A few days ago, while I was out walking my dog (a 12-year-old Parson Jack Russell) on her lead, she was attacked by a Staffy (Staffordshire Bull Terrier).
Before I even had time to realise what was going on, the Staffy—which was off its lead—attacked us from behind. The violence of it was just horrific. The Staffy clamped onto my dog's neck for what felt like an absolute eternity. It was clearly trying to kill her.
The owner finally arrived and tried to get it to let go by shouting at it and kicking it.
By some miracle, the Staffy let go, which allowed my dog to get free. She’s alive, but she is absolutely terrified.
The owner didn't even apologise. When he saw me starting to call the police, he took his dog back home and then came back to talk to me.
In the meantime, I’d taken refuge with a neighbour who had heard the shouting and let me in.
What followed was a completely surreal conversation with the owner. He’s an 18-year-old lad who doesn't even seem to know the breed of his own dog. At first, he told me it was a 'Staff' (implying a banned or restricted breed), that he hadn't had the dog for long, and that the animal had been bred for dog fighting...
Translated from French
The forum content is sometimes translated from another language, and posts may concern countries with different animal laws. Do your research before making any decisions.
Since the forum is translated by AI, the translations may contain errors.
I’ve been through exactly the same thing as the person with the 12-year-old Parson, except in our case the owner was at home and the Staffie was roaming completely loose, with no collar or lead, and it went on for over 20 minutes. The Staffie was clearly trying to kill my dog.
I saw the owner the next day and he told me she just "wanted to play"...!!! This guy’s partner is a childminder as well...
He’s far too young and doesn’t have enough experience to have a dog like that, which he’d rescued from the RSPCA after it had been mistreated.
In the end, I’ve stopped walking my dog because I'm terrified of us being attacked... The aggressive dog escapes quite often. What should I do????
These are "fashionable" breeds, so it’s only natural there are more incidents; it’s a bit like Australian Shepherds. I often come across "nasty" ones because they aren’t the kind of dogs that should be in just anyone’s hands, and since they’re so trendy, there are even more of them about. Besides, if we’re going by your logic, I’m going to ask for all Jack Russells to be categorised as dangerous – seriously, my dog has been attacked plenty of times even though she’s lovely... and we might as well categorise Akitas too; a child in my village nearly died because of an Akita. At the end of the day, every single breed would end up categorised if we did it every time there was an attack... and as for those who actually follow the law, their dogs end up snapping because they’re so frustrated (no socialising, no way to burn off energy). As for the Staffie living near you, you should just go and report it.
If there’s no law to categorise Staffies, then it’s because they aren’t that dangerous after all. They’re no more dangerous than any other breed. They’re nicknamed the ‘nanny dog’ because they’re so affectionate with children. Just because some owners haven’t got a clue what they’re doing, it doesn’t mean they’re all aggressive.
@Kairos,
Even if you’ve had a horrible experience with a Staffie, it’s no reason to tar them all with the same brush. I have a Staffie and, if you want to know, usually when Staffies are puppies they’re so overexcited that they don't respect doggy body language and end up getting attacked; after that, they get scared and become aggressive. Plus, they are former fighting dogs, so yes, especially with the males, certain instincts can come out. I agree that in the wrong hands Staffies are dangerous, but isn't that the case for all dogs? Okay, they might not be angels with other dogs, but they are with people! They’re lovely dogs, especially with children; they're always up for anything, very cuddly, etc. and personally, I've **never** seen any aggressive tendencies in my girl in 4 years. As for breed classification laws, they make no sense because no dog should have to suffer because of a law just on the pretext that there could potentially be a danger.
Err, actually, yes, laws are there to prevent danger. And I had a bad experience recently, but it was just the latest and worst in a long line of incidents with this breed.
Besides, breed classification doesn't harm the dog; it filters the owners and brings in safety measures that I think are absolutely necessary.
Right now, that dog is still running loose outside my place. I don't dare go out with my dog, who *is* friendly, social, kept on a lead, and is still a mess of wounds around his neck since the last attack.
Even if you’ve had a horrible experience with a Staffie, that’s no reason to tar them all with the same brush. I’ve got a Staffie myself, and if you want to know the truth, they’re often so over-excited when they’re pups that they don’t respect dog social cues and end up getting attacked. After that, they get scared and can become aggressive. Plus, they were originally bred for dog fighting, so those instincts can definitely resurface, especially in males. I agree that Staffies are dangerous in the wrong hands, but isn’t that the case with any dog? Okay, they might not always be best buddies with other dogs, but they’re wonderful with people! They’re such lovely dogs, especially with children; they’re always up for anything, really cuddly, etc. Personally, I’ve never seen any aggressive tendencies in my girl in four years. As for the laws on breed categorisation, they make no sense at all—no dog should have to suffer because of a law based on the mere pretext that they might eventually pose a danger.
I’ve definitely had a lot of issues with Staffies; they’re the 'trendy' breed at the moment, especially with a certain type of irresponsible owner who’s fascinated by violence. In the UK, there was a debate about having them added to the Dangerous Dogs Act, but unfortunately, the proposal wasn’t accepted. They have a real aggressive streak, especially the males. I’ve got a male Border Collie who is constantly being attacked by these little sh**s, even though he’s incredibly friendly and sociable. He was nearly killed by a local Staffy that grabbed him by the throat and was literally strangling him; its eyes were rolled back and bloodshot, and my dog was dying right in front of two 15-year-old Traveller girls who did nothing to stop their dog, simply saying that he wouldn’t let go because he was 'trained'. I had to resort to kicking it with my heels to get it to release its grip. A total nightmare.
