I was hoping to get some advice and hear about the experiences of you seasoned owners, so I can train my dog the best way possible. He's my first dog, and I really want to do things right.
I did some research on the breed beforehand. I bought a book on Staffies that covers the breed, their behaviour, and training.
Here are the topics I’d like to discuss with you and get your tips/tricks on:
- Sirius has a tendency to nip hands, socks, feet, jumpers... with his sharp little teeth, it soon becomes quite annoying. I was wondering if it's normal for him to want to bite his owner. It might seem like a silly question, but even though he doesn't hurt me and surely just wants to play, the frequency of the mouthing makes me wonder. I've started teaching him 'NO' and giving him a chew toy instead. Do you have any techniques or tips that might help reduce or even stop the nipping in the long term?
- I've bought a clicker to help train Sirius. Is it possible to start training and learning as early as 8 weeks? Is clicker training a suitable method for Staffies? If not, how did you go about teaching basic commands and tricks to your dog?
Your experiences and advice are more than welcome!
Thanks in advance,
Kind regards,
Kamille
Translated from French
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Clicker training is just for tricks and for people who can’t keep their emotions in check; otherwise, it’s completely pointless. All puppies nip, and it doesn't mean they’ve all got dominance issues; the dog I had with the strongest temperament was my male, and he never nipped once.
However, when it comes to teaching a dog anything, you need to get the basics right. A puppy needs to have had enough mental stimulation and physical exercise throughout the day. Sometimes, you even need to set the dog up to make a mistake so you can show them what’s right and what isn’t. If the puppy is mostly nipping during play, then go ahead and play with them—but the arm is a “no”, whereas a toy is a “yes”. If they keep doing it, stop the game, but don’t wait an hour to start again; do it fairly soon after so they make the connection: “if I behave, we play; if I misbehave, the fun stops.” You can do little 15-minute sessions like this, once in the morning and once in the evening. Dogs need repetition to learn. You can't just try to fix a problem when you’re caught off guard or busy with something else, as you’ll obviously have less patience then. In itself, nipping isn't the end of the world.
Regarding the clicker, if you’re even asking whether it’s useful or not, I doubt you’re familiar with the reinforcement principles it’s based on—which makes me especially wary given the biting situation. In your case, I wouldn't recommend using one, as a clicker used incorrectly can quickly turn into a total disaster. You should call in a dog trainer for this kind of thing.
I’ve never “let” a puppy mouth me, and I’ve never even had one that tried; but I’ve often encouraged my puppies to play on the floor, wrestle over a toy, or bite my closed fist: I can tell you, these are brilliant opportunities to teach them plenty of useful things.
You’re right to point out that an owner who becomes dependent on a clicker will be the first one to be stuck without the gadget. The few clicker-trained dogs I’ve seen had no natural sociability, and often the owner seemed just as obsessed with the tool as their dog was.
I love the happy-go-lucky nature and zest for life you get with Staffies; in my opinion, it would be a shame to risk breaking that.
I love mastiff types, I love Staffies.
But... a lot of Staffies have a very high prey drive.
No matter how well-trained and friendly they are, a play session can go completely south just because their playmate for the day eventually gets tired and starts acting like potential prey by running away and yelping.
I’ve got plenty of stories where we were all caught by surprise, even though there was absolutely no sign of an attack coming.
It’s always been more of a scare than anything serious, but you have to be 100% sure of your dog with an emergency stop and a flawless recall.
When you say NO, it means NO.
When you say STOP, it means STOP.
When you say "heel", he HAS to listen!
Sorry for being the killjoy, but even though I adore the breed, they and Cane Corsos are the only two breeds that have really given me a fright (not even for my own dog, he can hold his own just fine).
There are some dogs you can be wary of because they show their intentions straight away, but these two breeds can completely flip in the middle of a game just because the other dog becomes more fun to nip and terrorise!
Clicker training is great for teaching specific tricks or for behavioural retraining. In your case, it’s not really necessary.
I agree with you – clicker training is all well and good, and it works with any dog. But for basic everyday commands, it’s unnecessary and could honestly end up being a bit of a faff.
If you train your dog to rely on a clicker for basic commands (sit, lie down, stay, stop, etc.), you’ll have to keep that clicker in your pocket for the next 10 or 15 years. To me, that sounds like more of a hassle than a help.
For the basics, some fusses, plenty of praise, the odd treat, and a firm "no" when necessary will be more than enough.
You’ve got a Staffy; he’s just an energetic little powerhouse. He’s not some bloodthirsty monster who’ll jump at any chance to become the boss of the house!
Keep doing what you’re doing, it sounds spot on to me, and stop worrying that this puppy is going to turn aggressive. There’s no reason at all for him to become aggressive ^^ He’s just a puppy; like all pups, it takes a while for things to sink in, but he’ll learn your rules and turn out to be a lovely Staffy.
owners who immediately shut down the mouthing instinct will never get there (they’ll regret it the day they get a nip that isn't properly gauged because the dog didn't learn at the right time...)
I agree that all puppies mouth, but you don't necessarily have to let your pup chew on you to end up with a reliable dog.
I didn't let my Dogo mouth me and he turned out to be a very reliable dog.
I didn't let Odin (my French Mastiff) mouth me either, and he knows exactly how to control his bite.
He’s 3 now, and we often have a bit of a rough and tumble; he’s never once nipped too hard. Mind you, the lad weighs 11 stone (about 154 lbs), so if he didn’t know how to manage his jaws, I’d certainly feel it!
Kamille,
You're confusing excitement with aggression.
Nipping, playing tug-of-war and general play just get a puppy worked up; it’s not aggression.
You just need to work on these things with him without letting him get obsessive (learning when to stop before it starts to hurt with the mouthing, so you can start again—playing with a rope toy is actually a great way to teach him a 'stop' command)...
An uncontrolled spike in excitement can lead to a proper bite (though this is more common with adult dogs).
By playing with your puppy, you’re teaching him how to manage his excitement levels.
Why would your puppy be aggressive? I reckon he’s just getting a bit rough because he’s over-excited and simply doesn't know how to settle back down yet.
Docline, won't rough-and-tumble play with Sirius just fuel his "aggression"? That’s what I’m a bit worried about—that by letting him bite me, he’ll get into a bad habit...
It’s the same with tug-of-war: he loves it when I wiggle a rope and he chases it, pounces on it and bites it, pulling and trying to get it away from me. Is this kind of game good for him, or will it just reinforce his "aggression"?
Training means creating the conditions for a puppy to live harmoniously within their environment (with people, other animals, indoors and outdoors). This is done by socialising them in as many situations as possible and providing varied encounters, especially prioritising time with well-behaved dogs that can teach them proper manners.
The whole point of a clicker is to turn them into little robots that eventually won't have any spontaneous interaction with anyone. Each to their own, I suppose...
But in any case, if you're putting training before a proper upbringing, I feel sorry for you and I feel sorry for the dog.
