The question I have is do you think a dog that has been used for fighting can ever be trusted ?

There is a idiot in our village who can just about look after himself ( drinks alot ) who has suddenly aquired a Staffy. The background is he was rescued from somebody who used him for fighting. I walked past the pub with my girls last week and he was outside having a fag and the dog went absolutely bolistic :rolleyes::rolleyes: Not just normal barking, lunging and almost screaming.

I saw him again on Sunday and the dog did the same thing to some more people with dogs. My concern is that he may not be able to control the dog and if he accidently lets the dog loose I dread to think what would happen ?

What do you think ?

Lucy
xx

Lucy,

the staffy that we had (now lives with my parents) I got when she was 9 months old and she had been trained as a fighting dog (didn't realise until she came home!) we will never know if she actually fought another dog although i think she would have been too young and despite us having her for 6 years and her getting alot of training she HATES other dogs. This is a subject very close to my heart and whilst staffies are probably my favourite breed i don't believe that a dog can change once it has been trained to fight!

Its even more of a shame that this dog is now in the hands of someone who is that irresponsible!

It really does concern me It is an attack waiting to happen. He is a big dog and I am afraid he will do some serious harm if he gets loose which would be quite likely if this idiot has a few too many :rolleyes: I always think that even though Staffies are lovely dogs (there is a lovely bitch who lives around the corner that comes and says hello to our girls every day ) that as you say once they have been trained to fight it would be very difficult to retrain them.

Personally I feel that once a dog is regularly exhibiting dangerous behaviours, then the justification for keeping them alive is non existent, though in this case the aggression is to other animals and not to people, if the owner were responsible it would not be an issue, but I would expect such a dog to be kept muzzled and secure.

Dog on dog aggression is a difficult area, if he attacked farm stock the farmer would have the right to shoot him, but aggression among dogs is not a crime, though I am sure the owners lack of care and his dogs actions would certainly come under antisocial behaviour and therefore the Dog Warden may be able to do something under the new clean neighbourhood rules under which barking etc is dealt with.

Reading this sent a shudder through me :(
I dread to think what this dog has been through, after seeing the dog fighting programme on panorama.  I think you are right to be concerned about the owner not having control, maybe a word to the right person would sort it out.   I hate to think he would be pts but maybe there is someone out there who would be able to keep him safely, and what I mean by that is not being a danger to other people or dogs.

I'm involved in Stafford rescue and I have two Staffordshire bull terriers myself...

I have one who is ok at the moment with other dogs, and the other who isn't keen at all..
I'm also under no illusions that possibly when my male matures, he too will dislike other dogs.  It's in his breeding, it's in his history.
I'm responsible enough to accept and know this.  I'm also sensible enough to know that even a dog that isn't 'trained' to fight, might just have that instinct anyway!!!:rolleyes:
I'm also responsible enough to ensure that neither ever have the opportunity to fight with another dog.

I hope sincerely that the 'village idiot' who now owns the Stafford you mention is of the same ilk.  Although it doesn't sound too promising!
Did he get the dog from a rescue organisation do you know?  I'd get in touch with them if that's where the dog is from....

No from a friend of a friend......

I know of many ppl who own staffies and they are some of the most well behaved dogs i know. Yes, they were bred for fighting but it all depends on how that dog is brought up, treated and wat training it has been given. Its the same with all dogs.

Ive never seen a fighting dog retrained myself but i have seen Cesar Millan do it on his programme Dog Whisperer. He is truly amazing, so if he can do it it shows that its possible.
Dogs used for fighting are normally very affectionate with people but deadly to other dogs and obviously it would b hard to find an ex fighting dog a new home, as not many people want a dog which needs to be kept muzzled and on the lead away from other dogs at all times.

