I had a situation with a male boxer who ran about 150 yards snarling etc and attacked my boxer who was about 7 months. I ended up restraining my dog by his collar and the other dog around the back of the neck. The owner was just standing there laughing. Saying i shouldnt of brought my dog into the field as her dog didnt like fully intact dogs. then asked ME to leave the park as she didnt not have a lead or collar.  No apology nothing. I have to admit, I did leave.

Thats awful! What is wrong with some people???? That must have been really scarey for you and difficult trying to restrain two dogs!
It should have been the other owner who left not you!!

They were incredibly strong, Bradley trying to defend me and the other dog which was fully grown trying to bite Bradley. Whilst Im there having a conversation with this poor excuse of an owner, how Bradley should really be castrated then her dog wouldnt attack him. I pointed out, that her dog should be on a lead if she didnt trust her dog. The reply I got was, he is highly trained or I would need to put him on a lead whilst road walking. AAAARRRGGG!!!!

i hate people like that emma

I do worry when a dog owner wants to teach another dog owner a lesson that could result in another dog getting hurt regardless of the breed.

I know exactly how you feel blondiflops.  We used to have a German Shepherd and we all know what a reputation they have amongst other dog owners.   The number of times dogs ran up to him snarling and growling and their owners used to just excuse it by saying that their dog was once attacked by an Alsation and doesn't like them now.   When he was 18 months old he was out with my partner on his night time walk when an old man who lives down the road let his Ruby Cavalier King Charles spaniel, come running up to him growling (our dog was on the lead, his dog was off!) and our dog didn't bite it but next day a policeman came round to our house and told us that unless we did something with him he wouldn't see his next birthday.  The Cavalier was taken to the vet by the man because he had one toothmark on his head and the vet insisted on giving his dog injections and asked what sort of dog it was and when he said an Alsation then the vet told him to report it to the police.   I was absolutely fuming because our dog was on the lead at the side of my partner and it was his dog that came running up to him off the lead on a road (although not a busy road)  A few people at the time said they had had trouble with this dog growling at their dogs so it wasn't just ours. 

Our GSD only had one fight in his life and that was when a male black labrador came up to him growling and snarling because it was with its owner (it usually ran a mile if it saw our dog)   I was in the fields at the time and he was off the lead.  He was fine with all dogs as long as they didn't threaten him.  I tried to get his halti collar on but the dog came right at his face and started snarling at him.  In one move he got the labrador down on its back and was biting it and it was yelping.  I was 8 months pregnant at the time and had to pull him off with his tail.  The fight only lasted about a minute or less but it really shook me up and the other dogs owner was not pleased at all.  Its always the 'savage' breeds that get the blame no matter who's dog started it and that really annoys me.

Why do people let their dogs off the lead if they approach other dogs aggressivly?? thats what I don't understand???? IF I let one of our Staffs off the lead and it ran up to someones dog growling and snarling they'd probably be hung drawn and quartered!
Its everyones responsibility to keep their dog on a lead if its aggressive to other dogs, whether its a poodle or a Rotty!
Im sorry you had such a horrible experience Anna, but its so typical that we get the blame...the poor fluffy Cavalier that can do no wrong and the Andrex dog arh! it's never them is it! TALK ABOUT STEREOTYPING!!!!

Our two fights only lasted seconds but the damage has already be done, mostly to my little boy!

meg sends him a lick,and lf he gets any more trouble shele come and beat them up for him! lol :d

Thanks tommielfc.

Licks back to Meg :D (Don't let Rosie (Girlfirend) know coz she gets Jealous) :D

Yes its always the same isn't it, little cavaliers are known for not being aggressive aren't they and I happen to think that male labs can be just as aggressive as GSD's.  The ones I have met are anyway, its just that they look softer.   We have a bichon at the moment (although my favourite breed is still a GSD) and fortunately he hasn't an aggressive bone in his body, he just wants to play with any dog no matter how big or small they are.  I hope your dog is alright, I feel really sorry for him (and you, you must be quite shook up)  Give him a big kiss from me and Benji.

