their attention out in the open where movement is all over the place.

Sound Sensitivity

This dog can sometimes show fear of loud or sudden sounds.  But the sensitivity isn’t just fear – sound is exaggerated for this type of dog, and they may crouch or urinate if spoken to sharply or loudly, or even in an “angry” or disapproving tone of voice.  These dogs may also run away from gunshots, trucks or other loud noises.  Loud commands or forceful verbal correction will ruin this dog.  Softer tones and gentle correction are more effective; they will hear a whispered command once they learn to “tune in” to your communication.  If you do need to use verbal commands or reprimands, keep your tone of voice happy and cheerful to avoid a reaction of excessive worry and fear.

Touch Sensitivity

This dog is difficult to train using a standard training collar.  Sensitivity to touch means even a basic correction by pressure on a collar may be too much!  Defensive reactions in a touch sensitive dog may run to biting, freezing up, or trying to run away.  Softer training methods are in order for the touch sensitive dog, and you must avoid “manhandling” at all costs.  Too much touch makes overreaction a habit, so keep your hands off the dog during training as much as possible.  Slow, gentle, soothing movements are the order of the day, and as with the sight sensitive dog, beware of hand movements that may make the dog anticipate a touch.
General Guidelines For Training Sensitive Dogs

Sensitive dogs generally need to be brought along more slowly. 

Training regimes need to be tailored for success and reward and NEVER punishment or disapproval. 

Just as no two people are alike, no two sensitive dogs alike so some trial and error while training is inevitable. 

Above all else, don’t give up.  A sensitive dog is not a lost cause, but rather a special companion that needs you to bring out the best in him.

As with most things, the key is education.  Read up on training techniques, learn how to “read” a dog’s body language and behavior, or talk to an experienced trainer. 
The best way to help yourself and your dog is to understand the special needs of a sensitive dog and learn all you can about effective handling methods.

 Enjoy the rest or your week,

A fellow Staffy lover

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If you have a Staffordshire bull terrier then you really have to be patient and firm because this breed tends to chew a great deal. To help you with this, here are some tactics to stop them from chewing and additional safety measures to care for your pup.

1. If your dog starts to chew on things that they are not allowed to, you have to distract them by getting their attention. Make a loud noise or give them chew toys. When your dog plays with the chew toy, give him a reward or praise him. By doing so, you will reinforce this appropriate behavior.

2. You can use sprays that can help you stop your dog from chewing on things. These sprays are not harmful for them, but they taste really bad. Spray them on things that you don’t want your dog to chew on and you have to reapply them often. You can buy this on you local pet store.

3. When your dog gets bored, they tend to chew on things. To prevent this, provide chew toys like an old sock or shoes but you should also replace them because they might get bored chewing on the same thing everyday, provide variety. You can also give dog treats or play with them.

4. Aside from keeping your dog from chewing, it is also your responsibility to keep your environment free from harmful things. Put away things that can be dangerous to your dog and be a responsible dog owner.

Hope this helps

Best Wishes

Denise

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They are very intelligent, trustworthy, and affectionate by nature. Dissimilar from other terrier breeds, they are not susceptible to pestiferous barking. They do bark but only to attract their owner’s attention, they need something like; they want to go out and play or someone/something is in your yard.

Dogs bark because this is their way of communication, but when they bark excessively, that becomes problem. Excessive barking can be really annoying and disruptive to you and your neighbors.

Though there are breeds that are not vulnerable to this kind of setback like the Staffordshire bull terriers, but if they are not properly trained they can do have the tendency to become bothersome.

Teaching your pooch to bark less entails an immense deal of persistence and determination. Therefore, here are some suggestions that you can follow to help you lessen your dog from yapping.

Treat your dog as a toddler that is having a temper tantrum. If you see your dog barking like crazy then you go out and bring him in, you are only reinforcing that behavior. Your dog will think that he should woof like that to get your attention.

On the contrary, you also cannot leave your dog barking like that, you must do something about it and the best way is to get their attention and use a command. Tell the dog to stop and when he does, praise him at once. This will tell him that he is doing the right thing.

