Staffyluv

I think they are absolutely glorious to look at - I think they would be more dog than I could handle though.

Maybe because the perception is that the little brown dog is very frightened from the get go.. It doesn't look comfortable at the park and it seems even worse when the other dogs are allowed to bully the poor little thing. Some dogs are just not dog park material, they don't like other dogs - some are fearful (like the little brown dog) and some are aggressive and some are just bullies.. I thought the little brown dog, just looked terrified the whole time - it would probably be better socialised in a one on one situation or with other small, calm dogs.. In a park situation, the chances of that happening are very slim.

That is terrible.. I forgot poop bags once, so leashed him and took him to the car with me.. He would panic if I left him in there without me anyway. I watched a woman walk out while her dog attacked another dog and left the other owner to deal with it on his own. I dumped Zig in the puppy side (no other dogs in there) and went to help. His dog was an older SBT and hers was a large Kelpie sized dog (not a kelpie). We gave her a serve over it as well and all she said was she didn't want to get in the middle of it.. But you don't walk away and leave your dog in there.. The older SBT was a true gentleman through the whole thing.. He is one of the bigger dogs that I let Zig play with. Same play style and not aggressive (unless attacked).. It is a hard call at dog parks.. Some people genuinely have no idea at all about dog behaviour and this is where problems start.. I have said before, I usually leave if there are unknown dogs there or there are to many dogs..

I felt positively sick watching that poor little brown dog trying constantly to get away from all the dogs that interacted with it.. As for the husky... I would have packed up my dog and left, as soon as it entered the park. Ziggy likes to be chased and often plays chase (with him being the one chased), with a lot of little dogs at the dog park.. I watched a GSD do exactly the same thing to Zig (as the husky did when it chased down the little terrier) once and she caught him.. It was awful to see my dog trying to get back to me (because I let him get to far away) and not make it because she gave chase and got on top of him before he got back to me..I blame myself for what happened, I should have leashed him and left that day but didn't. I have never understood how people go to to dog parks and don't watch their dogs like a hawke (where was the huskys owner in all that?)

Great new intro and love the new smiley pic of him - he is gorgeous. Good luck Leema, some just take a bit longer than others :)

I find that sort of behaviour quite weird. We watch our dogs like hawks when we're at the dog park - but I've seen people dump their dog and then sit in a corner on the phone/texting/chatting with friends and not even looking at their dogs. One time, a guy dumped his pit bull in the park and went outside to chat to a mate. The dog was fine, but it was such a risky and strange thing to do. I've seen people leave their small children unattended to while they wandered off to do various things. Our dogs are friendly around children but the parents didn't know that! We used to get the same people coming through at the same time, these days not so much but there are a lot of familiar faces and dogs and as for all things dog-related, it's a matter of being vigiliant. Our dogs are happy to play with one another - often the park is deserted and they will simply play amongst themselves. They also really enjoy playing with other dogs though. Sometimes owners get really happy because they say after romping with our three, their dog will be nice and tired for the day :laugh: I see it all the time at the Queanbeyan park. I would think close to 50% (just based on what I see when I am there) do just that - they come in, let the dog off and go and sit down for a chat with others there. I am always with Zig when at the park, throwing the ball and practising our recall - it is a fun way for him to practice it (and not as formal as obedience).. I tend to hang with the same crew when we go - I know the dogs, I know how they all play with each other.. Mostly, they are all just happy for balls to be thrown and all run together to the ball.. The only time there has ever been an issue is when another dog comes into the mix - seems to upset the balance they have together.. Whoever gets the ball brings it back and it varies, all the dogs get a turn at bringing it back - or they seem to. Zig is happy to just play with me - with me throwing his ball and then him getting in and out of the clam shell pool.. He isn't as focused on other dogs as he used to be. I have never forced Zig to play with any dog. We go to the park, if there are dogs there and they want to play - he will play but mostly he is happy to just chase his ball and bring it back to me..

