Staffie crying when anxious

Hi everyone

Not sure if anyone has or has had a similar problem.

My staffie, who I think is slightly OCD gets very noisy when anxious. If we ever take him anywhere he doesn't recognise he gets extremely vocal for a very long time.

Yesterday I took him to check out a new agility class. I'd taken him for a walk beforehand and he expected then to go home. When he realised we weren't going straight home he started to squeal, by time we got to the class he was extremely anxious and his squealing was getting louder and louder. The trainers told me to ignore it, but I find it really hard. The noise disturbs others dogs.

I have tried distracting him and using the "watch command" but the moment my attention is off him or rather his attention is off me, then he starts again. He finds it almost impossible to just stand still and wait.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thinks its quite a normal Staffie thing. Tonks gets very noisy if she is frustrated...e.g. When arriving at walks and she wants to get out the car.

If the trainers are happy for you to ignore it then go with that...or click in between the noise and shape a quiet settle down maybe.

Hi Catrinsparkles

Would you just wait for a brief silence and then click & treat? How would you expand the period of silence?

He can be such a screecher and I thought it would disturb the other dogs who are trying to concentrate on their agility training.

Sandy

Definitely a staffy trait Samson whines to be let out for fuss for waking me up, quite a lot really, sasha does a very loud high pitched drone when she is frustrated or attention seeking, last staffy was the same very vocal. Samson also does it when worried ie when he knows we are dropping son at playgroup, I guess the more he goes to the training classes the less anxious he will be so it would get less? But agree with catrin that click treat when quiet for a second

Remus is naturally a barker and screamer and if I left him to his own devise he would do this each times dog moved in class and when I put him on lead if I don't want him to meet another dog.

I arm myself with clicker and treats and a huge mega smelly chunk of liver cake, heart or venison treat. When we first started classes I would stick the big chunk right ont heed of his nose and the second he payed me the tiniest amount of attention or stood with no noise I clicked. He doesn't always get some of the amazing treat though, that's for really good stuff but it gets his attention! I always take him to class hungry too.

Then I carry on clicking the tiniest gap in noise and gradually extend the time between start of silence and click. Using the stinky stuff if he begins to loose it. Now in class I only need to do a couple of quiet clicks and he lies down quietly. We've only been to four classes in the three months we've had him as my pattern is often away over night and I don't have any family here to babysit. also have to say that he rarely gets trained at home. Poor dog. Tonks knew 40 commands at a year old. Remus probably knows 3! Must try harder! He's really easy at home though and I've concentrated on the basics.....ummm, off thread I know, but what does he know....
Sit
Coming to his name
Coming to a whistle
Get off
In your crate (which he will only do if he can see evidence of something tasty about to join him in there)
In your bed


And that's it!

Just thought, another thing they do in Remus' class if a dog isn't settling or able to concentrate is they give the owner a kong or huge bone for them to gnaw on and lick. The handler is instructed to old the bone firmly under their foot so it doesn't go shooting round the class. The licking and concentrating on the job in hand helps to calm the dog. Also, the chairs are set up in a horseshoe shape and sometimes dogs who are very nervous have their chairs pulled back a bit so that they are slightly removed from the stimulus of the other dogs...and they are able to concentrate better and gradually move forward at their own pace.

Hi I have heard a staffie in the vets waiting room,it sounded like an Alien,but it does seem to trigger the other dogs,But if I am not quick enough my Fay goes into a mode like that its like a muted bark,but its mainly the pacing.So I have found if Im quick enough before she goes into full throttle,I bribe her with a bonio,make her sit and she is then distracted,but its getting the timing right,as I dont always and that behaviour always escalates Gemini54

My youngest collie (18 months) shrieks in between his goes at agility class. If he won't quieten down on command I take him out and just stand doing nothing. When he's quiet we go back in. I don't think his is anxiety though, just impatience!

That did make me laugh "sounded like an alien" - you're absolutely right.

The other dogs weren't triggered as such but they were certainly aware of him.

I need to get in fast and arm myself with a bag of tricks (and treats) to distract him.

Oh yes I've seen collies do that - I think they become overwhelmed with pure excitement, whereas my one becomes very vocal when he can't get his own way, when he gets bored, anxious or when he gets frustrated. So for me, it's not just the noise and disturbance he creates it's also what it signifies, if he becomes too many of those things then he's likely to become reactive.