Are staffs bull terrier classed as dangerous breed?

[Dry Rot]

and two dogs together "egg" each other on, as well.

Two dogs constitute a pack when pack instincts are just waiting to click in. A dog and the trainer/handler SHOULD also constitute a pack.

 

[Cowgirl]

My opinion is colored by the fact that a Staffie put me in hospital for 3 weeks in 2009.. I had never been bitten before and I’ve been a vet since 1974.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

My opinion is colored by the fact that a Staffie put me in hospital for 3 weeks in 2009.. I had never been bitten before and I’ve been a vet since 1974.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

Rod Liddle has some interesting figures in his article, I don't know where he got them from but they make sobering reading

 

[MRT]

My opinion is colored by the fact that a Staffie put me in hospital for 3 weeks in 2009.. I had never been bitten before and I’ve been a vet since 1974.

JRT, collie and (wildcard) CKC spaniel.. However, I found myself on the wrong end of three pit bulls and a drug dealer type threatening stabbing in a bad part of Edinburgh once and it was terrifying waiting for them to grab my calves as I would surely have gone down. My Lakeland fought from between my legs as we retreated and the whippet ran away!

 

[Dry Rot]

Did I post the story of the woman in the USA who got attacked by a couple of pit bulls? She has had to have both arms amputated and half her face is missing.

 

[CopperBeech]

I find some of the attitudes toward these dogs on here quite interesting.

You can’t deny that dogs were / are bred for jobs and as such have certain attributes bred into them.

Terriers were bred to fit down holes and be tenancious, greyhounds and whippets to be fast, collies to work stock etc and bull dogs bred either for protection, fighting or baiting.

So a bull dog was bred to be able to inflict a lot of damage in a short space of time, to be game, ultimately dead game. To stay u til victory or death. This obviously entails a certain amount of in bred aggression. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t see this that differently to the controlled aggression I expect in a collie. I want a collie to grip, to bite and nip and to catch and hold sheep..... but only when I allow it or when the situation dictates. I won’t tolerate that behaviour the rest of the time.

People keep pointing out all of the occasions that a bull breed has attacked a person, but can you point to many of these cases where the owners were responsible, experienced and sensible dog owners ? They are pretty much all morons and the dogs were pretty much all either badly brought up or an unknown quantity.

With regard to the photo above of the terrier and the lamb. I’d happily leave the terriers in the garden with lambs and sheep, or run them through a field of them, or leave them in the back of the truck. When I say them, I mean a pack of four terriers, often accompanied by two Lurchers. Don’t get me wrong they are leathal with some species of animal, but not with others. Obviously you can never 100% trust any animal, but with a level of training, control and pack cohesion you can maintain a pretty good level of discipline and control.

 

[MRT]

People keep pointing out all of the occasions that a bull breed has attacked a person, but can you point to many of these cases where the owners were responsible, experienced and sensible dog owners ? They are pretty much all morons and the dogs were pretty much all either badly brought up or an unknown quantity.

I suppose the same morons also own every other type of dog, so then we are back to breed as the denominator?

 

[CopperBeech]

I suppose the same morons also own every other type of dog, so then we are back to breed as the denominator?

I think the moral of the story is that morons shouldn’t own dogs, least of all bull dogs.

But I contend the point that bull breeds should be considered all dangerous, to the point of banning and seizing and destroying dogs which are owned by people who know how to train and handle them.

I have seen plenty of Mali / shepherds etc which would kill you, your dog, your sheep. Some which don’t because again they are trained not to, and other just through luck and hiding it away.

My neighbour had a bit white shepherd which is dog and people aggressive and everytime it’s in the garden it spends the whole time jumping and lunging to get over the fence at anyone and eveything. The owners don’t take it out anymore because it’s a liability. It is however a much loved pet.

 

[MRT]

I think the moral of the story is that morons shouldn’t own dogs, least of all bull dogs.

But I contend the point that bull breeds should be considered all dangerous, to the point of banning and seizing and destroying dogs which are owned by people who know how to train and handle them.

I have seen plenty of Mali / shepherds etc which would kill you, your dog, your sheep. Some which don’t because again they are trained not to, and other just through luck and hiding it away.

My neighbour had a bit white shepherd which is dog and people aggressive and everytime it’s in the garden it spends the whole time jumping and lunging to get over the fence at anyone and eveything. The owners don’t take it out anymore because it’s a liability. It is however a much loved pet.

I don't think banning etc has been effective because of constraint of proving breed type etc. We are not allowed to say that people with an IQ lower than a carrot may not own one or discriminate in any other way. Therefore; I think the best way to go is to bring an acceptance and awareness that bull types appear in the dead child statistics more than others to the velour tracksuit wearing community and that to have one cohabiting with children is a greater risk than a whippet, shitzu etc and this reality may save a future tragedy

 

[CopperBeech]

I don't think banning etc has been effective because of constraint of proving breed type etc. We are not allowed to say that people with an IQ lower than a carrot may not own one or discriminate in any other way. Therefore; I think the best way to go is to bring an acceptance and awareness that bull types appear in the dead child statistics more than others to the velour tracksuit wearing community and that to have one cohabiting with children is a greater risk than a whippet, shitzu etc and this reality may save a future tragedy

Nail on the head!

