Staffy biting people

[3000GT ANT]

Hi All,

I have a problem with my staffy and am unsure of where to start to sort this problem. He is coming up to 2 years old, is un-neutured and otherwise a friendly dog. More recently he has starting disliking people, growling and barking then finaly biting them. He is a very good and friendly dog with anyone he knows whether he is at home or on walks, but if he doesn't know them or has only met them a handful of times then 9 times out of 10 he will go for them. So far it hasnt been much of a problem as i know to keep people he doesnt know away, but now my wife is pregnant and i dont want my dog to behave this way, i want him to be great with everyone. How do i go about this or what is the quickest way to get results. I have thought about having him neutured but i dont know if it will help and maybe i am better off getting some training?

cheers
Ant

[AW35]

3000GT ANT said:

Hi All,

I have a problem with my staffy and am unsure of where to start to sort this problem. He is coming up to 2 years old, is un-neutured and otherwise a friendly dog. More recently he has starting disliking people, growling and barking then finaly biting them. He is a very good and friendly dog with anyone he knows whether he is at home or on walks, but if he doesn't know them or has only met them a handful of times then 9 times out of 10 he will go for them. So far it hasnt been much of a problem as i know to keep people he doesnt know away, but now my wife is pregnant and i dont want my dog to behave this way, i want him to be great with everyone. How do i go about this or what is the quickest way to get results. I have thought about having him neutured but i dont know if it will help and maybe i am better off getting some training?

cheers
Ant

It sounds like you have let it go too far already without corrective action, "So far it hasnt been much of a problem" actually it probably has but you have been too slow to respond.

Time to spend money with a professional and stamp it out now, especially with your wife pregnant because if comes to the crunch you need to put your family first.

Good luck and I hope you have a happy outcome. Let us know.

[balders118]

It's gunna be a big problem when the "new" child comes into the household!

Start with getting him snipped, followed by some serious corrective training. I would be very, very concerned with a dog like this around a new born.

[Steffan]

balders118 said:

It's gunna be a big problem when the "new" child comes into the household!

Start with getting him snipped, followed by some serious corrective training. I would be very, very concerned with a dog like this around a new born.

Absolutely correct.

Your dog is not an animal to be allowed near any children in its current state especially children who will seem to your dig to be a threat to the dog's hierarchy. You seem to be unaware that any dog biting anybody without provocation is totally unacceptable and most certainly "a big thing".

I strongly advise you to see this for what it is. Dangerous behaviour by a breed of dog that could be deadly to a small child. I would not take the risk.

[GokTweed]

3000GT ANT said:

Hi All,

I have a problem with my staffy and am unsure of where to start to sort this problem. He is coming up to 2 years old, is un-neutured and otherwise a friendly dog. More recently he has starting disliking people, growling and barking then finaly biting them. He is a very good and friendly dog with anyone he knows whether he is at home or on walks, but if he doesn't know them or has only met them a handful of times then 9 times out of 10 he will go for them. So far it hasnt been much of a problem as i know to keep people he doesnt know away, but now my wife is pregnant and i dont want my dog to behave this way, i want him to be great with everyone. How do i go about this or what is the quickest way to get results. I have thought about having him neutured but i dont know if it will help and maybe i am better off getting some training?

cheers
Ant

Ant.

Nads off and serious training needed asap mate. Luckily he's still young enough for it not to have become a permanent thing and you're lucky you still have him if he is biting strangers on walks etc.

[Squiggs]

3000GT ANT said:

Hi All,

but if he doesn't know them or has only met them a handful of times then 9 times out of 10 he will go for them. So far it hasnt been much of a problem as i know to keep people he doesnt know away,

cheers
Ant

How can you say it's not been a problem when 9 times out of 10 he goes for people he doesn't know!
If it were my dog if it went for anybody ever I'd know I'd have a problem.
And trying to keep people away from him isn't the answer.

Getting him done may help but it is unlikely to cure the problem.