Get your dog stimulated. Take him for a walk, or play with him and let him explore the world. Dogs tend to bark at something if they are not familiar with it or if they sense that it is a threat so let them discover their surroundings so that they will be acquainted with it.

The goal here is not to completely eradicate barking. Just as people need to talk, dogs need to bark because that is how they verbalize or communicate what they need or feel. The purpose of bark training is only to control unnecessary barking that is troubling you and your neighbors.
 

Hope this helps

Best Wishes

Denise

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1. Start searching by asking your friends, vet, or any local breeding clubs. Ask for their recommendations.

2. Call these recommended breeders and ask if puppies are available. If there are, ask him if you can come and visit the puppies as well as the parents of the pups. If he says no, then find another one. A reputable breeder should allow you to learn more about the background of the litters.

3. Ask the breeder on how long he has been involved in breeding. A good breeder should have been doing this for years and is knowledgeable on the breed standards.

4. Inquire if the breeder screens for actual and potential health problems related with the breed. A reputable breeder should show certificates and records that prove that his dogs are in good conditions.

5. Always visit the puppies. Check their living conditions. A good breeder should keep their homes clean and safe.

6. An honest breeder will give you references of people who previously bought puppies from him.

7.  Last but not the least, an honest and reputable breeder should provide a written contract indicating that he guarantees the puppy that you bought is healthy or is in good condition.

My advice would be first off go onto the Kennel club site either in the UK or US. Then look for the breed you want. Which will be a Staffy of course!! Give them a call. If they have not got a puppy they will recommend another breeder if they are worth their salt.

Good luck with your puppy hunting

Best Wishes

Denise

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I couldn’t resist this video. Especially as Flo our Staffy is red. Are you getting a new puppy? A Staffy I hope. Will it be a Brutus or a Ruby? Sign up for the free report on the & habits of good Staffy owners. I think you will enjoy it. Back to Dog names.

Well, this is really a thrilling event for the whole family, especially for the children. It is like an additional member to the family and of course giving the puppy a name is even more exciting.

So how do you find the perfect name for your puppy? Preferably, the name given should reflect the physical appearance or breed and the temperament of the puppy. Lets have a look at some of the most popular male dog names.

You may want to call the puppy with a cute name like Bambi, but you have to consider that the puppy might outgrow that name. There are not many Staffs that I know of that are called Bambi?

Though Staffordshire bull terriers might have that rowdy look, they are still notable for their capability as family dog. They are very protective to their owners and that is the main reason why they are good watchdogs and family guardians. Here are some popular male dog names for that big-tough-looking-but-loyal-and-sweet dog:

1. Max – this is the most popular male dog name. It is German in origin and means “great.”

2. Beethoven - another dog name popularized by the movie entitled with this same.

3. Buster – an English name meaning “one who breaks things”

4. Butch – another English name that means “butcher”

5. Duke – an old French name that means “leader”

6. Goliath – this name is from a character in the Bible, the giant man that David killed.

7. Hercules – this name is from a famous character in the Greek mythology that is popular for
his incomparable strength.

8. Rex – a Latin name that means “king”

9. Samson – is another popular Bible character known for his super strength. A Hebrew name
that means “his ministry.”

10. Zeus – is the father of all gods in the Greek Mythology. He is also the father of Hercules.

At the end of the day puppies are special and part of a family. Ours is called Flo!! after my Mum. I think she would have been delighted,

Take Care and have a great week.

Leave us a comment and let us take a poll on the most popular names for Staffy puppies.

Best Wishes

Denise x
 

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I couldn’t resist this video. I was looking on youtube for a video of an older staffy and this one came up! I am glad to know that it isn’t just me that has the sofa taken over.

Any way on to some health advice.

Dogs are not immune to arthritis problems. They have almost the same muscular and tissue structure in their joint areas as humans do, so arthritis can rear its ugly head for them as well.

Dogs can suffer like humans and develop limping problems and pain when arthritis hits, but what exactly causes the arthritis to hit them? One of the main causes for arthritis in dogs is a
weight problem.

