Help staffy!

[Tonis2297]

I need your mumsnet wisdom and help here ! Have an 18 month Staffordshire bull terrier she's a cuddly big thing and great natured ... But she is so bouncy constantly bouncing up to the dc (3&1) 3 year old also has asd and is starting to get more and more frightened as she gets bigger , she is also a nightmare to walk! I don't know how to calm her down she gets good exercise and lots of treats but her training is pretty poor (my fault) she's also not interested in any toys in the slightest help us!

[Tonis2297]

Pic of her

[Perpetualstateofchaos]

She's a beauty. I have a staffy cross who's quite large and very bouncy. She has calmed down a bit as she's got older she had a rough start and now she's used to the attention she gets. Ive found turning my back on her of she jumps up works very well. My ds's are 9 and 4. The eldest was terrified of dogs when he first met her but she's such a softy he's daft about her now.
The dog pull more if the dc are ahead of her she's not quite so bad if she's in front of them. She's rather protective at one point nobody could pick up ds2 without her Barking but again she has outgrown this as she became used to him and people giving him cuddles.

[Tonis2297]

Perpetualstateofchaos thank you yeah she is just a big softy and loves the DC but gets far too excited round about them she is a cross staffy/jack Russell more staffy though just jack markings, do you have any training tips I just want her to be able to lie on the sofa with DC play etc without mouthing and bouncing about scratching them

[RoseDog]

What are you feeding her? Some cheaper foods can make them hyper, this is not a criticism as I feed my staffy pedigree chum but she displays no hyper activity or any sort of activity

Mine is a puller too and I use a gencon head collar it makes such a difference for me, my dp can walk her on a normal lead but she knows I'm a mug!

Staffies are usually intelligent, easyish to train and eager to please, do you take her to classes?

She is gorgeous btw.

[Tonis2297]

Pedigree aswell , is there another food you suggest and I'm looking into a head collar she had one that went over the Nose but it kept riding up into her eyes and eventually point blank refused to move with it on no she's not at classes the only ones that run in our areas are for puppy's if I can't sort her out myself I'm going to look at a 1-1 trainer I think , oh and thank you

[Perpetualstateofchaos]

Dp did a lot with her before we met however she's taken to being my dog as I'm around her much more and listens to me rather than him now. I think ours is crossed with a boxer hence the hyperNess. Constancy and positive reinforcement just like with children works with mine. She used to sit on the sofa but I won't allow it so never attempts to now I only had to tell her a couple of times.
How old is your dog.

[Perpetualstateofchaos]

We feed ours Macs dried food from Jolleys as it was recommended by a vet. 15kg bag is £9.87

[RoseDog]

My vet said feeding the dog pedigree chum is the equivalent of feeding your children McDonald's, it's quite full of crap, you get higher quality foods which are more pure, my dog turns her nose up at anything expensive or organic. The higher the meat content the better.

Mine didn't like the head collar either but tough she got used to it.

[Tonis2297]

Thank you everyone I will order some of that food in the morning when money goes into the bank , she is 18 months so still quite puppy like , I think I'll go to pets at home tomorrow and try a few different head collars!

[Perpetualstateofchaos]

Tonis when I bought that food in store the other day it did have £2 off not sure if it is online too as there's a store in my town. They do beef and chicken options. Jolleys do collars etc too so may be worth a look in there. I think theye take a while to grow up ours was 18 months when dp got her she's now 5 and a half and has calmed down loads in the past 3 years. Dp won't let me use one of those on her as he doesent like them so we have a body harness as she will pull at her collar and hurt herself if just collar and lead. I tend to have treats on walks and give her them when she's behaving as I expect. I'm the disciplinarian with the dog but it doesn't effect purchase relationship she's always at my side if im at all unwell.

[Floralnomad]

Have a look at Canny Collars as a slight alternative to a normal head collar , they are often tolerated better and are very effective .

[MyDobbygotgivenasock]

Have a look at Kikopup videos if you need a few ideas or a bit of timing practice to get your hand in again.
Capturing calmness, feet on the floor and heelwork seem to be where you're best concentrating your efforts.
Exercise is, of course, hugely important but working their brains is just as necessary and short sessions throughout the day are really good for occupying attention and tiring them out.
She's just a baby so will have lots of bounce but she's big enough now that teenager behaviour is going to get much less of a pass from other people. Head collars are fine if that's your preference (although imo a front ring harness is the better option) but they're no substitute for training.
A solid heel can be done in half an hour so very much worth investing your time to bring her on.

[Tonis2297]

Ok so sorted out today was £110 in pets at home new lead , halti , food , toys etc and got pet corrector which seems to be going well also have ended up with another pooch today dsis has landed in hospital with slipped disks so unable to walk so we now have her bullmastiff it seems to have whipped gizzy into behaving a bit better

[RoseDog]

Maybe the answer is a second dog

Hope it all goes well with Gizzy and your dsis gets better soon, her dog looks like she'll take no nonsense!

[Tonis2297]

I think that's been the problem rosedog we had a whippet when gizzy was brought home great wee dog but timid and nipped ds as she was protecting newborn dd so she went to live with my parents (they have another whippet anyway to keep her company) I thing she's been lonely she really seems to be settled today not running around like a complete lunatic