I am sorry for what happend to your little one.. Sadly there are so many that go to parks who have no idea.. I am like KTB. I take Zig to the local leash free (fenced) park for a run and socialisation. We go twice a week most weeks. It is also a great place to practice his recall and has helped me no end to get his recall to a level that is very good now. We tend to hang with the same group and I often leave if an unknown dog turns up.. Our park is also divided, so half for littles and pups and the other side is free for all dogs to use. If the big dog side gets busy and there is no one or just a couple of small dogs we know in the other side, then we will venture into the small dog side. Zig is friends with a couple of Malts and a poodle that frequent the park (there was also a few Poms but they haven't been there in ages). So many people have no idea about dogs and their body language (not that I am that attuned to it either) but I know when a dog enters all stiff and then stands over the other dogs, that I don't want to be there.. The other thing that annoys me is when people bring their dogs and then sit down and have their own social experience and don't watch their dogs..

i think it relates to dogs ability to read each other and preferred play styles. The more different the dog, the more challenging it is for your dog to 'read' it. Look at Boxers - they tend to spark a lot of reaction from other dogs. I think its because their expression tends to look challenging when its just their head and eye shape. Oh gods yes, boxers might as well be from Mars as far as my 2 are concerned! Same with my 2 guys. Between their upright stance & their goofiness I think they think that they are directly from Mars. Zig is the opposite - he loves boxers and the way they play. He also loves the working dogs because they are always on the run (so he has someone to run with)..

Sorry about Griffen, I hope he is on the mend soon.. Have they ruled out any brain type injury - the dazed and confused thing just rang a bell with an old dog in the family years ago.. I guess I would be doing the MRI All the best

I know most dogs regardless of breeds are no problem at all and i would never make a judgement based on breed when it came to owning or caring for a dog. i'm just aware that some breeds have certain instincts that have been bred in and are more likley then others to cause problems and i'm just looking for a way of working out how to be as safe as possible. and lets be honest a badly trained beagle is'nt going to cause as many problems as a badly trained bull breed. It might also pay you to learn a bit about dog body language.. For instance a wagging tail, doesn't always mean the dog is happy.. A beagle is about the same size as a staffy and could possibly do as much damage to a pup (against a dog of its own size and weight, perhaps not)..

That sounds like the best option really, best be safe. Wary is good - but be careful of making your dog a nervous wreck by not allowing any other interactions and socialising. Find some friends with dogs of similar size or with great temperaments and socialise your pup the right way.

Firstly I am sorry your pup was roughed up.. Secondly - there is no such thing as 'breeds to be wary of'... Each dog should be treated on its own merits. My boy is a staffy cross - looks just like an american staffordshire terrier. He weighs 27kg and this morning at the vets, he was laying on the floor with a toy poodle licking his face.. Then he played with a bull mastiff in the waiting room, all the amusement of the staff and other clients there. As a responsible dog owner, I choose who my boy socialises with these days. It is my responsibility to keep him safe from boisterous dogs that might do him harm (he is a very soft dog but can play as rough or as gentle as whatever dog he is with at the time). If I see rough dogs or lots of dogs at the park, then we go somewhere else. Edited to add, that I totally agree with HWs suggestion that your train of thought on this could lead you to believe some breeds are safer than others.. Admittedly smaller dogs would do less damage than a bigger dog. The last dog that attacked my boy was a GSD and he has also been put in his place by a kelpie cross that weighed all of about 10kg and a schnauzer (one of the little ones).. My point again - you can't base it on breed..

The fact that he goes with you to the tracking club to socialise and meet other dogs is a big plus.. I would put that he is excited to meet other dogs but walks nicely on lead - it is the truth and you can elaborate that he can pull towards other dogs or gets excited by birds when they meet him.

Thanks for that..

Leema you know him and you have had him for 6 months - we don't, all we can do is go on what you tell us and what has been written about him in his profile. You have done a great job, getting him out there and his forever home is just around the corner.. Keep this in mind - no matter what is said. Instead of obnoxious or boisterous, how about enthusiastic at meeting others.. It is all in the wording and to be honest (and to get more enquiries), I limit what I tell in written word (because people read it differently). You can always elaborate on things once people meet him. I didn't mean to come across as rude, suggesting obedience and I don't think it was meant as a rude comment about more training but more a another way to get him adopted - I took my last girl along to obedience classes (because my club offer it free to enrolled people for their rescues)... I am not suggesting you take him to obedience if you don't have the time to do so but it definitely made a difference to how quickly she was adopted (compared to previous fosters who didn't have a certificate passing them at beginners)...

