I do wish you’d put me on ignore as I obviously upset you .
No you don’t upset up me - I am old enough to handle someone not having the same point of view as me.
I’m not even sure how your post came through as you’re on my ignore list as your posts are often - well - nonsensical. Anybody that considers staffies to be ugly do not deserve the benefit of my wisdom.
In the words of my teenage nephew - get over yerself, build a bridge and get over it. 'enuff said.
To be honest, the kind of posts you make, I think you must be this teenage nephew.
I agree with you about stats - they are not the most reliable source but they are all we have sometimes. I was bitten on the face by my German Shepherd puppy (he would have been about 3 months old); it wasn’t a bad bite but he did break the skin but he was playing and got over excited (I learned not to handle him better after that!) but I didn’t report it either - he was just an over excited puppy.
I know from one other American poster in Dogsey there is a problem in certain parts of the US with stray pitbulls and rescue centres being full to bursting point with pitbulls. We have the same problem in UK rescue centres with staffies - because they invariably end up in the wrong hands and get turfed out when things don’t go as planned. Very sad situation for the dogs and the people who are trying to rescue/rehome them.
I don’t agree with banning a particular breed I wholeheartedly agree with banning particular people owning any dog.
And as someone else has pointed out if it wasn’t pitbulls/ staffies it would be GSDs, rottweillers or Dobermans they’ve all had their fair share of bad press.
When I was looking for a dog 4 years ago, I went around our dogs home and it was nearly full of staffies and elderly dogs. I went to the UK and went around some dogs’ homes and found they too seemed to be mainly staffies and elderly dogs.
It isn’t fair on the breed either really if they are just going to end up being put down.
It does make you wonder why, if they make such marvellous pets, they end up being put up for rehoming.
Because possibly people who have less than great dogs see them as a good way to make money, I know someone in our village who has a staffie girl the dog is not the best of it’s breed at all, it’s a scrawny thing that could start a fight in an empty room, she decided she could make money out of her and let her have pups, 8 pups all taking after their mum, she started off advertising them for £500 each big smile in her face all the first 2 weeks, by week 4 she looked a little less happy and dropped the price to £300, 4 months later she was looking quite worried and was advertising them for £50 each. Last I heard she was giving them away free, and last 2 went to a local rescue.
Did she learn a lesson ? Not really her dog seems again to be pregnant and she is sure this time she has the advertising right so it will all go swimmingly well !
I think with cases like that Julie, theauthorities should either give the dog the snip or remove the dog from her. My son has a neighbour who leaves their German Shepherd puppy out in all weathers, he called the MSPCA and the dog was observed over a week or so (I think) and then the dog was removed from them.
That is so sad to hear Julie. I am not in the least bit fond of staffies (even if they were the most even tempered dog going, I don’t find them physically attractive dogs) but I don’t like to hear of them being mistreated either. They are still a living entity with emotions and can feel pain and neglect, surely that alone deems they are worthy of being shown compassion by the authorities.
Where I help with animal care, the security guard is a 2 year Akita. He has a kennel and lives outside, with a rope attached to his collar. He was rescued, apparently, from a bunch of EEs who used to throw rocks at him!
He is a friendly dog, once he knows you, BUT…he can be quite boisterous!! Sometimes when I have to get past him I hold my bags out in front of me, (so I can gauge his mood), to come between us because he likes to jump up. Sometimes he’ll get to his feet, walk slowly towards me and turn his back, so I can stroke him. When going out, I prefer it when he’s lying on the ground, not bothering to get up. At times I have asked the owners to grab his lead while I walk past.
On Friday he seemed fine when I left but he has a problem with ‘mouthing’. He grabbed my wrist, and was then growling. I got my wrist free and called for owner’s husband, and the dog just sat on the floor, tail wagging furiously. The problem with him, as our mutual friend said before, he does it because he doesn’t want you to leave! And yet as I said to the owner’s husband as he held the dog back so I could go past, I still don’t 100% trust him.
I call out to him before entering the garden, saying things like ‘good boy A (using his name), good boy!’ and try not to show fear. I just wish his owners could find a way of stopping him jumping up.
He had a very strong grip with his jaws and for a short while my wrist really hurt. So it’s easy to understand the damage they can inflict and how powerless a victim could be when under attack.
When our mutual friend visits she shows no fear with him, (and he adores the attention) but she is a current dog owner and used to handling them.
I think you’re right to be concerned about the mouthing Jazzi, and he should definitely be taught not to do that. However, strangely enough, I used to have a GSD who did exactly the same sometimes, but never to anyone else but me. In his case it was only ever done affection though. For example, if I had been talking to him, or sitting with him, then went to walk away, he would very gently reach out and hold my wrist and try to pull me back to him again, thumping his tail as he did. I adored that dog, and I know the feeling was mutual, he was my shadow in everything I did. It damn near destroyed me when he died. If you look at my profile pics, this most loving boy is the GSD laying in the snow.
