I could have written this. I agree with your every word, we no longer have our beautiful lab but I was always worried about meeting a staffie when walking him, so many of them were aggressive towards other dogs. I was absolutely terrified if I saw one was off the lead.
I am biased against staffies as a friend of mine had one and he attacked an old dog with no reason or provocation, his jaws locked shut and whatever she did she couldn't get him off the poor dog- it was dreadful and I've never forgotten it, therefore I cannot get over this prejudice of mine.
As the manager of my local Blue Cross said to me , 'they've got the equipment to do an awful lot of damage, they've also got a switch in their head that once turned on, can't be turned off.'
I was just having a little joke but it very difficult to know which is a 'good' staffie or a 'bad' staffie and I was not prepared to risk an attack on my dog.
A local guy, a policeman in fact, used to walk his staffie off the lead and I would just walk in the opposite direction. When I explained to him why I did this he said he was ok with it and that sometimes his dog doesn't like other male dogs and goes for them.
Lab attacked a pit bull and its owner .. but until the video was watched showing the whole thing, the police were more concerned for the lab's owner than the victims
Were you walking a staffie I wonder?;-). I have never seen a labrador attack another dog but I have seen many a staffie attack other dogs.
Have you really lots of actual dog aggressive dog attacks on another dog because those are quite rare...or have you heard more growling, posturing barking snarling and establishing of dominance like rolling or pinning as even most dog aggressive dogs aren't fond of actually attacking and risking injury.
My nan takes her two terriers out and I swear if you heard them from even a field away you would think world war 3 had broken out they sound like they are killing each other, they never even draw blood. Just something sets one of them off and they have a pop.
I am biased against staffies as a friend of mine had one and he attacked an old dog with no reason or provocation, his jaws locked shut and whatever she did she couldn't get him off the poor dog- it was dreadful and I've never forgotten it, therefore I cannot get over this prejudice of mine.
As the manager of my local Blue Cross said to me , 'they've got the equipment to do an awful lot of damage, they've also got a switch in their head that once turned on, can't be turned off.'
They don't lock they are just incredibly strong, terriers hold on that's what they are bred for, collies and shepherds herd so they tend to go for multiple bites in succession etc.
All dogs have that switch if put in a frenzy just like people "red mist".
Labradors have attacked people and other dogs I have witnessed several incidents of labs having a go at other dogs. Just because you haven't seen it personally doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I used to have an aggressive staffie I kept him as he would never have been able to be rehomed and would have been destroyed but with adequate safeguards (never any off lead time near other dogs etc) he lived to a ripe old age.
I accept that staffies are more prone to dog aggression as because of the terrier in them they like to dominate other dogs, they need good training and socialisation but where people and kids are concerned I would take one over a Labrador any day of the week. Its hard when you have had a bad experience with a breed to not be judgemental but there are loads of staffies and bully type dogs out there with good owners.
Why does it matter what dog I was walking? I was walking a 8 month old mongrel not that that is any of your business. I have no idea whether the dog would have actually attacked if it was loose or if it is just lead reactive. But then I don't generally make snap judgements about people and their dogs having worked in rescue, I know generally a lot of problems with lead reactive dogs is the person at the other end.
Generally most dog owners aren't that good most are just adequate when it comes to their dogs and training them and socialising them, it's always much harder picking up the pieces at a later date
I walked my dog every day for all his 16 years of life and I only ever saw attacks on other dogs by staffies, one was on a puppy out for his first walk. My first thoughts are for my own dog and if I have to make a judgement on another dog in order to keep it safe then so be it.
I was just having a little joke but it very difficult to know which is a 'good' staffie or a 'bad' staffie and I was not prepared to risk an attack on my dog.
A local guy, a policeman in fact, used to walk his staffie off the lead and I would just walk in the opposite direction. When I explained to him why I did this he said he was ok with it and that sometimes his dog doesn't like other male dogs and goes for them.
Unfortunately a lot of owners don't have a clue about dogs or their signals or their communications, some dogs throw out victim signals which generally can lead to dominant dogs just rolling them over if they don't submit themselves first, some dogs are overly dominant which can lead to confrontation.