Hello,
I haven't followed all the previous discussions on the other post, but regarding this one...
You must have been terrified, that’s for sure. You'll need to rebuild your confidence around other dogs quickly, and it might be a good idea to let your dog socialise off-lead with some well-behaved doggy friends.
I’ve got a dog who, like yours, has faced unprovoked attacks. Even though he’s about 43kg (around 95lbs) and 69cm at the shoulder, he’s been left with puncture wounds and blood every time, regardless of the size of the other dog. Honestly, if that Staffy had really wanted to kill or seriously maul your dog, it wouldn't have held back.
The whole "hard man" act—trying to pass off a poorly socialised, disobedient Staffy as some dangerous "Staff" trained for fighting—is pathetic, but quite typical. He’s just a kid acting like a tough guy (though at least he came back to talk to you and gave you his details). I can guarantee that if his dog really was a "fighting dog", your poor pup probably wouldn't have made it. It’s just a lad playing the big man with an ill-bred Staffy because he doesn’t want to admit he’s completely out of his depth with its training.
Unfortunately, my dog once went for another dog (an unneutered Dachshund that was a bit of a nuisance and always barked at him). Both were on-lead, but the Dachshund’s lead snapped. In five seconds flat, my dog had attacked him before I could pull them apart (I still had mine on the lead), and the Dachshund had a nasty puncture wound and was limping. Injuries happen so fast, even without it being a "fighting dog". When they want to hurt, they hurt. (Don't worry, the Dachshund is fine now; we took him to the vet for stitches and anti-inflammatories, and my home insurance covered the bills).
All this to say:
When your dog is "attacked" (whether it’s a surprise or just a "scuffle"), it’s always a shock. It's very distressing to see.
The police won't take a formal report because they don't want to bump up the local crime stats for a dog scuffle that didn't end in something extremely serious (though I'm not downplaying how scary it was for you).
As for the vet bills, I think it’s probably a lost cause. Regarding teaching this young man some social responsibility... well, it’s up to you if you want to waste your time and energy on that.
As for the Staffy, it’s a poorly socialised dog with no recall that’s being walked off-lead in your area. There are two likely outcomes: either the owner got a bit of a fright himself and will keep it on a lead more or work on its behaviour... or he’ll keep doing it until enough "reports" are made that it starts to carry some weight.
[quote=Docline]@Emilie_emilie, you seem to have a real penchant for controversy, judging by the way you keep trying to stir up old arguments. It’s detrimental to the thread, the site as a whole, and the cause of animal welfare. Please keep that in mind.
As far as I’m concerned, I’ve got the message loud and clear. Your little clique has decided there’s only one "acceptable" answer on this thread, and expressing a different point of view is apparently intolerable. I shouldn’t have to put up with insults, let alone the blatant aggression from the "old guard" on this forum. I actually hope the OP does use her deterrent spray, if only so she can learn what a serious criminal offence looks like.
Emilie, it’s a real shame you’ve left. You asked me what inconsistencies there were in your posts? Well, I’ll give you just one... and it’s a big one!
To claim that on the thread about the puppy killed by a pit bull, everyone thought it was perfectly fine to leave that dog with a baby—whereas on this thread, people were up in arms about an unprovoked attack on a dog—is just scandalous. Either you don’t understand what you’re reading, or you’re being deliberately disingenuous! On the pit bull thread, the posters were unanimous in saying that the dog was a potential danger to the baby on the way, and that the owners had to be extremely vigilant and think very carefully about how to manage the situation. So, it’s clear that you’ve completely twisted and misrepresented what was actually written...
@Matou38 you're right, what you went through wasn't just a doggy correction. How can it be seen as a correction when two dogs haven't had any interaction and one just jumps on the other from behind? ^^
The same thing happened to me. I walked past a dog on a lead, and once I was further away, the guy let his dog off and it charged straight at mine. My dog was sniffing some bushes when suddenly another dog jumped on him from behind and tried to bite him. That’s not a correction, nor is it even normal interaction.
Luckily my dog is big, so the other one couldn't get a proper grip; in a way, it’s a good thing it went for my dog and not a small one.
This Staffy probably isn't a bad dog, but he has a bad owner. If the owner says "he only attacks other dogs," it implies it's not the first time.
That dog really needs a behavioural assessment, and that young lad needs some guidance or training to learn how to manage his dog. You can be a bit of an idiot at 18 sometimes.
As another member suggested, you should try to speak to him diplomatically. But it’s not always easy. And I totally understand that if you’re likely to keep bumping into this guy and his dog, it’s really draining.
It’s honestly mental that nobody gives a damn! The police, the council, no one is bothered about the problem. You shouldn't be the one who has to be afraid.
I’m so sorry to hear about what happened. Unfortunately, it’s sometimes hard to get people to see sense. If someone ignores the law but has a well-trained dog, it’s not the end of the world, but I don't see any excuse when a dog is subjected to an unprovoked attack; it’s very different from a scrap between two dogs that live together. It doesn’t matter that the dog didn't actually sink its teeth in; it probably only didn't do so because your dog didn't fight back. I’ve been through this kind of attack with a German Shepherd—it was an accident and I didn't report it because my dog wasn't injured, but whether there’s an ‘intent to kill’ or not, no dog should be allowed to traumatise others by attacking them for no reason. And I don't see the logic in "small dog = not dangerous". You’ve only got to look at the strength of the jaw.
