JulianneRutkowski

Oh that sounds like a great way to curb the behavior! I have been telling my roommates to turn their backs to her when she jumps instead of giving her any sort of attention and that actually has helped and we have only been doing it for a few days now. Moving in definitely came with challenges. She has met a few people over the past week or so and she seems to be more stressed than usual about it. I usually muzzle her and allow her to sniff the new person and get to the point where she will shake off and depending on how she responds to the person I will unmuzzle her or keep it on. She definitely does not like anybody in her face and I tell people no eye contact, no touching, no talking upon first meetings because it will overwhelm her. The people did pretty well with it I just always get nervous as well because of her past so I always make sure I'm taking extra precautions. I think she is a little stressed as well because we moved to a new apartment. She is used to going back and forth from my school to my parents house but not used to this apartment quite yet. She seems to be adjusting alright though, I have not put her into positions where she would harm anybody and I always have her muzzled but it does take a toll seeing her uncomfortable. Our neighbors have 3 dogs and we would like to do a slow introduction to at least one of them over the weekend so crossing my fingers it goes well! We are planning on taking them for a hike which Molly really loves!

Thank you for responding! It is so relieving to see other people struggle with the same issues as I do. It's definitely a difficult journey but at the end of the day she is worth it, as I am sure your dog is as well ❤️ Walks have been pretty good lately, my dog just needs to work on her manners lol. She is a jumper and has absolutely no idea how big she is. She tends to muzzle punch and, we call it "open mouth kissing" hahaha. She just has so much love to give and I don't think she knows exactly how to deal with being excited. The mental stimulation has done absolute wonders but the jumping and muzzle punching is going to be the next thing we work on! Let me know how you are doing with your baby girl!!

Hey Jennifer! I haven't been on the forums for a bit as I just moved both Molly and myself into my college apartment! Progress wise she has been doing great actually! The brain games definitely tire her out and she absolutely LOVES the mental stimulation. I also have taught her most the basic commands in the training and she has responded extremely well to everything! I am curious as to how you got your dog to stop air snapping, that is something huge I always have struggled with regarding Molly. With me and people she is friendly with she is usually fine but she tends to get so excited to see the people she loves that she does that muzzle punch/air snap thing and she is clueless to how big and powerful she is. I've looked up how to stop it and I struggle with getting straight answers. If you could share some of your experiences with me and how you managed to control that behavior that would be wonderful!! Thank you!

Thank you so much! This all looks extremely helpful! I have been starting with the introduction section with just the basic commands, which she does know how to do, but I have been practicing the sit from a distance and she get so tired so quick haha. I definitely will look into all the sources provided and keep you updated throughout this summer!! Thank you again!

So the trainer was actually through the rescue I adopted Molly from, Looking Glass Animal Rescue. She said she only believed in giving me tools to help control Molly instead of continuous sessions. The training was a bit all over the place and she told me to purchase a choke chain for her. After Molly's second bite I bought the muzzle before I even got the training. It is actually a rather nice muzzle, I made sure it was a basket muzzle so that she can breathe, pant, drink water etc. with it on. It is made out of a rubber molding material so it fits perfectly for her. I find both the muzzle and choke chain to be helpful with handling her, but of course they are not my first choice. I would love to be able to handle Molly without causing her to be uncomfortable but I also feel like I am out of options. The trainer did teach me how to walk Molly and how I can be in control, and I have to admit it has done wonders. I can take her into stores with me now and even just for walks without the constant pulling and lunging at strangers (she still attempts to do this but the chain doesn't allow her to). Molly and I live in a suburban area and people are constantly outside. I usually tell people to not pet her or go near her because she can demonstrate aggressive behavior. One recent event that happened was my neighbor down the street tried to pet her and she nipped him. This is not the first time she has done this either, she is constantly nipping at people she is not comfortable with and is not afraid to put her teeth on people clearly. I know it's my fault because I am not an advocate for her and tell people to back off, but it gets hard sometimes, especially when you want your dog to be something she simply is not. Molly will nip and muzzle punch when she gets extremely excited. I know she is not doing it out of aggression or anger, but it is still improper behavior that needs to be fixed. She also tends to nip when she needs something, such as to go potty, is hungry, is bored etc. My theory is that she is still a puppy. Though she is 4 years old, she never got the proper chewing phase out as a puppy. She was found in an abandon building in Manhattan NY with another pit, so most likely she was a dog used for breeding or fighting (it looks like she had puppies). She clearly never got the proper socialization she needed or the essential time frames as a puppy. It breaks my heart to watch Molly be stuck in this difficult in between phase of adult and puppy, but I just want to do my best to be the absolute best owner I can for her and make sure she is living the best life she can.

Hi everyone! My name is Jillian and I am new to these online training modules and just thought I would come on here to describe my experiences and see if anyone can relate or has suggestions! I rescued my girl, Molly, 2 years ago now. She is a 4 year old American Staffy and was 2 when I adopted her. Throughout my time with Molly, there has been great progress but also a fair amount of challenges. Though I did not think rescuing a dog would be easy, I did not expect to have a fear aggressive dog who is not shy of putting her teeth on people. My first experience of Molly's capability to bite was when I had her at college and someone came around a corner and startled her. She lunged at the person and I had to pull her away. The medical records did not report that the guy needed stitches or anything serious, but it was an eye opener for sure. The second time was much worse. I was walking her on a harness and a man came up to her and put his hand out and she bit him. This case was more severe and he ended up needing stitches. I was so scared after her second bite that I got her a muzzle and a choke chain. Some people do not find these helpful or positive, but I do for the time being. I got Molly a trainer who did not help much and only came to our house one day. I think Molly needs follow up training and I realize the only way she can get better is if I better myself. I purchased this program in hopes I can turn Molly around. Though I don't think she will ever be the dog that will be okay with strangers coming up to her to pet her, my goal of this training is to stop her jumping, nipping, muzzle punching, and allow me to be comfortable when introducing her to new people. I would love to hear similar stories if anyone has any! Or even just advice would be great of if I am missing something or need to focus on something more than other things.