Need to get rid of dog !

[user68753367]

We bought a dog 8 months ago where we have tried to train him.... he doesn't listen he still nips and snaps and it's now getting to the point where he is jumping up and going for my toddler and you can hear his jaw snap ! It's scaring me as I can't leave them in the room together he does it to me and my bf he tries to bite his ankles and he's the master so it's in heard of isn't it ? He knows not to go on the couch yet still runs in covered in mud and going on there he's not allowed up stairs but as soon as back is turned he's up there.... we've always told him no and made sure he knows and he does get praised when he's good (which is never ) he chews everything up in site and will just take food of the side and out of my boys hand, I'm currently pregnant and it's getting me so anxious ! He goes on walks everyday so he's excersised a lot. He doesn't listen to me whatso ever and when I play with him he gets aggressive to the point it scares me. Any advice would be helpful ? No nastiness please I'm at by whits end

Usually playful biting but these where snaps I don't know maybe over exciting he's knocked him over once

I feel a failure over this it's hard

Could you afford some proper training sessions? I think you both might benefit.

I could make sure I can afford it we need something

No. Not a failure. It IS hard.
Yes probably over excited.
A strong dog can/will knock a kid over!
Tall dog gate?
Restrict time together and manage. Kids rolling round on the floor for example is a disaster.
It will be hard and you do need a professional to help but it doesn't have to be unmanageable.

I think training would really increase your confidence around your DDog.

Not a dog person so can't offer anything practical but just wanted to give you my support OP. Some of the responses you have had are very judgemental and assumptions seem to be flying around based on no evidence whatsoever. It sounds like you are trying your best and that you do care about your dog. Hope it all works out.

Yeah and it's time for me and him to get bonded

Thankyou waxlyrically

OP, are these snaps actually making contact or just loud snapping of jaws? If the latter, that's not particularly unusual and isn't actually a sign of the dog being aggressive. My aunt's staff does the jaw snapping thing fairly close to you, but it's not at all aggressive and she tends to just do it as an attention seeking thing. It's quite loud though so I can see how it would be unnerving.

Please get a behaviourist who will come to your house and observe you with the dog so they can help you.

Your not a failure user. You've just not realised what you've took on and now your trying to rectify it.

Your not the first and you won't be the last. If your in the north east I can recommend a decent behaviourist for the breed. If your elsewhere and can give a rough location I'm sure someone will know someone.

I'd say first off to get a stairgate.

It isn't just a staffy thing. My dad once had a lab who ate four landing windowsills. The foolish man never put a stairgate on till after the fourth one had been replaced.

She wasn't a puppy either she was about five. Greedy fond right till the end, although I think that's quite common in labs.

Wolfe just curious really. When yours gets full size will a stairgate be enough?

Do they do special large breed ones?

I have owned dogs all my adult life, mainly corgi's ( who get a bad press due to the queens dogs being largely left untrained. We were 'given' a staff dog mix, and he was the most neurotic dog ever! Massive separation anxiety, destructive and completely untrainable. We spent a fortune on classes and behaviourists, worked non stop with him for months, spent thousands of pounds trying to work with this dog. Had brain scans and all manner of tests and treatments all to no avail. The behaviourist took him on full time and takes him everywhere, but he is still very unstable, so not all dogs are trainable.
Some of these comments are cruel and unnecessary. One tip I learned from the behaviourist was that the crate should be big enough for the dog to go in, turn around and lie down, if the dog is peeing in his bed (and you know it's not because he has been locked up for too long with no toilet breaks) thenit usually means it's too big, they never foul where they sleep. Do what you think best OP, for your family and this dog

Dogs are great. Puppies are horrible. they're cute for the first week or so, then they're hateful for about 18 months, then they're just your best, most loyal friend for the next 15 years (if you're that lucky!) they are worth the hard work in the beginning, but boy is it hard work. Much harder than having babies. Getting a puppy is like adopting a feral toddler from a foreign country with a different language who doesn't wear a nappy and lifts everything with its inch long teeth

When it comes down to it, it isn't safe for the OP, her child or the dog to make recommendations regarding this situation on the internet. As she rightly says, we don't know her. What really needs to happen is a professional dog behaviorist needs to visit and see exactly what is going on; what are the triggers for the dog's apparently increased 'aggression', how the OP and her family interact with the dog and how the dog interacts with the family.