I have read through these posts and find them extremly interesting. I feel it is a great shame that we should judge dogs by their breed type. You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. As far as I am concerned you could have a well recgonised breed perseeved as extremly friendly that bites at the first chance. And then on the other hand a breed perseeved as a menece that is as soft as butter. What we must do as people is to stop believing that we understand completly how our dogs minds work and remember that our dogs are animals that tick completly differently to us. And that they may not behave themselves in a way that we see as correct all of the time. Consequently I feel that it is my duty as a responsible owner to put my dogs on their leads when I see a person approaching(as they may be scared of dogs) and to put them on their leads if I see another dog approaching. This way I will have the chance to check with the person or the owner if they mind if the dogs are let off. That way know harm comes to anyone or dog. I find it rather annoying though when other people do not have the sense to put their dogs back on their leads when they see another dog or people approaching, as they have know idea how the situation will turn out. Both my dogs are good natured so far, but you never no! And that is my point, you never no!

I completely agree with you, its not just about keeping the Staffys on a lead, its about keeping, Spaniels, the labs, the West Highland terrier! All dogs should be keep on a lead when other dogs are around until owners have discussed and also because people may be weary of them!
This may stop future incidents!

irressponsible people that let their dogs off near roads.& let them run up to all & sundry out of control, as some kind of bloody ego boost,dont even care about their own dogs so theres no way they are going to give a stuff about anyone elses.

I didn't mention the breed of my dogs because if the truth be known it is anybodies guess! One is a GSD, Boxer, Lurcher cross thing. And the other is a Staffy, Greyhound cross thing. At the last count the vet had said that they had both got at least the possibilities of 3 - 5 different breeds in them. And so again there it is," you can't judge a book by its cover."

I always thought that the way my boxer behaved was a reflection of my ownership.  Also, the way he behaved affected, what people thought of his breed.

I have a 10 month old Leonberger and he's big and every dog that approaches him wants to have a go. He is a BFG and loves everything in sight and Yes I also get the idiot owners who dont put their dogs back on their leads when we come into sight. I only let mine off when the coast is well and truley clear.

I know how you feel BF and I'll back you all the way cause if some mut got hold of mine then I hope he would defend himself, if not then I would do it for him. Tough on the idiot owner!

Its bad owners that give a dog/breed a bad name.

We only ever had the one incident of aggression towards our girl and that was it she hated all dogs on sight, it has took one hell of a journey to put her right (money and time) and we are still very far from any sort of end to this whole sorry saga.
I have often had to shout out at owners to recall their dogs and usually say we are training and so far most have been good and immediately recall their dogs (those that have recall that is).
If you don't know the dog running towards you then shout out to the owner to recall as in my case it can have terrible results.

Having read the majority of this thread, I must say that for someone ( ice queen ) to almost suggest that the owner of the staffie got what they deserved because their ON LEAD dog retaliated to an OFF LEAD dog attack, I find typical of the narrow minded irresponsible attitude so rife amongst dog owners these days.

If you are the owner of a dog that you have ALLOWED to run up to an on-leash dog ( bear in mind this could be for a number of reasons ) and it then subsequently attacks this dog on the lead....in court it is YOU who will be responsible for vets bills under the dangerous dogs act..NOT the other way around.  If your dog is running free and out of control then it is the owner of that loose animal that bears the consequences.  Of course, problems arise when it is a case of ' his word against mine '.

To say that you ( ice queen ) will not tolerate dog to dog aggression...you obviously have quite alot of expereince of it. esp as you mention your dog is not dog friendly.  If I had your dog coming up to my dog ( staffie or no staffie ) in an aggressive manner causing my dog to fight ( are you aware of the significance of fight and flight behaviour and in particular when there is restraint involved ? )....my next stop would be the local police station to report you for owning a dangerous dog.  Not only would my dog have possibly suffered uneccesary injury resulting from your out of control dog, I too, could have suffered injury whilst dealing with the situation.

