geo

When is it on? I'd love to take the family

Breeding for colour is no different than breeding for head size, muscle mass etc.. but at least the physical attributes can be used for gain if you were a hunting breeder. Charging a fortune and calling them rare, now that is a load of rubbish!! Breeding Amstaffs for big heads and massive muscle really IMO isn't doing the breed any favours. Humans have bred dogs to look a certain way for hundreds of years but once upon a time it was for practicality, now it just seems it's for looks. Same as red nose pitbull breeders thinking it makes it more original or something breeding a rednose line..? I personally like bull breeds with white heads especially amstaffs, though it means nothing if the dog is not physically upto scratch.

I agree with most of the posts about dogs behaving naturally and I know my dogs would most likely kill a possum should they see one. However domesticated dogs shouldn't be allowed to kill native fauna, in the case of feral populations that are a burden on available resources then I don't see a problem culling them. I don't think anyone should be fined over it but we shouldn't be allowed to let our dogs kill native animals, especially in their natural habitat. If they're a problem around your house just trap them and take them somewhere else.

So the only difference between your dog and the bull mastiff is the fact that you're sensible enough to not tie your dog up? yet you state that it will bite. So your dog is safer only because of you. I'm sure the owner thought his dog was safe as it hadn't done it before. It goes without saying all dogs have the ability to do this and it is all down to the owner, so why not ban the owner from owning dogs? why PTS a dog who's only as likely to do this again as any other dog.. I'm sure this dog isn't likely do it again if it were owned by someone sensible enough. But too late i guess. Stupid owner, and the parents of the child need to take some of the blame.

Apparently (since talking it through with my OH) baby was running from our table to chair and was running towards the dog and he reacted in a way that he does when the 2 dogs play togther, though there isn't normally any growling involved. So baby was excited pointing at dog and running around which explains a little.

Yes, we had I feel become somewhat relaxed (always vigilant). Of course things have immediately changed on our part and stricter rules are in place for us. We are very lucky. On a good note he was barking this morning and he's not a barker, so we checked it out immediately and there was a snake in our daughters tunnel and climbing frame. It was a keel back (rear fanged so not going to be an issue) but we do get browns, whip snakes and death adders so he done something good.

K9Pro does phone consults I think. That would be my starting point. If your dog isn't crate trained, I'd be starting that. Giving him a place where he knows he will be left alone and educating your daughter to that end would be a valuable management tool. And bear this in mind. Your dog SNAPPED. He warned... and you're acting on the warning. Teach your daughter the same and be very carefull about disciplining that snapping. Extinguishing warnings is never a good thing. Have sent them an email already, hopefully they'll be able to help out. There are several trainers that will tell you to say"NO" whilst holding the dogs head and looking at them, some say place outside on the chain (which i have never done),. You're right i don't want to get rid of his warning signs, how would you have corrected him? i probably would've grabbed his head and made him drop whilst saying no... so far i've only had to correct him whilst other dogs have been around, he'll remove himself from anywhere i don't want him to be with a simple "off" or "leave it"

no definately our daughter

Thanks PF, the climbing over was an example of me trying to explain how comfortable he was with her and ceratinly doesn't happen on a regular basis (but your right he's not there for her entertainment), any situation where I think he doesn't want any attention I certainly remove our daughter. I didn't mean to infer that it's all about hierarchy (i don't know why it happened), again just trying to say that he has to be gentle around her, and so far always has. Our annual vet check is soon, trying to find good professional help in the NT at the moment.

I don't think so, nothing unusual just a normal day. He just generally likes to lounge around where we are.

Any interactions have been supervised and the dog is continually praised for being gentle. It was totally out of sorts. Other Half is dog savy, though I wasn't there. Thanks for your comments, please keep them coming as we want this situation sorted.

I'm in remote NT but can get to Darwin.

G'day all, Last night whilst I was at work my dog growled/snapped at my baby (no damage done), now I've been told by my other half that she was standing right next to them and that our 15 month old was not touching, antagonising, she didn't have food, the dog didn't have food either and it just happend whilst they were walking down the hallway. Now I know things just don't "happen" for no reason, and that both my daughter and our dog get along fine and spend lots of time together so this has come as a surprise. The only thing I can think of is that there had been food preparation in the kitchen which was near to where it happened (though this always happens), it was getting close to the dogs dinner time but we hadn't eaten which is the general cue that they eat afterwards by which time our daughter is in bed, so I'm at a bit of a loss as to why this happened. I think he may have done it as I (the boss) wasn't there, he obviously thinks he is above our daughter or was challenging her somehow? not sure but he was corrected and put outside straight away. The other reason I feel it may be as he's about 18 months and entire (not for long) I fully blame myself for mismanaging the dog but I'm not entirely sure what we have to do to rectify the situation. So far what we've decided on is; Any interaction as always will be with us right next to our baby, but with us holding her as normally she likes to climb over him and he has always been gentle with her even though he is a big dog. Secondly food, they never eat with her around (though she has fed him bits of rusk that he has previously taken very genlty from her, I know this is wrong and hasn't happened for a while) We really want them to get along fine (which they do) as she adores the dogs and loves being around them, but just in a safer manner. The dogs spend most of the time outside and only come in for short periods and at night time. Any ideas welcome.

My old staffy was an outcast at training because he could be DA with some dogs, mailny bigger ones like GSDs, rottis, labs.. he would always be ok with puppies but wuold push them around. Funnily enough one of his only friends at training was another DA dog that was forced to sit with us becasue we couldn't play with the other dogs! Our dog yesterday seen a 10 week old staffy cross, wanted to play with him but due to lack of full needles etc.. it didn't happen but that would've been the first little puppy he's seen. I guess we don't always know what they're thinking!

