STAFFY OWNERS HELP PLEASE urgent

pboae

emma12345 wrote: »

However, there is a reason why a large percentage of staffies are in the dogs home for rehoming, they can be aggressives towards other animals. And yes, I appreciate that's a gross generalisation but it sometimes is the case.

The main reason that staffies and GSD make up such a large proportion of dogs in rescue is not down to temprement, but because they are being massively overbred. There are many many more of both breeds available than there can ever be homes for. If someone wants one, they rarely have to look to a rescue for one, as they are frequently offered as 'free to good home'.

The market for both breeds is completely saturated, and people still keep churning them out, usually in the hope of earning a few quid out of it only to struggle to give the pups away in the end.

Yes staffs can dislike other animals, as can any dog of any breed, but with the right training that can almost always be controlled.

emma12345

I appreciate in many areas there are too many staffies offered. However in this area (Croydon) outside of the dogs homes staffies are in high demand, there was even a case in the local paper a while ago about a family who were threatened at knifepoint and their staffie b!tch and all her puppies were stolen. Staffs are routinely stolen from their owners in town.

Presumably the sort of ppl doing this are taking them for dog fights and would not be able to allowed to rehome a dog from a dogs home for obvious reasons. Anyway off topic but a lot of owners get staffs because of them being great family dogs and then find them too hot to handle.

Link to article on staffies being stolen: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6365759.stm

(Like this bit because it's so true! "Because of their macho image, people think they're going to look macho with a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, but the dogs would far rather be curled up by the fire.")

moggylover

tbain wrote: »

Totally agree. I think putting the dog to sleep will have to be something you need to consider. It's only a matter of time before it attacks another dog and is it worth risking any childs safety? By the way I know I will probably get criticism for this response but it is the way I feel and personally that dog is at high risk of hurting a person or other animal.

As previously posted dog-dog aggression is ABSOLUTELY no indication of dog-human aggession and only those not used to dogs would suggest/fear that it is.

Putting this dog to sleep is a gross over reaction in this situation - and it was the ops dog that was injured by the GSD, which apparently growled first - so we need to understand a lot more about dog psychology than is apparent in many of the posts before condemning the Staffy to death!

Many dogs feel very "vulnerable" on the lead - and will send out attack body language - I did not see the incident so cannot say - but as the GSD growled I suspect this is highly likely - and may well be why the GSD was on the lead in the first place.

Unfortunately, "making my little baby" out of a dog is where the average owner goes wrong - it is not a baby it is a dog - and you have to understand their psychology not expect them to behave like humans. Even very small dogs that are "babied" rather than dominated can be dangerous - and there are probably more human bite incidents per year from small breeds than from any of the larger ones - although, in fairness, once a large dog looses it - the damage is usually pretty dreadful.

I think the GSD owners went well over-board considering their dog was not injured and had also shown aggression: THAT was why I suggested fudging the truth if questions were asked. Had it been me I would probably have accepted it as part of owning a dog - but it appears that neither dog was truly subordinate to its owner in this situation, and thus I suggested that the OP really does have to consider keeping her Staffy on a lead.

Apart from their looks - Staffies are nothing like Pit Bulls - only humans could produce such an abomination of a mixed breed dog - and those trained for fighting are not only not safe around other people/dogs/cats, etc. but are seldom easily handled by their owners - but the concerns regarding Pit Bulls have no place in this situation.

ALL dogs pose a risk - I have held down many a loved pet lab or retriever or dalmation whilst the vet put it down because it was put in a situation where it bit. But some of the nastiest repairs we have done have been on large dogs attacked by snappy little terriors - so size in dog on dog wars is not necessarily much of an advantage for the larger dog.

I am not a "good" dog owner myself - as I never actually achieve alpha leadership - but if the OP has owned and coped with an Akita then imo - she just needs to find the right doggy psychologist to help her become his pack leader. And I d0 not mean some "dog trainer": most of those that I have seen have been fine with the "easy" to train dogs like rough collies, labs or GSD's, and hopeless with the stronger willed ones like sheep dogs (who really are NOT always that easy to train to be pets - although can be great as working dogs).

