'Dangerous' dogs

[special_kala]

woah....to be fair to the OP she has asked for advice on here so is doing her research.

I think its a shame that staffs are labeled dangerous dogs the way they are and i have 2 dogs but to be perfectly honest if i see a staff of the lead i am much more nervous around them then i would be if it were another breed.

Whilst yes they are no more likely to bite then any other dog they are very common and are very strong dogs so i worry that we encounter them more then any other dog and if one did attack River I would struggle to get it off her because of the sheer strength of it.

 

[Windmills]

Doesn't 'my friend has a staffie' mean 'my friend has a Staffordshire bull terrier'?
Stop picking on the poor woman.

 

[amynorange]

It is definitely down to the owners and how they treat and train the dog. They sound like very responsible dog owners to me and I think KayBea has a good idea about maybe putting him on a lead while LO and the dog get used to each other. He will probably want to sniff LO at first and then he will more than likely just go on his merry way! My uncle had a Staffie and from what I remember (I was only little myself) she was dead laid back, lovely dog. Obviously don't leave your LO alone with the dog and keep an eye on things, I'm sure you would anyway! Don't let it stop you going round to your friends though!

 

[Tink2312]

hun didnt read all the pages as they were quite a few but read through the first and agree with the other posters that your friends being incredibly reasonable and can't imagine there would be an issue.
The only thing I would say and hope this doesnt cause any offense or make you apprehensive at all is that if you have issues around dogs or the same with any animal, horses etc they can sense your nervousness and that can make them apprehensive in turn, doesn't mean they will be angry or anything just not as relaxed as normal and your LO will pick up on this as well. Personally if I were in your shoes I'd be inclined to let someone else hold your LO whilst introduced to the dog so the dog doesn't pick up on any underlying issues and might be worth looking into trying to appease your general concerns with dogs in some way or another to help your LO as he gets older to prevent him develoiping the same issues, makes life a lot easier if everyone can be more relaxed. Its normal to be cautious, we have a dog and always have had dogs but I'm still wary around others, even our neighbours boxer that we see a lot of, you can never trust them 100% and shouldn't, they are animals but at the same time its not good to go in the other direction either.
good luck! x

 

[alibaba24]

I am certainly NOT picking on her! All i am saying as from the point of view of a staffie owner its insulting to me that she thinks these are child eating dogs?! Having a child myself and these apparent child eaters and i think alot of staffie owners would agree and clearly she does believe that as its followed up with her wondering if the dog would get angry and attack! I geniunly hope that she gets over her fear and it doesnt help that she doesnt like any dogs at all but hopefully one day she can learn what a loving breed they are and are actually reccomended by the kennel club for being good with children, I dont really feel posting this is doing proper research on the breed either tbh its all peoples opinions against experiences I think the only way to properly judge these dogs is by dealing with them yourself like anything. Thats all im saying on it. good luck op

 

[highhopes19]

When I was younger our family dog was a crossbreed, but deffinatly had more staff in him. He was lovely
Sadly he passed away 3 years ago now :'(, the whole street was devistated as he would sit in our front garden all day all the neighbours used
To walk by say 'hi' to him, all the kids knew him and would even knock on our front door to see him if he wasn't out!

He was soooo soppy, he would lay on the sofa with our kitten walking on his back
He loved all children and would cry and panic if they cried and would go sit next to them untill they stopped :'(

I probably sound like a right saddo rambleing on about my dog, but he honestly was. So friendly, and he really is missed.

I think its deffinatly the owner and not the dog xxx

 

[Janidog]

I am certainly NOT picking on her! All i am saying as from the point of view of a staffie owner its insulting to me that she thinks these are child eating dogs?! Having a child myself and these apparent child eaters and i think alot of staffie owners would agree and clearly she does believe that as its followed up with her wondering if the dog would get angry and attack! I geniunly hope that she gets over her fear and it doesnt help that she doesnt like any dogs at all but hopefully one day she can learn what a loving breed they are and are actually reccomended by the kennel club for being good with children, I dont really feel posting this is doing proper research on the breed either tbh its all peoples opinions against experiences I think the only way to properly judge these dogs is by dealing with them yourself like anything. Thats all im saying on it. good luck op

I dislike staffies and GSD, the way I have to walk to work, you get a lot of 'youths' who think its fun using their dogs to terrify anyone who walks past, yes it is all down to the owners, but i still wouldn't trust the dogs

 

[NG09]

Although I have a dog and 2 cats (not really a dog person ,she was DH's dog before we met) I never let them any closer to LO than I am. They arent allowed to lick him, to me that is disgusting anyway. Our dog doesn't get all through the house anyway so is never in the same room as LO, only time they are together is outside. The cats generally stay out most of the time so when they come in the have a quick wonder around then go to sleep in peace.

Aswell as the danger aspect of letting an animal so close to your baby I can't stand the thought of him getting pet hairs in his mouth etc. Makes me feel sick.

 

[clara123]

Alibaba you sound angry- chill out! The lady can't help that the majority of people call them staffies she wasn't having a dig at you. And to be fair they do get a lot of bad press- again it's not the ladys fault that this is the case. She wasn't trying to insult you.

Out of interest- what is the general view of huskies- would people consider them dangerous? X

 

[KellyC75]

Mrsthomas - I love Beagles so much! When we get a dog one day we'll def get a Beagle, those pics are soo sweet.

