to go batsh*t about tenant showing up with a killer dog?

[snoozulooz]

Ok, maybe "killer" is an exaggeration- it a Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy, but they are still dangerous or potentially so from what I understand.

My DP rents two rooms of his house out, one to a family member, one to a friend, and spends little time there apart from working in his office there some days. Mostly he is out and about, or in my home with me.

I am starting to feel that the friend is beginning to take liberties and take over the house- he has his girlfriend round constantly (not a problem), and often lots of mates. DP has already had to speak to him about this, as he doesn't want to show up on Sunday to his own house to find strangers monging on the sofa with spliff detritus all over the coffee table, especially as he sometimes has his teenage son with him, who gets on great with this guy and looks up to him, as he's a bit tough, a gymbod weightlifter etc etc...

Anyway- DP told me yesterday that the other tenant mentioned that they were getting "a new member of the family" that evening, and spills the beans that this guy is bringing home a dog

I was ranting and pissed off when DP told me, as I think this shows a complete lack of respect to not even ASK if it's ok to keep a pet there, never mind a bloody dog. It turns out that the dog isn't a cuddly little bundle of fun either, but the runt of a Staffie litter which a mate has offloaded on him, covered in bites and scratches from fighting.

DP is a bit put out, but I am FUMING. I have said that I refuse to cross the threshold of his house while the dog is there, and that I am really pissed off as I will never be able to just call round again with our little dog, or my youngest child, as I just don't trust these kinds of dog. I am angry too about the lack of respect shown to DP by presenting this as a fait accompli.

So, AIBU to insist that my laid-back but bemused DP puts his foot down and tells the guy to get rid of it?

Heehee wannabe- you and me go back a while as trollspotters: I am a namechanger this weekend for a good reason, honest guvnor

YANBU but then I am not a dog lover.

Shame the Scottish Parliament didn't take over number 10 last night Jooly. They'd have got my vote.

YABridiculous to call it a killer dog.

YANBU to expect a tenant to ask if they can have a dog (and abide by the rules you set down).

I'm always a bit baffled when people link to that KC description of staffies, as though it's proof that they are just the loveliest dogs ever. It's ten years out of date. It does not take into account years and years of clueless inbreeding by people who think having a dog that looks tough is cool, and want it to have a temperament to match.

I've no doubt that a staffie lovingly bred by a member of the KC will, indeed, tend by both nature and nurture to be a loving, gentle and biddable family pet - I've met a couple - but the average dog on the street, bought from someone who 'happens to have a litter' is a fucking walking disaster. Border collies, for example, tend to be bright. Staffies, otoh, tend to be thick. Thick, bred without forethought, and badly trained can be a lethal combination. I do wish people would stop defending staffies, as though they're all the same. I live in Lewisham and work in Southwark, and believe me, I know exactly where the op is coming from. There is one park near where I live I don't even go into anymore, because there is too much of a risk of coming across staffie/staffie-type dogs fighting, and it's a terrifying sight.

well op, the issue here is the dog really and not the breed of dog. If your dp doesn't want dogs in his house then that should apply regardless of whether it's a staffy or a poodle.

Fair point AwesomeWellies but I have dealt with scores and scores of the breed without a problem. Met some dog-aggressive ones, a trait which they are more likelythan some other breeds to have, but never a human-unfriendly one.

In all the years I've owned, fostered, rescued and worked with dogs in rescue, the only time I got bitten was by a mongeral. She was injured and in pain, barely knew me and snapped in understandable fear and self-defence/

Valhalla, may I ask you a question?

I have no opinion on SBT as a breed (well, except around here you may as well have a gold sovereign on a lead) but, does the fact this dog is covered in injuries from dog fights, not mean it is more likely to be agressive?

I am wondering if a pup this young will be able to be a family pet, if it's earliest experience could well be training to fight.

Genuine question, as I said earlier I have a big dog, I'm not playing devil's advocate.

I'm from Tottenham and see staffies and pits all the time. There can be issues with fights, but any breed can fight. My male staffie who was muzzled had a lab come over to start trouble. I know my boy can be dog aggressive, hence the muzzle. Why was the lab off the lead growling at other dogs?

The pup has not been in a dog fight as such. All puppies play with their littermates roughly, growling and snapping etc. It's just play at that stage

I can understand your points AwesomeWellies but your emphasis on the breed and not on the reprobates that own them is unfair.

