I love Lolly to bits but I really need to do this now. Its getting me down and I have enough shit to deal with.

[TrinityRhinoTheUltimateQueen]

How in heavens name do I stop her pulling?

She had a harness but I was told they encourage pulling

I was still using it because it was far easier to control her but then she chewed it to bits

any advice on how to stop her chewing, stealing food and peeing indoors would also be greatly received

wow, that got long

Smell: you can get special disinfectant / shampoo from pet shops that gets rid of the smell so that would help with that bit.

Hope the collar helps with the pulling.

Fear aggression - I went to a training session with a very good behaviourist and there were several fear aggressive dogs there. His advice was to take the pressure off the dog and demonstrate to them that you're going to take the lead on any dog encounters - so get in front of your dog. One of the really interesting things was the impact that the lead had - if you hold a dog on a short tight lead (so you have lots of control) you often are bringing their head more up - into an aggressive location - and they feel trapped by the fact that they can't move - in the same situation, with the lead loose the dog didn't react as aggressively and simply tried to get away from the other dog - clearly a much better response.

I know other people have worked on the fear aggression by getting the dog to do something else rather than look at the dog - and treat heavily for it - clicker training might help make this an instant positive so she knew what she was doing right... ie dog in distance, Lolly looking at it - you ask her to look at you, and click the instant she does and treat her.

Sprinkle bi carb over the wee'd on patches, leave for as long as possible (until completely dry), then vacuum up. Repeat if necessary, but it eats the odour and is cheap and child/animal friendly!

We use a halti but clip it to our dog's normal lead as well which means she doesn't get tangled up in it. It stops her pulling perfectly. Good luck!

Don't get the canny collar - get the Premier Easy Walk Harness - it's blummin' amazing and saved my dog from being rehomed.

Chewing is a problem - but buy a Stag Bar - they are stag antlers and last for months! We also use cow hooves they are long lasting.

yup we have an antler, she loves it and a large real bone that has lasted for ever and she still loves it but she will chew up anything that she finds if left alone with it for a bit

we try not to leave her alone at all but not possibly to never leave her

The canny collar is fab. My lab hated the halti and just got the lead between her teeth as it came from underneath. She walks like a dream on the canny collar.

with the loose lead thing and fear aggression

if she is on a loose lead or extendable then she will bark and stand her ground until they get close enough to reach (dog, bike, person, car, ANYTHING) and then jump up all over them, tail wagging, bouncing like a twat, really bloody strong all feet and wet face

on a tight lead is the only way I can stop her bouncing all over people and muddying coats, accidently scratching with her big claws and knocking people over

seriously I need a trainer

Can you go to training classes rather than get a private trainer?

Do NOT Go to anyone who is a dominance trainer, or uses the words "Dog Whisperer"

The Kennel Club training classes are great.

It was a class I found that was 170 pound for 6 classes

I definitely avoid dog whisperers of dominance people

That sounds extortionate. Training classes are generally much more reasonably priced and invaluable for most dog owners (the exception is dogs that have serious aggression issues and are best dealt with on a one to one basis). A good training class should be able to answer most of your questions and give you skills to deal with problems.

Have you looked on here: www.apdt.co.uk/
They use positive reinforcement methods and have members all over the country.

What area are you in Trinity? I can have a look round for you and find a decent class. I paid £70 for 8 hour long lessons over 8 weeks. The classes had a maximum of 8 dogs in each session with two trainers and two assistant trainers on staff. So pretty much 2 dogs per member of staff. Not one to one but almost as good

The trainers were both APDT and all of them were members of the PPG.

thanks booboo, i'll have a look

I'm near Gretna in Dumfries and Galloway

LilCamper that sounds fab

4 Paws

Go to training class
Honestly, I have the most bonkers dog at mine but it does help
I pay 7 pound a session in the home counties darling

If you haven't already bought a collar, I have a gentle leader you can try for free. If you pm me your details I'll send it to you. I've had similar massive issues with a Staffie I rescued last year and my biggest 'learn' has been that I needed to have loads more confidence and loads, loads more patience. I wanted an instant fix, especially with the lead pulling and pulling/trying to run towards other dogs, oh and all the damage related to his terrible separation anxiety, but the only cure is patience and time (with the right advice of course)!

Let me know if you're interested.

oh sexbomb, that would be fabulous
I am struggling on with the halti at the moment but she really isn't liking it cause she keeps getting her foot caught in it

thankyou so much

My lab will be 2 in May. This time last year i was at the end of my tether with her behaviour but then we started obedience classes (£70 for 10 weeks) We did two lots so 20 weeks in total. She is like a different dog now.

The boxer in our class (yours is a boxer isn't she?) was the best at picking things up and was a bit of a star. Very clever dogs.

