should i try ...

hi, we have been looking at a gorgeous staffi called custard, she is 2 years old and in a home after being stranded in london. we have met her twice now and is the most loving dog i have met in many years. the home has come out and seen us and they are happy for us to take her home, the only thing that bothers me and which is the reason she has been in the home for so much is she des not like dogs, the lady has rather made me doubt wether custard is now the dog for us as she has said that if another dog is on the same side of the road then we have to cross and that we are liable for any dog that comes up to us with no lead if she hurts the other dog off the lead. i think in time she will get better or am i just being hopefull ? i undersand that i will never let her off the lead and that isnt a prob.

thanks
anne

Hiya and welcome from me and Moo

Out if interest have you owned a Bull breed before??

If she is a danger to other dogs you won't be able to let her off the lead. I always thought that if a dog off lead came up to yours and yours attacked that the OTHER owner was at fault?

Would you be willing to muzzle her on walks though?

Getting on with other dogs is a plus but there are some dogs that just dont. You can work with this and with training you could overcome a lot. In SA, the owner of the dog off lead is liable.

Bully breeds do need more attention than other breeds but they are so worth it.

hi janey, no as kids we had bearded collies and briards , but we have been looking for a year now and custard is so beautiful . a muzzle is a thought but not sure how she would like it and not knowing what she has been through .. by the looks of it she has been used for breeding .

Thankyou all for all your advice

I really apprecitate that you are rescuing. Moo is one also, 3 homes proir me, but I had owned a staff before so I new there tendancies and stregnth. Also the background and other peoples perceptions.

Any dog can be worked with to become a perfect family pet, but it takes a lot of work and a lot of effort. You are going to have to be very thick skinned, and very confident whilst handling.

She may never get on with other dogs, so you have to ask yourself if this is going to be the right dog for you. I'm sorry I'm not trying to put you off but maybe think of the bigger picture and the years ahead.

By all means if you can work with her and understand how headstrong the breed can be go for it. Just have a real think. There's plenty of us on here who have DA dogs and rescue dogs. Just make sure its what you want.

Can you spend a little time with her before you say yes? I honestly am not trying to put you off, but its a big thing. I wish you all the best and whatever you decide there are plenty here that can help

hi janey.. we have spent about 4 hours with her over the 2 weekends, and other than this prob she is pretty calm and loving. i have most prob been on every site reading up lol.. i think we will spk to the home tomorrow and just ask what happens if things go wrong as i dont think she will really be herself untill she actually has somewhere to call home. and then go from there. Thankyou so much for your advice and i will keep you updated

I wish you all the best and I really hope it works for you. If you have firm control and confidence, then nothing can happen and you seem to be doing your homework.

Good luck and do please keep us updated Xx

I rescued my old boy diesel from a dogs home knowing he was dog aggressive however he was the softest boy towards people etc .. We knew we would only ever be able to own the one dog when owning him but as long as we had him it didnt matter to us.
When we took him out he was always on a strong harness and strong short lead aswell as muzzled, first thing i taught him was walk to heal and leave which would be vital when walking past other people and there dogs.
Gradually due to wearing a muzzle he knew he couldnt do anything so he would just ignore the dogs over the road etc etc.
When i took him to the park he wore the same and i would take him deep in and the put him on a long lead that reached 50ft to have a good run! the deeper in the park you go the less dogs!.
Its harder but not impossible! i wouldn't let the fact she is dog aggressive get in the way of rescuing her if you don't want it to, with the proper precautions etc you should be fine .

anne w wrote: a muzzle is a thought but not sure how she would like it and not knowing what she has been through ..

Most dogs will get used to a muzzle if necessary, although it may take a few days for them to be comfortable with it.

I think the main thing will be for you to dedicate some considerable time and patience training her to behave on lead. If she truly is dog aggressive, then you will need to teach her to leave or ignore other dogs (if you go ahead with the adoption, there are plenty of people here who will be happy to give you advice on how that could be done), and you will have to be pretty thick skinned because you'll get lots of comments about 'dangerous dogs' etc. Just rise above it and ignore them! As for crossing the road, this may not always be an option, nense the need to train her to ignore! You can't spend the next 10 or 12 years constantly crossing the road!

Some da dogs are very bad when they are in rescue kennels but will improve a little in a stable, loving home once they are settled and therefore more confident. Although she might never be trusted with other dogs, it's certainly possible that you will be able to control her aggression and get her to ignore dogs.

A da dog isn't the end of the world, but it is a challenge and you should be aware that it will not be easy.

hi all well have decided after talking to my girls and husband that we are all going to try our hardest and give it a go.. im confident that i am strong enough to get her through this and have found a trainer that sounds like she can to some really good teaching for custard and i. so we are picking her up sunday thankyou all for your advice and look forward to reading more posts . will update you all soon and will put some pics up.

Fab news and nice one, looking forward to some pics of Custard Xx

what great news, bet you cant wait, looking forward to lots of pics

Fab news! .. what a fab name haha

anne w wrote:hi all well have decided after talking to my girls and husband that we are all going to try our hardest and give it a go.. im confident that i am strong enough to get her through this and have found a trainer that sounds like she can to some really good teaching for custard and i. so we are picking her up sunday thankyou all for your advice and look forward to reading more posts . will update you all soon and will put some pics up.

Fantastic!

P.S. Picspicspicspicspics! Sorry, I just love looking at cute doggie pics!

Fab news,looking forward to pictures!

Great news. You have given it a lot of thought and you do seem to be well prepared. Now just waiting to see pictures.

Brilliant news, good luck with it all. Just remember that it will take her some time to settle in and patience will be the key to all her training. Sounds like you have given it some serious thought well done!

Best of luck and can't wait for the pics.