This day and age can pose a very sticky wicket for dog owners.  If your dog has dog to dog aggression, ou would be well advised to keep it on the lead in the vicinity of other dogs, ensure that obedience training has been well tended to...otherwise you could land yourself in quite a spot of bother.

Don't forget that even if someone ' feels ' threatened by your dog, you can be held responsible under the DDA.  Gone are the days when the excuse," he only wants to play ", will wash.

I keep my dogs on lead around other dogs I don't know for many reasons, not least because I can never know how another dog may decide to react.  It is natural for dogs to be wary and often for sparks to fly when meeting a dog from outside the pack.  This is heightened when a dog meets a strange dog on otherwise home territory ( such as when you take your dog to the same park each day ) - he sees this as HIS territory.  To expect him to joyfully accept another dog, for instance, into this terrirtory can often be the stuff of fairytales.

Be responsible and fair and keep your dog under control at all times. 

Several years ago we had a staffie from a rescue centre.  When we first saw her she was hiding at the back of her kennel and was obviously very nervous.  At the time I was too inexperienced to realise that this may mean problems.
She had no history as she had been found wandering the streets but it was felt that she was ok with other dogs.
She was the most affectionate dog,wonderful with my many children and devoted to me.  Unfortunately she was very aggressive to other dogs.  I was never able to let her off the lead but unleashed dogs would often approach her and I had to almost sit on ber to stop her attacking - she was very strong.  I realised that this was fear aggression but other dog owners looked at us as if we were monsters.  I had never owned a dog before and was very upset by this. I tried my best with this dog, consulted the vets, behavioural experts etc but had no joy.  Eventually we only went out after dark and avoided other dogs completely.  She was disturbed in every way - constantly tail chasing, messing on our clothes, beds etc. terrified of loud noises so that she wouldnt even go into the garden any time near firework night.
Throughout this she was loving towards us and wonderful with my kids and any other (numerous) kids coming to the house. I was very frustrated by other dog owners attitudes towards us as they had no idea of her neurotic personality and general anxiety.
Eventually after three years of ever worsening behaviour , on the vets advice we had her put to sleep.  She licked my face as I held her.  I felt like I had failed her dreadfully but she was too emotionally disturbed to live in this world.  The vet felt she had been used to fight as she had several scars on her face and body.
So dont be quick to judge.  I am not an experienced dog owner but I feel that it is usually owners and not dogs that are responsible for bad behaviour.  I know some wonderful staffies and continue to love the breed. It makes me sad that they continue to have a bad reputation.

I have only ever been fortunate to know good staffies,My uncle had two and when he could not look after them (had no choice was sent abroad with army)my nan looked after them and as i was a young girl i thought that a staffie was an old persons dog(sorry staffie owners).Later on in life when they became more fashionable and they got bad press i was wary too but could not get the image of my late nan sitting at the dinning table talking to the two dogs like they were human.I also lived near an eight year old staffie that was the most amazing dog with kids i have ever seen and i did not beleive the dog was eight cos it acted like it was 8 months but it did make some funny noises not a bark but something unrecognizable for a dog.:)

Just a little thought for all of you. Was this lady with the Lab a responsible dog owner ? Why then would she blame her own dogs ? Nope unfortunately it is quiet possible that because her dog was bitten she is now telling everyone to avoid the nasty staffy. Is she right? NO but unfortunately thats the reputation  wrongly Staffies have. I don't know what the answer is to this and it must brake your hearts when you love the breed. So Roxanne may have had a point about not being happy that her dog was bitten. Unfortunately I think you both got swept up in an arguement that was about who should shoulder the  blame. 

''One of my other dogs got attacked and only snapped back, didn't harm or anything, he got severly told off and pinned against the wall'' quoted from icequeen

Rox can you clarify the above comment? Did YOU pin your dog up against the wall,or did the other dog?