I remember a woman years ago telling me that every dog that seemed to meet hers had a go...but what was actually happening was hers was displaying dominant behaviour first when meeting other dogs but because she couldn't tell as it was quiet posturing it made the other dogs who would bark or lunge look like the aggressor.
Lab attacked a pit bull and its owner .. but until the video was watched showing the whole thing, the police were more concerned for the lab's owner than the victims
But that's in America and I can't see the video so I cannot make a judgement on whether it was a cross lab or not. A 14 year old walking a pitbull isn't very sensible to be honest.
I walked my dog every day for all his 16 years of life and I only ever saw attacks on other dogs by staffies, one was on a puppy out for his first walk. My first thoughts are for my own dog and if I have to make a judgement on another dog in order to keep it safe then so be it.
Funnily enough the first dog to ever be aggressive to my DDB puppy on his first outing was a big yellow lab that ran across putting the fear of god into both of us, followed by an owner calling over don't worry he's friendly...That was her opinion of course mine was totally different he came over to assert his dominance. He didn't want to play, he wasn't inquisitive he was just plain bloody rude.
You do what you like to keep your dog safe I don't blame you, I would do the same however I don't let it cloud my judgment of an entire breed.
I was just having a little joke but it very difficult to know which is a 'good' staffie or a 'bad' staffie and I was not prepared to risk an attack on my dog.
A local guy, a policeman in fact, used to walk his staffie off the lead and I would just walk in the opposite direction. When I explained to him why I did this he said he was ok with it and that sometimes his dog doesn't like other male dogs and goes for them.
Loads of male dogs go for each other . I see it all the time. but not yet seen any blood.
My daughter's bichon frise tried to have a pop at my dog ( he is a lovely softy and dont have a clue why) my dog is so daft it just laid on him..
My sister got bite as a kid by a collie, my son was attacked ( no harm to him just pushed him over and snarling at him few scratches ) by a black dog that looked collie -ish? cant remember much about it I was to busy getting my son who was only 18mth
went into the shop where the dog lived and they said "its out guard dog, what do you expect"
went to the police and they said if it got out again they would be in trouble.
But that's in America and I can't see the video so I cannot make a judgement on whether it was a cross lab or not. A 14 year old walking a pitbull isn't very sensible to be honest.
A 14 year old walking any dog is not sensible I hate seeing kids walking dogs it's wrong, if I could make responsible dog laws it would be one of the things I make illegal. For one kids cant be trusted to pick up the poo for a start and if something did happen like a dog got loose and attacked or even a bad on lead experience, kids don't generally think and could end up seriously hurt trying to break up a fight
Funnily enough the first dog to ever be aggressive to my puppy on his first outing was a big yellow lab that ran across putting the fear of god into both of us, followed by an owner calling over don't worry he's friendly...That was her opinion of course mine was totally different he came over to assert his dominance. He didn't want to play, he wasn't inquisitive he was just plain bloody rude.
You do what you like to keep your dog safe I don't blame you, I would do the same however I don't let it cloud my judgment of an entire breed.
I think the lab was just being friendly but hey ho.
In the case of the staffie attacking the puppy, it snarled at it and went for it, the owner of the puppy just managed to grab the staffie by its collar while the puppy ran off terrified. A jogger went after the puppy and just caught it before it ran into the main road outside the park, thank goodness. I can tell you that guy was really cross. These things stay with you and make you very wary of other dogs. I believe if it hadn't been the puppy it would have been my dog and heavens knows what would have happened.
But that's in America and I can't see the video so I cannot make a judgement on whether it was a cross lab or not. A 14 year old walking a pitbull isn't very sensible to be honest.
What the heck is wrong with you? a two year old could have walked mine and have been fine. ( not that we would let them ) the pit ball was pulling him along on his skateboard
the lab was the one out of control and your first thought is the boy should not have been walking the pit bull
Here is another lab owner in denial I have no doubt you also will believe the lab was innocent
Loads of male dogs go for each other . I see it all the time. but not yet seen any blood.
My daughter's bichon frise tried to have a pop at my dog ( he is a lovely softy and dont have a clue why) my dog is so daft it just laid on him..