Excess weight can cause stress on their joints and if it continues, can lead to arthritis. If you keep your dog at a healthy weight, you can decrease their chances for developing arthritis later
on in their life.

Injuries and accidents to their limbs are another cause of arthritis in dogs. When an injury occurs to their limbs, some underlying damage can happen to the muscles and tissues around their joints, causing undue stress.

It’s also possible that some joint misplacement could happen with an injury or accident - also causing stress and rubbing of bone on tissues, making arthritis inevitable in dogs.

Poor nutrition can be another cause to their arthritic problems. Dogs need a well-balanced diet with the proper amounts of nutrients to keep their bones, muscles and tissues strong and healthy.

Prolonged poor nutrition can cause their bones and muscles to get weak and they can start to degenerate, causing inflammation in their joints. Too much physical activity without a balance of rest is another cause of arthritis.

A dog is an active animal and will have bursts of activities that are healthy for them, but they still need proper rest for their muscles, just like humans do. Overworking of the muscles can cause strain on the joints and if they don’t receive proper rest, can eventually lead to arthritis.

Sometimes arthritis can be caused by diseases or tumors that can’t be helped. There are some diseases that come without warning and wreak havoc with a dog’s body, causing many ailments - including arthritis.

Proper veterinary care to help alleviate some of the symptoms may lessen the pain brought on by arthritis. Sometimes old age itself causes arthritis. Your dog has led an active, robust life and now that he’s older, ailments common with old age will set in.

Old age has slowed him down and he’s not as active as he once was. Dogs tend to rest, but too much rest can cause their muscles to stiffen a little. Try to keep them a little active to lessen the effects that arthritis can have on them.

Arthritis might be inevitable for them, but if you keep them comfortable and give them the proper treatments prescribed by the veterinarian, they can live out their last years in happiness.

Hop you found this useful,

Best Wishes

Denise
A fellow Staffy lover!

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The one thing most people forget about in taking care of their dogs is that their teeth also need to be taken care of.  We know that wild dogs keep their teeth free from plaque because they chew on raw bones, which are a natural scraper of the plaque that also helps to remove any soft meat that may get stuck in their teeth that would normally cause bacteria to grow rapidly.

You need to remember that your dog isn’t like a wild animal - they need your help from the bacteria that causes bad breath and other problems. 

Your dog generally eats soft canned food or small chunks of the hard food, so these aren’t going to provide  much for natural teeth care. Bonios are great and yet are not the be all and end all. 

Chewing on something else though would be a huge advantage. Maybe a rawhide or  some of the other bones that pet shops sell.
Flo our staff loves this. They smell the house out ! Mind you she is very content with them. They’ll instinctively chew on the bone and the plaque can easily be scraped off.

If the bone isn’t working, or if they just aren’t interested in chewing on bones, then you should take mouth care into your own hands and brush them with toothpaste.  Just in case you where not aware there is special toothpaste for dogs.

Don’t feel embarreed. I didn’t realise this and I have a degree in biology.You can find special brushes and toothpaste for your dog at the local pet store. Or at your vets.

It can be quite a hoot at first so I would recommend startiing from when they are a pup. That way they are more than happy for you to play with their moth and let you open and close it. Good idea for staffys as we all know how they like to pick things up.
Brushing them daily is preferred, but if it’s not feasible, then brush them at least 3-4 times weekly. Scrub the teeth well and massage the gums also to provide for good circulation within there gums. Get rid of any food that gets stuck in his teeth.  The hard, dry food is always better than soft food when it comes to cleaning teeth.

Have the vet inspect there mouth and teeth every time you take your dog in for a checkup. They can spot anything that you may have missed and they can offer advice on how to clean the teeth better or what foods you could give to your dog to naturally help clean the teeth and keep bacteria at bay.

It’s better to treat the teeth before things get out of hand and get more expensive for your pocketbook.  Keep your dog around for your family for as long as you possibly can by keeping him healthy and keeping his teeth healthy, too.

Hope this article has been of use,

Let us know,

Best Wishes

Denise

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