Warning: This is a long winded post

I think I have proved to myself today that my preconceived thoughts and therefore my energy is picked up by dogs. I am totally terrified of dog fights. Socialising Tyson has been very important to me in an attempt to get over this fear. It has taken me so much to be able to have trust and exude a relaxed aura when Tyson meets other dogs at the park. When I see dogs that I either don’t know or am suspicious of the body language around, I hook Tyson up on the lead and leave as calmly as I can.

I have a confession to make, my tension and fear is exacerbated with any bully breeds but more especially with EBT’s. This is a breed that I greatly admire both build and temperament. I especially admire owners and lovers of the breed that have the strength take one on. I have been closely involved with an EBT that was very DA and have witnessed the most horrendous dog fights with a friends darling of a dog called Oblix.

I was doing well with getting over my terror when Ty started to play with a EBT of the same age. Spud is a beautiful dog and the play was always friendly. On a day when they were about 7 months, Ty was guilty of misreading Spud’s signals to be left alone and Spud let him have it. Ty retaliated by turning into the Baskerville hound. I dived in and managed to pull them apart. Spud’s handler managed to hook Ty up to his lead and then remove him far away while I wrestled Spud down and held him till clamed. To this day, we have never brought these two together again.

The reasons are all down to me having a panic attack the moment I see Spud which I am damn sure will be picked up by both dogs and a fight will be inevitable. I know they would probably have a great time playing but I just can’t get over my fear of them fighting.

Jessie, my son’s bull terrier (almost 6 mnths) has never been socialised and has not as yet been taken to any training. She is surprisingly obedient but I know my son gets mad at her when she gets too excited (which just makes her worse).

They plan to take her to an off lead dog park tomorrow so I suggested meeting us at the park this evening first to see how she would cope with other dogs. I know all these dogs so was confident that any issues would be spotted and dealt with quickly. It went great. She really enjoyed just being a dog and Tyson and her got on fantastically. There was no problem with any other dogs either. We walked them home and the two tired dogs were quietly playing in the garden (under supervision).

Tyson was grabbing for her collar and had to be commanded to leave on several occasions. Jessie then began to really growl to let Tyson know she had enough. She then let rip. I rushed to part them just as Tyson realised he was a Staffy and retaliated. My son jumped in to hold Jess back as she was now wild. Tyson was also wanting to have a full go. The more my son screamed at Jess and man handled her, the more enraged she became and my anxiety did not help. It was really hard to try and calmly remove Tyson from the scene but I managed with brute strength to get him indoors and shut him up in my bedroom.

By now my DIL was shouting at my son and the air was thick with tension. I took Jess, hooked up her lead and walked her around till we were all calm. Then they went home still determined to visit the dog place in the morning. I think this is a bad idea as she probably needs a lot more socialising and basic training classes would really help. Nonetheless, I do believe that my deep seated fearful energy certainly contributed if not caused the whole interaction

No skin was broken in fact I doubt that it was anything more than a hell of a lot of noise and gnashing of teeth but the underlying aggression has really triggered my inner terror.

In conclusion, I really need to work on producing calm energy when with Tyson around other dogs, heaven know how. I have also volunteered to get Jess to puppy/beginner classes on Saturday afternoons. At least working with her will help her with other dogs and get the basics and help me see through my fears. Besides it will only take a week or two and son will feel so guilty and take over so mission will be partly accomplished.

Don't be so hard on yourself. You need to build on your confidence because they way you dealt with situations has always been for the best. I have never experienced a DA dog.

Jess will benifit from classes, take Ty too if you can.

You've bought him up well, Ty seems to be a lovely dog. Chin up hun Xxx

I agree with Janey, but think a dog park may be too much too soon. Probably better to start slow with only a few trusted dogs with owners who understand what is going on instead of a dog park which, if anything like the ones here, are full of idiot owners and people who already distrust both breeds on sight. It may be another that starts it, but she would be the one blamed. I totally get your anxiety. I struggle with that myself after my last dog as he was super DA and sometimes human aggressive.

>< Aw Lynne

We thought we had the perfect dog in Billy, well socialised and very obedient, but we have had 3 incidents with other dogs, ask Janey she was there for one of them, we don't let him off lead now unless ther is no other dogs around, I freaked out at the time, but now I am calm and now I am in control. Time will make things easy for you all in the meantime be aware and try to be calm, I never thought my little baby who is so calm, so loving and so calm was capable of such things, people say blame the owner but we have done everything right and yet still.......

Awww hun dont beat yourself up about it and its good that you are wanting too face your fear in a sense.

Im the same with hooch hun when my ohs about hes fine because my oh has firm control and knows how too read hooch and hooch listens to my oh.
When i walk him for some reason i get very tense at times which i know he can sense and makes him on guard. My problem is stanlie just loves all dogs and will play with any male or female intact or not, so i find it hard that hooch isnt the same and im not so good at reading his body language.