My sister got bite as a kid by a collie, my son was attacked ( no harm to him just pushed him over and snarling at him few scratches ) by a black dog that looked collie -ish? cant remember much about it I was to busy getting my son who was only 18mth
went into the shop where the dog lived and they said "its out guard dog, what do you expect"
went to the police and they said if it got out again they would be in trouble.
The policeman and his staffie have a bad reputation in our area, he now has 2 staffies and they are both now kept on leads, well on the street anyway. Maybe someone has had a quiet word with him.
I do appreciate that you have a big soppy staffie but it will not convince me to trust them with other dogs.
What the heck is wrong with you? a two year old could have walked mine and have been fine. ( not that we would let them ) the pit ball was pulling him along on his skateboard
the lab was the one out of control and your first thought is the boy should not have been walking the pit bull
Here is another lab owner in denial I have no doubt you also will believe the lab was innocent
Still no picture of the dog? I remember someone posting a few links on Labradors attacking other dogs in America, every one was a cross lab. In fact, not one of them even looked like a lab.
The policeman and his staffie have a bad reputation in our area, he now has 2 staffies and they are both now kept on leads, well on the street anyway. Maybe someone has had a quiet word with him.
I do appreciate that you have a big soppy staffie but it will not convince me to trust them with other dogs.
I trust mine fully with other dogs.. few dogs i would not like near him .. But unlike you I i do see from both sides i know a lot of staffies today are badly trained and hurt people and dogs. you will not take on board that a lab can also do the same.
My dog wont hurt anyway.. I cannot speak for other Staffies, only those I know
I think the lab was just being friendly but hey ho.
In the case of the staffie attacking the puppy, it snarled at it and went for it, the owner of the puppy just managed to grab the staffie by its collar while the puppy ran off terrified. A jogger went after the puppy and just caught it before it ran into the main road outside the park, thank goodness. I can tell you that guy was really cross. These things stay with you and make you very wary of other dogs. I believe if it hadn't been the puppy it would have been my dog and heavens knows what would have happened.
No it wasn't you weren't reading it's body language or signals I was. It was untrained with an uneducated owner who couldn't get her dog to come back or leave
As to the other I wasn't there so I don't know. However generally you would have to be bloody quick to stop an actual dog attack, most of them don't come with verbal warnings such as growling barking or snarling. Beware the quiet dogs
Still no picture of the dog? I remember someone posting a few links on Labradors attacking other dogs in America, every one was a cross lab. In fact, not one of them even looked like a lab.
Same can often be said about the Staffies a lot of them are long legged or too big to be pure bred staffs does that make it less so. You often find Staffies lab mixes
Dangerous Dog Breeds
The Good and the Bad of Dog Breeds:
The media has played a part in presenting certain dog breeds in a bad light, portraying them as aggressive and dangerous, in light of recent dog attacks: 4 children have been killed by dogs in 30 months. We even have a law called the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 which states that pit bull terriers, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro are too dangerous to own or breed from so it is now illegal to do so in the UK. Dogs such as the pit bull terrier present a tough image which appeals to some people, particularly young men who use them and other breeds as status symbols to make themselves appear tougher. In these cases the dogs aren’t properly trained and aggressive behaviour may be actively encouraged by isolating the dog so that it isn’t used to or comfortable with strangers, or by teasing and provoking the dog encouraging it to bark and bite. Some breeds were originally selectively bred for fighting, so have a greater tendency for aggression and have certain qualities such as a strong jaw, or they bite and don’t let go for a while. Therefore if they do attack then the consequences can be fatal, and there is usually much media coverage.
Four breeds: the Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and Japanese Tosa, are now illegal to own or breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, unless you have an exemption from the court and follow the guidelines they lay down.
However any dog can bite, especially if it is not trained or socialised properly, isolated, neglected or encouraged to behave aggressively. Allowing a dog to behave aggressively makes the dog think that this is appropriate behaviour, and if it gets attention on demand it believes that it is the top dog. If a dog thinks that it is at the top of the hierarchy then it may become aggressive if its status is challenged, such as being given a command: it believes that it is the top dog so it should demand attention not the other way around; or if another member of the family receives more attention than it.