I'm one of those owners who never puts their dogs on leads,the only time my dogs have a leash on is if i'm walking near a road or to go to the vets,which is very,very rare. However they do not go up to other dogs unless i tell them they can,i always call out to the other person and ask if it's ok for my dogs to approach,99.9% of the time it's ok,if it's not than we just walk past :)

Having said this if i see a staff,i dont bother asking at all as i have had too many bad incidents with these dogs,with dog to dog aggression,i just walk past.I wish it wasnt so but i do not trust staffs at all.I have met one who is dog friendly,all the other were nut cases :( I wish it wasnt so,but this has been my experience with them :(

I'm wondering why the majority of staff owners here keep their dogs on leashes,there has to be a good reason for this???
I couldnt handle having a dog i couldnt trust around others,never letting him run free,always on the look out for other dogs,dogs are supposed to be enjoyable, not stressfull,half the fun for me and my dogs is socialising with other dogs and their owners,it would be horrible if we couldnt do that,what would be the point?!

I'm not saying i dont like staffs persay,i know they are very loving and affectionate toward their owners,but unfortunately i have had too many bad experiences with them to trust any of them around my dogs :(

Blondiflops i think you are 100% in the right,your dog was on a leash and he did what any dog would do,defend itself,i dont think "breed" comes into this particular situation.Hopefully this other owner did learn her lesson and will be more careful in the future,a lesson well learnt i should think ;)

I do keep my staffie on ther lead most of the time as she can be off with some dogs.

She will play fine with most but she will 'have a go' back if they growl at her, or try & mount her (can see her point! - I would not be happy if a random bloke tried to mount me in the park - lol)

So it is not really my dog I dont trust it is the others that start on her first!

I am lucky in that I live close to the moors in devon so I let her off the lead there as she will come back no probs if I see a dog in the distance. She will also play with my friends 5 dogs (3 dobermans & 2 collies) in her huge garden (complete with big pond)

Jo
xxx

i think it is fine that blondiflops dog  defended its self,but the situation should never had occured & he should have never had had to. whose dog came off worse is totally irrelvent, but im glad that blondiflops dog didnt come off worse as he was not at fault.
as i said before i just hope that this incident dosent turn a normal friendly happy staffy witha responsible owner thats doing all the right things,into another dog agressive staffie, (ive seen too many of those)from a situatiuon that BF had no control over.

i will just add,that my nellie (BC) hates labs,because they bounce all over her, she treis to hide behind me & mind her own business,but they ignore her doogy body language & just keep on pushing, her ears are pinned back ,tail down, growling,but they still are in her face,she keeps turning to get out of their way,but they still take no notice of her. dont labs understand doggy bodylanguage?
to her credit she has never bitten one,but will being a collie have a airsnap,that makes sod all differance.
are all labs like this or just ones i meet?

Micheled,

No, all labs are definitely NOT like that. My Isla is used by my training club as a test/decoy dog in behaviour cases. She is stable and calm, although she has wonderful drive (I do working trials with her), but she reads other dogs very well!  She will not give eye to eye contact with aggressive dogs, BUT, if they have a growl and a grumble, she'll have a go back (a growl, not a bite!). She treats them as she woud treat a disobedient puppy. She is 23 kg and it's really something to see when she's reminding another dog who is the boss (especially if the said dog is a huge rottie! which was her last 'job')
  She always goes off for a play with them afterwards, there's no hard feelings, just some growing respect.
Please don't think that all labs are untrained, mine are both working dogs, family pets and PAT dogs.

Cheers Ali :) (with Kester and Isla)

I think the point Jeangenie highlighted is the most relevent to this thread now, which is that the objection raised was that the other dog coming off worse was referred to, and even emphasied, as GOOD.  I think it is regrettable if any dog gets hurt.  Allocating blame is very problematic, the owner who allows their dog to approach others is one cause to the situation but maybe also the dog, that when approached, reacts in a provocative way, perhaps inperceptable to its owner, may also contribute to what may have otherwise been a perfectly friendly encounter, we will never now.  I think IQ has a very mature knowledge and if pinning you dog to the wall to prevent injury to itself or any other is what is necessary then that seems a very reasonable course of emergency action.  I though IQ's original post on this thread was very balanced and acknowledged the difficulties of dealing with off lead dogs and like it or not we are going to meet them everywhere aren't we? It seems everything she said has been twirlled about and picked over no wonder the lass has ended up being defensive :)

it was a very minor part of Blondiflops post & i read it as a almost "joke" comment,as blondiflops was obvisley in shock. im sure she would have been devastated if ronnie had seriously hurt the lab

