newbie questions

hi
i have an 8 year old staffie/lab cross he has spent all his life with us but my husband just died and he was with ben nearly all the time and was the alpha male so to speak.
So far me and Ben have been getting on fine he misses my husband and gets up a lot in the night to look for him, but seems quite happy with me being chief feeder etc but is perhaps not as obedient although i have kept the same commands i am in the process of trying to make sure he understands that i'm in charge now.
I have returned to work this week and he doesnt seem distressed by being on his own all day which is a huge relief -We live in a remote farm house and Ben has always had lots of room to run around outside so hasnt really been walked much or socialised but i know he doesnt like encountering other dogs on leads when we have been out - although he has never shown agression to humans or tried to chase sheep its just other dogs.
I will have to move house in a couple of months so although he will still have outdoor space it will be nothing like the space he has now, so ideally i want to start walking him routinely but i worry he will be agressive to other dogs and what if he slips his lead - he has never been muzzled which would be one solution i suppose i'm not sure how they work or are they cruel ? I was wondering if getting him neutered would help we never bothered because he couldnt get out and didnt encounter other dogs except out on the lead (i,m not sure how secure the new garden is) but is it risky for an 8 year old dog to have anaesthetic he is generally fit and healthy though getting a bit stiff legged in the mornings.I want to do whats best for him but risking losing him too at the moment feels unbearable.

So sorry to hear about your husband.

Please try not to worry too much our last Staffy Biddy was dog aggressive from the age of 2, used to be fine then one day turned and nothing we tried worked so in the end we gave up trying. Going out on walks was still a simple affair we just never let her off and instead of a collar we used a harness so that she couldn't slip it. We never used a muzzle just crossed or moved if other dogs were about. If other dogs were loose we did warn the owners and they soon moved there dogs and leashed them after hearing her bark.
We had to have her put to sleep in September at the age of 11 due to cancer but in those 9 years of her being aggressive she never actually harmed another dog. Just firm control while out and about.

Take care, i'm sure he will be fine. xx

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I'm affraid I don't really know about dog aggresion but you'll get some sound advice here as you've already had some! You sound to be doing an amazing job though and coping well in the circumstances. Welcome to the forum

Hello + welcome xxx

Very sorry for your loss

It's best to let your dog run around in the garden but keep on a lead anywhere else. No need for a muzzle, but if there was, no they're not cruel + don't hurt.

SBTs can have a tendency to be aggressive with other dogs, not all are the same. Best to keep on lead though as if there's a confrontation, they can be hard to separate.

Sounds like you're doing just fine, they are real people dogs + very loyal so I'm sure you won't have any probs but there'll always be some advice on hand on here xxx

Hello & welcome to the forum.

So sorry to hear about the loss of your husband. I hope that you're managing to pull the threads of your life back together, and if you need to talk we'll all be pleased to listen!

To be honest, you've had some sound advice already so I won't add anything to that. Just enjoy your dog, whether he likes other dogs or not - he'll be a tower of strength for you, especially when you're feelong low.

My heart goes out to you so sorry for your loss and you and your boy will lean on each other now for support try not to worry youll work it all out

So sorry to hear about your loss
Welcome to the forum

sorry to hear about you loss but welcome to the forum

hello and welcome, sorry about your loss, you will work it out, and luckily you have a lovely dog to help you through

So sorry about your loss, but welcome to a very friendly forum

Hello & welcome to the forum, So sorry to hear about the loss of your husband