Do plenty of research on Beagles first, whilst they are loving dogs, they can be very naughty & not too loyal either! (mine would happily run away, if she gets a scent!)



Can I just add....

Whilst we have 2 dogs ourselves & 3 children

I have always taught my children that you should NEVER just go up to a dog & stroke it, no matter what it looks like.....ALWAYS ask the owner, as they know there dogs better & know if they are good with children/strangers/being stroked

Heck, to be honest, ive been more hurt by a cat than a dog...Their claws are sharp as hell!

 

[Dolly.]

I'm the same as you hun, I personally don't like dogs, I'm also scared of them and just don't trust them. I would ask friends to keep their dog away if I'm round. We've been to friends when their dog hasn't been away and I just kept Tristan very close to me and turned away if the dog came near us. The owners are always very aware of their dogs and I'm sure would take measures to make you comfortable.
But I'm sure if your friends take precautions to keep him away I'm sure it wouldn't break free and you would be fine.

 

[Lu28]

Out of interest- what is the general view of huskies- would people consider them dangerous? X

I wouldn't consider them dangerous per se but they are very much working dogs who need a HUGE amount of exercise and training, otherwise their behaviour can be very bad. They are only really suitable for an experienced dog owner who can dedicate alot of time to them so not people who work etc. You also need to be a strong character and make sure all of the people in the house assert themselves as pack leaders, otherwise the dog will. So they're not dangerous but can be tricky. I have owned dogs all my life and wouldn't feel qualified to safely own a husky.

 

[ttc_lolly]

Out of interest- what is the general view of huskies- would people consider them dangerous? X

My mum owns and breeds Northern Inuits and IMO they are very safe and reliable pets, especially around children.

But like a PP said, they are working dogs and require a lot of time and effort, same with terrier breeds.

I do beleive that it's down to the owners when it comes to pets, especially dogs, anyway. You'll find that all the bad press bull terriers receive in the media and press show that 99% of the time the owners are idiots!

 

[mrsthomas623]

Mrsthomas - I love Beagles so much! When we get a dog one day we'll def get a Beagle, those pics are soo sweet.

Do plenty of research on Beagles first, whilst they are loving dogs, they can be very naughty & not too loyal either! (mine would happily run away, if she gets a scent!)



Can I just add....

Whilst we have 2 dogs ourselves & 3 children

I have always taught my children that you should NEVER just go up to a dog & stroke it, no matter what it looks like.....ALWAYS ask the owner, as they know there dogs better & know if they are good with children/strangers/being stroked

Heck, to be honest, ive been more hurt by a cat than a dog...Their claws are sharp as hell!

Yes!! I will say my beagle growing up would run at any chance he got, but he would wonder back several hours later. But you are so worried that they may get hit by a car or someone may hurt them.

My beagle now is pretty awesome (and an exception to the beagle rule) he only runs to things (like people) but if no body is outside, we can have him off leash and he is fine. And he loves all people, but flips if I leave him. He sits at MIL's door and cries when I leave him there. She has 2 beagles and we always bring Brutus over to play with them when she watches Nolan.

Definitely do research because sooo many beagles end up at shelters and pounds because people do not realize how naughty and loud they can be.

 

[mrsthomas623]

In the OP's defense, my dear friend just rescued a pit bull and he seems like such a sweet pea but when she comes in town for a visit, I will have her put him in the backyard as she has not had him around children before and we do not know how he will react... TBH my child will not be the guinea pig. We also have her put her lab/beagle mix out too because he is so hyper it worries me. Especially with newly rescued dogs, you just never know what could be a trigger for them.

Now I will definitely go out and get some pit bull cuddles as I think they are such doll babies but I would be too nervous to have Nolan around a dog I didn't know well enough to trust.

 

[clara123]

I was just asking out of interest as we have a husky so just wanted to see what other people think of them. She is hard work- chews everything and is a runner- can only let her off the lead when there are other dogs round that she can play with. But she is the perfect family dog, so good with the kids. We trained her from a young age so she obeys commands and although can be cheeky she is very well behaved. I'd recommend one x

 

[Sarah10]

I love huskies! they are completely gorgeous! We saw one in pets at home when we took Jayden to see the fish/rabbits and he walked right by us (on his lead with owner) looked in at jayden adn wagged his tail! I'm sure like any other dog they are generally fine, though need a lot of training/exercise.
I think part of the problem is with some dogs they don't get enough stimulation through exercise/walking/playing etc so are more likely to get wound up/provoked.

 

[Pikefoldpixel]

https://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i145/niki_louise/198199_10150441251320531_573405530_17871913_702233_n.jpg

 

[PepsiChic]

https://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i145/niki_louise/198199_10150441251320531_573405530_17871913_702233_n.jpg

I do tell them not to play with their food

you may of ment that in good jest...but honestly its not funny. anyone whos been attacked, or whos child has been bitten or attacked by ANY dog would find that incredibly upsetting.

post a picture of your LO with your dogs by all means, but there is no need for such an unthoughtful caption.

 

[NG09]

https://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i145/niki_louise/198199_10150441251320531_573405530_17871913_702233_n.jpg

I do tell them not to play with their food

you may of ment that in good jest...but honestly its not funny. anyone whos been attacked, or whos child has been bitten or attacked by ANY dog would find that incredibly upsetting.

post a picture of your LO with your dogs by all means, but there is no need for such an unthoughtful caption.

I'm making a habit of this pepsichic, but I agree with you 100%. Not funny in the slightest.