It may have been minor, but look what it sparked off! :(

:(
it was taken out of context :(
things do on boards ;)
we need to be careful & make sure we all understand what is beinfg written. as someone who has also been misunderstood recently & had untruths thrown back in my face with glee i can understand where BF is coming from

I am posting this only to clear up some things, I thought these boards where nice, but now I feel I have been set apon I look back and see many people have.  It's the minority, who have spoilt it for the minority, I'm obivously only a teenager who shoudl shut up around adults, you say I put words into ther poeples mouths, I'm sure you all have done that at some point, and not just when tou where teenagers, we are all only humans, but Young humans I guess should be "seen and not heard" I will keep my advice for people at dogs training and those who personally ask for it in the future, I will not give it out willy nily.

Genie, you have it compleatly wrong, and trust me, if one fo my dogs seriously attacked a dog, or god forbid ever touched a human, with no reason (by which they have NEVER showed any signs of doing) I would be down the Vets quicker then you could be down the police station.  However I DO control my dogs and would not let that situation happen, if it did I would not boast about it. Yes I am aware of fight or flight but I will still, under NO circumstance except fight.

Rose in answer to you, I was the one who pinned my dog against the wall for retailiating, again, even in defence I will not tolerate any agressive behaviour and they will get told off and remined who makes the defence.

I did say the labs and their where in the wrong, but Blondiflops should not have the attitude of its good for the other dog to come off worse.  I DO NOT have anything against staffs, I personally like the breed, know people with them and see these staffs in a hall with up2 20 other dogs. My problem was not with teh dogs but blonidflops attitude, maybe she was just worked up over it, and didn't mean it, of course having a dog attacked does wind you up, and may make you say things you don't mean, I do now hope this was the case.

good for you for coming back on rox. we were all 17 once .

i still dont think BF was boasting, you seemed to misunderstand what was been said imo

Sometimes in life it takes something BAD to happen before people STOP to THINK and CHANGE their BEHAVIOUR.

That was what my GOOD comment was about.

As I have said countless times, its not good the dogs fought, but it may now make the woman think twice about letting her dogs off the lead without checking its SAFE! #for the benefit of HERSLEF and OTHERS!

Yes I was pumped up because my pups was attacked, wouldn't anyone be?

Im not going on anymore, everyone has their own opinion. I thought I was a responsible and a sensible owner......if thats a bad attitude then fair enough I give up..Im off.

you are a good owner, & you love your dogs! thats enough for me! i wish you lived nearer so i could get over my staffie phobia & yours could play with my flynn.
i was going to email you,but you dont have your email ,addy on your profile. can you email me so i can send you a piccy of my boy

Well maybe I'm not the ONLY one who think before pressing the "post" button then. can you not see how it can be read?  Internet is not the best place, things can be interpreted wrong, yes, maybe I have posted some posts abit quick before, so have you I think.

yes we all have,rox, thats the whole point. but if you do its best to let it drop quietly , & send a pm if approaite. nobody expects all opinons to be the same. but in my case it was the fact that, a.you were saying things that i hadnt said & didnt believe in , that really annoyed me as you were attacking the sport i love.
nobody ever said you were worthless & indeed having watched you show your dog i know you are a talented handler & i would never dream of telling you about showing. equally i dont expect you to say im saying stuff about obedience when youve got hold of completly the wrong end of the stick, & when i tell you that for you then to come back at me .

im quite happy to let it drop as i feel your heart is in the right place,but youve hgot abit carried away.

yes you are young,but you arent that young.;)

I find that the only other dog that attacks our staff is another staff...
I guess that I am lucky that all the dogs see each other on a regular basis, so I have no need to worry. He was running around happily this morning with 3 rottweilers. I only put him on the lead if I can see a dog we don't know bouncing towards us and we walk away.
I would not wish harm on another dog

