Dangerous Breeds?

[Colin]

I keep my girls close when there are bull types about - I worry about their bite...don't their jaws lock into the things they bite?

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I think the jaw-locking thing is an urban myth. They do have stronger jaws than many other breeds though so if they are really determined to keep hold of something it's harder for a human to prise them off. Shoving a finger or stick up the backside is supposed to make dogs let go - not sure if this is an urban myth too though.

[speedyjaney]

I keep my girls close when there are bull types about - I worry about their bite...don't their jaws lock into the things they bite?

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I think the jaw-locking thing is an urban myth. They do have stronger jaws than many other breeds though so if they are really determined to keep hold of something it's harder for a human to prise them off. Shoving a finger or stick up the backside is supposed to make dogs let go - not sure if this is an urban myth too though.

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Their jaws dont lock but they have an incredible bite. My best friends Nan had a male staffie who was the best dog in the world but if he bit a toy or something there is no way we could get him to drop it....unless we traded the toy for sausage!!

One way to get them to let go (but it isnt very nice  :: ) is to get a stick through the collar and twist so the collar stops them breathing thru their nose so they have to let go or they would pass out!! Thats why all dog fighter type owners carry big sticks!!!   (well around us anyway!)

Janey

[Jan/Billy]

Thats why all dog fighter type owners carry big sticks!!!  (well around us anyway!)
Janey

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Why do they carry sticks if the dogs are not likely to attack??? Sorry but all these methods just make me believe even more that these dogs have a habit of attacking. If I carried a stick it would be to protect my dog from other dogs, not to protect other dogs from my dog.

[Magic Star]

I have met many very kind natured staffies, who have been excellent family dogs   I have also had a very bad personal experience with a staffie X that I got from a rescue centre, some years ago!  She seemed the most sweet natured dog in the kennels, however when we got her home, it was a different story, she was very aggresive toward us humans   One night when I was alone she cornered me on the stairs, she wouldn't let me move, was acting very aggresively toward me, I was trapped on them stairs for hours, scared witless      You would think that a bad experience like this would make me think that ALL staffie "types" are like this, but I don't think like that, yes if I am honest I am more warey of them, but I wouldn't judge the whole breed by this one experience that happened to me.  

Like with all things in life, you will always come across the bad apples unfortunately, human nature sometimes only remembers the bad ones and forgets that on the whole the breed is like any other!  We have all heard stories about cockers being aggresive and i'm sure we have all been upset when strangers have commented about our beautiful breed having rage, its upsetting when people judge a whole breed, by a handfull of bad experiences.

JMO

[Jan/Billy]

You will be pleased to know Jan that I have never been able to find any evidence that dog-on-dog agression relates to a higher risk of dog-on-human aggression (neither has the gutter-press) - so there is no reason to suppose that Billy's unpredictability towards you will be affected by an encounter with an agressive dog.

Current staffie lines have been selected since 1835 for show traits - just like the show cocker has been. You may be lucky and have a show cocker that flushes game, Molo certainly doesn't - I doubt there are any more staffies that have a genetic urge to fight than there are cockers that flush naturally 

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Rachel I hope you are right. He seems fine to be honest, and like i said this attack wasn't a bit like the other, thank God!!

I hear what you say but flushing birds isn't dangerous, fighting is and they were only bred for show when fighting became illegal. Some are still used for fighting illegaly     .

Yes Billy loves nothing better than to chase birds,  NOTHING will stop him not even a big piece of chicken    Trouble is i think its the same birds that he chases each morning, i am sure they tease him, they let him get closer each time before they fly away. He has been close very close on numerous occassions   .

[Jan/Billy]

Like with all things in life, you will always come across the bad apples unfortunately, human nature sometimes only remembers the bad ones and forgets that on the whole the breed is like any other!  We have all heard stories about cockers being aggresive and i'm sure we have all been upset when strangers have commented about our beautiful breed having rage, its upsetting when people judge a whole breed, by a handfull of bad experiences.
JMO

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My behaviourist said that if she looked back at her aggressive dogs in the home cases  90% of them were cockers. Based on that I would agree that a cocker is more likely to be aggressive in the home and won't take offence if any non cocker owner pointed this out to me.  I hear what everyone says about not taring all bull breeds but I still stand by what I say, that it is more likely that a bull breed will want to fight.

Just my opinion   .

[Magic Star]

My behaviourist said that if she looked back at her aggressive dogs in the home cases  90% of them were cockers. Based on that I would agree that a cocker is more likely to be aggressive in the home and won't take offence if any non cocker owner pointed this out to me.  I hear what everyone says about not taring all bull breeds but I still stand by what I say, that it is more likely that a bull breed will want to fight.

Just my opinion  .

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I would personally disagree with that, I think any breed is capable and has the potential of being aggresive at any time to anything be it human or another dog.    I would be a bit worried if a behaviourist said that to me, as statistically cockers are one of the more popular dogs, therefore your behaviourist will probably come across cockers more than any other breed, as they are more popular hence her conclusion, if that makes sence  

[Jan/Billy]

My behaviourist said that if she looked back at her aggressive dogs in the home cases  90% of them were cockers. Based on that I would agree that a cocker is more likely to be aggressive in the home and won't take offence if any non cocker owner pointed this out to me.  I hear what everyone says about not taring all bull breeds but I still stand by what I say, that it is more likely that a bull breed will want to fight.

Just my opinion  .

