You just can't help yourself can you?

Could you please stick to the topic - even loosely - and refrain from such objectionable remarks, regardless to who they're directed.

This is a distressing although interesting thread, please don't spoil it.

> Im a puppy walker for Guide Dogs, and Ive just read (via another forum) from someone that knows the puppy walker of Neela (the Guide Dog) that the dog has now recovered, is back guiding its owner and they have been back to the station.

FANTASTIC NEWS!!!!
HOw brave for the owner to return to that staion, that must have been really horrible for her. Brilliant that she manadged that and with her guide dog guiding her. What a testement to the breeding, care & training that goes into those guide dogs :)

> HOw brave for the owner to return to that staion

Incredible and wonderful isn't it!  I don't think I'd ever go back to a general area where something like that happened never mind the same place.  Perhaps of course she has no alternative option for getting around but it is testement to an amazing partnership and trust between the owner and her dog. 

Such a relief.  let's hope that there's news soon on the police having tracked down the offending dog and owner.
Teri

> Perhaps of course she has no alternative option for getting around but it is testement to an amazing partnership and trust between the owner and her dog.

Definately. I can't begin to imagine how frightening hearing that attack must have been for the blind woman, it's horrifying enough when one can see, but to only hear the awfull noises that must have been happening and not knowing what was happening to your dog.... gosh, too frightening to comprehend, and then to return to the place it happened, wow :)

It's heartwarming how the lady & her dog are walking around the streets again, it's an awfull shame it takes such a horrendous event to open our eyes to the bond between guide dog & owner.

ETA, yes, I do hope the dog & owner have been caught. At the very least that dog needs muzzling in public, if the owner is not going to act responsible with it.

I am glad that poor dog is alright and back to working again, though I am suprized.

A dog that I puppywalked years ago was attacked by a G.S.D. on the beach while having a free fun.  His totally blind owner moved in the direction of the crys of his dog, only to be punched in the face (ended up in hospital) by the dogs owner.  scum

I for one am blame the 'deed not the breed' sorry for those who don't agree, i was attacked only 2 weeks ago while walking my 3 dobes by jack russells and a collie that never made the news, today i was on one side of the road a black lab on the other pulled its elderly owner into the road to get to mine, standing on its back legs going berserk, then bottom of my road we met a westie who wanted to have mine, had it been mine having a go i would be in trouble, same when i walk my rotti there's a scottie dog up my road that hunts for every dog it see's seriously little dog syndrome but if my rotti when back it would be rotti attacks small dog when in fact she would be defending herself, of course if i see it coming i give it a wide berth.

BUT

I do agree that certain breeds seem to atract the wrong owners but thats not the breeds fault

I see your tone hasn't improved.

Commn-sense would indicate that the number of attacks, relative to any other breed, is highly indicative.

You appear to be totally blinkered.

Alfieshmalfie , Thanks for letting us know  what a wonderful outcome

lab007  Date 20.11.09 15:06 GMT I see your tone hasn't improved.

Commn-sense would indicate that the number of attacks, relative to any other breed, is highly indicative.

You appear to be totally blinkered.

You appear to be totally off topic.

By Teri   Date 20.11.09 14:03 GMT  You just can't help yourself can you?

Not when i am being nit picked at no, i can't help myself. I was actually trying very hard to keep this on topic but other people took it off topic. If you don't approve of people defending themselves then why keep picking? There was no reason for you to go wading in the way you did & start answering on behalf of other people when it was crystal clear who i was speaking to - the very person who took it of topic in the first place!

Now would YOU please keep it on topic? Thank you. :o)

flyball,
It would be best to let this drop now. I can't seem to follow what the problem is (LOL, I'm easily confused), but do know that Teri is a very respected member of the forum with knowledgable advice. If a question has been asked on the forum then really it is open to anybody to answer, and who better to answer than somebody like Teri with lots of sound advice & imput to put forward, I don't think you will lure her inot a argument - sensible discussion = yes, but not an argument for the sake of it.
It would be a shame to get another thread locked, we can all disagree with others and remain civil as long as we refrain from getting personal and using unfriendly 'tones'/'shouting' in posts. :)

                   ~~(((Girls,girls girls!!!!)))~~
                                (Said in best Miss Jean Brodie voice! ;-) )

And lets leave it there shall we, this kind of thread will always be emotive but lets not take pot shots at each other.
I've brought my thermos of hot choccie and Im dishing it out to sort out those seratonin levels! [Now dont be making me clock anyone on the bonce with it!! (*_*) ]

Well said :)

Just perhaps to put this thread to rest Guide Dogs have released a statement:

http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/news/guide-dogs-statement-following-vicious-dog-attack-on-guide-dog/

lol husky i have the short bread biccie's to go with that hot chocolate. Everyone can be calm then and sit and chill reading other threads

> Hi TT
>
> I feel for you and others like you who own and love a breed that is often so abused for dubious cause.  I have every respect for people such as yourself who do their best to promote good breeding and responsible ownership of what is a very lovable breed.
>
> I can fully understand that threads along these lines must be upsetting to you and anyone else who has a breed of dog similarly slated because of the thug element who have begun to produce them in large numbers.  I know I would be very upset were my breed to become commonly owned and bred by the wrong type of people for the same reasons.
>
> Keep up the good work!  Some day, hopefully sooner rather than later, it will pay off.
> regards, Teri

