start as you meant to go on (DOGS)?

Question

I'M GETTING A STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER PUPPY IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

What are the first things I should do straight away for him to make sure, I'm the boss, and he'll do what I say . In the most gentle ways obviously, but for him to understand I start as I mean to go on, and will continue to do so, until he is a very well trained, obediant fun loving dog.

cheers

Answer 1

FIRST OF ALL you are not getting a talk to gently dog! Sorry but you must be stern with SBT's! You MUST make him know you are the ALPHA DOG right away!
WHY?
Because if you do not establish this right away you will have a potentially dangerous dog that if he gets out of line ONCE will be marked and possibly PUT DOWN before you can say SIT! GOOD DOG!
You are getting ONE of AMERICA'S MOST FEARED/HATED DOGS.
NOT by ME, it is just a sad fact and it is so because some people are not on top of the training and do not train!
Be aware of that!
I have one that is MIXED and he has never harmed anyone!
I will not let him.
That is Number ONE...NEVER give him opportunities to do harm.
IF your pup is left alone make sure he has plenty of chew safe toys to play with also some BIG STEW BONES and even raw carrots.
ALL puppies CHEW when bored...never leave anything unsafe for him to chew.

Second YOU must train him to RELEASE almost before you potty train him . It is more important to teach to NOT bit and not LOCK jaws than house breaking!
When the pup has something in his mouth start with something you do not want him to chew on...it will confuse him if you try to make him stop chewing HIS bone or toy.
So try an old shoe.
OR even a rag.
He bites it and locks his jaws...
GIVE THE COMMAND
DROP
OR RELEASE
something that does not need along time to say...
NOT
LET IT GO
JUST 'DROP'
or 'RELEASE'
I used RELEASE on my boy he minds it well.
IF he does not understand you must FORCE his mouth open...
do this by sticking your finger into the back of his throat and GAG him.
and do so saying FIRMLY
'RELEASE!'
When he does let go praise him very HAPPILY
they LOVE happy voices!
make a big happy deal of RELEASE!
GIVE A TREAT TOO!
That helps to enforce you are happy.
ALSO the one who gives FOOD is the provider and give orders too!
ALPHA DOG!
Repeat this until you do not need to GAG him.
USE the gag method if he does not release.
IF the GAG does not work you will need to smack him hard on the nose, the NOSE is very sensitive to any dog and a sharp smack will make them release.
DO NOT WORRY ABOUT a smack on his muzzle, it is better than a BULLET in the BRAIN should he ever have his jaws locked on a persons throat!
ALWAYS SAY RELEASE !
Never use two different words always use the same word do not confuse him.




You can also teach to NOT bite...
very important...
When you are playing and he bites you it is a natural way for dogs to play, he does not mean to hurt you it is how they play, but you do not want him to have this habit, it will bring more trouble later.

When you are playing and he bites you ...
YELL OUCH!
OR OWWWW!
Then immediately take one of his paws and put it into his mouth and make him BITE his paw...when he YIPES say
OUCH!
NO-BITE!
NO-BITE!
Do it every time he bites you .
ALSO have anyone else who is going to be around him sit and watch quietly, do not start too many people teaching him at once.
But allow them to watch. They must use the same techniques when they scold him or praise him.

Teaching him these things are MORE important than house breaking.
They will come later.
Anything you can do to help him be a GOOD dog will not only save another BEINGS life but HIS own as well as heart ache of him being shot or taken down by police!
STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER are wonderful and protective dogs but please make sure you train him to OBEY! It is your responsibility and many laws are changing now so training is very important.
These ways are MY ways they worked for me and MY dog if you want PROFESSIONAL training tips you will be paying for them.
What helped me and my dog might not be seen as GOOD for all people...there was a time when my dog bit me in playing and the hand thing did not work, I bit him back and that worked!
BUT not all people will agree with my method.
YOU need to find a way that works for you and stick with it.
SIMPLE words and commands are best.
TREATS when he does well.
I trained my dog
RELEASE!
NO BITE!
SIT! STAY!
and potty or house braking by the time he was 4 months old!
I had him at one month!
He has learned other tricks since then.
BUT none are more important that the ones that will keep him out of trouble!
Please be responsible for your dogs actions, remember YOU are his TOP DOG and TEACHER you need to show him you are boss.
You will want to think twice if you cannot commit to HARD LOVE TRAINING!
If you are too busy to train.
IF you have little kids or other pets NEVER leave your dog alone with them. Some say never, but my dog has never attacked his little room mate, a Small 9 lbs dog, and I KNOW he NEVER will also a cat, he never will, I KNOW it!
ONE MORE THING CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL LAWS AND MAKE SURE WHAT YOUR LAWS ARE CONCERNING OWNING An American Staffordshire Terrier !

Answer 2

You need help in this area. These are strong willed dogs and need to be trained properly. I have three. There are many books on the subject. Go on-line to that bred and search the material. As you may suspect, there are many ways to train a dog...and many types of trainers. One way does not work for all. There are also many videos as well. In my opinion, the most important aspect is to do what is best for the dog. Too many dog owners treat these animals mean and cruel, thereby making them feel unloved and unhappy. These owners do not understand how the dog thinks and expect them to respond like a human child. I implore you to please read up on this fine proud breed and do not venture into this until you are well prepared and have adequate knowledge. Their natural instincts is to please you and give you all the loving you can stand. Take a trip to the library, be patient, get yourself trained...and then train your pet.

Answer 3

first off...i LOVE staffies...second..they NEED obedience classes. get him/her on the right track at the begining. its NEVER to early for your pup to learn basic obedience. if you have a Petco or Petsmart in your area some of them offer puppy classes. they teach basic obedience AND puppy socialization. which for a staffie is VERY important. of course you will always need to be aware that staffies have a higher rate of dog aggression than the average dog. ( if you are in control...this is easily kept in check).
you can also call up a dog trainer and see if you can get your dog into some sort of puppy class, then once older...a more controled obedience class. the more traing the better for a staffie!! and they are excellent at it!
you need to know that your staffie WILL test you, they are a bit , ornery (and so cute about it), but firm POSITIVE training will make him/her a VERY obedient dog and the most loyal one you've ever owned.
also when staffies hit around 2 yrs of age, they come into maturity (puberty) and sometimes their personailities shift a bit. this time is HIGHLY important to re-affirm the obedience training that she/he has already learned, otherwise you will have a wild dog on your hands.
unfortunately this is about the average age of the dogs that are always in the paper getting the "bad rap", (the staffies, and pitts) their owners never took the time to train their dogs and then....at the puberty stage...they had NO guidance and well...there you have it.

a firm but gentle hand will make your staffie the best dog you ever had!

Answer 4

Go to a positive reinforcment puppy class ASAP - greatest investment you will ever make - and it is fun!!!!!!

Positive reinforcement = NO choke chain jerking and yelling - look for some classes, and ask how they teach them (methods). Some trainers are also certified...

Until you can get him into a class, having him work for you is the best way to establish you as the boss - "nothing in life is free"...hold a treat slightly over his head until his butt goes to the ground (this is how you teach sit positively - without pushing on them). As soon as he sits - he gets the treat - I taught an 8 week old pup to sit in an hour with this method. Once he gets it - and you have added the word "sit" - have him sit before he gets anything - before you pet him, before you throw a toy, before you set his food dish down, before you hook up the leash, before you open the door to go outside - great tool!!!

Just set up a structure - they seek that - if good structure does not exist, the dog will try to make it.

More general info on this site...