Poor girl, I hope she is feeling better.. She looked happy to be out and about at the dog park on Wednesday. Edit to add, on the crate training - I haven't had a dog yet that won't go in a crate for a milk arrowroot biscuit. All my foster dogs get one every night to go into their crates for bed - as they sleep all night, it isn't a big deal to stay there with the biscuit.

Here is a poster I did for Zipp.. I changed her name to Zippy as it was cuter. Edited to add the poster Zipp 20.9.13 by jamoore photos, on Flickr I think Bandi, is a nicer name than Bandit - so maybe just keep calling him that and change it on the listings. I chose the pics that I wanted to give the best impression of Zippy, so her chilling with another dog, her award for beginners obedience and just chilled out, looking as cute as possible.. Pictures speak a thousand words - then you can narrow down the feedback and deal more with issues when people actually enquire about him. Your photos are great but there was one that seemed to stand out to me. The kids with him are both in red and they stand out heaps - it also looks like the little boy on the right is leaning away from him. It is subtle but it sort of looks staged, like he didn't really want to do the photo with the dog.. I am probably wrong but it is just what I noticed about that photo. I also did this in a PDF and sent it to my friends who work in the public service (they printed it and put it on their notice boards). I got everyone I know on facebook to share it every couple of days (and ask their friends to share it). I printed and posted the PDF at all the vets in town as well.. Good luck with him, he looks like a great guy.

Kong make a tiny tennis ball - the toy poodle that Zig plays with at the park has one. You buy them in a 3 pack and they are bit bigger than a ping pong ball.. They come in 3 different sizes - normal tennis ball size, big (about the size of a softball or a little bigger) and tiny (the ones I mentioned above).. They are softer and have a squeaker in them. I get mine from Petstock.

Yeah they do come out easily - Zig takes the squeaker out of his after a while anyway.. The one I use in training has no squeaker in it either - he is just as attentive with one that makes the air noise :) Funny thing is he makes not attempt to chew them into tiny pieces or defuzz them - like he has done with every normal tennis ball he has ever had.

It has, hasn't it! It is quite interesting the divide between giving the dog back and keeping..

Thanks Cos, I sort of figured that and hadn't even realised it was an issue until last week. I will make an effort to get others to hold his lead, get him to sit etc - even if it is just the basics. He does sit, drop and stay at home when anyone else asks him to but it was out and about on lead that it seems to be an issue. Thanks all, glad I am not the only one who has this issue.

I am wasting my money buying normal tennis balls for Zig. We use the Kong, squeaky tennis balls - they come in a variety of sizes for different sized dogs and they squeak, even when punctured. I think they are about $10 for 3 in a packet. We train with them and take one to the dog park to play fetch.. They are awesome - he never defuzzes them and chews them into pieces, like he did with the few normal tennis balls we had here.

We have discovered another issue with Zig.. He doesn't do well if someone else takes his lead - the trainer, took his lead to show me how to do something (I over correct him and she has pulled me up on it constantly, so she wanted to show me how to do it).. When she started to walk away with him, he freaked and tried to get back to me. Then he dropped to the ground and wouldn't move.. He is OK with my son and my sons girlfriend (and obviously me). He is also fine with someone else holding the lead if I am standing there - but try and walk him away from me and he just drops and won't go (he does for my son and his GF).... Any suggestions?? TIA :)

Thanks HD but it is going to be a long day - up, training and back as it is.. I am thinking I might stop every half hour just at a rest stop for 10 minutes and try to break the trip up.. I have been taking him for more 'drives' of late to get him more used to the car but half an hour seems to be his limit.. so hopefully the half hour stops will make it easier on him.

We had to provide photo evidence of one of our staffords years ago. The police required it because he was a serial escape artist and had made his way into the hands of a guy who used his dogs for hunting. We asked him for our dog back and he said prove it - so we had to get the police involved. I guess under some circumstances photos would be used.