Hi Teri

Thanks for that.  Really.  It's nice to have encouraging words.
Sadly there are even those within our breed, show circles included, that seem to just keep on breeding.  Not all of them granted, but far more litters than I would deem sensible, but that's just me.  Of course add to those the litters that are of dubious heritage and there is such a HUGE problem.  So many of us can't even agree on what is the best way forward to promote and help our lovely breed. :(
As many know I recently emigrated to Australia, and I'm saddened to say that the state of rescue facilities here isn't much different to that in the UK either.  The large population of many rescue's are Staffords or Stafford crosses.
It's a never ending battle.  But one I'm not about to give up on yet. :)

Tracey

Edited to add, wonderful wonderful news about the guide dog (and his owner).  Thank goodness. (((Hugs for both)))

> So many of us can't even agree on what is the best way forward to promote and help our lovely breed

Sadly this is often the case in a variety of breeds for numerous reasons.  All we can do is stand firm on what we truly believe is best and try to promote it.  It's never a lost cause, just sometimes a long drawn out one ;)

Teri x

I haven't time to read through the whole thread so apologies if this has been noticed and mentioned but the thing that struck me about the video is the owner obviously knew what their dog was like with other dogs. He stands there quite casually then suddenly, and a split second before his dog reacts, he leaps for the lead and the dog. Presumably the other dog had just come into view and the owner knew his dog would attack it :-(

Hi All,

If you feel the need to go off topic and berate each other, in future, please pm each other rather than clogging up posts. If you feel a poster has "attacked you" then pm me and I will remove/edit the post, of course I will remove/edit these posts if I see them.
I am not singling anybody out and have just replied to the last post.

Thanks,

Jeff.

> Sadly there are even those within our breed, show circles included, that seem to just keep on breeding.

Surely it is the typical and correct Staffords bred by decent breeders that should continue to be bred if the breed is to survive as it should be not what it is being turned into.

The consequence of a lot of a breed being popular is that there are those who will churn out puppies for the money often selling to unsuitable homes and more dogs ending in rescue.  A reaction to this is for the good breeders to down size their breeding activities to a minimum so that pretty soon the good examples/breeders are  in the minority.

I was once asked by a potential puppy buyer when there were no pups available why the good breeders didn't breed more as they could easily go to the local puppy supermarket in the North of England and get a puppy.

Concern over the rescue issue has actually meant that our annual registrations for 2008 were just 55 KC registered puppies, where in the 70's the figure was around 300, and when I first became involved in the breed 150.

I spoke to an exhibitor of Eurasiers and can see how poor breeding getting into pet hands can seriously harm a breeds reputation.  When asked what breed I had I immediately got a negative response.  On questioning she told me that Elkhounds were aggressive to other dogs, shy with people etc etc and she had several people get puppies from her because they had bad experience with my breed.

I was shocked as you couldn't find a more sociable and even tempered (except the odd grumble at shows between mature males) steady animal than a typical Elkhound.

[url=]The man tried to help, I'll give him that, I can even understand to an extent why he left as obviously he needed to get the dog away otherwise it would have continued to make frightening noises and go for the lab, the dog needed to be moved.  But if he were a decent human being he should have from a distance asked an official to help, he should have seen that the lady was ok and that the dog was taken to the vet and left his details.  But I guess fear makes people do the wrong thing, it often does. No doubt with all the press he will be identified though.

The man may or may not be a thug, but I saw him trying to help, he kicked and hit his own dog and tried his best to call it off, it didn't turn on him either, to me it looked like human error once again causing this tragedy as it often [/url]

I agree with every word, why he ran away, only he knows, but probably out of fear.

When the dog made the first move to attack, the owner reacted immediately , you could see the fear in his actions.........OK he probably knew what his dog was capable of, and should have had it muzzled.

Human error is what I saw, NOT  a shady character waiting to set his dog on another.

Horrific  event to say the least, how that woman must have felt having her poor dog attacked so,  cant be comprehended...

BTW, that dog was not a Boxer,  my guess  was a ABD or some similar type... it was an aggressive dog, no doubt about that, and its intend was more than just to attack.

I think in this instance  condemning the owner is a little harsh,  he did what he could to get the dog off, if it was intentional he would not have been so quick to react.

Lets hope he comes forward, but probably not,  through all the media attention, and if by any chance the dog is a fighting dog, he certainly  wont.

I agree the attack wasn't intentional however I'll stop short of saying it was an accident as it was avoidable. If you watch the video carefully you'll see the owner reacts before the dog, he obviously knew what his dog would do. With this in mind the dog should never have been off lead and should have been muzzled too. Whilst I'm sure it wasn't intentional the owner should be found and charged.

Thankyou Alfieshmalfie for letting us know about the lab...i have been so worried about the poor lab since seeing this tread.
Im very pleased for the lady.