I still train, train then train again with my dog. It is part of our daily routine. Everything is a training opportunity. I am currently working on 'look at me' to keep her focussed when walking on the lead and so she is not looking at other dogs/cyclists/joggers/cats/sheep/ducks etc.

I would say training classes would be your saviour. Keep looking for ones locally. Good luck.

thanks littlewitch

that gives me hope

Don't use a halti or a gentle leader with an extending lead though as it can really hurt a dog if they run to the end of the lead and then their head is yanked sideways.

My dogs all pull, especially my spaniel who was getting better until I taught him to pull for tracking numpty at the same time I also taught him to go over a 5ft scale resulting in me having to erect a 6ft fence in my garden double numpty

With the foot catching thing, as has already been said, I wouldn't use it with the extendi, or rather, not with the lead extended iyswim. I used it to get to and from the area where I let him run looser, and then swapped to an ordinary collar for that.

She sounds just like Kenny in the way she is with other dogs. We think he was taken away from his litter way too early, so didn't learn how to 'be' around other dogs, and then was never socialised when growing up. He wasn't aggressive, but when other dogs see a staffie galloping towards them full tilt mouth wide open in a grin, toungue a flutter, or straining at the end of a lead looking like that, they tend to feel panicky and react, and so it spirals.

I realised that I was so terrified that he was going to be a aggressive (Staffie prejudice) as soon as I saw other dogs I was panicking and waving them away and calling him in a panicky voice and that made him think that I was frightened ergo other dogs must be something to be scared of and so he needed to defend me.

This one time when we were playing and a loose dog came out of nowhere and approached us, I pulled him close to me on a short lead and kept constantly reassuring him 'good boy' good boy and he allowed the dog to approach and sniff him so i kept up the constant praise as well as saying hello to the other dog. when the dog came round to face him he jumped at it just a bit, so I pulled him back and calmly but firmly said no, and the dog went back to the rear end which Kenny coped with, again each time he started to go for the other dog (whenever he got in Kenny's face) I just pulled him back and said a firm no. This was a real miracle and a turning point for us and was all down to how I reacted with Kenny and the other dog, and this had a radical effect on his behaviour. I kept this up any time we encountered loose dogs, looking forward to it as a way to help modify Kenny's behavious instead of being terrified of it.

I have been doing this for about 4-5 months now, and if we are alone in the fields, I will let him off and we play ball which he loves. If we see a dog now, I calmly call him to me and put his lead on, but continue to play ball, and he mostly ignores other dogs. There have even been a couple of occasions when he has spotted other dogs before me, but hasn't attempted to run to them, just brought me the ball! Result. I still wouldn't let him off in a park full of other dogs, but I think that there may come a time when I can, I feel that positive about it, and yet have come from a place feeling exactly as you do.

Sorry it's so long, and I've parcelled up the gentle leader, will post it on MOnday. Hth.

sexbomb sounds like all your hard work is paying off with Kenny which is fantastic. When reading your post, it's so easy to understand how Staffies could get a reputation as a scary dog when, in fact, it's something else completely!

How is he doing with separation? I remember posts when he was chewing like a madman when left - any improvement on that? Fingers crossed the answer is yes

yes he is so, so much better. We had a dog door fitted to the kitchen door so that he can get out into the (totally secured, totally walled in by other houses) back yard. That seems to help. We have a dap diffuser in the hallway by the front door, and I leave my bedroom door tied open (so that he can't get trapped which is when he panics and chews) and he seems to feel safe if he can sleep on my bed. He still gets his lead out of the basket by the front door and takes it into the sitting room, with my wellies as well as a new development, as if to say, look what you forgot to take with you, my lead, your wellies and me!!!!!!

Thanks for asking, it has been a very tough, exhausting, expensive, emotional year, but it is reallly now starting to pay off and people stop me in the street to comment on how handsome and well behaved he is, and our post lady loves it when she has a parcel for us so she can knock the door and have a fuss. She wants to take him home.

In fact, this week, whilst Kenny was standing at the front door lapping up some love from said post lady, I was suddenly aware that he seemed very fascinated with something outside the door and to the left. He wasn't restrained in any way, and I peeped out to see our neighbour from a few doors up with her border terrier on a lead, waiting to come by. He could have dashed out and gone hell for leather for this dog (all love but as we said, scary looking) but he just waited to see what I was going to do. I just crouched and held him gently around his neck whilst they walked by. Miracle. So there are happy endings, it just takes time.

oh sex bomb, I wish I could manage that with Lolly

you're so right about the running like mad towards other dogs, mouth open, tongue flapping can look frightening for other dogs...and other owners

lolly is big and very bouncy and strong

You will! How long have you had her? What breed? New pics on my profile by the way if you fancy seeing my handsome boys.