The problem is that current bite statistics can be misleading because many dog bites go unreported and only bites that require medical attention are taken into account for these statistics. This means that dogs that have specific fighting qualities from when they were used as fighting dogs or hunters, or larger dogs with more strength appear to be more aggressive than they actually are. When a pit bull terrier attacks it is more likely to have serious consequences, but some breeds from the toy group can be just as aggressive but their bites have little effect so the incidence isn’t reported and a distorted image is presented about aggressive dogs.
A recent study carried out on 6,000 dogs and their owners found out 33 of the most aggressive dogs, and also those which have good temperaments. The study involved collecting data from two different groups. The first group consisted of 11 different breeds and the second was an online survey mainly involving owners, including 33 breeds. The conclusions from both groups were similar. It looked at the different types of aggression such as towards other dogs, towards strangers and towards owners. Some of the results were surprising, below are the top ten most aggressive breed:
Dachshunds
Chihuahua
Jack Russell
Australian Cattle Dog
Cocker Spaniel
Beagle
Border Collie
Pit Bull Terrier
Great Dane
English Springer Spaniel
Staffy is not even on the list. Im not saying some are not dangerous.. but they are not one of the dogs most likely to bite
Same can often be said about the Staffies a lot of them are long legged or too big to be pure bred staffs does that make it less so. You often find Staffies lab mixes
Mine is long legged . maybe a bit of boxer down the line.. his mum was short, dad was bigger but not as tall as mine.. I would say he is the same size as my pit bull was.
Mine is long legged . maybe a bit of boxer down the line.. his mum was short, dad was bigger but not as tall as mine.. I would say he is the same size as my pit bull was.
Pure staff face though
I call them throw backs my parents have a black and tan jack Russell it looks nothing like one or any of its brother and sisters, but we know the parentage and breeding everyone thinks it's a mini pin
Labs are my favourite dogs to meet, never met one that hasn't been amiable and willing to let my two sniff their bum and aren't fazed if mine get over excited. They are such calm dogs who don't seem annoyed by anything even puppies which can test the patience of most dogs. My dogs seem really calm around labs as they feed off their calm energy.
A lab ripped open the side of my whippet a few years back. My dog didn't even see it coming, it flew at him from behind as he was walking the few feet towards me - completely unprovoked. Big vets bill, lots of stitches and a scar. Unfortunately he now hates yellow labs. It can be any breed and dog.
I'd hate to be a staffy owner. When I see any other dog I move out of the way as with 3 dogs it can be intimidating to other dogs plus the one of mine that got attacked by a lab isn't good with other dogs these days since he's almost blind. If I move out of the path of staffy owners I always call across that it's not because of their dog it's because of mine. It's sad how grateful they are that someone isn't avoiding them because of their dog and will smile and say hello and have a chat even if it is from a distance. People just over react so much. I have far more trouble with owners of springers and pointers who think it's fine to let their dogs harass us and don't recall their dogs despite me having mine on lead and going out of my way to avoid them. It's just rude. And the whippet owner who shouted to me that her dog was friendly and 30 seconds later ran at an on lead beagle and attacked it from behind.
Comments
I am biased against staffies as a friend of mine had one and he attacked an old dog with no reason or provocation, his jaws locked shut and whatever she did she couldn't get him off the poor dog- it was dreadful and I've never forgotten it, therefore I cannot get over this prejudice of mine.
As the manager of my local Blue Cross said to me , 'they've got the equipment to do an awful lot of damage, they've also got a switch in their head that once turned on, can't be turned off.'
I was just having a little joke but it very difficult to know which is a 'good' staffie or a 'bad' staffie and I was not prepared to risk an attack on my dog.
A local guy, a policeman in fact, used to walk his staffie off the lead and I would just walk in the opposite direction. When I explained to him why I did this he said he was ok with it and that sometimes his dog doesn't like other male dogs and goes for them.
