Worried about the wrong dog! Training

I inherited my 3yr Staffy and he wasn't socialized well enough when he was a puppy. So I don't really trust him around other dogs and we are careful that he doesn't get out of our yard unless we're with him.
So the other day, hubby had Bundy with him while he was talking to the neighbours across the street, unleashed. He is quite obedient and will come when called. I walk over to join the conversation but I didn't realize that Lulu (4kg maltese cross) was also out. So Bundy comes up to me at the same time that Lulu does. I'm watching closely (cos I want to give him a chance to be polite) but no, 10secs max, it's on. I just reached down grabbed him by the back of the neck and forced him to sit while yelling NO! He did it no problem and Lulu raced off. I take him home (giving him a lecture about manners) and put him out the back. Then go back and apologize to my neighbours and make sure Lulu is ok. I was worried he might have got a lucky bite in (or unlucky, depending on your point of view! )
But would you believe it was Lulu who got the lucky bite? only a little one, of course. Actually it was more like a scratch on his throat which he then had to make worse by scratching at it, himself.
I'm sort of hoping it might make him treat poor, little Lulu with a bit more respect but I'm not holding my breath!!
I've spoken to a few breeders and dog people and they all say it's unlikely that he'll become dog friendly now. The best I can do for him, is to take him to further obedience classes in the hope that I'll be able to get him to the point that he will obey me even in the middle of a "disagreement" with another dog. To me, that sounds highly unlikely.
What do you all think?
Can you train a Staffy to that extent?

oh bless him he probably didnt even realise what was going on it all happened so quick.

He DID listen to you when you told him no by the sounds of it. I dont really think there is any blame for him - its just one of those things - 2 dogs offleash running up to one person for attention.

My staff has been attacked several times by other dogs, and with lots of gentle socialisation with happy, friendly dogs he is absolutely fine with others now. Remember that staffies can be quite quick to jump on the defence with other dogs and they can see dog body language that we can't. They're often not the fight starters but they are quick to defend themselves and there might have been things going on with that other dog you didnt see just before they squabbled.

I would try taking him for walks with some other friendly dogs to gently build up his confidence and manners around other dogs. See if that helps. Alot of local dog trainers run social walks to specifically help with these sorts of issues.

I think also that if a dog is in the middle of a fight with another dog they would be pretty unlikely to respond to a verbal command as survival instincts just take over and they will either fight or run off! But thats just my opinion.

well, hubby said that Lulu did start it but I really couldn't say and he was good when I pulled him into line. He obeyed me quite well. you should have seen him walking back across the road....head down, shoulders down, tail down. I had to fight not to laugh but I didn't think that would help matters. I will ask about social walks... they sound like a good idea.

that's my opinion, too.
do you find that they are exactly like toddlers? if they can't see you, you can't see them and therefore they'll try to get away with things that they know they shouldn't be doing?

oh bless him, sounds like a typical staffie. It really doesnt sound like he is outrightly dog aggressive, I think some gentle socialisation so he knows how to greet and behave around other dogs will really help him. The best match for a staffy is another staffy play wise because they do like to play rough which isnt appreciated by alot of dogs. My boy is generally fine with all dogs as long as they are friendly. Aggressive or in your face type of dogs he's not too keen on. His favourite dog in the whole world is a staffy girl which he adores. We took him for walks with 2 older labs - in a neutral place. walking is great because it keeps their minds active and they dont have time to concentrate on what each other is doing. I also give mine a ball which he loves because chewing releases happy hormones and keeps him occupied on walks with other dogs around.

He is a staffy, so he is probably always going to prefer people to other dogs and animals, but as long as you are aware (which you are) that he might not always like other dogs and take the necessary precautions then squabbles shouldnt happen.

And yes,...having a staffy is like having a toddler definitely!

I wouldn't have any bullbreed off leash around strange dogs and especially out in the street it's irresponsible..

Agree,
You also have to remember that staffies when mature do not always tolerate other dogs.

I have a bitch here that detests other dogs,I also have an entire dog,that is great with other dogs.
Both have been brought up exactly the same.

Hi Sueann,
please don't be detered, he really just needs some guidence on how to interact socially. Knowbody has shown him yet so with no education to fall back on he doesn't know how to interact with other dogs. It's no his fault nobody has put the time in yet. (it should have been done before 6 months).
The good news is of course he can become a great dog with good manners.
We've turned many worse cases round at our rescue, no dog wants to be aggressive.
Being a Staffie doesn't mean much either, people like to play up them as aggressive, but the are dogs first and can be as good as any dog, even after a bad start to life.

I think to have a DA dog off leash in the middle of the street is irresponsible and selfish.

Yep me too I'm afraid. Parker nearly got attacked again by a Staffie last week because the owner had it off-lead in a city centre shop (RSPCA charity shop). I was just glad I reacted quickly and picked him up when the dog charged at him.

You are not doing your breed any favours if you know he is not dog-friendly yet still don't leash him.

the most awful thing happened the other day...he lost his fav Kong ball!! He loves that thing and neither he nor hubby/I can find it. It's in the garden but who knows where? Unfortunately, they are a bit hard to find around here so I've ordered it online. Should be here any day now. You should have seen the poor darling, just about running around in circles trying to catch a whiff of it. Hubby reckons it's my fault for having such a big garden!! how did it suddenly become MY fault????

in normal circumstances, I would agree totally but we live in a cul-de-sac and he and my husband were, maybe, 10m from our front gate. Probably if I hadn't walked over so that both the dogs came up to me at once, it wouldn't have happened.
Also, if we do go anywhere with him, he is never off-lead even if we're just going to visit family.

He's a wonderful dog and, in general, very obedient. I think part of the problem lays in his experiences as a puppy. He was bought by a young man who didn't have any experience with raising any kind of dog, let alone a Staffy. So his play would have been rough and tumble and I suspect his socialising wouldn't have been very thorough. As I said, the young man had no experience with any dog except an elderly terrier, some labs and golden retrievers and a couple of whippets...not exactly a good background for someone who gets a Staffy.
Personally, I think anyone who wants a puppy with Staffy-like personalities should have to pass some sort of test to see if they can handle them.
Think of the problems that would solve!!!