our baby staffy is 7wks old, and obviously likes too nip with his teeth, does it mean he,ll be a nasty dog?

Question

i know they are renouned for chewing and he should grow out of it, he,s a lovely obidient pup, but can you tell yet if they are going to have a nice temperment? mum and dad are lovely

Answer 1

The way you raise him is key to how he will turn out,nipping is common in pups and they grow out of it if you keep telling them no,end play when ever he starts nipping and let out a little yelp as this would of been how your pups litter mates would have reacted and it ends play imediantly.They dont just grow out of chewing etc,unless there trained not to.My friend has a staffy and they have done everything to make him a good dog,he loves other dogs,kids etc and he is a suberb example of a well trained and socialised staf.Socialisation must start young,if your pup hasn't had both jabs yet then you can still carry him around to expeirience new surroundings etc.Good luck

Answer 2

Yeah it's normal for him to be a bit nippy he's a play full baby after all plus he'll be teething I've got a 9 week old English Bully and he's like jaws with legs he's a right little bugger but he has a kind nature and as long as your firm but fair with him then he should be fine. I wouldn't worry at all but I will say that if he tries to bite your face or anything like that he is never too cute to give a smack and a firm NO along with it remember he isn't always going to be this cute! He'll soon get the idea of what he can and cannot do. Did you buy him privately or from a puppy farm coz having a pup at 7 weeks is a bit young Our dog's breeder can only by law let hers go at 8 weeks when they are defiantly strong and properly weaned off mummy. If you got him before he was 7 weeks I'd recommend you see your vet about some puppy milk for him as you know they aren't small boned dogs and he'll need a bit of help to grow big and strong and to give him the nutrients that he will be needing.
Also give him loads of good quality toys to play with if he picks up somthing he shouldn't have then tell firmly NO and give him a toy to play with that way he'll work out what is ok to chew and whats not.

Answer 3

All puppies nip - it's usually called 'puppy biting'.

They examine everything they come into contact with by using their mouths - they check to see whether it is edible, chewable, something to play with etc.

When puppies play together they bite each other and sometimes one gets bitten too hard and yelps. It will then stare hard at the puppy that bit it and stop the play for a very short time. Next time it might be another pup's turn to be bitten!

They learn from this:-

If I bite too hard

my sibling yelps so is hurt

he looks angry

play stops.

He also learns:

next time I won't bite quite so hard and we can all play together.

It takes many repetitions of this for the pups to learn to inhibit their bite. They are learning to control the strength of their bite and if you saw two well -reared older Staffies play-fighting you would think they were killing each other but they will not be doing any harm.

The best way to deal with the biting is to always play with your pup with a toy - not your hands.. Give him plenty of varied chewy toys.

When he nips, yelp, don't yell he's not deaf, and don't shout 'no' - it's meaningless. Try not to yank your hand away or it will really hurt. Glare at him then turn your head away. Resume play.

It takes time. It mimics how dogs learn. It works!

P.S. Puppy biting has nothing to do with temperament. Bring your pup up fairly, firmly and with some understanding and he should be fine.

Answer 4

I currently have two Steffie's (Jake & Jess) and as mentioned above, all puppies nip and chew when playing. Chewing is somerthing that staffs do til about 18 months when hopefully they'll grow out of it!

If raised correctly, the pup should grow into a well mannered obediant dog.

I've found that the best toys for staffs are called 'kong', and you can get them from 'pets at home'. They are really tough - staffs tend to go through normal chew toys like no-ones business - and you can also get them where you can hide dog treats inside so that they have to 'work-out' how to get the treat - elleviates bordom!

Answer 5

Anyone who says they can tell you how a dog will turn out at this age is misinformed. Knowing mom and dad have good dispositions is a wonderful sign, as is the fact that he minds you already. But you won't know for sure until he is grown, teaching him obedience from birth and socializing him with other people and dogs are two things you can do to make sure he grows up nice. He's teething, and will continue to teethe until he is 6 months old. When he bites your hands, yipe like a dog would if it was bitten and walk away. If playtime ends when he bites you, believe me he will catch on. Praise him when you see him chewing on his toys. You can get bitter tasting sprays to put on furniture and electrical cords if he starts going after these.

Answer 6

Any dog regardless or it parentage can be aggressive. Now it is just puppy play. Since your dog doesn't have hands to play like a child they use their mouths. This is the time to train your dog not to nip in fun. If not trained this behavior will continue and increase. You need to do this before the dog gets larger. I do grab a pups muzzle and squeeze firmly with a "NO" and discontinue play totally ignoring when this behavior starts to arise. Soon your pup will see this nipping ends playtime and stop. If you end good behavior training on a good note and bad behavior on a sour note the dog will figure out what you are willing to accept or deny.

Answer 7

Hi i have 8 staffs and puppies always nip they are teething and they think they are just playing it is very natural and normal and they will grow out of it. You just need to give your pup lots to play with. Teething rings are really good. I have a 2 year old staff who used to nip and bite all the time and now she is so chilled out and has a brill temerament. As the pup gets older he/she will just play with toys and not nip just say no thats naughty. they soon learn.
They are really great dogs and you will have a lot of fun they have great characters and are only nasty if they are brought up mis treated or neglected.
Hope this helps if you need any advice please email me
Good luck suzi xx

Answer 8

awww how cute i have a staffy he is now one, and yes like all puppys they do nip and chew but he will grow out of it once he's stopped teething my staff doesnt nip anymore which is a good job (pretty big n strong) but he loves chew sticks etc. I'm sure he'll have a good temperment aslong as nipping and mouthing isnt encouraged, my staffy is a big sofety. They're naturally good obedient dogs if trained etc.

Answer 9

The first step in correcting a chewing problem is to guide your puppy's chewing toward acceptable chew toys.

Choose a variety of good quality, safe products. When your puppy shows you what he likes, buy several more of the same type.
Hollow rubber toys work well since biscuits can be wedged inside for your puppy to pry out. This gives him a job to do and helps keep his focus away from your possessions.
Another way of keeping your puppy focused on putting his mouth on the toys is to teach him to play fetch.
Never take proper chewing for granted. Take an active roll in rewarding desirable chewing with lots of encouragement and praise.
Give your pet plenty of praise every time he chews on his toys. Occasionally give a small reward, such as Puppy Biscuits to strongly reinforce the behavior.

For a full guidance lesson on training your puppy check out the website I have provided for you:

http://us.eukanuba.com/eukanuba/en_US/jsp/Euk_Page.jsp?pageID=DMPC&category=T&articleID=223

Good Luck :)

Answer 10

puppies love to chew on things! He is too young to be teething so it's probably just that, he loves to chew! Get him a bunch of dog toys that he can chew on and if he starts to nip or chew then hand him a dog toy to try and distract him with that. He will eventually learn that he needs to chew on his toys and not you, the furniture, shoes, or other things you don't want him to chew on. Puppies usually start to teeth about 4-5months old and by about 6 months, they have all their adult teeth in.