I’m feel slightly alarmed by your posting, i.e “lives outside, with a rope attached to his collar” in an animal care centre!!! Doesn’t sounds that caring to me!
I have never been afraid of a dog in my life and consider myself quite adept at reading dog body language. Just from what you say he does sound boisterous and playful but given his early life it sounds like he hasn’t been properly socialised. Which is why I think you should ask the owners to make sure you have room to get past him where he can’t actually get to you. I think mouthing is mostly harmless, mouthing and growling is not harmless and given his strength then I think you are right not to trust him.
Like most dogs he feels comfortable with people, like your friend, who is comfortable with him but possibly senses your discomfort. Treat him with caution and you’re well within your rights to ask the owners to give you space to get past him.
[quote=“Baxter8, post: 393714”] I’m feel slightly alarmed by your posting, i.e “lives outside, with a rope attached to his collar” in an animal care centre!!! Doesn’t sounds that caring to me!QUOTE]
I must agree with Baxter here Jazzi, it does seem a very strange advert for a rescue centre to have a dog tied up outside like that?
Mups being tied up will certainly be contributing to his over boisterousness. I wonder how much exercise this poor boy gets.
Jazzi I am concerned that you have bruising too. That doesn’t necessarily make him aggressive but certainly suggests that nobody has taught him appropriate bite inhibition. My dog when I first got him was always bruising me in play-biting until I showed him what wasn’t acceptable - i.e his teeth do NOT come into contact with my skin. Mouthing is a natural response in dogs and one we train out of them.
It doesn’t sound to me like you are under immediate threat from this dog but try not to get close to him if his owners aren’t around and he is in “guard” mode and again I really do urge you to speak to them and ask that he be fenced off if possible. I know it’s a long shot but maybe you could suggest to them that he be exercised more and a training regime be devised for him - that will certainly make him happier and more relaxed.
It’s NOT a rescue centre! I’ve said before, it’s just a lady living near my sister in an ordinary house but with masses of room in her back garden to accommodate these animals. It’s my wording of ‘animal care’ because I didn’t know how else to put it. True, she does take in some rescue pets in that sense, but it’s not a rescue centre you are thinking of.
He does get exercised, as in they do take him for walks and he does have a runabout in the garden. She said he jumps around like on a springboard! He is friendly with her other dogs if they get close.
I do agree with all your concerns and comments, I really do! I asked the lady if she ever feels the need to muzzle him when taking him out. ‘Oh no, he won’t bite!’ Was her reply, and I’ve seen her being dragged by him along the street (she is small and slight) so I could see how strong he is.
I will talk to her when I next see her and see what we can come up.
Baxter8, he seems a happy dog, but I agree it’s not healthy for him to be always tied up. He is probably used as a guard dog in that sense because of the horses and ponies that she has.
I think the lady owner’s problem is she can’t say no to anybody. He IS an affectionate dog and probably his problem is he craves attention. She does spend a lot of time outside but not 24 hours. Personally, my feeling is that particular home is not suitable for him and yes you are all right in what you say.
It sounds like this woman has her heart in the right place and I think she is probably right he won’t bite anyone. I’m not sure why she has to tie him up and leave him outside though. Does he have shelter?
I personally wouldn’t be scared of this dog but then I have a lot of experience with dogs. I wouldn’t approach him if his owner wasn’t around because it puts the dog in a very difficult position - i.e I’m guarding and she’s coming too close.
You could always take a small bag of treats with you - cheese, sausage etc… and throw bits away from you making him turn around as you slip past.
He has a kennel. Our mutual friend once suggested treats. Again I’ll talk to the owner when I see her. Maybe I can buy a bag of dog treats and use them to gain his trust more. I just think he is being a typical dog and wants you to be with him. When I do pet him he’s fine, as I said he offers his back to me for stroking.
I’ve been going there weekly for a good few months now so he does know me and that I mean no harm to his owner.
I wouldn’t worry too much about him being outside all the time - if he was raised from a pup to be an outdoor dog, it won’t bother him. My last rescue dog (a Springer working dog) was also an outside dog and it was a devil of a job getting him to come inside! Every time the backdoor opened, he’d race out, he just felt more comfortable outside. I think the only reason he’s now happy indoors is because my younger dogs comes inside, he knows there are cuddles going when I’m watching telly and, maybe more importantly, he knows food originates from inside the house
When the weather is nice, he will still choose to stay outside (until it gets dark).