Ok dogs should have nice temperments! and its the owners responsiblity to make sure they are kept under control, but from the begining dogs have always 'had a go' back if a dog attacks it! and if someone attacked you are you saying you'd just leave it and let them carry on attacking you?! I dont think many people would! Most would fight back! the same with dogs! Ive had my own dogs that have had fights but i would never take that action to a dog just because it was defending itself!
Ice queen you should really think about what you say before you post it you may not mean it to be offensive but thats the way it comes across to people. Also do you think the amount of posts you reply to is really needed, ok idle chit chat etc but answering peoples questions when you cant give a good enough answer, leave it to the people who can answer that particular question!

the owner who allows their dog to approach others is one cause to the situation but maybe also the dog, that when approached, reacts in a provocative way, perhaps inperceptable to its owner, may also contribute to what may have otherwise been a perfectly friendly encounter, we will never now.

I think isabel makes a good point...finally ;) 

I was thinking the same thing! Why is it staffs seem to be involved in these incidents more often than not. Do they give out negative vibes that other dogs see as threatening that the owner does not pick up on????

I have never,ever met an aggressive lab,they all seem to have the same bouncy, friendly personalities. The lab in this situation may have been different,but why did it feel the need to attack the staff????

Hi Rose, both on the burning the candle at both ends routine again it seems :)

>Why is it staffs seem to be involved in these incidents more often than not. Do they give out negative vibes that other dogs see as threatening that the owner does not pick up on????<

I don't think they do - IME Staff are by and large very friendly BUT they have a bad rep because a few morons have given the breed a bad name and consequently many owners of other breeds tense up or quickly put their dogs back on leads at the sight of a Staffy approaching :(

>I have never,ever met an aggressive lab,they all seem to have the same bouncy, friendly personalities<

On the contrary, I'd say at least 75% of Labs I've met on walks have got iffy to downright vile temperaments with other dogs - this is not intended as slagging off Labs, I've family who own beautifully natured ones, BUT - perhaps as a result of being mass-produced by too many inexperienced or uncaring breeders - the friendly,soft mouthed Labrador that most of us know and love is less likely to be the type we meet on the average doggy excursions :(   Just observations from my own experiences - not intended to upset owners of either of these lovable breeds.  Teri :)

I agree Teri, some of the labs I have come accross out walking can be a bit iffy.  My boys always approach other dogs with caution (off lead ones that is ;) ) and it seems they know when its ok to go up to the other dog because they all of a sudden go from standing watching to bounding over.  Some of the labs we have come accross go into a totally aggressive stance as soon as they see us, (tail up, hair up on back) and they certainly arent bouncy or friendly.  I dont know if its more a dominance thing than pure aggression but I dont let my boys approach.  There are also some labs at training who tend to fly at other dogs barking and snapping, unfortuantely these are the ones who need the training but they dont tend to last long there :( 

I've just caught up with this thread and I'm surprised at the number of people who do not let their dogs socialise off lead with others in case it causes an incident. All dogs need off lead excercise and to learn how to interact off lead with others - there has to be a point when you let them 'be dogs' . I must admit it has been some years since I have had to use a  park or other common area to walk my dogs but when I did we ALL let our dogs off lead to play with each other -we regularly had up to 15 dogs of all sizes and breeds running happily together - when did things change so much ? - and how sad :(

I recently walked my elderly BSD over some adjoining orchards and we met a woman with a lab - she told me to put Lily on the lead as her dog had been attacked by a 'GSD'. Now Lily was walking quietly by my side, had taken NO notice of her dog and is the softest most dog friendly girl - why should she be restrained on her walks ???

Yvonne

I think that one problem is that, with the DDA, many people are afraid that even a minor skirmish might result in their dog being labelled 'dangerous' and even put down :( Even a normally tolerant dog can have it's off day when meeting a particular dog. It's sad that these things are on people's minds

Daisy

Same here, as a lazy person who does no morethan show my dogs it is one of my main peleasueres taking the dogs out to meet with other canines and their owners.  I often have walked in a large group with all shapes and sizes of up to 20 dogs al doing their own thing. 

