# 10 month old Staffy



## jason29 (Sep 1, 2010)

Hey just after a little advice on my 10 month old male staffy Alfie, have socialised him with other dogs since he was 8 weeks old and never really had a problem.

i take him to the park and he always wants to go up to other dogs and play, the problem is on a few occassions now he starts playing but then out of knowhere he starts making a horrible noise and its as if he is fighting with the other dog and i have to take him away.

But 9 times out of ten he is fine and just plays, i have him on a long training lead at the park. Any ideas on whats causing this it seems to be mainly with dogs his size, i dont think he is aggressive he never barks or snaps at other dogs.


----------



## RockRomantic (Apr 29, 2009)

do you think it could be rough play?

when my two staffs play they make all sort of noises  they sometimes sound rather nasty but its just how they play


----------



## Rottiefan (Jun 20, 2010)

Dogs can make all sorts of noises when they play. From the funniest to the most terrible! If he still plays whilst doing these noises, then there should be nothing to worry about.


----------



## Jobeth (May 23, 2010)

How does the other dog react? Mine has been at the receiving end and once he yelped one stopped, but the other time the dog carried on despite my dog yelping and I had to rescue him. The first was rough play, the other was an attack.


----------



## Guest (May 21, 2011)

My Patterdale makes a very fierce sounding noise when he plays rough with other dogs, I have even had people question why I am letting my dogs fight!! However, there is a clear difference between his play noise, and his angry noise - I found this out when he went for my boss's dogs months ago. As others have said, if he is clearly playing it is possibly just a play noise. My advice would be to just keep an eye on his behaviour and remove him from the situation if you feel he is being too rough. Other, more experienced people, may come along with alternative methods for this however.


----------



## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

SBT's tend to have a very gutteral sound when they play, and whilst it is normal, in my experience, some dogs can and do interpret it as something else. 

Just make sure the game isnt going over the top, and that your boy doesnt get over stimulated and too rough, which can happen with some Staffies. They don't always know when to quit, and it's your responsibility to manage the situation. I wouldnt rely on the other dog "telling him off" to put an end to the game either, as it may just spur him on.

I wouldnt take him away, id just end the game, let him calm down, then reintroduce to the same dog.

Different breeds play in different ways.


----------



## jason29 (Sep 1, 2010)

Thanks for the replys it does seem like he gets over excited hard to explain the noise he makes and paws are all over each other at the same time, its proberly him being boiterous and mr worrying too much lol.


----------



## Jobeth (May 23, 2010)

I agree that different dogs play in different ways, but I'd be careful about reintroducing them. My dog was frightened by the way he was shaken and if the staffy had wanted to injure him he could have done, so I'm hoping it was just being rough and didn't know to stop.


----------



## critter (Sep 14, 2010)

Hi, I think that all of us who own Staffies have experienced this at some stages, to hear two Staffies playing full on can sound as though they are murdering each other lol. wayne.


----------



## Lady.turbo.wrx (Apr 14, 2011)

*I have 2 staffs,one nearly 3 (female) and a big 16 week old (Male) and as with many staffies i know,generaly staffies do play rough,sometimes sounding like the start of a fight,but i just walk over to them and say sharply "NO" and call them to me,for a treat..

this is my way of contolling and calming my 2 a bit,then they carry on playing quite rough at times,but still nicely  but one thing to bare in mind,staffies are in puppy mode for some time,i had a 12 year old Male,and until he was 10,was still as bouncy and playfull as a 6 month old*


----------



## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

Nonnie said:


> SBT's tend to have a very gutteral sound when they play, and whilst it is normal, in my experience, some dogs can and do interpret it as something else.
> 
> Just make sure the game isnt going over the top, and that your boy doesnt get over stimulated and too rough, which can happen with some Staffies. They don't always know when to quit, and it's your responsibility to manage the situation. I wouldnt rely on the other dog "telling him off" to put an end to the game either, as it may just spur him on.
> 
> ...