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 as statistically cockers are one of the more popular dogs, therefore your behaviourist will probably come across cockers more than any other breed, as they are more popular hence her conclusion, if that makes sence  

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This would only be true if the cocker were the most popular breed but they are not. I think (from memory) they rank 5th.

I wasn't worried in the least, I can't disagree with statistics can I?. Yes of course any breed can become agressive, i agree with that, please don't think I am against cockers I am not, but i am not gonna pretend they are the most easy to look after problem free dog out there.

[Petra]

Just a quickie - I just spoke with my friend (the proud mum of Woody, the staffie I mentioned in my previous post), and she fell about laughing at the generalisation that staffies attack other dogs - take each case on its own, do not generalise as Woody was today in the park attacked by a cavalier king charles!!!!  (and Woody had done nothing to provoke it - he was in the middle of doing a number 2)   No harm done, but apparently Woody squeeled like a baby...

I am not taking sides, all I am pointing out is that there are goodies and baddies in each breed, and likewise there are good and bad owners!!  
Apparently the cavvie owner could not call her dog back.........

[*Jay*]

Disney got in a bit of a pickle with 2 Staffie's a few nights ago in the park. Attacked wouldn't be the correct term to use in our case but he barked at a rabbit in the undergrowth and these two dogs flew across the park and nipped him

Luckily, there was a Staffy that came into work today and he was a complete goofball so he and Disney had a little play together in the office.

[shonajoy]

The only dog I'm wary of is the Akita. They apparently go from ok to mad in seconds, with none of the normal warning signs.

I've met a lot of lovely rotties, and some horrid, pretty much the same as for other breeds.

Staffies are lovely dogs too, though they have an image problem becuase of a few idiots.

[Cob-Web]

Attacked wouldn't be the correct term to use in our case

This is a good point - due to the strength of their jaws, when a bull breed does attack in ernest, the damage it does is phenomenal (hence the media sensationalism)  

Some breeds are more physical than others when they issue warnings - and it can appear ferocious, very scary and leave bruises    Having seen the damage that a bull terrier can do, I personally would never consider an encounter as a serious attack unless blood is drawn  

[shonajoy]

Attacked wouldn't be the correct term to use in our case

This is a good point - due to the strength of their jaws, when a bull breed does attack in ernest, the damage it does is phenomenal (hence the media sensationalism)  

Some breeds are more physical than others when they issue warnings - and it can appear ferocious, very scary and leave bruises    Having seen the damage that a bull terrier can do, I personally would never consider an encounter as a serious attack unless blood is drawn  

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That's the sort of comment that gets the hackles up - *having seen the damage they can do* and * if he really meant it he'd have taken his head off*.

 We had a guy in the waiting room telling other customers of how his rottie had got into a fight and the other dog looked a lot worse afterwards, it's this sort of macho nonsense that perpetuates the myth.

 It's no good thing that certain breeds could do damage to another dog , or  does the fact they were restrained in their attack deserve some merit?

[Jan/Billy]

Attacked wouldn't be the correct term to use in our case

This is a good point - due to the strength of their jaws, when a bull breed does attack in ernest, the damage it does is phenomenal (hence the media sensationalism)  

Some breeds are more physical than others when they issue warnings - and it can appear ferocious, very scary and leave bruises    Having seen the damage that a bull terrier can do, I personally would never consider an encounter as a serious attack unless blood is drawn  

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Its not all about the physical scars that an attack produces its the mental ones too.

 In Billys first attack the other dog had its mouth around Billys neck, whether its jaw was locked or not, it was still a horrific thing to encounter and I can only imagine what billy must have been going through. Ok it only lasted about three to four minutes, but thats a long time for a dog  to be in the mouth of an angry dog just waiting and waiting for this dog to decide if is gonna eat you or not. Just because the dog let go ( as a result of me grabbing its neck) doesn't mean the attack was not serious, it could have broken Billys neck.

Perhaps next time I shall take my video camera out and video it and see what you all think of it then.

Sorry i don't want to get into an argument about this, you have all been an excellent strenght to me recently with Billy and strongly appreciate any advice i am given but i am afraid on this topic I have to disagree.

[shonajoy]

Attacked wouldn't be the correct term to use in our case

This is a good point - due to the strength of their jaws, when a bull breed does attack in ernest, the damage it does is phenomenal (hence the media sensationalism)  

Some breeds are more physical than others when they issue warnings - and it can appear ferocious, very scary and leave bruises    Having seen the damage that a bull terrier can do, I personally would never consider an encounter as a serious attack unless blood is drawn  

[snapback]147696[/snapback]

Its not all about the physical scars that an attack produces its the mental ones too.

 In Billys first attack the other dog had its mouth around Billys neck, whether its jaw was locked or not, it was still a horrific thing to encounter and I can only imagine what billy must have been going through. Ok it only lasted about three to four minutes, but thats a long time for a dog  to be in the mouth of an angry dog just waiting and waiting for this dog to decide if is gonna eat you or not. Just because the dog let go ( as a result of me grabbing its neck) doesn't mean the attack was not serious, it could have broken Billys neck.

Perhaps next time I shall take my video camera out and video it and see what you all think of it then.

Sorry i don't want to get into an argument about this, you have all been an excellent strenght to me recently with Billy and strongly appreciate any advice i am given but i am afraid on this topic I have to disagree.

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Jan, I totally agree. Having seen Indie being attacked, I was so distraught and he was too. I NEVER want to go through that again and agree 100% that even that sort of attack can be devastating and leave psychological scars.