Hi am new and need advice

I have a 6yr old Staffie bitch that I rescued 4yrs ago. Her previous owner had treated her very badly as a puppy and then tried to use her for fighting. When this didn't work he tried to use her for breeding, but she was in such a poor state that she just kept loosing the pups. So I took her, and she was skinny covered in sores, her ear was hanging off, she was covered in bite marks and her spirit was broken. At first I couldn't even stroke her as she was so afraid of people, but with a lot of patience and tlc, she has become a healthy loving girl, but of course she does have some problems, which I am hoping someone can advise me on. As you can imagine she does not like other dogs, which makes it difficult to take her out. She does not start fights but when meeting other dogs, she shakes and shivers, and if they come to close she will snap, but still does not try and savage, it is just that she is so scared. Provided we don't meet any other dogs she loves a walk. Her other big problem is that I cannot bath her as they used to throw her in the river so she is terrified of water. I clean her down with dog wipes but am sure it would be better to give her the occasional bath. When at home she is great unless I want to do something to her ie clean her ears, it took two years of patience to be able to brush her. She loves to cuddle up but if you have something in your hand she must think you are going to hurt her. I dread to think what she must have had done to her before I got her. She never snarls at me or anything like that she will just start to shake and will go and hide poor thing. I need to know how to get her over her fear of dogs water and having things done to her, even the vet has to sedate her to see to her. Apart from all that she is the most loving faithful dog I have ever owned.

Have you thought about taking her to obedience classes? She would meet other dogs there, and get used to them, and learn that they are not going to hurt her.

sorry I can't offer any advice but had to post to say well done for saving that poor staff :smt038 :smt038

i agree obedience classes would be good to intoduce her to new dogs and situations slowly.
also giving her a bath too often isnt good for her anyway, and some dogs jus dont like baths i cant get my staffie anywhere near a bath for more than 5 seconds!

im sure someone will come along with some great advice for u soon.

welcome to dogweb

Sounds like you have done such a lot for her already and well done for that. Obedience classes sound like a good idea, you could just use dry dog shampoo for bathing i,m sure it will do the job just as well.

Hi there sounds as if you have been doing a very good job with mia (?) If you have had her for4 years she should have learnt to have some trust in you, It may be that she was so traumatised by her previous experiences there may be some things that you will not be able to attempt with her. Instead of a bath have you tried getting something like a deep plastic container and just washing a little at a time? Put one leg in then wash and rinse if ok do the rest of the legs later then thet rest of her in bits with a jug rather than a bath. Also ears and things,when you are sitting giving her a cuddle gently lift her ear or foot say and just pretend to look at it, then lots of praise, that way Mia will associate looking at 'things' with a pleasant experience not pain, then the next step would be gently cleanng the ears while she is on your knee .good luck it sounds as if you have come a long way already

First of all, don't worry about bathing your dog. With a sleek, short-coated dog it is not essential that they are bathed unless they have rolled in something disgusting or they have a skin problem which requires medicated baths. I have had Boxers for 40 years and can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I have bathed them. A rubber curry brush, a polish with a chamois leather, and a wipe of the face with a damp cloth is sufficient to keep them looking good & smelling sweet.


Her fear of other dogs is something that she may never completely overcome. When you meet another dog on a walk make sure that you are always between her and the other one. If possible get her into a sit and stand in front of her. By doing this she will understand that you are her protector and that she does not have to face any danger because you will do it for her. Try not to be anxious when you see another dog approach as she will instantly pick up your apprehension. Do not reassure/baby-talk her as this will reinforce her feeling that she is right to be scared. Talk to her in a cheeful up-beat manner.

If you know someone else with a dog you can work on desensitizing your girl. You need to know the distance away from the dog at which your girl is likely to react. Walk towards the other dog but stop while you are still in your girl's comfort zone, i.e. she can see the dog but is not reacting to it. Just stop, talk cheerfully and, if she shows no reaction, give her a tasty treat & lots of praise (if she shows any fear reaction then you are too close). Then turn round and walk away with her. You will need to practice this every day for months and months, gradually, very gradually, getting closer to the other dog. Any sign of fear and you go back to the last point at which she was comfortable and start again from there. This will take a huge commitment of time, patience & understanding from you.

Regarding the obedience classes ... maybe. You would have to find a very good class with an exceptionally experienced instructor and you would need to explain in detail your dog's history and the problem she is having. A good trainer will be able to help you both, but a bad or indifferent one could easily make matters worse. Please don't just enrol in a class without having an in-depth talk to the person running it. I have heard of trainers advocating 'flooding' dogs that have fear problems but I am sceptical of the efficacy of this method. I am scared of tarantulas - I can't see that putting me in a room with a dozen of them would help me overcome my fear

You say she is scared of "having things done to her". If you could elaborate a bit on what sort of things we might be able to suggest ways of overcoming this.

You have my deepest admiration for taking on this poor, traumatized, girl and I applaud the efforts you have made to win her trust.

Keep us informed of how you are getting on, and let me know if there is anything in the above that is unclear.

Best wishes
SB

PS Does she play with toys? Is she nervous if you have a toy in your hand or is it just implements such as a brush, towel, etc.?

Welcome D
you are doing a wonderful job with Mia she's so very lucky to have found you to show her what it is to be loved.
All the best with her
Kirstie

Hi welcome to Dogweb!!

Your staffie sounds such a lovely girl.

As SB said, with obedience classes make sure you tell the instructor exactly the problems you are having with her. Our training instructor will take on 'nervous' dogs. We had one in our class which hated my staffie with a vengance. Within 3 weeks that dog no longer needed a muzzle and was a very friendly dog, apart from when it came to my staffie

Bath time I wouldn't worry about. Try a bowl of warm water and a flannel and slowly introduce her that way.

It must be very, very difficult for you and I admire you for what you have done for that little girl already.

Good luck

May I add a little to SBs excellent advice ? does Mia like toys or maybe some special treat like a bit cheese / ham/biscuit ? If so take it with you when you go out but hidden in your pocket When you see a dog approaching as it gets near to you do as SB says regarding putting yourself in between/cheery chat and produce the toy/treat to see if this will distract mia from the 'threat' (I like to get a dog to sit in these circumstances). If she is distracted give lots of praise I would also try to walk her in a place like a large park where there are dogs on leads and she can see them, but at a distance and where you can walk in another direction when a dog approaches too near so she does not have to confront them directly so she learn they mean her no harm good luck