Do you think that a dog that has always hated other dogs (and any other animal!) could ever get on with other dogs?

We'd need a lot more info to hazard a guess Angels but I'll tell you about my boy if that helps. My Tchi (aka Mr Beastly) absolutely hates other dogs, yet lives with 3 and tolerates certain visitors so yes in his case it has been possible depending on the way they're all introduced :)  I've owned many borzois before Tchi so am well used to the breed, as well as training and competing in obedience since I was 11 so I would say I'm a reasonable dog handler. However, I've never encountered anything like Tchi, he's a sweety in the house and with people he knows, dogs in his 'pack' can do anything to him. He'll tolerate people outside, but can't see any animal in the distance but he wants to kill it :( He's been like this since about 7 months old, he had a brief show career before he became too much of a liability, he was then neutered. I've had 2 behaviourists that are well respected, and that I trust, spend considerable amounts of time with him but he hasn't improved. For him, everything that moves is prey. However I've introduced him to a few friends dogs and once he actually gets to know them he's fine. I can describe the introduction process if it helps? Once Tchi knows a dog, even if he doesn't see it again for a year, he's still fine with it.

Your almost describing my friends dobe bitch.  Like you she found trying to show her just was too stressful, and she is a super bitch.

Typical isn't it :rolleyes: Tchi won BPIB at his only Ch show as a puppy, then 1st junior at his only ch show as a junior and then 2nd Open and a RCC, several of the dogs he beat in these classes have now been made up. I really struggled over the decision to neuter him as he was quite promising. At the end of the day though I couldn't take the chance of him connecting with another dog, and it's no fun at a show when you can't relax for a second. He has improved quite a lot since being neutered so it was the best decision for his (and my) happiness :)

That is how my friend felt. 

We did wonder if it was hormonal and she was spayed, but she didn't improve and they simply manage it by walking her in the evenings muzzled.  At home she is a sweet heart and is fine introduced to dogs in her garden, as you can see from pictures on my Myka's page.

She is great with people that visit, but meeting her out she is the archetypal devil dog.

Well... we got our staffy girl when she was 9 months old. She was advertised in a pet shop we contacted the owners, went to see her and were smitten with her (i know i know bad way to get a dog etc:rolleyes:) anyway when i got her home i noticed she was very very muscular and had alot of grazes and cuts etc. I took her to my vets who said that she had wounds etc consistant with dog fighting or trainig to dog fight!!!

She has always been a sweetie with us, she is also very good with children (in small doses) but wasn't happy to live with them! (long story)

She has always since i got her hated any other animal, it makes taking her to the vets an absolute nightmare as we have to wait outside!!

I have had a trainer and someone who deals with behaviours of dogs both tell me that she needs to be muzzled and that i need to accept that she will always hate other dogs.

She is also very very aggressive if workmen or anyone we don't know comes to my parents house, even if we she has never met them if its someone we know she is fine!!

We have had her spayed, after her first season in fact. I have tried clicker training also...

The strange thing is my dad can walk her off the lead and if they see another dog he calls her back and she comes to him no problem!!??

My Sprollie was attacked by two large collies when he just over a year old.  Prior to this he was fantastic with other dogs.  He started doing agility about 18 months ago and this has helped immensly as he is so into agility and will now happily queue with other dogs next to him just on a gentle leader and doesnt bat an eyelid about them.  I always warn the people other side me to give him a bit of space but he doesnt even notice the other dogs.

We have never been able to get him over his having a go at other dogs completely whilst out walking although it has subsided alot so that we can now take him for a normal walk with a muzzle on and he will happily play with other dogs.  He is still very waring of large bouncy black dogs and especially of dogs that bark at him. 

I do think alot of over coming this aggression is the handler and certainly I got to the stage where I would avoid other dogs at all costs and got quite stressed over it all.  Hence deciding to have him wear a muzzle, I am alot less stressed and calmer and accordingly so is he. 

As far as I am concerned he has more reason than most to hate some dogs and I dont blame him, if I got attacked by someone and saw people who looked like that person I would want to avoid them as well.  We cant expect our dogs to like every dog they meet all of the time.

After reading your post I would have to personally agree with the trainer and behaviourist that you have already had advice from.

A pup attacked by an adult dog takes a lot of consistant work to overcome that fear and desensitize and learn to trust other dogs again,

But in the case of your Staffie, her attitude towards other dogs and with her apparent injures it does look as though she has been trained and used to paricipate in dog fights, firstly, defending herself and then obviously leading to her also attacking other dogs.  Her dislike for men may also perhaps come from cruelty of her trainer/s and is likened to them. This is not easy to erase, her mind is now set with her feelings towards dogs and probably certain types of males, I would not even have the strength to do the consistant everyday training to try to erradicate this even if it were possible, changing thought patterns is extremely hard and to be honest I would just work hard on keeping her at arms length to other dogs. I would get the muzzle and keep her as a loving pet, she is lucky to have you.

It may be possible that a frequent dog who often visits your home would be eventually accepted, but that makes no difference to the dogs outside the home. You could never really trust her, puppyhood moulds a dogs personality and character for life.

She most probably listens to your dad as she had a male master previous, that you can work on your trainer will help you to assert yourself and get her to obey your commands, this dog needs loads of love and kindness, make sure your trainer is a praise and reward trainer, your girl needs no harsh training methods.

Good luck, but accept that not all dogs can be 'repaired' from past lives, she will be a good dog to you and your family, just always be aware for her sake of her limitations. :-)

Thanks, she lives with my parents as she is happier there without the children around every day and she is less territorial there for some reason too.

She will always be a very much loved member of our family and we make regular trips back to the uk to see her and spend time with her. She will always be my "baby" and her happiness will always come first to me!

Depends entirely on the emotional state behind the "hate".  My brother's dog, Tia, when out on a walk and on a lead, is the devil incarnate - I've never seen a dog react more violently than she does when she sees another dog, and it gets worse the closer they get.  But as much as it looks like she hates them, she doesn't - off lead she's reserved but fine, and will even play with them.  She can meet more or less any dog in her own home and be fine with them.  With her, it's fear caused by losing her option of flight (trapped on the lead).

One of my own dogs reacts very strongly to other dogs when she's on a walk, almost the same as my brother's dog (but nowhere near as dramatically).  Unlike Tia though, Soli's reactions are again caused by fear, but it's down to lack of socialisation as a pup so she finds strange dogs unpredictable and frightening.  She actually reacts worse off-lead because she gets to charge them, that gets the adrenalin going and she reacts more.  But I've had her for 7 months, and she's made tremendous progress - we've gone from her reacting at around 50-6o feet at full throttle, to reacting some of the time at 10 feet or even right down to just a few feet, and sometimes not at all beyond a few hackles being raised.

So as I said first, it would depends on the emotions behind the hatred, previous experiences etc.  Remy, as another exmaple (tho not quite in keeping with your Q) has hated all boxers for some time since a run-in with a young male, and even went for a neighbour's bitch at the height of the issue: with a little work, and help from a friend with boxers, he's much, much better and not too long ago greeted one and play bowed, even with both him and the other dog on leads.

I don't know that i would trust her to be near another dog off lead, i realise that me thinking that probably makes her worse but i couldn't bear the thought of putting her down if she attacked another dog.

I have tried lots of muzzles but because she has a really short nose but its thin not wide they don't fit!!!