Do we know what we own? Discussions

Oh i know fully well what she can be like..but usually she isn't one for an unprovoked act of childishness!
We digress however.

Yup. I've mentioned it before in this thread.

They were bred to run and keep running so there is a big lack of recal and any owner taking one on believing that there's can be different is frowned upon because at the end of the day, instinct is instinct and you can't take risks.

So yes, not aggression of anysort, from Sibes, though Mals can be dog dominant... but still a breed that can't be let off lead because of it's characteristics.

Characteristics that stem from it's origins and will always be there, unless you start to change the breed to fit in with what we want from it now a days.

Not saying anything about her, she can't be here to defend herself of what shes been accussed of so thats a pretty unfair thing to say and drag us into. I have no idea why that topic has been posted as I said I must be missing something here as from what I can see it bares no relevance to the thread.

yeah I tried the link and couldn't really tell what it was about anyway?...and the link from there didn't work either so I have no idea.

I am aware of that Mys, all I was meaning is that it shouldn't be encouraged. This is one of the very reasons I could never own a Mal or Husky, when I have always, even as a child, loved these breeds.

Obviously it isn't wise to breed such traits from Mals or Huskies as this is a job they still participate in. But why make the decision to HAVE to keep a staffie on lead, just because of it's aggressive traits?

In the true sense of their job...they are rarely needed to do this anymore...and certainly not in this country...although granted some people 'work' them for fun...

Really most breeds don't do the jobs they were intended for in this day and age so should we start adapting certain traits of all breeds so that they are easier for us, the pet owner to own? Or should we choose breeds that are suitable for our own circumstances and take on board all possible traits of the dog?

Ok hayley I apologise, it was just an unresolved thread as far as I knew.

Glad to hear this Hayley. However I'm a little surprised. I used to be able to walk my dog aggressive staffie past any dog knowing I had full control of him. I rarely had to turn in the other direction for fear of confrontation.

Same here-after a lot of work i actually got my dog agressive JRT to be quite settled around other dogs-wouldn't say she was ever 100% but she was close!
Surely it would be better for Staffords if the case of having to be taken out of confrontations way etc was elimintated? So they could live a run of the mill "everyday" life?

No because these traits don't pose a threat to the dogs, or other dog's safety.

Taking SBTs out of the equation for this as it's not fair to single them out because not all lines/dogs are effected or have high levels of dog aggression. Instead I'll refer to dogs that were bred for fighting and why can't they lead a normal life.... because it is incompatible with day to day life now. Not 100 years ago or 200 years ago, now. Dog aggression / dog fighting was acceptable to some people back then, society has moved on and evolved since. Now dog fighting is banned, now people see dogs more like their family members, now people don't want to have a dog that really really want's to go and fight other dogs - I mean who in their right mind would choose to put their neighbours, or friends or anyone elses dogs at risk?

I know what I would choose.

If you let a sibe off lead it most certainly does pose a risk to safety. Go to any good breeder and ask will it be safe to let my sibe off lead and they will tell you how they will keep running and sometimes are only stopped by being involved in a road traffic accident or getting shot by a farmer.

Yes, but surely thats because they risk harming themselves rather than harming another dog/child/person?

So why don't they stop racing and start fighting mid-track? A muzzle won't stop them going through the motions.

When was the last time you heard someone say their dog was mauled by a greyhound?

Again, what you say doesn't wash. You can't justify dog aggression. Dog fighting is barbaric and cruel and anyone wanting to breed such traits into a dog doesn't deserve the right to own one.

Couldn't have said it better myself

I do see exactly what you are saying

But the fact is they were bred as a fighting dog without rewriting history that is never going to change so as a result you are going to have some dogs with higher tendencies of aggression to other dogs, if a person admits to themself that they can't work with that in that they are experianced enough to control the behaviour and that anything other than a 100% dog friendly dog will do, maybe look to another breed?

I dunno but you do have to be careful of little dogs around them don't you, incase they mistake them for a rabbit or something?...I keep my dogs onlead around little dogs incase they do the same as they have a high prey drive.

You dont have to rewrite history to change things around, again like I stated within this thread, look at the history of the Bulldog the some Traits of what the Bulldog once was simply no longer exist they are gone, gone for good, their history has never been re written, why should it be? But it does not stop them being a dog (again not getting into a debate about the Bulldog as that would be unfair) history shouldnt have to be rewritten because it dont stop a dog being a biddable dog friendly dog.

well yeah but if you are a responsible owner you have to accept you can't let them off lead...Does it make a difference as to what the reason?...You are still having to control a certain behaviour whether it is that the dog may attack another dog or get killed on the road.

Ok you win, let staffy's be aggressive.