Some freindlier and more playful than others, some grumpy, but all knowing how to inteact and get their message accross the grumpies tell tehothers to get lost, and they do so without holding a grude or making anything of it, and seek out the ones that are like minded for a game.

It is quite sweet to see theoldsters all moosing about companionable, the adults being more active and having short games, adn any real youngsters having a ball and knowing who they can do what with.

With a julti generational household it is facsinating to wee how differetntly the yougnsest behaves with different family members.  She is really rought with ehr Dam, ultra respectful of her grandam (my alpha) only playing if invited,and then taking care no to overstep the mark.  With her great grn who is a bit of a soft touch she does thake the mick a bit,a nd poor Tula or I sometimes have to rapp her knuckles over it.  With the Great great Grandmother (former alpha)she is really careful and gentle, and after knocking her over by accident last year, seems to realise she is not up to being body slammed and moderates her play beutifully and is ultra affectionate toward her.

These interpersonal skills learnt at home and tat trainign class are practiced and improved ond theri walks.

Yes I think that people misunderstand the complexities and subtleties of how dogs interact OFF the lead - it is quite different from how they are on lead and any youngster needs to have lots of off lead interaction to know how to behave around others. There seems to be a thing at the moment for folk to pick up their small ( usualy yapping furiously) small dogs when they see a big dog approach - just think what message that gives to the small dog " Uh oh other dogs are so dangerous mum won't let me near one I must protect her ...." and so such behaviour gets fixed.

Dogs will growl at over boisterous youngsters and roll them to establish dominance this is surely perfectly normal and does'nt mean that your dog is going to get ripped to shreds if this happens to them in the park when they try and jump on another dogs head :D if we only had the confidence to let them be dogs when they meet each other and not rush into assumptions.The problem is that many dogs do not live in the kind of multi dog household where both they and their humans can learn what doggy body language means the average Westie, Bichon or Labrador may be an 'only dog' and will have never been allowed to develop their canine social skills ( and training classes on lead are not a substitute) :) Of course any truly aggressive dog should never be walked where others aare off the lead but these are surprisingly few - most dogs are much more aggressive with mum  on the other end of the lead than off.

Yvonne

Hi Yvonne,
Yes it is a sad fact that people think all GSD's are going to attack them or their dog.  Our dog was great with all dogs unless they started on him first and then he would get annoyed and want to fight.  He only ever had one fight in all his 6 years and that was with a lab that ran up to him and growled and snarled at him first and I pulled him off with his tail as soon as I could. 

My sister had a female GSD and she was so gentle she wouldn't fight anything and she wasn't that big either but the number of people that used to be horrified about her being off lead and tell her to put her on a lead.  People just think that all GSD's are dangerous which is so sad really because any breed can have temperament problems.

I have met dodgy labs but I don't believe it is anything like 75%.  I don't think Staffies are all that bad either :), most I meet are plenty sociable and love a game, unfortunately if things do take a turn they are perhaps more capable that a lot of breeds of inflicting damage and having owned a couple of breeds of terrier myself one of which also has a reputation of sharpness I think owner have to be constantly aware of that.  The only sweeping statement I would make is Staffie owners seem to have a obsession with other peoples views on their breed, a real chip on the shoulder, I suppose it stems from the media coverage and being under threat at times of swingeing laws but in reality I think the general public very often regard the Staffie with affection.

Yes Terrri I have been quite shocked by the number of especially male Labs that are dreadful around other dogs, and mine are bitches.  A gundog attacking bitches is really uncharacteristic of the breed.

I am lucky in that my girls are very confident, but easy going towards other dogs with a live and let live attitude.  they will stand their ground if somethign is being off with them, and that is usually enough to give the bully Idon't mean bull breeds) pause. 

They also seem quite forgiving willing to let bygones be bygones even with dogs that have tried to mix it in the past.  You can almost read it on their faces, oh stop being stupid, either play or get lost, but I'm having none of it.

