Sudden change in behaviour towards certain dogs

My partner and I have a 4 year old female staffie cross, we think with jack russel. She's normally the most placid, lovely dog imaginable. We often get compliments on how lovely she is. Most of the time we don't need to worry about even putting her on the lead, as she's so obedient and has no issues with other dogs.

However, in the last week or so she's tried to fight two different dogs. In both cases she's gone for the other dog with no warning, whilst she's been off the lead. It's taken me or my partner to intervene to split them up. Once they're split up, she doesn't show any sign of thinking she's done anything wrong.

We're both concerned about this change in behaviour and want to nip it in the bud. We're going to put her on the lead around other dogs from now on, but we really want to get to the root of this change in character.

Any advice will be very gratefully received.

Thanks

Dani

How long have you had your pooch, Danielle?

And is it possible that she could be in season?

She's had a bit of an unsettled past, having moved around quite a lot within the family. She's been living with my partner and me for about 6 months. She's not due to come into season for a while yet.

Thanks for the information Dani. Despite her unsettled past, I take it that she has been well settled with you and your OH for the last 6 months, happy and contented and showing no signs of aggression towards other dogs in that time.

Just a thought - in the 6 months she's been with you she presumably had a season. When was it - are you absolutely sure (given that you have walked her off the lead) that she hasn't been struck pregnant?

Yeah, she's been wonderful with us. I'm almost certain she's not pregnant. Although she's been off the lead, she never strays too far and any contact she's had with other dogs has been supervised. She's not showing any signs of being pregnant. The only change I can think of recently is a mild canker ear infection, which is being treated.

Even during this period when she's gone for the other two dogs, she's been around other dogs with absolutely no problems. If anything she's always been indifferent to other dogs approaching her and shown very little interest in them.

Ok, just exploring the options!

Maybe she just didn't like the other dogs, for whatever reason. she maybe picked up on anti-social vibes from these two dogs which were undetectable to you (not all other dogs are friendly, unfortunately!) and she decided that the best form of defence was attack.

If she's usually indifferent towards other dogs, it may be that these two dogs were encroaching on her personal space and she was uncomfortable about that?

Were these two dogs on leads, or off-lead?

I don't know if it's linked, but I've just gone downstairs to use the loo (our bathroom is downstairs) to discover she's pooed on the dining room floor! She's never done that before. I walked before it got dark and let her into the garden before I went to bed.

It's too much of a coincidence for the two incidents not to be linked. HELP!!

Maybe you should take her to the vets for a check up, in case there is a health issue causing this?

Got to the bottom of it! She just came into heat today - seems we'd miscalculated!

Thanks for all the help

 Just been reading through this & was about to reply. Sounds like he answer's her season, so hopefully she'll be back to normal in three weeks! 

Please do stick around & enjoy the forum!

 Oh good  Sure she'll be back to normal soon then!

Maybe come and say hi in new member introductions when you get chance  

https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/f7-new-member-introductions

Thanks for this information Dani! Give her 3 or 4 weeks and she should be back to her sane self!