hello,
I have a staffie cross, a rescue from battersea. I got him when he was roughly 2 and he is now 12 (according to their dating).
He often stays with my Mum and her dog (also a rescue, a greyhound).
My dog is a total sweetheart, often around young children, always around other dogs. His only black spot is very large dogs. When I see another large dog approaching in the park, I always put him on the lead and bypass... He has, in the past, had spats with big dogs, but they've always been easy to break up (no blood spilled etc. etc.). I kknow where risks are around, and always deal with it accordingly.
I stayed with Mum over Christmas. She regularly walks with a fellow staffie owner. His dog is a middle-aged, very portly brindle, who is gorgeous.
She took both dogs out this morning, met said Staffie owner with his dog, all dogs walked fine, no trouble at all. She told me she was thrilled about this as the first time mine met this Staffie, he went for him for no apparent reason 
. Nothing major, just snarling and snapping.
Tonight, at mum's house. The door goes. I think it's DP, and say to dog "oh dog, it's dad, let's go and say hi".
Dog dashes ahead of me, and I hear an almightly ruckus. Seems he dashed out the front door and went for other staffie, who was at door with his owner (in his new tartan coat (dog, not owner), which makes this all even sadder, for some strange reason!).
Now, mum got him away and indoors without too much trouble, but he went for staffie's neck (but no blood).
This is SO out of character for my dog. When you open mum's door, the outdoors is very dark, and all my dog will have seen is a man in a hooded top with a staff, when he was expecting to see DP!
God, so sorry this is such a long post. Have been so upset tonight. We're back home now. Dog has forgone a Christmas chew, to be delivered via Mum to other staff as an apology. What I'm really worried about is whether other staffie owner could lodge a formal complaint as this has happened twice?
Again, no blood drawn, but mine has gone for him more than once . Please reassure me that this is what dogs can do between each other, and no one is going to knock on my door and take my dog...
I can't stress how normally chilled and fine my staffie is usually with dogs (and cats, kids etc. etc.). He does not have a blood lust (never drawn blood, actually, hardly ever fought at all). To offer an additional detail, he spent most of xmas time being phsically sat on by mum's greyhound. He looks long-suffering and takes it! He just seems to have an aversion to this poor staff (who, by the way, is just lovely )
Please reassure me lovely doggie MNers
x