25/08/2026
I had a home visit with these absolutely gorgeous staffies last Friday.
Their owners got in contact because they had been having issues with their two boys Frankie and Ralph (Father and Son) sometimes having fights.
The first thing I did was assess the boys body language around each other. I could straight away see that not only did they act like they were walking on egg shells, they would also watch each other closely. Although at times they would as try to avoid each other as if fearful that the other may start something. Which is not completely surprising when there has been fights before.
However when around just the girls Poppy and Ruby their body language was relaxed and happy.
We then went out for a walk together so that they could all release some energy. As one thing their owners noticed is that if they didn’t get enough exercise, there was a lot more tension between the boys to the point a fight could happen.
Whilst on the walk I also worked on the little female staff Ruby’s heel work as she pulled a lot on the lead. She is very clever and quick to learn, so very quickly she was walking nicely on the lead. She is only a baby so she still has a lot to learn, I recommended that they did the Foundation classes with her.
Out on the walk the boys were fine around each other, although they did most avoided each other but there was very little tension between them.
Back at the house in the living room whilst getting the boys to settle, I noticed that they were very tense again. They would also closely watch or stare each other out, but then at times one of the boys would try to provoke the other by getting into their space.
Straight away we started teaching the boys a better way to be so that they would not see each other as a potential threat and could properly relax. When we interrupted any staring and told them to lay down on their own beds and leave each other alone, they listened straight away and start to relax properly.
To resolve these issue the following was very important.
*To watch them closely for any changes in their body language signals, so that they could be redirected to their own spaces or beds before anything can happen.
*Not keeping them completely separate on different floors too much, otherwise they may see those floors as their territories.
When in the same room If needs be one could be in a crate and one out (and then swap them over), just to help them relax in the same room.
*Draining their mind and body properly by doing lots of training on their walks. A dog with a tired mind and body will just want to rest and sleep.
When tired it also creates a more calm and harmonious atmosphere/environment.
*Teach them to be calmer to make sure the boys do not get over aroused/excited as that can be a trigger for fights to kick off. Out of the two boys Frankie the dad is definitely higher energy and more likely to get over excited quickly.
*When in the same room, if one does start to stare at the other straight away redirect them to their own places. A stare is often a warning that a dog is considering doing something and therefore can not be allowed to progress further.
I loved every second I spent with these gorgeous Staffies and their owners, they all did absolutely fantastically during the session. The boys just needed some guidance and to learn a better way to be around each other.
Their mum has also updated me to let me know that things are much calmer at home now, even with all four of their dogs together in the same room. ❤️