You really need some help from a proper trainer who knows how to cure the problem.
Phone around and explain the problem and choose the one that seems most confident in helping you - and please do this sooner rather than later.

[balders118]

Squiggs said:

How can you say it's not been a problem when 9 times out of 10 he goes for people he doesn't know!
If it were my dog if it went for anybody ever I'd know I'd have a problem.
And trying to keep people away from him isn't the answer.

Getting him done may help but it is unlikely to cure the problem.

You really need some help from a proper trainer who knows how to cure the problem.
Phone around and explain the problem and choose the one that seems most confident in helping you - and please do this sooner rather than later.

Just to add to what I said earlier. Unless you are 100% confident in your dog when baby comes, I'd be sriously considering re homing the pooch.

[Steffan]

balders118 said:

Squiggs said:

How can you say it's not been a problem when 9 times out of 10 he goes for people he doesn't know!
If it were my dog if it went for anybody ever I'd know I'd have a problem.
And trying to keep people away from him isn't the answer.

Getting him done may help but it is unlikely to cure the problem.

You really need some help from a proper trainer who knows how to cure the problem.
Phone around and explain the problem and choose the one that seems most confident in helping you - and please do this sooner rather than later.

Just to add to what I said earlier. Unless you are 100% confident in your dog when baby comes, I'd be sriously considering re homing the pooch.

As I said before I second that suggestion. This is a really serious concern with a new baby arriving. Can your new child afford the risk? Better safe than tragic.

[Squiggs]

balders118 said:

Just to add to what I said earlier. Unless you are 100% confident in your dog when baby comes, I'd be sriously considering re homing the pooch.

Couldn't agree more!
Bad enough that he's going for people he doesn't know, people that presumably can put up some sort of defence.
A baby .................... well let's not go there!

[Jasandjules]

Was he properly socialised as a puppy? What are the situations when he attacks compared to when he does not? Is it always men for example?

[m3jappa]

It's not normal for a staffy to show ANY aggression to a human, another dog, yes most certainly normal, but a person no its just not 'supposed' to be in their genes.

I'm surprised tbh, was he purchased from a not so desierable area? Sadly aggression towards humans is being bred into them now, with devastating consequences. Due to them naturally being the worst human attackers out there the handlers (if you can call them that) resort to nothing but abuse to incite aggression

[g3rrd]

3000GT ANT said:

I have a problem with my staffy

Staffy? UK KC registered or Irish/APBT/Backyard/Mongrel mix?
To be honest I would not want to rehome a biter. I would be looking to have the dog euthanised.

m3jappa said:

It's not normal for a staffy to show ANY aggression to a human, another dog, yes most certainly normal

Nonsense.

[m3jappa]

g3rrd said:

3000GT ANT said:

I have a problem with my staffy

Staffy? UK KC registered or Irish/APBT/Backyard/Mongrel mix?
To be honest I would not want to rehome a biter. I would be looking to have the dog euthanised.

m3jappa said:

It's not normal for a staffy to show ANY aggression to a human, another dog, yes most certainly normal

Nonsense.

Well considering they were bred for fighting other dogs i think that to have one which is dog aggressive is reasonably normal. At least in my experience most i have come across are aggressive to the same sex same breed or larger dogs, 99% of the time smaller dogs are shown zero aggression.

[GokTweed]

m3jappa said:

g3rrd said:

3000GT ANT said:

I have a problem with my staffy

Staffy? UK KC registered or Irish/APBT/Backyard/Mongrel mix?
To be honest I would not want to rehome a biter. I would be looking to have the dog euthanised.

m3jappa said:

It's not normal for a staffy to show ANY aggression to a human, another dog, yes most certainly normal

Nonsense.

Well considering they were bred for fighting other dogs i think that to have one which is dog aggressive is reasonably normal. At least in my experience most i have come across are aggressive to the same sex same breed or larger dogs, 99% of the time smaller dogs are shown zero aggression.

I personally think you can't breed aggression into a dog and it is more of a personality trait picked up from its environment and owners. Sadly staffies tend to be owned by chavs who abuse them in order to make them aggressive and therefore make their owners appear hard and not to be messed with.

