Aggression Advise.

[lynneb]

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I have a 5 year old rescue Staffi cross. I let him off the leash in a large open space but he went further than normal, when I caught up with him he was being held my a man and I was told he attached another dog which was with its owner and her other small dog. One of which has been aggressive toward my dog and others while on the leash on various occasions. After I got my dog on the leash one dog and mine where wagging tails and being really friendly towards each other however the other my dog attacked was aggressive. I'll point out my dog was no way aggressive at this point and not at any point when I got there.

I'm really confused as the other owner said that mine just ran and attached her dog, he has been off leash with 3/4 dogs at a time on several occasions and never an incident. He's very friendly with people and other dogs it just seems to be an issue with these 2 dogs. Any advice would be great. Thanks Lynne

 

[JoanneF]

I'm afraid if you didn't witness it, you won't be able to know what happened exactly.

And, your dog is at risk of being reported as out of control - which he was, as you weren't with him.

I'm sorry that sounds harsh, but that is how the law would interpret it.

So for his own safety, I'd suggest you keep him on a long line, attached to a harness rather than a collar to reduce the risk of trachea damage. I'd only let him off if you have rock solid recall and wide range visibility to make sure there are no dogs nearby.

 

[lurcherman]

Any signs of aggression and your dog must be onlead , it’s your responsibility to manage this task, fights do happen with dogs simple as that, even if your dog didn’t start it a staffie of any sorts can do terrible damage to other dogs,, I had one come charging towards me in a field at mine and it was coming to do damage, no owner insight, it charged at mine but I caught it’s collar and by the time the owner came 3 mins later his dog was almost chocked to death, he had a moan at me that made me laugh but it would have ripped my two to bits , not a fan of staffies to be honest, the good staffs are owned by good dog people,, all I can say is your dog might not start it but can defo end the fight,, it’s scary seeing staffs fight, really scary.

 

[JudyN]

Are you saying that in all of this, you didn't see your dog be aggressive at all? What was his attitude to the one that had been aggressive towards him when back on lead? And do you think this man was trustworthy?

Could it have been that your dog ran up to the other one in a friendly manner, and the other one was agressive first? Was the other one on lead at that point?

As JoanneF and Lurcherman have said, you do have to err on the side of caution, so you need to ensure yours won't go running up to other dogs (recall training/long line). If you see this dog again, it would be interesting to see what yours does when he spots them.

All the Staffies I've met bar one (rescue, on lead) have been great, steady dogs, good with both people and dogs. The owner makes all the difference.

 

[lynneb]

Are you saying that in all of this, you didn't see your dog be aggressive at all? What was his attitude to the one that had been aggressive towards him when back on lead? And do you think this man was trustworthy?

Could it have been that your dog ran up to the other one in a friendly manner, and the other one was agressive first? Was the other one on lead at that point?

As JoanneF and Lurcherman have said, you do have to err on the side of caution, so you need to ensure yours won't go running up to other dogs (recall training/long line). If you see this dog again, it would be interesting to see what yours does when he spots them.

All the Staffies I've met bar one (rescue, on lead) have been great, steady dogs, good with both people and dogs. The owner makes all the difference.

My dog was not aggressive at all that I saw. When back on the lead he just stood next to me and the non aggressive dog came up to mine tail wagging and they both sniffed each other etc. The other owner was pretty calm and allowed this he suggested we let them mingle together but his dog became aggressive and mine just backed away. I can only go by what I've seen of my dog and I believe he would have run in a friendly manor. He's great with people and is particularly great with my neighbour's 7 year old autistic son.

I understand the other comments and will er on the side of caution by keeping him on lead and harness, with him being a Staff Cross he will be seen with have the potential of being aggressive. I've had him 6 weeks and shown no signs of aggression and has been mingling with other dogs without incident.

 

[lurcherman]

6 weeks does not mean he’s ok, it take a life time to understand some dogs, the most overrated word a owner says is I trust my dog 100% and that’s just not the case, just be as safe as you can.

 

[Hemlock]

There is a huge difference between "man aggression" and "dog aggression" and dogs that are totally fine with people can be very dodgy around other dogs. Not saying that yours is or isn't: you didn't see what happened. So as others have said, it's on you to make sure that your dog does not run up to other dogs even when in sight but especially so when out of your sight.

There's a lot more to dogs wagging tails and sniffing than the average owner can translate, and often what seems friendly isn't. I can't begin to count the number of times I've heard "S/He's never done that before".

You've had a shock, but no harm was done. Now you know how to keep it that way. So all in all, could have been MUCH worse, and I hope you are feeling more on an even keel now.

 

[JacksDad]

My dog was not aggressive at all that I saw.

Lets assume your dog was 100% non aggressive. The running up to another dog all excited, even if that excitement is "I am a dog, you a dog, lets play" sequence of behaviors, can still trigger a dog fight or an aggressive respond by the dog being approached.

The thing to keep in mind, no matter how friendly your dog, how much your dog loves other dogs, that is not always the case with the other dog. some are afraid, some have learned to use aggression to deal with their fears, some prefer their person over other dogs, some are simply at different points in their life and no longer want to play like a puppy, etc, etc. lots of reasons to not assume all dogs are like yours.

I worked with a dog that reached a point he was slobbery friendly to young kids, gentle as kitten with them. was really extra gentle with a down syndrome child. no longer reacts to other dogs flipping out on him..with a "small" exception. Female dogs, they kick is butt, hang on his ears, knock him over, he wants more. BUT male dogs. not so much, they are the exception. doesn't take much to set him off with them. though even the bar has raised for this. takes more than it used to.

you can never, ever make assumptions about the other dog or that your dog is friendly even matters to that other dog.