My staffie attacks other dogs, unprovoked

Hi, I am new to all this and am hoping someone will be able to give me some sound advice.

We got our first Staffie Reg from a rehome site, he is 2 years old, gorgeous and loving, friendly and has a great personality, however, during the first few weeks we had him he was great when out for walks, especially around other dogs, who he would sniff and walk on by, unless they paid him too much attention then he would growl and nip. 6 weeks on, he now attacks all dogs he see's growling and jumping on them, occaassionaly nipping them, he has not hurt another dog yet! and I want to make sure it remains that way, without him having to wear a muzzle. We do our best to aviod other dogs but it is not always possible. When he is running towards another dog and we are shouting to him, he ignores us and carries on, once we get hold of him he cowers as he knows he has done wrong but controlling him at the time is almost impossible. Why the change from when we first got him?  

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Hiya from me and Vinnie, very difficult with a rescue/rehomed dog no background knowledge usually. I have had no experience in this but Rachael here will probs be able to give you some advice.   

Hi & Welcome from Flo and me   

He's a teen and trying to assert himself I should think. You might well need to go back to basics with his recall training using some high value treats to get his attention. With the reactions you describe, I would also use a long lead and keep him on that until you're happy with the recall so as to avoid any unfortunate incidents. I'm sure others will offer further advice, so do keep checking back here.

Welcome from Iza and me   

Hi from me and Lula

You need to keep him on a lead at all times till you sort out the problems. A long lead will still give him some freedom but you will be completely in control.
Better experience members will be along soon with some good advice.

Hi and welcome to the forum from Rocky and me.

We also have a rescue called Rocky who has had his moments with other dogs but Rocky is usually on the receiving end sadly. Best advice would be to keep him on a lead of some kind either extendable or long training line.

Do you know anyone with a very calm dog to set him a good example that you could walk with ? he can then see how to behave with other dogs and what is acceptable behaviour when initially greeting other dogs.

How do you react when these incidents happen ? Your body language will also have an effect on how he behaves.

Link below to see different body language of dog behaviour:

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

Hi and welcome from me and Daisy   

I can only echo the advise above about keeping him on the lead and using a training line to work on recall x

hia from me and sasha   ,agree with the long lead,you'll be able to let him run but if another dog comes near have the control to real him in.

Welcome from Alfie and me.
We rehomed Alfie 8 mths ago just before he turned 2yrs. Unfortunately we found out he does not like other dogs and has fear aggression. There is no way I would let him off lead if the chance of another dog around. I know he would not come back and it could be very nasty. We also use a long lead, we have a 30 foot and 100 foot. When we are in a large area, on the 100 foot lead its like he is off anyway, chasing his ball etc.

Hi and welcome from Oz and me, great advice above, oz hates other dogs especially large ones we have a flexi lead and he carries a stick which really really helps take his mind off other dogs

Hi and welcome from us and Suki. I would use a long lead as well and if possible socialize him with an older dog that isn't aggressive.

Hello and a warm welcome from me and Stella 

Hi and welcome to the forum from me and the zoo xx

I would introduce the dog to maybe an older quieter dog socialisations the key maybe every time the dog behaves reward him with a treat .

Moved to training, should get you some more views.

If the behaviour is getting worse, you need to stop what every you're doing and start fresh.

As previously mentioned common sense would be to not let him off of the lead at the moment. If he's attacking other dogs and not listening to you, you're more than likely going to need the help of a behaviourist, aggression is a very complex topic, especially in a breed as powerful as ours.

Until you can arrange a meeting with a behavioural specialist, control is most important until you get a decent training plan in place; control in this circumstance is going to come from managing the situation; waking on lead, crossing the road if you see other dogs approaching and teaching him some obedience commands. What area are you in? May be able to recommend somebody.

I just wanted to add when Axl went through his dog aggressive stage going back to training classes was the best thing we ever did. If you can, take him to a training class it will help so much

Debs01 wrote:I just wanted to add when Axl went through his dog aggressive stage going back to training classes was the best thing we ever did.  If you can, take him to a training class it will help so much

I would just add to the good advice that Debs01 has given: it all depends what your dog is like. If the dog has dog aggression tendencies (as mine has also) then training in a large (or even a small) group of other dogs may not be easy or desirable. And it's certainly not enjoyable. We paid for a six-week class once, but I had to call it off after only one session as my dog was getting too stressed out with the proximity, snarling at the other dogs, which in turn annoyed the other owners. So it all depends on what your dog can handle and the nature and strength of his fear, or whatever is his motivation. A one-to-one session with a behaviourist may be a better solution to get some top quality, bespoke advice. In the meantime, absolutely definitely dont let him do any damage to other dogs and dont assume that all will be well if he's showing tendencies (I humbly advise). On lead at all times when it's not completely safe and dont be afraid to (politely) tell owners to back off with their dogs (especially if off lead) as this also protects your own - by ensuring he doesnt get into any trouble.

I agree with others in that you should have your dog on a lead, especially if he does not recall and had DA tendencies.

Also socialising at dog school is vital. Contact your local community dog park, they are really affordable and you can usually go all year round whenever you want. Its not all about training them to sit, the social aspect is often worth a great deal more for some dogs. If it is a club worth its salt you can take along your dog and introduce him very slowly. Just standing on the outskirts and then walk around with him to release the tension/anxiety and praising/rewarding the calm behaviour especially when and if interacting with other dogs. There are plenty of older dogs at community clubs too and they will tell your dog when it is being rude (which it probably is). The hardest part is your dog learning how to react to that and also when he encounters other rude dogs.

Hi and welcome from the girls and me