[GokTweed]

g3rrd said:

3000GT ANT said:

I have a problem with my staffy

Staffy? UK KC registered or Irish/APBT/Backyard/Mongrel mix?
To be honest I would not want to rehome a biter. I would be looking to have the dog euthanised.

No. You train the dog properly before you even consider that route.

[essayer]

I would definitely get in contact with a dog behaviourist, your local vets may be able to recommend, you will need to pay for a course of 1 on 1 sessions but I do not see you have much of an option.

Or online -

http://www.apbc.org.uk/
http://www.apdt.co.uk/

Good luck

[balders118]

GokTweed said:

m3jappa said:

g3rrd said:

3000GT ANT said:

I have a problem with my staffy

Staffy? UK KC registered or Irish/APBT/Backyard/Mongrel mix?
To be honest I would not want to rehome a biter. I would be looking to have the dog euthanised.

m3jappa said:

It's not normal for a staffy to show ANY aggression to a human, another dog, yes most certainly normal

Nonsense.

Well considering they were bred for fighting other dogs i think that to have one which is dog aggressive is reasonably normal. At least in my experience most i have come across are aggressive to the same sex same breed or larger dogs, 99% of the time smaller dogs are shown zero aggression.

I personally think you can't breed aggression into a dog and it is more of a personality trait picked up from its environment and owners. Sadly staffies tend to be owned by chavs who abuse them in order to make them aggressive and therefore make their owners appear hard and not to be messed with.

You can definately breed agression into a dog, over many generations anyway. Simple (not-so)natural selection. The most angry and agressive dogs are chosen to breed, from those pups the most angry and agressive dogs are chosen etc ending with a very nasty dog.

[Squiggs]

GokTweed said:

I personally think you can't breed aggression into a dog and it is more of a personality trait picked up from its environment and owners. Sadly staffies tend to be owned by chavs who abuse them in order to make them aggressive and therefore make their owners appear hard and not to be messed with.

Like it or not the aggression has already been breed in.
Rather than being called Staffordshire Mouse Chasers they're called Staffordshire Bull Terriers because they were bred for Bull baiting, presumably in Staffordshire, and you'd need a pretty aggressive dog to take on a bull
Whilst bull baiting no longer exists it wouldn't take much to train a Staffie to take it up - but try getting another breed, say a Beagle, to take up the same 'sport' and you'd find it impossible - simply because it's not in their nature to be as aggresive.
As a breed Staffies do have this aggression in their nature - fortunately in most cases where the owners are responsible their aggression can easily be put to rest.

[Luftgekuhlt]

balders118 said:

You can definately breed agression into a dog, over many generations anyway. Simple (not-so)natural selection. The most angry and agressive dogs are chosen to breed, from those pups the most angry and agressive dogs are chosen etc ending with a very nasty dog.

Exactly. It's all very well saying that these animals are bred to fight other dogs, but what this actually means is that the breed has a propensity for violence and the desire to attack. This animal has already bitten several people. It needs to be gone soon (before the child arrives). Re-homing isn't the answer either.

[bexVN]

This is a really serious problem. My guess is you should have acted on his behaviour way way before he started biting.

Get professional help NOW. Email nick007 on here he is s dog behaviourist and he gives sound advice.

DO NOT RUSH INTO CASTRATING UNTIL HE HAS BEEN ASSESSED. Chances are this will need doing BUT if he is exhibiting fear aggression castrating could worsen it. Chemical castration maybe worth a go.

Do not become a headline in a paper. If you cannot sort his behaviour 100% before baby is born, don't risk it.

One more bitten person may make a decision for you. I assume you muzzle him when out in public.

My feeling is once a biter always a biter. If he can't be stopped or a reason found for why he does it you may have a tough decision ahead as becoming won't be an option.

He should also be vet checked just on the smallest off chance it is a medical reason.

Edited by bexVN on Sunday 16th December 18:53