The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a friendly and loving dog breed. Unfortunately, unlike other dogs, they have a bad rap from irresponsible breeders in the past.
Nowadays, dog owners understand that their puppy’s temperament depends on how they are socialised. Puppy classes are a good way for your young puppy to develop good social habits and behaviours.
Yes! Regular training sessions teach your Staffy how to appropriately behave in different situations and help them develop helpful skills throughout their lives. Your young puppy needs to grow into an adult dog that is properly socialised and knows how to interact well with other dogs and people.
Staffies aren’t hard dogs to train, as they are extremely clever, responsive, and eager to please their owner. However, they can be hard-headed at times or overly playful. Training a Staffordshire Bull Terrier requires time and patience, especially if you’re dealing with puppies with engrained negative behaviours.
Having a pup bred from parents with good temperaments makes this process easier. Alternatively, you can keep your dog’s attention by making training fun and short.
Different dog breeds have inherent traits, skills, and habits that they need to develop further or unlearn. Staffies are no different. With their strong personalities and stocky build, most training for Staffordshire revolves around basic obedience.
Basic obedience training usually includes:
Potty training a Staffy isn’t as difficult as it may seem. It’s an important part of introducing your puppy into your home, and it should be done properly with care and patience.
Staffies can retain information well from as young as 8 weeks old. Getting started as soon as you bring them home is always best.
Your Staffordshire must get into the habit of relieving himself in a specific area of the house early on in their training.
The toilet spot should not be changed for the first few weeks. Identify a spot in your home where you’d like them to ‘go’ and set them down there.
Frequently remind your Staffy puppy where their toilet spot is. You should take young Staffies to the bathroom every one and a half hours, and increase the interval to 6 months old when they can hold their bladder up to 4 hours.
This breed is best trained using rewards-based techniques. Reward your dog when it relieves itself in the correct spot. As your Staffy gets more validation, you’ll see them doing it more frequently.
Monitor your Staffy closely. If it looks like it’s about to relieve itself, immediately return it to its toilet spot.
When an accident happens, clean up the mess with a strong detergent to eliminate the smell. Yelling at your pup will create fear and could ruin a good relationship.
It is important to crate-train your puppy when you first bring him home.
You can use these enclosed areas to train your puppy out of destructive habits or simply provide your pup with a tranquil place to relax.
Staffies are usually reluctant to try things they don’t want to do. You can start training early, but don’t force them into the crate if they aren’t ready yet. The crate is supposed to be a relaxing space for them.
Your Staffy puppy will enjoy having a space of its own if you make the crate a comfortable place.
It should have enough space to stand and lie down with its legs extended. Make it more interesting by putting a toy in there. A bowl of food and water, a comfortable bed, and dog treats will entice your puppy to go inside
Whenever your puppy enters, you should allow them to do so independently, and you should feed them and briefly shut the door while they are inside.
Give them positive reinforcement as you gradually increase their time in the crate.
Leave the crate somewhere that’s relatively quiet and undisturbed. You can leave your puppy in the crate after they’ve settled down and stopped crying. To make sure your dog can still use the toilet, set an alarm for every 2 to 3 hours.
You can leave your puppy in the crate for longer periods when they’ve gotten used to being there for at least 30 minutes.
Don’t leave your dog in there for more than 4 hours; remember to let it use the toilet before leaving the house.
Crate training is a tool to help your dog have their own space. Some might view it as cruel
Of course! Staffies love engaging in fun and interesting activities and can learn tricks. However, you will have to be firm and patient during training. Here are a few tips to teach your Staffy to do tricks.
For your Staffy to continuously exhibit good behaviour, it has to be reminded regularly about its training. Consistent and firm training will lead to the desired behaviour.
Reward-based training is the best way to motivate a Staffy, especially with their headstrong nature. Positive reinforcement makes them feel good and drives them to want to please you again.
Encourage good behaviour by rewarding them when they complete a trick or obey a command. Punishing your Staffy for making a mistake can destroy their trust in you and strain your relationship.
Too many dog treats can make them lose rewarding meaning and lead to issues such as obesity. You can also incentivise your Staffy in other ways, such as verbal praise, rump touches, and extra playtime. All of which are just as effective as treats in motivating your puppy.
In dog training, a clicker associates a reward with a clicking sound. When your puppy completes the desired action, you can click and reward him with a treat. It’s possible to stop feeding them treats once you’ve made a connection between clicking and treats.
Staffies are highly intelligent dogs that learn best with fun training sessions and positive (but firm) reinforcement. They may challenge you a little, but they’re not too difficult to train overall. Once trained, these dogs are a delight to have in your home. Remember, the earlier you start training them, the sooner they learn.
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