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/29774882/local-boy-pit-bull-attacked-by-neighbors-dog
Have you really lots of actual dog aggressive dog attacks on another dog because those are quite rare...or have you heard more growling, posturing barking snarling and establishing of dominance like rolling or pinning as even most dog aggressive dogs aren't fond of actually attacking and risking injury.
My nan takes her two terriers out and I swear if you heard them from even a field away you would think world war 3 had broken out they sound like they are killing each other, they never even draw blood. Just something sets one of them off and they have a pop.
They don't lock they are just incredibly strong, terriers hold on that's what they are bred for, collies and shepherds herd so they tend to go for multiple bites in succession etc.
All dogs have that switch if put in a frenzy just like people "red mist".
I walked my dog every day for all his 16 years of life and I only ever saw attacks on other dogs by staffies, one was on a puppy out for his first walk. My first thoughts are for my own dog and if I have to make a judgement on another dog in order to keep it safe then so be it.
Unfortunately a lot of owners don't have a clue about dogs or their signals or their communications, some dogs throw out victim signals which generally can lead to dominant dogs just rolling them over if they don't submit themselves first, some dogs are overly dominant which can lead to confrontation.
I remember a woman years ago telling me that every dog that seemed to meet hers had a go...but what was actually happening was hers was displaying dominant behaviour first when meeting other dogs but because she couldn't tell as it was quiet posturing it made the other dogs who would bark or lunge look like the aggressor.
But that's in America and I can't see the video so I cannot make a judgement on whether it was a cross lab or not. A 14 year old walking a pitbull isn't very sensible to be honest.
Funnily enough the first dog to ever be aggressive to my DDB puppy on his first outing was a big yellow lab that ran across putting the fear of god into both of us, followed by an owner calling over don't worry he's friendly...That was her opinion of course mine was totally different he came over to assert his dominance. He didn't want to play, he wasn't inquisitive he was just plain bloody rude.
You do what you like to keep your dog safe I don't blame you, I would do the same however I don't let it cloud my judgment of an entire breed.
Loads of male dogs go for each other . I see it all the time. but not yet seen any blood.
My daughter's bichon frise tried to have a pop at my dog ( he is a lovely softy and dont have a clue why) my dog is so daft it just laid on him..
My sister got bite as a kid by a collie, my son was attacked ( no harm to him just pushed him over and snarling at him few scratches ) by a black dog that looked collie -ish? cant remember much about it I was to busy getting my son who was only 18mth
went into the shop where the dog lived and they said "its out guard dog, what do you expect"
went to the police and they said if it got out again they would be in trouble.
A 14 year old walking any dog is not sensible I hate seeing kids walking dogs it's wrong, if I could make responsible dog laws it would be one of the things I make illegal. For one kids cant be trusted to pick up the poo for a start and if something did happen like a dog got loose and attacked or even a bad on lead experience, kids don't generally think and could end up seriously hurt trying to break up a fight
I think the lab was just being friendly but hey ho.
In the case of the staffie attacking the puppy, it snarled at it and went for it, the owner of the puppy just managed to grab the staffie by its collar while the puppy ran off terrified. A jogger went after the puppy and just caught it before it ran into the main road outside the park, thank goodness. I can tell you that guy was really cross. These things stay with you and make you very wary of other dogs. I believe if it hadn't been the puppy it would have been my dog and heavens knows what would have happened.
What the heck is wrong with you? a two year old could have walked mine and have been fine. ( not that we would let them ) the pit ball was pulling him along on his skateboard
the lab was the one out of control and your first thought is the boy should not have been walking the pit bull
Here is another lab owner in denial I have no doubt you also will believe the lab was innocent
http://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/lake-worth/5-year-old-bitten-by-labrador-recovering-says-her-pit-bull-saved-her-from-being-seriously-injured
The policeman and his staffie have a bad reputation in our area, he now has 2 staffies and they are both now kept on leads, well on the street anyway. Maybe someone has had a quiet word with him.
I do appreciate that you have a big soppy staffie but it will not convince me to trust them with other dogs.
Still no picture of the dog? I remember someone posting a few links on Labradors attacking other dogs in America, every one was a cross lab. In fact, not one of them even looked like a lab.