 

[NZDan]

Nothing to do with any current news story, but am I the only one who ever wonders how many dog attacks really are because of a particular breed or is it because of how they have been handled previously? None of my dogs have ever bitten me but I'm well aware that should I accidentally step on a tail or try to remove a nice big juicy bone, I only have myself to blame should it react. Just as you're 'aware' if near a fresh calved cow, even if she's your 'pet', reared from birth, that her calf is now all that matters.

I always laugh when people say it's not the breed it's the owner, I say rubbish to that, myself and herself have owned Kelpies and Blue heelers all of out lives, one of those breeds readily bites and is never to be trusted, the other breed very rarely bites. Simple fact is that some breeds are worse for biting than others and some are big/strong enough to do some serious damage.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

I always laugh when people say it's not the breed it's the owner, I say rubbish to that, myself and herself have owned Kelpies and Blue heelers all of out lives, one of those breeds readily bites and is never to be trusted, the other breed very rarely bites. Simple fact is that some breeds are worse for biting than others and some are big/strong enough to do some serious damage.

I was told if you own a blue heeler, you will never ever need to lock the car door whenever you park it, if you leave the dog in the car.

 

[NZDan]

I was told if you own a blue heeler, you will never ever need to lock the car door whenever you park it, if you leave the dog in the car.

Aye they're very much a bite first ask questions later kind of dog. When i had my first heeler I got attacked by a Rottweiler while I was on my bike, my quite small Heeler bitch arrived at speed and latched on to the Rotties cheek, she got the full body flick going and only stopped when the Rotties cheek was all but torn right off, it was a gruesome sight but saved me some damage. She died young after developing a habit of hanging on to the mud flaps of Lorries.

 

[Dry Rot]

The Blue Heeler is a cattle dog, right? I looked into this as a cross to create a fox killing lurcher years ago. We came to the conclusion that they might have descended from the old Scottish beardie collie. I discussed this with sheep dog trainer Pat McGettigan who told me there were still some about, some used as sheepdogs, others primarily as cattle dogs. He took me to see some of these and the impressive thing about them were their formidable teeth! They seemed to be an intuitive type of dog, if you understand me, not very trainable but just "did the job" of moving cattle, probably harking back to the old cattle droving days when cattle were moved long distances on foot. No pedigrees and just bred on merit.

 

[NZDan]

The Blue Heeler is a cattle dog, right? I looked into this as a cross to create a fox killing lurcher years ago. We came to the conclusion that they might have descended from the old Scottish beardie collie. I discussed this with sheep dog trainer Pat McGettigan who told me there were still some about, some used as sheepdogs, others primarily as cattle dogs. He took me to see some of these and the impressive thing about them were their formidable teeth! They seemed to be an intuitive type of dog, if you understand me, not very trainable but just "did the job" of moving cattle, probably harking back to the old cattle droving days when cattle were moved long distances on foot. No pedigrees and just bred on merit.

They were developed in Oz from a mix of breeds, but predominantly kelpie and Dingo as well as Collies and Smithfeilds. They went through various types/crosses/names before the final type was stabilized. Yes you're right they don't train well, they constantly push boundaries, and are fiercely loyal .

 

[Dry Rot]

They were developed in Oz from a mix of breeds, but predominantly kelpie and Dingo as well as Collies and Smithfeilds. They went through various types/crosses/names before the final type was stabilized. Yes you're right they don't train well, they constantly push boundaries, and are fiercely loyal .

Sadly, the 'intuitive' type of working dog seems to be getting rarer. My old GSD was this type. She decided what needed to be done and got on with it, which didn't always end well!

 

[SteveHants]

Since the thread has taken a turn in this direction - here's another bull x (1/4 though)....

 

[BenF]

Kept staffies all my life - never had an issue with any sort of 'breed temperament'. Great loveable family dogs.
Any dog can attack another dog in any situation for a vast array of reasons - and this should always be reported!
So, no, staffies are not a dangerous breed - but dogs can be dangerous animals even with perfect training. It has always happened and will continue to happen as long as we surround ourselves with dogs!

 

[Ffermer Bach]

Kept staffies all my life - never had an issue with any sort of 'breed temperament'. Great loveable family dogs.
Any dog can attack another dog in any situation for a vast array of reasons - and this should always be reported!
So, no, staffies are not a dangerous breed - but dogs can be dangerous animals even with perfect training. It has always happened and will continue to happen as long as we surround ourselves with dogs!

did you see what Rod Liddle said in his article? 6% of the dogs in the USA are Pitbulls, yet they are responsible for 68% of the attacks on people!