Op,The Dog Whisperer is an excellent programme - and this man actually did do a programme with dog aggressive dogs that were being retrained in a Womens' Prison in the States, so if you have Sky and can catch this it is VERY helpful. Otherwise you vet should know of a pet psychologist if you really want your Staffy to be able to go off the lead - otherwise the other suggestions about enclosed areas for such exercise make good sense.

moggylover

mcspanna wrote: »

I'm another rescue staffie owner. I wouldn't necessarily bother with a muzzle because we've tried with ours and they have all been destroyed in a matter of minutes! I agree with the posts saying that the OP's dog should NEVER be off the lead. Ours has one of those extendable leads (the one designed for HUGE dogs otherwise it probably won't last long) and the ONLY time our dog it off the lead is either in the house/car or back yard (and we ALWAYS check the gate before even letting him out of the door because especially with Dogs (rather than b1tches) they will leg it if given even half a chance.

However, I must protest at some of the posts above relating to staffie's being aggressive towards children; those in the know will be aware that Staffies are otherwise known as 'nanny dogs'. I grew up with labs/retrievers and would be far less inclined to have them around children despite their reputations. Any dog will hurt other animals/humans in particular circumstances (ie in pain/teased/to protect etc) but when you look into the stories about staffies attacking people, it often turns out that they are actually staffie crosses (which I would NEVER recommend as you don't know what to expect) or something else that has been mistaken for a staffie.

Thank God! Someone who actually does know something with something to say!

Well said mcspanna!

moggylover

pboae wrote: »

If a staffy (or any dog) 'turns' suddenly, it says a lot more about their owners/upbringing than it does about the breed. Unless there is a medical cause for it.

The most likely dogs to "turn" are those that were originally bred for the hunting/killing/attack aspect of the wild dog nature: i.e. dobermans, rottweilers, GSD and many of the smaller terriers etc. and this turning is often just an instinct to run at and attack something they see moving. Hence their bad reputations.

ANY dog teased or hurt or threatened can turn - but those with the pounce instinct most strongly in-bred are the least "trust-worthy", in otherwise innocent situations.

I do agree that it can say a lot about owners/upbringing - but unfortunately it says an awful lot about the people that bred it in many cases as well. In our society we have few proper controls on those that breed dogs - and nothing that says that they must not breed from those that have already shown themselves to be snappy or viscious, or from those that produce pups with genetic problems and inherited bad characteristics. MANY, MANY breeders look on pups as money only and are not even slightly interested in knowing enough about blood-lining to breed responsibly (i.e. one local breeder of Dalmations whose pair regularly produce at least one or two deaf pups - but hey, at £400 a pup and maybe 12 to a litter - it's a nice little earner - so why change the pairing and stop producing dogs which are at a disadvantage from the start?) Even the deaf ones are homable (and saleable at that) - but several have had to be put down later as they are snappy and disagreeable - probably because they cannot hear people approach properly!

Overall, pure bred staffies are NOT particularly risky dogs - and I also have heard them referred to as "Nanny-Dogs" as they will look after family children just as they would their own pups.

Whether those referred to as staffies in the press are pure bred or not I do not know - and whether their breeder was a responsible one who knew the natures and blood lines of the dogs they paired - I also cannot know - but I do know that we need to ensure that only those that REALLY know what they are doing with dogs BREED them - that is where the problems can start and set in: i.e. hip displasia (which should have been "bred-out" of breeds as soon as it started showing up - but is now so wide-spread in some breeds as to be almost impossible to irradicate).

Also, owners need to face the fact that no matter how much their beloved dog is a part of the family - it is a dog - not a child, and needs to BE a dog - with a whole different psychology than a human being.

moggylover

lil_me wrote: »

I am absolutely stunned at some responses on this thread, put a dog to sleep because it doesn't like other dogs !!!!!! are these people on? Police wouldn't do anything, there are police dogs I am aware of that would be agressive with other dogs.

From what's been said by some they think I should have my old GSD put to sleep because she dislikes other dogs. Well you've got no chance. She's only been agressive since she was bounced on by a 'friendly' border collie who hurt her. It's not her fault some moron had no control over his dog. She stays on lead apart from when we're somewhere there is no other dogs for example a gated field, her recall however is absolutely perfect so I don't think I would have any issues if a dog came in the area quickly.

