I assumed the vet couldn't give me details of a dog training club, but I must admit I was very disappointed. He could also see that I was training him in that I had him sit and stay on the scales, it wasn't much but he was only 8 weeks old at the time. I knew to reward a positive and ignore a negative. He would nip a flower head off so I took him to the middle of the lawn had him sit and remove the flower head. I had more room than trying to remove the flower head from him whilst he was in the flower beds then he got a treat - wrong! He would nip the flower heads off run to the middle of the lawn sit, drop the flower head and wait for his treat. Whilst his antics were comical it was frustrating.

I have learned a lot just reading this forum. I now know not to buy a puppy without papers. He was a little cheaper at £350 and as I wanted him for a companion not to show or breed him I didn't think it mattered. I saw both parents (dame and sire). She was only 2 years old. The owner showed us pictures of previous litters. I wont say anymore. At the time I didn't put two and two together I was just taken with the puppies. We travelled from West Yorkshire to Humberside for him, I thought I had done my homework. My only saving grace is that at least one of her pups is being well look after. I may not be a perfect dog owner but I do my best and little Duke is priceless.

I can also relate to posting regarding owners of loose dogs saying its okay he's friendly, if I had a penny for every time someone has said that and then having to control both dogs in an effort to keep them apart I'd be rich.

One incident Duke was on the leash the loose dog came from behind and sniffed Duke the other dog growled then all hell broke loose the owner was nowhere to be seen. I managed to split the dogs and keep them apart the owner turned up minutes later, it seemed like hours stating it was my fault as I had a vicious dog that's why he's on a leash. Hers has never done that before and then accused me of having a dangerous dog. Hello! Fortunately for other dog walkers in the Park she did put hers on a leash.

I now avoid popular public dog walking places we walk about 3 miles along a main road when we can then walk on Country public footpaths and bridle paths, its bliss in over 12 months I haven't had an incident with loose dogs. He is still kept on his extension lead just in case of horse riders and the odd person we may meet.

I would like to understand more about dog aggression, are there two types of aggression; one aggression towards other dogs and another aggression towards people?

Sue

I thoroughly agree with all that you said Nina, but I would like some advice if possible.
I have two Great Danes, one is lovely with other dogs and will hang around behind me on walks so that she can say hallo to anyone she gets to meet. Unfortunately I am usually off on a trot to get the other one away, she at six years old is very unpredictable when meeting other dogs, therefore when another dog is in sight, I make sure that she is on a lead. She has been known to pin a rottweiler to the ground and I now make sure that she is next to me and I am in control!!!!
My gripe is that other owners will let their dogs come tearing over to us, the other day we were in the park when a bulldog came bowling towards us, I told the owner that my dog was on a lead for a reason and she was not good with other dogs, he just kept walkiing away, before i knew it Asha (mine) had pinned this dog to the ground and it was screaming, the owner was yelling at me and I am still shaking at the thought of it.
I have tried classes, this didnt work, and I must admit that my nervousness at the thought of this happening again just makes me run away from other dogs. Which is such a shame for the other dog, who loves everyone. Am i destined to keep hiding around trees? I used to love the walks but now I am constantly looking over my shoulder.
I would appreciate any advice
Thanks Jackie

I thoroughly agree with all that you said Nina, but I would like some advice if possible.
I have two Great Danes, one is lovely with other dogs and will hang around behind me on walks so that she can say hallo to anyone she gets to meet. Unfortunately I am usually off on a trot to get the other one away, she at six years old is very unpredictable when meeting other dogs, therefore when another dog is in sight, I make sure that she is on a lead. She has been known to pin a rottweiler to the ground and I now make sure that she is next to me and I am in control!!!!
My gripe is that other owners will let their dogs come tearing over to us, the other day we were in the park when a bulldog came bowling towards us, I told the owner that my dog was on a lead for a reason and she was not good with other dogs, he just kept walkiing away, before i knew it Asha (mine) had pinned this dog to the ground and it was screaming, the owner was yelling at me and I am still shaking at the thought of it.
I have tried classes, this didnt work, and I must admit that my nervousness at the thought of this happening again just makes me run away from other dogs. Which is such a shame for the other dog, who loves everyone. Am i destined to keep hiding around trees? I used to love the walks but now I am constantly looking over my shoulder.
I would appreciate any advice
Thanks Jackie

Jackie, I think that you need some professional advice with a hands on approach.

It is fine to give general advice on a forum, regarding dog behaviour, but with any type of aggression problems you need to know the dogs background, when they started this behaviour, what they are fed on, (since diet can add to behavioural problems), is he entire, and so forth. Only then can you really tackle dog aggression, since it can take many forms.