Couldnt have put it better myself! X


----------



## RobD-BCactive (Jul 1, 2010)

Good idea to suspend for short pause over excited play, to help the dogs learn to self regulate, rather than wait until some dog is fearful, or yelps from a nip!

A past thread contained excellent advice, which helped me minimise play problems with my own pup (was herding 1 yr old Labs around park at 14 weeks old, running rings round them) http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-training-behaviour/110573-my-dog-cant-understand-other-dogs-behaviour-help-i-dont-know-what-do.html#post1681964


----------



## patsyp48 (Nov 17, 2011)

Hi I also have a young staffie. She is a rescue dog. She plays with my daughter's 2 year old staffie. They play hard and almost look as though they are seriously fighting. They do occasionally mark each other but it's not serious.
My question is, how do I stop them from playing ALL day?


----------



## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

patsyp48 said:


> Hi I also have a young staffie. She is a rescue dog. She plays with my daughter's 2 year old staffie. They play hard and almost look as though they are seriously fighting. They do occasionally mark each other but it's not serious.
> My question is, how do I stop them from playing ALL day?


What sort of exercise, training and stimulation do they get during the day?

My SBT's are 12 and 13 and play on and off all day. They play more, and far rougher, when they are bored and under exercised/stimulated, as i found out when they got kennel cough and had to be kept in for almost a month.


----------



## patsyp48 (Nov 17, 2011)

Hi. The major problem is that they are both fairly lazy and are not happy to go for walks in the cold. The older one has to be rested as he has had a torn cruciate ligament. the younger one is happy to play with her toys for a short while or race around the garden, but as I said if it's cold she won't go out.


----------



## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

patsyp48 said:


> Hi. The major problem is that they are both fairly lazy and are not happy to go for walks in the cold. The older one has to be rested as he has had a torn cruciate ligament. the younger one is happy to play with her toys for a short while or race around the garden, but as I said if it's cold she won't go out.


Well theres your problem. You have bored, under exercised, under stimulated dogs and they have found a way to entertain themselves.

Depression can cause lethargy, so i highly doubt a breed as high energy as an SBT is lazy. They just have little else to do.

The cold really is no excuse. One of mine hates it, so i got him a nice coat and a fleece and take him for daily walks. Lack of exercise/stimulation will manifest itself in all manner of ways; excessive play fighting, destructive behaviour, barking, aggression etc.

Make some effort rather than excuses.


----------



## patsyp48 (Nov 17, 2011)

Thank you for your kind words. They are NOT excuses. I have had dogs for many years which I exercised regularly. She is extremely lazy and will only go out when SHE wants to. I play with her regularly during the day. She is stimulated as much as I can. However, when Charlie visits she is so excited that she cannot leave him alone.
I am not someone who makes excuses not to walk my dog, but I do need some advice as to how to stop them going at each other in play fights. I do not need unnecessary criticism . Thank you.


----------



## SleepyBones (Apr 17, 2011)

I think you need to get advice from responsible staff people, below is a link to east anglian staff club....... but, in short, if you have a BC dont be surprised if you let it offlead near someones sheep it go after & herd them, if you have a hound dont be surprised if chases small animals till it drops of exhaustion, if have a spaniel dont be surprised if it pushes its way into thick bramble patches, if you have a fighting breed dont be surprised if it fights other dogs...& with a big time vengance.

FAQ's - _I have heard that Staffords arent good with other dogs  but surely thats how they are brought up?_

_It's good to socialise your pup as much as possible but I'm afraid all the socialisation in the world doesn't make any difference to the fact that it is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier! The dog will act according to its breed - they are wonderful with people, but very often HATE other dogs and other animals. This is something which is part of the breed's instinct and you will not be able to change. Having a Stafford often means that you take lonely walks -changing direction whenever you see any dogs in the distance. *Don't be tempted to take notice of any 'behaviourists' who tell you that they can train a Stafford to be less dog aggressive - in saying that they are showing that they do not understand the nature of the breed*_

East Anglian Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club

APBC, David Ryan Admits Dog Killed By &#39;Association Of Pet Behaviour Counsellors - YouTube

.


----------

