Fed up with people slagging off my new Staffy pup!

Person_one

Jenjenf21 wrote: »

THANK YOU all for your kind words re Molly, it really made me !!!

Shes beautiful but i would say that shes mine lol! Oh yes as soon as she sees a empty lap shes in it for a snuggle!

She misses the training course for socilisation this term as she wont have had her injections but we will be on the one in Jan, she will be 5 months...is that too late or is that ok? She will be around a couple of dogs, his mum has two and my uncle has a irish staff so we will introduce them as soon as we can...just hope that 5 months is still plenty of time for the training and getting to know alot of other dogs!

I totally know what you are saying about her ears i love them! I cant leave them alone and its so cute when you tickle them and she flicks them!

Thanks again for your support, its very much appreciated!

Get her out and about! Stand outside pets at home, ask other dog walkers you see if she can say hello, the more dogs she meets the better.

Is there a particular field or park near you that's popular for off lead dog walkers? Hang around there letting her meet all the dogs that come past. Lots of early socialisation is one of the best gifts you can give your dog, puppy classes at 5 months will be great but its a bit too old to actually 'start' if you know what I mean, start now!

Caroline_a

Socialisation - as soon as she's had her jabs take her everywhere you can, town, country, busy places, quiet places, let her see all manner and shape of things, buses, lorrys, horses, cows, just everything!! Of course during this time you will meet other dogs. Let her say hello if they are friendly, then walk on calling her as you go and make it exciting that she comes to you rather than staying with the other dog.

Socialisation is really only about experiencing the world before she gets scared of things. I would also let her see and hear fireworks too. Make it a 'ooo look at that' experience rather than a 'dont worry, I'm here' type of thing. The more she sees and encounters, the more bomb-proof dog you will have!

septemberblues

I've got two little dogs and I also take my daughters little pug out, we go across the road to a beautiful Victorian park, it's huge and the dogs love it.

My dogs have been attacked on three different occasions this year, each time by a staffy who has not been on a lead. One young bloke had 3 staffies, only one on a lead, and the two dogs with no leads on attacked my little dog (ironically a jack russell x staffie, who is the softest dog in the world). He pulled his dogs off and threatened one of them because it obviously does this regulary. (In the local paper that week they had obviously attacked a big dog in the park, but I didn't go to the police as she had)

A little while ago when I was out with dogs and pug, the pug was attacked three times by a staffy off the lead, when I shouted at the owner (a bloke, about 40/50 with long hair in a ponytail) he just walked off and called his dog, he was quite a distance away, the dog then attacked another dog, but the bloke with the attacked dog shouted and ran at the staffy, which ran off.

I go to the park most days, I see Dobermans, Rottweilers,German Shephards, Dalmations, you name it and they are there. But my dogs have only ever been attacked by staffies.

Strange eh?

Jenjenf21

Thank you for your advice! Person_one do you mean do all this after her jabs?!

Her first is tomorrow at PetsAtHome so hopefully she can meet some "friends" there! I need to pop to tescos after too so if i hold her the other half can do the shop! Just get her used to seeing lots of other people im just not sure that she will sit still in my arms for long tho : \

As soon as her second jabs are done and she is allowed out to play she will be going everywhere!! Shes already used to the car because my other half drops me off and picks me up from work every day and she has been coming with us so shes been coming for short journeys.

She wont come into the room when im blowdrying my hair bless her, going to introduce her to the hoover tonight!

It might sound silly but i have bought her a CD which has firework/thunderstorm noises on seeing as this time of year is approaching, so when the cd arrives i can play this lightly and try to get her used to it. I might even have a few fireworks in the garden but im just worried about scaring her so then she is forever terrified of them? But on the other hand want her to get used to the noise so shes not scared of them every year....does that make sense?!

Im very keen to get her meeting other people/dogs asap, its frustrating because i would love to do it now but probably have to wait another 4 weeks maybe because of the jabs, although i no its for her own wellbeing so will just have to wait and invite lots of people over!

Next door have a 6 year old staff who is lovely, so timid, but they are warey of letting Molly be around her until shes had her jabs....

Thanks again guys!!!

candygirl

Jen don't give her normal dog toys, as shew ill be able to chew right through them and maybe swallow them in seconds:eek::eek:A tennis ball lasted seconds with my two:eek::eek:

Caroline_a

Don't let her come into direct contact with any other dogs at home or outside until she's had all her jabs. My parents lost a pup years ago by taking him out in between the jabs (they thought it would be fine) and he caught distemper playing with another dog. The other dog was recovering and was fine, but my parents pup died from it after 4 agonising days.

However, you can take her and show her lots of places, let people stroke her, etc. Just don't put her on the floor in a public place.

The firework CDs are good, my training club uses them. I got Oakley used to loud noises by taking him to athletics competitions and sitting near the starter... the gun made me jump, but not him!

Edit - I don't think you should have fireworks in the garden though, that's maybe just a bit close!

elsien

If you're after strong toys at any point, look at kongs and nylabones - contrary to what people say they are not indestructible, but if pup ends up a bit of a power chewer they last a lot longer and are safer for bull terriers than ordinary dog toys. Well worth the money, and I think you can get puppy versions.

DavidF

Jenjenf21 wrote: »

THANK YOU all for your kind words re Molly, it really made me !!!

Shes beautiful but i would say that shes mine lol! Oh yes as soon as she sees a empty lap shes in it for a snuggle!

She misses the training course for socilisation this term as she wont have had her injections but we will be on the one in Jan, she will be 5 months...is that too late or is that ok? She will be around a couple of dogs, his mum has two and my uncle has a irish staff so we will introduce them as soon as we can...just hope that 5 months is still plenty of time for the training and getting to know alot of other dogs!

I totally know what you are saying about her ears i love them! I cant leave them alone and its so cute when you tickle them and she flicks them!

Thanks again for your support, its very much appreciated!

Check out your local community centre and the like. They all normally have some sort of basic puppy/dog classes which are good for basic obedience training and can be joined at any time....no start or end just turn up pay the couple of pounds and join in. I have at least 5 of these within a 2 mile radius of my house. Great for socialisation.

HAMMIEHOO

candygirl wrote: »

Jen don't give her normal dog toys, as shew ill be able to chew right through them and maybe swallow them in seconds:eek::eek:A tennis ball lasted seconds with my two:eek::eek:

I would completely agree with that, the best balls that wee have found for our wee zoe is the ones that you get out of the machines in the supermarket for £1, usually with characters on them e.g. spongebob, disney etc. They don't last forever but they certainly last a lot longer than the tennis balls (bag with different coloured balls) you get in Pets at Home. Our pooch destroyed them with one munch.

markfj

wow, so much ignorance sometimes, It's sad

The the O.P

Please, don't be fooled into thinking you have made a wrong decision, Staffies, can be lovely dogs.. I can tell you they will need alot of training and firm but fair discipline, as they have a fair bit of energy and will not know its own strength.

I rescued a Staffy along with 4 other small dogs, all one at a time, and I lost count of the peeople that said, "dont get a staffy" or "staffies are dangerous" and especially "dont get a staffy with smaller dogs" where we live they are a common breed, but often fall into the wrong hands, which is why they get such a bad name. I can honestly say not once has my staffy attacked, me or any other the small dogs in our house, infact the only killing it would do is killing with kindness

They do need good training and be kept busy as I stated, but please dont regret your decision, I never have
http://www.southbucksrspca.org.uk/pages/Staffies.htm