Naughty,naughty Staffy X Foster

[KOE]

Our mutt is the same he is never left in the house the GSDS are fine never touch a thing, him well he ate the phones and he is just the mutt from hell.

[Akitaowner]

i would be crating him while your out - but dont forget to crate him while your home too so it doesnt become a negative association....i bought a toy yesterday for our girl - who is a serial chewer (chewed a hole in a plasterboard wall last week :rolleyes:) its called 'everlasting chew ball' and you can buy these 'stones' that go in either side that are rock hard but taste good - so they lick and chew at the stones and eventually when they get thru them there a gap inside - kinda kong style - where you can hide loose treats - its been keeping her entertained ever since wasnt cheap but looked and felt robust - she can get the treats out of a kong in less than 60 seconds!!

my boy was never a chewer so this is all new to me - but shes confined in a big puppy pen and has toys etc so im hoping eventually i can let her out the pen with all the same toys and she will be ok....

[ruthless]

haha, he sounds just like chopper, i feel your pain! we used to leave our lot in the garden for 9 hours a day while we were at work and the list of things he destroyed is too long to go into. they also used to run the fenceline and fight and bark. now him and angel are shut inside the back door on tiles with a trampoline bed, chewy treat and a toy each. they can't do any damage. recently i didn't close the door to the rest of the house properly and they got in and ran riot, but i take full responsibility for being careless as i know what they're capable of. it may take time with your boy to learn what he can be trusted with. in the meantime i'd definitely be leaving him in a crate, especially if it's only for a few hours and he's happy enough in there. i've been using a water spray bottle to stop the dogs from jumping on visitors. it's working for us, it might help stop your fella jumping on the board.

[boomba]

I have 5 staffies, all had the same ability to chew everything in sight, in fact my youngest is 13 weeks and she's been through 4 leather shoes, 3 belts, handbag, cords, leads - anything she can get her little teeth into. I think puppy stage is a little like labour. You forget the pain when they get older so you go back to the cute stage again - the puppy. My eldest is 13 years and he went through the same.

Your pup sounds like his little mind is going a million mile an hour. I think you may need to teach him to relax and settle a bit. Don't acknowlege him when you get home until he's a rest - sitting quietly or laying on the ground. It's really hard at first, but they get better. Each time he jumps at you during this process, direct him away without ever making eye contact. Establish that you are leader and this is your space. You choose when to have anyone in that space, not him. When he relaxes and is laying on the ground, then and only then call him to you for pats and cuddles. Establish that he gets things when he is calm, not when he is eratic.

This exercise is one of many you can do. My quickest one to pick up the being at rest technique took all of 7 minutes, my longest 1 hour and 23 mins (longest time I've ever had a dog to pick it up!) It works well and I highly recommend it. I'm currently going through the process again at the moment with my pup. It's all a matter of pre-empting what they might be able to get at - all in all, hard work.

[Jodi]

haha, he sounds just like chopper, i feel your pain! we used to leave our lot in the garden for 9 hours a day while we were at work and the list of things he destroyed is too long to go into. they also used to run the fenceline and fight and bark. now him and angel are shut inside the back door on tiles with a trampoline bed, chewy treat and a toy each. they can't do any damage. recently i didn't close the door to the rest of the house properly and they got in and ran riot, but i take full responsibility for being careless as i know what they're capable of. it may take time with your boy to learn what he can be trusted with. in the meantime i'd definitely be leaving him in a crate, especially if it's only for a few hours and he's happy enough in there. i've been using a water spray bottle to stop the dogs from jumping on visitors. it's working for us, it might help stop your fella jumping on the board.

This is the first thing I tried with him as I use the water spray bottle on my Pug when she barks at flies flying out the front (just kidding-she barks when people walk past but once she starts barking she doesn't seem to stop.)

But He is truly petrified of water. I don't mean a bit scared, I mean positively terrified. The upside to this is I only have to hold the water bottle and he freezes in his tracks, but I don't really want him being that scared of me!

[Jodi]

I have 5 staffies, all had the same ability to chew everything in sight, in fact my youngest is 13 weeks and she's been through 4 leather shoes, 3 belts, handbag, cords, leads - anything she can get her little teeth into. I think puppy stage is a little like labour. You forget the pain when they get older so you go back to the cute stage again - the puppy. My eldest is 13 years and he went through the same.

Your pup sounds like his little mind is going a million mile an hour. I think you may need to teach him to relax and settle a bit. Don't acknowlege him when you get home until he's a rest - sitting quietly or laying on the ground. It's really hard at first, but they get better. Each time he jumps at you during this process, direct him away without ever making eye contact. Establish that you are leader and this is your space. You choose when to have anyone in that space, not him. When he relaxes and is laying on the ground, then and only then call him to you for pats and cuddles. Establish that he gets things when he is calm, not when he is eratic.

This exercise is one of many you can do. My quickest one to pick up the being at rest technique took all of 7 minutes, my longest 1 hour and 23 mins (longest time I've ever had a dog to pick it up!) It works well and I highly recommend it. I'm currently going through the process again at the moment with my pup. It's all a matter of pre-empting what they might be able to get at - all in all, hard work.

When I get home I will be lucky if Ollie even bothers to raise his head and aknowledge me! He's otherwise a pretty calm fella. If I am home all day, all he does is lay on his bed and sleep. He may move and sleep at my feet if I am on the computer.

My girl Tia on the other hand is the one we have to do this exercise with!

Thanks for your advice.