When young I do have to check their enthusiasm as they seem quite puzzled if another dog shows lack of confidence or aggresion, and have quite hurt expressions, but seem to shrug their shoulders and move on.

I truly think the key to lessening problems between dogs is socialisation and the owner to expect good behaviour and not tolerate aggro, though if a dog was defening itself from sertious attacjk i would not chastise it, but would stop in and expect them to back off as soon as I arrived to sort things out, so Like Rox I would chastis if they continued to mumble un der their breath once a situation was in hand.

The more dogs of all types get to meet and freely interact with each other the more they find the expereince positve and less likely to get into problems due to anxiety and over defensiveness, and a wellbrought up dog should not be trying to dominate everything in sight as it's owner whould have taught it it's place and it's manners.

I used to take out my freinds Goldie who at 4 years old was dreadfull wtih other dogs,a dn would immiediately want to attack any that dared to sniff her.  I was firm with her not allowing ehr to get worked up around other dogs at a distance,a dn carefully warning ehr to behave around nice dog that were being polite, but kept exchanges brief and pleasnat not allowing it to get to the stage that she would get defensive (being sniffed at the rear).  She lernt to relax more an more to the stage where when I was around I could safely let her off the lead where other dogs were (also mine being so relaxed helped her too), and if she looked uncomfotable then I would call ehr to me, ehich she then did on her own if ti was too much for her.  Eventually after about a year she was a confident as my girls in ehr interactions with other dog,a dn could tell them to buzz of gently rather than get frantic trying to kill them :D

Unfortunately many people seem totally incapable of reading dogs.  Fr example why do people equate a barking dog with agression?  My breed is quite voal when playing or greeting others, and I usually ahve to call out something silly like OK let them get a word in edgewise, or they can see you coming no need to deafen them etc. 

So as to set theowner at ease that barking is just a cheery hello :D  Again it tend to be youngsters who get voally excited and over time (I do discourage it) they seem to do it less.

Some people cannot distinguish between a playful and dominant approach, which sadly many staffs do have a very dominant body language and make other dogs ill at ease or frightened, but again more docialisation on both parts (the staffs being taught to be more low key and gentle) and the nervy dogs being given more confidence with positve meetings and not being babied.

It is amazing how much better established grumps become after coming to trainign classes for a feww months.  the owners learn to sit around and socialise, dogs learn to relax and form freindshipos, or just how to deal with each other without conforntaion.

>>>I'm wondering why the majority of staff owners here keep their dogs on leashes,there has to be a good reason for this???<<<<

I keep Libby on lead because her recall isnt 100% yet  not because shes aggressive- both of mine are fine with any other dog- any breed/size/colour :)

>>>>Why is it staffs seem to be involved in these incidents more often than not. Do they give out negative vibes that other dogs see as threatening that the owner does not pick up on????<

I don't think they do - IME Staff are by and large very friendly BUT they have a bad rep because a few morons have given the breed a bad name and consequently many owners of other breeds tense up or quickly put their dogs back on leads at the sight of a Staffy approaching <<<<<

Even i would put mine back on lead if I saw an unknown staffy approaching due to the morons that have them- that to me is responsible :)

Hi Brainless,
you're so right about it being out of character to have aggressive Labs - it's very sad :(  I agree much has to do with early socialising among other dogs, supervised obviously, but regular and often.  A lovely but over sized GSD bitch puppy has recently appeared in our local park - she is 10 months and her owner wouldn't let her off the lead   I let her meet my lot and it was easy to see she was friendly and desperate to play and as no-one else was about I managed to persuade the owner to let her off in a secure section (I had treats which she was quickly hooked on)  Long story short but she was having a whale of a time - but much too rough and boisterous because she really hadn't learnt any basic doggy manners.  She ended up accidentally flattening my pup :rolleyes: (same age, half her weight!) who was left limping badly all the way home and needed rested for the next five days - so much for my good deed :P  Haven't seen the GSD pup since but hope her owner is putting in more effort to let her socialise - much longer and she will start to develop problems or antagonise other older dogs if she is off lead and over boisterous :(

regards, Teri