Aggressive Behaviour / Neutering

Hey guys,

I've been reading certain topics about staffies in this forum but i only just registered. The issue that let me to publish a topic is mainly the fact that my british staffy Vince sometimes tends to be aggressive. I know many staffy owners don't want to hear about this but as a breed, staffies are one of the more prone breeds to being aggressive towards other dogs. Also Vince being intact/unneutered certainly adds to this. Now with that said, Vince as most other staffies are, is very friendly, loving, cuddly and tolerant when it comes to humans. He has not shown a single aggressive behaviour towards any human. He is now 13 months old. I had started taking him to the dog park as soon as his vaccines were done around three months of age. From the beginning he has been well around other dogs although he mostly played roughly with them, sometimes even with the need of my intervention. My girlfriend has a pomeranian around the same age as Vince and they get along pretty well to this day. The pomeranian though is female. So overall he's pretty well socialized.

Vince started showing aggressive behaviour when he was around 8 months old. At least that was around when i knew for sure that he had to be leashed most of the time. He isn't aggressive at all and he's pretty easy-going towards smaller breeds. It may be due to him spending lots of time with the pom or the fact that he doesn't see smaller breeds as a threat. Although once, he pinned down a frenchie barking and lunging towards Lily, my girlfriend and him. Nowadays, he goes around minding his own business and most of the time he'll meet a new dog, sniff and get along and keep walking. Sometimes though, when he confronts another dog thats similar to him in size or bigger he lunges toward them and if the other one isn't submissive he gets aggressive, if the other one responds they get into a fight. He has gotten into fights with male dogs of bigger size. This usually occurs when other dogs are growling or play fighting with each other. He immediately goes and picks a fight with one of them. Sometimes it starts off as playing but things get heated pretty quickly. Next thing i know there is a full blown dog fight or thankfully mostly i intervene in time. Btw, when the pom and him are together off leash, if another dog comes near the pom and she barks at the stranger dog, Vince immediately goes for the other dog. The last time he got into a fight was when a bull-mastiff with whom he was playing peacefully moments ago, jumped on me lovingly trying to lick me or something. The moment Vince saw the other dogs paws on me he went for it and I'll admit it was a pretty tough fight to break. For the record I don't think he was trying to protect me, as he's seen me break dog fights and overall not shy off of things. I'm 1.97m (6'5ft or something) so I don't think he sees me as the victim.

I also want to remind you that other than these sudden reactions, he's a loving, affectionate dog. I was thinking of getting him neutered but I wish I didn't have to, so that his head and bones and muscles can grow the way nature intended. I wanted to ask you guys if anyone has had similar issues, your ideas about whether this is dominance based, ergo, testosterone driven. Can this be solved by getting him neutered.

Thanks in advance guys.

I've posted on your other thread in the training & behaviour section

I would probably agree with neutering, but I would wait until you have his behaviour more balanced, or at least another 5 or 6 months. Neutering before full maturity can mean that behaviour is 'fixed', ie the missing hormones won't be around for building mature self confidence.

Otherwise, follow what Liz has suggested & I'm sure it'll help.

will do, thanks

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Hi & Welcome to the Forum from Flo and me

thanks love to be here

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Just a P.S.
Watch him next time you're out - and I mean watch him like a hawk. Note EVERY change in his demeanour without reacting to it (unless you have to, of course). See what makes him tick. See what attracts him, what makes him tail wag, what makes him go stiff legged & stiff tailed etc. It might help.

Good advice. I'd just add remember not to mistake a tense wag for a happy wag. A high, taught tail might be moving from side to side but it's not a relaxed, happy wag.