An update. The bloke who has the dog has been given notice to quit the rented house he is in because of the dog.Apparently it howls and barks all of the time. I have heard he has decided to give the dog back which is a relief for us but I do wonder where the dog will end up :rolleyes:

hi i'm sat here nearly in tear reading this my lovely black lab boy was attacked a mounth ago by a staffy of lead my boy was on a lead he had wounds to the bone on his leg and two to the neck half and inch away from his artery the dog was totaly out of control my boy just tryed to hide behind my legs he did not do any thing to fight back he was in shock for three days after and is still scared to go out in the rain it was raining when it happen the thing as attack three other dogs it like's going out on it's own the yob  that own.s it is so think you just can.t make him understand i was told by a dog owner last week that he had to lay on top of the dog when she went past with hers so as you can tell this is a matter close to my heart

These are the sorts of owners that give this beautiful breed a bad name!

I have seen a few staffies that have been raised from birth with one sensible owner and they are the lovliest dogs extremely obediant etc...

One of my daughters friends own a staffy, he is a gorgeous dog, I was wary when my daughter used to take my granddaughter around there as my granddaughter loves dogs.  I went around one day and the dog usually goes to work with the husband, but was there the day I went and he's a gorgeous boy, been brought up with two young children no problems whatsoever.  Very responsible owners too.

You were wary because of what you had read in papers werent you Craigles?

Thats so sad for the breed, SBT are so often judged on before theyre even met, not your fault I know!
But just goes to show they are painted with the same brush by most people :(

You're right Rach85, I had seen some articles written and also been put off by the appearance of a lot of owners (how sad is that).  I am an inexperienced dog owner, owning only 3 dogs in my life so cannot claim to be any kind of expert.  Two rescue dogs and a chosen puppy for me, chosen as my friend had the breed, taught me not to pre-judge, I have recently been to a dog show and find that I have interest in a few breeds now that I would never have considered previous to meeting people who own the dogs.  Not that I'm looking for another dog, two is fine for me. 

From what you have described,

the dog went absolutely bolistic  Not just normal barking, lunging and almost screaming.


Absolutely no chance!  The dog is damaged usually beyond repair unless the new owner is something exceptional.

I guess not all dogs used for fighting can end up like this it depends I suppose, some may go the other way and be terrified for life of other dogs, but Staffies being a bold breed are more likely to become dog aggressive after such bad treatment. :-(  Steer clear and make sure you report this dog to a warden if you can for such behaviour, people who take on these dogs must know what they are doing, otherwise they are an accident just waiting to happen.

I would more then happily take on that dog to at least try and train it.

Even tho my dog training classes havent even started yet I would still give it a damned good try as its not people aggresive, just dog, so it could be helped if you had the time and dedication to give to the poor thing, I have a SBT and it breaks my heart theyre treated like this and left for people like him to try and look after.

Too many people are happy to simply PTS or report the person then try to help.

Absolutely no chance!  The dog is damaged usually beyond repair unless the new owner is something exceptional.

I would not agree entirely with this statement really Carrington...

Have you ever been to a Stafford breed show?
The lunging and screaming happens there on occasion too.....

Mmm no chance? I have a dog who will display behaviour like that, in his case though its frustration at not being allowed to play, its not aggression.

Im not saying that this IS the case with this dog... but it COULD be.

I wouldn't suggest the dog was put to sleep but i don't see that you can train a dog to be good around other dogs once they have been trained to fight. Yes you could do distraction etc but the dog will always hate other dogs!

In any case they need to be owned by someone who is responsible with this as it isn't fair on other peoples dogs.

I will always fight the corner for staffies, as a breed they are hands down my favourite but i am also a realist and when trained to fight i don't believe you can re-train them to get on with other dogs

i think people only aquire dogs like that to give them a good image it gives people something to talk about and they like the attention it really does make me sick
to be honest i think that once a dog has been trained to hate and fight then its really hard to try and get it back to sound temprement and if you read the paper most dog attacks are based on dogs that have been used for fighting
if i was you i would phone the police and report the dog its really sad i know and not the dogs fault but with the staffy havin a bad public image anyway it makes it hard for the rest of us who own the breed to try and get people to realise this is a great family dog