Staffie attacks owner...

[TheEmmaDilemma]

I'm surprised there isn't a thread about this, or if this is, I've missed it.

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/dog-owner-mauled-to-death-by-staffordshire-bull-terrier-while-filming-bbc-documentary-in-north-a3501536.html

I know they have to report the breed, but it makes me sad.

As much as I feel sorry for the family of the owner, I do feel that is is the owners responsibility to control a dog? They can always be unpredicable. You take steps to control that. And that's with anything from a 10lb dog to a 20kg one.

It is never the dogs fault. It is the owner surely?

I have a beautiful staffie I love. He's old now, I love him. I trust him 100% with me, but that's because he's trained. In stressful situations with no training you cannot predict what any dog is going to do?

[nineanimals]

I think what people forget is that until the last 100 years or so, dogs were bred to do a job. What they looked like wasn't important- their looks just came about to suit the job people wanted them to do.

So the dogs we have today are a product of hundreds of years of breeding to obtain a certain personality of dog as well as (recently) a certain looking dog.

Anyone who knows dogs will know that a particular breed of dog will have similar personality traits to those of the same breed. For example my golden retriever just couldn't stop himself picking things up and bringing them to you - the instinct to retrieve was just so strong.

And I'm sorry to say Staffies and other similar breeds were bred to fight. They have hundreds of generations of fighting instincts in them.

Now obviously every dog is different and with the right handling and training they can be lovely dogs. But you can't deny that they are more likely to turn and attack. And unfortunately when they do, their extremely strong jaws will cause a lot of damage.

My little cavalier weighs 6 kilos and if she turned on me I know she'd struggle to badly injure me just because she's much smaller and weaker than a Staffie.

In this particular situation, the man obviously didn't have sufficient control over his aggressive dog.

I think it's time for people to accept that an unneutered male staffie , poorly socialised and trained is like owning a loaded gun.

[purplecoathanger]

I cannot understand the love for Staffordshire Bull Terriers. They were bred to fight and they have massive jaws.

One ran up to my dog on the park today. The owner was right across the other side of the park. I couldn't help but feel anxious. I made my dog sit and held her collar until the guy turned up. He told me not to worry as his dog was ok. How was I supposed to know?

A woman with a collie I was talking to said afterwards that his dog looked really fierce and had massive jaws.

The trouble is, all dogs are unpredictable and if they are big, strong and have massive jaws they're frightening.

[Blackfellpony]

I agree with the above.

I would never want a dog bred to fight anything. Genetics plays a massive part in personality whether people like to admit it or not.

I don't think all staffies are bad at all but it's not a breed I would want to own.

[WanderingTrolley1]

No surprise, really.

[DumbledoresArmy]

We had the most beautiful Staffie. He was well natured & behaved.
All dogs regardless of breed can be aggressive.
It saddens me that Staffies always get bad press.

[DumbledoresArmy]

Reading into the owner he had a closure order on his property due to ASB.
I think this dog has had a crap life style.

[Wishiwasmoiradingle2017]

Maybe he was such a shit dog owner the dog had simply had enough. .?
We have a huge rottweiler and she js under control and loved at all times. . Plenty of dogs just aren't so lucky.

[tabulahrasa]

"I know they have to report the breed, but it makes me sad."

Bet you a tenner it's not actually a staffy, that file photo they've used isn't.

That's one of the issues with reporting by breed, people don't know what a staffy is, they use it to describe any bullbreed type no matter what it is or what size it is.

[Ylvamoon]

I fully agree with nineanimals, you can't just ignore 100's of years of selective breeding v 50 odd years of pet breeding.

tabulahrasa- to me, it's almost irrelevant if it was a stuffie or any other bulleted crossed with a stuffie. In the wrong hands these dogs are dangerous because they have fighting DNA, a fact, that should not be brushed aside.

Of course, any dog can be aggressive, same as any dog has a pray drive or displays loyalty to their owners. It's just that some traits are more ingrained than others due to breeding. Something potential pet owners should be aware of.

[tabulahrasa]

"to me, it's almost irrelevant if it was a stuffie or any other bulleted crossed with a stuffie. In the wrong hands these dogs are dangerous because they have fighting DNA, a fact, that should not be brushed aside."

It's not a fact if it's just a cross of completely different breeds that just happens to end up looking a bit like a bull breed though...

That's my point really, breed traits aren't passed on by looking like a breed.

I'm pretty good at dog breeds, I mean, I'm interested, it's something I pay attention to, so I'm more likely to be able to identify a dog than the people who mix up harlequin Great Danes with Dalmatians (I know someone with a Great Dane who is asked way too often if it's a Dalmatian, lol) and I've met plenty of crosses that looked like staffy crosses that when I've spoken to their owner haven't got a single drop in there.