I honestly feel that it is so important to have insurance for your dog, since should you require professional behavioural help, the vet can refer you, and the insurance will pay.

Good dog ownership has to start with your new puppy. Socialisation with people and other dogs is imperative, hence training classes as soon as possible.

Teaching your dog where he/she is in your pack structure is the most important lesson they will learn, since they will look to us for guidance.

Jackie, there are times when something will happen to your dog to trigger aggression, as did with mine at an early age. He was attacked as a puppy by another GSD who was loose. It scared him for life, and despite my best efforts he never really learned to trust other dogs.

Of course, I would always suggest that you have him checked by your vet first, to insure that there is no medical problem, and ask for a referral letter to your nearest behaviourist.

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I agree with Nina, you need some help to sort out your dogs behaviour. In the meantime walk your dog seperately whenever you can, so your other dog doesn't miss out, or worse start to pick up the behaviour.

In answer to sskmick question about how many types of aggression there are, it depends who you ask. In my opinion it is mostly based on fear whether that be of the unknown (ie dogs and people or other aninimals), fear of loosing something that is valuable to them (ie food or territory). Sometimes dogs can use a bluff of aggression to stop a situation, just because a dog sometimes does this, it does not make them an aggressive dog.

I think the best advice any new dog owner can have, is to take your new puppy to dog training classes.

It is fun for both and helps to socialise both with other dogs and people.

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I have been in a situation where as I thought at the time my next-door neighbour's dog had broke loose (he was tethered outside permanently). He came through the hedge we had at the time. He was absolutely massive and was full on aggressive. I was hanging my washing out, I knew the dog well had taken scraps and water to him from him being a pup. I couldn't understand it. I assumed if he got closer he would sense it was me. I put the clothes down slowly spoke softly and encouraged him to me. He came after a short while and I was able to stroke and re-assure him. I could tell he was much more relaxed. Then my husband shouted from the kitchen window I hasten to add there are some people at the front shouting for their dog. The one I befriended was a female German Shepherd.

She was obviously bluffing. However if I'd have realised it was a strange dog, I could have easily and unintentionally given out the wrong signals and the outcome could have been completely different.

I had an incident today where a Labrador was jumping up at the gate and trying to get out of the garden barking all the time. We have all been there, you keep your fingers crossed he can't get out but he did. Fortunately both dogs although they were unsure of each other at first they were fine. I backed off so the owner could restrain her dog. The owner did apologise although I was shocked that the dog could get out onto a busy road.

Back to the dangerous dog laws - it would seem its okay for your dog to terrorize the general public provided its not a listed breed or a cross breed with similar characteristics as a listed breed.

I love my little dog to bits but I doubt very much I would ever own another Staffie. The worry as to whether they are going to become a banned breed fills me with dread. If I had have known about the DDL and BSL I would have chosen a different breed. I often walk with both my grandson in his pram/pushchair and Duke. Unfortunately we don't have the cute factor thanks to the media and people look upon us in horror. You feel you have to justify owning a Staffie because the general public believe you have a pit bull type - be that as it may (I'm no expert) my little chap is well behaved, well socialised and is a credit to my family, as you know he is almost 3 and my job hasn't finished in protecting him, training him and avoiding situations. I am not advocating the breed we are all fully aware it is down to ownership. As for recall I think I should have called him cheese - it never fails!

Thank you for your reply


Sue

Hi Sue,
I doubt very much if the SBT will be a banned breed,they are the 5th most popular breed in the uk.Very rarely do you see an attack by staffords on people / children.
I agree with you Mr Jo Public does get the SBT & the Pitt confused.
The KC,Breed Not Deed,Dogs Trust and other Canine Organisations are working hard to get the government to review the curent laws.We need to keep the pressure on MP's etc to get it changed.


This is what I sent to my MP last yr,
Dear ????????

You will probably be aware of the recent media coverage of dog attacks on children,including the tragic events of January 2007,where by a beautiful little girl lost her life to an attack by alledgly a pitbull type dog.It is similar in many repects to that experienced in the months leading up to the introduction of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
Current Policies are achieving very little to prevent further attacks.

Unfortunately, much of the media appears to again be pursuing the simplistic route of blaming the “breed” involved in each incident rather than trying to understand and deal with the real cause of such attacks. There is an increasing danger that the current Government and parliamentarians will be similarly drawn into a response which has surely now been shown to be ineffective in protecting the public and particularly children.

