recall improving in parks, etc., but barking and growling

Hi - I'm proud to say Jelly is getting a lot better about playing in the park/recall off lead, and she is good with other dogs, like to run with them, play, never is dominant, barks if someone goes a bit too far but only when necessary (i.e., another dog tried to snatch her food the other day and also scratched her face and she let out one simple, assertive bark and was done). All good, from my view.

However, I guess more at dusk than anything else (and this might be answering my own question), she barks and growls and stand at attention if something is amiss or someone she isn't expecting turns up. You can imagine in a park, there are loads of people she doesn't expect just strolling by. Three girls walked by today chatting and she didn't go for them but she did stop mid-play with her frisbee, stood at full attention, barked a few times and growled. No bearing teeth or anything like that, just a loud bark/snarl that if I were one of the girls I would definitely not approach. Or little noises, that sort of thing sets her off. I can get control of her very easily and I imagine if she ran up to someone to check them out she would end up jumping and licking like the normally friendly girl she is but I don't want to be wrong about that one day!

Is this the beginning of aggression? Or is she protecting me? She barks and what not in our garden usually because she is chasing cats, foxes, or replying to other dogs barking; and if it's a bigger park with lots of space, she doesn't really do this. It's in smaller spaces. She also sits up and barks when we are in the house and she doesn't like a noise or something, but she doesn't go wild and we can usually get her to quiet down.

I just don't want to be missing something in case it is aggression and I should be doing something to stop her.

Not aggression. They're friendly dogs, but they are still dogs and they do have that protective/guard instinct. A while back I was walking Loki in the dark and we saw someone climbing over someone's back fence, and Loki's hackles went up and he let out a few proper big-dog barks. Some dogs are more easily spooked/alerted than others, and I guess Jelly is just a bit more on edge to things when it's dark. I wouldn't put it down to aggression at all, personally, but by all means keep an eye on her if it'll make you feel better. Besides, if Staffs become aggressive, it's usually towards dogs and not people. I can't see her becoming aggressive to people for no reason at all.

thanks, it's good to get another opinion on it rather than my own worrying! It could be her age too, she's only 9 months old so maybe she's just sorting things out

Thats her protecting you! She wouldn't hurt anyone but is just aware that her sense are much better than yours and is warning you of people approaching. I very much doubt she would bare her teeth or go for someone. Mine do the same at night.

Dempsey does it as well, and Bandit did it before him. Used to scare the life out of people who'd never seen a stafford before (it was quite a long time ago!). But he never bit or went for anyone.

Suki is the same at night. She will bark at people she is always friendly with during the day but is back to her normal self when she realizes who it is

i'm good with the protective bit but don't want her to scare people or worse, have it be a gateway drug kind of thing to biting or harming. I don't think she will, I don't think she has it in her, but she is very strong and can look quite fierce when she wants to. well, not to us, but to people who don't know her and especially those judgmental about the breed.