You're missing the point, these 2 dogs may not be DA, but together they saw a prey item (i know this is matter of debate, but when you see dogs behavior vary depending on pack or alone situations you can better judge their reactions) Hence the point I was making is that there are plenty of DA dogs about, some that will/wont attack small animals, some that will only go for bigger dogs, some that will ignore until threatened, and some that are just plain aggro.. These aren't proven killers but in the wrong hands are just as likely to kill another animal as these 2 dogs are to do it again, so why not just PTS just incase because the crux of your argument is to prevent these dogs doing it again, why not prevent all dogs from doing it?....

Talking of answering questions Danielle, you haven't answered mine. There are many many dogs that can possibly be DA everywhere yet they've never attacked so should we euth all of those just in case? because essentially they all pose just as much a threat as the 2 mals.

A Doggy Chiropracter? am i getting closer? What huge statements? I'm only talking from experience. These 2 are exactly as you said, 2 dogs, not one dog acting alone, though without knowing the whole story of how your friends dog was attacked I'm not going to assume but i feel they're two totally different situations.

Well i guess you'd never know if it was a serial killer if you PTS straight away, or whether it was a one off.... seperate, rehome, re-evaluate before PTS in my opinion, again it depends on the situation. A serious question for you Danielle, There are many many dogs that can possibly be DA everywhere yet they've never attacked so should we euth all of those just in case? because essentially they all pose a threat don't they?

Exactly, unless they have constant exposure to many different types of animals you can never be certain of how they will behave in a given situation.

Geo - Please dont assume to know me or my knowledge of dogs. I work with dogs for a living. Yes, I do own small dogs, but I also own two very large ones. Your statements are assumptive and incorrect. [b][/b] I'm assuming you shampoo dogs for a living? My ACD bitch can and always has been able to distinguish between prey items and non prey items. My Afghan hound, Rottweilers, and mastiffs over the years have also been the same. Naturally, not through training. So please answer me this. If these dogs were to get out again and kill another dog should they be pts then? How far is too far in your rationale? I think most of my posts I'm just agreeing with Cosmolo on looking at the overall picture and what is/isn't going to prevent these sort of attacks happening again, PTS random dogs will not overall help the rest of society better understand their pets. Seperating the dogs would prevent this from possibly happening again however nothing in life is a certainty. I recognise the responsibilty of the council and owners to maybe PTS these dogs but it will serve little purpose, it wont bring back little JRT, it wont stop other dogs from doing it, it wont prevent other owners from going "oh my dog would never do that" etc etc.. Also, if you are saying dogs cannot naturally distinguish between prey and not, then why aren't all dogs DA? Why aren't all dogs HA? By your very own reasoning, every single dog is a threat to each other, kids and adults alike. Please remind me where i wrote this? My dogs will kill small animals and probably bigger ones if they had the chance together but by themselves it's a different story, yet they have plenty of doggy friends but can't be trusted with strange dogs.. So clearly they can distinguish but i guess it depends what takes their fancy and whether I was there or not, as every situation would be totally different, I'm sure the owners of the Mals would paint a similar picture. A client of mines dog was killed at nudgee beach two years ago by a dog that had killed before. I have witnessed this before and stand by my opinion that once a dog has killed it will kill again and should be pts. Housing is besides the point, there will always be a risk of that animal getting out again so we need not take risks with such dogs. I agree some dogs are a serious threat, no matter what the circumstance and these need to be PTS. if they were deemed by means of temperment testing that they were a threat by themselves then PTS.

A little off topic but does anyone on this thread feel that prey drive makes up an important part of a dogs personality? ie do you think that they are more effectionate, loyal, playful etc.. because of "drive". Someone mentioned staffies on another thread always giving 110% whether that be play, effection or anxiety! So if anyone has had experience with all sorts what do you think?

I agree, we worked on socialising our male from a young age. However, we have to watch him as as soon as something catches his eye whether it be a dog, bird or ride on mower he will stoop down low and sprint towards them. If this happens to be our friends Small black fluffy then he really wants to play and get it to chase him but this all changes when our other dog is around, she is the boss and dominant (though friendly and will steer clear of bigger dominant dogs). They totally get a pack mentality when together, not so much the bitch but our boy just has to follow her and then be dominant of other dogs. He seems to think that she is always going to fight when around other strange dogs, Obviously they're not off lead together.

They are soooo precious!! poor little staffies, they're just so hard done by The only time my boy ever peed inside was whilst looking straight at me after i had told him to get off the couch! I swear it was his was of giving me the middle finger.

OMG! what if my dogs were attacked then killed said attacker? do they need to be PTS? No dogs aren't stupid, but they act on instinct, regard for humans had absolutely nothing to do with it. Just read Cosmolos comments they really sum it all up, without all the melodrama. No I don't. But i quote,"Sorry but once a dog KILLS another dog it needs destroying". So i that is why i replied the way i did. Laughable i think not, your judgement is clearly clouded by the fact you either have a small dog (and feel threatened), or cannot comprehend dogs behavior by the simple facts you've learned nothing from the very reasonable and educated comments that have been placed on here. You seriously think those dogs are cold calculated killers? 'cause if you do you still haven't learnt a thing! and when you do learn something you can better protect your dog as well.

OMG! what if my dogs were attacked then killed said attacker? do they need to be PTS? No dogs aren't stupid, but they act on instinct, regard for humans had absolutely nothing to do with it. Just read Cosmolos comments they really sum it all up, without all the melodrama.