I too am a vet and would wholeheartedly agree that Staffies are not a breed I associate with aggression towards humans at all. Among the dogs I deal with daily the ones I have most issues with would tend to be collies. I did spend an interesting twenty minutes trying to coax a kennel-guarding Jack Russell out of a face-height cage the other day though

The point here is that the dog is effectively a broach of a tenancy agreement. If it was a Bichon Frise it wouldn't matter. Breed is irrelevant and you are only serving to show your lack of knowledge on this issue by suggesting it is.

Even some pits I've met have been lovely TBH {shit stirring}

I agree that the breed is a partial red herring, and I did acknowledged I might be exaggerating with the killer moniker. I was bloody pissed off before I found it was a staffie. But the macho twattery of it makes it even worse in my eyes.

Ditto jungalist. Pups learn by play-fighting. To the best of my knowledge a pup of 8 weeks old wouldn't be involved in fighting even if that was the breeder's/current owner's intention, which to be fair to the dickhead man, there is no evidence to suggest anyway. The pup would be too young and wouldn't survive being encouraged to fight with a fighter.

snoozulooz, turning your "macho twattery" on it's head, what does that say about the mums on here who own SBTs? Or my best pal who is currently seeking to rescue a toy or standard Poodle?

He's a well-built, 6 foot tall rugby player!

Valhalla, I have a client who's a classic blokey bloke - wide as he's tall, scars, tattoos, the lot. He comes in with a Chihuahua in a pink fluffy carry bag, and she has a pink and diamante collar and lead set. I've seen him walking her in it!

He's one of my fave clients ever and his dog is incredibly well cared for

Would a pup really be covered in scratches and bites just from playfighting though?

My PIL are established breeders and I have never seen a puppy with proper injuries from scrapping with it's litter mates.

Disclaimer - they breed setters which are notoriously thick laid back.

I think the macho twattery comes from the intention and motivation for owning this kind of dog. I doubt most mothers have these dogs for the same reasons as young blokes who want to look tough.

OhExpletive! My kinda man!

Bitter, as I said, yes it can happen... just think of the times we've seen humans with bruises and scratches gained from playing with/trying to remove from their pc keyboard/bed their perfectly friendly kittens and puppies when those pets have been using their new-found skills and experimenting with claws and teeth.

Now I'd love to be envious aboutknow what big breed you own and what thick lovely dogs your PIL breed. Care to share?

(Owner of a soppy, scared-of-our-pet-ferret, dopey GSD and a sometimes human-wary Lab cross here!).

Valhalla, happy to share.

We have a weimaraner, which are known to be grumpy and stubborn.

She is stubborn, but I couldn't get to dd quick enough the other day as she tried to gouge out the dog's eyeball

She actually had her finger under the poor dog's eyelid and the dog didn't (sorry for pun) bat an eyelid.

PIL's breed english, Irish and Gordon setters.

It's the Irish I was talking about regarding thickness though.

Gordons are a bit unpredictable IME, but as I said there are no bad breeds.

YANBU about turning up with the dog, but YABU to label a staff a killer dog solely based on its breed. Any dog can be dangerous in the wrong hands, however I concede that unfortunately because of their looks and image, staffs are more likely to end up in the wrong hands.
I had a staff from being 3 years old to being 17, he was utterly wonderful, a kids best friend, never growled or barked, even when I trailed round as a toddler hanging onto his ears. He was however incredibly aggressive with any other dog, regardless of size or gender.
To be honest, I have been bitten by 4 different dogs, a yorkie, 2 jack russels, a boxer and a white fluffy thing, whose breed I have forgotten, I have never even been growled at by a staff and round here they are a very popular breed.

yabu
don't know what is more offensive using the term "monging" or labeling a whole bred of dogs killers.

Bitter, lucky you and lucky PILs! Weims are lovely and very bright and yes, well, erm... Irish setters... family have owned them and well... erm... not the brightest dogs I've met, but adorable!

Back on topic, sorry OP, do you think that your DP will stand up to his lodger and stop being taken for ride by this jerk?

Yes, sorry, back to OP

2shoes- I have apologised twice for that now on the grounds that I had never made the connection before. I won't use that word again.

Jury is out on how dangerous the dogs are- I think the fact that so many are owned by idiots trying to look hard does not bode well when they are overbred and fought with other dogs by said idiots.