I trust mine fully with other dogs.. few dogs i would not like near him .. But unlike you I i do see from both sides i know a lot of staffies today are badly trained and hurt people and dogs. you will not take on board that a lab can also do the same.
My dog wont hurt anyway.. I cannot speak for other Staffies, only those I know
No it wasn't you weren't reading it's body language or signals I was. It was untrained with an uneducated owner who couldn't get her dog to come back or leave
As to the other I wasn't there so I don't know. However generally you would have to be bloody quick to stop an actual dog attack, most of them don't come with verbal warnings such as growling barking or snarling. Beware the quiet dogs
You are in denial that a lab would attack.. that imo is someone who should never own a dog, ANY breed can attack .
Same can often be said about the Staffies a lot of them are long legged or too big to be pure bred staffs does that make it less so. You often find Staffies lab mixes
The Good and the Bad of Dog Breeds:
The media has played a part in presenting certain dog breeds in a bad light, portraying them as aggressive and dangerous, in light of recent dog attacks: 4 children have been killed by dogs in 30 months. We even have a law called the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 which states that pit bull terriers, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro are too dangerous to own or breed from so it is now illegal to do so in the UK. Dogs such as the pit bull terrier present a tough image which appeals to some people, particularly young men who use them and other breeds as status symbols to make themselves appear tougher. In these cases the dogs aren’t properly trained and aggressive behaviour may be actively encouraged by isolating the dog so that it isn’t used to or comfortable with strangers, or by teasing and provoking the dog encouraging it to bark and bite. Some breeds were originally selectively bred for fighting, so have a greater tendency for aggression and have certain qualities such as a strong jaw, or they bite and don’t let go for a while. Therefore if they do attack then the consequences can be fatal, and there is usually much media coverage.
Four breeds: the Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and Japanese Tosa, are now illegal to own or breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, unless you have an exemption from the court and follow the guidelines they lay down.
However any dog can bite, especially if it is not trained or socialised properly, isolated, neglected or encouraged to behave aggressively. Allowing a dog to behave aggressively makes the dog think that this is appropriate behaviour, and if it gets attention on demand it believes that it is the top dog. If a dog thinks that it is at the top of the hierarchy then it may become aggressive if its status is challenged, such as being given a command: it believes that it is the top dog so it should demand attention not the other way around; or if another member of the family receives more attention than it.
The problem is that current bite statistics can be misleading because many dog bites go unreported and only bites that require medical attention are taken into account for these statistics. This means that dogs that have specific fighting qualities from when they were used as fighting dogs or hunters, or larger dogs with more strength appear to be more aggressive than they actually are. When a pit bull terrier attacks it is more likely to have serious consequences, but some breeds from the toy group can be just as aggressive but their bites have little effect so the incidence isn’t reported and a distorted image is presented about aggressive dogs.
A recent study carried out on 6,000 dogs and their owners found out 33 of the most aggressive dogs, and also those which have good temperaments. The study involved collecting data from two different groups. The first group consisted of 11 different breeds and the second was an online survey mainly involving owners, including 33 breeds. The conclusions from both groups were similar. It looked at the different types of aggression such as towards other dogs, towards strangers and towards owners. Some of the results were surprising, below are the top ten most aggressive breed:
Dachshunds
Chihuahua
Jack Russell
Australian Cattle Dog
Cocker Spaniel
Beagle
Border Collie
Pit Bull Terrier
Great Dane
English Springer Spaniel
Staffy is not even on the list. Im not saying some are not dangerous.. but they are not one of the dogs most likely to bite
Here is another Lab attack
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2003849/Boy-3-left-horrific-facial-injuries-Labrador-savages-Poole-Harbour.html
Mine is long legged . maybe a bit of boxer down the line.. his mum was short, dad was bigger but not as tall as mine.. I would say he is the same size as my pit bull was.
Pure staff face though
I call them throw backs my parents have a black and tan jack Russell it looks nothing like one or any of its brother and sisters, but we know the parentage and breeding everyone thinks it's a mini pin
I've got 3. 2 Amstaffs and one regular garden variety. People often seem more concerned with me than the dogs tbh.:)
Most Staffy owners are just ordinary people, not yobs.