Have a 1 year old Stafford Terrier I need help on breaking aggression and dminance behaviors...?

Question

My dog went into her 1st heat and became aggressive. I went to a dog trainr today that wanted almost $2,000.00 to "solve" our issue. She is fear aggressive, and wanting to dominate. i do not want to get rid of her, but I have 2 other non aggressive dogs, 1 male and 1 female that she now does not get along with. We would appreciate any training tips on this matter that anyone can give us....we love all of our dogs and want them to cohabitate together with our family....please help!!

Answer 1

First - get that dog spayed ASAP!!

Second, if you want to break the aggression, fear and dominance issues, you need an expert trainer (that means NOT pet smart or pet co trainers!!).

This dog is becoming a liability for you to have as an owner and if you want that liability, then don't spay her and don't get the help you need. If, however, you want a great dog that is trained and trustful, you need to spay and train her.

http://www.mateerlabs.com/breedingrights.htm
http://www.brightlion.com/InHope/InHope_en.aspx
http://borntodiepets.com/html/video.htm
http://www.my-dog.info/getting-a-dog/spay_neutering.asp
http://www.my-dog.info/getting-a-dog/breeding-your-dog.asp

Answer 2

I am a trainer but I wouldn't hesitate to say no one here can help you. I love the bully breeds and my last dog was a staff. You can never break them of anything, you can only get them to change their minds about life. This could be wholely related to hormones and the first step I would take was to have the dog fixed.

If that doesn't resolve the issue find a trainer you like and work harder then ever before. Do not leave the dog alone with other animals or people. A crate in another room away from the other dogs will be helpful. Only work with positive re-enforcement never dominance or pain, you must ask your dog. Either way find a trainer in person because this is too big for yahoo answers.

Aggression could mean someone dies, it might not be the dogs fault but it is serious and you need to be able to watch the dog to know what is happening. It is near impossible to understand why the dog is acting that way unless the trainer is watching.

You could try video taping so the trainer understands. I feel for you it is never easy to know what to do with agression. I studied agression in pet dogs for a while before I chose my speciality. I can tell you that nearly all agression can be successfully dealt with if the owner is willing to work with a good trainer.

Try reading culture clash by jean donaldson and don't shoot the dog by Karen Pryor. They are both good books.

Answer 3

Staffordshire Bull Terriers, AMStaffs and other pitbull like breeds should not show aggression towards humans as they were never bred for that trait.
Dominant behaviors are correctable if caught on cue, and consistantly. I can not tell you how to correct other that to join a puppy foundation class. Obedience is a good back up tool for any situation.
My staffy community has started a yahoo group, and we talk about these issues, try finding a group to bounce ideas off of, as this is too informal.
Most recently a friend with a Staffy less than a year became more and more uncontrollable and in fear for her childrens safety she opted to euthanize. This was unfortunate, but admirable as she felt she was doing all she could to protect a breed so tarnished by its game and history only for the dog to become aggressive towards her family.
Best of wishes and 2K is way too much.

Answer 4

Since her aggression first appeared with her first heat, then you should spay her, which may help. You definitely don't want to breed a dog that has agression issues anyway and she'll be healthier in the long run. You don't say much about the trainer you talked to, but it seems you need professional training help to solve the problem, especially if you intend to keep her with your other dogs. It is unlikely she is both fear aggressive and dominant since dogs are typically one or the other.

Answer 5

First, get her spayed. That will certainly help the issue. Get your other animals spayed or neutered as well. Dogs react to each other completely differently when they are fixed versus when they are not.

Second, you will need professional helps. That being said, $2,000 is an awful lot of money. Call your local shelter or search for a Staffordshire Terrier (I assume that's what you meant?) group in your area and ask for recommendations. You should be able to get a behaviorist for around $30 a visit or per hour. Interview the person and get their qualifications and references, and ask how they plan to help you with your dog. If they mention the words "shock collar" or "alpha roll" to you, run. A shock collar generally only turns an aggressive dog more aggressive, and people who use alpha rolls are not up to date on the latest dog training and behaviorist information (they are outdated, often preformed wrong, and often do more harm than good). You *need* a professional trainer here. Using information you find on the internet will only delay you in getting the help you and your dog need - this is coming from someone whose dog showed aggressive tendencies and thought she could treat it herself using advice from people on sites like this, only to find out in the worst way she couldn't. Do it now, and prevent it from getting worse.

That being said, using techniques like NILF (http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/leader.html) and reading through the aggression/dominance articles at this site (http://www.4pawsu.com/articles.htm) will help in the meantime, but professional help is a MUST.

Answer 6

If you want to have all these dogs cohabitate peacefully then they all need to be spayed or neutered.

I know from personal experience that especially the type of terrier you are talking about can be very aggressive and territorial, unless you have them fixed. I currently own a beautiful black nosed. And he is a pussy cat! But fixed.

Also so you know, most insurance company's have these types of dogs black listed. Meaning that if they are not fixed, they will not pay claims on them. FYI

Answer 7

well first off, get her spayed..that will help some of the agression..and secondly take her to obedience training classes at like petco or petsmart..watch the show the Dog Wisperer on the National Geographic channel..and check out the website..Ceasar Millan has tons of books and DVD's out that will probably help with your problem..as he says, its exercise, then discipline and then affection..you have to always have exercise before trying any kind of discipline..and when and only when they act submissive can you correctly encourage good behavior..good luck