Staffie Dog.

Question.
I own a 20-month-old Staffie. We had previously owned a Staffie who died five years ago but unfortunately he was never trained. We agreed that this time we would train our dog. We got Zeus at nine weeks and he was trained straight away, by six months he was brilliant.

He would sit, stay, lie and roll over but after a year he started to ignore my commands. He would not come, stay or walk to heel. Now he won't do anything! I have tried to train him again but he just ignores me. Could you recommend anything? Please can you also tell me what a headcollar does and give me some information on collars that spray water at your dog.

Answer.
I suspect you are experiencing canine adolescence which develops from about six months onwards. This is a time of testing behaviour by the dog to discover just how far staffie can go without penalty. We do not necessarily notice the onset of this phase. One day the dog appears to be responsive and three days later he is fast becoming unreliable. Does this sound familiar? Human children do exactly the same thing at a certain age!

You don't say how you went about training your dog. However I suggest that you ask yourself what is different now from his early training sessions. Most people would admit that after a while the rewards for the dog have been phased out on the assumption that they are no longer needed. This is a big mistake. Dogs do what works for them. They will continually repeat behaviours that they find rewarding. Return to a training phase that is worthwhile for the dog. What motivates your Staffie? Is it food or toys or has he discovered other more exciting experiences such as hunting?

Whatever he is now interested in may have to be used as the reward for compliance; for example: "You came back to me so as a reward you can go away and hunt squirrels!"

I would strongly recommend clicker training as staffie is encouraged to take a full and meaningful part in his own training. It encourages him to use his brain. It is also full of rewarding, shared experiences and helps you to develop a better relationship with your dog. Head collars for dogs fulfill exactly the same function as they do for horses. Because the attachment point for the lead is well forward under the chin it gives good control of the dog's head. Where the head goes the rest of the body will normally follow.

Using a headcollar means that the dog is guided rather than jerked. Dogs can often be persuaded to walk without pulling on a headcollar but you still need to practice using them effectively and with rewards. In most cases they are the equivalent of fitting power steering in a heavy car. Spray collars come in two versions: those that are activated by the dog, for example when he barks, and those that are remotely controlled to interrupt unwanted behaviour. If you are considering using either of these collars I would suggest that you first ask your vet for a referral to a fully qualified behaviour counsellor.
Try the clicker first!

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