Last week there was something happened near me where a american bull dog was running loose and got into a fight with a spaniel (also off lead but owner present) there was more injuries on that bull dog than the spaniel but peoples reactions towards the bull breed dog were 'should be put down', I ended up getting very angry with a few people over it. Dogs are that, dogs, we can't expect them to behave perfectly everywhere, but we have a duty as owners to make sure we are responsible with them.

Well said, lil-me! Actually, most dogs behave better than many human beings these days - so maybe we just have a lot to learn:D

Little_Miss_Road_Rage

I have a staffy that is off the lead all the time down our local park. She is no threat to children as she has no interest in them only in her ball and she is great with kids. Staffies are well known as people dogs and they really like to be near u. They are really loving dogs which because of the bad press people misunderstand. It the same as all the "vicious" breeds. And to be honest most of the stories u read in the press don't give the full story and any dog even a cute lab or goldie can attack a child and you're never told what the child was doing. Most children that get bitten have been teasing the dogs.
Most mornings there are about 12 dogs including mine and sometimes there's even 18 all playing happily together.
She is a rescue dog and not long after I first got her she locked onto 2 dogs. The other dogs both growled at her first. It was very frightening for all of us. So I immediately got her a muzzle (U have to get a special one for a staffy) and took her to a dog behaviourist who said that the police would have no interest as its dog on dog and that my staffy was actually scared of the other dogs so was doing what she was bred for which is holding. She has been attacked by 6 dogs since and has not retaliated. The behaviourist recommended we improve her recall then we can call her back to us but she loves all the other dogs and does not show aggression unless the other dog does first.
I have no worries about letting her off the lead and she plays happily.
I suggest that u be careful and muzzle him and try to socialise him more. See if there's a dog class by u and explain to them about him and get him used to being with other dogs. The more u keep him away from dogs the more you're reinforcing that they're a danger.

viktory

pboae wrote: »

If a staffy (or any dog) 'turns' suddenly, it says a lot more about their owners/upbringing than it does about the breed. Unless there is a medical cause for it.

I agree - which is why I am so concerned for the dog in the OP. Not exactly friendly, is it? Don't get me wrong, I don't blame the dog, I actually blame the OP (as stated earlier). I have said it before but it bears saying again - are we to show no concern for other dogs that are out for walkies, minding their own business? It might have been a big strong GSD this time - what if it is a cocker spaniel that is being held by a 12 year old next time? The owner needs to accept that her dog is vicious to other dogs and act accordingly. If she is unwilling to do this, then the animal should be rehomed - or PTS. Battersea is stuffed to the brim with staffies that no one wants.

suki1964

viktory wrote: »

I agree - which is why I am so concerned for the dog in the OP. Not exactly friendly, is it? Don't get me wrong, I don't blame the dog, I actually blame the OP (as stated earlier). I have said it before but it bears saying again - are we to show no concern for other dogs that are out for walkies, minding their own business? It might have been a big strong GSD this time - what if it is a cocker spaniel that is being held by a 12 year old next time? The owner needs to accept that her dog is vicious to other dogs and act accordingly. If she is unwilling to do this, then the animal should be rehomed - or PTS. Battersea is stuffed to the brim with staffies that no one wants.

I can assure you that cocker spaniels are not the bundles of fluff and complete stupidity people are perceiving them to be - they can and will attack other dogs and do just as much if not more damage as a staffie could. It is wrong to pigeon hole breeds - you need to think that ALL Dogs have the potential to do great damage. It is up to us to ensure that we train our dogs to the best of their ability and to keep on fighting to get bad breeders closed down. I have dreadful scaring on my hand from a corgi who was attacking my lab when I was a child. I dont look at it and think to myself ALL corgis are vicious and should be destroyed, I think to myself never step in between a dog fight and since then I have always trained my dogs to recall no matter what is happening around them

newmee

some sensible comments coming at last!!

Remember.....blame the deed...not the breed.

Every time I take my staff out, on the lead and next door's chiwowa (!?) is there, either on the lead or off it, it attacks my boy and he NEVER retaliates, just tries to avoid it as much as he can.
I repeat DEED NOT BREED.
When will people realise that just cos a dog looks golden, fluffy or small it is safer or better behaved. The intention is the same if a child is jumped on by a spaniel or a staff.....both of them either wanna play or eat! Don't matter which on DEED NOT BREED. Ok, I'm finished now! slinks away.......:o