Despite their intimidating appearance, Staffordshire bull terriers are exuberant, loving and loyal dogs. Although they are sometimes bred and trained to be aggressive fighting dogs, most Staffordshires are good, gentle family pets. This breed is quite strong for its size, and very energetic and intelligent, so it's important to train them well. Your Staffordshire bull terrier can become a polite member of your household.
Things You'll Need
- Durable chew toys
- Leash with chest harness
- Dog treats
Instructions
Establish a routine for your Staffordshire when he's a puppy, and stick to it. He should be fed, walked, and put to bed at more or less the same time every day. Staffordshires are quite clever, so they like to know what's coming next and can become nervous if their routine is unpredictable.
Give your Staffordshire durable chew toys meant for large dogs and bull terriers, like rope and rawhide. This breed has a strong jaw and can choke on small pieces of toys that it destroys. They like to chew and will take it out on the furniture and other inappropriate objects if they don't have their own toys. If you catch your Staffordshire chewing or mouthing something, give him a toy and make sure he knows which things he can chew on by scolding him when he goes for something inappropriate then redirecting him to the chew toy.
Leash train your Staffordshire as a puppy. You don't want this dog yanking on its leash when it's full grown because it'll be strong enough to hurt you or pull the leash out of your hand. Staffordshire's upper bodies are very strong, so a chest harness leash will be more comfortable for the dog and give you more control. If he pulls on his leash, stop walking, correct him, and don't continue walking until the pulling stops.
Correct your dog for jumping up on people, growling, and play-biting, even when it's very young. These are all dominant-dog behaviors, and it's important that your dog understand it's not the boss of the house. Even though Staffordshires are usually good with kids, make sure that every member of the house can consistently correct the dog for the same things so he understands his place in the home.
Feed your Staffordshire from your hand, but teach him to take food gently. Staffordshires love getting food as treats, but snatching food or biting at your hand is another dominant behavior that's best to get rid of before the dog is full-grown.
Socialize your Staffordshire with other dogs when it is young. While most of these dogs are gentle with people, many of them tend to be aggressive toward other dogs. A lot of people think Staffordshire bull terriers are pit bulls, so they're already scared of them. You don't want your dog to get in trouble for attacking another dog in the park. If your puppy acts like it's attacking another dog, correct it immediately by scolding it and pulling it away. Praise the dog when it sees other dogs and doesn't go after them. Carry treats with you when you go out with the dog and give a treat when it sees another dog to remind it to be nice.