Underestimating Staff aggression?
Gareth Davies
Santa's Little Helper but fatter (is what she is and makes no claims to be
anything else..) A friend of hers sometimes visits her with a young (2 year
old) male Staffy - a lovely looking, charming dog and pretty well behaved
for its age but it was rescued from a very physically abusive background
where it was obviously beaten by the humans who should have been caring for
it.
Obviously all dogs squabble from time to time - showing teeth, growling and
standing up to each other. The thing that worries me slightly is that my
friend seems to be underestimating the risk of her dog being seriously
injured by the Staffy. The Staffy seems, even during brief visits, to assert
its dominance over the older female dog and the female dog for the most part
doesn't really seem to object (does look afraid at times though).
Sometimes the Staffy will go too far - pestering her to play when she wants
to sleep, trying to steal food from her mouth... Obviously that's too much
even if she does accept his dominance. On a couple of occasions she's
snapped at him - not meaning to make contact just getting the message
across - "fuck off you annoying little shit". He always seems to get the
message and doesn't make a deal of it at all - doesn't look scared nor does
he submit just turns his head away and walks off as if to say "bloody hell,
I was only trying to be friendly".
The thing that worries me is that he obviously has a lot of potential to
cause serious physical damage to the older dog. Or does he? If he hasn't
done anything by now - after being snapped at - does that mean that he's
*unlikely* to ever attack? In predicting his aggressive potential would his
abusive past be relevant (he gets visibly scared when anyone uses a swear
word for example)?
Are male bull breeds - specifically Staffys - more aggressive to (younger
and bigger) male dogs rather than older females?
I'm trying to persuade the owner of the dog to grasp the aggressive
potential of this breed - that they aren't just charming, human friendly
pets.
The law in the UK regarding bull breeds is pretty vague - a Staffy could
easily be mistaken as an APBT and destroyed because an ill-informed owner
puts the dog in a risky situation. It seems sad that dogs like both of these
are being put at risk by ill informed owners. Or am I the one who is ill
informed?
Gareth.
--
All you need to get through life is the right combination of ignorance and
arrogance.
-Mark Twain
Sandra
The potential for dog aggression is real and the chance of a scrap with the
older bitch losing is real too. You need to help the Staffy owner
understand that YES, they are charming and loving to humans, but that dog
aggression can be there and that part of being a responsible owner is
understanding and accepting that and keeping him and other dogs safe. Dany,
this is your breed, and you're home turf if I'm not correct, how bout your
input??
Sandra
PS--I'd go on but I'm feeling rather sick so I just don't feel like being
blinded by this damn screen right now! lol
"Gareth Davies" <dga...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:8v9le8$jpa$1...@news5.svr.pol.co.uk...
RVC
although it would be the same
I have a SBT...He gets on famously with most dogs ...except of Course
Dominating Males or Females for That Matter
I used to... but no longer do take him ..to a leash free park in my
suburb....he tended to Ignore most of the other dogs indiscretions against
him and in particular from dogs around his own size as most of them would
lick his mouth as a sign of submission.....However I found out unexpectedly
that he was Rottweiler and Doberman aggressive (dont ask me Y). and other
Bull breeds..While He would not appear to attack these breeds he would Start
by jumping up at these animals What at first appeared to me as being a
playfull gesture ...In fact What he was trying to do was to initiate a
response from these dogs and of couse when they did respond ..the Fight was
on!!...and In a Dog Park That aint at all fun!!...So consequently I only go
Into the park on rare occassions now.... if There are only a few dogs and
making sure there are No Dobes Rotties Or Bull Terriers Etc.
The Staffy You Speak of generally will respect that the Other dog is Old and
In Particular That Its a Female...but you can never be Certain !!!
Dany Belinfante
Sandra <sal...@sprint.ca> schreef in berichtnieuws
kJ1S5.1814$HA4....@newscontent-01.sprint.ca...
> I personally think you have a pretty good handle on understanding the
breed.
> The potential for dog aggression is real and the chance of a scrap with
the
> older bitch losing is real too. You need to help the Staffy owner
> understand that YES, they are charming and loving to humans, but that dog
> aggression can be there and that part of being a responsible owner is
> understanding and accepting that and keeping him and other dogs safe.
Dany,
> this is your breed, and you're home turf if I'm not correct, how bout your
> input??
> Sandra
> PS--I'd go on but I'm feeling rather sick so I just don't feel like being
> blinded by this damn screen right now! lol
>
So far your description sounds a lot like a male Staff being just that - a
typical macho dickhead trying to impress a female and convincing her he's
God gift to female dogs. Most are like that, much more pushy even than
average male dogs. He probably has no direct intention of actually hurting
her, and even dominance is not often an issue, as that is only really
directly the case between same gender dogs. She is older, and probably gets
sufficient respect. Also (here's your quote:
"He always seems to get the message and doesn't make a deal of it at all -
doesn't look scared nor does he submit just turns his head away and walks
off as if to say bloody hell, I was only trying to be friendly". This is
EXACTLY what he thinks! They're just so much more pushy and physical, that
it looks like trouble's about to start. It most probably is not. But there
is one big "BUT"...
If the bitch tells him off in too harsh a fashion, he might take it the
wrong way. I've seen this happen more than once, and once a male feels
challenged that way, he'll forget he's dealing with a bitch that "has a
headache" and respond, the Pitbull way. I'm not saying the dog in this case
will, but he might... and then you have a serious problem.
So how to go about it, if you ask me?
Watch them always. If you have an eye for dog posturing, you'll see it
coming, if it ever does (and it might never). I've owned 2 male Staffs, and
they could not be trusted around bitches because they'd become belligerent
when told off (they'd tolerate it from "their" bitches though).
It comes back to the old truth: Never trust them not to fight. But if you
take a bit of care, you don't need to deny them the pleasure of each others
company. They might very well grow old together without anything ever
happening.
HTH,
Dany
Gareth Davies
Gareth.