Keep your chin up hun, ty is a beautiful dog. x

Im sorry i don't have any advise. all i have to say you always give good advice, so to me that mean you know your stuff and Ty is a very beautiful dog. have a big hug >< maybe sometimes you just need someone to tell you are doing all the right things and it will be ok sorry i cant be of more help

All you can do is the best you can for your dog

I can understand your anxiety and I must say I too am more weary of other bully breeds, mainly because of the harder play that can turn more serious.

Frank has never been in a fight and I plan on keeping it that way. At the dog park he is more interested in chasing his toy than playing with other dogs - he gave up playing with other dogs at about a year of age when he became obsessed with toys - I must admit I prefer it that way. I go to the dog park mainly to keep him social in the company of other dogs.

I hear what you are saying about feeling your anxiety possibly contributing to a confrontation but I must say I wish more people at the dog parks were as concerned with their dogs as you.

I think the only thing you did wrong was to allow them to continue playing when they were both tired. Dogs can get irritable when they are weary (don't we all!), and that's when little tensions build up. You did the right thing to totally seperate them, and I think you did remarkably well considering your own fears!

Like the others, I think it's too soon for Jessie to be allowed free play with strange dogs - it's a recipe for disaster.

Both she and Ty would benefit from training classes, even if only from a socialisation piont of view. I think it would also boost your own confidence.

I'd would also start with a few trusted dogs if you can find some. Caryll also makes a good point of them getting irratible when tired. We used to have to hold Suki while her playmate was getting a drink as well because she didn't want to stop playing.

I was a bit nervous with Suki around other dogs for a few months as well

i know exactly where you are coming from , franki started puppy kindy at 8 weeks for socialization ,he was fine playing happy etc , got bitten by another dog then after that he got aggro when playing . franki is well trained, by 9 months he was working off lead in advanced class , not a problem with aggresion, i could drop stay him in a tight circle of dogs and walk away . which brings me to your problem , when i would walk into training all the dogs are off lead playing and would run up to franki and he would go off like a cracker growling etc going nuts . evey time i walked in same thing , it got to the point i was stressing out before i got there knowing what was going to happen . he would play off lead with certain bitches , but i was scared stiff another dog would wonder over . people said frank could pick up on my vibe and that would trigger him . they said he had lead aggresion etc etc ,
once training started butter wouldnt melt in his mouth , soon as it was over and dogs are playing franki s like come near me and ill have you . not a problem when i walk him , but he did try and have a crack at a dog at the vets this week .
i wont let him off lead around other dogs ..... staffords and dog parks arnt a good mix . good luck hope it works out .

Chin up, it's not all bad. You just need to build confidence in this situation.
I've had many, if not rare occasions with Junior when he's been gone for and he's turned into Satan with fur on him.
Bully breeds will always have high tempers and that's all it is, tempers that snap at a moments notice.

I know how you feel, I have to remind myself to relax and stay in control and I've noticed a difference in their behaviour when I'm anxious. I wish I was able to give some advice, I just wanted to let you know that your not alone in trying to work on this. Good luck at the training classes I think they are a great idea

Thanks to everyone for your support and words of wisdom. I was really very disturbed and worried about my fight phobias Firstly and Jessie's red zone behaviour as she is living with my grand children secondly. The fact that Ty could do the Dr Jeckell and Mr Hyde thing is hard too but then again he was responding in kind.

Ty wrote: The fact that Ty could do the Dr Jeckell and Mr Hyde thing is hard too but then again he was responding in kind.

That scared me with my two, first time they retaliated with snarling and snapping i thought i had aggresive dogs but it is in response to other dogs behaviour and dogs suddenly jumping in their face.I have managed to relax and not assume it will automatically happen. If another dog has a go at them they are actually quite well behaved, can be stopped from joining in . But i have started walking Tasha ,my 15yr old dog , on her own because she has been terrified by other peoples dogs charging at the two staffies and her response was to run away, she still goes with her dog walker and the gang shes been with since she was a pup so she still get her fun.

I've accepted that Staffies have short tempers and now, all I do is warn other people, if they can't control their dogs but I can control mine...well then, I'm not going to let some un-trained brute jump all over my dog, put it that way.

The Jeckell and Hyde thing no longer worries me anymore. It's part of the breed I do believe, but then again...all dogs have that, all dogs will tell other dogs to leave them alone but Staffs and bully breeds just pack more of a punch.

I do not consider Staffies to be short tempered at all - that is part of the whole misconception. Ty is a very even keeled boy and I am blessed that he has only responded twice and each time it has been in the face of a real threat. I need to trust in my experiences with him and other dogs of all sizes todate which have been 99% positive.

Ah okay, Ty. I see where you're coming from, what I think I'm trying to say is most staffs I know and it's stated in numerous books, will not back down from a challenge, no matter how small and will retaliate with power.
But, ignore all of that, sweetie, I just hope you and Ty can work this out. Might all be hormones =P