Crash: living up to her name!

I have a staffyx bitch who is a rescue, probably about 15 months old and we have had her about a year. She is quite small (15kg) well socialised and has good commands- she has also been to a lot of dog school sessions. She has always loved all other people and other dogs but this last two weeks her behaviour has changed. She is playing too rough when she meets another dog off lead and twice when the other dog has wanted to stop playing she has growled at them. Until two weeks ago she had never growled in her life. In fact, the first time it happened I didn't realise the growl was coming from her as I hadn't heard it before!

A couple of weeks ago she met another (much bigger) staffy on lead and her lead got caught up with his, she ended up trapped under him and he acted aggressively. She didn't react and I pulled her out but I am worried this was the start of her change in behaviour.


Yesterday she was playing with one of her friends (a patterdale) and they ended up play fighting under a table. I think she let trapped because it stopped sounding like play so I pulled her out, got her to sit and stay by me for a while then walked her on the lead calmly for the rest of the walk.

Do you think this is an age and growing confidence thing? Or fear? When she was younger, if another dog acted badly towards her she would always run away.

My plan is to keep her on the sad when other dogs are around for a few months and to ask the girl who walks her in the middle of the day to do the same. She walks perfectly on the lead and has always been fine meeting other dogs on the lead. Can anyone suggest anything else to do?

The growl doesn't sound like aggression, more playful encouragement because she wanted to play. Dogs can change their behaviours quite radically at this age as they learn about other dogs and their environment, so that alone isn't reason for concern. Bo growls like a crazy bear when he's playing but he doesn't have an ounce of aggression in him. If he meets a Staffie who won't play he barks repeatedly right in their face "Play! Play! Play!" (only Staffies, though, he never barks at other breeds).

Sounds just play to me also, believe me when Vin growls in play its really rather menacing lol!

As I have found out, Staffy's do like to rough house and what appears to be aggression is just rough play. See if you can get some video of it and post it here. Its what I did and the advice was great.

Sound slike play to me as well. If they are in a tight space like under a table one of the dogs can feel trapped and it can get aggressive so best to seperate them.

At 15 months she is likely to be starting the teenage phase and will seem to forget her manners and commands. Just be consistant and don't let her get away with things and it will pass. A pet corrector spray would also be usefull.

Here is a link on body language that you may find usefull

http://staffy-bull-terrier.com/dog_body_language

Do you have a long lead? If so I wold keep her on that and still let her play. The pet corrector spray will make seperating them easy and the long lead will let you keep control and give her some freedom.

Lexi growls like a lion when she is excited at home. She greets every1 with a toy and a hunched wiggly bum (really is the weirdest things over ever seen. I've never seen another dog do it - vet said all is ok with her spine) and the loudest lowest growl I've ever heard. She is just trying to play. I ignore her till she calms down x

Lol vicky mines the same she does this mad low growl that goes on and on but her bum moves independantly from the front and the walks like some wierd frog cross staffy lol. Then after a hello shes 'normal' well as normal as she could be haha

Yes same. I wish I could put a video on here she walked on her tippy tippy toes it's so funny x

Bugs the same with the wiggly butt growl greet lol!

Thanks all. She has been much better this week and this weekend she has met lots of new dogs on and off the lead and been fine. I wonder if she wasn't feeling her self (she did have a touch of diarrhoea when all this was happening!) I think being a teenager has been an issue too as when she was a puppy she just wanted to be with all other dogs and play with all other dogs. She's having to learn to ignore other dogs when we pass them and that she doesn't have to say hello to everyone! I also think she is too big and a bit too rough to be playing with dogs smaller than her - she doesn't change her play style between playing with a shitzu or a doberman!

It's probably a combination of things Claire. Maturing and getting bolder goes hand in hand. I doubt the growling is anything more than a plea to play and she's suddenly found that Staffy voice

Sounds like your kinda there with the body language, if it gets too rough seperate the dogs and give a few mins to calm down.

PS love the name "Crash"

Thanks Ian. My partner named her and everyone who meets her says how much it suits her. Yesterday she had a rough game with a friendly young grey hound (Crash is small and can build ups surprising speed) They were having a lovely time but with Crash's noises it definitely made me make think it was the right decision not to let her play with anyone smaller than her. She was too rough with my mum's cocker spaniel last week.

Ah, you'll work out what's best for crash with regard the play. Sometimes it works sometimes you just have to step in. As for speed, wow they can't half shift, just beware Crash doesn't bowl you over

Hello, sorry to resurrect an old post put I thought it might be useful for other owners to know they outcome of this situation, which was very worrying for me. Crash had been a bit off with other dogs for about a month, which was totally out of character. Then my partner was stroking her and realised the glands in her neck were huge. We took her to the vets who said she had a bad salivary and lymph node infection. She went on antibiotics. Although she hadn't seemed ill, on the third day of antibiotics she tore around the house like a mad woman, so must have suddenly felt better. Ever since then (2 months ago) we she has got on absolutely fine with all other dogs she has met and we haven't heard a growl out of her.

Aww glad u noticed and crash is all sorted that may have been her way of telling the other dog im ill go away.

It's so hard to tell if mood changes are just because they're getting older or if, like your Crash, there's something medical. Thank you for sharing.

Yup she was obviously not keen on other dogs knocking against her neck. I feel bad we took so long to figure out what it was but pleased we have our happy pup back.

Great news in a weird way Claire. If only they could talk eh. Must be such a relief to have your normal Crash again

I'm glad your mind has been put at rest even though poor Crash was
poorly. Hope she is better now.

The thing is with these brave dogs is that they don't show pain and will
put up with quite a lot before you notice anything is wrong with them.
So don't feel bad about not noticing sooner, just enjoy having your
lovely girlie back to normal.