The problem with the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act, despite the hard won amendment in 1997, continues to be the emphasis placed on the idea that a dog is dangerous because of its breed rather than its behaviour. It may not be palatable to some people, and certainly not the politicians like Kenneth Baker who rushed to introduce his conscience salving nonsense, that the breeds that have actually killed people in the UK over the past 50 years include a West Highland White Terrier, Golden Retriever and “Jack Russell”.

The popular press might have you believe that those breeds should therefore be banned and condemn the many thousands of healthy and well-adjusted examples of each of these breeds that live contentedly with children, the elderly and the lonely bringing comfort and companionship.

The reaction to any incident where a child is badly mauled seems set in stone. Kill the dogs involved, cremate them as quickly as possible and call for a ban on the “breed” involved. What is learned from such actions? The answer is “absolutely nothing”. The benefit for the public is zero. The rewards for all the politicians and newspaper editors is substantial. After all, they are “protecting the public” ……… I do not agree!

Scientific evidence from around the world conclusively demonstrates that factors such as the criminal or social background of the owner is far more significant than the type of dog involved. Of course the newspapers will frequently cite the Pitbull, Rottweilers or other powerful dog but this is increasingly being proven, after the event, to be something else entirely. Why is this? Simply that the general public’s knowledge of “breeds” is substantially based on what they read in the newspapers. If the papers have been full of stories about German Shepherds then the public will report anything from a Rough Collie to a Briard/Dobermann cross as a “German Shepherd”.


It is unfortunately true that a certain “type” of person can be attracted to the bull breeds. The cycle is obvious. The media inadvertently glorifies the worst aspects of a breed’s history. The inconsiderate or delinquent thug decides to get a dog that will enhance his image and then goes on to intentionally train the animal to be extra aggressive, perhaps cross breeding to combine the very worst examples of aggression and power. Rumour says that some dogs are even treated with hallucinogenic drugs to increase their maladjustment.


Of course not every attack can be tracked back to criminal ownership. Equally dangerous is the stupidity of selling pups produced from selectively bred working guard dogs to the general public as pets. Whilst accepting that nurture is at least as influential as nature in such cases, never the less dogs intentionally bred through several generations for their nervousness, aggression and excitability are likely to carry at least some of those characteristics into their progeny.

Targeting a specific breed is not appropriate. The main problems relate to irresponsible ownership and lack of education.

Yet governments, local and national, continue to act like sheep and merely follow the old, failing policy of “ban the breed”. The Kennel Club’s Domino Campaign has been prominent in making the dog owning public aware of the risks inherent in the political clamour to introduce ever more restrictions on dog ownership.

The law introduced in the UK in 1991 was quickly followed by a muzzling order affecting nearly 40 breeds in Eire. In 1992 came the critically important decision in Bavaria to also ban several breeds. With a fragmented opposition from Bull Terrier owners and only 2 Staffordshire Bull Terriers in the area there was little that could be done to prevent their inclusion. 9 years later, it was the Bavarian “model” that was taken up by the German Federal Government and no amount of opposition could make them consider the fact that there had never been a single SBT attack reported in the entire country. Other countries are now trying to follow the German lead and other breeds are gradually being introduced to the “list”.

Although not responsible for any of the recent attacks that have in the media, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and its cousin the Bull Terrier have once again been pilloried by certain sections of the press.


I believe that we can learn to prevent most of the severe attacks. This is also the expressed view of veterinary and animal welfare organisations across the World and including The Kennel Club, NCDL and BVA. What we desperately need is for some rules to be created for the investigation of serious dog bite incidents that will enable us to understand the causes of attacks and begin to educate the “breeders”, owners and the general public to prevent escalation in an increasingly crowded world.
In my opinion this includes containing the dogs involved rather than immediately killing them if at all possible. In most cases, the dogs are actually captured alive and can easily be caged and made safe without killing them immediately. I am not pleading for their lives – I agree that this “crime” should carry the death penalty for these dogs – but not immediately!
· Allow the animal behaviourists to test the animals involved.
· Check their system for drugs.
· Check their responses to various stimuli and check for attack training.
Surely a post-mortem is an absolute must in such cases. We need to know what really causes dogs to attack people and we cannot do that by just killing them.

If we are to prevent repeated recurrences of such incidents we have two choices. We can either ban ALL dogs (ignoring the many scientifically proven health, social and educational benefits of such pet ownership to the lonely, elderly and children) or we can instigate informed research to determine just how the misbehaviour of humans leads to such attacks and legislate to prevent such actions.

I will be astounded if Staffies are ever banned in this country.

As I said previously, all dogs have teeth and all can inflict serious damamge regarded of size. If we were forced to keep our dogs under control at all times, and that means leashing in public places, that should prevent dog attacks completely.

Those people that do not adhere to the law, should have their dogs confiscated.

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