If breed matters as far as behaviour, then so does accurate identification.

[Ylvamoon]

It clearly stated in the article that it was a stuffie that attacked its owner. (Filmed by BBC for a documentary)
So, even if the dog in question was a stuffie x, it is still 50% suffie and could have 100% stuffie traits (good or bad).

[tabulahrasa]

Someone saying it's one doesn't mean it's got any staffy at all in it's ancestors, anything that looks vaguely that shape is described as one - it could be a staffy, could be a staffy cross...could be a lab cross, it doesn't matter because if someone decides it looks like a staffy, that's what it'll be reported as.

[LilCamper]

I have read that there was a film crew present at the time of the arrack. Trigger stacking?

[LilCamper]

attack

[MidniteScribbler]

And I'm sorry to say Staffies and other similar breeds were bred to fight. They have hundreds of generations of fighting instincts in them.

Please do some research before you start talking about things you don't understand. Animal aggression is extremely different from human aggression. Staffordshire Bull Terriers were bred for bringing down other animals, but they moved into dog fighting later. A fighting dog that attacks it's handlers would be useless, and they were in fact bred to be loyal to their families, and in particular children. In fact, their breed standard even mentions that they are extremely good with children and that they should be 'bold, fearless and totally reliable'. IF this dog is even a staffy, then something has gone terribly wrong in it's upbringing.

[purplecoathanger]

I don't see a dog as "bred to attack other animals", as the sort of pet I would want.

It's hardly an attractive feature and could a baby be mistaken for an animal?

[LilCamper]

Dogs aren't stupid. They know the difference between animals and humans.

Lots of people quite happily keep dogs originally bred to attack other animals.

Yorkshire Terriers were originally bred to catch rats and other vermin and rip them to shreds...

[purplecoathanger]

Try that one on someone who has a child that's been attacked by a family pet.

[DumbledoresArmy]

Staffies were actually bred as working dogs, for ratting & badgering mainly on agricultural land.

[DumbledoresArmy]

As were jack Russell's & other terrier breeds.

[Blackbird82]

There will be good and bad in every breed. However, genetics obviously plays a huge part in a dogs natural disposition.

I work with dogs and I see a lot of Staffies. Generally speaking they are extremely intolerant of other dogs, it's just a trait of the breed.

When it comes to their relationship with humans, I think that as long as they get adequate exercise (they are very high energy) and they have an owner who is clear and consistent with their training then they can be kept on an even keel.

Having said that, I know of many instances in which the dog has come from a good home, responsible owners, clear boundaries and still the dog has displayed aggression.

[MidniteScribbler]

It's hardly an attractive feature and could a baby be mistaken for an animal?

No, they can't. Dog aggression and human aggression are two completely separate issues. It is extremely rare for a dog to be both dog and human aggressive. A dog that grumbles when another dog walks past is not going to suddenly attack a baby in a crib. And for many breeds, they will be more worried about protecting that baby in the crib than attacking it.

A dog that is both human and dog aggressive is extremely rare.
Human aggression is fairly rare and usually comes from poor socialisation, mistreatment, fear aggression or stress related disorders. Dog aggression is a totally different matter and relates to a different set of socialisation and behaviours. A dog can show inappropriate behaviours towards another dog and still be a wonderful family pet as they are able to understand the difference between humans and dogs. Some dogs are more 'reactive' than others, in that they don't like other dogs in their face.

I have a boy here who he will get upset if another male stands over him, so then he will react and tell them to back away (he will growl and posture, but not bite). But he also sleeps on my son's bed every night, and I trust him completely around my son and other children. He comes to school with me a couple of times per week and spends the day in my classroom (and takes himself off to visit the surrounding classrooms because he knows he gets lots of treats). He may not like other males that stand over him, but he is completely reliable with children.

Dog aggression and human aggression are two completely different issues.

[GahBuggerit]

From what I have read there is more to this story than a dog just going crazy

Ive also read that its not confirmed its a Staffie, so it will likely be that well known breed "Staffie Type" although I can't seem to find a breed of that name anywhere

[andshewillbeloved]

We had a Staffie when I was a child. He was the softest most loving dog. I used cuddle up to him in the chair on bonfire night when he was shaking due to the fireworks. He was my best friend and I remember feeling like there was something wrong with me because I cried so much when he died and barely shed a tear when my grandfather died.

It always shocks me that they have such a bad reputation.

[WaitrosePigeon]

Not surprised.