The OP's partner chose the boldest dog pup on offer rather than the snugglier bitch pup; he was chosen from an unfortunate location and he is now an adolescent dog pushing the boundaries - the equivalent of the 'terrible twos'. Staffies are smart dogs, they can, do and will learn but they need to be taught and this needs consistency from everybody in the household. They also don't know their own strength at times and this needs to be borne in mind around children.

In short, arguing on a forum isn't going to help, there needs to be a physical visit from a qualified person (there have been links posted already) to actually see what's going on and make recommendations accordingly. If the recommendation is that the dog can and should be rehomed then it can be explained to the OP the best way to go about it. Likewise if the behaviourist thinks the dog can be properly integrated into family life then this will be explained.

The dog is also showing signs of stress and possible separation anxiety (the OP describes him as 'clingy'), peeing in his crate when left though otherwise apparently housetrained. If the OP isn't happy, you can bet the dog isn't happy either.

Trying to rehome a Staffy which 'bites' will not be easy. The behaviour needs to be seen and understood before taking any action other than separating the dog from the child for safety until this can take place. As other posters have said, these things rarely happen 'out of the blue' but often there is a solution.

Unborn. I have a tall dog gate. It's placed so she can't get a run up at it too!As an adult I'm hoping a shut fire door will be enough!!!!
Generally though they are quite a lazy breed. They like a gallop then a comfy bed!

Hi OP

your dog's behaviour sounds like normal unruly Staffy behaviour - they often mouth and play growl. But of course it's not behaviour that you want. And neither is the destruction.

I'm afraid it does sound as if your dog is frustrated and unhappy, and you haven't done a lot of training. Have you tried clicker training - you can't reinforce good behaviour if you don't create an opportunity for it to happen.

Definitely contact a good behaviourist but in the meantime this link give excellent advice on supervising your children and dog -- ideally you should keep them separate.

doggonesafe.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/tip-of-day-supervise-kids-and-dogs-be.html?m=1

And this link advises on how to prevent bites and stay safe:
imnotamonster.org/any-dog-can-bite/

Thanks Wolfie I was just being nosy. They are gorgeous looking dogs.

Take no notice of people blaming you.. you will have two babies and maybe this dog is not suitable for you.. don't blame yourself but do make sure that you find him a good home

Actually twice he snapped at my child and his jaw slammed shut and one time he left a mark on his arm ! I wouldn't be so upset over a normal puppies snap this was a lot more aggressive !
I'll second other posters: your dog wasn't really biting. I've had a staff's jaws slam shut on my hand, and had I not been wearing leather gloves, I would have been in A&E. As it was, the skin was badly broken and the hand very bruised.

And that's the thing: if your dog is not trained, you could end up with a family member being badly bitten. Staffs have jaws like a vice, immensely strong, and they can do a lot of damage. The sensation of those jaws closing on my hand was like nothing else I have ever experienced.

As I see it, you have a choice: you either train your dog with the help of an experienced, qualified person, or you turn him over to a reputable rescue.

It's understandable that some posters get angry and upset when they can see that a situation was avoidable, but has gone wrong with a blameless young dog stuck in the middle, but arse-kicking the OP is not the way to get her to listen to good advice.

I'll second other posters: your dog wasn't really biting. I've had a staff's jaws slam shut on my hand, and had I not been wearing leather gloves, I would have been in A&E. As it was, the skin was badly broken and the hand very bruised.

Jaws slamming shut - I'd call that a bite. I'm old-fashioned like that.

Grew that poster would agree that was a bite.

She was comparing it with what the pup is doing to the toddler and pointing out the latter isn't a bite.

So the OP is wrong to be concerned?

"So the OP is wrong to be concerned?"

Yes and no...obviously she can't have her dog using her child as a chew toy, but, it's not necessarily a sign that the dog actually intends to hurt the child.

Over excited playing is very trainable and not something that you'd need to be watching for forever, if the dog was actually attacking aggressively or out of fear or stress, that's a very different situation.