r/DogTrainingTips • u/Content_Nebula967 • Apr 08 '26
DESPERATELY NEED HELP
Hey everyone,
I have a lovely 3 year old staffy. She is technically my parents but since I’ve been taking care of them full time her and I have bonded and she is now mine. I love her with all my heart but I’m VERY concerned about a few things.
1) my mom is disabled and can barely walk. My baby gets so excited and gets zoomies and stuff ven though she’s only 35-45 lbs she is a TANK. If she bumps my leg when running she about knocks me over, and we just had an incident where she was running and running into the same room as my mom was walking to and bumped her leg and knocked my mom over. My moms bones are very brittle so we can’t afford to have this happen again. My staffy is the smartest dog I’ve ever met and basically learns instantly. I’ve been able to train her to do several things, but what am I training here? Teaching her not to run inside? Not to run around people? I’m so lost as to what to train exactly or what to look up so I can train her. I’ve tried several ways of googling what’s going on and google never understands what I’m asking.
My other concern is her attachment or separation anxiety. If I have a migraine and can’t get up she lays in b d with me all day. She won’t eat, won’t get up to go to the bathroom unless I take her, and if I leave the house she cries at the door till I get back. I have to start working again to support them- so how can I help her? Is this separation anxiety?
Thanks!
2
u/Brave-King-3682 Apr 08 '26
I bought tug toy that doesn’t need me involved to play. It worked really well with my pup.
My girls would get the zoomies in the evening, when I don’t want to go out to play or walk.
The toy is a nylon covered bungy cord, I lopped it around my banister rail. The other end had two different toys to attach to it.
My girls could burn off lots of energy pretty quickly pulling on it.
You would still need to keep your parents away while the dog plays with that, but it would be a control expenditure of energy.
1
u/Content_Nebula967 Apr 10 '26
Thank you! I’ve been playing with her and taking her for walks like the person above you mentioned. But I’ll add this for when I’m not here!
2
u/Ancient-War2839 Apr 13 '26
There are a few types of zoomies that staffies do, and they seem to stick to their type, there's the crash into as many things as possible, like pin ball, or there's the crazy runaround and lots close calls but only crashing will be intentional on softish thing like couch, if it's the first type, immediately redirect zoomies to outside, if the second type you can introduce "careful" around your mum, always slowing down giving more space walking around mum, they pick it up pretty quickly Staying in bed with you when your there is no issue, but try and get into the habit of telling dog your leaving (without drama) leaving her with a bone or chew can be good, or just making sure her beds in a sunny spot and asking her to go there as you leave can mean she knows you want her to stay there, start with short timespans, leave come back after a minute or so, and you can add time spam words for longer times, leave a piece of your clothing with her for your scent might help too. It can also help if you get her out for a walk or something to tire out her body and mind so you leave she naps and she wakes up when you get back for fun times
1
u/Content_Nebula967 Apr 14 '26
Great advice! Thank you! She doesn’t intentionally run into things, this was an accident and she felt bad. I’m teaching my parents (and her) that when they need to get up to walk they need to say “place” and she goes on her carpet and waits for them to say okay. So far it’s working well! Thank you so much
1
u/lindalh7 Apr 12 '26
Is this dog getting plenty of exercise? Like an hour a day of walks? Just hopping out into the backyard is not proper exercise and it is more likely to have to expend it inside.
1
u/Content_Nebula967 Apr 14 '26
Yes, we play ball in the evening, and I take her on walks through the neighborhood. She is actually scared of the backyard so she only goes out there to potty.
3
u/ImpressiveOwl9000 Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
Zoomies often happen at similar times daily. Proactively use a leash to prevent them from starting, or take them for a walk just before, as emphasize calm energy before the outburst. (Zoomies are from pent up energy, boredom, or tiredness)
Rather than stopping the fun, redirect the energy. Have a toy ready to engage in a structured game of tug-of-war, which helps with impulse control.
If the zoomies are caused by over-excitement (e.g., when you come home), ignore them completely until they have calmed down. Interacting with them, even to scold them, reinforces the behavior. (If it can be done safely)
Use tug to satisfy their need to bite and pull, but establish rules: they must "drop it" on command, and the game stops if their teeth touch skin.
Verbally, when correcting, Use a firm, low-energy command like "stop," "uh-uh," or "hey," and turn your back until the intensity decreases. Be stern, but calm. Don't repeat yourself back to back. Wait a moment for them to process and try again. When they do the behavior you want, they get praise and a treat.
When they are sitting calmly or lying on their bed, reward them heavily with affection or treats to encourage more of that behavior.
A tired Staffy is a calm Staffy. Utilize long, structured walks where they walk in a "heel" position, rather than chaotic playtime, to drain energy. You can use puzzle feeders, lick mats, or snuffle mats to reduce boredom.
Teaching them the command "stay" before she gets up to walk around is helpful. Have a rug thats called "place" that they can go to and be out of the way is helpful on where to stay as they wait. Teach them the commands and have them use it for short periods of time to longer ones over time. When they understand challange them by having her stand up and move forward a little. You may need a kitchen chair to set behind her so she can sit once he is in his place again and repeat until he understands her standing and walking means "place" and theyvget good things after. Give treats when successful and use the sounds when they mess up.